World Environment Day focuses on biodiversity

(June 7, 2010) The United Nation’s sponsored World Environment Day was observed on Saturday, on the theme “Many Species. One Planet. One Future.” This year's event hosted by Rwanda aimed at drawing people’s attention to the importance of biodiversity and the fragile nature of life on our planet. In a message for the annual June 5 observance, UN Secretary General ban Ki-Moon warned that “from frogs to gorillas, from huge plants to tiny insects, thousands of species are in jeopardy.” He said that species are becoming extinct at the fastest rate ever recorded. He stressed the need to stop this “mass extinction” and raise awareness about the vital importance of the millions of species that inhabits the planet’s soils, forests, oceans, coral reefs and mountains. “I appeal to everyone – from Kigali to Canberra, from Kuala Lumpur to Quito – to help us sound the alarm. Get involved, speak out. Learn and teach others. Show leadership and help clean up.” He called on all UN agencies, funds and programmes to become climate neutral and ‘go green.’ A new website has been developed to improve the UN’s communications on its internal sustainability performance. The June 5 World Environment Day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.