50th Annual World Environment Day
World Environment Day’s 50th anniversary is here! Established by the United Nations Environment Programme in 1973, World Environment Day is celebrated on June 5 each year to help UNEP raise awareness and generate political momentum around growing environmental concerns. While we at M.E. Society view it as a day of celebration and gratitude for our beautiful planet and the species we share it with, at its core it is a day for awareness and action. Read on to learn about ways you can take action for the planet, and why.
Earth belongs to everyone, and should be enjoyed by any and everyone. It is also the responsibility of everyone to care for it and help it prosper. There is much debate around who should be responsible for cleaning the planet and slowing the rate of climate change and to what extent. We have a certain mindset on this phenomenon, but now is not the time or place for debate. We touched on this briefly in our Conscious Consumption blog, and will say for now that governments and corporations are the most influential in initiating/maintaining meaningful change. However, regardless of your stature or political/social influence, there are plenty of ways that you can help preserve the natural world and all of the unique organisms we share it with.
Stay educated. The best thing you can do for your planet is to stay informed on its natural processes and how humans influence the natural world. In order to facilitate systemic change, we must understand our role and interactions with the natural world. Getting to the true root of certain issues, like climate change, can only begin with knowledge.
Vote. In many countries around the world, including the United States, the political system is driven by democratic processes. Make sure you are registered to vote and have at least a basic understanding of what the different roles in government are responsible for and who your local/nationwide candidates may be. As we have seen in recent American presidential elections, voting matters and can sometimes come down to just a few thousand people. Voting is a privilege that is still denied in many places, and wasn’t allowed to all of the American population until the last few decades. Exercise your rights and get involved in political processes on a local and national level
Engage in Citizen Science. Citizen Science is the practice of involving non-scientists in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge and data collection. There are many ways to do this, but one of our favorite platforms is Nature’s Notebook. Nature’s Notebook is a project of the USA National Phenology Network and gathers information on plant and animal phenology across the United States. This information is used for decision-making on local, national and global scales to ensure the continued vitality of our environment. This is a free program, helps the observer notice more about their natural world and be more attuned to seasonal or annual changes, and helps propel conservation efforts. Check it out!
Plant native species. If you have a garden at home, in your community, or even just have some extra space on your patio, planting native plants is a great way to ensure biodiversity thrives with a multitude of other environmental benefits. Planting native species allows biodiversity to thrive by creating habitat and providing food for many different animals including birds, pollinators and small mammals.Some other benefits of planting native species include conserving water and protecting soil from erosion.
Like we mentioned prior, the Earth belongs to everyone, and its health and preservation should be the responsibility of everyone. It doesn’t matter how much money you have nor how much supposed influence you have. Each suggestion mentioned above is low-cost if not free and can be very influential and/or impactful.
Do you have suggestions for how to take action this World Environment Day, or just want to chat? We’d love to hear from you! Contact us now.
The power to change the world is in your hands - what will you do with it?