June 5—World Environment Day--Small Steps Would Go A Long Way


June 5 is celebrated as the World Environment Day around the world. In many countries, it is observed with all seriousness and purpose. In others, it is like any other `day` which has to be observed more out of obligation to international conventions than for real commitment towards protecting the environment. School children take part in painting and drawing competitions, debates and speeches while adults, politicians, bureaucrats and social activists get busy in hosting seminars, conferences and meetings, most of them photops for the television channels and next day’s newspapers. Why do we celebrate the Environment Day? The principle objective is to highlight the importance of protecting our living environment and to rededicate ourselves to prevent any further damage to our natural surroundings. This is also the day when countries make commitments, pledge funds and create plans to galvanise action to protect our natural environment. Pledges, promises and paintings apart, what is the most striking feature of these celebrations all over the world? The colossal amount of waste, plastic, non-degradable and toxic, left behind to be dumped in overfilling landfills, water bodies, rivers, oceans or left to rot in the sun and rain. Events generate mounds of paper and plastic which cannot be wished away or burnt or buried without leaving the natural surroundings even more degraded and poorer. The problem lies in the intent and practice. Just to take a small example. In the meetings, the numbers would run into several thousand in the world, drinking water would be served in plastic bottles and containers; delegates would travel miles burning jet fuel or petrol and there would be rarely any participation from the local communities. If every meeting uses up a carton of packaged drinking water, the total number of plastic bottles used in one day would amount to several thousand, several truck loads of plastic waste. This can easily be curtailed by adopting simpler, thoughtful measures. A single water dispenser with reusable glass tumblers is one example; use of biodegradable material like mud cups and bottles could be another. There could be several simpler measures to cut down or do away with plastic bottles. This does not require great debate or difficult legislation. It calls for common sense, and community action. This will be the first step towards a cleaner environment and an honest way to observe the World Environment Day. Another small step is to ban the use of plastic materials for banner, posters and other publicity materials. Instead, using recycled paper, used newspapers and similar materials could reduce the use of paper. These products could then be recycled into paper pulp to create newer products and even sold at nominal price as souvenirs. There are many ways in which people can help in protecting the environment, and many people around the world are doing so. What we should do on the World Environment Day is to rediscover common sense and environment-friendly practices to keep our world safe for us.

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