While people witnessed double rainbows from their homes, many could see the Himalayan mountain ranges from their terrace. Families decided to cherish their quarantine by gardening, watching sunsets from their balconies and realising that there is more to life than our daily busy schedule. Our love for nature was restored, the pandemic showed us our bright side. While we have been taught in schools that 5th June is the 'day of nature' do you know that every year we have a special theme for this day?
World Environment Day 2020 Theme
The World Environment Day 2020’s theme is ‘Celebrate Biodiversity‘, a concern that is both urgent and existential as per the United Nations official website, and it will be hosted in Colombia, in partnership with Germany. The theme is extremely relevant because the current environmental crisis is a warning that we must heed collectively. We must now fundamentally rethink our relationship with the living world, with natural ecosystems and their biodiversity.
According to the United Nation organization, the theme was selected due to the "Recent events, from bushfires in Brazil, the United States, and Australia to locust infestations across East Africa - and now, a global disease pandemic - demonstrate the interdependence of humans and the webs of life, in which they exist."
Biodiversity is important for the survival of all living things big and small, on land, or in water. We need to understand that while there may be a food chain and ranking of species, every living thing is connected to another living thing, and together it forms a network of diverse life forms on the planet.
The World Environment Day 2019 them was 'Air Pollution'.
The World Environment Day History
The first major conference on environmental issues was held in the year 1972 from June 5-16 in Stockholm (Sweden) and the theme for the first World Environment Day was "Only One Earth". Later that year, on December 15, the General Assembly adopted a resolution designating June 5 as World Environment Day. In 1974, the first World Environment Day was celebrated.
The general practice to celebrate the day is to go out and plant saplings, events are organised to promote awareness but as we know that the year 200 is different due to the pandemic, people can plant a sapling in their gardens, terrace and take an oath to protect the nature. Here are some thought provoking quotes to instill positivity on this 'World Environment Day'
The Earth is what we all have in common- Wendell Berry
Every moment and every event of very man's life on earth pants something in his soul.- Thomas Merton
We only have one home- David Bayliss
On the last day of the earth I would want to plant a tree- W S Merwin
I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend?- Robert Redford
Don’t blow it – good planets are hard to find.- Time
Imagine if trees gave off Wifi signals, we would be planting so many trees and we’d probably save the planet too. Too bad they only produce the oxygen we breathe.- Anonymous
If humanity has to live for a long time, you have to think like the Earth, act as the Earth and be the Earth because that is what you are- Sadhguru
Pleasure is Nature's test, her sign of approval. When man is happy, he is in harmony with himself and his environment- Oscar Wilde
There must be a reason why some people can afford to live well. They must have worked for it. I only feel angry when I see waste. When I see people throwing away things we could use- Mother Teresa
Men argue. Nature acts- Voltaire