Happy World Environment Day (WED) 2020!
This is an important day for not only the environmentalist and other directly associated professionals but also for all human being to consider this as day for introspection and a day to begin adopting ways to exist with Nature on Nature’s term by enhancing our resilience to man made and natural disasters and by adopting ecologically benign, socially equitable, sustainable development path in real sense.
This year’s theme for World Environment Day is “Celebrate Biodiversity”. Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species, and of ecosystems.
However, in order to celebrate the Biodiversity we need to first understand the significance of the ecosystem we live in and role of each of the components (be it biotic or abiotic, be it we human or all other organisms).
This year’s WED is being celebrated across the world under the shadow of unprecedented and still ongoing devastating Covid-19 pandemic which essentially forcing us to comprehend the social practices that cause a complete imbalance in nature. In the span of a few months, Covid-19 is occupying the topmost section of newspaper, news channels, and even in our day to day discussion. Now it is increasingly being acknowledged that destruction of the biodiversity by humans have essentially has been destroying the systems that supports human life.
According to the United Nations, some of the facts and statistics on how biodiversity is getting impacted because of our actions are-
- Biodiversity involves 8 million plant and animal species, the ecosystems that house them, and the genetic diversity among them. In the last 150 years, the live coral reef cover has been reduced by half
- Within the next 10 years, one out of every four known species may have been wiped off the planet
- It would take 1.6 Earths to meet the demands that humans make on nature each year
Human actions, including deforestation, encroachment on wildlife habitats, Non-sustainable agriculture, and acceleration of climate change, have pushed nature beyond its limit. If we continue on this path, it will have severe implications for humanity, including the collapse of food and health systems.
I am glad people across the world are now getting more concerned towards their survival then the non sustainable economic prosperity. This is the right time for all of us to adopt ecologically benign, socially equitable, sustainable development path at all level in the society starting from the individual to national level.
I firmly believe that taking some measures, even now, would help the humanity to minimize (if not avoid) the impact of Natural and Antropogenic Disasters.
- Being Minimalistic:- Consume less. Create and consume. Grow vegetables in the backyard or a shared space of community. Consumer demand is harnessing natural resources at a faster rate. Once we learn to live with less, our survival period would be more extended and stress-free as well.
- Choosing Vegetarianism:- To savour individual taste buds animals and birds are captured and killed. As a result, wildlife is affected. Some species of mammals are poached, that becomes a vital and primary source of pandemic-spread.
- Prioritize health over Trade and Economy:- When we maintain the symbiotic relationship with our environment then only we can think of creating a similar system in other domains of trade and consumption.
Writing an essay on Environment day would not fetch any concrete solution; actions would do. Boycott unsustainable approaches of growth and development. To avoid (or at least to minimize) evolution of any new pandemics, we need to learn and teach about biodiversity and natural balance to your children. Covid-19 and this year 2020 teaching us a substantial lesson and now we cannot afford to close our eyes and risk our lives once again.
Resilient Sustainance Private Limited (RSustain) has been incorporated with an aim to support Industries, Cities, Townships, Academic Institutions and others to not only provide our environment and sustainability services to comply with the regulatory requirements but also enhance their ability to become future perfect in their field by enabling them to identify and adopt ecologically benign, socially equitable, sustainable development path.
At the end I wish you all once again Happy World Environment Day 2020, let us Celebrate ” the Biodiversity” that we are blessed with and try to protect and enhance all our ecosystems.