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About World Environment Day
World Environment Day (WED) was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.
Commemorated yearly on 5 June, WED is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. The day's agenda is to:
Give a human face to environmental issues;
Empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development;
Promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues;
Advocate partnership which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.
http://www.unep.org/wed/about/
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World Environment Day - 5 June 2014
"Raise Your Voice, Not the Sea Level"
Read more about rise in sea levels due to climate change
Prize Winning Video - Vlogging Competition
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Environmental Science, Engineering, Technology, and Management Systems & Practices - 2014
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World Environment Day - 5 June 2012
Theme 2012
Green Economy Does it include YOU
http://www.unep.org/wed/theme/
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Message by UN Secretary General
http://www.un.org.vn/en/spotlight-articles-press-centre-submenu-253/news-highlights-press-centre-submenu-254/2160-the-secretary-general-s-message-on-world-environment-day,-5-june-2012.html
Message UNESCO Secretary General
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/world-environment-day/world-environment-day-2012/
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World Environment Day - 5 June 2011
Theme for the Year 2011 - Forests: Nature At Your Service
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Environment Day 2011 - Theme Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ajaS5xMSUA
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Forests cover one third of the earth’s land mass, performing vital functions and services around the world which make our planet alive with possibilities. They play a key role in our battle against climate change, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere while storing carbon dioxide.
Forests feed our rivers and are essential to supplying the water for nearly 50% of our largest cities. They create and maintain soil fertility; they help to regulate the often devastating impact of storms, floods and fires.
Forests also provide shelter, jobs, security and cultural relevance for forest-dependent populations. They are the green lungs of the earth, vital to the survival of people everywhere -- all seven billion of us.
Forests embody so much of what is good and strong in our lives. Yet despite all of these priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits, we are destroying the very forests we need to live and breathe.
Global deforestation continues at an alarming rate -- every year, 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed. That’s equal to the size of Portugal. Economists around the world have proven that by not integrating the values of forests into their budgets, countries and businesses are paying a high price. One that ultimately impoverishes us all as harm to our forest life-support system continues each and every single day.
Conserving forests and expanding them need to be recognized as a business opportunity. When we add it up, an investment of US$30 billion fighting deforestation and degradation could provide a return of US$2.5 trillion in new products and services.
The services forests provide are essentially to every aspect of our quality of life. And the answer to sustainable forest management, moving towards a green economy, lies in our hands.
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Help plant a forest with Don Cheadle and Gisele Bündchen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiihFkcZOcQ
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2011 UNEP Champions of the Earth Awards
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TuxlMcVXP0
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Host Country of 2011
India
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Minister for Environment, India - Address
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHZM9ODNNcc
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NDTV India's Greenathon 24 hours program on NDTV Profit
http://green.ndtv.com/
About Greenathon
http://green.ndtv.com/aboutus.aspx
Greenathon Videos
http://green.ndtv.com/videos.aspx
Photos of Greenathon
http://green.ndtv.com/PhotoList.aspx
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World Environment Day - 5 June 2011 A to Z
Adopt as many eco-friendly lifestyle choices as you can and make them habits.
Bring a cloth bag to do all you’re shopping.
Choose public transport.
Conserve energy. Turn off the lights to brighten our environment.
http://www.unep.org/wed/A-Z/
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Google Knol and Knol Authors - Conscious of Environment Issues
Knol Author Foundation Writing Contest
Environment is a topic in the contest. All requested to submit articles/knols to the contest.
New Knols on Environment
Green Cities and Towns of India - Green Certification of Indian Cities and Towns
Green Reading
Our Existence Depends on Trees: An Alert to the General Public and the Tree Fellers
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World Environment Day - 5 June 2010
The theme of WED 2010 is “Many Species. One Planet. One Future.” It echoes the urgent call to conserve the diversity of life on our planet. A world without biodiversity is a very bleak prospect. Millions of people and millions of species all share the same planet, and only together can we enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.
(Source:
http://www.unep.org/wed/2010/english/theme.asp )
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Advertisement by Companies in Various Papers of India on 5 June 2010
1. Garnier: A Bottle That Takes Cares of the Environment Take Care Garnier
2. The city of Lavasa is celebrating World Environment Day . Like it does every day.
3. Doing our bit for the planet. 23 Kilometres per litre at time. Indigo e-CS
4. It will be green - Nerolac Paints
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The Economic Times organized a roundtable discussion on - "A Sustainable Tomorrow: An Imperative for High Performance Nation" in association with Accenture in Mumbai and published the summary of the discussion in the Economic Times dated 4.6.2010.
Mr. Ramakrishan Mukundan, MD, Tata Chemicals, Arjun Balakrishnan, Directory, Operations & Planning, Panasonic India, Dr. Prodipto Ghosh of TERI (Member of PM's Council on Climate Change) and Rajesh Sennik, Head Strategy Solutions, Accenture participated in the discussion.
The proceedings will aired on TV on
5th June 2010 at
6:30 pm and on 6th June at 5 pm on
ET NOW .
I heard the proceedings on the TV yesterday. I have to post the important points made in the discussion.
The Chief Sustainability Officer reporting to CEO has to evolve. Every CXO reporting to the CEO points out the fact that the issue is on the CEO agenda and CEO has set up an organization for managing the issue. Managing the issue involves setting the objectives and goals in that area, and planning programs and activities, and all the activities required to achieve the plans.
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Maharashtra State Government announced and awarded Vasundhara Awards on June 5, 2010
First Prize: Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation
Second Prize: Thane Municipal Corporation
Third Prize: Nashik Municipal Corporation
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World Environment Day - 5 June 2009
The theme for WED 2009 is 'Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change'. It reflects the urgency for nations to agree on a new deal at the crucial climate convention meeting in Copenhagen some 180 days later in the year, and the links with overcoming poverty and improved management of forests.
This year’s host is Mexico. .
Mexico is also a leading partner in UNEP's Billion Tree Campaign. The country, with the support of its President and people, has spearheaded the pledging and planting of some 25 per cent of the trees under the campaign. Accounting for around 1.5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, the country is demonstrating its commitment to climate change on several fronts.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon states that the WED celebration will “further underline Mexico's determination to manage natural resources and deal with the most demanding challenge of the 21st century – climate change.”
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Environmental Performance Index (EPI) for various countries
(Report Released in 2010)
Environmental Performance Index (EPI) for various countries is produced by a team of environmental experts at Yale University and Columbia University. The exercise was started in 2006. 2010 study is is the third edition of the EPI, which has been revisited biannually.
2010 report was released at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2010 on 28th January. The EPI ranks 163 countries on their performance across 25 metrics aggregated into ten categories. The categories include environmental health, air quality, water resource management, biodiversity and habitat, forestry, fisheries, agriculture, and climate change.
Iceland’s is ranked at number one due to its top-notch performance in environmental public health, controlling greenhouse gas emissions, and reforestation. Other top performers include Switzerland, Costa Rica, Sweden, and Norway – all of which have made substantial investments in environmental infrastructure, pollution control, and policies designed to move toward long-term sustainability.
Occupying the bottom five positions are Togo, Angola, Mauritania, the Central African Republic, and Sierra Leone – impoverished countries that lack basic environmental amenities and policy capacity.
The United States places 61st in the 2010 EPI, with strong results on some issues, such as provision of safe drinking water and forest sustainability, and weak performance on other issues including greenhouse gas emissions and several aspects of local air pollution. This ranking puts the United States significantly behind other industrialized nations like the United Kingdom (14th), Germany (17th), and Japan (20th). Over 20 members of the European Union outrank the United States. The 2010 EPI is based on data from before 2009.
Of the new rapidly industrialized nations, China and India rank 121st and 123rd respectively. However, Brazil and Russia rank 62nd and 69th, suggesting that the level of development is just one of many factors affecting placement in the rankings. India and China can do better in environmental policy and programs.
The 2010 EPI report provides a detailed analysis for each country, showing its performance on each of the 25 basic indicators, the ten core policy categories, and the two over-arching objectives of environmental public health and ecosystem vitality. The report also provide comparison among similar countries. In the comparisons, each nation is benchmarked against others that are similarly situated with groupings based on geographic regions, level of development, trading blocs, and demographic characteristics. These peer group rankings make it easy to highlight leaders and laggards on an issue-by-issue basis and to identify “best practices.”
Analysis of the policy drivers underlying the 2010 rankings suggests that income is a major determinant of environmental success. At every level of development, however, some countries achieve results that exceed what would be anticipated, demonstrating that policy choices also affect performance. For example, Chile, where substantial investments in environmental protection have been made, ranks 16th, while its neighbor, Argentina, which has done much less to improve its pollution control and natural resource management, lags in 70th place. Regulatory rigor, the rule of law and good governance, and the absence of corruption also show strong correlations with high EPI scores.
“The 2010 EPI shows the potential for a much more analytically rigorous approach to environmental decisionmaking, but substantial investments in indicators that are systematically tracked and transparently displayed will be needed.” The Environmental Performance Index builds on the best data available with indicators drawn from international organizations, such as the World Bank, the UN Development Programme, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well as research groups such as the World Resources Institute and the University of British Columbia. But many of these data sets are based on reporting by national governments that is not subject to any external review or verification. There are serious data gaps, that limit the ability to measure performance on a number of important issues. Incomplete data resulted in the exclusion of dozens of countries from the 2010 EPI. “High-quality data combined with appropriate statistical analysis can certainly help policymakers identify problems and trends, hone preferred policy approaches, and more effectively leverage public investments in environmental protection,” said Jay Emerson, professor of statistics at Yale and one of the leaders of the 2010 EPI effort.
The full report can be downloaded from
http://epi.yale.edu/. The ranking of the countries is also available on the main page.
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Messages by World Leaders - WED 2009
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UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for World Environment Day 2009
The economic and financial turmoil sweeping the globe is a true wake-up call, sounding an alarm about the need to improve upon old patterns of growth and make a transition to a new era of greener, cleaner development. The theme of this year’s World Environment Day ‑‑ “Your planet needs you” ‑‑ is meant to inspire all of us to do our part.
The Earth faces the grave threat of climate change. While all countries will suffer, the poor will bear the brunt of the impact. But we also have an opportunity to change course. Crucial climate change talks will take place in Copenhagen in December. Together, we must press Governments to “Seal the Deal” for a new climate agreement.
The world also needs a “Green New Deal” focused on investing in renewable sources of energy, eco-friendly infrastructure and energy efficiency. This will not only create jobs and spur recovery but also help tackle global warming. If we invest even part of the substantial new economic stimulus packages in the green economy, we can turn today’s crisis into tomorrow’s sustainable growth. Moreover, countries that make the transition to a low-carbon society will reap more than significant environmental benefits; they will be well placed to share their new technology with others.
But our planet needs more than just action by Governments and corporations; it needs each of us. Although individual decisions may seem small in the face of global threats and trends, when billions of people join forces in common purpose we can make a tremendous difference.
On this World Environment Day, I encourage all people to take concrete steps towards making the planet greener and cleaner. Switch off the lights. Take public transportation. Recycle. Plant a tree. Clean up your local park. Hold corporations responsible for their environmental practices. And urge your Government representatives to seal the deal in Copenhagen.
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Messages by Academicians
Our dependence on carbon-based energy has caused a significant build-up of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. We know that climate change is happening, and we know that the GHGs we emit are the cause. The environmental, economic and political implications of global warming are profound. The economic and financial slowdown faced by the globe today, is sounding an alarm about the need to make a transition to a new era of greener and cleaner development. The world needs to focus on investing in renewable sources of energy; eco-friendly infrastructure and energy efficiency that will help tackle global warming.
Our planet needs more than just action by Governments and corporations; it needs each of us. Although individual decisions may seem small in the face of global threats and trends, when billions of people join forces in common purpose we can make a tremendous difference. The theme of this year’s World Environment Day ‑‑ “Your planet needs you. UNite to combat climate change”-- is meant to inspire all of us to do our part. Whether you are an individual, an organization, a business or a government, there are many steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint. It is message we all must take to heart. While governments can provide a framework for sustainable development that preserves the ecological capital of the world, each and every one of us can contribute to the preservation of our environment.
World Environment Day is an occasion for us to realize that we are all permanently connected to the World Wide Web of Life. Let us strive to understand it and to respect it. Our future depends on it.
Neelima S Naik
Professor and Group Coordinator
ISE Group, NITIE, Mumbai
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Celebration Programmes
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Australia
On the 5th of June 2009 Scouts will join in the annual celebrations of World Environment Day, participating in environmental education activities, tree planting projects and community celebrations throughout the world.
Scouts are an official partner with the United Nations Environment Programme to celebrate this day, with Luc Panissod, Secretary General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, calling on our members to share their activities with the UNEP World Environment Day website.
"World Scouting calls all young people, Scouts and non-Scouts, to engage with UNEP on the occasion of World Environment Day. Raising awareness on climate change and working towards achieving better living conditions has increased Scouting's commitment to addressing environmental issues. Youth empowerment is an integral part of World Scouting policy to invite young people to become agents of change," Mr Panissod said.
Kiama group's launch of Kiama Future Care marks World Environment Day
A non-political, not-for-profit environment group is being launched in Kiama today to mark World Environment Day.
The Mayor of Kiama, Sandra McCarthy, will officially launch Kiama Future Care at the Sebel Harbourside.
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Canada
Canada is celebrating Canadian Environment Week during May 31 - June 6, 2009.
Some of the measures it is advocating to citizens:
- Change at least one light bulb to a compact fluorescent. Those qualified to ENERGY STAR® use about a quarter as much electricity as a conventional light bulb to produce the same amount of light. Compact fluorescents cost a bit more than incandescents, but they last up to ten times longer.
- Turn off your computer when you're not using it. A home computer, monitor, and printer can use up to 200 watts of electricity. At both work and home, set your monitor to go into "sleep" mode if it is idle for more than 5 minutes, and your computer to do the same after 15.
- Carry a cloth bag or keep one in your car. Avoid traditional plastic bags in favour of reusable totes. Most plastic bags wind up in landfill sites, where they can take up to a thousand years to biodegrade. A cloth tote is durable, easy to carry and much more eco-friendly!
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China
A green fashion of children was held on 2nd on the occasion of upcoming WED
To coincide with World Environment Day Zhou Shengxian, minister of environmental protection, announced he is leading his 200-odd staff into all-out warfare, including a publicity plan to promote green modernization
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India
Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India is organizing various functions on the occasion of World Environment Day 2009.
Shri Jairam Ramesh, Minister of Environment and Forests (Independent charge ) will preside over the function. Dr Ashok Khosla, Chairman, Development Alternatives and President, IUCN and Club of Rome will deliever key-note address.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests has organized a function where the President of India will give awards for conservation and preservation of Environment ,Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskars, Young environmentalist of the year award- 2009 on this occasion. This environmental hero has been selected by National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) from the class 8th to 12th who often go unrecognized after competitions. The Prize recognize individual for sustain and significant affords to protect and Hanes environment
The Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraksar (IGPP) will be also given to individual and to organizations. This award is given in recognition to those who had made major impact of environment this year, IGPP award will be given for the year 2006 and 2007.The ministry has awarded 35 IGPP awards since 1987.
New discoveries of flora and fauna recorded during the year 2008 will be released tomorrow.The scientists of Botanical Survey of India and other institutions discovered 3 genera, 108 Species 48 sub species, 12 verities, and 1 forma and new to science and 24 spices and 3 verities as new records for Indian flora.. Scientists at Zoological Survey of India discovered 37 new species and 9 new records from India, Nepal and Shri Lanka. These books are Plant Discoveries- 2008 and Animal Discoveries -2008.
To encourage original writing in Hindi on environmental subject, the ministry gives 4 annual awards since 1987. The first, the second, and the third winners are given Rs. 31000 and 25000 and Rs 20000 respectively. One consolation award is also given with Rs 15000. The awardees also get citation.
NMNH will also celebrate 31st foundation day along with World Environment Day. NMNH organizes programmes to sensitization of young minds towards environmental issues and concern through out the year. . NMNH also organizes a month long programmes during summer vacation for children and regular workshop and school teachers. A Poster giving message to protect environment will be distributed.
6.6.2009
Today also the papers had some news on Environment.
The Economic Times had a new item regarding the report of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on GlobalTrends in Sustainable Energy Investment, 2009. According to the report, global investment in clean energy witnessed a four fold increase in 2008 compared to 2004. $155 billion was invested in 2008 and developing countries share was $36.6 billion.
The Times of India in their supplement Times Property carried an article on retrofitting old buildings to improve their energy consumption. They gave the example of retrofitting of Empire State Building in New York.
Empire State Building was recently retrofitted. The modification is expected to reduce energy consumption up to 38 percent.
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Russia
Russian nature lovers and environmentalists mark the World Environment Day.
Russia’s Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology, Yuri Trutnev, confirmed that some progress has been made over the past years in the field of environmental protection: the government approved amendments to the environmental legislation and tightened measures against ecological violations.
According to The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the major threats the Russian environment is facing nowadays: global climate change, low ecological consciousness and poor environmental management.
Source:
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UK
Green Street Challenge
Residents of York, UK will be given the opportunity make their Street the Greenest in the city in a new campaign launched on World Environment Day – Friday 5 June 2009.
The York Green Street Challenge is a joint project between the City of York Council, York Environment Partnership and Stockholm Environment Institute's (SEI) office at the at the University of York.
For more information, contact SEI York researcher and Green Street challenge coordinator, Dr Gary Haq,
gary.haq@sei.se.
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News Related to Earlier Years
2006
Statement of Crop Life International
2003
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Knols Related to Environment
Keyline design principles
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