Our planet is shared by all the creatures that live within its realm. Filmmaker and UN Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity Edward Norton urges us to ‘recognize that we are one of many species in the Tree of Life’ and must accelerate action to tackle biodiversity loss. Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and held annually on June 5 since 1973, World Environment Day is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach and is celebrated by millions of people across the world.
Melting glaciers
The global sea level is rising for a number of reasons. Ocean warming and melting ice sheets and glaciers all contribute to overall rise. One impact of rising CO2 concentration is ocean acidification.CO2 reacts with seawater and increases its acidity. It endangers organisms and ecosystem services, including food security, by endangering fisheries and aquaculture. It also affects coastal protection by weakening coral reefs, which shield the coastline.
Glaciers play an irreplaceable role in the natural world. Evidence shows that glacial melting is happening at an unprecedented rate. Glacial lake floods are a growing threat. In recent years, multiple glacial lake floods have displaced and killed people. Scientists warn that an estimated 15 million people around the world are at risk from such floods. The atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases reflect a balance between emissions from human activities, sources and sinks. Increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to human activities are a major driver of Climate Change.
Polythene and Plastic
Plastics also cause many waste problems. They undergo a process known as photo degradation, in which they break down into smaller and smaller toxic particles. These particles contaminate soil and water and enter the food chain when eaten accidentally by animals like cows. Polythene bags are very dangerous that they can cause the death of the cattle. Polythene bags are also responsible for the clogging of drainage systems in cities and towns. Plastics take several years to decompose. Once polythene bags are used, they often make their way to the streets, beaches and waterways. They litter the environment. When polythene bags are burned, they produce toxic fumes and pollute the air.
Polythene bags have harmful effects on the environment. Polythene bags are one kind of plastics which are non-biodegradable and cause environmental pollution. They undergo a process known as photo degradation, in which they break down into smaller and smaller toxic particles. They are bad for wildlife. Plastic bags can choke or poison fish, animals and birds, with marine wildlife particularly vulnerable. Numbers of marine animals are killed every year from plastic bag litter in the marine environment as they often mistake plastic bags for food such as jellyfish. Paper bags are one hundred percent recyclable because they don’t contain toxic and poisonous gas that plastic bags emit during recycling. They are reusable. Using paper bags and leaving plastic bags means saving nature from pollution.
Wildlife
Forests are so much more than a bunch of trees! These complex ecosystems are full of life. In fact, it is estimated that forests are home to 80% of the world’s land-based plant and animal species. The lives of these organisms are all interconnected. Even the dead leaves that litter the forest floor have an important ecological role of replenishing the soil nutrients that plants need to grow. Below the ground, trees use a network of fungi to share nutrients with each other. Because life in the forest is so interdependent, it throws off the balance of the entire ecosystem when one part is lost.
For many rural communities, forests are their neighbourhood ‘grocery stores.’ Forests are an excellent place to forage for wild foods such as leaves, tubers, and nuts; and the wild animals that live in forests are an important source of protein. Forests also play an essential role in food preparation since about one-third of the world’s population uses wood fuel for cooking. Forests influence the water cycle through a process called transpiration. Trees absorb water through their roots which is later released as water vapour from their leaves. This water vapour accumulates into clouds until it falls down again as rain. Forests also keep us safe by defending against natural hazards. Trees and other plants help prevent landslides by holding the soil in place and lessening the force of rain on the ground. Similarly, mangrove forests stabilize shorelines and reduce the power of waves. As such, they act as a natural buffer, protecting coastal communities from the damaging effects of storms and tsunamis.
Agro-Tourism
Agroforestry is a management system that combines agriculture and trees to address conservation needs and build more profitable and weather-resilient farms. Interest in agroforestry has increased as more people see it as an important way of meeting our planet's environmental challenges. But agroforestry is not a new phenomenon. It has a long history around the world and was used long before the large-scale approach to agriculture we typically see today.
Agroforestry is good for the environment because it can increase biodiversity and wildlife, capture carbon dioxide, reduce erosion and improve soil health, provide wind protection and shade, improve water quality, prevent water from becoming overly enriched with nutrients, and provide better protection for microclimates. Agroforestry also brings economic benefits as new, more modern approaches to farming provide greater yields and higher profits.
Agro-tourism activities provide the supplemental income necessary to allow for the preservation of small and mid-scale farms and rural communities. It can be promoted as an outlet for local residents and tourists to experience direct contact and interaction with agriculture and natural resources. By improving the visibility of rural values, processing, traditional crafts, rural buildings can become a powerful magnet for tourists.
Way forward
The pandemic has taught us about sanitization and the worth of the environment, so we should know about reducing the digital carbon footprint to have a clean atmosphere. Environmental restoration helps in tackling the climate crisis, bringing new changes to society, industry and commerce. These changes have a significant role in reducing the damage to our environment and putting the right efforts to all those organisations which are liable for restoring the ecosystem. Environment Sustainability refers to saving the planet. To have environmental sustainability the companies are setting science-based targets about the depth of transportation. The management of the companies is addressing the meaningful emission spanning in the supply chain. The global wind and solar capacity can increase by 70% in 2025. So the strategies of deep building retrofits, electric vehicles, infrastructure and clean technologies will improve the adverse environmental situation. Environmental sustainability is the core need of today’s era, as we have to survive and perform in this atmosphere. We must preserve the natural resources for future generations.
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