The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) was established on June 5, 1972 and in honor of the milestone, the U.N. General Assembly established the day as a yearly celebration of worldwide environmental consciousness.
The theme of World Environment Day (WED) this year is “Melting Ice–A Hot Topic?” and its slogan is “Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy.” Celebrations and activities will take place all over the world, but the main celebration is taking place in Wellington, New Zealand.
UNEP encourages people to participate in activities such as bicycle parades, recycling campaigns, tree planting and attending green concerts. The organization has a list of 80 ways to celebrate for folks searching for ideas.
Beyond the activities, WED is a day to reflect upon the impacts of our footprints on the Earth as we walk into the future and to steady our resolve to stay on the green path. UNEP’s website put it this way: “On this World Environment Day, let us examine the state of our environment. Let us consider carefully the actions which each of us must take, and then address ourselves to our common task of preserving all life on earth in a mood of sober resolution and quiet confidence.”
More about global environmental consciousness
• Celebrate World Fair Trade Day–and buy fair trade all year long!
• Climate change will create health risks for billions of people worldwide. Read the report.
• Global Green USA tackles environmental issues both local and global.