What is World Environment Day?
Planet Earth is our home, and the environment we live and breathe in are vital for our health. The truth is, if we want to survive, we need to take measures to protect it. Without clean food, water, air, and land to live on, we won’t be able to survive. Unfortunately, every day, our activities move us closer to an extreme scarcity of natural resources. We consume natural resources with no care in the world and perform activities that increase pollution; air, water, and land. And thus, every year, on 5th June, world environment day is celebrated in more than 100 countries over the world to raise awareness to protect nature.
World Environment Day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972. This particular date was chosen because it marks the opening day of the UN conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden. United Nations Environment Programme came into being after this conference. The reason for the establishment of this programme was to take up the challenges in protecting, preserving and improving the environment. The United Nations General Assembly encourages people and organizations to hold educational activities on this day, informing about the threats to the environment and how to use the natural resources in check and balance.
Our Impact on the Environment :
We are cutting trees down at an unimaginable pace; more than 27,000 trees are cut down annually just for producing toilet papers. 80% of the world’s forests are gone because we’ve cleared the area for building houses and other structure. Trees are the biggest source for cleaning our air, converting carbon dioxide to oxygen, supporting wildlife and much more. In addition, we add approximately 6-8 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year. Every year, air pollution in cities causes approximately 2 million premature deaths.
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The theme of the 2020 World Environment Day:
We’ve deteriorated our Earth enough. It’s time to take action and be responsible for our duty towards the mother earth. World Environment Day is necessary to raise this awareness. This year, the theme for World Environment Day 2020 is, “Celebrate Biodiversity”. It is to be hosted in Colombia with partnership from Germany. Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth, in all its forms and all its interactions.
2020 has so far been a terrible year. Wildfires ravaged the tropical rain forests in Australia, Cyclones were formed in the North Indian Ocean that demolished trees and buildings, locust attacks across Africa and India destroyed crops and of course, the COVID-19 pandemic made us change our lifestyles completely. And thus, the current theme of World Environment Day makes us think about our relationship with the natural ecosystem and its biodiversity.
Biodiversity and its Connection to Humans:
Biodiversity is the foundation of human health, as it provides clean air, water, nutritious food, natural disease resistance, and much more. Every living creature on the Earth comes under biodiversity, and removing or changing species affects the entire web of the ecosystem, producing negative consequences.
The foundation of crop development is due to the genetic diversity in the food systems as it promotes crops and livestock that is strong enough to fight pests and environmental stresses. Similarly, if your diet is based on diverse food items, you are bound to have a healthy immune system that can help you fight against diseases by providing you with a lot of nutrients and vitamins.
Biodiversity is also helpful when it comes to the development of human medicine as the studies of wildlife’s physiology and biochemistry can lead to important developments. A cause of COVID-19 is attributed to the destruction of wildfires as when we clear forests to raise livestock or for residential purposes, we get increased to pathogens that hardly ever leave the places that they inhabit.
Arkhitech’s Contribution to Improve the Environment:
Arkhitech is a software house in Pakistan that works with clients all over the world to provide sustainable, easy to use, digital solutions. The company is very active in green Pakistan campaign and thus engages in eco-friendly activities. Every year, trees are planted by the office in the city of Islamabad to improve the air quality and increase the oxygen level. Furthermore, there are a lot of trees and plants planted around the office area to ensure that the employees working there get to breathe in the fresh air that is very beneficial for their health. The two products they have; howmuch and foodnerd, ensure that they have very small carbon footprints and engage in activities that are beneficial for the environment.
