The New Nation - Internet Edition

Mohammad Shahidul Islam

World Environment Day (WED), celebrated on 5 June each year, is one of the major modes through which the United Nations instigates worldwide awareness of the environment and widens political attention and action.

The World Environment Day catchphrase for 2008 is Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy followed by Melting Ice - a hot topic?-2007. Identifying that climate change is becoming the defining issue of these days, UNEP is sincerely asking countries, companies and communities to point up on greenhouse gas emissions and how to lessen them. The main international celebration of World Environment Day 2008 is taking place in New Zealand, so celebrated last year in Tromsø, Norway. UNEP is honored that the city of Wellington is hosting this United Nations day.

We are convinced that WED-2008 will contribute to awareness that the condition of the environment depends on every individual as well as on the global community, and that partnerships and mutual aid will allow all nations and peoples to enjoy a more secure and prosperous future. Special attention must be devoted to highlight resources and initiatives that promote low carbon economies and life-styles, such as improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation and eco-friendly consumption.

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; and advocate partnership, which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.

Measures include greater energy efficiency in buildings and appliances, including light bulbs, up to a switch towards cleaner and renewable forms of electricity generation and transport systems.

The focus is to put on the role of forests in countering rises in greenhouse gases. An estimated 20 per cent of emissions contributing to climate change globally are a result of deforestation.

"As part of New Zealand's drive for greater environmental sustainability, we've made a commitment to reduce our emissions. But to overcome the challenge of climate change, kicking the carbon habit must be a truly global goal," says Prime Minister Helen Clark.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, says: "New Zealand is among a pioneer group of countries committed to accelerating a transition to a low carbon and carbon-neutral economy. We are therefore delighted to be holding the main WED 2008 celebrations in Wellington and in communities across this South Pacific nation".

He says, developed and developing countries stood to benefit environmentally, economically and socially from more efficient low-carbon technologies and strategies.

"What we need is action to slow, stop and then to reverse the growth of global greenhouse gas emissions. A transition to a low carbon economy is essential to achieving this," says Mr. Steiner.

"Along the way we will see more rapid and widespread access to cleaner and greener energy, new job opportunities and reductions in unhealthy urban and in-door pollution. WED is about positive perspectives on change, and this is what we hope to highlight in New Zealand," he adds.

Bangladesh is also afraid of undergoing the decay of its environment. The environmental problems faced by the world today are getting worse day by day. We are failing to protect resources and ecosystems. We are failing to invest enough in alternative technologies for betterment of environment.

Understanding of the environmental challenges we face is alarmingly low. It is imperative that environmental issues must be fundamentally repositioned in the policy-making arena. The environment must become better-integrated into mainstream economic policy of Bangladesh. The government must not only create environmental agreement, awareness and festival, they must strictly enforce them as well.

Our surrounding continues to face serious environmental degradation making situations unbearable to live in. Man is armed with both weapons of destruction and also those of construction and development. Unknowingly, man's weapons of reconstruction and development have negative consequential results affecting us in different ways. A refinery is producing fuel for all our needs but the same refinery is polluting our atmosphere, as well, making habitation unbearable. Vehicles carry us to any destination but same vehicles fill our atmosphere with carbon monoxide, which can equally kill us.

Testing of chemical, biological and nuclear military weapons has created an irreversible disaster for the world environment and atmosphere. There is a lot of finger pointing when it comes to environmental issues. There seems to be a tug of war between developed and developing countries.

The developed countries blame it on the developing world, by citing areas, such as over population and illiteracy for environmental degradation.

Developing countries, however, argue that developed countries are the ones that dump their wastes in lakes, seas, oceans, deserts and forests. Ironically, they are the ones contaminating the air from their big factories and industries; and by testing weapons in the oceans and deserts.

Climatic change represents a serious threat to every part of the globe, and it would be ridiculous to believe that this is just another issue being pushed by the developed countries down the throats of the developing world.

Until a decade ago, there was very little understanding of the financial, social and health effects of environmental degradation and the subsequent costs they impose on the economy. As environmental concerns and assessment of impacts of environmental degradation gained prominence globally, awareness regarding these issues has increased in Bangladesh as well, prompting government as well as civil society institutions to focus on understanding and dealing with these issues.

World Environment Day needs not to be seen just a day set aside in a year to discuss, undertake and solve environment issues as they affect the world. But the day must continue to be everyday. It should not be just one day in a week, month, a year or decade but every day of our lives.

We should celebrate our accomplishments of World Environment Day and do so with a renewed sense of purpose and energy. The challenge is how can we discuss, experiment and improve the environment through this single day set aside in a year. To most of us, if the day is over, environmental issues are suspended till the next World Environment Day.

We need to change such coldhearted attitude for a clean future. Rather, we need to examine critically the state of our environment and to consider carefully the actions which each of us must take, and then address ourselves to our common task of preserving all life on earth.