Ascension : World Environment Day
Submitted by The Islander (Soo Matthews) 04.06.2009 (Article Archived on 18.06.2009)

'Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change'.

World Environment Day (WED)

was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972.

It is commemorated yearly on 5 June.

WED is one of the main ways through which the United Nations
encourages worldwide awareness of the environment
and increases 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.

The theme for WED 2009 is:

'Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change'.

What can I do??????

We can all do our part to protect the planet by using less and acting more.  Going green is not as difficult as you might think.

Easily Green Your Daily Routine

·             Find needy homes or charitable organizations for things that you no longer need or want rather than throwing it away.

·             Plant a tree!

·             Use towels for drying your face and hands instead of tissues that are used and thrown away. Also, hang your towels to dry so that they can be reused several times. You are after all clean when you use them!

·             Using an electric razor or hand razor with replaceable blades instead of disposable razors goes a long way to cutting back on waste. And plant a tree.

·             Don't let the tap run while shaving, washing your face, or brushing your teeth.

·             When packing your lunch, use reusable containers for food storage instead of wrapping the food with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

·             The easiest way to reduce your carbon footprint is by avoiding driving altogether. Power down and instead try biking, walking, or carpooling.

·             When you must have a paper copy, make sure you default your printer option to use both sides. This is an easy tree-saver!

·             As you leave the house, don’t forget to switch off all the lights and appliances; saving energy helps reduce air pollution.

·             Lower your office’s carbon footprint by seeing computers, monitors, printers, copiers, speakers and other business equipment to their energy saving feature and turning them off at the end of the day. And plant a tree!

·             Don’t go anywhere without your cloth bag so you can just say no to plastic whenever you shop.

·             Oh and did we mention - Plant a tree!

REMEMBER-'Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change'.

Contributed by Two Boats School.