Celebrating World Environment Day

Introduction

 

World Environmental Day is annually celebrated on the 5^th of June and is the most commemorated of all the environmental awareness days in over 100 countries. In 1972 the UN General Assembly chose June 5 as World Environment Day (WED), marking the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. It is a platform for public outreach to stimulate and deepen global awareness of the need to care for, preserve, and enhance Mother Nature. It is a day to acknowledge and personalise environmental issues and to evoke positive environmental action amongst all people. It inspires individual and collective action to do something positive for the environment, to realise that each of us has a responsibility to protect to it from further destruction, and to take care of it indefinitely.

 

People must become environmental agents of change. Notably, it is also a day to learn more about ways that people can help to ensure the future of our planet is safe and a cleaner and greener outlook for not only themselves, but, more prominently, for future generations to make greener lifestyle choices and support sustainable and equitable development. It is also known as the ‘people’s day’ for doing something to take care of the Earth. It puts a spotlight on all the achievements and effective actions that have been implemented to protect life-nurturing Mother Nature.

 

Each year a different global country is assigned as the host of WED where official celebrations occur and this year’s host is Angola. A greater emphasis is placed on the environmental challenges that this specific country is faced with and support is provided in an effort to address them.

 

Importance of WED

As a result of decades celebrating this momentous day, millions of people from all over the world have participated in imperative environmental action. Furthermore, it is celebrated to look at all the achievements that have been made towards protecting the environment. It reminds individuals and countries of the importance of caring for our environment. It encourages societies to actively participate in becoming an agent in curbing negative environmental impacts.

 

Being a part of the celebrations, it provides an opportunity for people to share ideas and activities to make the world a better, environmentally-friendly place. As the official WED 2016 website reminds as, “Remember that every action counts, so join us: every year, everywhere, everyone!”

 

Theme

Each year a specific theme for WED is chosen by the United Nations to promote awareness on a specific and pressing environmental issue. WED 2016’s theme is: The illegal trade in wildlife under the slogan ‘Go Wild for Life’.

 

Wildlife not only faces man-made and natural threats such as climate change, habitat loss, and collisions with vehicles, but also one incredibly yet totally avoidable danger: the lucrative illegal wildlife trade. Huge profits can be made from ivory and rhino and is a very attractive commodity. This year focuses specifically on highlighting the dangers illegal wildlife trade has on our wellbeing. This illegal yet booming trade is fast eroding Mother Nature’s precious biodiversity but it is depriving us of our wonderful natural heritage. If this trade isn’t curbed swiftly, extinction is imminent. Furthermore, the killing and smuggling undermine economies and ecosystems. Through this senselessly shocking practice, elephants, rhinos, tigers, gorillas, and sea turtles are threatened. Other lesser-known species that are also negatively impacted include helmeted hornbills, pangolins, wild orchids and timbers like Rosewood. Notably, efforts to counter this illegal trade, including stronger policies, awareness campaigns and investments in community conservation and law enforcement, have occurred. But a lot can still be done.

 

It is important to convey a zero-tolerance for this illegal trade. This year all people are encouraged to celebrate those species that are under sever threat in order to take action to help safeguard them for not only current, but also future generations to come.

 

The rationale behind this year’s theme is that the illegal trade in wildlife will ultimately lead to extinction (both at a local and global scale) of many animal and plant species. The extinction of elephant, tiger and sea turtle species will be detrimental for conservation efforts. Wildlife crime is a rising threat to economies and communities, especially in developing countries. The loss of a species is a destruction of the biodiversity that supports the natural systems and on which we depend for food security, medicines, fresh air, water, shelter and a clean environment. By reducing human-wildlife conflict and, simultaneously, engaging communities in conservation efforts, there will be an increase support for wildlife protection and provide incentive to reduce poaching.

 

Facts on illegal trade on wildlife

 

·        100,000 African elephants were killed in 2010-2012, out of a population estimated at less than 

      500,000.

·        Illegal trade in wildlife is worth $15-20 billion annually, and is one of the largest illegal trades in the world.

·        Poachers in Africa killed at least 1,338 rhinos in 2015, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

·        Rhino poaching in South Africa increased by almost 9,000% or 90-fold between 2007 and 2015 from 13 rhinos killed in 2007 to 1,175 rhinos killed in 2015.

·        An estimated 170 tonnes of ivory was illegally exported out of Africa between 2009 and 2014.

·        Between 2002 and 2011 there was a 2/3 plummet in Forest Elephant population due to poaching.

·        Since 2009 there has been a 60% decline African Savannah Elephants in the United Republic of Tanzania and a 50% decline in African Savannah Elephants in Mozambique.

·       Chimpanzees are now extinct in Gambia, Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo.

·       3,000 Great Apes are lost from the wild every year and have disappeared from Gambia, Burkina Faso, Benin and Togo; over 70% of all great ape seizures are orangutans.

·       Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is estimated at 11-26 million tonnes of fish each year, worth between $10 and $23 billion, causing depletion of fish stocks, price increase and loss of livelihoods for fishermen.

·       Pangolins are the most illegally trafficked mammal in the world with over one million animals taken from the wild in the past decade.

·       40% of all intrastate conflicts in the last 60 years were linked to natural resources and over 80% of major armed conflicts in the last 50 years occurred in biodiversity hotspots.

·       In 2011, a subspecies of Javan rhino went extinct in Vietnam, while the last western black rhinos vanished from Cameroon the same year.

 (Source: Official World Environment Day 2016 website).

 

Partaking in WED Activities

WED is celebrated in various ways such as bicycle parades, concerts, poster competitions, tree planting, recycling efforts, and clean-up campaigns.

 

In terms of this year’s theme, the following can be done:

·         People need to understand the damage that illegal trade has on, not only the environment, but

       also their livelihoods, communities, and security.

·         People must change their behaviour and habits so that demand for illegal wildlife products

       declines.

·         More awareness and action will enable governments and international bodies to introduce and

       enforce tougher laws.

 

In terms of using social media as a platform to show your support, the following can be done:

·         Share all the information related to this important environmental event.

·         Encourage as many people as possible to ‘like’, ‘tweet’ or comment on WED.

·         Use hashtags #worldenvironmentday #wed2016 #wildforlife and make use of the following three

       posters:

 

  

·         More information can be obtained from: www.uneporg/wed.

·         Make use of the official logo on social media platforms:

 

·         Make use of the following official WED posters:

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

In general environmental-friendly terms, the following can be done:

·         Adopt an eco-friendly, sustainable lifestyle, and set green goals.

·         The smallest thing, such as recycling can make a huge difference.

·         Eat organic food.

·         Make meals only from locally grown products.

·         Leave your car and drive a bicycle or take public transport.

·         Wear green clothes to show that you care for Mother Nature.

·         Set up a recycling programme at home or the office.

·         Use reusable shopping bags.

·         Plant a tree or indigenous plants.

·         Take a nature walk and enjoy being outdoors.

·         Create your own vegetable and herb garden.

 

Important Environmental-related Quotes

 

 

 

 

 

·         "Take care of the earth and she will take care of you." - Author Unknown

·         "We never know the worth of water till the well is dry." - Thomas Fuller

·         "We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." - Native American Proverb

·         "When we heal the earth, we heal ourselves." -  David Orr

·         "The world is a fine place and worth fighting for." - Ernest Hemingway

·         “The environment is everything that isn’t me”. – Albert Einstein

·         “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has”. – Margaret Mead

·         “It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment”. – Ansel Adams

·         “I think the environment should be put in the category of our national security. Defense of our resources is just as important as defense abroad. Otherwise what is there to defend”? – Robert Redford

·         “Take a course in good water and air; and in the eternal youth of Nature you may renew your own. Go quietly, alone; no harm will befall you”. – John Muir

·         “Birds are indicators of the environment. If they are in trouble, we know we’ll soon be in trouble”. – Roger Tory Peterson

·         “If we do not permit the earth to produce beauty and joy, it will in the end not produce food, either”. – Joseph Wood Krutch

·         “Conservation is a state of harmony between men and land”. – Aldo Leopold

·         “People blame their environment. There is only one person to blame – and only one – themselves”. – Robert Collier

·         “The only way forward, if we are going to improve the quality of the environment, is to get everybody involved”. – Richard Rogers

·         “Journey with me to a true commitment to our environment. Journey with me to the serenity of leaving to our children a planet in equilibrium”. – Paul Tsongas

·         “Earth Day 1970 was irrefutable evidence that the American people understood the environmental threat and wanted action to resolve it”. – Barry Commoner

·         “The most important environmental issue is one that is rarely mentioned, and that is the lack of a conservation ethic”. – Gaylord Nelson

 

Conclusion

Please keep your world clean and green. Earth is the only liveable planet, help save it for future generations, and abide by environmental laws. The need for change is pressing because if something isn’t seriously done to protect species, extinction will be imminent. The responsibility lies with all of us to take immediate action. So, make a difference - the time to act is now! Take a step in the green direction. Remember, Every Day should be World Environment Day!

 

 

References

 

http://www.greenworks.co.za/worldenvironment.html

http://www.pollutionpollution.com/2013/05/environment-day.html

http://www.wed2016.com/content/history

http://www.wed2016.com/content/go-wild-for-life

http://www.wikihow.com/Celebrate-World-Environment-Day

http://www.unep.org/stories/WorldEnvironmentDay/If-wildlife-crime-makes-you-wild-get-wild-for-life.asp#sthash.KNvYVTne.dpuf

http://www.unep.org/wed/about.asp

 

People’s behaviours and perceptions about recycling activities

Waste minimisation behaviours are multi-dimensional, complex, and varied. In order to fully minimise waste in landfills, it is important to understand what factors influence individual behaviour patterns. Predictors of recycling behaviour comprise several variables. Much recent attention has focused on individual recycling schemes, their participation rates, and the characteristics and attitudes of recyclers. Public awareness and attitudes to waste can affect the population's willingness to cooperate and participate in waste management practices. Respondents are frequently divided into recyclers or non-recyclers. Information can make people aware of the consequences of their behaviour and influence their awareness, opinions, attitudes, and knowledge. Pro-recycling attitudes and previous recycling experience are a key contributor to recycling behaviour which is influenced by having the appropriate opportunities, facilities and knowledge to recycle. Expressing the environmental benefits of recycling activities can motivate a person to participate in such activities. Raising awareness motivates individuals to act.

Behavioural Variables

Environmental values, situational characteristics, and psychological factors play a significant role in the prediction of waste management behaviour. It can be attributed to several groups of independent variables: environmental values, cognitive variables (e.g., knowledge, behavioural skills), situational variables, and personality variables (e.g., attitudes, locus of control/self-efficacy) and psychological factors which influence environmental behaviour.

Environmental values

Environmental values, classified as underlying orientations held by individuals toward the physical environment are important in looking at people’s individual perceptions of recycling and what influence their waste management behaviour. It is used interchangeably with environmental concerns, ecological worldviews, and environmental attitudes. Moreover, the relationship between social and environmental values can be interpreted as a socio-environmental basis for examining values toward environment. Environmental concern (or related concepts such as environmental values or ecological worldview) relate to an individual’s orientation towards, or concern for, the preservation, restoration, or improvement of the environment. People who believe recycling substantially reduces the use of landfills and conserves natural resources are more likely to recycle. Furthermore, Individuals who are more open to change, more altruistic, and feel closer to nature are more likely to be pro-environmental. Relational aspects of environmental values concern the implicit understanding of individuals to the relationship between nature and culture, or environment and human. It also to behavioural domains relating to the way in which humans treat the environment.

Situational Variables

Situational Variables influence waste management behaviour and are defined by given personal situation with regard to behavioural context (for example, service provision), individual characteristics (such as socio-demographics) and individual knowledge and experience of the behaviour. Behavioural context has been examined by a relatively small number of authors and has focused around the extent to which access to a structured kerbside recycling collection enhances recycling behaviour and degree to which static recycling provision influences action. Situational factors are embrace enabling and disabling influences and classed as contextual, sociodemographic, knowledge based, and experience based. Those with better access to static recycling also tend to recycle more.

Environmental and behavioural knowledge is important in shaping waste management and general pro-environmental behaviour. Environmental knowledge is the abstract knowledge for action, being a representation of general knowledge about the state of the environment and an awareness of environmental problems, such as waste issues. Knowledge regarding both environmental problems and an awareness of how to perform environmental behaviours is of importance. One can distinguish between ‘abstract’ and concrete (providing more scope to predict recycling and other environmental behaviours. Moreover, personal experience of the behaviour is a significant prediction of waste management behaviour; a strong link has been found between behavioural experience in one domain and action in another, whereby participation in one behaviour leads to more willing uptake of other actions.

Psychological Factors

Psychological factors (factors are unique perceptual traits of the individual and are personal perceptions of the individual in question that affect their overall behaviour) are all linked by the fact that they are personality characteristics of the individuals and the perceptions of those individuals toward the actions that they are undertaking and include altruistic influences on recycling behaviour. Psychological factors relate to personality and perceptional traits of individuals that determine their overall attitudes regarding an environmental behaviour. These variables are based on a recycling behaviour score; environmental concern score; facility provided attitude score; recycling attitude score; waste recycling confidence score; community identity score; difficulties in sorting household waste.

Altruism

It relates to the degree to which recycling could be seen as altruistic, or helping, behaviour.

Intrinsic motivation

Intrinsic motivation to act is an important predictor of environmental and waste management behaviour. Individuals who find recycling enjoyable and derive inner satisfaction from helping the environment are more likely to both initiate and continue with pro-environmental behaviour.

Threat to wellbeing

A belief that environmental problems can be perceived as so much of a threat to well-being and health that they override many of the traditional predictors of environmental behaviour in their importance. The personalisation of an environmental problem may urge individuals to act as a matter of self-interest so as to avoid harm.

Extent of behaviour

The extent to which undertaking a given behaviour will also have a tangible impact. Individual actions can have little or no impact toward a given problem. Behaviour is predicted by behavioural intention, as well as the situational and psychological factors. In turn, behavioural intention would be predicted by environmental values, situational and psychological factors.

Importance of others’ recycling behaviour

The importance of others’ recycling behaviour is also likely to be significant in increasing individual recycling rates and when individuals are aware of a given social norm and accept this norm.

Public awareness and attitudes

Public awareness and attitudes to waste can affect the population's willingness to cooperate and participate in adequate waste management practices. General environmental awareness and information on health risks due to deficient solid waste management are important factors which need to be continuously communicated to all sectors of the population.

Self-efficacy

Self-efficacy may also be seen as a significant predictor of waste management. There exist a relationship between the degree to which respondents felt competent to and actually did undertake the behaviour and their action as well as their perception that such action will have a tangible positive effect.

Environmental citizenship

Individuals who conform to certain characteristics are more likely to behave in an appropriate manner because they feel involved within society and most importantly have a notion of citizenship. This include a balance between rights and responsibilities, an active involvement within society, characterized by a feeling of good community spirit and a part in the local decision making processes regarding the environment.

Convenience

Recycling behaviour can be facilitated by convenience. Making recycling more convenient and accessible would be expected to enhance attitudes towards behaviour.

Understanding the factors that influence or promote recycling behaviour can lead to more efficient recycling programmes. Thus, four broad categories of explanatory variables relate to recycling behaviour (internal motivators (psychological factors that lead individuals to be self-motivated in continuing a certain act or task), external motivators (are psychological factors that motivate individuals in continuing an act through things they cannot control), internal facilitators (are factors that provide individuals with the knowledge and mental capacity to complete a task properly), and external facilitators (characteristics of the surrounding physical environment that allow for the completion of a task and also barriers that can discourage individuals from doing a task).

Conclusion

People’s perceptions, behaviours and opinions all differ as a result of differing environmental values, situational factors, and psychological factors. One thing remains certain, recycling is a viable solution, in terms of environmental, economic, and social aspects, to minimise the waste that has rapidly occurred over the recent years.

References

Barr, S. 2007. Factors Influencing Environmental Attitudes and Behaviors: A U.K. Case Study of Household Waste Management. Environment and Behavior Volume 39 Number 4.

Barr, S. & Gilg, A.W. 2007. A Conceptual Framework for Understanding and Analyzing Attitudes towards Environmental Behaviour. Geografiska Annaler. Series B, Human Geography, Vol. 89, No. 4 (2007), pp. 361-379.

Riley, M. 2008. From Salvage to Recycling – New Agendas or Same Old Rubbish? Jstor Area, Vol. 40, No. 1, pp. 79-89.

Swami, V., Chamorro-Premuzic, T., Snelgar, R., Furnham, A. 2011. Personality, individual differences, and demographic antecedents of self-reported household waste management behaviours. Journal of Environmental Psychology 31 (2011) 21e26.

Tonglet, M., Phillips, P.S., & Bates, M.P. 2004. Determining the drivers for householder pro-environmental behaviour: waste minimisation compared to recycling. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 42 (2004) 27–48.

Woodard, R., Harder, M.K., Bench, M. 2006. Participation in curbside recycling schemes and its variation with material types. Waste Management 26, 914–919.

Don’t waste your waste - Benefits of recycling

Source: Recycling Guys

Researchers have been writing about recycling since the 1970s and it is a heavily researched topic and therefore a lot is already understood about this topic. Recycling has become an established norm for many communities. Recycling is a viable means of addressing the problems associated with municipal waste disposal. Recycling can not only benefit yourself, but also the environment.

·       Less Pressure on Landfills - Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators and that must be dispose of;

·       Sustainable use of Resources;

·       It lessens the need to extract the planet’s limited raw material resources and conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals;

·       Prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials; Recycling of industrial products cuts down pollution levels significantly;

·       Saves energy - A large amount of energy is consumed by processing raw materials during manufacturing and recycling ultimately minimises this;

·       Prevents Loss of Biodiversity: Less raw material is needed when you engage yourself in recycling products and it will prevents loss of biodiversity and ecosystems. Soil erosion and water pollution, enabling indigenous plants and animals to survive in forests;

·        Recycling reduces the pressure to expand forestry and mining production - recycled paper made from certain trees is re-used repeatedly to minimize felling/ deforestation;

·       Reduces greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change - human activities have contributed to an accelerated warming of the Earth’s surface through the increase of emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and have altered the chemical composition of the atmosphere;

·       Helps sustain the environment for future generations;

·       It is a very helpful environmental education tool – all people (from young children to elders) can participate in recycling initiatives to protect our precious resources;

·       Helps create new well-paying jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries;

·       Motivate the Use of Greener Technologies: By participating in recycling has helped people to use greener technologies e.g. renewable energy sources like solar and wind;

·       Greater economic development; and

·       Well-run recycling programs cost less to operate than waste collection, landfilling, and incineration.

References

United States Environmental Protection Agency