Celebrating World Environment Day

Source: Your story

Today, on the 5^th of June, it is a particularly important environmental awareness day: World Environment Day (WED). The United Nations designated 5 June as World Environment Day. The United Nations became increasingly aware that the protection and improvement of the human environment is a major issue, impacting the wellbeing of people all over the world. They are the leading global voice on the environment.

It is a day that’s celebrated internationally to encourage awareness and action to protect our environment. Since its inception in 1974, it has grown exponentially as it is celebrated in more than 100 countries. In fact, it has become an imperative global platform for public outreach.

People from all over the world are invited to action to take care of our planet and raise awareness of the environment and specific environmental issues.

The host

This year's host is China, where the official celebrations will be taking place. As part of this, the host highlights the environmental challenges it faces and supports worldwide efforts to address them.

Theme

Every year, WED is organized around a particular theme drawing much-needed attention to a particularly pressing environmental concern. The theme and focus for 2019 is “Beat Air pollution”, a global concern impacting people and the environment negatively. “We can't stop breathing, but we can do something about the quality of air that we breathe.”

“Approximately 7 million people worldwide die prematurely each year from air pollution.”

“In particular WED 2019 urges governments, industry, communities, and individuals alike to come together to explore renewable energy and green technologies, and improve air quality in cities and regions across the world.”

What causes Air Pollution?

Source: NRDC

“Air pollution may seem complex, but we can all do our part to reduce some of it. Understanding the different types of pollution, namely agriculture, household, industry, transport and how it affects our health and environment will help us take steps towards improving the air around us.”

Air Pollution facts

·         92 per cent of people worldwide do not breathe clean air

·         Air pollution costs the global economy $5 trillion every year in welfare costs

·         Ground-level ozone pollution is expected to reduce staple crop yields by 26 per cent by 2030

·         More than 6 billion people – one-third of them children – regularly breathe air that is so polluted it puts their health and well-being at risk.

“Today, we face an equally urgent crisis. It is time to act decisively,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in his official message for World Environment Day. “My message to governments is clear: tax pollution; end fossil fuel subsidies; and stop building new coal plants. We need a green economy not a grey economy.”

References

https://www.unenvironment.org/events/un-environment-event/world-environment-day-2019

https://www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/world-environment-day-2019/

https://www.greeningtheblue.org/event/world-environment-day

https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/press-release/world-environment-day-world-turns-spotlight-air-pollution

Pressing environmental issues

Source: One in a billion

There are several environmental concerns the Earth is currently facing. These issues affect all people, animals, communities, and nations around the world. Some of these changes are small and only affect a few ecosystems, but others are drastically changing landscapes. Environmental problems unfortunately make us vulnerable to disasters and tragedies, both now and in the future. Our environment is constantly changing. But human-related activities have certainly contributed towards accelerating such change which has negatively impacted Mother Nature. In fact, our planet is on the brink of a severe environmental crisis. We are heading to a state of planetary emergency. One thing is for sure: Earth is fragile and the need for change is critical so as to ensure a sustainable future. 

Source: Inhabitat

The environment is the habitat in which living things maintain their reciprocation and interact with each other throughout their lifetimes. Because life and environment are interdependent, environment is a vital human element. Human life and natural life are based on various balances. The environmental balance that human beings maintain is among the most important. Extraneous effects on the chain links that make up this natural balance will negatively affect this balance and lead to environmental problems. According to Watson and Halse (2005), human beings profoundly affect these environmental problems, and these human effects unprecedentedly reveal themselves in issues such as global warming, rain forest destruction, ozone layer breaches, and biological variety threats (Genc 215).Thus, it is vitally important that all people become increasingly aware about the various environmental problems that our planet is facing.

Source: WWF

Here is a look at the most pressing environmental issues of today that require urgent attention:

1.      Climate Change

Source: Youtube

Source: Climate Change Central

Climate change, as a serious environmental problem, has occurred over the few decades. Global warming is a contested environmental issue: many scientists are of the belief that the phenomenon is real. Other people are sceptical. However, undoubtedly several consequences of climate change can already be observed including the melting polar ice caps, gradual rise in sea level, unnatural patterns of precipitation such as flash floods, catastrophic weather, excessive snow, desertification, threatened ecosystems, and change in overall weather scenario. Moreover, humans have undeniably influenced climate change with the production of greenhouse gases (stemming from carbon dioxide and methane). One thing is for sure: Our planet is warming and changes will continue to occur stronger and negatively affecting the ecosystems.

2.      Water

Source: National Geographic Society

Source: Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation

In many parts of the world, water sources are scarce. The global reserves of drinkable water are a fraction of 1% and 1 in 5 humans doesn’t have access to potable water. Water pollution is also a worrisome occurrence. Other issues include acid rain, ocean dumping, urban runoff, oil spills, ocean acidification, and wastewater. In essence, potable drinking water is fast becoming a rare commodity.

3.      Pollution

Source: WWF

Air, water, and soil pollution have greatly occur all over the world. The number one pollutant is probably Industry and motor vehicle exhaust. Heavy metals, nitrates, and plastic are toxins responsible for pollution. Water pollution is caused by oil spill, acid rain, and urban runoff. Air pollution is primarily caused by gases and toxins released by industries and factories and combustion of fossil fuels. And soil pollution is predominantly caused by industrial waste, depriving soil from essential nutrients.

4.      Ecosystems and Endangered Species

Many species are under continuous threat, including indicator species (when this type of species becomes threatened, endangered, or extinct, an entire ecosystem faces collapse) and evolutionarily unique species. The consequences have a global impact.

5.      Ocean Acidification

The world's oceans have absorbed nearly a third of the excess carbon dioxide emitted as a result of anthropogenic activities. A side effect of carbon dioxide absorption is ocean acidification. Excessive CO2 production leads to ocean acidification (Sponberg 2007). The ocean acidity has increased by the last 250 years but by 2100, it may increase by 150 %.

6.      Ozone Layer Depletion

This is one of the most important and current environmental problem. The ozone layer (an invisible layer of protection around the planet protecting us from the sun’s harmful rays, preventing harmful UV radiation from reaching the earth) is depleted at unprecedented rates which can be attributed to pollution caused by Chloro-floro carbons (CFC’s). After these toxic gases reach the upper atmosphere, it causes a hole in the ozone layer and, sadly, the biggest of which is above the Antarctic. Nowadays, CFC’s are banned in many industries and consumer products.

7.      Natural resource depletion

Source: Futurism

Source: Emaze

Natural resource depletion is another crucial current environmental problems. Resource depletion is most commonly used with reference to farming, fishing, mining, water usage, and consumption of fossil fuels. The three main natural resources that are depleted are water, oil, and forests. Thankfully there has globally been a shift towards using more renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, biogas, and geothermal energy.

8.      Deforestation

Source: Conserve Energy Future

Forests can be seen as natural sinks of carbon dioxide. It produces fresh oxygen and help to regulate temperature and rainfall. Presently, forests cover about 30% of the land. However, annually high percentage of tree cover is lost due to growing population as they have a greater demand for food and shelter. Thus, deforestation (clearing of green cover, making land available for residential, industrial, or commercial purposes) takes place at unprecedented rates.

9.  Acid Rain

Acid rain occurs as a result of the presence of certain pollutants in the atmosphere, either through the combustion of fossil fuels, erupting volcanoes, or rotting vegetation which release sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. Consequences of acid rain not only have serious impacts on human health but also on wildlife and aquatic species.

10.  Overpopulation

Source: Woolman blog

Source: Alternet

Overpopulation, an undesirable condition whereby the number of existing human population exceeds the carrying capacity of Earth, is another serious problem. The population of the planet has reached unprecedented, unsustainable levels which have led to several water, fuel, and food shortages. In particular, exceptional population growth in developing countries is straining the already scarce resources.

11.  Consumerism

Source: Wilsonlms

     Over-consumption and their effect on the planet are also persistent.

12.  Ecosystem destruction

Ecosystem destruction and associated environmental concerns, such as aquaculture, estuaries, shellfish protection, landscaping, wetlands, and ecological restoration has occurred tremendously. Human-induced activities have led to the extinction of species and habitats and loss of biodiversity. Ecosystems are in danger when any species population is destroyed. An example is the destruction of coral reefs in the various oceans, supporting the rich marine life.

13.  Carbon footprint

Carbon footprint (and the responsibility of individuals to reduce their effect on the environment, including the use of renewable energy sources (solar power, geothermal heat pumps), recycling, and sustainable living) must also be looked at.

14.  Fishing-related issues

Fishing and its effect on marine ecosystems, blast fishing, cyanide fishing, bottom trawling, whaling, and over-fishing require urgent attention and the proper management thereof.

Conclusion

The one thing that is certain is the fact that environmental protection and preservation of the planet is the responsibility of every individual and community on Earth. By raising important environmental awareness, you can assist in contributing towards a more environmentally conscious and friendly place where future generations can live in a clean, healthy, environmentally sustainable place.

References

Genc, M. 2015. The project-based learning approach in environmental education, International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 24:2, 105-117.

Sponberg, A.F. 2007. Ocean Acidification: The Biggest Threat to Our Oceans? American Institute of Biological Sciences.

http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/15-current-environmental-problems.php

http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Top_30_Environmental_Concerns

http://www.eolss.net/sample-chapters/c11/E4-16-02-06.pdf     

Theme for Earth Day 2016: Trees for the Earth

The theme of this year's Earth Day is: Trees for the Earth. 

Earth Day is annually celebrated on 22 April. It marks an important environmental day that is celebrated all over the world. The Earth Day Network aims to plant 7.8 billion trees. The organisation notes that "trees will be the first of five major goals we are undertaking in honor of the five-year countdown to our 50th anniversary". These positive initiatives will impact the environment which will ultimately lead to a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable planet for all.

There are several reasons why trees were chosen, mainly because (Earth Day Organisation 2016):

• Trees help combat climate change. They absorb excess and harmful CO2 from our atmosphere. In fact, in a single year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the same amount of CO2 produced by driving the average car 26,000 miles.
• Trees help us breathe clean air. Trees absorb odours and pollutant gases (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone) and filter particulates out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark.
• Trees help communities. Trees help communities achieve long-term economic and environmental sustainability and provide food, energy and income.

Source: www.lynchburgparksandrec.com

Reference
The Earth Day Network. Available from: http://www.earthday.org/earth-day/earth-day-theme/#sthash.o31ffYg6.dpuf

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

Recycling Statistics

General

·       Recycling and composting diverted nearly 70 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators in 2000, up from 34 million tons in 1990-doubling in just 10 years.

·       It takes 95% less energy to recycle aluminium than it does to make it from raw materials. Making recycled steel saves 60%, recycled newspaper 40%, recycled plastics 70%, and recycled glass 40%. These savings far outweigh the energy created as by-products of incineration and landfilling.

·       In 2000, recycling resulted in an annual energy savings equal to the amount of energy used in 6 million homes (over 660 trillion BTUs). In 2005, recycling is conservatively projected to save the amount of energy used in 9 million homes (900 trillion BTUs).

·       A national recycling rate of 30% reduces greenhouse gas emissions as much as removing nearly 25 million cars from the road.

Aluminium

Source: Recycle UK

·       When one ton of steel is recycled, 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal and 120 pounds of limestone are conserved.

 

·       Recycling one aluminium can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours

·       A 60-watt light bulb can be run for over a day on the amount of energy saved by recycling 1 pound of steel.

Paper

Source: Dreams Time

 

·       To produce each week's Sunday newspapers, 500,000 trees must be cut down.

·       If all our newspaper was recycled, we could save about 250,000,000 trees each year!

·       The average American uses seven trees a year in paper, wood, and other products made from trees. This amounts to about 2,000,000,000 trees per year!

·       The amount of wood and paper we throw away each year is enough to heat 50,000,000 homes for 20 years.

·       The average household throws away 13,000 separate pieces of paper each year. Most is packaging and junk mail.

·       Each ton (2000 pounds) of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 380 gallons of oil, three cubic yards of landfill space, 4000 kilowatts of energy, and 7000 gallons of water. This represents a 64% energy savings, a 58% water savings, and 60 pounds less of air pollution!

 

Source: Globalcry

 

·       Recycled paper supplies more than 37% of the raw materials used to make new paper products in the U.S. Without recycling, this material would come from trees. Every ton of newsprint or mixed paper recycled is the equivalent of 12 trees. Every ton of office paper recycled is the equivalent of 24 trees.

·       The 17 trees saved (above) can absorb a total of 250 pounds of carbon dioxide from the air each year. Burning that same ton of paper would create 1500 pounds of carbon dioxide.

·       The construction costs of a paper mill designed to use waste paper is 50 to 80% less than the cost of a mill using new pulp.

Plastic

Source: 123rf

·       Plastic bags and other plastic garbage thrown into the ocean kill as many as 1,000,000 sea creatures every year!

·       Recycling plastic saves twice as much energy as burning it in an incinerator.

·       11 recycled PET (POLYETHYLENE TERAPHTHALATE) plastic bottles can make 1 pair of men’s trousers pet .

Glass

·       Every month, we throw out enough glass bottles and jars to fill up a giant skyscraper. All of these jars are recyclable!

·       The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can run a 100-watt light bulb for four hours or a compact fluorescent bulb for 20 hours. It also causes 20% less air pollution and 50% less water pollution than when a new bottle is made from raw materials.

·       A modern glass bottle would take 4000 years or more to decompose -- and even longer if it's in the landfill.

·       Mining and transporting raw materials for glass produces about 385 pounds of waste for every ton of glass that is made. If recycled glass is substituted for half of the raw materials, the waste is cut by more than 80%.

Reference

Recycling Revolution