World Environment Day is celebrated on the 5th of June every year and is the United Nation's principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of our environment.

First held in 1974, it has been a flagship campaign for raising awareness on emerging environmental issues from marine pollution, human overpopulation, and global warming, to sustainable consumption and wildlife crime.

Source: Wikipedia

World Environment Day 2019

World Environment Day 2019 will be hosted by China, with a theme of "Air Pollution" - we can't stop breathing, but we can do something about the quality of air that we breathe.

Did you know?

• 91% of people live in places where air quality falls below WHO limits
• 8 million deaths are attributed to indoor air pollution from cooking
• 90 out of 193 countries do not have vehicle emission standards
• Air pollution causes 1 in 9 deaths. It is the most important environmental health risk of our time

World Environment Day reminds us to support and celebrate the protection of our Earth. Tackling some of the challenges our environment is facing may require more than one day of action, so what can we do?

BreatheLife mobilizes cities and individuals to protect our health and our planet from the effects of air pollution. Their website offers valuable insights, with solutions and resources to mobilize cities and individuals to protect our health and our planet from the effects of air pollution.

What you can do to reduce your contribution to air pollution:

1. Manage waste. Minimize emissions from your waste – compost food and garden items, recycle non-organic trash if available, reuse grocery bags and dispose of remaining trash by local collection. Never burn trash as this contributes directly to air pollution.
2. Cook and heat clean. Burning coal and biomass (e.g. wood) contributes to indoor air pollution when used for cooking and outdoor air pollution when used for heating.
3. Move mindfully. Use public transportation, cycling or walking to get around. Consider low or no emission vehicles if a car is necessary.
4. Conserve energy. Turn off lights and electronics not in use. Use LED bulbs, if available, as a non-toxic alternative to CFLs, which contain mercury.

Looking for more ways to reduce your impact on the environment? 

All of us, with small actions, can meditate about the problems we cause on the natural environment and propose solutions to small-scale actions, which is the key to big solutions. Below is a list of 15 further changes you can implement that can have a big impact on our environment.

1. Put on an extra layer of clothing instead of turning on the heating;
2. Get a water-saving shower head;
3. Use rechargeable batteries where possible;
4. Read your favourite newspaper publications online instead of reading the paper versions;
5. Use eco-friendly cleaning products;
6. Pass on the plastic bags by taking your own bags for groceries;
7. Borrow books from the library instead of purchasing;
8. Avoid buying plastic-wrapped products, opt for a paper bag instead;
9. Swap plastic straws for more sustainable ones made from bamboo, paper or steel;
10. Say bye to the plastic water bottles;
11. Eat less red meat;
12. Grow your own herbs, fruit and vegetables;
13. Don’t waste food;
14. Plant some trees;
15. Create a bee hotel.

For more information about World Environment Day please visit worldenvironmentday.global