Because we are different.

The ecological balance

7 June 2012

The main purpose of World Environment Day is to promote awareness on the importance of preserving our bio-diversity, the need to identify problems related to the environment and ways to take corrective action. Coordinators share their thoughts

Every year, we celebrate World Environment Day on 5th June. The United Nations organises this day to make the people aware about their surrounding environment. From time immemorial, the Earth has sustained life in it by nurturing a healthy environment and ecological balance. But most of the mankind were nor very kind to the environment. Trees fell as man went on with his quest for development. Presently, we have reached a grim situation where surely, one can have employment for a lifetime but one does not know whether his future generations can live in prosperity or can live in the Earth at all with various disasters hitting the environment due to destruction of the ecological balance.
World Environment Day is celebrated by the United Nations every year on 5th June. This year, the theme is “Green Economy - Does it include you?” The very idea of a World Environment Day was to make everybody aware about the growing disparities in the environment and in ecological balance. As youths, we may think why should we take up this duty to protect our mother earth when elder people are there to do so? But we should remember that the previous generation had done the same and the environment is now standing at the brink of collapse.
There are various events that can be organised by teens and youths. The awareness is being spread among all people that the environment must be protected otherwise it will take a heavy toll on our generation as well as the future generation. It may pose a threat to the entire human civilisation. Organising dramas, drawing cartoons and social forestry are some preliminary steps to ensure that the message of environment conservation goes down among the masses.
If we look at how environment helps us in a variety of ways, we can surely not overlook its important role in recreation. Tourism has flourished capitalising on the beauty of the environment. Imagine miles and miles of barren areas where once there were forests. Due to fluctuations in our climate as a result of the green house effect, our environment has been severely affected. Rains come in an untimely manner. Winter remains for a long period of time. Summers are hot and sultry.
Mother Earth is showing some anger at how we have treated our environment for so long. But a lot of affection still remains in the form of ecological balance, the various seasons, and beautiful nature and by satisfying our palate. It is time to convert that “anger” into close affection, which Mother Earth has showered upon human beings since time immemorial.
We have to be careful about the various discrepancies that are coming out in our effort to save the environment. We have to know that this is our last and final chance to protect the environment. Any discrepancy will threaten our very existence. Nowadays, even thermal power plants and nuclear power plants are coming up as green industrial projects So when we look at the balance sheet as to how many “green” industrial projects are there, we are very pleased by the huge numbers when the reality is not so. We have to seriously conserve our environment and keep a check on the industrial projects that harm our ecology. After all, our dear environment comes above everything else, be it economy or industry.
saptarashmi bandyopadhyay, Class XI, South Point High School

Celebrate the right way
World Environment Day (WED) is a day that stimulates awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and public action. It was established by United States General Assembly in 1972. 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 that all nations and people enjoy a safer and more prosperous future. But to have a green and prosperous future is this one day enough for human beings to understand the value of nature? Every human being should understand the importance and value of nature and how it should be done.
Nature in all its goodness and beauty is to be valued, because it makes up our home on Earth. But a number of plants and animals are becoming endangered due to certain natural forces like volcanic eruption, floods, earthquake which ultimately and indirectly is a result of the man-made damages. We are slowly losing our most precious gifts which directly or indirectly makes us live, providing all possible benefits for a better living.
WWF (World Wildlife Fund) is largely committed to endangered species protection.
The humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus) is a wrasse that is mainly found in coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. This bulbous head fish is caught and displayed live in tanks for diners in the East Asian Restaurants. Demand has grown steadily for this delicacy. This fish is unsustainably harvested and since its reproduction is slow, its population suffers greatly.
Ramin (Gonystylus) is a tropical hardwood from Indonesia and Malaysia and is used to make man- produced pool cues, moulding, doors and picture frames. However, over-exploitation has led to all species of ramin being listed as endangered species as loggers illegally target this valuable wood.
The pig-nosed turtle (Carettochelys insculpta) is a species of turtle native to freshwater streams, lagoons and rivers of Australia and New Guinea. They are illegally killed for their flesh. It is a popular pet worldwide and suffers from high demand of international pet trade.
Great White Sharks (Carcharias) They are the largest of sharks, poached for their jaws. Teeth and fins collect high prices and have great demand. Worldwide people are sent underwater to kill these sharks.
Other than these there are also other endangered species which need to be looked after. So, every human being should observe World Environment Day in the true spirit.
sayantani sinha, GD Birla Centre of Education,
kaushiki pal, South Point High School