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Every year, 5 June is celebrated by millions internationally as World Environment Day (WED). Established in 1972 by the United Nations, WED is one of the principal vehicles through which the UN stimulates worldwide awareness for the environment and encourages positive action.
As an affiliate of the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha celebrated World Environment Day in the UK with a presentation supporting this year’s theme, Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care.
The presentation was displayed at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London throughout the week and delivered during the evening assembly on Saturday 6 June 2015. It comprised a series of inspirational tips and eye-opening facts about safely reducing consumption.
DID YOU KNOW: The human race today consumes resources the equivalent of 1.5 planets. If current consumption and production patterns remain the same, and with a rising population, we will need two planets by 2030 to accommodate our ways of living and consumption. This is simply unsustainable. – United Nations Environment Programme |
The theme expressed the simple fact that the current collective lifestyles of people all over the world exceeds our planet’s capacity to replenish natural resources. For all seven billion of us, our present and our future depend on the sustainable consumption of our planet’s resources.
To ‘Consume With Care’, the presentation reiterated seven suggestions from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to help reduce waste and lessen the burden on global resources. Devotees and visitors were encouraged to make a number of small but important lifestyle changes, such as:
- Change to energy-efficient lighting
- Recycle aluminium and glass
- Recycle old devices
- Bike to work
- Telecommute
- Dine in
- Fix leaky pipes
The presentation echoed the words of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, that individual actions when multiplied can have an exponential impact on the planet. Together, we can make a difference.
To learn more about World Environment Day and the UNEP’s Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care. campaign, please follow the respective links.
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