Beat the Plastic Pollution- World Env Day 2023

#BeatPlasticPollution is the theme for World Environment Day 2023. Steered by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the theme changes every year and addresses a topical issue concerning the environment.

Plastics are harmful and take hundreds of years to degrade in a landfill. According to Biodiversity.org, "Unfortunately, the bags don't break down completely but instead photo-degrade, becoming microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment." 

Plastics contain toxic chemicals. According to Geneva Environment Network, "These include endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which are linked to infertility, obesity, diabetes, prostate or breast cancer, thyroid problems and increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, among others." And the list of diseases goes on.

So another World Environment Day is here. Once again we urge every citizen to take care of the environment around you. Be it your home, school, college, residential complex or the trees and plants in your neighbourhood. If we keep the environment clean and green, half the battle is won. Otherwise, we will loose the species that make up the environment. We will only see the birds or animals in the books! 

We pose the following questions to provoke us.

The above pictures are also available as a short 1min 30 sec video.

Ghumakkad has been writing regularly to preserve the environment. Some of our stories are listed below. Just click the link to browse.

Only One Earth - World Env Day 2022

Reimagine, Recreate Restore - How to restore the environment? World Env Day 2021

Mutualism by Nature - how few species are dependent upon one another

Shrinking Urban Lakes- Impending Disaster

What Can We Do? - Practical things to do by individuals

As we said above, 'Together We Can!' Let us do our bit to save the environment. Every drop counts in this effort. The above links provide practical ways what each of us can do to save the environment. The readers may also visit www.jaagore.com for an excellent video message on climate change. 

We reproduce a PQ based on Ratan Tata's famous line 'I've often felt that the Indian Tiger has not been unleashed.'

Thanks for browsing.

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ Secunderabad/ 5th June 2023

#worldenvironmentday #environment #earth #pollution #deforestation #lakes #trees #plants #birds #animals #responsiblehumanbeings #humangreed #ghumakkadharsh #ghumakkadhb #beatplasticpollution #jaagore #climatechange #unep

World Environment Day 2019

Another World Environment Day.
More speeches.
More slogans.
More photo-ops by politicians and celebrities.
But we need to go beyond words.
We need action.
Action by each one of us.
What can we do?

Each of us can keep our surroundings clean.
And green.
Pollution-free.
Plastics free.
Plant a sapling.
Or just keep some potted plants.
Generate more oxygen.
So that forests can thrive.
Animals can live healthily.
We all can live healthily.

We were in Tadoba Tiger Reserve last week. We have chosen this picture of Tigress Sonam to convey a message. Protect the Tiger but unleash the power of India as a nation! Credit for this line goes to Ratan Tata renowned business leader of India. Here goes the PQ- picturesque quote- on the eve of World Environment Day 2019.

Here are the clips of last three years' greetings.
2018 Greetings

2017 Greetings

2016 Greetings

Once again, greetings on World Environment Day 2019. Let us do our bit. Every drop counts in preserving the environment.

Thanks for browsing.

     - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 5th June 2019/ World Environment Day

#worldenvironmentday #tiger #powerofanation #ratantata #savethetiger #preservetheenvironment #ghumakkadharsh #ghumakkadhb

World Environment Day 2017

Another 5th June.
Another World Environment Day.
Press clips, speeches, Government sponsored advertisements (ads), CSR ads, social media footage, tweets.
It ends there.
USA quits Paris meet on environment. Nothing happens.
Proves the point.
Mankind is paying lip service to the cause of environment.

Our previous stories can be accessed at the links below:
Chennai floods are man made
Shrinking of Kolleru Lake in Andhra Pradesh (see the maps therein)

We continue to destroy lakes and ponds and encroach river banks and green zones!
Shame.

Ghumakkad has selected three pictures taken during 2017 and poses questions to each one of us.

What can we do? What can I do?

Ghumakkad firmly believes that every person's effort counts in preservation of the environment. Be it keeping your surroundings clean and green, or vermi-composting your kitchen waste, or avoiding the use of plastics, or using solar energy at home (for cooking, heating the water or generating electricity or recharging cell phones etc)-- each one of us can make a difference! 
Therefore, let us not wait for somebody else to improve the environment, let us do it ourselves-- however small our effort be.

Some of you may have acted on our previous appeals:
Keep surroundings clean
What every person can do? 

Remember, every person counts in this ongoing battle!

Happy Environment Day!

   Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 5th June 2017

World Environment Day 2016

Another edition of World Environment Day is here. Media will be full of reports showing some politician (or a celebrity) making a speech or planting a sapling. Nobody asks the politicians "How is last year's sapling doing?" And that is the key-- sustainability.

Earth is a beautiful place to live in. But the question is 'will the glory remain or sustain'? With rampant deforestation, destruction and encroachments of lakes, ponds and river banks, we may not have such glorious sunsets in future.

Remember the floods in Chennai in Nov 2015. Was it not man-made? Had the flood banks of the river not been encroached by builder-politician nexus, we wouldn't have lost so many lives and property. You may refresh your memory with our earlier picture stories-- just click the links below:
Chennai floods are man made
Shrinking of Kolleru Lake in Andhra Pradesh (see the maps therein)

This is not all. Such disasters are waiting to happen in Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Varanasi, and many such locations. Landslides and devastation in Garhwal and Kumaon Himalayas every year are a case in point.

Once the forests, lakes and ponds are lost, will we continue to see the birds and other fauna in their natural habitat? Answer it your self.

What can we do? What can I do?
Ghumakkad firmly believes that every person's effort counts in preservation of the environment. Be it keeping your surroundings clean and green, or vermi-composting your kitchen waste, or avoiding the use of plastics, or using solar energy at home (for cooking, heating the water or generating electricity or recharging cell phones etc)-- each one of us can make a difference! Therefore, let us not wait for somebody else to improve the environment, let us do it ourselves-- however small our effort be.

Happy Environment Day!

   Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 5th June 2016