Environment Day

The United Nations' World Environment Day (WED) has grown into a global forum for increasing awareness, action, and, of course, learning since its inception in 1974. This year's slogan “Only One Earth” focuses on “living sustainable in harmony with our nature. It pledges to demonstrate the numerous ways in which we can assist in the fight against plastic pollution. Much like this year’s slogan, Himalayan Origins also promotes the same cause and has been working to do its bit for our planet. From the North Pole to the South Pole, the Earth is warming. The worldwide average surface temperature has risen by more than 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit (0.9 degrees Celsius) since 1906, with the increase being significantly greater in the most vulnerable polar regions. And the consequences of rising temperatures aren't something that will happen in the distant future–the repercussions of global warming are already being felt. The rising temperatures are melting glaciers and sea ice, causing precipitation patterns to shift, and causing species to migrate. Many people confuse the terms "global warming" and "climate change," but scientists prefer to use the term "climate change" to describe the complex changes that are currently influencing our planet's weather and climate systems. Climate change includes not only rising average temperatures, but also extreme weather events, shifting wildlife populations and habitats, rising sea levels, and a variety of other factors. 

However, we handpicked some positive news headlines for you this Environment Day:  

Some of our picks of TOP HEADLINES TOWARDS A POSITIVE IMPACT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT 

• Solar Panels to be installed in all buildings of Europe latest by 2025: The European Commission is hoping to kickstart a large-scale solar energy rollout and resurrect Europe's solar manufacturing economy. The strategy is part of a larger effort to wean countries off of Russian fossil fuels. Solar energy and heat are critical in reducing the EU's reliance on Russian natural gas.
•  China has opened a vertical forest for its residents: Stefano Boeri, an Italian architect, is one of our favourites, and his latest project in China is just another example of biophilic architecture in action. Every year, the forest city will absorb about 20 tonnes of carbon dioxide while emitting about 10 tonnes of oxygen. And the architecture is simply gorgeous.
• Australia has elected a climate-conscious prime minister: For more than a decade, Australia has been dominated by the conservative party, which has failed to address climate change. Last week, people throughout the country led a green wave by choosing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who has committed to solve the country's growing environmental catastrophe. The Australian decision is a big victory not just for the country, which will now aggressively target carbon reduction, with goals to reduce emissions roughly in half by the end of the decade, but also for environmentalism as a whole. Climate change may be used as a campaign issue because citizens see it as an existential danger. Of all, the crucial point is that politicians actually make decisions.
• Sikkim becomes world’s first organic state: Sikkim received the coveted UN Future Policy Award in 2018 for being the world's first 100 % organic state, beating out over 25 other countries. The northeastern state has been able to turn over 75,000 hectares of land into certified organic farms by boosting efforts towards sustainable living. Sikkim began cutting the subsidy on chemical fertilisers and pesticides by 10% per year starting in 2003, until banning them entirely in 2014. The state's organic agricultural programme not only benefited over 66,000 farming households, but it also resulted in a 50% increase in agro-ecology and increased inbound tourists.
• FMCG Companies are investing in improving packaging and making it more sustainable. For example Unilever is introducing a paper-based laundry detergent bottle in Brazil in 2022 followed by Europe and some other markets. 
• 55 tonnes of waste was removed from the Ganges: Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to summit Mount Everest, has embarked on a new challenge this year: cleaning the Ganga. Pal and a 40-member team, which included Everest climbers Premlata Agarwal (first Indian woman to climb all seven peaks of the globe), Binita Soren, Hemant Gupta, and Tata Steel employees, launched the 'Mission Gange' volunteer effort. During a month-long journey, the crew travelled 1500 kilometres from Haridwar to Patna, cleaning up almost 55 tonnes of trash from the sacred river. While it may not seem like much in comparison to the amount of pollution in the Ganga, it is nothing short of remarkable considering it was completed by a volunteer crew in less than a month.

Composting becomes mandatory in San Francisco: Despite the fact that San Francisco already diverts more than 72 percent of its waste from landfills because of aggressive recycling efforts, the city has pledged to reduce trash even further by enacting the country's first mandated composting law. Mayor Gavin Newsom enacted the nation's first mandatory composting bill in June 2009, and San Francisco residents are now familiar with the green bins that have appeared throughout the city.

So, make your decisions more wisely. Make better and more environmentally friendly choices so that you also make a difference. Every effort matters for our “Only One Earth”.

** References Links 

https://www.financialexpress.com/brandwagon/consumer-preferences-driving-brands-to-go-green/2287904/

https://m.economictimes.com/news/environment/amp_articlelist/2647163.cms

https://www.euronews.com/green/amp/2022/05/27/here-are-all-the-positive-environmental-stories-from-2022-so-far

https://www.goodgoodgood.co/articles/climate-change-good-news-roundup