Earth--Our Green'LAND'

Are We Aware????

So how many of us actually knew that the World Environment Day is "celebrated" on the 5Th of June.Well it was first observed in 1972 and is the UN's flagship environmental event.Each year a different city is chosen as the principle venue for "celebrations" and this year it was Wellington. Now one would wonder why am i driven to publish such facts.After all how much help are they going to be?! Coming to the point,now, since most of us didn't even know when and where the world environment day was held this year, we obviously wouldn't even know the major issue under discussion in this forum. 'Kick The CO2 Habit' was the theme this year (surprised??there's a theme every year!).

CO2, Carbon emissions, Kyoto Protocol and GLOBAL WARMING, all big words.Familiar??? Or maybe abstruse to most. The problem here is that most of us have decided to acclimate ourselves to the changing climate. But this year's discussion brought up grievances of a President of a small nation on the Pacific coast, Kiribati. At the going rate this country is expected to be submerged by the end of the century.Most of the atolls in this country are not more than two meters above sea level.Which means the consequences of a rise in sea level would be felt there first.This also holds true (to some extent) for countries like New Zealand or the Maldives.

Less developing nations may argue that Economic development is at stake with a reduction in emissions, But for countries like Kiribati, on the verge of extinction, Economic progress does not hold any meaning. Their immediate goal is to save their striving population. So the point i wish to raise here is, that are we (with little or no awareness) in a position to 'Celebrate' World Environment Day? Or will we blindly make it a 'Survival Of The Fittest' situation??