'Many Species. One Planet. One Future'
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Shafeen Mahmood
"Many Species. One Planet. One Future" has been decided as the theme for World Environment Day (WED)-2010 by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),held on June 05, 2010 in Kigali of Rwanda, the East African country. This year's theme is 'Many Species. One Planet. One Future.' - a message focusing on the central importance to humanity of the globe's wealth of species and ecosystems. The WED theme also supports this year's UN International Year of Biodiversity.
Millions of people and millions of species all share the same planet, and only together we enjoy a safer and more prosperous future, the most important thing is to give a helping hand to the amazing variety of life on our planet.
A total of 17,291 species are known to be threatened with extinction - from obscure plants and insects to well-known birds and mammals. Also many species disappear before they are even discovered. What's the reason? Human activities. With our present approach to development, we have caused the clearing of much of the original forest, drained half of the world's wetlands, depleted three quarters of all fish stocks, and emitted enough heat-trapping gases to keep our planet warming for centuries to come. We have put our foot on the accelerator, making species' extinctions occur at up to 1,000 times the natural rate. As a result, we are increasingly risking the loss of the very foundation of our own survival. There are also environmental trends that threaten to radically alter the planet, that threaten the lives of many species upon it including the human species. Each year another 6.0 million hectares of productive dry land turns into worthless desert. Over three decades, this would amount to an area roughly as large as Saudi Arabia. More than 11 million hectares of forests are yearly destroyed. Like rebellious children, humankind has set itself against Mother Nature. For our survival, we must make peace and beg Her forgiveness.
Tropical rainforests are home to many of the strangest-looking animals. We have heard of some of them; jaguars, toucans, parrots, gorillas, all make their homes in tropical rainforests. In fact, about half of all the world's species live in tropical rainforests. Scientists estimate that there are more than 50 million different species of invertebrates living in rainforests; those are keeping balance of this earth for which we are surviving in this planet. The cutting down of trees is one of the vital reasons for species extinction. Today tropical rainforests are disappearing from the face of the globe because of global warming. Despite growing international concern, rainforests continue to be destroyed at a pace exceeding 80,000 acres (32,000 hectares) per day.
Thousands of monkeys and other primates are traded illegally on the international market each year, wanted for their fur, as pets, or for scientific research. Parrots and macaws are popular pets; buyers will pay up to $10,000 for one bird. King of the jungle, the Jaguar, is in danger of becoming extinct due to highly valued far for use on coats and shoes.
We have to try if we don't want to cry. If we don't take necessary steps one day we will also be extinct like the dinosaurs. World does not change until individuals change. Gandhi and Mendala, both stand up for the truth that harnesses a universal awareness as they did so. The time is to act now-Join the "Unite Campaign" and send out a message to the world that we need to unite, agree to save all species before it is too late.
We must organise activities that promote calls among our communities, schools and organisations to pledge to save all species in this world. Global Warming is destroying Earth's biodiversity and native ecosystems; so, we should:
1. Reduce use of fossil fuels;
2. Protect native forests as "carbon storehouses";
3. Help plant native trees in urban and deforested areas;
4. They reduce soil erosion and water pollution;
5. They provide habitat for native wildlife (including songbirds);
6. They improve human health by producing oxygen and improving air quality; and,
7. They reduce home energy needs by providing shade in summer and a windbreak in winter
There are thousand of trees in the forests . "Who planted the trees?" The chances are high it was an elephant, a primate or a fruit-eating bird or bat. Think of each tree as the result of an ecological event - an animal once ate a seed - maybe centuries ago - and a few weeks later, a seedling grew from a pile of poo.
No animals-no trees, no trees-no oxygen, no oxygen-no life. How will we survive? It follows then that to ensure permanence in forest carbon, we must ensure these ecological events keep happening. Ergo, hunting must be controlled just as logging, charcoal making and clearance for agriculture must be controlled if a healthy forest is to endure.
To protect penguins on the rapidly warming Antarctic Peninsula, regulators need to ensure the survival of krill, their food, and winter ice as area is ice-free for about four months.
We must put ban on plastic bags like Rwanda for restoration natural rain forests as part of a chimpanzee conservation programme.
By reading, learning and covey message to others about the importance of biodiversity and its extinction's bad effect, everybody can be aware and will work together to save our beloved earth.
Greed is what is destroying this world! COP15 summit success is less. The UNEP Conference is being held in Bonn, from May 31 to June 11,2010. We eagerly waiting to get proper solutions specially from the rich countries for all species' survival in this planet.
Everything started for the 'big bang' and everything will end with the 'worst bang'. We don't want to be extinct so soon. Every nation should unite as a war is coming… So, I call whole world to work together for the better living of all the species so that "Many Species, One Planet. One Future" can be obtained for our beloved planet.
(The writer is a student of Class-VII, Little Jewels School, Chittagong, Bangladesh. He received the first prize for this write-up, within the Chittagong Zone in an essay competition on the International Environment day this year, organised by the Directorate of Environment, the Government of the People's of Bangladesh. He can reach at e-mail: shafeen_mahmood@yahoo.com)
"Many Species. One Planet. One Future" has been decided as the theme for World Environment Day (WED)-2010 by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),held on June 05, 2010 in Kigali of Rwanda, the East African country. This year's theme is 'Many Species. One Planet. One Future.' - a message focusing on the central importance to humanity of the globe's wealth of species and ecosystems. The WED theme also supports this year's UN International Year of Biodiversity.
Millions of people and millions of species all share the same planet, and only together we enjoy a safer and more prosperous future, the most important thing is to give a helping hand to the amazing variety of life on our planet.
A total of 17,291 species are known to be threatened with extinction - from obscure plants and insects to well-known birds and mammals. Also many species disappear before they are even discovered. What's the reason? Human activities. With our present approach to development, we have caused the clearing of much of the original forest, drained half of the world's wetlands, depleted three quarters of all fish stocks, and emitted enough heat-trapping gases to keep our planet warming for centuries to come. We have put our foot on the accelerator, making species' extinctions occur at up to 1,000 times the natural rate. As a result, we are increasingly risking the loss of the very foundation of our own survival. There are also environmental trends that threaten to radically alter the planet, that threaten the lives of many species upon it including the human species. Each year another 6.0 million hectares of productive dry land turns into worthless desert. Over three decades, this would amount to an area roughly as large as Saudi Arabia. More than 11 million hectares of forests are yearly destroyed. Like rebellious children, humankind has set itself against Mother Nature. For our survival, we must make peace and beg Her forgiveness.
Tropical rainforests are home to many of the strangest-looking animals. We have heard of some of them; jaguars, toucans, parrots, gorillas, all make their homes in tropical rainforests. In fact, about half of all the world's species live in tropical rainforests. Scientists estimate that there are more than 50 million different species of invertebrates living in rainforests; those are keeping balance of this earth for which we are surviving in this planet. The cutting down of trees is one of the vital reasons for species extinction. Today tropical rainforests are disappearing from the face of the globe because of global warming. Despite growing international concern, rainforests continue to be destroyed at a pace exceeding 80,000 acres (32,000 hectares) per day.
Thousands of monkeys and other primates are traded illegally on the international market each year, wanted for their fur, as pets, or for scientific research. Parrots and macaws are popular pets; buyers will pay up to $10,000 for one bird. King of the jungle, the Jaguar, is in danger of becoming extinct due to highly valued far for use on coats and shoes.
We have to try if we don't want to cry. If we don't take necessary steps one day we will also be extinct like the dinosaurs. World does not change until individuals change. Gandhi and Mendala, both stand up for the truth that harnesses a universal awareness as they did so. The time is to act now-Join the "Unite Campaign" and send out a message to the world that we need to unite, agree to save all species before it is too late.
We must organise activities that promote calls among our communities, schools and organisations to pledge to save all species in this world. Global Warming is destroying Earth's biodiversity and native ecosystems; so, we should:
1. Reduce use of fossil fuels;
2. Protect native forests as "carbon storehouses";
3. Help plant native trees in urban and deforested areas;
4. They reduce soil erosion and water pollution;
5. They provide habitat for native wildlife (including songbirds);
6. They improve human health by producing oxygen and improving air quality; and,
7. They reduce home energy needs by providing shade in summer and a windbreak in winter
There are thousand of trees in the forests . "Who planted the trees?" The chances are high it was an elephant, a primate or a fruit-eating bird or bat. Think of each tree as the result of an ecological event - an animal once ate a seed - maybe centuries ago - and a few weeks later, a seedling grew from a pile of poo.
No animals-no trees, no trees-no oxygen, no oxygen-no life. How will we survive? It follows then that to ensure permanence in forest carbon, we must ensure these ecological events keep happening. Ergo, hunting must be controlled just as logging, charcoal making and clearance for agriculture must be controlled if a healthy forest is to endure.
To protect penguins on the rapidly warming Antarctic Peninsula, regulators need to ensure the survival of krill, their food, and winter ice as area is ice-free for about four months.
We must put ban on plastic bags like Rwanda for restoration natural rain forests as part of a chimpanzee conservation programme.
By reading, learning and covey message to others about the importance of biodiversity and its extinction's bad effect, everybody can be aware and will work together to save our beloved earth.
Greed is what is destroying this world! COP15 summit success is less. The UNEP Conference is being held in Bonn, from May 31 to June 11,2010. We eagerly waiting to get proper solutions specially from the rich countries for all species' survival in this planet.
Everything started for the 'big bang' and everything will end with the 'worst bang'. We don't want to be extinct so soon. Every nation should unite as a war is coming… So, I call whole world to work together for the better living of all the species so that "Many Species, One Planet. One Future" can be obtained for our beloved planet.
(The writer is a student of Class-VII, Little Jewels School, Chittagong, Bangladesh. He received the first prize for this write-up, within the Chittagong Zone in an essay competition on the International Environment day this year, organised by the Directorate of Environment, the Government of the People's of Bangladesh. He can reach at e-mail: shafeen_mahmood@yahoo.com)