Celebrate the Planet with the United Nations!

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Way back in 1972, the United Nations designated June 5th as World Environment Day. The UN uses this day to encourage worldwide awareness on the environment, encouraging political attention and action. This year, India is the UN host country and the theme that has been chosen is Forests: Nature at Your Service.

This theme fits with the UN Theme for the Year, International Year of Forests!

Any chance you can get out for a walk, bike or hike in the forest, woods or even the local park this weekend? Talk to the kids in your life about forests and consider sharing a few forests facts.

According to the UN:

• Forests cover 31% of the total land area on earth.
• Forests provide a home to 80% of land-based biodiversity on the planet.
• Forests are home to more than 300 million people worldwide.
• Forests play a key role in the battle against climate change; storing carbon and removing it from the atmosphere.
• 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihood.

Are you a beach person, not a big forest friend? You are in luck, as June 8th is World Ocean’s Day! Which this year has the theme: Youth, the Next Wave for Change.

Grab the kids and head to the beach or the shore and make a note to spend a few moments talking with the kids in your life about why we need to protect our oceans, keeping them clean and safe.

Share the “Wear Blue Tell Two” World Oceans Day Campaign. On June 8th, remember to wear something blue in honor of our oceans and share two facts about why it is important to protect our oceans. A few messages and resources offered by World Oceans Day:

• Our ocean has a great wealth of diverse kinds of life but it’s in trouble. Climate change has already been linked to the killing of coral reefs. Coupled with destructive fishing practices, there is a dramatic decline in many types of fish and sea life we depend on.
• There are important, easy actions each of us can take to help. Calculating our carbon footprints and looking for ways to reduce our role in climate change is a great step. Likewise, we can choose seafood that is abundant in supply and fished or farmed without harm to the ocean and coasts.
• Providing carbon calculators, such as those at StopGlobalWarming, the EPA, or Berkeley Institute of the Environment, on-site and linking online so visitors can learn more.
• Handing out sustainable seafood guides and cards on-site and linking online to programs such as Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, Blue Ocean Institute, or Environmental Defense Fund’s Seafood Selector.

Happy Earth Day, in June!