We can safely argue that out of all the living creatures in this world, we humans have caused the most destruction in our planet. We move forward at a fast pace with all-out technological advancements and modernization. However, we often neglect the fact that in such great strides we do, we harm the environment. We now have too much pollution of every kind on our planet – noise pollution, water pollution, air pollution, etc. Because of such an alarming problem, World Nature Day is celebrated every October 3 each year. This day aims to raise awareness on preserving our wonderful nature.
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- 1 Learn About World Nature Day
- 1.1 The Origin
- 1.2 When Celebrated
- 1.3 Why Celebrate
- 1.4 How to Celebrate: Ideas & Activities
- 1.5 Facts for the World Nature Day
Learn About World Nature Day
More and more countries are starting to feel the effects of climate change. But despite this fact, nothing much is being accomplished by them. Hence, taking a step towards mitigating climate change as well as its effects is of utmost importance. Hence, the World nature Day, as established by the WNO aims to raise awareness about the state of our nature – that it is currently facing a lot of challenges especially when it comes to climate change. During this day, various groups, organizations, and individuals participate in the celebration by conducting activities that spread and disseminate information about such problem.
The World Nature Day was founded by the World Nature Organization (WNO), which is an intergovernmental organization that focuses on the protection of the environment. Founders of this organization include countries from Africa, the Caribbean, and those around the Pacific Ocean. These countries are the ones primarily threatened by climate change and global warming. The first celebration of this day was held on October 3, 2010. Ever since that day, the World Nature Day has been celebrated in the exact same day.
This holiday is always celebrated on the 3rd of October each year. This means that the upcoming World Nature Day 2019 will be celebrated on Thursday, October 3, 2019. And next year, people will be celebrating this same holiday on October 2, 2020.
The following are the main reasons why you should celebrate the World Nature Day:
To Spread the Word About Climate Change
One major reason why you should participate in the celebration of this holiday is to spread the word about climate change. One primary reason why not much has been done in mitigating the effects of climate change is that a lot of people are still ignorant when it comes to such a problem and how to solve it. Hence, you should celebrate this day so as to spread a word about it.
To Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change
When you spread the word about climate change through your participation in the World Nature Day, you will be able to help in mitigating the effects of climate change. More and more people will know the measures of how climate change can be mitigated. For instance, they may be able to practice more the act of recycling as well as avoiding the use of plastics. These little things can have beneficial repercussions.
To Help in Saving the World
Since climate change is one of the most pressing issues faced by our world today, mitigating its effects can help in saving the world. This is also another reason why you should participate in the celebration of this day – to help in saving the world.
How to Celebrate: Ideas & Activities
The following are the things that you can do to make your celebration of World Nature Day as best as it can be:
One good way to celebrate this day is to plant trees. Plants including trees absorb carbon dioxide, which helps in mitigating global warming. Planting trees also helps in reversing deforestation. Even children in schools participate in the celebration of this day by planting trees, so why not you?
You can also celebrate this day by spreading awareness or disseminating information about the state of our nature. Various groups and organizations celebrate this day by doing campaigns and rallies aiming to create awareness and spread information about global warming and climate change. You may want to participate in these activities.
Celebrate On Social Media
You can also take your celebration of this day on social media. You can, for instance, use the hashtag #WorldNature Day to let your friends and followers know that you are also participating in the celebration of this day.
Facts for the World Nature Day
The following are some of the most interesting facts about World Nature Day that are worth sharing:
- As of 2018, carbon dioxide concentration in our atmosphere is at about 408 parts per million, which is the highest in 3 million years.
- The warmest year ever recorded was in 2016 which is about 1.78 degrees Fahrenheit warmers on the average than the mid-20th century.
- About 11 percent of all carbon emissions in the world are caused by deforestation due to human activities.
- The Amazon stores about 50% of the region’s carbon. It is basically a carbon powerhouse.
- Eleven percent of the world’s population (about 800 million people) are vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change including drought, heatwaves, flood, and other extreme weather events.
- Coastal ecosystems store about 10 times more carbon than tropical forest ecosystems. However, most coastal forests, with a bulk of mangroves, are already highly depleted.
- About 1 million hectares of forests are already lost in our world.