“Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, shall all be saved.”
– Jane Goodall
Introduction
Every year July 28th is celebrated as World Nature Conservation Day. This is to raise awareness to protect the planet we live on, our Mother Earth. The meaning of conservation is carefully using valuable natural substances that exist in limited amounts to make certain that they will be available for as long a time as possible. The practice of not using resources carefully has also led to the extinction of many species. Conservation will help in the growth of biological, economic, cultural, and recreational values. Non-conservation for so many years has also resulted in Climate change which we know is affecting the planet in many negative ways.
Significance
It is important to recognize that we need nature for our survival, if we let that go, it will disturb the environment which will then disturb the climate harming the harvests and the well-being of all humans. Not just that, we also need nature for all the non-renewable resources we keep using for our industries. Celebration of this day recognizes the importance of a healthy environment which is the foundation of a stable and productive society, it ensures the well-being of present and future generations. The aim of this day is to introspect on how we Homo sapiens are exploiting nature and the effects we are facing because of it, such as global warming, natural disaster, increased temperature, and various diseases.
Theme for this year
The theme for this year’s World Nature Conservation Day is “Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet”. This theme highlights the importance of co-existing with nature.
Forests are often underestimated and looked upon as just a source of wood, but it is important to know their importance. We greatly depend on forests for our survival, be it the air we breathe or the wood we use. Forests provide habitat for animals and also a livelihood for humans, it also offers watershed protection. Forests help in preventing soil erosion and help in the mitigation of climate change. Over 2 billion people rely on forests for shelter, livelihoods, water, food, and fuel security. Forests are home to over 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and 60 million indigenous people. Forests provide jobs for more than 13 million people across the world. They are the second-largest storehouses of carbon which is very important to solve the issue of global warming and to reach the goals described in the Paris Agreement.
Things to do to Conserve Nature
Cut Down on plastic use – Although the use of plastic is convenient for us, it is non-biodegradable and leaves its trace for a very long time, it not only stays in the environment but also impacts other species, like choking animals and birds because of plastic.
Save Electricity – Electricity is produced by using non-renewable resources. If we control how much electricity we use, and don’t waste it, less non-renewable resources will be used. The creation of electricity produces extra carbon waste which increases global warming.
Save Water – Wasting water is resulting in decreasing levels of drinking water. Not only that but it also creates a lot of energy to treat, pump, and heat water. We should use water judiciously.
Recycle-Reuse – Following the practice of recycling and reusing will help in reducing the amount of waste we create.
Conclusion
We have learnt about the importance of nature and its conservation above. It is high time to realize the importance of following this practice as we are in deep waters already. This summer the world has experienced nature’s wrath all across, floods in China and Europe, high temperatures in Canada, the US, and the UK. The last few years have seen a rise in forest fires and if this isn’t warning enough of the damage we have caused, then we’re just waiting for a big disaster to hit us.
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