June 5th, 2007: World Environment Day
World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nation worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. The main international celebrations of this year will be held in Norway. The slogan selected for 2007 is Melting Ice – a Hot Topic? In support of the international Polar Year, the theme selected for 2007 focuses on the effects that climate change is having on polar ecosystems and communities, and ensuing consequences around the world.
The potential consequences of climate change are profound, particularly on people in the less developed countries. To mention some examples; worldwide the rain, when it falls, is often more intense. Floods and storms are more severe, and heat waves are becoming more extreme. Riversfreeze later in winter and melt earlier. Trees flower earlier in spring, insects emerge faster and birds lay eggs sooner. Glaciers are melting, resulting in a global mean sea level rising. This and much more is caused by the fact that the global temperature is rising. Since the late 1800s the average global temperature rise is 0.6 degrees Celsius. Well at first sight this might not seem much, but if you realize that it used to take millions of years to create small temperature fluctuations, it starts to become scary. And on top of that if the fact that scientists believe that the temperature of the Earth’s surface, is likely to rise by another 1.4 to 5.8 degrees Celsius.
So we don’t have to ask ourselves if there is climate change, but instead ask ourselves what we can do to make a difference. We can all make a difference by implementing some minor changes in our daily life. To mention some of them; use less electricity and water. Our water and electricity company uses lots of diesel in producing our drinking water and electricity . So the less water and electricity we use, the less diesel needs to be burned, resulting in less Co2 (carbon dioxide). And as a bonus it also saves us money! Don’t leave lights on when nobody is in. Only use your washing machine when you have a substantial load. Do not leave your stereo and TV on stand-by. Take shorter showers. Use energy saving light bulbs. Use your airco less frequent. Keep the right pressure on your car tires, since this saves fuel and try to combine rides.
When all Bonaireans and all other inhabitants of this planet contribute to saving energy, we contribute to a less drastic climate change, so our children will still have a future. Because in a way we are just “borrowing” our planet Earth from them.