Janet CollinsAustralia and World Environment Day
June 4th 2009 06:14
World Environment Day is tomorrow, 5 June, and this year’s theme is “Your planet needs you – UNite to Combat Climate Change”. Now that's something our leaders here in Australia could think about.
The United Nations Assembly introduced the first World Environment Day in Stockholm in 1972 and it has been run annually on 5 June through the United Nations Environment Program.
The theme seems so relevant this year, not only because our own leaders can’t agree on the emissions trading scheme, but the international convention on climate change is to be held in Copenhagen later in the year. This will be a crucial meeting for the future of the environment and there will have to be much more consensus internationally on the ways to preserve the environment and protect the globe from overheating.
This may seem like an impossible goal, especially here in Australia. Our leaders continue to argue about emissions trading and our Prime Minister’s initial plan has been diluted, and the implementation of it delayed, in an attempt to have the legislation passed through Parliament, something our Prime Minister had aimed to do this year This may have been pointless because political commentators are predicting that the emissions trading legislation will not pass through the Senate at all.
While our leaders squabble about how to deal with the environment, there have been some surprising turnarounds in environmental protection from countries that have long been criticised for their resistance to any environmental protection.
Take China for example. Only a few years ago, the country was globally criticised for being the largest polluter and the strongest resister to the management of pollution. Now, things have changed quite drastically in China. The introduction of a Renewable Energy Law in 2006 that offers state subsidies for wind power turned the Chinese government’s prime focus to pollution control.
Huge clusters of windmills now stretch along the Old Silk Road at Dabaucheng and solar panels have been installed to power the street lights throughout Beijing.
China’s £400bn stimulus package includes massive new investment in nuclear, solar and hydroelectricity and heavy investment into China’s electricity grid which will connect more renewable sources. Planners are aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 50 per cent by 2020.
Mexico is another, Not only is Mexico hosting the World Environment Day this year reflecting it efforts to fight against climate change, but is also a leading partner in the United Nations Environment Program’s Billion Tree Campaign.
Mexican President, Felipe Calderon, with the support of the people, has pledged and planted around 25 percent of the trees on the program, demonstrating a commitment to combating global change on various fronts.
Against the efforts of these countries, Australia looks pretty weak on environmental protection, wouldn’t you say? It makes me wonder how our leaders will handle World Environment Day tomorrow. Will they at least think about the theme?
Your planet needs you – UNite to Combat Climate Change.
[Sourced: www.guardian.co.uk; www.unep.org
Image: United Nations Environment Program Logo
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Comment by Janet Collins
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Janet Collins Blog
I hope so because otherwise Australia is going to look pretty backward come the Copenhagen meeting. Even if the legislation does pass through, we won't have done anything before the big convention anyway.
Comment by Janet Collins
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The Social Critic
Janet Collins Blog
I don't think it's really too much to ask but too much politics gets in the way of really doing something.
Thanks for being so positive.