WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

5^th June 2011

Forests: Nature at Your Service!

 Gujarat Science City, working under the aegis of the Department of Science & Technology, Government of Gujarat is organsing a series of activities for students, teachers, parents and the general public on 5^th June 2011 to mark the celebration of World Environment Day (WED).

World Environment Day is an annual world-wide event, coordinated by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) that is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action.

WED celebration began in 1972 and has grown to become the one of the main vehicles through which the UN stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action.

As the Year 2011 is being celebrated as the International Year of Forests, the theme of World Environment Day is “Forests: Nature at Your Service” – being commemorated all over the world with the main celebrations taking place in India.

Forests are the green lungs of the world and play a key role in the health of the planet. They battle against climate change, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere while storing carbon. They regulate rainfall, feed our rivers and are essential to supplying the water for nearly half of our largest cities. They create and maintain soil fertility and protect us from storms and floods.

Awe inspiring, forests are the most biologically diverse ecosystems on land, and are home to more than half of the terrestrial species of animals, plants and insects. They also provide shelter, jobs, security and cultural relevance for forest-dependent populations – around 1.6 billion people.

On this occasion, Gujarat Science City has organized one day workshop for teachers and science communicators on the theme, exhibition on forests for all, guided tour to its theme pavilions, tree plantation in the campus and screening of environmental films. Special screening of IMAX 3d films including AVATAR has been arranged which has a beautiful environmental message with mesmerizing visuals of nature.

About 1000 employees of TATA Nano Motors are visiting Science City on this special days and to take part in the World Environment Day celebration.

Forests embody much of what is good and healthy in our lives, yet we are destroying them. Global deforestation continues at a rate of 13 million hectares each year; that’s an area roughly the size of Greece.

But it’s not too late to transform life as we know it into a greener future – one in which forests are at the heart of our sustainable development and green economies.

Conserving forests and expanding them must be recognized not just as essential to our well-being but also as a business opportunity. UNEP has calculated that an investment of US$30 billion to fight deforestation and degradation could provide a return of US$2.5 trillion in new products and services – that’s a return of nearly US$100 for every US$1 invested. These investments could generate up to 10 million new jobs.

On this World Environment Day, let us recognize the need to slow the momentum of the dramatic environmental changes we are experiencing all around and let each of us pledge to do our part to save our forest resources.

It’s time to take a stand and protect the grand diversity of life.

We look forward to working with the rest of the world to build a new and safe future !

GUJARAT SCIENCE CITY

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