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Environment

Commonwealth Week Theme 2008: The Environment – our future

Tree growing out of a mountain sideWays we affect our environment:

  • Pollutants in the air can damage the ozone layer which protects the earth from the harmful rays of the sun. They can create acid rain, which harms trees and lakes. ‘Greenhouse gases’ like carbon dioxide, which is released when forests are cut and fossil fuels burnt, are leading to climate change.
  • Climate change can bring about more extreme weather like hurricanes and cyclones, as well as floods and droughts, and the increase in sea levels which is threatening islands and low-lying coastal areas. Some 250 million people have been affected by desertification, with nearly one billion at risk.
  • Population pressures and poverty aggravate the situation, as land and natural resources are over-exploited. The poorest people suffer most, because they do not have access to the natural resources they need to live well, and have fewer alternatives to meet their daily needs when the environment is degraded.

It is vital to protect our environment against the degradation and destruction caused by human beings. A clean and safe environment enables us to lead healthy and productive lives.

Ways we can enhance our environment:

  • Maximise environmental resources: reduce, repair, re-use, recycle, and develop production techniques that are less polluting and more efficient.
  • Improve energy conservation and efficiency in our buildings, transport systems, and at home.
  • Use environmentally-friendly technologies, and improve agricultural practices to curb the increase in carbon dioxide.
  • Protect forests and regenerate areas where forest cover has been lost.
  • Protect land and water resources by the safe management and disposal of sewage and other waste.
  • Strengthen national and international institutions involved in environmental protection, and improve public education programmes.
  • Develop and implement strong national and international laws that promote environmental conservation and the sustainable use of resources.