By Alao Abiodun

The earth is a unified system which involves exploring the interactions between the atmosphere, land, and water and the snowballing impact that human activity is having on the system. Environment means life – for without the environment then humans cease to exist.

The World Environment Day is the most renowned day for environmental action. Since 1974, it has been celebrated every year on 5 June; engaging governments, businesses and citizens to focus their efforts on a pressing environmental issue.

While the World Environment Day offers a global platform for inspiring positive change, it also recognises that global change requires a global community. It pushes for individuals to think about the way they consume; for businesses to develop greener models; for farmers and manufacturers to produce more sustainably; for governments to safeguard wild spaces; for educators to inspire students to live in harmony with the Earth; and for youth to become fierce gatekeepers of a green future. It requires all of us!

We cannot agree less that environmental concerns are the most important parameters when it comes to life and a healthy ecosystem. The COVID-19 era has proved and showed us that nature can hit back at us whenever it comes to the conditions of “survival of the fittest”.
Our environment and our ecosystem are both beneficial, the way we living organisms cannot survive without the basic facilities provided by our nature, the same way our ecosystem around us also demands a certain basic sense of conservative attitude to keep it functioning well.

The best and the simplest way to understand our environment is by personifying it as a ‘best friend’, rather than a depot of endless opportunity. It is about mutual understanding and respect that we develop with our best friend. And never intend to harm him or her at any cost.

Most importantly, advocating climate change is now a major subject of discussion followed by appropriate intervention and policy making because the time to act is today, definitely not tomorrow.

Here is a list of some environmental issues that needs urgent intervention:

• Climate change – Human activities have made global warming and climate change a global threat. The rising levels of CO2 and other greenhouse gases have caused an increase in average global temperatures, extreme weather events, rising sea levels and other negative changes.
• Over population – limited space, but uncontrolled population growth.
• Global water crisis
• Endangered species – loss of habitat, as repercussions of over human population.
• More oil and coal extraction
• Food safety and chemical contamination
• Pandemics and Superbugs – evolved and unknown genetics

It is high time for human beings to take the ‘right’ action towards saving the earth from major environmental issues. If ignored today, these ill-effects are sure to curb human existence in the near future.