WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY CELEBRATION 2015 -EWB CHENNAI
THEME: SEVEN BILLION PEOPLE,ONE PLANET,CONSUME WITH CARE.- UNEP 2015.
June 5, 1972. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), decides to take an initiative to galvanize public action towards maintaining a positive, healthy ecosystem. June 5 is henceforth known as WED – World Environment Day. A day spent every year to remember our environment.
Engineers Without Borders (EWB- Chennai Chapter ) conducted The World Environment Day Celebrations, 2015, in association with A.C.TECH ANNA UNIVERSITY. Nearly 120 student and proffesional members has taken part from various Student chapters includes SRI VENKATESWARA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING ,ANNA UNIVERSITY,IITM,DHAANISH AHMED COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND SRM university.
The gathering was graced by the presence of the dignitaries:
1.D. Gokul – President, EWB Chennai Chapter,
2.Dr. Balasubramanian – Chairman, IIChE – CRC
3.K. Sadanand – Country Head, Industrial Water Technology Division, PT Solenis Technologies.
And the guest lecturers:
1.G. Sundarrajan, Poovulagin Nanbargal, Chennai,
2.Mrs. Mangalam, Founder, Exnora Green Pammal,
3.Dr. Murugavel, Founder, Eco Club, Chennai.
The dignitaries and the guest lecturers were all presented with a memento, a basket of fruits and, most importantly, a sapling; the day’s speeches were both invigorating and enlightening
Some of the highlighted points were :
1.If a World War III is to be fought, it will be over water.
2.Make responsible decisions about whether you want, or need, what you plan to buy.
3.The global, and all regional, ecosystems can survive with or without the human species. However, not one human can survive even a single large-scale disturbance of the environment.
4.Refuse. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
5.Human-animal conflicts are becoming commonplace as we wander into their territories in a vain attempt to satisfy our greed.
A few disturbing facts from the speakers of the day:
1.Coltan is a mineral mined to make mobile phones. Coltan is obtained from the habitat of the Mountain Gorilla. Long story short – Mountain Gorillas are being slaughtered to make mobile phones with Corning Gorilla Glass. Google it up.
2.Every time a highway is built or extended – huge areas of trees vanish. Apparently talks are on to bring a new law to remove all trees around highways to increase visibility. Press the brakes for death by accidents and push the accelerator for deaths by climate change – which include heat waves, droughts, tropical disease, rising sea levels etc.
3.We are the first generation in which the parents watch the children succumb to diseases aka cancer, diabetes, hypertension and the likes. The reason – our lifestyle with addictions to alcohol, Android, refrigerators, air-conditioners, junk food etc.
4.Virtual water is something which we don’t realise. It is defined as the total volume of water needed to produce and process a commodity or service. It is the amount of water required to procure the raw materials. And that is why; developed countries use the developing countries to acquire raw materials. They safeguard their water resources while draining the developing nation’s waterhold.
5.One hour of electricity used in an urban mall, is more than enough to power an entire village for a week.
ECO ACTION OF THE DAY
After a very informative and mid boggling session it was the time for eco action of the day ,PLANT SAPLING. The most symbolic gesture of the day was when the dignitaries got their own hands dirty to plant a jackfruit sapling in the campus of anna university student chapter. Nearly 250 saplings were planted and distributed on the day. On the very same day EWB CHNNAI professional member and student member team had taken a Oath of planting 5000 saplings by next Environment day JUNE 5TH 2016.
