Special Features - World Environment Day

Climate change means that the reduction of sea ice is likely to have devastating consequences for flora and fauna that are specially adapted to the extremes of the harsh Arctic environment. (c) Getty Images

World Environment Day
(01/06/07)

This year's World Environment Day (WED), held on 5 June, is being hosted by Norway and is based on the theme Melting Ice: A Hot Topic?

Extensive UK celebrations

Most countries are celebrating in one way or another and in the UK the events will include:

Cardiff: City Centre Street Festival
London: cleaning up the Thames organised by the National Maritime Museum and Thames21; celebrating local groups' environmental work in various boroughs; a day of tree-planting in Barnet; and a Brighton to London eco-car rally
Huyton, Liverpool: the annual Green Fayre
Oxford: Climate Change Oxford: What You Can Do Now organised by the City Council which includes debates, panel discussions and high profile speakers
Paignton, Devon: workshops, nature trails, competitions and games
Redditch, West Midlands: the Redditch Green Fair
Shrewsbury, Shropshire: Green Gathering with music, arts and crafts, and demonstrations of renewable energy
Worcester: Worcester College of Technology will be encouraging students and staff to reduce their carbon emissions and save money at the same time.

Find out more about all these and other UK events as well as those organised in the rest of Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, by visiting the global section of the WED website.

British Antarctic Survey

The UK has a strong record of working to protect the polar ice caps, which are melting as a result of global warming. For the past 60 years the British Antacrctic Survey (BAS) has been responsible for most of the UK's scientific research in the Antarctic. It is playing a major role in International Polar Year 2007-2008 and, working with national and international partners, BAS is creating a unique snapshot of the state of our planet at the start of the 21st century.

Main WED celebrations in Tromsø

The main celebrations for WED will be held in Tromsø, Norway which has strong cultural, historical and scientific links to both the Arctic and Antarctic.

The city boasts the world’s most northerly university, as well as being linked with such fabled explorers as Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen, and home to the internationally-recognized Norwegian Polar Institute.

Effects of climate change

The Institute is acutely aware of the effects of climate change on both the polar regions. It points out that the earth's climate is changing.

"At the moment this is most noticeable in the Arctic, where the average temperature has risen at twice the rate as in the rest of the world during the past few decades."

Icebergs in the Antarctic: under threat from climate change?

Devastating consequences for flora and fauna

It argues that "the reduction of sea ice is likely to have devastating consequences for the flora and fauna that are specially adapted to the extremes of the harsh Arctic environment, such as polar bears and ice-dependent seals, as well as the people for whom these animals are a primary food source".

"In addition, the Arctic is the final dumping ground for contaminants, brought by winds and sea currents from the industrial centres of the world into the far north."

Stimulating worldwide awareness

Started in 1972 and held each year on 5 June, World Environment Day is the United Nation's main way of stimulating worldwide awareness of the environment.

Its main aim is to give a human face to environmental issues and all over the world colourful activities will take place such as street rallies, bicycle parades, green concerts, tree-planting and schools' essay and poster competitions, as well as recycling and clean-up campaigns.

Find out about previous World Environment Days on the WED website.

Related links
More about civil society on i-uk.