It is time again to think about the ways in which we can all help restore the planet to a sustainable and habitable environment, join us in Generation Restoration. The World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated every year on the 5th of June with its core mission being to encourage awareness and promote action in the protection of our natural environment.
This year’s theme is ecosystem restoration, with a strong focus on repairing and maintaining a healthy relationship between nature and ourselves.
This year’s event will also be joined with the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030. In this, the United Nations with the support of partners, people, and countries will aim to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and ocean. The 2030 goal date is also the deadline of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and will be a review for scientists to explore the current trajectory of climate degradation and whether permanent damage to the natural environment can be avoided.
Which ecosystems are being restored?
Forests and trees
Rivers and lakes
Towns and cities
Oceans and coasts
Farmlands and grasslands
Mountains
Peatlands
How can I join Generation Restoration?
Restoring our ecosystems and natural habitats means protecting biodiversity and biomes and ensuring that degradative actions are limited. There are three strong ways you can get involved:
Actions
Join an existing restoration or conservation effort to add more support to nature’s resurgence. A few organisations to explore:
VIC:
QLD:
NSW:
WA:
NT:
SA:
TAS:
Choices
Progress your daily choices to reduce your global ecological footprint and buy from sustainably conscious companies and support nature’s restoration initiatives. A few steps we can make to be more environmentally friendly:
Switch off lights and appliances when not in use.
Increase usage of public transport, cycling, and walking as a mode of travel.
Switch to an electric or hybrid vehicle.
Recycle and reuse.
Switch to solar energy usage and storage.
Raise your Voices
Make your voice heard in your local communities, share your ideas with members of society both offline and online, engage with others around you about how we can make the environment a more sustainable place. Raise your concerns to our decision-makers for them to do the right thing for the one planet we have.
Sustainable solar
Progress is being made towards SDG #7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and solar energy is playing a key role in helping reduce emissions and reliance on fossil fuels. Switching to solar through the use of solar panels and a home battery system is a way for us as homeowners to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce our power bills.
As more homes and businesses make the switch to solar, we will continue to see a drastic decrease in the number of toxic emissions released from fossil fuel usage. Ultimately, we will see a gradual restoration of our planet’s atmosphere and rejuvenation of our earth’s ecosystems.