Protecting our environment vital

The National Editorial

TODAY is World Environment Day and Papua New Guinea will join over 143 countries to mark this day which is the United Nation’s principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of our environment.
This year’s theme is “Air pollution”.
Air pollution is increasing every day and it seems difficult to control it but we can all do our part to reduce some of it.
And for this, it is necessary to understand different types of pollution, how it affects our health and environment will help us step towards improving the air around us.
We can’t stop breathing but we can do something to improve the quality of air that we breathe.
From air pollution approximately 7 million people in the world die due to air pollution and out of 7 million, 4 million occur in Asia-Pacific where PNG is located.
World Environment Day 2019 will be hosted by China and it will urge governments, industry, communities, and individuals to come together to explore renewable energy and green technologies, and improve air quality in cities and regions across the world.
Air pollution facts:

  • 92 per cent of people worldwide do not breathe clean air
  • air pollution costs the global economy US$5 trillion (K16.92mill) every year in welfare costs; and,
  • Ground-level ozone pollution is expected to reduce staple crop yields by 26 per cent by 2030.

For healthy living, environment plays an important role.
It provides air, food, etc.
The environment is just like our neighbourhood, its surrounding conditions influence us and modify growth and development.
The environment is the surrounding or conditions in which a person, animal or plant lives or operates.
It is necessary to understand the importance of environment and lots of activities are done by the people to preserve and conserve the unique and life nurturing nature.
People are more reluctant today to save the environment for the future and then only it will be possible for the people to focus on the developmental activities in the country.
And it is time we (Papua New Guineans) develop a culture of respect, responsibility and appreciation of the environment and value it.
And it takes with everyone working together to make the ban on plastic bag work which is expected to come into effect later this year.
We know that it is not possible to reuse plastic, they are non-biodegradable.
So, it’s better not to use it.
Plastics consist of several chemicals which are toxic or disrupt hormones.
Plastics can also serve as a magnet for other pollutants, including dioxins, metals and pesticides.
Right now the message that we are giving to our people is that we can cut trees and we don’t worry about it, we can pollute the rivers and we don’t have any conscious about it.
We have to develop this positive culture again, value system for people to be responsible and to take ownership and to respect themselves, respect the city and their environment.
That’s when it will happen.
Therefore, it is necessary to call the people from all over the world to come and combat single-use plastic pollution which harms our ecosystem and consequently us.
Human activities aggravate the problems.
Many of the Earth’s ecosystems are nearing critical tipping points of depletion or irreversible change, pushed by high population growth and economic development.
Pollution threatens sources of food and fresh water.
Natural resources are being depleted by destructive, unsustainable methods of exploitation.
Protecting the environment is crucial for sustained economic growth.