• Yukie Hori, PhD
  Coordinator
  Awareness Raising, Communication and Education Unit
  United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) – www.unccd.int

Healthy soil sustains your life: LET’S GO LAND-DEGRADATION NEUTRAL

The World Day to Combat Desertification is observed every year on 17 June. This year, the Day’s slogan is Healthy soil sustains your life: LET’S GO LAND-DEGRADATION NEUTRAL, said the Executive Secretary, Luc Gnacadja, when he announced the news to the press on 17 February 2012.

The world’s most significant non-renewable resource is fertile soil, which is the peel of productive land. Nevertheless, each year 12 million ha of land, the area three times the size of Switzerland, are lost due to desertification. Land degradation directly affects 1.5 billion people globally.

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Soil is key for securing water, energy and building resilience to climate change. Therefore, the international community needs to take urgent action in order to avoid the increasing loss of land. To this end, this year’s World Day to Combat Desertification will highlight the efforts required to secure the long-term sustainable land management.

In September 2011, the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on "Addressing desertification, land degradation and drought in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication" brought together political leaders from across the world. Many of them stressed that the commitment to build a land degradation neutral world would be an important outcome for Rio+20. Therefore, the theme for the 2012 World Day to Combat Desertification is land-degradation neutrality.

Zero-net land degradation can be achieved when, over a given period of time, non-degraded land remains healthy, and already degraded-land is restored. Such approach can ensure food security, alleviate rural poverty and hunger and build resistance to major environmental challenges. Successful practices for attaining the zero-net land degradation in drylands could be then effectively adapted and adopted in non-drylands. This is further elaborated in the concept note and press release provided.

The World Day to Combat Desertification has been observed since 1995 (General Assembly Resolution A/RES/49/1995) to promote public awareness relating to international cooperation to combat desertification and the effects of drought, and the implementation of the UNCCD. You can celebrate the Day through organizing activities such as seminars, media events and campaigns. Every single activity involving community participation and cooperation is encouraged!

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Objectives: Target-setting and Visibility

The significance of land and soil to humanity remains obscure to many. The risk to livelihoods emanating from land degradation does not receive the deserved attention. Political leaders during the aforementioned UN General Assembly High-level Meeting stressed the need for a sustainable development goal on land with targets, which would lead to a land-degradation neutral world.

Nearly half of the  world’s food production systems are supported by drylands. Accounting for more than 40 percent of the world land mass, drylands are home to one third of the world population. Despite water scarcity, conflict-proneness and economic hardships, drylands are key to supporting the habitats, crops and livestock that sustain the entire global population.

Sustaining healthy soil and restoring degraded land in drylands can ensure food security, alleviate rural poverty and hunger and build resistance to major environmental challenges. Successful practices for attaining the zero-net land degradation in drylands could be then effectively adapted and adopted in non-drylands. In turn, setting the ZNLD target globally will contribute to building the resilience of dry and non-dry lands and enable the successful achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, climate change adaption and mitigation and biodiversity preservation.

The specific objectives of the 2012 World Day to Combat Desertification are to:

• Popularize the idea of becoming land-degradation neutral by setting the target of zero-net land degradation. “Becoming land-degradation neutral” entails preventing healthy soils from improper exploitation and restoring natural fertility of soils to a sufficient scale.
• Promote the observance event on 17 June 2012 in every country as well as at regional and global levels in order to raise public awareness about the benefits of the zero-net land degradation target for sustainable development and green economy.
• Promote actions and exchanges among stakeholders in the lead up to the 2012 WDCD and in the longer-term for the UN Decade for Deserts and the Fight against Desertification (2010-2020).

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Learn more on:

• What is biodiversity?
• What is ecosystem service?
• What are the main causes of biodiversity loss?
• Did you know how trees dominate to ecosystems?
• Soil: Treating It Like Dirt
• Did you know how soil is important?
• Did you know that soil is just another name for dirt?

• Mangrove Forests Tourism

• Eco-Bungalow: Chumbe Island Coral Park, Tanzania, Africa

• Responsible Tourism with Evason Phuket & Six Senses Spa

• Biodiversity Theme: Support your national parks!
• Biodiversity Theme: If you’re up for an unusual holiday, why not volunteer for nature conservation?
• Biodiversity Theme: Find out about the special flora and fauna in your area.
• Biodiversity Theme: Looking to add new plants to your garden?
• Biodiversity Theme: Be creative and design a wildlife area in your garden!

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• World Environment Day 2012: Green Economy – Does it include YOU?
• World Oceans Day 2012: Youth – The Next Wave for Change
• The International Day for Biological Diversity 2012: Marine Biodiversity
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• Earth Day 2012: Mobilize The Earth
• World Water Day 2012: Water and Food Security
• Earth Hour 2012: Dare The World To Save The Planet
• 2012: The International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
• The International Day for Biological Diversity 2011: Forest Biodiversity
• The Billion Tree Campaign – Growing Green
• World Environment Day 2011: Forests – Nature At Your Service
• Earth Hour 2011: Your Voice, Your Action, Your Planet
• Earth Hour: Take the lead…..We can make a difference
• World Ocean Day 2011: Youth – The Next Wave for Change

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• Alyssa Isakower
  World Oceans Day Coordinator
  The Ocean Project – www.theoceanproject.org

Record Number of Aquariums, Zoos, and Museums to Host Celebrations for World Oceans Day on June 8th

On June 8th communities around the globe will celebrate World Oceans Day as an opportunity to learn more about our ocean and take action to help conserve it. This year the celebration is bigger than ever with hundreds of family-friendly events at aquariums, zoos, museums, exciting online events, and strong prospects for a new youth movement to protect the ocean!

"A record number of aquariums, zoos, and museums are providing ways on World Oceans Day for their visitors to get inspired and take personal action to help our world’s ocean," said Bill Mott, director of The Ocean Project. World Oceans Day provides an opportunity for people across the country and around the world to celebrate our ocean connections, do more for ocean conservation, and learn more about our ocean!"

World Oceans Day coordinator, Alyssa Isakower, commented, “The worldwide response has been more enthusiastic than ever. June 8th provides a chance for the world to rally for a generation of ocean advocates who go beyond raising awareness and take real action for ocean protection.”

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Under the theme, “Youth: the Next Wave for Change,” many events will focus on inspiring the younger generations.  Public opinion research by The Ocean Project supports this emphasis, finding that youth and young adults:

• Express more interest and concern about the health of the ocean, and the problems of pollution, overfishing and climate change
• Look to aquariums, zoos, and science centers for ways they can be part of the solution
• Have a higher belief in their own ability to make a difference
• Are recognized by their parents as better informed on ocean and environmental issues

"While our ocean faces some very serious threats, ongoing market research from The Ocean Project and others shows clear opportunities for activating people for conservation," added Mott. "People do want to help so if informed about the problems and the solutions — ideally from aquariums, museums, zoos and other trusted informal science education centers — people are demonstrating a readiness to act to protect our world ocean.”

New and exciting happenings:

• Hundreds of events planned: Already over 250 events are listed from dozens of countries, with several hundred more expected.
• Dr. Seuss teams up with World Oceans Day: More than 100 institutions are planning Dr. Seuss-themed events!
• Youth video contest: One World One Ocean is holding a youth video contest. They’ve also produced several stunning World Oceans Day Videos.
• Live from the Galápagos! On June 8 at 3:30PM EST, the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation will connect direct from their research ship in the Galápagos with "Her Deepness", Dr. Sylvia Earle, in the Smithsonian Institute.

People taking action around the blue planet:

• Youth in action in Arcata, CA: Friends of the Dunes celebrates their 8^th straight WOD! 1,000 students will conduct a beach cleanup and invasive plant removal and then will create an aerial art design, with a plane capturing the image.
• Making a difference in the Marshall Islands: Youth groups, government, and non-government agencies will participate in beach and underwater dive cleanups, and more hands-on activities.

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About World Oceans Day

The concept for a “World Ocean Day” was first proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. As a result of a United Nations General Assembly resolution passed in December 2008, World Oceans Day is now officially recognized by the UN as June 8th each year.

Since 2002, The Ocean Project and the World Ocean Network have helped to promote and coordinate World Oceans Day events worldwide with aquariums, zoos, museums, conservation organizations, universities, schools, and businesses. Each year an increasing number of countries and organizations have been marking June 8th as an opportunity to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea.

Together, they also developed and widely circulated a petition to the United Nations urging them to officially recognize World Oceans Day. With help from their Partner organizations, tens of thousands of people from all parts of the world signed online or paper copies of the petition.

Designation of World Oceans Day provides an important boost to those organizations and individuals who have been deeply committed to ocean conservation. Official UN designation is another important step toward improving the health of our world’s ocean.

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Learn more on:

• What is biodiversity?
• What is ecosystem service?
• What is Marine Biosphere?
• What is Marine and Coastal Biodiversity?
• Why Marine and Coastal Biodiversity is Important?
• What is the Problem of Coastal Biodiversity?
• What are the main causes of biodiversity loss?
• Discover 5 different ways the ocean affects your everyday life

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• World Environment Day 2012: Green Economy – Does it include YOU?
• The International Day for Biological Diversity 2012: Marine Biodiversity
• Earth Day 2012: Mobilize The Earth
• World Water Day 2012: Water and Food Security
• Earth Hour 2012: Dare The World To Save The Planet
• 2012: The International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
• The International Day for Biological Diversity 2011: Forest Biodiversity
• The Billion Tree Campaign – Growing Green
• World Environment Day 2011: Forests – Nature At Your Service
• Earth Hour 2011: Your Voice, Your Action, Your Planet
• Earth Hour: Take the lead…..We can make a difference
• World Ocean Day 2011: Youth – The Next Wave for Change

• Mangrove Forests Tourism

• Eco-Bungalow: Chumbe Island Coral Park, Tanzania, Africa

• Responsible Tourism with Evason Phuket & Six Senses Spa

• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 1
• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 2
• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 3
• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 4
• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 5
• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 6

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• Lucita Jasmin
  Division of Communications and Public Information
  United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – www.unep.org

The 2012 theme for World Environment Day is Green Economy: Does it include you? Evidently, there are two parts to this theme and the first tackles the subject of the Green Economy. This is where some people shut off their minds because they find the concept of the Green Economy a little too complex to understand.

The UN Environment Programme defines the Green Economy as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. In its simplest expression, a green economy can be thought of as one which is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive.

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What is the Green Economy?

A green economy is described as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. In other words, we can think of a green economy as an economic environment that achieves low carbon emissions, resource efficiency and at the same time is socially inclusive.

The Green Economy Initiative: The UNEP-led Green Economy Initiative, launched in late 2008, provides a comprehensive and practical working mechanism, through analysis and policy support for investing in green sectors and in greening environmental unfriendly sectors.

The Green Economy Initiative has three main activities, which are to produce a Green Economy Report and related research materials, which will analyze the macroeconomic, sustainability, and poverty reduction implications of green investment in a range of sectors; to provide advisory services on ways to move towards a green economy in specific countries; and to engage a wide range of research, non-governmental organizations, business and UN partners in implementing the Green Economy Initiative.

Green jobs: So why the fuss? Regardless of the environmental benefits and options for sustainability, investment into a Green Economy is captured in several reports as an agent for creating millions of new jobs, such UNEP’s Green Jobs report. One of the main engines for economic growth is a higher rate of employment, which both reduces a burden on the economy and gives consumers the purchasing power to sustain lives through supporting industries.

By 2008, over 2.3 million people in just six leading countries in green jobs were employed in this low-carbon sector (China, Denmark, Germany, India Spain, and the United States). The Green Economy is therefore not just a passing environmental fad but is one of the best solutions available for sustainable economic growth that recognizes the social component.

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10 Sectors for a Greener Planet

Buildings: Construction has consequences – let’s construct a better world!

Fisheries: Seafood is delicious and healthy – but depleting our fish stocks isn’t!

Forestry: Forests support livelihoods, societies and cultures, our climate, and a plethora of wildlife and ecosystems.

Transport: Congestion, pollution, traffic accidents . . . there’s a better way!

Water: Use water wisely!

Agriculture: Use your consumer power to support local, organic and sustainable agriculture!

Energy Supply: Our lifestyles demand energy, but is the demand too great on our resources?

Tourism: Tread lightly on your travel destinations.

Waste: If everything you buy becomes waste, where will we put it all?

Manufacturing and Industry: It’s no big secret that industry and manufacturing have been rough on the environment – but things can change, and you can help!

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• © UNEP/CMS – www.worldmigratorybirdday.org
• © Jussi Mononen
• © Jerome Spaggiari
• © Andy Hay
• © Mike Baird 

Special Thanks:

• Natalie Epler
  Associate Information Management Officer
  UNEP/CMS – www.cms.int

Migratory Birds and People – Together through Time

World Migratory Bird Day 2012 (12-13 May 2012) celebrates the continuing relationship between migratory birds and people. The relationship between birds and people has always been a special one, and the closer one looks at these valuable associations, the greater these connections seem to become. Throughout time and across cultures humans have relied on birds, be it to supply food, to deliver messages, or to serve as symbols of power and prestige.

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Migratory birds – and the incredible annual journeys they take – have always been a particular inspiration to people around the world. Migratory birds completely ignore national borders along their migration paths, and cross entire countries and even continents. The phenomenon of migration has fascinated people for centuries, and continues to do so today.

Birds have been a great source of inspiration for people all over the world and throughout time. Artists of all kinds have used birds in their paintings, stories, for their music and even in fashion. Different aspects of birds – their colourful feathers, brilliant songs and their ability to fly across the globe – are all represented in art.

Numerous products and brands use birds in their styles and logos, and there are coins, stamps and bank notes that depict birds. Many national flags are decorated with birds showing the powerful symbolism used to show national pride and strength.

Furthermore, birds and their eggs have been an indispensable part of the human diet, as an important source of rich protein and nutrients. Migratory birds are also a source food. However, in many parts of the world unsustainable hunting now endangers many populations.

The connections between migratory birds and people make them interdependent. To be able to benefit from our important relationships with migratory birds we must be more conscious about how our actions might affect our feathered friends. Migratory birds have served humans in countless ways over the past centuries, and it is important to ensure they can continue to do so.

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Human Activities Gravely Threaten Migratory Birds

Many human activities including excessive land use and unsustainable hunting, as well as the impacts of climate change, fisheries by-catch and pollution now gravely threaten migratory bird populations around the world.

Migratory birds are especially vulnerable because they rely on a number of habitats: not only their migration destinations but also the sites they stop at during their journeys. Human beings are the greatest threat to migratory birds; man-made objects and structures such as buildings, power lines and wind turbines, are often barriers to bird migration and make their journeys much more dangerous.

We should consider the consequences of our actions have on migratory birds. Thinking about the importance of migratory birds for us culturally, economically and environmentally can help us remember that not only are there many threats facing migrating birds, but also that we have many important reasons to protect them. Protecting migrating birds and taking care so we can expect to see them return from their migrations each year will ensure that future generations can benefit and enjoy the important connections between migratory birds and people – together through time.

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Migratory Birds are Important Culturally, Economically and Environmentally

Considering the cultural, social, historic, economic and spiritual connections we have with birds, it becomes clear that migratory birds and people are inseparably connected in many different ways and on many different levels. Migratory birds can be found almost everywhere on the planet, so virtually wherever you go, birds will be there too. Some people may have more affection and a deeper bond with birds than others, but when one starts to really think about the cultural, social, historic, economic and spiritual connections we have with birds, it becomes clear that birds and people are linked in many different ways and on many different levels.

• Migratory Birds in Culture
• Migratory Birds in the Economy
• Migratory Birds in Science

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World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) was initiated in 2006 and is a global awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the protection of migratory birds and their habitats. On the second weekend each May, people around the world take action and organise public events such as bird festivals, education programmes and birdwatching excursions to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day and to help raise awareness around a specific theme.

World Migratory Bird Day is organized by Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and the African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbird Agreement (AEWA) – two intergovernmental wildlife treaties administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). BirdLife International, Wetlands International and the Secretariat of the Partnership for the East Asian – Australasian Flyway (EAAFP) are also main partners of the global campaign.

CMS and AEWA bring together governments and other stakeholders to address threats to migratory birds and the world’s other migratory animals. A key aspect is raising awareness among local communities and involving them in safeguarding endangered species. They provide tour guides, accommodation, transportation and necessary infrastructure. In addition, local people might engage in long-term monitoring which is crucial for designing an efficient conservation strategy.

• Global World Migratory Bird Day Event Map
• World Migratory Bird Day Around the World
• World Migratory Bird Day Community

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• What is Terrestrial Biosphere?
• What are the main causes of biodiversity loss?
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• Mateusz Bański
  Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
  United Nations Environment Programme – www.cbd.int
• Joanna Solins
  Communications Associate of Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) – www.coral.org

The United Nations proclaimed 22 May as the International Day for Biological Diversity to promote a greater understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.

Marine Biodiversity is the theme for this year’s International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB). Designation of IDB 2012 on the theme of marine ecosystems provides Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and everyone interested in marine life, the opportunity to raise awareness of the issue and increase practical action.

Another simple way to join the campaign is by inviting your family and friends to become friends of the United Nations Decade on Biodiversity 2011-2020 on FACEBOOK. It will be one more way to reach as many people as possible.

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The ocean covers 71 percent of the surface area of the globe and constitutes over 90 percent of the habitable space on the planet. It contains the largest animals ever to have lived on Earth and billions upon billions of the tiniest: there are more living things in the sea than there are stars in the universe.

From sandy shores to the darkest depths of the sea, the ocean and coasts support a rich tapestry of life: shorebirds that stalk across mudflats in search of shellfish prey; alligators that ease their way through mangrove swamps; kelp forests that sway beneath the waves; polar bears that stalk seals across the sea ice of the Arctic; penguins that seek to evade seals in the Southern Ocean of Antarctica; and tiny photosynthesizing plants called phytoplankton that provide 50 percent of all the oxygen on Earth. Even on the deep seabed, there is a unique ecosystem that few humans have ever seen—supported by vents through which super-heated water and gases erupt.

People have lived near and fished from the ocean for thousands of years. Today, about 40 percent of the world’s population lives within 100 kilometres of the coast; fisheries provide over 15 percent of the dietary intake of animal protein; toxins in some species may yield anti-cancer drugs and other pharmaceuticals potentially worth more than US$ 5 trillion; and coastal ecosystems provide services, including tourism and protection from storms, that have been valued at nearly US$ 26 billion annually.

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Despite this long-standing connection to, and benefits derived from, marine and coastal biodiversity, it has not always fared well at human hands. Some species, from the great auk to the sea mink, are extinct; others, notably the great whales, have been hunted to fractions of their original populations. Commercial overexploitation of the world’s fish stocks is so severe that almost a third of all fish stocks are being overexploited, and some 13 percent have collapsed completely. Between 30 and 35 percent of the global extent of critical marine environments such as sea grasses, mangroves and coral reefs are estimated to have been destroyed. Underwater noise is limiting the potential of whales and other marine animals to communicate with each other, plastic debris continues to kill wildlife that ingests and becomes entangled in it, and pollution from land is creating areas of coastal waters that are almost devoid of oxygen.

Added to all of this, increased burning of fossil fuels is affecting the climate, making the sea surface warmer, causing sea level to rise, and also increasing seawater acidity, with consequences we are only beginning to comprehend.

But there is hope. Around the world, species and populations are recovering with effort and intervention from communities and governments; large areas are being established as protected areas; and the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have adopted a series of specific targets that require stakeholders at all levels to work together to protect the biodiversity that lives in the ocean, for its own sake and for the benefits it brings to people worldwide.

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How Much Life in the Sea?

From 2000 to 2010, an unprecedented worldwide collaboration by scientists around the world set out to try and determine how much life is in the sea.

Dubbed the ‘Census of Marine Life’, the effort involved 2,700 scientists from over 80 nations, who participated in 540 expeditions around the world. They studied surface seawater and probed the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean, sailed tropical seas and explored ice-strewn oceans in the Arctic and Antarctic.

By the time the Census ended, it had added 1,200 species to the known roster of life in the sea; scientists are still working their way through another 5,000 specimens to determine whether they are also newly-discovered species. The estimate of the number of known marine species – the species that have been identified and the ones that have been documented but await classification – has increased as a direct result of the Census efforts, and is now around 250,000. (This total does not include some microbial life forms such as marine viruses.) In its final report, the Census team suggested it could be at least a million. Some think the figure could be twice as high.

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The Human Impact: A Multitude of Factors

Some habitats face specific threats that affect them more than others. In large parts of Southeast Asia, mangrove forests have been cleared and converted to shrimp aquaculture pens. Salt marshes are being drained by the diversion of rivers with dams. Coral reefs may be damaged by the use of poison or dynamite to catch fish. There are, however, also numerous threats that impact on a wide number of habitats, as well as on marine life more generally. Some of the more significant problems include:

• Introduced Species
• Nutrient Pollution
• Toxic Pollution
• Plastics and Marine Debris
• Noise

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Toward a Twenty-First Century Ocean

All the above might lead to the conclusion that the ocean’s future is not only depressing, but irreversible. The challenges seem so vast, and the scale of human impacts so great, that one could be forgiven for assuming that they are insurmountable. But although the challenges are indeed considerable, change is possible and achievable.

Remarkably, a review in 2011 found that, despite all the damage inflicted upon marine wildlife and habitats over the past decades and centuries, 10 to 50 percent of those populations and ecosystems have shown some recovery, the figure varying depending on the species concerned and the definition of recovery. The rate of that recovery may be slow, and it may lag continued declines, but it is possible.

The mission of the Strategic Plan is to “take effective and urgent action to halt the loss of biodiversity in order to ensure that by 2020 ecosystems are resilient and continue to provide essential services, thereby securing the planet’s variety of life, and contributing to human well-being, and poverty eradication. To ensure this, pressures on biodiversity are reduced, ecosystems are restored, biological resources are sustainably used and benefits arising out of utilization of genetic resources are shared in a fair and equitable manner; adequate financial resources are provided, capacities are enhanced, biodiversity issues and values mainstreamed, appropriate policies are effectively implemented, and decision-making is based on sound science and the precautionary approach.”

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There is no question, particularly given the scale of the threats posed to marine and coastal biodiversity, that such goals are ambitious. But they are necessary, for time is short. Even as we are continuing to learn much about the environments and wildlife that inhabit our seas and coasts, the threats they face are clear, and the solutions are available. All that is required is the will, the will to recognize that marine and coastal biodiversity is worth more alive than dead, the will to recognize that its protection benefits not only the biodiversity itself but the countless millions who rely on it for their cultural, dietary, pharmaceutical or financial needs, and the will to recognize that the longer the delay, the more difficult solutions become to implement. It requires a will on the part of governments to take top-down action when necessary and to work with communities to provide support for grass-roots activities as appropriate. It requires a will by those same governments to stop distributing largesse in the form of subsidies, which distort the market and remove any incentives not to overfish or not to destroy coastal environments.

And it requires will on the part of consumers to educate themselves on the energy they use, the food (and particularly the seafood) they eat, the products they buy, the waste they create, and the chemicals they use in their houses and on their lawns.

The time to act is now, if we are to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for the environments that cover three quarters of the surface of our globe — the environments that make ours a beautiful, blue planet.

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Learn more on:

• What is biodiversity?
• What is ecosystem service?
• What is Marine Biosphere?
• What is Marine and Coastal Biodiversity?
• Why Marine and Coastal Biodiversity is Important?
• What is the Problem of Coastal Biodiversity?
• What are the main causes of biodiversity loss?
• Discover 5 different ways the ocean affects your everyday life

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• Earth Day 2012: Mobilize The Earth
• World Water Day 2012: Water and Food Security
• Earth Hour 2012: Dare The World To Save The Planet
• 2012: The International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
• The International Day for Biological Diversity 2011: Forest Biodiversity
• The Billion Tree Campaign – Growing Green
• World Environment Day 2011: Forests – Nature At Your Service
• Earth Hour 2011: Your Voice, Your Action, Your Planet
• Earth Hour: Take the lead…..We can make a difference
• World Ocean Day 2011: Youth – The Next Wave for Change

• Mangrove Forests Tourism

• Eco-Bungalow: Chumbe Island Coral Park, Tanzania, Africa

• Responsible Tourism with Evason Phuket & Six Senses Spa

• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 1
• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 2
• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 3
• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 4
• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 5
• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 6

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• Bryan Buchanan
  Communications Director
  Earth Day Network – www.earthday.org

On April 22, more than one billion people around the globe will participate in Earth Day 2012 and help Mobilize the Earth™. People of all nationalities and backgrounds will voice their appreciation for the planet and demand its protection. Together they will stand united for a sustainable future and call upon individuals, organizations, and governments to do their part.

As the 42 Anniversary of Earth Day approaches, people are becoming frustrated with the failure of governments to take any steps toward protecting and preserving the environment. The Earth Day 2012 campaign is designed to provide people with the opportunity to unite their voices in a call for a sustainable future and direct them toward quantifiable outcomes, using vehicles such as petitions, the Billion Acts of Green® campaign, and events.

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Discover how you can make every day Earth Day!

Earth Day 2012 will act as a launch pad for growing the environmental movement and will put forth a bold declaration demanding immediate action to secure Renewable Energy for All and a sustainable future for our planet. The movement will be comprised of individuals of every age from all corners of the Earth, and will call upon local, national, and international leaders to put an end to fossil fuel subsidies, embrace renewable energy technology, improve energy efficiency, and make energy universally accessible.

Earth Day Network is committed to promoting sustainability and environmental conservation 365 days of the year, not just on Earth Day. There are many ways you can get involved and make a difference!

• Get involved with Earth Day 2012.
• Pledge an Act of Green toward the goal of A Billion Acts of Green®.
• Take the Ecological Footprint Quiz to find your impact on the planet.
• Promote Healthy and Green Schools with their Green Schools Leadership Center.
• Donate to Earth Day and help power the movement.
• Join their tree planting Canopy Project.
• Do you part with the impactful Campaigns and Programs.
• Get started on the Earth Day Network Homepage.

You may also send information or share photos, videos and content on:

• FLICKR – www.flickr.com/groups/earthdaynetwork
• FACEBOOK – www.facebook.com/earthdaynetwork
• TWITTER - http://twitter.com/earthdaynetwork
• YOUTUBE – www.youtube.com/earthdaynetwork

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Earth Day 2012 – A Billion Acts of Green
The Movement Continues

A Billion Acts of Green® is already the world’s largest environmental service campaign. With over 800 million environmental actions registered on the Earth Day Network website the global support behind the movement has been tremendous. But the work is not finished yet. In preparation of Earth Day 2012, Earth Day Network is working hard to make the final push to reach one billion environmental commitments before the United Nations Rio+20 Conference in June 2012.

The A Billion Acts of Green® website quantifies acts of green through an easy-to-use online registration tool. Communities and organizers can register Earth Day events such as community environmental meetings, tree plantings, large-scale light bulb changes and workplace renewable energy retrofits.* And individuals can register the actions they’re taking to protect the environment – from riding a bike instead of driving and washing laundry in cold water to planting a garden and volunteering with a community clean-up.

The best time to organize a commitment for A Billion Acts of Green® is during Earth Day 2012!  This year’s Earth Day theme is Mobilize the Earth. This theme is designed to provide people with the opportunity to unite their voices in a call for a sustainable future and direct them toward quantifiable outcomes. When organizing your Earth Day event make sure to register all of the Acts of Green on the website.

For tips and hints on how to organize a successful event in your area, please check out How to Organize an Earth Day Event.

You may also like:

• World Water Day 2012: Water and Food Security
• Earth Hour 2012: Dare The World To Save The Planet
• 2012: The International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
• The International Day for Biological Diversity 2011: Forest Biodiversity
• The Billion Tree Campaign – Growing Green
• World Environment Day 2011: Forests – Nature At Your Service
• Earth Hour 2011: Your Voice, Your Action, Your Planet
• Earth Hour: Take the lead…..We can make a difference
• Mangrove Forests Tourism
• Eco Watching: Butterfly Watching in Thailand at Khao Kho, Petchabun
• Eco Tourism with Unseen Freshwater Jellyfish in Thailand
• Responsible Tourism with Evason Phuket & Six Senses Spa
• What is biodiversity?
• What is ecosystem service?
• What are the main causes of biodiversity loss?
• Did you know how trees dominate to ecosystems?

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• The UN-Water World Water Day Team
  UN Water – www.unwater.org

World Water Day 2012: The World Is Thirsty Because We Are Hungry

World Water Day 2012 is coordinated by The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. It is a global campaign to promote worldwide efforts to raise awareness and take action to respond to the challenge of maintaining and improving access and safety in regards to water and food. UN-Water is dedicating World Water Day in 2012 to the theme of ‘Water and Food Security’.

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There are 7 billion people to feed on the planet today and another 2 billion are expected to join by 2050. Statistics say that each of us drinks from 2 to 4 litres of water every day, however most of the water we ‘drink’ is embedded in the food we eat: producing 1 kilo of beef for example consumes 15,000 litres of water while 1 kilo of wheat ’drinks up’ 1,500 litres.

When a billion people in the world already live in chronic hunger and water resources are under pressure we cannot pretend the problem is ‘elsewhere’. Coping with population growth and ensuring access to nutritious food to everyone call for a series of actions we can all help with:

• follow a healthier, sustainable diet;
• consume less water-intensive products;
• reduce the scandalous food wastage: 30% of the food produced worldwide is never eaten and the water used to produce it is definitively lost!
• produce more food, of better quality, with less water.

At all steps of the supply chain, from producers to consumers, actions can be taken to save water and ensure food for all.

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The objective of WWD 2012 is to raise awareness on the relationship between water and food production and promote more sustainable food production and consumption patterns. It seeks both to alert the world of the adverse global situation in water and food security, and to encourage decision-makers to seize opportunities to address global challenges. Through showcasing success, it seeks to encourage decision-makers to initiate and sustain reforms and forward looking approaches.

On March 22nd 2012, and in the period leading up to and after this day, a concerted effort will be made to:

• Raise the profile of the water and food security challenge and generate commitment to tackle the issue
• Facilitate policy dialogue and implementation partnerships
• Promote innovative solutions

The campaign will also benefit by people sharing success stories and case studies of water and food security solutions, interesting opportunities and lessons learned from past experiences. People can learn from others around the world, and can hopefully make faster progress with their own water and food security policies and programs. By doing this, WWD 2012 can make a long term difference beyond the 22nd of March 2012.

You may also send information or share photos, videos and content on:

• FLICKR – www.flickr.com/groups/worldwaterday2012
• FACEBOOK – www.facebook.com/UNWorldWaterDay
• TWITTER - http://twitter.com/UNW_WWD
• YOUTUBE –  www.youtube.com/UNWaterWorldWaterDay

You may also like:

• Earth Hour 2012: Dare The World To Save The Planet
• 2012: The International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
• The International Day for Biological Diversity 2011: Forest Biodiversity
• The Billion Tree Campaign – Growing Green
• World Environment Day 2011: Forests – Nature At Your Service
• Earth Hour 2011: Your Voice, Your Action, Your Planet
• Earth Hour: Take the lead…..We can make a difference

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• Zoë Tostevin
  Earth Hour Global – www.earthhour.org

As the largest environmental event in history, Earth Hour launched its 2012 campaign “I Will If You Will” to showcase how everyone has the power to change the world they live in.

For the first time, Earth Hour, being held on 31 March, is taking a giant leap from its annual lights out event to offer a further opportunity for its communities to be part of the world’s environmental solution.

Earth Hour began as a one city initiative in 2007, and has since grown to be a 5, 251 city strong global movement, reaching 1.8 billion people in 135 countries across all seven continents.

Earth Hour 2012 will take place at 8.30pm – 9.30pm on Saturday 31 March

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The “I Will If You Will” digital platform created by global ad agency Leo Burnett, is the result of a collaboration with YouTube, therefore bringing together the world’s biggest social video platform with the ‘world’s largest action for the environment’.

The “I Will If You Will” campaign uses the YouTube video platform to empower people to share a personal dare with the world by asking, “What are you willing to do to save the planet?”

Earth Hour Co-Founder and Executive Director, Andy Ridley says “I Will If You Will” is the obvious next stage in the environmental campaign’s evolution.

“I Will If You Will gives every individual the opportunity to inspire their friends, colleagues and neighbors to take sustainability actions not just on the hour but beyond the hour,” said Ridley.

The concept of “I Will If You Will” centers around providing a social contract for two parties – connecting one person, business or organization to a promise and their friends, family, customers or members to a challenge – uniting them behind the common goal of creating a positive environmental outcome.

The Earth Hour YouTube platform hosts a global library of “I Will If You Will” challenges, and encourages people to share their “dare” publically through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and email. Friends can be invited to participate and accept each challenge using these popular social networks.

The simple promise can range from recycling, to switching to energy efficient light bulbs, turning off your mobile charger, or signing up for paperless banking.

Earth Hour Global has already received I Will If You Will challenges from a number of corporate companies and community groups, including, CBRE and children’s character Pocoyo.

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Why Get Involved?
Put Simply, Because Our Future Depends On It!

Earth Hour has done a lot to raise awareness of sustainability issues. But there’s more to it than switching off lights for one hour once a year. It’s all about giving people a voice and working together to create a better future for our planet.

Earth Hour is a unique opportunity for you to become more sustainable and do something positive for the environment. It’s been the source of inspiration for millions of people taking steps towards a cleaner, safer future. It’s not just about saving energy for one hour, it’s about going Beyond the Hour with lasting, behavior-changing actions for a sustainable planet.

• Join the community
• How to Guides
• Tools and Downloads
• Spread the word
• How organisations can help
• Become an Earth Hour Organisor
• I Will If You Will

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About Earth Hour and WWF

Earth Hour is a global environmental initiative in partnership with WWF and Leo Burnett. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 31, 2012 at 8:30 PM to show their support for environmentally sustainable action. In 2012, Earth Hour’s I Will If You Will concept invites individuals and organisations to challenge others to an ongoing environmental commitment beyond the hour. Earth Hour began in one city in 2007 and by 2011 reached over 1.8 billion people in 135 countries across every continent, receiving reports as ‘the World’s largest campaign for the planet’.

WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Related Earth Hour’s stories:

• Earth Hour Thailand 2012: I Will If You Will

• Earth Hour 2011: Your Voice, Your Action, Your Planet

• Earth Hour: Take the lead…..We can make a difference

You may also like:

• 2012: The International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
• The International Day for Biological Diversity 2011: Forest Biodiversity
• The Billion Tree Campaign – Growing Green
• World Environment Day 2011: Forests – Nature At Your Service

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• © Foundation Rural Energy Services – www.fres.nl
• © The Energy Resource Institute – www.teriin.org

Special Thanks:

• Yasemin Erboy
  Intern, Energy & Climate Team
  United Nations Foundation – www.sustainableenergyforall.org

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2012 the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All, recognizing that “…access to modern affordable energy services in developing countries is essential for the achievement of the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals, and sustainable development, which would help to reduce poverty and to improve the conditions and standard of living for the majority of the world’s population.”

The General Assembly’s Resolution 65/151 called on the Secretary-General, in consultation with the inter-agency group UN-Energy to organize and coordinate activities to be undertaken during the Year in order to “increase awareness of the importance of addressing energy issues, including modern energy services for all, access to affordable energy, energy efficiency and the sustainability of energy sources and use” at local, national, regional and international levels.

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In response, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, with support from UN-Energy and the United Nations Foundation, is leading a new global initiative – Sustainable Energy for All. This initiative will engage governments, the private sector, and civil society partners globally with the goal of achieving sustainable energy for all, and to reach three major objectives by 2030:

• ensuring universal access to modern energy services
• doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency
• doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix

Over the course of 2012, the designation of the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All will provide a vital platform for raising awareness of the challenge and for securing national commitments toward achieving the three objectives.

Sustainable Energy for All will revitalize the global economy, improve social equity and protect the eco-systems which support all life. Children will be able to study after dark, hospitals and health clinics will function properly and nations will be more energy secure.

The Sustainable Energy for All Initiative will bring global attention to these commitments at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in June 2012, and through a global media campaign to raise awareness of the issue and the organizations involved in meeting the challenge.

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Why focus on Sustainable Energy for All?

Access to clean and affordable modern energy is critical to fostering lasting social and economic development and to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Worldwide, some 2.7 billion people rely on traditional biomass for cooking and heating, and 1.4 billion have no access to electricity, with one billion more having access only to unreliable electricity networks.

The lack of modern energy services stifles income-generating activities and hampers the provision of basic services, such as health care and education. In addition, smoke from polluting and inefficient cooking, lighting, and heating devices kills nearly two million women and young children prematurely every year and causes a range of chronic illnesses and other health impacts. Black carbon emissions from these devices worsen global climate change, and foraging for fuel can contribute to deforestation.

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What specific areas will the Year and the campaign focus on?

To promote the deployment of clean, modern energy services, the campaign and the Year will focus on four principal areas:

Electrification – New practitioner partnership to reach scale in renewable and low-carbon technologies for the energy poor, including grid extension, mini-grid, and off-grid.

Cookstoves – Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves seeking to foster a thriving global cookstove industry, with a goal of 100 million households gaining access to clean and safe household cooking solutions by 2020.

Bioenergy – Environmentally sustainable biomass solutions to provide energy from the land and support economic development.

Efficiency – Efficiency improvements in energy generation, transmission, and end-use technologies to reduce costs and expand the availability of modern energy services.

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You may also like:

• The International Day for Biological Diversity 2011: Forest Biodiversity
• The Billion Tree Campaign – Growing Green
• World Environment Day 2011: Forests – Nature At Your Service
• Earth Hour 2011: Your Voice, Your Action, Your Planet
• The Oil Silo Home by PinkCloud
• CowPots: Biodegradable Plant Pots
• New Eco-Carrier Rides Waves of Sustainability
• Organic Valley: The Commitment to Sustainable Agriculture
• Chevrolet Harnesses Sun to Power Volts and Dealerships
• EcoCradle Mushroom Packaging
• Repurpose: The Compostable Product
• The POLLI BOAT: The World’s First Trimaran Inspired by the 3 R Practices – Recycle, Reduce, and Reuse
• How Shell is ready to help tackle the new energy future?
• Pun Pun: Sustainable Living and Learning Center
• Chevron: Caring for the Environment
• BP: The Alternative Energy Business
• Soliloquy Luxury Super Green Superyacht
• Solar Power ‘Sets Sail’ in Shanghai
• The first wastewater treatment system with biogas production in Thailand’s poultry processing plant
• Did you know how wind turbines reduce global warming?
• Thai Sugar Mill: From Sugar Business to Renewable Energy Business
• The First Polymer Energy Project of Thailand and Southeast Asia
• Thailand’s Largest Wind Turbine Unveiled

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• Somphob Boonliam – somphobb.multiply.com
• Joanna Solins
  Communications Associate of Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL) – www.coral.org

The Ocean Project is launching a two-year theme for WOD 2011 and WOD 2012. The aim is to challenge participants to view ocean protection as a way of life, with a special emphasis around World Oceans Day each year.

This focus on youth is based on market research by The Ocean Project and others which clearly shows that youth are the most promising members of the public to reach out to if you want to effect lasting change.

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Celebration Ideas

This June 8th, challenge yourself to make a 2011 – 2012 commitment to protect the ocean. The theme is about making lasting change and it’s up to people like you to rise up and be the voice for the ocean all year long. This two year-long commitment can be anything you imagine. Read on for some ideas!

• Personal Lifestyle Change
• Educational

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Personal Lifestyle Change

Every global citizen has responsibilities and opportunities for improving the health of our shared ocean. This year, make positive changes in your own life that will also benefit the ocean.

• Commit to making a real difference
  Aim to be carbon neutral by reducing and offsetting your energy consumption.

• Conserve in your home
  Upgrade to Energy Star appliances and compact fluorescent light bulbs.

• Consume consciously
  Rethink what you need, purchase “green” products, buy locally grown foods, and choose sustainable seafood.
• Communicate your interests and concerns
  Let your friends, family, colleagues, and the local media know about the impact of climate change on the ocean.
• Challenge yourself daily
  Walk, bike, carpool, and take public transportation to cut down your carbon emissions.
• Connect in your community
  Get active as a volunteer with a local watershed or ocean group.

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Educational

The support of young people is critical for the future of a healthy ocean. The World Oceans Day has a special focus on what lasting change youth can make and how adults can help them do this.

• Participate in National Environmental Education Week 2011: Ocean Connections
  EE Week was held April 10-16, 2011 to explore our vital connection to the ocean with teachers and students nationwide. Even though it’s over, the website still has great resources for you to use in an educational event!

• Educational Walk and Picnic
  Sponsor a local naturalist to lead a nature walk or a cruise along a nearby river, lake, or coastal area. The tour can include identifications and discussions of the aquatic wildlife and features seen and unseen along the way. Give participants lots of time for hands-on exploration and include information about our ocean connection and how we can protect our blue backyard.

• Public Lecture
  Sponsor a public lecture about the ocean by a prominent environmental leader, manager or scientist. Focus the lecture topic around this year’s World Oceans Day theme, Youth: the Next Wave for Change, or a specific local issue of interest.

• Classroom Visits
  Make the rounds at local schools in the months leading up to World Oceans Day with a fun presentation about the ocean. Make it as exciting and interactive as possible by using films, music, games, and outdoor activities.

• Book Reading or Signing
  Host a book reading and signing by local authors who have written about the ocean. Local bookstores and book clubs should be able to give you leads on persons to contact.

• World Oceans Day Page
  Add a page to your organization’s existing website with a brief write-up about World Oceans Day. You can include the Seven C’s Pledge for ocean conservation and point visitors to the Seas the Day! initiative, where they can take ocean conservation personally!

• Make a model watershed with some local youth!

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Learn more on:

• What is biodiversity?
• What is ecosystem service?
• What is Marine Biosphere?
• What is Marine and Coastal Biodiversity?
• Why Marine and Coastal Biodiversity is Important?
• What is the Problem of Coastal Biodiversity?
• What are the main causes of biodiversity loss?
• Discover 5 different ways the ocean affects your everyday life

You may also like:

• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 1
• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 2
• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 3
• How eco-art be a part of protecting the wealth of marine biodiversity and ecosystem services? Part 4
• Responsible Tourism with Evason Phuket & Six Senses Spa
• Eco-Bungalow: Chumbe Island Coral Park, Tanzania, Africa
• Mangrove Forests Tourism

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