To ‘stimulate worldwide awareness of the environment and enhance political attention and action’ is the aim for the World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June. The slogan for 2007 is ‘Melting Ice – a Hot Topic’. The topic focuses on the effects that climate change is having on polar ecosystems and communities, and the ensuing consequences around the world.

PT Education will be spreading awareness on the environmental concerns through its centres that are spread throughout India. The main vehicles will be its more than 30,000 students, its faculty and staff who will be conducting in-house seminars on the vital necessity of contributing positively towards the upkeep of the environment.

As you all are aware, the main international celebrations of the World Environment Day 2007 will be held in Norway.

Through its vehicles of seminars and other relevant activities, PT Education will strive “to give a human face to environmental issues; empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development; promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues; and advocate partnership, which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future. World Environment Day worldwide is a people’s event with colourful activities such as street rallies, bicycle parades, green concerts, essays and poster competitions in schools and colleges, tree planting, as well as recycling and clean-up campaigns.”

When did it all begin? World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Another resolution, adopted by the General Assembly the same day, led to the creation of UNEP.

PT Education has decided to do its bit for Mother Earth. Our students will take a pledge to be actively promoting all the connected issues and will strive to follow the rules of environment protection to the core. This observance also provides an opportunity to sign or ratify international environmental conventions.

Following the dictum of the UN, we PTzen will “consider carefully the actions which each of us must take, and then address ourselves to our common task of preserving all life on earth in a mood of sober resolution and quiet confidence.”

[Arvind Passey]
[2007]