Nataša Gavur, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the MladiBL portal, as part of the project “Nature Screams – Describe It” implemented by the Center for Civil Society Promotion (CPCD), won the May award in the competition for the best blog on environmental protection.
The author’s text is available below.
In step with nature
Author: Nataša Gavur
Every year, in more than 140 countries around the world, we celebrate World Environment Day (June 5) with one goal – to unite all people and work for a cleaner, greener and better future.
World Environment Day was first marked in 1972 and is the main tool by which the United Nations encourages raising global awareness of the importance of environmental protection.
In 1968, Sweden was the first to propose a conference at the UN that would focus only on environmental issues. This was accepted only in 1969, when it was decided that one such conference would be held in Sweden three years later.
After four years of preparation, leaders from around the world sat down together to discuss how to raise environmental awareness and then, at the very beginning of the Stockholm Conference, June 5 was declared the World Environment Day. It was first marked under the slogan “There is only one Earth” in 1974.
To mark this date, with numerous activities and events, activists are looking for a way to raise awareness of the importance and ways to preserve a healthy environment.
There are many reasons why we should ask ourselves how and in what way we can positively affect our environment and our only home, planet Earth.
For a start, let’s look at the young eco walkers from Banja Luka who made really impressive results in July last year. After seven eco-walks, they had: 105 participants, and together they spent 236 volunteer hours. In seven events, they successfully collected 112 bags of waste (4120 liters) and made a total of 457 km or 646,000 eco steps.
Eco-walk is a movement that aims to promote healthy lifestyles, quality leisure time, inclusion and affirmation of young people in society, encouraging environmental awareness and a direct impact on environmental protection. It emphasizes the importance and preservation of the quality of the environment and action to create an environmentally conscious, conscientious and socially responsible environment that would preserve all natural attractions as a unique natural value. Raising the awareness of citizens and the environment about the need to protect and wisely use its natural values should be a long-term task for all of us.
I can say with certainty that nature treats us better than we treat nature. And so let us preserve our nature.
You’re probably sometimes wondering if people can really protect the environment? I think that each of us can contribute to the protection of the environment in any way, regardless of our occupations. I invite all of you to get involved and clean your yards, the surroundings around the building, the parks … Let’s appreciate what we have, and pick up that bag, bottle or box that you have been looking at for days and throw it in the first trash can. Let’s protect the environment for the generations to come.
And remember, small steps lead us to big changes!
