Another year, another chance

World Environment Day. This has been celebrated every year since 1974. The sad truth, however, is that most of us don't even know of its existence. And as every year goes by, the chance of beating climate change becomes slimmer. This year holds special significance. With almost the entire world in lockdown, we've finally given the Earth a chance to breathe. For the first time in years, we're seeing actual improvement. And unless we take immediate action, not only will the improvement stop, we might even plunge so deep in degradation that we might never be able to come out.

This year's theme is 'Celebrating Biodiversity.' It will be hosted in Colombia, in partnership with Germany. The theme is incredibly relevant, because despite having convinced ourselves otherwise, we need every single organism on Earth for our own survival. And no creature, however big or small, is 'useless'. Because each single organism has its own place in the ecosystem. We need to understand that while there may be a food chain and ranking of species, every living thing is connected to another living thing, and together it forms a network of diverse life forms on the planet.

So this year, think, understand and introspect. This year, think of the millions of organisms all around you. This year, turn the lights off before leaving the room. This year, carry your own cloth bag. This year, plant a tree. This year, make a difference.