President David Granger, in his World Environment Day message, said now was the time for Guyanese to act and help beat plastic pollution by curtailing their use of single-use plastics.
This year, World Environment Day (June 5) was observed under the theme “Beating Plastic Pollution” and, according to the President, it reminds us that the indiscriminate and insanitary dumping of single-use plastics and other non-biodegradable substances threatens the health of citizens and the food they consume.
“Plastic pollution represents a serious challenge to Guyana’s environmental security. Plastic pollution is dangerous. It has contributed to congested drainage system; resulted in flooding and insanitary conditions; depleted aquatic life and contaminated creeks, rivers, freshwater supplies and waters used for drinking, bathing, fishing and washing. Guyana is on the way to becoming a ‘Green State’. It is developing policies aimed at protecting the environment by reducing, and, eventually eliminating, plastic pollution,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, United Nations General Secretary António Guterres said a healthy planet was essential for a prosperous and peaceful future, noting that we all have a role to play in protecting our only home.
“It can be difficult to know what to do or where to start. That’s why this World Environment Day has just one request: beat plastic pollution. Our world is swamped by harmful plastic waste. Every year, more than eight million tonnes end up in the oceans. Microplastics in the seas now outnumber stars in our galaxy. From remote islands to the Artic, nowhere is untouched. If present trends continue, by 2050, our oceans will have more plastic than fish. On World Environment Day, the message is simple: reject single-use plastic,” the SG noted.
World Environment Day is the most important day in the UN’s calendar of events dealing with the environment. It is an opportunity for nations and peoples around the world to recommit to practical policies and sustained action to promote global environmental security.
