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As we celebrate World Environment Day today, it makes me incredibly proud to be a part of a group of pioneers across the globe – volunteers, supporters, activists, and campaigners – who tirelessly work towards celebrating every day as environment day. Their passion is a strength that inspires us every day to face challenges and not lose focus on the end goal, especially now when all we can see are the impacts of climate change in our backyards almost every day.
You know there is a big problem when seasonal weather changes go beyond the “normal” and into the extremes all around the world, yet the world leaders are ignoring these glaring warning signs.
Last week, Shanghai reported the hottest day in May on record last 100 years. Italy witnessed severe flooding, resulting in widespread damage and more than a dozen deaths. Heat waves and extreme weather events have become a part of our daily lives now, but this shouldn’t be our new normal.
These images below testify to the difficulties faced by people all around the world. They should be haunting enough for us to be even more motivated and ensure we all stand together in this fight against climate change.
Floods in Pakistan
Internally displaced people wade through floodwaters after heavy monsoon rains in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. File photo from September 8, 2022.
People wire a horse-drawn cart through a flooded street due to the overflowing Citarum river at Sukabirus village in Bandung in Indonesia on May 6, 2023.
People fill their buckets from a municipal water tanker on May 20, 2022, in Lahuriya village, 65 kms (40 miles) from Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, India. A severe heatwave has caused drought-like conditions in vast swathes of India’s agricultural heartlands from north to south. India is particularly vulnerable to drought as its agriculture sector is heavily dependent on timely, uninterrupted natural weather cycles for its survival.
An aerial view of a flooded Vaal River running through Parys on February 19, 2023 after heavy rainfall wreaked havoc with the Vaal dam exceeding maximum capacity resulting in the Vaal River being flooded in South Africa.
Special operators (OPSA) of the Italian Red Cross and firefighters rescuers seek and help residents blocked in their homes after heavy rains caused flooding across Italy’s northern Emilia Romagna region, on May 25, 2023 in Conselice, Italy. The region of Emilia-Romagna experienced severe flooding in the last week, resulting in widespread damage and more than a dozen deaths.
A burnt landscape caused by wildfires is pictured near Entrance, Wild Hay area, Alberta, Canada on May 10, 2023. As Canada struggled to control wildfires that have forced thousands to flee, halted oil production and razed towns, with the western province of Alberta calling for federal help. Some 30,000 people were ordered to leave their homes over the past three days, as nearly 100 fires flared across the province — including 27 out of control.
More than 600 people lost their lives. Over 300,000 were displaced. Homes, fishing boats, crops, and coastal ecosystems were destroyed. The damage crossed USD $4 billion dollars and entire communities had to rebuild from the ground up.
Meat giant JBS cancelled their shareholder meeting today as activists hung banners dripping fake blood and demanding ‘Keep your bloody business out of Africa’. A legal intervention to expose JBS’ destructive expansion plans and force their billionaire executives out of the shadows has also been initiated by Greenpeace Netherlands.
The landmark Santa Marta conference for the transition away from fossil fuels represents an important milestone on the road to long-term climate and and energy stability.
