Another year, another Environment Day, time to make resolves, make commitments and show concerns.
But is that all the World Environment Day is all about and is this all our planet deserves; of course not. It deserved a far better treatment than that. The theme of WED this year is 'Wanted! Seas and Oceans - Dead or Alive?
Whereas the environment of the world has deteriorated as a whole (for obvious reasons of development and industrialisation) the seas and oceans are the worst hit.
The reason being the international image of seas and oceans as infinite receptacles for waste which can be dumped with any type of waste in whatever quantity desired. These gifts of God have never been considered as a valuable resource holding varieties of life and treasures of mineral resources.
The oceans affect and sustain all life on Earth.
They drive and moderate weather and climate, provide us with food, transportation corridors, recreational opportunities, pharmaceuticals and other natural products, and serve as a national security buffer. But human beings do not adequately value the oceans.
Pollution, depletion of fish and other living marine resources, habitat destruction and degradation, and the introduction of invasive non-native species are just some of the ways people harm the oceans, with serious consequences for the entire planet.
The theme of the WED this year is an appeal to each and every one of us to protect and focus our attention on our planet's most valuable resources - the oceans.
On this day let us demonstrate our commitment to protecting the environment. Let us prevent any further damage to our seas for they are an essential part of our ecosystem, the ecosystem which sustains our lives as well hence endangering our seas would mean endangering our lives and also that of our children.