The challenge posed by environmental destruction

The challenge posed by environmental destruction.

Protecting human health and protecting the environment is the responsibility of each state. Environment refers to the land, air, water, flora, fauna, solids, garbage, forests all around us. There are two types of environment, natural and socio-cultural. The environment is a broad subject matter that deals with the natural, cultural and social systems, economic and human activities and their necessities, and the interactions and interrelationships between them.

From the environment we are getting direct benefits like food, shelter and cotton and indirect benefits like water cycle, nutrient cycle, pollination, soil formation etc. Air pollution, water and soil pollution, climate change, environmental degradation and man-made environmental problems are among the major environmental problems facing the growing population pressure on natural resources. Nepal too cannot remain untouched by the rising rate of environmental degradation and the global interest in its management. Environmental balance has also been affected due to the various types of infrastructures and physical structures being built by human beings to fulfill their material needs. Every dimension of human activity is somehow linked to the environment as the present generation assumes the essence and spirit of sustainable development that a healthy earth must be handed over to future generations. Sustainable Development Goal No. 14 and 15 emphasize on the conservation of aquatic life and land ecosystems and the sustainable use of water and land resources.

The first conference on the human environment was held in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, on June 5-16, 1972, at the urging of the United Nations to conserve the earth, one of the only successful planets to sustain biological resources. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) was established in 1974 on the basis of that conference, and since that year, the day has been celebrated for the first time in Stockholm on the first day of the Human Environment Conference with the sole purpose of protecting the world's environment. . Every year on the occasion of the centenary of the conference, the slogans of the World Environment Day and various programs to be celebrated on the occasion of the 5th of June are aimed at bringing the world's ecological conditions conducive to human life and maintaining the natural balance. The main purpose of celebrating World Environment Day is to raise global awareness among human beings about the importance of clean and healthy environment and to help solve global environmental problems through positive environmental activities from the grassroots level. In this context, the 45th World Environment Day 2018 (2075 BS) hosted by India for Plastic Pollution Control: Eliminate Plastic Pollution: Reuse, Boycott or Not - More than 100 countries around the world with various programs, locally, nationally and internationally. Are celebrating the day.

Plastic means plastic can be easily molded into any shape you want. It is made of polymer which means it is made up of many parts. The first synthetic polymer was manufactured in 1869 by J. W. Hyatt invented synthetic polymers as an alternative to ivory, and the introduction of full synthetic plastics began in 1907 in L.A. This happened after Wakeland invented Wakelight. The global recession of 1929 and the increasing industrialization since World War II have led to an increase in plastic materials. In the United States, for example, there has been a 300 percent increase in plastic use since World War II. High molecular weight polyethylene, granules, master watches for various colors, titanium dioxide and limestone are used as raw materials for making plastic bags.

Since plastic materials are lightweight, cheap, and available everywhere in the market, the general public has been increasingly using them for both domestic and industrial purposes since World War II. But in the 1960's, a lot of plastic appeared on the U.S. coast, and R.C. Carson's 1962 book, Silent Spring, which sheds light on chemical toxins, made Americans more sensitive to environmental health, and in the 1970s and 1980s, the fascination with plastics waned and the focus shifted to environmental protection.

Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the biggest environmental problems of the 21st century. We need to change our daily routine to control plastic pollution and conserve natural resources. It is estimated that one million plastic drinking water bottles are bought and sold every minute worldwide. Similarly, every year we reuse 5 trillion plastic bags and about 50 percent of plastic materials are used for one purpose only.

In addition, about one-third of the packaging plastics that cannot be reused in the city market are polluting the natural environment. The fact that about 13 million tons of plastics are dumped into the ocean each year endangers the survival of marine biodiversity, including coral reefs. . According to another statistic, more than 8 million tons of plastic products are released into the sea every year in the world and about 800 sea creatures die by eating the plastic products or getting stuck in the plastic. Also, by 2050, the number of plastics in the sea is estimated to be more than the number of fish. More than 600 species are in danger of extinction due to plastic pollution and the threat of mass extinction of the sixth species on Earth has increased. Plastics that enter our bodies when mixed with water inhibit the production of endocrine hormones inside the body and when burned plastic substances harmful to health such as dioxin, furan can be injected into the air and cause lung cancer. May be

If plastic cannot be reused, it is best not to use it. Negative effects of plastic products include non-use of plastic materials, use of non-plastic items for food packaging, carrying your own bags when shopping for products at the market, storing plastic items in safe places on the way, not throwing away any plastic items.

Attempts at the international level, such as the Agenda 21, the Earth Summit, the Millennium Development Goals and the Sustainable Development Goals for plastic and other waste management and global environmental protection, have not been able to be directed in a meaningful direction due to humanitarian action and increasing climate change. Similarly, in the context of environmental protection at the national level, the Constitution of Nepal has made provision for the right to a clean environment as a fundamental right, while maintaining the balance between development and environment and achieving sustainable development. Similarly, the policy and program of the Government of Nepal for FY 075/076 emphasizes on the protection of mountains and lakes and pays special attention to the cleanliness of Mount Everest and other high peaks and surrounding areas and conducts clean, green and pollution free Nepal campaign and management of plastic bags. In this regard, according to the Plastic Bag (Regulation and Control) Directive 2068 issued by the then Ministry of Environment, plastic bags of less than 20 microns thickness should not be used and imported, black bags should be used for waste products, plastic bags should be used as little as possible, unused plastic bags should be kept in suitable place. Disposal, use the same bag as often as possible, encourage 5-R work (reduce waste bags, recycle waste bags, replace plastic bags with environmentally friendly alternatives, recycle waste plastic and recycle energy from non-recyclable plastics) Producers) and Rs. There is a provision to fine up to Rs 50,000.

On the occasion of Environment Day, the Ministry of Forest and Environment and its subordinate bodies and other concerned bodies have a weekly garbage management program, green promotion program, publicity program to spread public awareness about the environment and the Ministry of Forest and Environment will launch the Clean Nepal Campaign on May 7.

As clean air and clean water are natural human rights, the federal, provincial and local governments are mobilizing people to manage plastic waste management and river pollution control, air pollution and water recharge due to increasing urbanization. To achieve the goal of sustainable development by discouraging urban forest and roadside tree planting, greenery promotion through agricultural forest on vacant public and private lands, expansion of forest gardens on both banks of rivers like Bagmati and Vishnumati in Kathmandu and fragmentation of growing land. By changing personal behavior, we should not throw away plastic products indiscriminately and use them sparingly.