Every year on June 5th, we celebrate World Environment Day with hashtags, plantation drives, and feel-good posters. But step outside for a moment. Rivers are foaming. Cities are gasping. Forests are disappearing. Climate disasters aren’t distant anymore—they knock every month.
I’ve lived long enough to see weather become news. And now, news is just weather gone rogue.
In 2015, the Paris Agreement gave us a 1.5°C warning. By 2023, some months had already brushed against 1.48°C. The ten hottest years in human history? All since 2010. And climate feedback loops? They’re not coming—they’ve arrived:
Permafrost is leaking methane. Wildfires are torching carbon sinks. Oceans are boiling up cyclones like angry soup.
This isn’t science fiction. It’s shaping lives. It’s wrecking economies:
- Canada saw 18 million hectares burn in 2025—its worst wildfire season ever.
- Storm Daniel killed over 11,000 in Libya, thanks to overheated seas and failing dams.
- Pakistan’s floods in 2022 caused $30+ billion in losses—glaciers melted, cities drowned.
- Greece and Hawaii lost centuries of heritage in flames. Maui alone lost $6 billion.
India isn’t watching from the sidelines.
This summer, Delhi roasted above 45°C. Barmer crossed 46.4°C. Power cuts. Hospitals overflowing. Even tea estates in Assam were submerged—40% crop gone.
Our roads are melting. Our trains are halting. Our grids are cracking under the sun.
According to the World Economic Forum, 2025’s global climate damage could cross $145 billion. And India—our home—is one of the hardest hit.
We don’t need one more green day. We need to green every day.
Rethinking What It Means to ‘Make It’
GDP is growing. Unicorns are being born. Expressways are getting longer. But here’s the truth we ignore:
What’s the point of success if we’re choking on our own breath?
Nationally, we need to stop worshipping GDP like it’s the final metric. Clean air, fresh water, and living forests are development. If they’re gone, our cities—no matter how smart—won’t save us.
Individually, we need to pause and ask:
Is this lifestyle really success? Or just a countdown in disguise?
What You Can Do Now
You don’t need to wait for laws or leaders. The planet doesn’t care about your status. It responds to your actions.
🌱 Plant Trees That Live
Not for Instagram. Not for company CSR.
Plant native saplings. Water them. Protect them. Track their growth like they’re your own kids. One tree that survives beats a thousand that die for a photo-op.
♻️ Cut Waste Like Your Life Depends On It
Refuse plastics. Compost leftovers. Carry your own bag.
Every wrapper you avoid is one the Earth doesn’t have to digest.
🚫 Reject Convenience When It’s Harmful
Skip that delivery. Walk that distance. Fix, don’t replace.
Modern comfort is built on ancient exploitation. Choose discomfort. Choose future.
🔍 Learn Before You Act—But Don’t Wait Forever
Start here:
- The Uninhabitable Earth – David Wallace-Wells
- This Changes Everything – Naomi Klein
- UN IPCC Reports (read summaries—they’re free)
- climate.nasa.gov and ourworldindata.org
- The Climate Book
Climate action begins with clarity. Let learning unsettle you.
Educating Our Kids Differently
We’re teaching our children how to crack entrance exams but not how to survive rising seas.
We’re preparing them for jobs that may not exist in cities that might not be livable.
We are failing them.
Climate education isn’t optional. It must become foundational.
They should understand:
- How ecosystems work
- What causes climate change
- How to evaluate policies
- Why personal responsibility matters
- And that real heroes aren’t just athletes—they’re scientists, activists, farmers, voters
Success isn’t just being employable. It’s being sustainable.
Real education prepares you to protect life. All of it.
Final Message: Make World Environment Day Count
This day isn’t for green posters or trending hashtags.
It’s a mirror. It shows us where we stand.
And right now, we’re sinking.
Start messy. Start late. Start unsure. But start.
Because if the climate goes, everything else follows.
