Bring your green t-shirts and come!
School children and Barbadians, respectively, are being encouraged to wear green t-shirts, green ribbons or green articles of clothing, on Friday, June 4, to mark World Environment Day, which will be observed worldwide on June 5.??
According to the Environmental Education Officer with the Ministry of the Environment, Water Resources and Drainage, Donna King- Brathwaite, the wearing of green on that day, akin to how red is worn in support of the HIV/AIDS cause, is "to show support and demonstrate commitment to environmental stewardship."
To this end, Mrs.King-Brathwaite said the Ministry would be seeking the full cooperation of the Ministry of Education and Human Resource Development, educational institutions and businesses in the venture, to further promote environmental awareness.
This initiative forms part of month-long celebrations to mark Environment Month, which is being observed under the theme "Living sustainably… Responsible Business…Responsible Consumers."
According to Mrs. King-Brathwaite, "the theme seeks to encourage sustainable living through good choices, which should provide long term benefits to both the environment and individuals. These choices would include how we use our resources, and what we choose to consume from day to day.
"The Green Economy model promotes sustainable economic growth, while preventing environmental degradation and resource depletion, as we have witnessed in the last century," she explained.
In addition to wearing green to commemorate the day, Mrs. King-Brathwaite stated they were hoping to have the World Environment Day address by United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, circulated among students, parents and teachers and presented at morning assembly.
Schools are also being asked to engage students, staff and parents in an institution-based project or activity that would encourage environmental stewardship, with the successful outcomes to be reported to the Ministry of the Environment.
A full calendar of events is planned to mark Environment Month.?? It will include a business lecture series; green readings; tree planting exercises; hikes; coastal walks; summer burn beach activities and a lifeguard marine simulation exercise. Activities will also be staged to celebrate World Oceans Day and World Desertification Day, which are also observed globally in June.