Taking part in green initiatives is important from many points of view. Firsty, it allows participants to learn new things or to enrich the knowledge they already possess. Secondly, it helps create communities whose members share the same values and try to achieve the same goals. Last but not least, exchanging experiences and confronting ourselves with other people is important for our personal growth. Therefore, here are the best three green initiatives of the month.
World Habitat Day
The first Monday of October – which this year falls on the 7th – has been designed by the United Nations as the World Habitat Day. Its purpose is to give people the chance to think about the conditions of our towns and cities and the basic right of all people to have adequate shelter. Another aim of this day is to help the world remember that we all have the power and the responsibility to mold the future of our towns and cities.
This year’s theme is “Frontier Technologies as an innovative tool to transform waste to wealth”. This topic was chosen in order to reinforce the connection between innovative frontier technologies and sustainable waste management, so as to make cities more inclusive, resilient, sustainable and safer. And, at the same time, the hope is that frontier technologies also rich sustainable waste management.
World Day against Waste Incineration
October 14 is the World Day against Waste Incineration promoted by Gaia. The Global Alliance Incinerator Alternatives, which includes more than 650 members from 92 countries around the world, has urged governments around the world to formally commit to adopting the Zero Waste strategy. This implies that the waste management system is based on prevention, reduction, reuse, recycling and composting and not on incineration and landfill. There are good reasons to move to the Zero Waste Strategy as GAIA points out such as toxic pollution from greenhouse gas emissions and high incineration plant costs.
October is also the International Walk to School Month, also called iWalk. During this month, children, parents, teachers, and community leaders have the chance to be part of a global event that helps understand and encourages to celebrate the numerous benefits of walking. Each community chooses the topics to which to attract interest and the aims of the walks. However, the most common goals are related to environment preservation and sustainable lifestyle.
Greta Thumberg is now visiting the Americas. However, she has made it clear in a Facebook post that, does not matter where she will be, she is always going to strike for climate on Fridays. Greta started her school strikes for the climate in August 2018. After May 2019 students all over the world started joining her. On May 15th, 2200 strikes took place in 125 countries.