World Science Day for Peace and Development- November 10

Science is one of the best tools we have for improving life.

Unfortunately, humanity has used many scientific discoveries and technological inventions in ways that have exacerbated the state of the environment and made the world a less safe place. Thousands of nuclear bombs sit around us waiting ... oil spills at a rate ... burning fossil fuels creates smog and global climate change ... and that's just a small part of how humanity is negatively impacting the world.

Some people look at these grim results of science and technology and blame science itself. They blame inventions and technology rather than humanity itself for the overpopulated population, the urge to control lands and resources, and short-term profit-driven thinking.

The solution to bad use of science is not to remove responsibility from ourselves and blame science, but to use science in a better, more responsible and more mature way, with long-term thinking.

The UN has created Science Day for Peace to urge people to use science in the name of peace and find innovative technologies to make the future sustainable!

The field of sustainable development is extremely important for the environment. The damage done to the environment not only harms vegetation and wildlife but also humans and endangers the present and future of us all. If we continue to live the way we live today, we will already in this century need three planets to survive, instead of one Earth.

Ways to live sustainably

Every day the choices we make in our lives affect the environment, the climate and other species besides us. From what we eat to how many children we decide to give birth to. We can do a lot to “choose sustainability” and reduce our environmental footprint to leave more room for animals and wild plants that are important to our continued existence in the world and advanced science and technologies have an important contribution to make to enable us to do so.

Think twice before you go shopping. Every product we buy has an environmental footprint, from the materials used to make it to the pollution emitted during its production and the packaging that ends its days in landfills. Think about the amount of space we need for the garbage we produce! To get rid of this much garbage one has to bury it in the soil, which pollutes it and our water sources, or burn it, which pollutes the air. Both options are bad for the environment. If you are already buying something, try to buy something recycled or second hand that has minimal packaging.

Make sure your large purchases have great environmental benefits. If you are buying appliances, make sure they are energy efficient. Buying a car? Buy cars that are as fuel efficient as possible. If you are buying a house or apartment, make sure they are built with a standard of green construction. All of these benefits will also reduce your electricity bill and fuel expenses.

Stop using plastic. The plastic is not biodegradable. It fills in vast quantities about 40 percent of the world's oceans. Every year thousands of seabirds, sea turtles, seals and other marine mammals are killed by trapping or suffocating in plastic. You can reduce your use of plastic in a few simple steps: use reusable bags when shopping, use reusable water bottles, use bags as little as possible. Give up the hardships of drinking and avoid products made of plastic or packaged in them if possible (choose products that are not wrapped when you shop in the grocery store or stores, reduce the online shopping that uses a lot of plastic packaging materials).

Reduce the consumption of animal products. Food engineers are developing meat substitutes and substitutes for milk and eggs from plants. Leather and fur products also have synthetic substitutes. The industrial farms for animal husbandry are among the main causes of the environmental crisis. This is according to a detailed UN report examining the impact of the meat, dairy and egg industries on the environment. According to the report, the animal food industries are a major cause of global warming and are responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas emissions as a result of human activity (more than all transportation combined: by air, sea and land).

Avoid products that endanger wildlife. Some products contain ingredients that threaten the living environment of animals, because of deforestation or the use of their water they need. One of the elements that threaten the livelihoods of animals is the palm oil whose production is responsible for the extinction of tropical forests, which are home to a huge variety of organisms, threaten the ecology and contribute to the extinction of wildlife such as the orangutan, sumetra tiger and Asian rhino.

Drive less, drive green. Ride less in cars and walk more or ride a bike. If you are traveling, try to travel with more people to reduce the number of cars on the road, use more public transportation.

November 10 is also Sesame Street Day and Vanilla Cupcake Day

World Urbanism Day (World Town Planning Day) - November 8

World Urbanism Day (also called "World Town Planning Day") is a day dedicated to the profession of city planning, the profession that deals with everything related to cities in order to preserve the quality of life and their environment. 

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City planners should think about everything: transportation and accessibility, safety, clean air, proper water, good infrastructure such as roads and bridges, communications, and so on.

World Urbanism Day was founded in 1949 by Professor Carlos Maria della Paolera of the University of Buenos Aires, a graduate of the Institute of Urbanism in Paris, to promote the public and professional interest in urban planning.

On this day there are professional conferences on urban planning in more than 30 different countries.

The profession of city planning has changed over the years because of changes in the climate, needs of the population and more.

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The father of urban planning was Hippodamus, who had planned Miletus, a city in ancient Greece.

Did you know that a great way to teach your kids about city planning is to let them play in Minecraft? In this game you learn to design structures in a public space and it is a good start to learn about the impact of good planning of buildings on the quality of life of the residents.

November 8 is also Cappuccino Day

World Rainforest Day - June 22nd

The rainforests keep our planet alive. They are home to half the species of animals in the world, they provide us with fresh water, and are essential for maintaining our climate stability. And yet every second an acre and a half are lost, and every year 78 million acres of precious rainforests are destroyed. This is why World Rainforest Day was created - to take decisive action to fight the creation of forests, to reduce the effects of climate change on them and to protect our rainforests for future generations.

World Rainforest Day was first created in 2017 by the Rainforest Partnership. This organization works with indigenous peoples living in the vicinity of the rainforests and launches projects that will help heal and renew the rainforests with the local communities. Rainforest Day is about raising awareness of the importance of the existence of rainforests and what they do for us.

Hundreds of events take place on this day, from events in local communities to international virtual events, school education initiatives, charity projects, and hundreds of small private individuals.

The Rainforest Partnership has many community-based projects in the Amazon, but today itself is backed by the involvement of over 70 global partners, from environmentalists to the media, all of whom strive for positive and defining action that preserves the rainforest. The slogan for the event is "Because the world can not wait", a strong statement and call for action for people around the world.

A monkey in a rainforest on the island of Borneo in Asia. Most of the island's formerly covered by tropical rainforest is now used for the oil, wood, and palm oil industries.

The main focus of the day is to stay optimistic and focus on what we can do to save the rainforest.

Our rainforests have sustained us for thousands of years. They produce oxygen, keep local communities alive, absorb carbon dioxide and keep water fresh and clean.

The Amazon Forest (Portuguese: Floresta Amazonica) is the largest tropical rainforest in the world. The forest has existed for about 60 million years. It was formed when the Atlantic Ocean expanded enough to create a tropical climate in the Amazon Basin. After the mass extinction of the dinosaurs, it is estimated that a wet climate developed that led to the spread of the rainforest. The Amazon rainforest is located in the tropical region of South America. Its area is 7,769,994 square kilometers (although its exact borders are controversial), and it covers nine countries: Brazil with about 60% of its total area, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. The forest is named after the Amazon River that flows through it and the variety of species in it is the largest in the world.In 2011, after a selection process that lasted four years, the forest and the river that flows through it were chosen as one of the seven wonders of the natural world.

The forest is inhabited by various Native American tribes who subsist on hunting animals, fish and insects that serve as food for them, build huts for themselves and make their clothes from plants, skins and feathers.

So why is the disappearance of the rainforest so dangerous? Leading factors in forest creation include deforestation, mining and industrial development, as well as land clearance for animal husbandry. As wider areas are cleared for deforestation and cattle grazing, more infrastructure is needed to create road areas and store large machinery. The natural habitats of the animals and the homes of the indigenous peoples are being significantly destroyed. The extent of deforestation can cause climate change, floods, desertification and soil erosion - all of which threaten our planet and our way of life.

Rainforests account for about 28% of the world's oxygen production

How to mark World Rainforest Day?

A great way to mark this day is to enrich your knowledge by reading about rainforests on the National Geographic website.

If you are buying products that contain palm oil, an oil that is used to cut down palm trees and damage the habitats of many animals (such as monkeys, for example), look for the RSPO standard symbol - a unique standard for controlled use of palm oil. Share the information about the importance of rainforests on social media.

 June 22 is also Onion Rings Day and World Camel Day

World Environment Day- June 5

World Environment Day is an international holiday celebrated every year on June 5 by UN member states to raise environmental awareness. The day was declared by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 and first marked in 1974. Meetings are held during the day. And conferences on education and awareness on the subject, including ways of treating and preventing environmental problems.

The purpose of this day is to raise awareness of issues related to the environment, promote change of attitudes on environmental issues and increase the cooperation of all countries, so that people will enjoy a prosperous and secure world in the future.

Environment Day is celebrated around the world in many activities, such as outdoor concerts, processions, tree planting, writing and painting competitions in posters in schools, as well as recycling and cleaning operations.

June 5 is also Hot Air Balloon Day, National Veggie Burger day and Ketchup Day

World Bicycle Day - June 3

In April 2018, the UN General Assembly declared June 3 to be International Bicycle Day. The decision to dedicate a special day to bicycles came to recognize them as a sustainable, simple, affordable, reliable, clean and environmentally friendly means of transport, unique, longevity and flexibility.

This is certainly true. Bicycles have been around since the 19th century. The first documented model of a bicycle was presented to the public in Paris in 1818 by the German Baron Karl von Drais. These were bicycles that were propelled by pushing the rider's feet against the ground and were known as "running machine", or "Draisine" in the name of their inventor.

In 1839 the first modern bicycles were created by the Scottish son of a blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan who included the previous bicycle model when he created a crankshaft to propel the rear wheel.

In the late 1860s, the French Ernest Michaux and Pierre Lallement designed the first bicycles with pedals. Their bikes were all made of wood and later contained metal tires. Their model was called a "boneshaker" because riding them was very uncomfortable.

In 1870, the Englishman James Starley invented the "Penny-Farthing" bicycle model, which contained an extra-large front wheel that allowed the rider to travel at a higher speed than the boneshaker bicycle. These bikes were dangerous because of the great height of the rider who fell from them quite a few times. In the 1890s the safety bikes were invented that contained two equal wheels and a drive chain.

Two riders riding a Penny Farthing, Santa Ana, California, 1886

The nineties of the 19th century were called the "Golden Age of Bicycles". Add gears to them, move the seat back and develop the paddle using a chain. Cycling has become a comfortable ride and they are becoming more and more popular.

The bikes are not harmful to the environment because they do not waste any resources and do not pollute. Cycling contributes to health and is especially beneficial for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

How to celebrate World Bicycle Day?

There are many reasons why World Bicycle Day celebration is vital to the health of the people of the planet and to the planet itself. Bicycles are an easy-to-use and affordable means of transportation for those who may not have access to a car.

In honor of the bike day you can ride them on the way to work or your place of study. You will not have to find parking when you arrive.

You can also go on a bike ride in nature and enjoy the view and good air.

June 3 is also Repeat Day

World Soil Day - December 5

World Earth Day celebrated on December 5 is a day dedicated to the earth's soil which is one of man's most important resources. Earth, as the World Soil Day website points out, is "where food begins." All of our fruits and vegetables grow in the soil or on top of shrubs or trees that come out of the soil, the food for the animals we grow grows in the soil. Even the natural fibers we produce for clothing are made from plants that grow in the soil or from animals that eat plants that grow in the soil.

Along with water and sun, the soil is one of the most important components in agriculture.

Still, some of the things people do cause the soil rich in valuable minerals to shrink and lose its quality.

When we throw in the trash materials that contain toxic chemicals, like nylon and plastic, they are buried in waste sites and absorbed into the soil where we grow our food. The toxic ingredients are swept away in rains and floods and spread to large areas, and also seep into the water we drink, let the animals drink, use for washing and watering plants.

An example of damage to land can be seen in the case of Love Canal, a neighborhood near Niagara Falls in New York. The neighborhood was established near the Love Canal Canal, and in the 1940s, with government approval, water was diverted to it from a chemical plant that operated at Niagara Falls that contained toxic chemicals. The chemicals were absorbed into the soil and drinking water and caused a massive environmental pollution disaster that harmed the health of hundreds of neighborhood residents. Many of them had leukemia, asthma and kidney disease, and suffered from miscarriages, births of babies with malformations and more.

To maintain our precious soil, we need to reduce the use of plastic and plastics and stop consuming disposable utensils (just as Greta Thunberg says). The many purchases we make also contribute to soil pollution, as the increased consumption causes the industry to continue to pollute the environment with chemicals and the products of the industry are the waste that is thrown away and buried in the soil.

 December 5th is also Ninja Day and Repeal Day

Toilet Day - November 19

You probably will not believe that there is such a day, but there is definitely such an international official day. This day is dedicated to the restrooms, i.e. to the toilets. Toilet Day was announced by an organization called the World Toilet Organization whose goal is to improve sanitation and hygiene conditions in toilets around the world, especially in poor areas where people do not have access to normal toilets. It is a non-profit organization founded on November 19, 2001 and started as a small organization, with 15 members and today it has 151 members from 53 countries around the world. 

 Link to Toilet Day website..

Some fun facts about toilets:

The average person spends a cumulative three months of his life on the toilet in the bathroom.

A computer keyboard may hold 200 times more bacteria than the toilet seat of the toilet.

A billion people around the world are still defecating in the open, due to a lack of toilets.

Taiwan has a restaurant whose concept is toilets and whose food is served on plates shaped like small toilets.

Americans spend 5 cents on every drop of toilet water per day on average.

More people around the world have a cell phone than access to toilets.

Since the invention of the smartphone, people have been spending more and more time in the bathroom.

Use of toilets consumes an average of about 6 liters of water in a single flush.

A cell phone has 18 times more bacteria than a toilet.

It is better to sit on the toilet seat as it is, than to line it with toilet paper, because the toilet paper that stands next to the toilet is a habitat for millions of bacteria, while the toilet seat is made of plastic coated with a material that can not contain a lot of bacteria.

An average desktop has 400 times more bacteria than a toilet.

The inhabitants of ancient Rome had, among other things, a goddess of sewage, a god of the toilet, and a god of feces.

November 19 is also International Men's Day

A day without plastic bags- 3 July

Most of us use them every day, in plastic bags, without thinking about it. We take one or more almost every store we buy. Whether we buy groceries or new shoes, we do not leave the shop without taking a plastic bag full of the good new things we bought. Then, when we get home, we take what we bought from the bag, throw it away and forget it.

Stop! Have you ever thought about what happens to these bags after we finish using them?

The international day without plastic bags is dedicated to increasing awareness of the damage that plastic bags cause to the environment. We do get rid of them after half an hour and they disappear from our thought, but they do not disappear from the world. The plastic bags will remain in the world for another 100-500 years until they finally disintegrate completely and have a profound impact on our environment as a result.

The bags reach the garbage and fly from there to wherever possible. They reach the ground and injure animals that choke on them. They reach the sea and the ocean and kill the fish. They accumulate into large piles and create rubbish, they fill streams and water sources.

On a day without plastic bags, give up plastic bags for at least one day. Use multi-cloth baskets in a large bag or in carts. When you go shopping in the mall, come with a big bag and put things you buy there. It is also much more convenient than carrying bags! Use biodegradable bags and if you own a store, offer your customers recycled paper bags.

July 3 is also Independence Day in Belarus and Air Conditioning Appreciation Days

Arbor Day - The last Friday in April

Arbor Day is a holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. The holiday takes place in many countries around the world, usually in the spring, on a date that varies according to the climate and the appropriate planting season.

Why plant trees?

Trees fight climate change and global warming because they absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. In just one year, an acre of mature trees absorbs the amount of carbon produced by a standard gas-powered car traveling 42,000 miles. The trees also clean the air, keep buildings and property shady and cool, and protect against chemical pollution.

The trees save water by giving shade to the lawns and passing the moisture in the air. They prevent soil erosion and help prevent water pollution.

Trees also provide habitats for many animals and even other plants, and they give us nuts, seeds and fruits that we and other animals eat. From the trees we also produce products that are used by us to create paper, furniture and even houses.

There are many more positive aspects to trees, including their beauty that also contributes to our mood and mental health. Studies have found that an environment where there are manicured and green trees reduces depression among the people who live in it.

A holiday for trees, where it is especially customary to plant trees, takes place in many different countries. In the United States, Planting Day (Arbor Day) is held on the last Friday of April. In other countries, this important day is celebrated on other dates, depending on the appropriate season for planting.

The history of Arbor Day

From the history of planting day one can learn that the importance of trees to the world was known centuries ago, because the first time Arbor Day was held was in 1805 in a small village in Spain called Villanova de les Sierra. The local pastor led the efforts to hold a tree planting holiday and the whole town joined.

The first American Arbor Day was held in the city of Nebraska, in the state of Nebraska, in 1872. It is estimated that more than a million trees were planted in Nebraska that day!

How to celebrate Tree Day?

If you are in a country where Tree Day is celebrated, join the celebration and plant a tree yourself. If not, it's still a good day to raise environmental awareness and teach the importance of trees and their contribution to the planet. You can donate to an organization that plants trees on your behalf, or plant a tree yourself in your yard, school yard or garden or anywhere you want (in coordination with the owners of the place of course).

Happy Arbor Day Greeting Cards

Arbor Day Coloring Pages

When is Arbor Day coming out in the US in the coming years?

2022- April 29, Friday

2023- April 28, Friday

2024- April 26, Friday