Every year, 5 June is celebrated by millions internationally as World Environment Day (WED). Established in 1972 by the United Nations, WED is one of the principal vehicles through which the UN raises worldwide awareness for the environment and enhances action.
As an affiliate of the United Nation’s Economic and Social Council, BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha celebrated World Environment Day in the UK with a presentation encouraging efficient water consumption techniques. It followed recent campaigns by English water authorities to preserve water as a result of consecutive dry winters.
The presentation took place at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, London during the evening assemblies of Saturday 9 June 2012. It comprised a series of eye-opening facts about water consumption and practical tips on safely cutting back.
| Did You Know: In Britain, we use an average of 150 litres of water per person per day. This is compared to 125 litres in Germany, and 110 litres in France. |
To help save water and lessen the burden on the environment, devotees were encouraged to make a number of small but important lifestyle changes. These changes included:
- Turning off the tap whilst brushing teeth
- Making sure taps are turned off properly
- Fixing or reporting dripping taps
- Reducing showers to four minutes
- Only filling the kettle with the amount of water that is required
- Only using the washing machine with a full load
- Installing a water butt in the garden to use when watering plants
This effort is the latest in a series of initiatives the Mandir has supported for raising environmental responsibility. Recent projects include observing Earth Hour and participating in a ‘Big Tidy Up’ in the local area.
To learn more about the UN’s World Environment Day, please click here.