Washington, D.C./Omaha, Nebraska – April 13, 2009 – The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has selected Omaha as the host city for the North American celebrations of World Environment Day 2009. This year’s theme is “UNite to Combat Climate Change.”
As host city, Omaha businesses, organizations and individuals will work with UNEP’s Regional Office for North America (RONA) to schedule a series of World Environment Day events, as well as events taking place during the six weeks that “bridge the gap” between Earth Day on April 22 and World Environment Day on June 5.
Commemorated each year in more than 100 countries around the globe, World Environment Day is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. With thousands of events in UNEP’s six global regions including North America, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and West Asia, World Environment Day is considered one of the largest environmental events of its kind.
The selection of Omaha reflects the city’s commitment to environmental and sustainability issues. This commitment is demonstrated by the creation of the Green Omaha Coalition, a partnership of public agencies, non-profit groups and private organizations dedicated to promoting a healthy, sustainable community through partnerships, policy, and smart solutions, as well as Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey’s signing of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. In addition, Omaha was recently ranked 25th nationally in SustainLane’s 2008 U.S. Cities Sustainability Rankings.
According to Mayor Fahey, “Maintaining the sustainability of our environment remains a priority for the City of Omaha. The six-week campaign bridging Earth Day and World Environment Day offers an opportunity for individuals to learn about the environment, re-examine their own impacts and take action to prevent further environmental degradation.”
“The issue of climate change is one of the most important challenges of our time,” said Amy Fraenkel, Director of UNEP’s Regional office for North America. “While UNEP thinks globally, we must act locally by engaging partners from all sectors of society, including cities, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, youth, and the media. It is important to bring this message to all parts of the United States, and we are proud to partner with Omaha on World Environment Day 2009.”
Throughout Omaha and at venues around the world, events will highlight resources, initiatives and methods that promote low carbon economies and lifestyles, such as improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation and eco-friendly consumption, among others.
Bayer Corporation, UNEP’s World Environment Day partner in North America, will sponsor the youth program, including the opening of a special exhibition of the International Children’s Painting Competition (ICPC) in Omaha, an awards ceremony for ICPC North American winners and an interactive environmental workshop for Omaha students led by Dr. Mae C. Jemison. Former director of the Jemison Institute of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth College and founder of the international science camp, The Earth We Share (TEWS), Dr. Jemison is a scientist, educator and the nation’s first African-American female astronaut. She also is Bayer’s national spokesperson for its company-wide Making Science Make Sense® program.
World Environment Day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the June 5 opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Another resolution, adopted by the General Assembly the same day, led to the creation of UNEP. Mexico City, Mexico will serve as the 2009 international host city.
About the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office of North America (UNEP RONA)
The Regional Office for North America (RONA), located in Washington, D.C., is one of six regional offices for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). RONA’s mission is to foster cooperation on environmental issues in the United States and Canada, thereby promoting effective responses to global environmental challenges. RONA’s strategy to achieve these goals includes promoting collaboration between UNEP and various sectors of North American society, facilitating the participation of the region in UNEP-sponsored global events and activities, developing environmental education initiatives, and organizing environmental awareness-raising campaigns.
For more information, please contact: Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox, Deputy Director, UNEP RONA at egc@rona.unep.org, tel: (202) 974-1307 or (202) 812-2100; Tess Cieux, UNEP RONA at tc@rona.unep.org, tel: (202) 785-0465; and Kate Kavanaugh in Omaha at (402) 393-8537 or by email at kate.cavanaugh@gmail.com.
www.omahaenvironmentday.com
www.rona.unep.org
www.unep.org
Please register any environmental events between now and June 5 with Mike Klug at moklug@cox.net for publication on the Omaha Environment Day website.
As host city, Omaha businesses, organizations and individuals will work with UNEP’s Regional Office for North America (RONA) to schedule a series of World Environment Day events, as well as events taking place during the six weeks that “bridge the gap” between Earth Day on April 22 and World Environment Day on June 5.
Commemorated each year in more than 100 countries around the globe, World Environment Day is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. With thousands of events in UNEP’s six global regions including North America, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and West Asia, World Environment Day is considered one of the largest environmental events of its kind.
The selection of Omaha reflects the city’s commitment to environmental and sustainability issues. This commitment is demonstrated by the creation of the Green Omaha Coalition, a partnership of public agencies, non-profit groups and private organizations dedicated to promoting a healthy, sustainable community through partnerships, policy, and smart solutions, as well as Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey’s signing of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. In addition, Omaha was recently ranked 25th nationally in SustainLane’s 2008 U.S. Cities Sustainability Rankings.
According to Mayor Fahey, “Maintaining the sustainability of our environment remains a priority for the City of Omaha. The six-week campaign bridging Earth Day and World Environment Day offers an opportunity for individuals to learn about the environment, re-examine their own impacts and take action to prevent further environmental degradation.”
“The issue of climate change is one of the most important challenges of our time,” said Amy Fraenkel, Director of UNEP’s Regional office for North America. “While UNEP thinks globally, we must act locally by engaging partners from all sectors of society, including cities, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, youth, and the media. It is important to bring this message to all parts of the United States, and we are proud to partner with Omaha on World Environment Day 2009.”
Throughout Omaha and at venues around the world, events will highlight resources, initiatives and methods that promote low carbon economies and lifestyles, such as improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, forest conservation and eco-friendly consumption, among others.
Bayer Corporation, UNEP’s World Environment Day partner in North America, will sponsor the youth program, including the opening of a special exhibition of the International Children’s Painting Competition (ICPC) in Omaha, an awards ceremony for ICPC North American winners and an interactive environmental workshop for Omaha students led by Dr. Mae C. Jemison. Former director of the Jemison Institute of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth College and founder of the international science camp, The Earth We Share (TEWS), Dr. Jemison is a scientist, educator and the nation’s first African-American female astronaut. She also is Bayer’s national spokesperson for its company-wide Making Science Make Sense® program.
World Environment Day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the June 5 opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. Another resolution, adopted by the General Assembly the same day, led to the creation of UNEP. Mexico City, Mexico will serve as the 2009 international host city.
About the United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office of North America (UNEP RONA)
The Regional Office for North America (RONA), located in Washington, D.C., is one of six regional offices for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). RONA’s mission is to foster cooperation on environmental issues in the United States and Canada, thereby promoting effective responses to global environmental challenges. RONA’s strategy to achieve these goals includes promoting collaboration between UNEP and various sectors of North American society, facilitating the participation of the region in UNEP-sponsored global events and activities, developing environmental education initiatives, and organizing environmental awareness-raising campaigns.
For more information, please contact: Elisabeth Guilbaud-Cox, Deputy Director, UNEP RONA at egc@rona.unep.org, tel: (202) 974-1307 or (202) 812-2100; Tess Cieux, UNEP RONA at tc@rona.unep.org, tel: (202) 785-0465; and Kate Kavanaugh in Omaha at (402) 393-8537 or by email at kate.cavanaugh@gmail.com.
www.omahaenvironmentday.com
www.rona.unep.org
www.unep.org
Please register any environmental events between now and June 5 with Mike Klug at moklug@cox.net for publication on the Omaha Environment Day website.
posted by ktorpy @ 9:50 AM
