Fast is not always good. Species are becoming extinct at the fastest rate known in geological history, and most of these extinctions are tied to human activity. This year is the UN Year of Biodiversity and it seems as if in the blink of an eye, we are already half-way through it.

2010 was the year set as the deadline to achieve a significant reduction in the rate of loss of biodiversity.  All assessments of progress indicate that we are far from reaching the goals set in 2002.

United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) most recent report assessing biodiversity on Earth warns that a massive further loss of biodiversity is increasingly likely, and with it, a severe reduction of many essential services to society as “tipping points” are approached.

Rising global populations, a demand for more resources, finite oil supplies, increasing globalisation and massive species extinctions, all define an era that could be described as both a crisis and a wake-up call.

Every year the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) uses World Environment Day (WED) as a vehicle to raise worldwide awareness of important environmental issues with the aim of creating awareness and driving political action. This year’s WED will be held under the theme – Many Species. One Planet. One Future. This theme serves as a call to action to stop and reverse biodiversity loss.

"In South Africa, June is dedicated to national Environment Month and this year, the month will be observed under the theme 'Many Species. One Planet. One Future', which echoes the urgent call to conserve the diversity of life on our planet," the department of Environmental Affairs said in a statement.
A series of events and activities are also scheduled to take place across the country for the duration of the month including the launch of the National Waste Campaign by Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica.

The campaign, to be launched at the Dlamini Multi-Purpose Centre in Soweto on Saturday, will form part of the programme of the Coca-Cola 2010 FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour.

It will be used as a platform to call on South Africans to be good hosts and welcome the world to a cleaner SA for 2010 and beyond.
As part of World Environment Day celebrations, Deputy Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs Rejoice Mabudafhasi will on Friday hand over a Buyisela Eco-Town project to the Mantsopa community in the Free State.

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has set aside R400 million for the Buyisela Eco-Towns programme that is being rolled out to 10 municipalities.

The project - Buyisela- is an initiative led by the DEA in partnership with Indalo Yethu and the Department of Water Affairs. This initiative aims to create ten eco-towns modelled on sustainability as a legacy project which will serve as a framework or blueprint for other towns to follow.