Pittsburgh will be the North American host city for World Environment Day in 2010, according to an announcement made today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The United Nations founded World Environment Day in 1972 to stimulate environmental awareness and action. The theme for World Environment Day 2010 is "Biodiversity: Connecting with Nature."
If Pittsburgh strikes you as an odd choice to host a high-profile environmental event, perhaps you still associate Pittsburgh with steel factories belching smoke or, later, as the de facto capital of the Rust Belt when those factories started to close. If so, you've missed Pittsburgh's transformation from an industrial city to a leader in green technology and sustainability.
It probably didn't hurt that Pittsburgh is also the home of Bayer Corporation, a longtime supporter of UNEP programs, which worked hard to bring World Environment Day to Pittsburgh in 2010. But that doesn't lessen Pittsburgh's environmental credentials or make the choice any less appropriate.
In September, Pittsburgh hosted a G-20 summit meeting, where the world's largest and most influential economies agreed to end $300 billion in subsidies for oil, coal and other fossil fuels that produce greenhouse gases and contribute to global warming. As part of his efforts to sell America on the viability of a new economy based on clean energy and sustainable practices, President Obama has highlighted Pittsburgh's environmental achievements and pointed to the city as a model of the green economy. Coincidentally, Pittsburgh is also the birthplace of scientist and author Rachel Carson, who is often credited with inspiring the modern environmental movement with the 1962 publication of her book, Silent Spring.
World Environment Day is celebrated annually on June 5. Each year, the UNEP selects a host country, a host city in North America, and a theme for the event. For World Environment Day 2009, the host country was Mexico, the North American host city was Omaha, Nebraska, and the theme was, "Your Planet Needs You--UNite to Combat Climate Change," an attempt to focus attention on the need for the world's nations to agree on a new climate treaty this year.
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