The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has recently launched a ground-breaking mobile application named “Meri LiFE” (My Life). This initiative is part of the ministry’s efforts towards involving the younger generation in the fight against climate change. The endeavour precedes the forthcoming World Environment Day on 5th June. To further supplement this venture, the Ministry has also brought into existence two exclusive portals for LiFE: the Mission LiFE Portal and the Meri LiFE Portal.
Understanding the Goals of Meri LiFE App
The central aim of the Meri LiFE app is to demonstrate the significant role citizens play in protecting the environment. More specifically, it seeks to highlight the influence young people can have through implementing straightforward acts in their day-to-day lives.
The app strives to promote the national movement for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) by setting up an organized method for tracking advances made under Mission LiFE. It motivates users to take part in a collection of LiFE-coordinated tasks under five key themes: Save Energy, Save Water, Reduce Single Use Plastic, Adopt Sustainable Food Systems, and Adopt Healthy Lifestyle. It provides a gamified experience where users are encouraged to take the 5 for 5 challenge and carry out five LiFE actions by June 5th, 2023.
Decoding Mission LiFE
LiFE, as an idea, was first introduced by the Prime Minister of India at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 1st November 2021. The LiFE Movement aims at harnessing the power of collective action and coax individuals globally to adopt simple eco-friendly practices in their daily lives.
The Mission plans to nurture a global network of ‘Pro-Planet People’ (P3), committed to adopting and promoting environmentally friendly lifestyles. The P3 community is expected to foster an ecosystem that will perpetuate and enable eco-friendly behaviors to become self-sustainable. The ultimate vision of the Mission is to substitute the existing ‘use-and-dispose’ economy with a circular economy that encourages mindful and deliberate utilization.
World Environment Day 2023: Overview
The United Nations General Assembly established World Environment Day on June 5th, 1974. It serves as a worldwide stage for spreading awareness and acting on urgent environmental concerns. The theme decided for World Environment Day 2023 is Solutions to Plastic Pollution, which resonates with one of the seven themes of Mission LiFE: “Reducing the use of single-use plastic items.”
Annually, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced, half of which is intended for single use only. Surprisingly, less than 10% of this amount is recycled, and about 19-23 million tonnes end up contaminating our water bodies. Côte d’Ivoire will host the event in collaboration with the Netherlands. India had hosted the 2018 World Environment Day with “Beat Plastic Pollution” as its theme.
UPSC Civil Services Examination: A Glimpse
In the previous year’s UPSC Civil Services Examination, a question related to environment emerged. It questioned, “The ‘Common Carbon Metric’ supported by UNEP, developed for what purpose?” The correct answer was, “Assessing the carbon footprint of building operations around the world.”
References
All information and statistics used in this article are sourced from PIB (Press Information Bureau).