25 February 2020
MEDIA RELEASE
World Environment Day Dinner 2020 Tickets Released
The Conservation Council ACT Region today launched early bird tickets to the 2020 World Environment Day Dinner, which will be held on Saturday 6th June at the National Museum of Australia.
“We are delighted to announce our theme ‘Regenerating our Earth’ and our guest speaker Costa Georgiadis,” said Conservation Council ACT Region Executive Director Helen Oakey.
“Costa is not only an engaging TV personality, but also a proud advocate of the importance of plant health and regenerative agriculture, and this is particularly pertinent after announcements that this summer Australia has lost 20% of our forests to bushfires.
“In the ACT, we have ambitious and necessary targets for tree replacement and new planting, yet our street trees are dying for lack of water and healthy soil, fundamental to building resilience to climate change.
“Even if we are not plant growers, plant health is an issue we should all be aware of. Plant health affects animal health and can also have devastating impacts on our food security.
“2020 is the UN International Year of Plant Health, and will highlight the threat to plant health from pests and disease, which claim an estimated 40% of global food crops annually. Land clearing, industrial agriculture, development, pollution and climate change have altered ecosystems, reducing biodiversity and creating new niches where pests can thrive.
“Acknowledging these threats, we need to adopt land management practices that regenerate the earth by repairing and improving the quality of our soil, air and water, and even draw down carbon from our atmosphere. With global soils containing 2 to 3 times more carbon than the atmosphere itself, regenerative agriculture will play a key role in mitigating against the effects of climate change into the future.
“This year, our World Environment Day Dinner is both a fundraising event to support the Conservation Council’s environmental advocacy work, and also an opportunity to learn about a significant issue in our global future.
“We are grateful to Broadbean Catering for their generous support of this important event, and are looking forward to the Canberra Qwire who will provide musical entertainment,” said Helen.
Early bird tickets are available on the Conservation Council website and we encourage businesses, community groups and friends to book a table now.
STATEMENT END
Media comment:
Helen Oakey, Executive Director, Conservation Council ACT Region, 0402 052 777