Tulum environmentalists call for ”simple actions” in favor of the planet

This January 26th is World Environmental Education Day, and local ecologists in Tulum indicated that simple behaviors and actions can contribute to the care of the planet from the individual level.

Rocío Peralta, member of the civil association Biodiversidad y Cultura Ambiental de Tulum, declared that in a destination full of ecological life such as Tulum, special attention must be paid.

In this regard, the biologist cited the Belgrade Charter, a fundamental pillar of environmental education worldwide, ratified during the international conference in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1977 by Unesco and UNEP. This document commits all the allied countries to join the efforts and objectives of environmental education established in the 1970s.

He detailed that the objectives of environmental education established in the Belgrade Charter are: awareness, knowledge, attitudes, skills, evaluation capacity and participation. “Social groups should be helped to be informed of what is happening in the environment and the problems that exist and the role of humanity in it, helping groups to understand environmental problems and environmental responsibility,” explained the ecologist.

Attitudes drive values so that groups actively participate in the protection and improvement of the environment, and skills allow environmental problems to be solved. Evaluation capacity helps to measure environmental education programs in terms of social, economic, political, aesthetic and educational factors. And for its part, participation promotes responsibility and awareness to address environmental problems in order to take the best measures to protect it.

“Environmental education is a continuous process of education, awareness and communication that must be adjusted to each era; it must be a basic element for the resolution of environmental problems, better management, respect and relationship with natural and social resources for the welfare of humanity,” she said.

The also head of the natural resources department of Tulum’s Environmental Sustainability Directorate expressed that at a local level they develop and promote campaigns such as the Recyclathon to correctly dispose of useless objects, as well as the cleaning of public spaces such as beaches.

He mentioned that there are also enough instruments and programs to be able to consolidate Tulum as a “green destination” and for this the inhabitants can do simple tasks such as depositing garbage in the indicated places and participating in recycling programs.

“From the national level to the municipal level we have the obligation to carry out and plan the programs, but there are also organizations that deploy recycling and non-pollution campaigns that are simple to adopt and that is why it is important that they participate so that Tulum is recognized as a “green destination”.

Editing: Ana Ordaz