Representatives of 30 Beijing residents' committees receive free environment-friendly bags at the "Green World" press conference on April 22. [Photo: China.org.cn]

"Green World", an initiative to promote energy conservation and environmental protection, was officially launched at a press conference in Beijing on April 22, the Earth Day, to celebrate the birthday of our Mother Earth.

The initiative is co-sponsored by the China Environment News, the China Cement Association, the China Petroleum and Petrochemical Equipment Industry Association, and the Japan-China Environmental Cooperation Center, as well as the International Energy Conservation Environmental Protection Association.

In order to encourage more people to protect the earth and rebuild a green world, it plans to provide environment-friendly bags to the public for free and carry out a series of promotional activities for environmental protection. "This press conference is just our first step," said Blake Margison, representative of the International Energy Conservation Environmental Protection Association (IEEAP).

It was announced at the press conference that 30 residents' committees in Beijing have taken part in this green activity as the first locations for distribution of free environment-friendly bags.

"Although public awareness of the need for environmental protection has been raised over the past decades, it is far from enough,” said Li Song, deputy director of the China Environment News. "China began adopting measures to protect the environment in 1972, much later than western countries. Also, unlike them, China adopts a government-managed model, that is, the government promotes action among the public. Hence, there is a long way to go."

Li takes carbon emissions, a hot topic nowadays, as an example. "Everyone should know that they are responsible for their own carbon emissions during their daily lives. It's important for them to do what they can – for example, planting two trees balances one's carbon emissions if s/he makes a single plane journey. Such individual actions are what we're calling for."

People's means of consumption and their living habits have to be improved to keep in harmony with the environment, according to Zhu Min, editor-in-chief of the New Economy Weekly by the Development Research Center of the State Council.

"With an economic downturn still hanging over the world, environmental issues such as climate change are uncomfortable topics," Zhu said. "However, the economic and the environmental crisis both share the same root cause, that is, people's unsustainable desires undermining their sense of human responsibility. Now, it's time for people to take it seriously."

Zhu also indicated that efforts have to be made on three levels: All nations should establish a common cooperative mechanism first; then individual governments should set their own detailed goals such as "Green GDP"; subsequently, businesses and individuals can take action from their own perspective.

Earth Day, celebrated on April 22, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. It was founded by US Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year.