Today is, of course, World Environment Day! What? You never heard of it? Either had I until very recently, in spite of the fact it was started by the United Nations in 1972 in an effort to “stimulate worldwide awareness of the environment and enhance political attention and action.” They don’t seem to be doing too well on the “awareness” front and, if I had to guess, probably not so hot on the “political action” end, either.

It makes me wonder just how effective the U.N. is at anything. I mean, come on, a handfull of folks started pretty much the same kind of “environment awareness” day just two years before the U.N., and who hasn’t heard of Earth Day? They boast having a half a billion folks participating in celebrations this year.

But, I don’t mean to be too hard on the U.N. and I support its efforts to spread environmental awareness where it can. This year’s theme is “Deserts and Desertification: Don’t Desert Drylands.” The drylands, the U.N. site tells us, covers “40% of the planet’s surface. This ecosystem is home to one-third of the world’s people who are more vulnerable members of society.” The drylands are some of the most delicate of our ecosystems, easily falling prey to desertification — a process which reduces the fertility of these lands. As much as 70% of the drylands are currently be affected by desertification.