Spring 2000
Vol. 15, No. 1
A Millennium Enviro-Calendar

More than 3,000 groups in 166 countries will celebrate Earth Day 2000 - the largest environmental event in human history. More than 30 of the world's leading environmental organizations are sponsoring the event.

Here's a calendar of important social and environmental events occurring this year.

  • January 2000: The Earth Charter. A statement on fundamental principles of global partnership presented for adoption by the UN. Sponsored by Earth Charter Commission and International Union for the Conservation of Nature. +1 (802) 388-9933.
  • January 1 Midnight: World Millennium Snapshot
  • January 1-December 31: Odyssey 2000 Bicycle Trek around the planet.
  • January 24-28: Protocol on Biosafety. Convention on Biological Diversity. Montreal, Canada
  • January 27-February 1: World Economic Forum. Davos, Switzerland.
  • February 12-15: International Conference on Desertification. Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
  • February 21: Bicentennial Celebration of Washington, DC. Environmental and educations projects.
  • February 29: International Children's Day.
  • February 29: Leap Day Conference on Calendar Reform.
  • March 1-8: Abolition 2000. International action for a nuclear-free world.
  • March 5: Thirtieth anniversary of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
  • March 8: International Women's Day
  • March 12: International Seminar on Global Environmental Law. Oxford, England.
  • March 17-22: Second World Water Conference. The Hague, The Netherlands.
  • March 20- April 28: 56th Annual Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights. Geneva, Switzerland.
  • March 31-April 2: Northwest Wilderness Conference 2000. Seattle, Washington, USA.
  • April 4-7: Fourth EcoCity Conference. Open University for the Environment. Curitiba, Brazil [unilivre@unilivre.org.br]
  • April 7: World Health Day
  • April 22: Earth Day 2000. On the Mall in Washington, DC and around the world.
  • April 24-May 19: 2000 Non-Proliferation Review Conference, New York May 3 World Press Freedom Day
  • May 5: California Wilderness Conference 2000. Cal State University at Sacramento.
  • May 8-12: Review of Implementation of Habitat Agenda. Nairobi, Kenya.
  • May 15-26: Fifth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, Nairobi, Kenya.
  • May 22-24: Millennium International Children's Conference on the Environment. Eastbourne, England.
  • May 22-26: Millennium Forum of civil society, UN Building. New York. [www.millenniumforum.org]
  • June: Jubilee 2000 for the cancellation of Developing World debt.
  • June 1: Milenio. UN University for Peace, Costa Rica.
  • June 1-October 31: "Humankind, Nature & Technology." Hanover Expo. Germany.
  • June 5: World Environment Day. UNEP's Year 2000 Global 500 Award Winners
  • June 7-10: Green Expo 2000 on the island of Jamaica.
  • June 10: March of the Millennium (Plans for 30 million marchers in 2,000 cities).
  • June 14-18: Challenges to Science and Engineering in the 21ST Century. Stockholm, Sweden. [www.ines2000.org]
  • June 21: Summer Solstice. World Whale Day.
  • July: World Millennium Threshold Observance. Teykjavik and Thingvelliir, Iceland.
  • July 5-7: Diversity 2000 Conference on Regeneration and Sustainability. Manchester, England.
  • July 6-9: International Conference on War Tax Issues. Washington. DC.
  • July 11: World Population Day
  • August: European Clean Energy Roundtable, Switzerland.
  • September: State of the World Forum. Washington, D.C. USA.
  • September: United Nations Environment Program's International Photographic Competition Awards
  • September 6: Millennium Summit - "The largest gathering of Heads of State and/or Government ever held in the world." UN Building. New York.
  • September 16-October 1: Olympic Summer Games. Sydney, Australia.
  • October 4-12: World Conservation Congress, Amman, Jordan.
  • October 18-20: Euro Environment 2000 Pan-European Conference on Industry and Environmental Performance. Aalborg, Denmark. Autumn Peace Child International Global Youth Conference and Concert.
Special Events

  • The Milenio Celebration in Costa Rica will feature a Millennium Bell made from melted weapons to serve "as a symbol of the transformation from a gun culture to a culture of peace."
  • The National Cycle Network is an 8,000-mile system of traffic-free bike- and foot-paths. Funded by the British Lottery , it will link the major towns and cities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
  • The Green Meridian is an immense "woodland monument" of trees being planted along the Paris meridian from Dunkirk, through France and Spain to Barcelona. The 1,200 kilometer Méridienne Verte will feature a walking path, permitting people to literally walk across France. On Bastille Day, July 14, France is hosting "a giant picnic all along the tree line."

Earth Centre
A 400-acre site in Doncaster, South Yorkshire was home to two abandoned coal mines. It now hosts the Earth Centre - a growing demonstration of sustainable housing, transport and eco-living. Terraced gardens, wetlands, orchards, woodlands surround a working museum of 21st Century Living powered by the largest solar canopy in Europe. The Eco Station will offer car-bikes and solar-powered vehicles. Two hours from London by train. Reduced fees for anyone coming by train, bus or on foot.

Pole-to-Pole 2000
On April 1, 12 adventurers from 12 countries will embark on Pole-to-Pole 2000 - a nine-month, 12,000-mile trek by ski, bicycle, foot and canoe. They will split into three teams and take three different routes through North America, Europe and Asia. After crossing 60 countries on six continents, they will meet in Punta Arenas, Chile, for a 450-mile ski-march to the South Pole. The event is timed to conclude on the last day of the year 2000.

Odyssey 2000
A year-long globe-circling bike tour. The 250 riders from around the world (with ages ranging from 17 to 81) will travel through 54 countries. The tour will begin and end with riders pedaling in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.

Millennium Squares
Norway is celebrating the year by creating new public meeting places in 435 communities.

"The Race" is billed as "the largest sailboat race in the world without stopovers nor assistance." It will span the globe to "celebrate the union of maritime culture worldwide."

Millennium Village
The British government will build a sustainable village of 3,000 homes with 50 acres of parks on the Greenwich pennisula.

Worst Millennial Celebration
Entrepreneur Mike Johnson's planned Party 2000, a New Year's Eve bash set for a 4,500-acre site in southern California. Party 2000 called for the construction of "2,000 cement barbeques" for roasting meat and "five stages for more than 50 top performers." At 11:59:30 "two thousand men and women from the Armed Forces will stand to attention and then, during the final five seconds that will bring to a close our present millennium, a 2,000-guns salute will be fired into the sky." This would be followed by a 30-minute barrage of fireworks from 25 different locations.

Worth Noting
Earth Day is a date set by humans. Many countries also celebrate Earth's Day - which falls on the Equinox (March 19, 2000), when the sun shines equally on all nations of the Earth. In the northern hemisphere, the spring equinox marks the rebirth of nature.

The Millennium (which actually begins on January 1, 2001) is a denominational artifact. For many world religions, this change of years is not a millennial event.

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