<B>By Nicholas RAINER</B>

Without a shadow of a doubt, Mauritius is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. From the postcard-perfect beaches of the north and east coasts to the rugged rusticity of the south, the elements seem to have had a whale of a time in creating the aptly named Key and Star of the Indian Ocean. The impossibly craggy peaks that jut out here and there inject a healthy dose of drama into the proceedings while the luxuriant vegetation of the interior adds an air of primeval intensity to the tableau. It might be worth pondering over the wonder of this nonpareil natural elegance the day after tomorrow.

Thursdays seem to be hogging all the glory this year. A mere two weeks after the International day for biological diversity (22 May), it?s the turn of the World Environment Day (5 June) to be held on a Thursday (named after the day of Thor, the Norse God of Thunder). The theme of this year?s World Environment Day, Kick the CO2 Habit, couldn?t have come at a more auspicious time.

Both the public and private sectors seem to have genuinely latched onto the potential of renewable energies, if not to reduce the country?s greenhouse gas emissions then, at least to slash its energy bills and capitalize on its inherent natural advantages. This shows that the economic reality imposed by peak petrol is rapidly becoming impossible to ignore. So be it. Humankind usually needs to be prodded into action.

And Mauritius isn?t alone in its quest to gradually wean itself off fossil fuels.

According to Achim Steiner, the executive director of the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), renewable energies seem to be all the rage these days. "Close to 60 countries have targets for renewables, including 13 developing countries, while around 80 have market mechanisms in place to encourage renewable energy development; over 20% of new investment in renewable energy is in developing countries, with China, India and Brazil taking the lion?s share with 9,5 and 4% respectively in 2006; renewables now provide over 5% of global generation and 18% of new investment in power generation."

World Environment Day is not only about big policy decisions. It?s about showing that we all care by reducing, even slightly, our energy use and by becoming more discerning consumers. This is something we can do every day, not just once a year. After all, you don?t wait for Valentine?s Day to shower affection on your loved one (it?s rather sad if you do).

I?m not a big fan of big-budget disaster movies but I have to admit that I found 2004?s The Day after tomorrow both entertaining and thought-provoking. Contrarily to most of its vacuous Hollywood brethren, Roland Emmerich?s portrayal of the catastrophic effects of climate change contained a surprisingly potent environmental message. It depicted a world being torn asunder by a series of natural disasters, its human inhabitants powerless in the face of the weather?s wrath. Although we might not yet be on the cusp of a new ice age as the film posited, it?s impossible to deny that the planet has been dishing out some freakish storms, earthquakes and tsunamis with worrying regularity over the past few years.

Have a great World Environment Day!