Environmental Awareness

 

Environmental Awareness

Protection and conservation of environment is an important issue in today's time. It is necessary to raise awareness to protect the natural resources around us.

Environmental sensitivity in India can only come from a major campaign of public awareness. In this, many means - electronic media, press, school, college education and adult education, all complement each other. Green movement can grow from small local initiatives to become a major factor advocating environmental protection before the government. There is a large enough group of voters who insist on environmental protection. Only then will the policy makers work for environmental protection. It is an important task to motivate the media to present environmental issues. Often many advertisements carry such messages which are not in the interest of protecting the environment.

What can we do?

Most of us always keep complaining about the deteriorating condition of the environment in the country. We keep blaming the government for not doing anything about it. How many of us really do something about our environment? Think about the things we can do to protect the environment in our daily lives, our businesses and our communities.

Conservation of biodiversity: A large part of India's remaining wilderness is threatened today. Many unique landscapes are shrinking as intensive agriculture and industrial growth accelerate in the name of development. If man continues to destroy natural habitats, undoing millions of years of evolution in his obsession with destruction, and focusing only on short-term gains, modern science has no doubt that the end of the human race is near. Species are irreversible. When a species goes extinct, it is gone forever. Future generations will hold us responsible for this irreparable loss.

Often we forget that we are part of the intricate web of life and that our lives depend on the unity of the 1.8 million species of plants and animals that live in different ecosystems on Earth. You can contribute to protecting your ecosystems and conserving biodiversity by doing the following:

Things to do

1. Plant more trees of local or indigenous species around your home and workplace and encourage your friends to do the same. Plants are important for our lives in many ways.

2. If your urban garden is too small for trees, plant shrubs and vines. These support bird life and insect life which are part of nature's food chains. Conservation of urban biodiversity is possible and it can support a limited but valuable variety of life.

3. If you live in a flat, plant plants in pots on the terrace or balcony. Window-boxes can be used to grow small flowering plants. These will also add beauty to your home.

4. Prevent cutting of trees wherever and whenever possible and if possible, report it immediately to the concerned authorities. Old trees are especially important.

5. Focus on keeping the hills free from settlements or encroachments. The degradation of hill slopes leads to serious environmental problems.

6. Buy lightweight packaging material. This will not only reduce the amount of waste going into landfills but will also reduce the need to cut trees to make paper for packaging etc.

7. Find ways to reduce paper usage. Write on both sides of every sheet of paper and send the waste paper for recycling.

8. Buy recycled paper items for your home, such as paper sheets, envelopes etc.

9. Reuse paper from cartons and gift paper again and again. Recycle newspapers and waste paper instead of throwing them in the garbage.

10. Donate used books and magazines to schools, hospitals or libraries. This donation will not only help these organizations but will also reduce the exploitation of natural resources for making paper.

11. Participate in events that promote the need to maintain sanctuaries, national parks, nature trails, open spaces and save forests.

12. Help in Project Tiger, Project Elephant etc. and join NGOs involved in environment and nature conservation.

13. Participate in wildlife week activities, tree plantation drives and other public activities and protest against environmental destruction and involve friends in it too!

If we all work together for environmental conservation, we can make our earth safe and beautiful for future generations. Remember, our future and that of our future generations is safe only in protecting the environment.