Here’s Hema’s entry for the Earth Day Compeition!
Thanks!

“What do you think needs to be done to get Indians more aware of their environment and how do we go about protecting it? What in your opinion will be the ideal law to get things moving in the right direction?”

Go Green!!!!! That’s the need of the hour! Environment Awareness is getting more and more attention these days… and it’s quite time too! Issues like Global Warming, Ozone Depletion, CO2 Pollution, Loss of Biodiversity, etc. are hogging the limelight, silently screaming at mankind to take action before Mother Nature is forced to take severe adverse measures.

In a vast country like India, where many people are uneducated, we actually need a revolution to create awareness. But mere awareness is not enough. Isn’t it true that many of us, educated Indians, would sit for hours talking about these issues and blame the government for taking no steps. And yet, we don’t mind cutting down a few trees to beautify our homes or buy expensive cars and bikes for every member of the family unmindful of the high level of pollution we are contributing.

How can we spread awareness among the masses? How can we get people to fully participate? How can we save our Mother Earth? Well, here’s my suggestion. Let’s take a note from our history. During the Freedom Struggle, a group of like- minded youngsters all over India joined hands to drive away the British. What we need now is YOUTH POWER!!! Let a group of youngsters come together and form a Committee. They communicate to their friends in other cities who form committees there. Like this, through word of mouth and through fast reaching media like the Internet, we can get committees of sincere, hardworking youth in each and every city of India.

Now we have formed a committee. What can we do? There are so many things we can achieve. First let’s start at individual houses. Let’s spread awareness among family and relatives. Then, the neighbourhood level. And then the city level. Let’s start with planning a lot of trees. Let’s visit schools and colleges and get the young minds to work on debates regarding the environmental issues. Encourage them to plant trees. Educate them to save water. Its easy to mould young minds in the right direction. Give them brochures and pamphlets giving simple suggestions that one can follow to save our earth. They’ll spread the word among their families and friends.

Lets educate people about the concept of the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Let’s provide separate bins for recyclable wastes in every neighbourhood. And we need to work on Energy Efficiency and Water Conservation. We can put up large banners and posters in many places and have ads in media like TV and radio to tell people to switch off lights and fans when not in use, not to waste water, to go for renewable sources of energy like solar water heaters, solar cookers, PV cells, etc. In a tropical country like India, there is vast potential to tap natural sources of energy. But many people hesitate to buy these products on account of their high cost, without realizing that its going to save them lots of money in the long run and they are also cutting down usage of fossil fuels that would have emitted lots of CO2, the major gas contributing to Green House Effect. Rainwater harvesting should also reach every home. Harvested rainwater could be used for a number of domestic purposes like toilet flushing, in kitchen sinks, car washing, evaporative coolers, etc. In regions struggling for water, it can also be used for drinking.

The government can do its bit by encouraging use of renewable energy sources like wind energy, biogas etc. for large-scale industrial purposes. They can bring down the costs of solar products so that many people can buy them. They can encourage innovative eco- friendly alternatives for automobile fuels by funding them. They can improve the present public transportation and encourage people to use them.

Well, if each and every individual take little steps in the right direction, I am sure our Mother Earth could be saved!!