Mother Nature Needs Us

A simple exercise
Posted on 2009-06-08
like promising to plant a tree on every birthday can do a lot in environmental protection. How many billion trees can be planted every year if every individual takes up the responsibility?
WORLD Environment Day is observed on June 5 and this year’s theme is ‘Your planet needs you’.
It is very important to protect the planet from growing environmental hazards. It is the collective responsibility of every individual, organisation, business house and the government to come together and reduce the carbon emissions and protect the planet.
Buy green, sell green, go green strategy should be adopted by people at large.
Awareness is the key and people should be told about the danger the planet is facing due to global warming and suggest simple tips to protect the planet like using energy saving bulbs, use of solar power, using public transport or bicycles, switching off lights, fans when not in use etc.
More stress should be given on energy and water conservation. Melting ice has become a hot topic these days. Unless and until people get sensitised and make a commitment to protect the environment, it will become difficult to rein it in later.
Industries should become more responsible towards protecting the environment by reducing the carbon footprint. Recently Tatas have gone ahead with instructing their group to bring down the emission levels on par with global benchmarks. More corporates should follow suit.
There is a great deal of innovation taking place worldwide to face the challenges of climate change and sustainability. Corporate social responsibility is playing an important role in sensitising corporates to give their share for societal benefit. Similarly individuals should also take up the social responsibility and give the global cause a helping hand.
Green audit is catching up these days with a view to promote greening of industries and business houses. Green audits should be made mandatory by creating sufficient public awareness on the topic.
Such efforts will certainly benefit the people at large to reduce the carbon footprints, which will help in bringing down the total volume of carbon emission in the country.
It is the developing countries and the poor people who are most vulnerable to climate change. The importance of the ‘go green’ message should reach every nook and corner on a war footing as the matter is very serious.
A simple exercise like promising to plant a tree on every birthday can do a lot in environmental protection. How many billion trees can be planted every year if every individual takes up the responsibility? Let’s go green and protect our planet.
-DR NARAYAN B IYER, The writer is the national co-ordinator of the Indian Development Foundation (formerly Indian Leprosy Foundation), Mumbai