The environment – Our friend

By Paridhi Jain

The environment is one of the most important factors of life, but it is not treated with the amount of dignity it deserves. No matter how much the environment blesses us, we are never thankful. We always want more. All we know is how to be foul. We take away its sunshine and hope of being treated well and convert it into tears and darkness.

The environment has been our friend for thousands of years now. It provides suitable and fertile land for cultivation, shelter, and food for plants and animals. It offers fresh water in lakes, canals, wells, etc. Sadly, we, careless and unappreciative human beings, never bother to care about how it might affect the system and structure of the ecosystem. We look for ways to take advantage of the environment and prove ourselves unworthy of what we are privileged to have.

For example, dumping untreated or vaguely treated waste in water bodies minimises our access to fresh water. The cycle of life has been disrupted. Toxic water is making underwater plants unfit for underwater animals. Water bodies, in many places, have become devoid of any life. When mammals and birds drink water from lakes, rivers, or canals, their bodies also get filled with noxious substances.

Air pollution is another threat to our beloved environment. As our surroundings get polluted, we breathe in the smoke which affects our lungs, causing havoc to our health, which can cost us more than we imagined. The gases released from vehicles, smoke rushing out from factories are all the cause of it. Vehicles also produce noise which can affect our ability to hear and cause temporary or permanent impairments.

Not saving electricity or littering is another way we are being thoughtless and not thinking of the consequences of our actions. In many more unadvised ways, we are causing mayhem to the future of our environment.

Ways to protect our environment:

Let us start with easy ways of being more active in doing our share in providing moral support to the environment. Following the three R’s – reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Reduce: Reducing pollution by carpooling, walking, or cycling – which will also maintain our health. Reducing the use of plastic and materials that are not biodegradable. Limiting ourselves as much as we can. We should use cloth bags while shopping and stainless steel or metal containers or glass.

Reuse: Paper is inherited by cutting down trees. Therefore, after using it, we should find multiple uses for it and reuse it until we can. We should get more productive with the way we use our things and think twice before throwing them away.

Recycle: We should recycle biodegradable wastes and wait for them to replenish. Thus, we can also separate our waste into the three coloured bins.

Saving electricity is another thing that we can all do. Switching off lights and fans before going outside, using LED, and saving money by installing solar panels. We should enjoy natural air as much as possible.

Saving water is another possible action we can take. After brushing our teeth or when the bathtubs are filled with water, turning off the taps. We should take shorter showers and make sure there aren’t any leaks. We should use sprinklers or a drip irrigation system while watering plants, consuming as much water as possible. During festivals such as Holi, we should play with colour and keep everything dry. We should also not dump our wastes into the water as many creatures have their lives dependent on it. We should volunteer to clean the polluted water bodies in groups.

Housing complexes are important to us, but so are they to creatures living in trees. Cutting them down destroys their habitat, forcing them to migrate. It causes soil erosion and many more natural casualties. We should plant more trees instead. It keeps the environment cool and healthy. It dims the sounds of loud vehicles.

We should spread more awareness through articles, magazines, posters, advertisements, and more. Even a small step to make the environment smile will also affect the way of life. It will reduce the amount of diseases and benefit the human lifestyle greatly. It will make our future bright and let hope live on. Be the one to take initiative and motivate others to follow you.