Environmentalism of a school student

My Geography textbook mentions, “It is being said that the third World War will be fought over the issue of water.” This statement has made me pretty scared. It expresses how careless we humans have been towards our natural resources and the environment. Is it true that a day will come when our natural resources would have been exhausted? Do we have to struggle for fresh air, potable water and even for a place to live in, in the near future? And if it is so, who is responsible for it? We, or the generations above us?

However, I believe in talking about solutions rather than problems. Afterall, it is our responsibility to preserve the planet we all live in, as uptill now, “There is no planet B.” Humans have to understand they are themselves an integral part of nature and their war against nature is inevitably a war against themselves because “Man is not above nature, man is in nature.”

I as a student, understand the need for protecting the environment and am prepared to fight against the destruction of the environment. I would be pleased to share my thoughts on environmentalism, which come out of mind as a result of my knowledge and experience. If students like me are prepared to fight for the environment, it is certain that we will once again have a clean and green planet as a student today is tomorrow’s citizen.

We need not to feel powerless by the scale of environmental problems because there are a lot of things we can do to make a difference. The most important thing is that we should never doubt what change an individual can bring and try our best. Each one of us, being a part of the environment and loyal daughters and sons of mother nature shall practice five “Rs” to save the environment:

Refuse: This means saying ‘No’ to the things that you don’t need. Refuse the products that can harm the environment. Of what use are single-use plastic carry if one can use a reusable carry bag made out of cloth instead?

Reduce: This means ‘using less.’ You can save the electricity by switching off lights and fans which are not in use. You can save water by getting leaky taps repaired. You can use a glass while brushing instead of running the tap continuously. You can use digital devices for taking down notes rather than using papers and think, how many trees can you save.

Reuse: This is one of the best methods of saving the environment. This is actually even better than recycling because the process of recycling uses some energy. In the reuse strategy, you simply, ‘use things again and again.’ Instead of throwing away used envelopes, you can reverse them and use them again. The plastic bottles in which you buy various food items like- jam or pickle can be used for storing things in the kitchen.

Repurpose: This means when a product can no longer be used for the original purpose if it is damaged or worn out, think carefully and use it for some alternative purpose. For example, cracked crockery or cups with broken handles can be used to grow small plants and as feeding vessels for birds.

Recycle: This means that you collect plastic, paper, glass and metal items and recycle these materials to make required things instead of synthesising or extracting fresh plastic, paper, glass or metal. This is done by segregating wastes into different categories and then treating it accordingly.

We all must have read about ways to save the environment in our textbooks but what matters is how much we implement. Even while making everyday choices, we must keep in our mind that no one else from any other planet is not going to come and save us. It is our prime responsibility to protect it.

Moreover, the simplest of all the solutions is to plant as many trees as possible. Planting a tree is just like planting a hope for the generations to come.

As far as the development of human civilization is concerned, we must look into “sustainable development”, which is termed as ‘A development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Hence, we humans must stop destroying the environment for our selfish needs in the name of development else the day is not far when yearning for a single drop of fresh water and a cubic centimetre of fresh air will become a reality.

“When the last tree is cut down, the last particle of air is polluted, the last stream is poisoned, you will realize that you cannot eat money, neither use it as oxygen to breathe, nor as water to drink.”

Suyash Rahul
Studies in Class XI at Regency Public School, Sitapur