On the day when we know the environmental changes for years and years now and studies go public about environmental and climate changes. We know that we are littering our surrounding our cities and the oceans, and we know that we are destroying wild life, marine life and most importantly the lives of our next generations. Seriously I consider it as a disaster of humanity that we are offering a BS degree in environmental studies from 1950s, but we haven’t made people agree on environmental changes and even more disasters thing is that last 50 to 60 years are THE WORST in terms of environmental pollution. On the domestic and personal level most of our trash is plastics, food wastes and other packaging materials such as paper towels, paper packaging and aluminium foils and cans but the plastic trash is the worst kind of trash and its increasing drematicaly because of increasing food packaging, plastic bags, disposable cups, glasses and plastic straws, on a serious note its possible to reduce the amount of trash and not impossible as we usually think trust me I’m doing it.
We know that what is environmental pollution, what are the causes of it and what are the measures we could take, but we are not taking it seriously. Because if you look back on history you will find that first ban related to environmental measures that is recorded in history books was 1272 after smoke became problem in London, first study related to global warming and environmental pollution was published in the 1800s and first BS level degree in environmental studies was offered in the 1950s and it doesn’t end here many more things shows that we know these problems from decades but still the problem is getting worse day by day, month by month and year by year, I think because people don’t believe in environmental pollution and global warming, and the other thing is that we don’t feel that this is our responsibility to take every step after thinking that what will be the effect of it on the environment.
On daily basis we make a lot of trash but most of the trash especially on the domestic and personal level, single use plastic and food waste are the main categories and between those two plastic are the biggest problem because food waste is easily compostable and perishable item and also if food waste left untreated at will decompose in a very short amount of time but the plastics, they couldn’t be decomposed in near future. Studies have shown that plastic could take 450 years to decompose by itself so, think in this way that the plastic you are using today will last as trash and pollution for your fourth generation. And on the other side if you think that, “I will recycle these plastics” then listen recent study shows that only 9% of the plastic trash from around the world has recycled in last 65 years and the rest of the plastic either burned or thrown in to the oceans. The main reason behind all of that is our usage of single use plastic such as straws, polythene bags, disposable cups and all sort of packaging.
Now the point is, can we reduce the plastic trash? So, the answer is yes we can and the only you have to do is to avoid using packaged food, straws, cups and plastic bags.
Here’s what I do to reduce my trash, I take a canvas with me where ever I go in my school bag or in my car’s door bin so in that way I don’t have to use plastic shopping bags, I take a lunch box with me in my bag so if I want to eat something I don’t have to use any disposable packaging, I take a traveling mug one in the bag and one in the car, so I don’t have to use any disposable cup or glass.
I admit that its not very stylish or classy and some time people could make fun of you so, do it and face the harsh comments for the sake of environment and most importantly you can make it very stylish because if you can make people think that you are the one who want to do a good thing not for your self but for all the community people will respect “I’m saying it considering our Pakistani public people first ask question that why are you doing it? But when they realized that what are you trying to do people pay respect to you, your decision, appreciate your efforts and most importantly some of them are trying to do the same as well.
And at the end, I want to start the campaign at least on the level of “Local Guides” worldwide so, I want your support from each and every part of the world.
…….BAS ITNA HI THA…….
2022
