By Tejasvi:
We all just love talking about environment and the buzz words today are global warming and greenhouse effect. We do not pause to even think for a moment what we have done so far except talking and arguing. We must, instead of wasting time talking about these issues (which have become very pedestrian), try to make a change. This change would never come if one person in a town or a single student in a campus does that. Plants are the gifts of nature which produce oxygen for us to breathe. We are used to inhaling polluted air in this rapidly growing and industrialised nation. We have lost the capability to appreciate pure air, which only trees can give. So won’t more trees solve the problem?
Come to think of it; if each person actually makes it a point to plant a tree on his/her birthday each year of his/her life imagine how many trees would provide us purer air. If we do this continually, we would set ourselves apart from others who just talk about environment and pollution and do nothing about it. I plant a sapling every year and I am proud to say that I even take care of it. Just give it a thought; how wonderful it would be if you are able to see the plant which you planted grow up in front of you. We know that construction is difficult whereas destruction is not. We must be responsible and engage in activities beneficial for the society. Isn’t planting a tree giving (air) back to the society? We know we can do it, so why do we engage in destructive processes like cutting down trees for the sake of widening roads or building new complexes? Why can’t we understand that a 20 year old tree is more important now than the 20-years-down-the-lane benefits of a developed hi-tech well-built structure in the place where the tree previously stood?
It is time we changed ourselves. Some ideas that can help make us feel good about ourselves (because we mostly do anything for this): We must start gifting plants from nurseries to our friends on their birthdays and make them realise that they are now older in terms of wisdom along with age. It would be everlasting, if we inculcated his habit in school-going children.
Another way to mobilise people to plant trees is by asking the welfare committees in residential apartments in each city of our country to implement this around their compound walls. The plants can be taken care of by the residents of the households. If man starts to feel his responsibility towards the environment, then it would not be difficult to get better ideas for small or large scale implementation. I suggest a committee should be set up by the State Governments that accepts proposals from citizens regarding new ways of waste disposal and growing new plants (roof gardens for apartments would be a great idea if implemented). Though India’s industrialisation is not causing a lot of pollution, it is better to take steps in advance before the situation gets worse. A healthy society fosters a healthy lifestyle and I’m ready to work for it. Are you?
Image: http://letsgetgreen.wordpress.com/2007/10/30/do-one-of-these-atleast/