Environment days come and go and so do Earth Days. Add Ocean days, Water days, Pollution days and more and yet we have limited time on Earth to cover up our environmental challenges. Solution? Catch them young!
Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth… these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity, energy shortages, global health, food security and women’s empowerment. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.
Ban Ki-moon
Now, the kids are the only solution for us. We have lived half our lives already without even knowing we are causing climate change. So what can kids do? Small changes can lead to habits and habits can lead to integration of character.
Here are the changes you can incorporate:-
- Replace plastic bags with cloth bags for shopping.
- Say no to plastic items while shopping with kids.
- Take your own cutlery during travel and avoid dumping things around in tourist sites
- Use garbage bins liberally. If you don’t find one, keep a bag wherein you can put it and throw until later
- Use glass in place of plastic in your kitchen space – unless you have very small kids and worry about them breaking certain utensils. Wood or bamboo is a good alternative for very young kids.
- There is nothing magical than having a small garden or growing potted plants. It helps kids to nurture nature and learn about various plants too
- Field trips to pond, lake, river, sea are easiest ways get kids oriented into the ecosystem of aquatic life forms and all that surround it.
- Encourage optimal usage of things like ketchup bottles and toothpaste. It is good to use it till the last drop to avoid unnecessary land fills.
- e-Waste process available in your city? Go in for e-waste recycling initiatives. Tata Chroma has one. Check out with other brands if they have the facilities too.
- Make kids conscious of their environment with simple tasks of making a choice. If a product is to be brought will you buy a tetrapack or a bottle? Have them think and give reasons for their choices.
Remember! Kids learn by seeing. It is a great lesson for them if parents too are concerned about the environment.
Check out these videos with kids for more awareness –
How to take care of the Environment:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2YgM1Zw4_E
What is sustainability: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTamnlXbgqc
We hope all these small acts and activities can lead to better enviornmental outcomes. So let’s begin it at home first and then in schools.