(original post at: http://niitsec.blogspot.com/2008/12/2009-year-of-environment.html)
Finally after a long wait, Pakistan has paid some attention to environmental issues by declaring year 2009 as the "Year of Environment". (News item, The NEWS) Declaring new year for ‘something’ is a ritual in Pakistan, yet I would not term the initiative by ministry of environment as mere eye wash (alluding to previous 'year of soldier' and 'year of mountains'). It is high time that we Pakistani's start thinking in a responsible fashion on the issues of environment. It is duly hoped that we all respond positively to this initiative and play our role for making “Pakistan Clean” and preserving our environment for future generations.
Studying at the top university of Pakistan puts us all into a position of greater responsibility. Considering the resources we all have, at our disposal, its imperative to start working for our country at the very start! It is hope that we all at NUST will, in our capacities, work together to contribute in making our environment clean. What can I do for bringing a change at this small level? We all know very little about the potential we have: Small things help bring a big change.
The Minister of Environment has “urged international bodies, non-governmental organizations, provincial governments and private sector to actively participate in making year a success”. The News further adds that: “Activities would commence from January 1, 2009 with the issuance of commemorative stamps and would continue throughout the year. The activities would include the screening of documentaries on environment, a comprehensive awareness campaign, panel discussions, dialogues, planting of 10 million trees in a day to surpass a world record, seminars, exhibitions, essay-writing competitions, and walks.” (The News: Sunday, December 21, 2008)
Once we are clear of our obligations, doing the things in actual isn’t that hard! Let’s think of what we can all do!
U can:·
Make a resolve to throw trash in bins, be it involves carrying wrappers around for quite some time!
- Consume lesser amount of plastic shopping bags in our shopping …. Carry multiple things in one shopping bag!
- Conserve less water during your baths, ablution and other uses.
- Conserve power by shutting down our PCs when they are not in use or by correctly managing the “power settings”. Hibernate or standby after 15 minutes
- Plant a small tree and make it your responsibility to water it during free time.
- Prefer walking to market or other place over using car/bike when it can be avoided!
- Convince others to follow you.These are mere simple steps!!
What you and I can do together? Multiply the above ten times…..What we all NUSTians can do? .... Do the calculations.
To match the initiative by ministry of environment,
We can:
We can:
- Start paper recycling projects at all NUST campuses.· Extend the project to recycling other “useful waste”.
- Observe plantation week at all NUST campuses, in April and do a massive campaign involving almost all students at NUST.
- Initiate waste collection drives at all NUST campuses thus making them all clean.
- Organize seminars and lectures on environmental issues by calling people who have been working for environment protection.
- Launch a massive awareness campaign convincing the people to sign a declaration to reduce waste and recycle!
Let’s “join hands and start working” and NOT “sit back and criticize only”!
See what others are doing!
Environment at MIT
Green BUZZ at Georgia Tech
http://www.gatech.edu/greenbuzz/http://cyberbuzz.gatech.edu/tbd/about.php
http://www.stewardship.gatech.edu/index.php
Harvard Green Campus Initiative
We can also do it!
Further Links to news items:
2 comments:
wow our government didnt name the year as 2009:Year of Benazir Bhutto.
Alhamdulillah finally something has been named other than Benazir Bhutto
Gotta agree :)
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