By Nayha Bano Khan
SEPLAA Summer Intern, 2015
Almost throughout the year, most of us live carelessly. We absentmindedly toss that yellow packet of salted Lays on the ground, even though the dustbin is lying just a few meters away. We cut up chart paper in Art class, only to leave the scraps fluttering on the floor. The rectangular box of Nestle Orange juice lies crushed in the corner of the room, and nobody bothers to simply lift it and dump it in the bin. However, when Earth Day or some environmental project rolls around, we all act like environmental experts, and start rolling out giant posters and sporting little green pins on our uniforms. What we fail to realize, however, is that these issues need to be advocated all year round and for that, it is necessary for us to play our part.
Following are five easy, effortless ways for us to do that:
- Recycle paper. As we all learned in third grade, paper comes from trees. Trees provide oxygen. We need oxygen to breathe. So can we afford to cut down trees unnecessarily for more and more paper? I don’t think so. So, the next time you bring home that notice from school, do not throw it away. Keep it. Use it to make a card for your sibling’s next birthday.
- Do not leave the tap water while brushing your teeth. Although we all have been hearing this since childhood, how many of us actually follow it? Sure, we all try our best to, but lets not forget those mornings we are running late for school or work, and let the water running, thinking one morning won’t make a difference. It does.
- Switch off the television when it is not being watched. Okay, so you are sitting on the couch, texting on your phone. Your little sister occupies the space next to you, flipping through a book. Your brother is counting his baseball cards. So is anyone actually watching the Boston Legal reruns on TV? No. You should just turn it off then.
- Plant a tree. It is literally as simple as it sounds. Buy a seedling. Wander over to a nearby park. Plant the seedling. Water it regularly, and you are good to go.
- Carpool! Not only does travelling in one car with your friends instead of going separately saves energy, but it is also fun! Would you rather not travel to school with your best friend with your favorite song blasting in the car? On top of that, you will be saving energy. Win- win solution.
Nayha is an A Level student at the Lahore Grammar School, Defence.