Protecting the Environment

Our planet faces a crucial period in terms of environmental degradation. Global warming, deforestation, water scarcity, air and marine pollution, overpopulation, extinction of flora and fauna and disease outbreaks are all threatening our existence on Planet Earth as at no other time in history. It is in this context that we are marking the World Environment Day (WED) today.

This is the day that brings these and other environmental problems into focus and shifts our attention to resolve them. It is also a day to remind ourselves of the importance of respecting and protecting the environment.

The theme for WED 2009 is 'Your Planet Needs You - Unite to Combat Climate Change'. It reflects the urgency for nations to agree on a new deal at the crucial climate change convention meeting in Copenhagen some 170 days later in the year.

It is clear that the excessive consumption of resources has led to this dire situation. The availability of cheap oil has shaped an economy driven on consumption. The result is the release into the atmosphere of Carbon Dioxide and other noxious gases in large quantities, which has led to Global Warming. Cutting back on these emissions is the only way to stem the tide.

Both rich and poor countries must agree on an urgent action plan on emissions at this forum to save the Earth. Certain developed countries were not signatories to the Kyoto Protocol, having dismissed calls to reduce emissions. The new Obama administration in the US has promised to take a different course as far as the environment is concerned and we hope this commitment would be translated into action soon.

The world must turn to renewable sources of energy sooner rather than later. Oil and coal are going to run out in the centuries to come. That may seem like a long time and it will indeed not happen in our lifetime. But renewable sources such as solar, thermal, wind and ocean wave energy are still in their infancy and need further development to challenge the likes of coal. Hydrogen powered cars are also years away from full commercialization.

Thus there is a need for heightened research on these energy sources, mainly aimed at increasing their efficiency, availability and cost effectiveness. They should be fully developed when the time comes for the world to stop using petroleum products. Their advantages are many - they are renewable, available freely, non-polluting and clean. Some Governments already grant concessions and incentives to companies and individuals using such sources of energy. The other Governments must emulate them.

Coming back to the theme, it is clear that climate change - the biggest threat to our environment - should be tackled at individual level, even more than at Government level. This is why Our Planet needs us. There are several simple ways in which we can help the environment and reduce global warming without spending a single cent, while saving a lot of rupees. First, we must ask ourselves some simple questions.

Do you leave lights on in unoccupied rooms? Do you take the car to the junction, even though it is one kilometre away? Do you waste water? Do you take printouts of unnecessary emails and documents? Do you throw away non-biodegradable plastic bags? Do you leave computers, DVD players and television sets on stand-by?

All these seemingly minor actions affect our environment. Turning off even a single light bulb can make a difference to climate change. Installing a CFL bulb instead of a normal bulb can save energy. Completely turning of the television set can help the environment and your wallet. Walking or taking the bus instead of taking the car on a short journey can prevent the release of a considerable amount of Carbon Dioxide to the atmosphere. Minimizing printouts and planting even a single tree in lieu of the paper you consume can help the environment enormously. These are simple actions that can have a far-reaching effect on our world.

The Earth is the only home we have, at least until we terraform Mars or find other habitable planets elsewhere in the universe. But these are at least centuries away. Uniting to save our Earth at Government and individual level is the only viable option. Each local action has a global effect. If each one of us does even a simple thing to save the environment, it will translate into a collective global phenomenon. All should unite to combat climate change, as the theme suggests.

Governments can only do so much to protect the environment. The rest is up to us. The future of our Earth is literally in our hands. Let us not fail in that mission. Your Planet Needs You.