Friday, June 27, 2008

Environment - Practice before you preach!

It’s a shame that we talk and blubber around asking other countries to reduce green house gas emissions and to be environmentally friendly when we as a nation are doing nothing in those grounds. Yes, we can plant a few trees, while chop three hundred more trees! Government’s plan to ‘plant a tree for every tree that’s cut’ is just jotted down in a piece of paper while no action is been taken on it.

The roads in the capital are full of garbage.. Chewing gums, suparis, killi... what not? No one is given advice or there is no media campaign to make our roads cleaner.. I had a talk with my friend about it and his reply was ‘Come on.. If I finish eating a supari, I had to keep it in my pocket until I go back home. There is not a single bin on the road..’

He might have a valid point, but still... is it that huge burden for us to carry it back to our home and throw it in the bin. These tiny habits could lead us to a cleaner, tidy and environmental place.

Habits such as to use a recycled bag for shopping instead of getting those plastic bags for each item we buy, to switch of lights and fans or A/C when we leave homes, to use recycled items, to buy our own local produced vegetables and fruits could be minor, but would yield to a greater positive impact on the environment.

The other thing everyone would notice is the amount of vehicles that are in the Maldives. Even though the taxes on motor bikes and cars are doubled the original price, everyone gets away with it by importing as a second hand car or bike.

All guys and girls would follow on the rule ‘to be a great guy or a girl, you need to have a motor bike or to have the latest mobile phone’. But on the reality we as a nation are contributing to the emission of green house gases.

Why can’t we walk or use a bicycle? It’s just a square kilometre.

Yes it’s true... Maldives might be wiped out from the maps of the world in the near future and we have to make the bigger emitters aware of the situation. But for sure, we have to straighten our habits and our life culture as well... Which we never do, so first let us practice it before we preach!

Photo by www.hrclean.org

7 comments:

aesha said...

true ...very true! i guess im an environ mentaly friendly person! i walk..i dnt throw stuff on the road :D guess if i practice my habits then one day i will start to plant trees too :D

nice post!

dieDie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
dieDie said...

may be you can propose that to a political party hence those are the ppl who can do something abt it. or else Donate dustbins and punish the ppl who throw garbages on road. better advice these small retail shop owners.they really make the road look like 'kunikoshi'.
you also stop consuming supari den and make Maldivians more aware of the situation...
Watch 'the happening'. nice movie.

Anonymous said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KInfLyoK9_U

we need another day like this. or days.

Naie said...

ao true and all the more sad for that reason. perhaps we have to start small for the change that u are clamouring for.... from the youth!!! the roots US!

the next question is are we all ready to give up a lot of things that we have been used to since childhood???

moyameehaa said...

we have too many ngos and i think it will be good enough if they do somethin like keeoin bins on the road. where the heck do the get the money? im sure any busuiness will want their ads all over male'.they just have to return the favour by taking care of the bins. maybe this is something male' municipalty can do.im sure dhiraagu and wataniya will compete in this.

maldivians have a habit of importing anything western.from headbangin shows to even goth culture now. but what about the good habits. like not littering the streets.

ngo's should do more than criticizing the government and programs for kids. as kids we follow these things.but as we grow up these become 'too kiddy' and we finally stop. so i think a program trageting the youth and every one in general will be better.not just in male'...all over maldives. and makesure people see what under the sea. or appreciate the beauty we have got. most people dont see nature in maldives.atleast the dont enjoy it.hence they forget about it.

Amarjeet Prasad said...

I admire what you've got accomplished here.

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