What are some eco-practices a school/ college student can follow?
I was returning home from school one day. I was enjoying the breeze and the greenery that surrounded me when I felt this suffocating heat and the humidity even inside the bus increasing alarmingly. Why, you may ask, well it was because of an industrial chimney that was spewing out toxic fumes into the air. That was the moment I really started thinking about what we are doing to the earth. How we are altering its natural beauty, how we are exploiting its resources and getting carried away in the race for money.
There are certain moments like these that spark the activists in us and I feel like when we experience these moments, we must embrace them and take action immediately, which is what I tried to do. With all my experience and reading in the practice of being more eco-friendly the first step is always the most important. The first step being you trying to be more conscious of your own actions and the fact that you’re reading this blog says that you have already started and hopefully it will only grow from here. As a student in this constantly evolving world, you have the power of knowledge and the freedom of action.
Author - Abigail Beall, 13th June, 2020) Whatever you see around you has an eco-friendly alternative to it. Your notebooks once full can be reused to make art or DIY projects that you can use yourself or give to others. Your textbooks can be given away to someone else who needs them, like your juniors.
Or our clothes can either be given away to a person in need of them or given to a second-hand shop a.k.a thrift stores where they can be bought and reused by someone else. When we become conscious of our decisions we will automatically become more eco-friendly.
Make little decisions and do small things that will make an impact. The smallest of actions which you might not even consider to be beneficial or impactful can have a great impact. Examples of such can be refusing to use plastic, use-and-throw bottles but instead using one made with a more reliable material such as copper which also has benefits for your health. You can also do small things like switching off the lights and fans when not in use and reminding your peers to do the same.
You might not believe it but the collective effort of many people for one specific goal is extremely powerful. Another such example is your transportation, if you live close to your learning institution you can cycle there or even carpool. Putting your skills and influence among peers to good use. You as a student may have certain skills that can be extremely useful in spreading the word and doing the right things. For example, you can have great public speaking skills and can use that to help spread awareness about making the right decisions. You can also set an example for your peers and be a role-model for them. Conducting/ participating in projects or activities about being eco-friendly are a good starting point. 4.Stand up for what you know is right and get others on board. It is important for you to call out certain actions which are harmful and make it so common that you and the people around you subconsciously start doing the right things. You can also persuade your school authorities to take up initiatives that will make the institution as a whole eco-friendlier.
Listed above are just some ways we can be more eco-friendly and I would love for everyone reading this blog to try and implement these practices but we should also not forget that we should not get discouraged if we are not able to follow them because sometimes it may not be on our priority but we must never quit. We can eventually get back on track! Lastly, it is also important for those of us who have immense passion for nature and wildlife to transmit the message as we travel through life. Some of us can even choose career paths pertaining to the same. It is imperative that we popularize these roles in an ever-changing world. It is a sad reality that the people who are already in this field are often living on the brink, especially monetarily but we have the power to change that. Let's make the world better.
Thank you for reading! Comment below if you ever did any of these practices already or if you have any others!
(Picture Credit- Pixabay & Upciclo) Ayman Ahmed 9E_ Vidyashilp Academy_Bengaluru
