My Future is My Environment by KAINAT MUNIBA KHAN

Our planet continues to suffer the effects of human activity, including land degradation, air pollution and contamination of waters. For the most part due to human activities, the waters have been turned into places of dumping toxins, and arid lands sites for testing and deserting warfare equipment. The wild animals have become a means of quick riches as they are killed for their valuable body parts. The polluted air that we breathe has become the cause of our premature slow deaths. The list is endless. The ability of our natural resources to replenish themselves is being strained by the consumption of the high and rapidly increasing human population. Yet, mankind remain ignorant, even adamant because of the values we grew up with; values that are no longer sustainable if we are to continue existing in this planet as we know it.

That is why we need environmental education to be a basic subject, not to be taught just formally like mathematics and history, but to be a way of life for the young generation; the leaders of tomorrow. Environmental Education, as defined in the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Tbilisi Declaration (1978) is a learning process that increases people’s knowledge and awareness about the environment and associated challenges, develops the necessary skills and expertise to address the challenges, and fosters attitudes, motivations, and commitments to make informed decisions and take responsible action. With just as much right to live in comfort utilizing the resources that nature gives unto them, children and youth do not have the option of spending these resources as freely as their predecessors. Their knowledge, attitude and practices have to be focussed on sustainable development and social individual and shared responsibility for the general good of their natural capital. It is their only hope for a future as good as their present life, and can make it even better. So its my request that

As much as possible, let us avoid things that can ruin or harm our planet. This is our home. This is where we live. Why don’t we take care of it? We’re also the ones who will benefit. It is our advantage to live in a clean and safe planet. Earth gives us so many things for free. But how do we pay back? By destroying it? By slowly killing it? We still have a chance to save our planet. We can do the 3 R’s : Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. The future of our planet Earth is in our hands. The life of our precious environment depends on us. Once the Earth gets destroyed, we get our lives destroyed also. What? Do you think we can move to another planet? We have nowhere else to go. So instead of killing our home, why don’t we just take care of it? Why don’t we just prove to ourselves that we are worthy of living here? Think about your future children. And their future children, and their future children. Do you think they’ll be happy to live in an unsafe place? We should be a role model to the young ones. It’s better for them to learn while it’s still early. Mother Earth gave us everything that she has. And yet, we destroy her. So please, I encourage everyone to change. Let us all save and take care of our planet…. before it’s too late.