Caring for the environment is a meaningful communication between intentions that are targeting the future of the future generations! One such meaningful dialogue is presented here on these pages. Those who took part in this conversation are Mr Sandeep Manudhane (SM), Mr <Name of Centre Director> (CD), a leading environment specialist (ES), and Arvind Passey (AP) who moderated the conversation.

AP: World environment day is on the 5th of June 2007. What any meaningful action needs is a human face to environmental issues. One also needs to empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development.

SM: True. It is organizations with a conscience who must make efforts to ‘stimulate worldwide awareness of the environment and enhance political attention and action’ which is the aim for the World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June.

ES: May I inform that the main international celebrations of the World Environment Day 2007 will be held in Norway. When did it all begin? World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

CD: So it is vital to promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues; and advocate partnership, which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.

SM: Yes. That’s well spoken. We at PT Education have planned an awareness campaign on the environmental concerns through our centres that are spread throughout India. The main vehicles are our more than 30,000 students, our faculty and staff who will be distributing saplings and tips on how to improve the environment to the public.

ES: Now that is something that all organizations must emulate.

AP: Obviously then, caring for the environment must begin somewhere. And not merely a lip service but something tangible will be needed.

SM: Yes. Following the dictum of the UN, we PTzen will “consider carefully the actions which each of us must take, and then address ourselves to our common task of preserving all life on earth in a mood of sober resolution and quiet confidence.” We must all be eco-warriors and eco-mentors!

ES: That is rather interesting, I must say. Becoming eco-warriors does deserve a round of applause. What does being an eco-mentor really mean?

SM: To educate yourself with insight. For this one must choose a mentor wisely! The way to dream coherently and to achieve them is to think of the power ratio of self study and the right guidance! That is the essence of being an eco-mentor.

CD: Sir, we at PT are all eco-mentors to the core!

SM: Moreover, every individual must strive to become the epicenter of a healthy environment. The eco-mentor has to ensure that he creates eco-warriors. Eco-warriors are the world. Once you are aware and start caring for your immediate environment, you become a vital contributor to global health. Health, food, family, and education form the environment of the eco-matrix of good living for any individual. Global environment starts with YOU!

ES: No one could really have put it better than that! Aspiring for a good and healthy environment makes you an eco-warrior!

CD: Yes, let us all be environment aspirants!

AP: Let me ask you what is understood by recycling.

ES: Oh! That is simple. Most of our rubbish goes into holes in the ground called landfill sites, but these are filling up fast and we are running out of space to bury our rubbish. The good news is that nearly 60 per cent of what we throw away could be recycled or composted.

SM: What I understand is that roughly 90% of the recycling that takes place — only about 50% of all plastic waste is recycled — is in the unorganised sector and many of the units situated in residential areas, causing immense damage to health and environment. Depending upon the type of plastic being recycled, various pollutants like hydrochloric acid, carbon monoxide and carcinogenic elements are released, posing a serious risk to workers and environment. Use of colours adds even more toxins to the air while emissions from softer plastic is more than hard plastic.

AP: Surprisingly, no clear rules exist for plastic waste management at present. With recycling happening almost entirely in the unorganised sector, our cities have no provision for dealing with its plastic waste. In fact, the organised sector recycles waste brought in from other cities. And strangely, other than expressing its helplessness, the government is not doing anything at present to regularise the steadily growing business.

ES: I have some interesting statistics to share. 500 billion-1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year. Department stores started using plastic bags in the late 1970s. They were introduced in supermarket chains in the early 1980s. Plastic bags start off as crude oil, natural gas and petrochemical derivatives. First plastic bags for food appeared in the US in 1957. North America and Western Europe account for nearly 80% of world’s plastic usage. A quarter of plastic bags used in wealthy nations are produced in Asia.

SM: That is rather shocking statistics. What can we do to counter this trend?

ES: Avoid taking plastic bags if purchases are small. Always keep canvas or cloth bags handy when going shopping. Encourage shopkeepers to stop providing free plastic bags on purchases. Do not throw plastic bags in water bodies or on the road — they are not bio-degradable.

CD: This is a message that must be communicated effectively.

SM: Yes, many types of material can be recycled, including glass, food and drink cans, metal, paper, cardboard, plastic, wood, clothes, food and garden waste, TVs and more. Interestingly, recycling also applies to the spread of knowledge. We at PT Education believe that even knowledge, once shared with an open mind, has all the value-additions of recycling!

ES: Great insight. This is really impressive.

AP: Yes sir, and we also believe that the power is in your actions! Act NOW!

SM: So June 05 is the day when this awareness-action from our end will initiate. So gentlemen, we must applaud this intention. All it needs are three inspiring words: Kar Ke Dikhayenge!

[Arvind Passey]
[2007]
Article distributed to all the centres of PT Education.