Environment Article

I wrote this article when I was 14. It was published in the Me Magazine, which comes along with the DNA newspaper on Sundays. Hope you like it.
Sarayu Satish, 14. Student, St Gregorios High School, Chembur
I have always wanted to do my bit for the environment. I have a few ideas: Many of us want to save our environment, but do not know where to start. With your immediate environment, I’d say. There is a famous saying: “We have not inherited the Earth from our forefathers, but are borrowing it from our grand-children.” Saving the environment is our duty and responsibility. I bought new white-board markers that are free of xylene and toluene. Every time we open our markers we release these harmful gases in the air. Like whiteners, you can switch to eco-friendly appliances, which are free of chlorofluorocarbons. Some refrigerators are CFC, HCFC and HFC free. Plastics below
20 microns take millions of years to decompose. The Government has issued a ban to curb the production of these plastic covers; but many shopkeepers still pack vegetables and fruits in these bags. We can refuse to take them. We hear about compost pits, wet and dry garbage, recycling, etc, but rarely make the effort. Buy notebooks made of recycled or eco-friendly paper. These papers are made from bagasse (leftover sugarcane pulp). We can print many pictures in a single paper by copy-pasting them Use napkins instead of tissue papers. Re-use the water used for washing vegetables and fruits to water the plants or wash the cars. Lessen Mumbai’s sweltering and unbearable heat by planting more trees. Let us join hands and pledge to serve the environment, which has indeed given us a lot. Together we can make a difference!

Smile!!