ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND ITS NECESSITY

Some people still say, global warming is just a myth, whereas at the other end of the spectrum, many are convinced that if temperatures rise at present rates, the sheer existence of human beings will come under jeopardy.  The rise in temperatures, irregular weather patterns, erratic spells of rainfall and all the related phenomena are not just simply a co-incidence, rather they are the outcome of a chain of events that is governed by a factor that the layman would call, ignorance. There are no two opinions on the fact that climatic change is taking place across the globe at quite a rapid flurry. But the million dollar questions arise here. Are we aware of this change? Are we aware of our duties towards our environment? These simple questions beg for answers, but find none. As a resident of Guwahati, it is quite appalling to see the lack of environmentally viable practices, and the lack of scientific temper among people.

Today, waste management has become a major issue and the unethical waste disposal practices followed today, contribute highly towards an individual’s “carbon footprint.” Carbon footprint is a shorthand term that is used to signify the sum total of all GHG emissions incurred by a person or an organization in a given time frame. On conducting a survey project comprising around 100 households, under Horlicks Wizkids it was found that 92 % of the residents were not familiar with the term carbon footprint, and 86 % of them did no efforts to recycle their waste, which is clearly indicative of the fact that people of urban Guwahati lack environmental education.  With the rapid increase of the number of automobiles in Guwahati, the levels of air pollution and CO2 emissions have also risen quite extravagantly. The onus is upon the residents of this city to keep it environmentally friendly. Many pick up vans and public carriers ply on the Guwahati roads that haven’t undergone pollution checks for years, probably decades. Automobile emissions seriously hamper the balance of gases in the atmosphere. By emitting gases like carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), they silently destroy the ecological balance of nature. These gases act like the glass covering a greenhouse, letting sunlight in but blocking some of the infrared radiation from the earth's surface that carries heat back into space. The gases act like a blanket wherever their concentration increases. Even in the month of November, temperatures are around the high twenties at most parts of the day. The once regular monsoon has become highly erratic and variable in nature. If people are not educated about the risks and hazards of global warming, the scenario will be even worse in the years to come.

We have been talking about global warming for years now, and frankly speaking, people are tired of just listening to the ‘pros and cons’ of global warming. It is high time to take action against it. But there has to be a starting point for every course of action. One major way, we can reduce global warming is by reducing our carbon footprint, i.e our contribution of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. But for that to happen, people need to be educated about our environment. Environmental education comes with its own unique challenges. No doubt, a lot has been done to promote environmental education. The Central Government and every state within India, now has a Ministry of Environment. All education departments recognize EE as an essential part of education. The law courts have been sympathetic to environmental issues and the Supreme Court has passed a directive that all students must go through a compulsory course on the environment and the media must show free of cost a certain amount of programmes to create environmental awareness. But the fact of the matter is, even after going through all this trouble, the common man wakes up, brushes his teeth, goes to his kitchen, picks up his bag of waste and dumps it into the same dustbin or wherever he feels convenient, day in and day out. Where is the change? Where are we lacking?

Speaking of garbage disposal, it is quite horrific to see the amount of unclean and unprocessed filth lying around in the city. Yes, it is the duty of the citizens to dispose off their waste properly, but various areas in Guwahati, reek with filth and garbage. The area near the Guwahati Club bus stoppage, banks of the Bharalu near the Swiss Gate, the area near the Silpukhuri bus stoppage are some places where garbage lies in abundance on the streets, footpaths and walkways without any intervention. Every morning, people throw their daily garbage across the streets without giving any second thought to where it will end up eventually. Before dreaming about a greener tomorrow, it is quintessential that we get our basic groundwork done. People need to be educated against the harmful effects of global warming and climate change. The idea of “Environmental education” doesn’t lack opportunities, but it lacks active participation of the residents. With the advent of Internet, blogs can be released that deal with the environmental issues of the city and promote the idea of environmental education to a wider audience. Moreover, regional television channels can be judiciously utilized to include programs that concern our environment’s ailing health.  Every effort should be made to craft our city into one of the greenest cities in the world. Innovation is a never-ending process. But innovative ideas come only when the problem is fully understood and recognized. Today, especially in the urban parts of Guwahati, reluctance and ignorance have combined together to form one big restrictive factor, in the spread of Environmental education. Most people are either too busy to notice the changes in our weather pattern, or deliberately turn a blind eye to their duties towards the environment in general. Simple tasks can generate jaw dropping results. The conversion from one filament bulb to a CFL, reduces the electricity usage by at least 50%. Composting bio-degradable waste can reduce the wastage of energy in processing garbage.  Separate bins for disposing toxic materials can reduce soil pollution to a great extent. The avenues for the implementation of Environmental education are myriad in numbers but, their implementation receives very less or no response at all. Consumer advertisement is given a major priority regarding this field, but the total resources spent on implementing the innovations for provision of effective and sound know-how on our environment is very less. 

The term “Global Warming” is no stranger to us. Global warming is a serious issue and it is not sufficient to talk about its impending hazards with pen and paper only. Until and unless, each and every household is not made responsive about this issue, “keeping clean” and “Going Green” will remain mere phrases.

Sangbid Kundu
(simplysangbid@ymail.com)