Dubai, April 21: Going green is a phrase we all are familiar with. Time and again, we hear environmentalists enunciate the need of the hour, which is that each one of us, in our own way should make a contribution toward saving our environment as it only takes that one initiative. We are all aware of the imminent danger – that of losing it all one day if we are not proactive right now.
It’s disturbing to know that so many species of animals and other living organisms have become extinct only in the last 50 years. Did you know that 96 per cent of the ocean has been damaged by human activity? This comes from the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in the US. Add to that to global warming and the rising climate calamity and the signs are there for all of us to see. All we need to do it sit up, take note and do something about it.
Tomorrow we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. However, the irony of the situation that presents itself to us si hard to overlook. We’ve been celebrating it for 40 years, but our planet is in more serious danger now more than ever before.
So what ‘going green’ mean? What are environmentalists, representatives and officials from the United Nations and concerned citizens trying to tell us and how can we help?
We asked Dubai residents to tell us what it means to them, what does the colour green symbolise?
The one thing that seemed to resonate from all of them is that if we don’t act now, we will have to bear some grave consequences later.
Here’s what they had to say:
Sharlene Perris from England: “I think that are quite a lot of problems that are going to be presented, you can just tell that by the massive changes in the weather that you see and you watch documentaries about the ice caps melting, polar bears not having anywhere to live and so on. But it’s not that the people don’t know enough. I just don’t think that the information is made available to the lay person.
However, we could do a lot for ourselves by recycling more, using environmentally friendly products and opting for green cars. Unfortunately, at the moment, the technology isn’t quite there yet and it’s expensive and people simply don’t have the financial resources to go for the alternatives.”
What does going green mean to her and what the colour symbolise? “It doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to go out and buy organic cotton, instead you could alternate to second-hand clothing and make use of what’s already there,” says Sharlene.
Rasha Hawary from Egypt: Rasha says that we must go green for the sake of kids and for a better future for them. “I did participate in the Earth Hour and it felt good. I am all for saving electricity and water. And we’ve been taught from a very young age to save every drop of water.” She also stressed on the importance of educating our kids about how we can help in saving our environment.
Aliyu Mohammed Ali, student, Nigeria: “The more we neglect it, the more things are going to turn out bad for us. It’s there for everyone to see the consequences of not doing anything.” To Aliyu, the color green symbolises life, growth and vitality. He is also of the opinion that our environment is in serious trouble if we continue to take things for granted. “We just need to be more conscious of what we do, we need to wake up. We need to pause and think of the community at large. By asking ourselves about what it is we are doing, shows awareness and that at least we are on the right track. From there, we can go to other measure that can help.”
Ryme El Tahoudi, student, Morocco: To Ryme, the color green symbolises nature. “We don’t do that much to help, it’s just either for Earth Hour that we get conscious for that one hour or, if there’s an event, we help, but besides that we get quite complacent. “We care but we don’t do anything because we think that others are going to do it.” She agrees the environment could only get worse if we don’t act soon.
Aayisha Hashim, student, Afghanistan: “Green to me is fertility, it’s life. And that’s what lacking in today’s world, it’s gradually fading away. We are definitely going to be in some serious trouble if we don’t act now, there are already some major changes occurring on planet earth and there’s going to be more climatic changes and it’s going to impact our lives as well.” Everybody, says Aayisha, should make an effort in their own small way in saving planet earth, whether it’s recycling or turning off the water when not needed, every little bit counts.
Grace Benton, student, US: “Having grown up on a farm, green is very important to me, as it is for the environment. If we take it all away, I think generations down the line will unfortunately have to witness dangers that cannot be reversed. We need to start thinking outside of our generation and down the long road. I think the little initiatives that people are working on now like recycling, walking instead of driving, car pooling, taking public transportation and so on; just these little small lifestyle changes can go a long way.”
Islam Naiem Diab, Egypt: “Fortunately the environment in Dubai is healthy and good and we are moving in the right direction in terms of preserving the environment. Green to me means healthy, lots of plants, flowers and greenery and that’s what I see Dubai moving towards. On a very personal level, the only thing I do is make sure that I teach my kids not to throw litter on the streets and this is something that I am very strict about with my family.”
Rida Zafar, Pakistan: “Green to me symbolises nature, purity, peace and prosperity. It symbolises our future. Going green means paying attention to the world around me and realising the role I play. I believe attitudes toward the environment are changing and that awareness is growing very rapidly.”
Wu, Hong, trainer, China: “The color green symbolises happiness, feeling good, a sense of peace and calmness. I feel that the future generation realises the environmental changes that have taken place in the past few years. However, it has not been taken as seriously as we ideally should.”
Beverlee Asuncion, Philippines: “I think the youth symbolises green as money. That’s the instant reaction as kids these days aren’t fully aware of the planet being in trouble. I think the future generation needs to be more informed and have day trips to places in Dubai, like the Dubai Environmental Group located near Jeble Ali. Also, recycling sites located in Jumeirah / Al Wasl road where people can go and recycle and obtain more information. I think it’s a great initiative for supermarket chains to encourage people to use recycled bags. Going green to me means recycling, eating more vegetables, being healthier, organic, fresh produce and watching your carbon footprint.”
Nikita Chawla, student, India: “The colour green is significant as it symbolises the environment, including plants and trees. I see green as a symbol for growth, growth of trees, of plants. It also symbolises cleanliness. Going Green means that the world is taking a step forward in protecting our environment. Global warming and pollution can be prevented by going green. I really don’t think that the future generation realises the seriousness of where our environment is headed. Much more awareness about our environment held through campaigns is necessary. It is we who actually create environmental problems. Every person should take a step forward to making this environment as clean and green as possible.”
Jeet Dholakia, student, India: This 10-year old has a strong opinion on the environment. He says, “Green means many things like trees, plants and forests. I feel that the environment is in trouble because many people cut trees which give us fresh air. We pollute the environment with our cars, vehicles and factories which leads to global warming. We must stop deforestation to protect our environment.”
Ankush Lakhani, student, India: “The color green symbolises the beauty around the world. In order to prevent air pollution and protect our environment from global warming, we should use public transportation. We should not throw waste material in the rivers and lakes which pollute them.”
–Agencies