Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today. Success is never owned, it is rented and the rent is due every day. These are some inspirational quotes on achieving dreams. And these are particularly true in relation to environment. Unless we live every day with responsibility towards Mother Earth, we will damage our natural resources and push our people and future generations farther towards a dream of happy living on Earth.

Some of my dreams towards a happy ecosystem are:

Zero waste to landfill:

The world throws huge piles of waste into landfills where it rots, produces harmful gases and is burnt creating pollution. The world economy has failed to produce recyclable products and takes pride in economic growth with producing goods that last hardly weeks or a few months and the product gets tossed into waste bins. What's the use of QC passed sticker in every product we buy and the product is meant to last a few days? When are we going to see GP (Green product 100%) notation and why not all the products guide all users how to dispose them for proper recycling? When are we going to see consumer education in all TV channels guiding buyers on proper use and disposal methods?

I have been a member of Emirates Environmental Group(EEG) for the past 7 years. I participate in many activities conducted by EEG. One of the most important ones, which I enjoy doing with EEG is the Neighborhood Recycling Project. The project involves working with neighboring families and friends and pooling recyclable materials like newspapers, plastics, ink cartridges, mobile phones etc.

In addition to teaching people on reducing consumption of paper and other materials, the project achieves recycling which in turn reduces consumption

EEG sets limits like submission of 500 kgs paper or 50 kgs plastics etc and if the student member reaches the target, they allow a tree to be planted in a name of the member?s choice as a reward. During all the past seven years, I have always collected newspaper and other recyclables and sent to EEG. Often I have also been able to be within the UAE Top 10 recyclers in individual / family category.

No air pollution:

The extent of air pollution across the world creates so many diseases and lung infections are one of the most common in many places. How often we see elders and children with asthma and struggling to breathe? Air is free but do we get the freedom to breathe healthy air? Why do we have to dispose toxic chemicals in industrial fumes and make life miserable for generations of people? Scientists have to come up with more natural ingredients based compounds for human needs than depend on toxic industrial chemicals. More importantly, there has to be more education and supervision on disposal of chemicals.

No water pollution:

The world has seen such an amount of pollution of its water bodies that we have been responsible for disrupting the healthy living of so many water based living creatures. We have often seen turtles and other marine animals ingested with plastics and causing them miserable life with pain which they cannot communicate. Apart from such visible waste dumped into seas, humans have also discharged industrial effluents into seas which kill or harm animals and also come back to us by way of contaminated drinking water.

We all have to work every day towards achieving our dream of pollution free world and we can achieve this by spreading awareness and sharing knowledge through portals like Tunza Ecogen. Many thanks Ecogen for enabling this platform for yet another term. Many thanks fellow ambassadors.