Earth Day  is celebrated every year on 22nd April to inspire awareness of and appreciation for earth's environment. It's a day to reflect on our planet, our environment and what we can do to help keep it healthy. Through it's April Event , Tunza Eco Generation has done a real good job by encouraging and inspiring all of us to think & plan (make action plan )how we can commemorate Earth Day to make it meaningful and fulfill the action plan .

 

As part 1 of the event , I had submitted below as my action plan:

 

To Commemorate earth day I will :

1.  Clear the clutter from my wardrobes to save the excess energy being used by AC (when wardrobes are overfull with unwanted /old clothes). I plan to donate these to the needy and  less fortunate ones.

2.  Spread awareness and try to inspire others for caring for environment –by writing to various media , giving simple tips to reduce carbon footprint.

3.  Collect recycleables .

4.  Will reuse waste paper by making paper bag and paper flower .

5.  Adopt one new green habit i.e. will start using home made cleaner

6.  Participate in online Environment event "Eco Family Contest" by describing & sharing with everyone how eco friendly our family is . I hope this will inspire other families.

 

As part 2 of the event , I would like to share how I accomplished the above action plan.

 

My wardrobes were full of unwanted (but good condition) clothes which I no longer wear either due to change in my taste or they are undersize for me now. I have not been able to spare time to clear that clutter off or I must confess that I had been lazy to do that. But on this Earth Day I realized that wardrobes full with unwanted clothes are putting an extra burden on AC load , thereby wasting energy . Also . manufacturing new clothing requires both energy and water, and there are many people who don't have money to buy their own. So this Earth Day, I cleaned out my overstuffed closet , took out unwanted clothes, packed them neatly in cartons and donated them for the poor and needy to International Charity group called "Human Appeal International (HAI)" which is a humanitarian charitable worldwide non-governmental organization, it seeks to improve the circumstances of the needy through a comprehensive sustainable development. Through its activities and executed projects, HAI tries to improve needy societies through working on developing its educational, health, social, economic circumstances. It also contributes in the relief of the affected communities by natural disasters and social calamities. It takes care of orphan children by meeting the needs of orphans and improving their health, psychological and social circumstances.

This way I have  reduced the energy consumption/load on my ACs (as ACs need more energy to cool overstuffed rooms/houses etc) . By donating the clothes , I not only cared to protect environment (by saving energy ) but also helped in improving the lives of poor and the less fortunate ones. Not only did this make me feel good about lightening our load, but the people who receive our lightly used clothing will be so thankful .

 

I also tried to spread awareness trying to inspire others promoting tips to care for environment by writing to national newspapers  My published message can be read online thru below media links :

 

http://gulftoday.ae/portal/dca3493d-5aae-4137-bece-bacfd7da12fb.aspx

http://www.godubai.com/citylife/press_release_page.asp?PR=97866&Sname=Government,%20Legal%20and%20Humanity

http://gulfnews.com/your-say/your-view/focus-environmental-mainstreaming-1.1493171

http://www.dubaiprnetwork.com/pr.asp?pr=97866

 

Recycling is one of the easiest and most traditional ways to have a positive impact on our environment and community. On Earth Day , I collected recycleables from cafe and supermarket. I went to 5 supermarkets and noticed that they had empty cartons /paper packaging material which they were to throw as usual with general garbage . I told them the consequences if they throw cartons like this , made them aware of paper coming from trees and requested them to segregate them and keep them aside. Then came the critical point to determine how these cartons would be removed from their premises. Then I linked them to hauler for their carton recycleables. I gave them contact details of local waste management company Bee'ah so that on alternate day basis they can get Bee'ah collect these from their supermarkets. Problem is in our city there are big bins for cartons/paper disposal but they are not widely distributed in the city. I mean they are very few compared to the no. of supermarkets we have. Unfortunately there are none closer to these supermarkets so now I hope they segregate cartons and call Bee'ah for collection. For now -on the eve of Earth Day , I identified a deserted place near my building and got these empty discarded cartons placed over there and later called Bee'ah collection boy to collect these-you can see in one of the pictures.

Embracing Earth Day , I also gave new life to waste papers by reusing them  at my home to  make paper mache , paper flower and paper bag. With some patience, I realised that paper can be treated in myriad ways. It can be folded, twisted, beaded, plaited, woven, turned into a collage, rolled and quilled and lends itself to innumerable creations. Various objects of interest can be crafted with a creative idea.

On Earth Day , I adopted a new green habit of changing from toxic cleaners (made from chemicals) to home-made/Earth Friendly cleaning solution. I made it from simple vinegar , water and baking soda.  For any of you if you want to make , pl follow the below steps:

All-Purpose Cleaner: Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup baking soda  into 1/2 gallon (2 liters) water. Store and keep. Use for removal of water deposit stains on shower stall panels, bathroom chrome fixtures, windows, bathroom mirrors, etc. 

Coffee and tea stains: Stains in cups can be removed by applying vinegar to a sponge and wiping. To clean a teakettle or coffee maker, add 2 cups water and 1/4 cup vinegar bring to a boil. Let cool, wipe with a clean cloth and rinse thoroughly with water.

Carpet stains: Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on stain, let sit for several minutes, and clean with a brush or sponge using warm soapy water.
For a heavy duty carpet cleaner, mix 1/4 cup each of salt and vinegar , add 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Rub paste into carpet and leave for a few hours. Vacuum. 

 I also participated in Best Eco Family Contest by sharing on social media as to  how our family is an Eco Family and our family won the 1^st prize in that. 

You can read the post /details on below link :

https://www.facebook.com/studentsfortheearth/photos/a.354360681341888.1073741825.354046688039954/719283751516244/?type=1&__mref=message_bubble

 

https://www.facebook.com/studentsfortheearth/photos/pb.354046688039954.-2207520000.1430343883./725879130856706/?type=1&theater

I believe that each of us, with a little thought, can be an eco-warrior in a small way and not only on Earth Day , but every day.