Go green! Get green!
Consequence of global warming: Melting polar ice (left) and the green we need to preserve (right).
According to some of the world's leading international and development groups, global warming threatens to reverse human advancement and make unattainable all UN targets to lessen poverty. In a journal, Oxfam, Greenpeace, Christian Aid, Friends of the Earth, WWF and 15 other groups state that rich governments must immediately address climate change to avoid "obscene levels" of worldwide poverty. "Food production, water supplies, public health and people's livelihoods are already being damaged and undermined," the journal says. "There is no either/or approach possible. The world must meet its commitments to achieve poverty reduction and also tackle climate change. The two are inextricably linked." Bangladesh will be greatly affected by global warming. If we really want to save Bangladesh from the ferocious claw of global warming, we need to do something immediately, apart form the government's plan and policy. The word "green" should be spread out across the country. Green day, green night, green university, green city, green tourism, and so on, should be the buzz words not only of the people of Bangladesh but also of whole world. Above all, we have to welcome "Green Technology" in our day to day life. Let's see; "What will be the nature of Green Technology?" Green technology, the buzz word in America and Europe, is a broad term for more environmentally friendly solutions -- whether it is manufacturing carpeting that produces zero landfill, developing a planned community, turning radioactive cesium into glass, or creating less packaging for frozen foods. We do not need to be chemists to understand or use green technology. We can seek out and stipulate products that support it. And we can easily use its principles ourselves. Amenities and technology are frequently publicised as ways to make our lives easier, or to make luxuries available to more people. The ugly flip side is that the products, or technologies for making them, harm our environment. The industries and regulatory bodies of the country are taking steps in the right direction. But why should we wait for them to come up with all the answers? By using green technology, we can help our environmental healing process. Let us see how this works. We go grocery shopping, right? Instead of using the store's paper or plastic bags, we can buy our own reusable bags. Strong, durable, washable bags made of cotton, hemp, or nylon can handle the weight of groceries and can "stand up" just like paper bags. As we stroll down the walkways, we can pick organic produce, eggs, and other items. There is an abundance of cleaning products available today. We, in fact, need just a couple of all-purpose products to keep our house sparkling. Vinegar and baking soda are inexpensive, effective cleaning products that don't harm the environment. Most commercially popular laundry detergents are made using a petrochemical process. But if we buy one 50-ounce jug of laundry detergent made by using vegetable oils instead of petrochemicals, we can save the world 130,000 barrels of oil -- enough to heat and cool 7,500 homes for a year. Certainly, that is energy competence! All synthetic fragrances are made using petrochemicals. That includes fragrances in our shampoo, soap, shaving cream, hairspray, so-called "air fresheners," carpet cleaner, and anything else that simply lists "fragrance" as an ingredient. We can make more eco-friendly choices that include no fragrance, or only a natural fragrance, such as an essential oil. Then we will save on oil consumption every time we make that choice. Many construction materials release dangerous chemical gases that pollute the environment. We can pick materials that are made from sustainable products, and "green chemistry." Green chemistry (a subset of green technology) develops products and processes to reduce or eliminate the use and generation of hazardous substances. For instance; we want built-in cabinets for the family room. Many ready-made cabinets are a thin wood veneer covering a construction of wood shavings pressed together with a lot of glue -- a blend that can silently give off formaldehyde gases for years. Instead, we may consider cabinets made from solid wood, such as hard pine from sustainable forests. Choose stains and finishes that contain no VOCs (volatile organic compounds), ditto for wall paint. When selecting carpeting, we should choose from "green minded" companies; such companies consciously use green technology in the manufacturing and installation of their products. Products are made with minimal wastage, and with materials that preserve indoor air quality (as opposed to letting-off harmful chemicals). Furniture companies that use organic fibers and shun synthetic glues, dyes, or finishing sprays during production are also worth serious consideration. The cost is a little more, but the resulting benefit to the environment, including the environment in our own home, is worth it. Let us walk outdoors. Does a lawn service spray our yard? If we are on a yearly maintenance plan, and we possess an acre of land, we are putting 5 to 7 pounds of pesticides on our lawn every year. That is as much (often more) than farmers put on their crops. Switch to a service that uses all-natural lawn care. Within a year, our lawn could be greener and healthier than our neighbours' lawns. And we will not have to worry about what we track into the house when we walk across our yard. Imagine a mystical realm of green Bangladesh, where a secret world hides in plain sight and we hold the key to its mysteries. Where time warps on a busy, modern street as we gaze from futuristic storefronts to the line of their nineteenth century rooftops. Catch the green flash of a community garden nestled among the bricks and mortar of urban chaos. Everything we do impacts the environment. What matters is how big a footprint we leave on it. We need to look through "green lenses" to play down that footprint. It can begin with us. Mohammad Shahidul Islam is tourism worker.
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