Let's conserve the environment for ourselves and progeny
This earth serves not only as our habitat but also as our natural heritage because it is passed on from one generation to the next. The next generation of human beings shall inherit this earth in the condition that we leave it. For this reason, it is our prime responsibility and moral duty to keep a hygienic and salutary ambience. Most of us do not realise now the importance of looking after this fragile environment. They take many things from this environment and never think of conserving some of the natural resources we have today. They think that the resources will never run out and continuously draw them from the earth to make their lives easier and more comfortable. Environmental problems such as depletion of natural resources, air pollution, water pollution, land pollution and global warming have all resulted mainly from human activities. However, everything has not been lost, still we have power to do something for the betterment of our environment and this could be achieved by conservation of our nature. Environmental conservation is the careful use of natural resources (which have the functional capability) to ensure that there is enough for the future and ensuring that damage done to the environment will be very minimum. Conservation also involves minimising the negative impacts caused by environmental problems. For example, CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) cause the depletion of the ozone layer. We may not be able to inhibit this sort of changes completely but we can minimise its impact by reducing the amount of CFCs released into the atmosphere. Conservation will make our environment sustainable for us and next generations. So, the question is how our nature, where we live can be conserved? This could be achieved by various possible approaches. Some sorts of steps given below could be followed to reduce the pollution that we are facing each and every moment of our daily lives. Air pollution
Every one of us can play an important role to trim air pollution through following means: Reduce vehicle emission: It can be done by installing catalytic converters in every car so that the amount of toxic gases released is reduced. A more effective way is to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. Regulations can be introduced such that cars with certain number plate can be driven on different days. Alternative way is to encourage the general people to take public transport. Reduce industrial emission: Industries can reduce the amount of air pollutants they release by installing scrubbers, which are capable of removing up to 90 percent of sulphur dioxide from waste gases. Especially chemical manufacturing industries throw acid vapours in the atmosphere. Reduce emissions from power stations: This method concerns us, consumers of electricity, greatly. If less electricity is used, less fuel has to be burnt, and less air pollutant would be emitted. Use renewable energy: Renewable energy, which are constantly regenerated or renewed such as wind and hydro energy neither pollute nor deteriorate the status of our natural air, unlike traditional sources of energy that depends on the combustion of fossil fuels. Reduce the use of CFCs: The upshots of ozone depletion are disastrous and terrible to living organisms. CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) are the gases that are responsible for ozone depletion. By reducing the emission of CFCs, we can significantly slow down the rate of ozone depletion. Water pollution
Water pollution occurs when the waste materials from agriculture, industries (mills / factories / garments / textiles etc.) and domestic sources are discharged into different water bodies such as ponds, rivers, lakes and seas. Types of water pollution may be classified by the medium in which they occur like surface water pollution, ground water pollution and soil water pollution etc. However, water pollution is caused by the following activities: Agriculture: Farmers use large amounts of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and even organic fertilizer for better production of crops. The excess chemicals not used by the plants are washed by the rainwater into rivers, lakes and seas, polluting both surface water and underground water. Industrialisation: Factories and industries often release poisonous chemical substances in to seas, rivers or lakes, resulting in the destruction of natural water condition. Sea fishes like Tuna, Vetki, Salmon etc in the bay absorb the mercury and people eat these fishes resulting in children with birth deformities, elders' loss of hearing and sight. Many fresh water fishes are being extinct due to the deleterious effects of such chemicals. Ship transportation: When ships transporting oil from one country to another get damaged on the route, oil spillage occurs. Some ships also illegally dump waste oil from their engine rooms into the sea, thus polluting the oceans. Domestic activities: Waste from the washing of clothes, dishes and lavatories, if untreated and discharged into the sea, promote the growth of algae which destroys marine life. Infectious diseases may also spread if sewage is not treated before it is discharged into the sea. Dumping: Sometimes, rubbish, toxic or otherwise, irresponsibly dumped into the sea causes water pollution. Land pollution
Lands are polluted by the irresponsibility of people through the following ways: Domestic waste: Every single day, tons of domestic wastes ranging from tiny fish bones to huge pieces of rubbish such as unusable refrigerator are disposed of. If all these wastes are not done away properly, the damage they can do to the environment and humankind can be extremely devastating. A large amount of rubbish is neither burnt nor recycled but is left here and there or in certain areas marked by the government as dumping grounds. Agricultural activities: Besides domestic waste, pesticides and herbicides used by farmers to increase crop yield also pollute the land when they are seepped into the soil. Industrial activities: Industrial activities also contribute to land pollution. For example, in open cast mining, enormous holes are dug in the ground and these form dangerously deep mining pools. Heaps of mining wastes are left behind there and these wastes often contain many poisonous substances that contaminate the soil. Global warming
Greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide cause global warming. However, the main cause of global warming is still carbon dioxide. By sharing technologies, experience and resources we can hopefully lower the greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the threat of global climate change. Use more renewable energy that does not emit any greenhouse gases such solar and wind energy. We can also recycle materials, insulate our homes, take public transport whenever possible and think about energy efficiency in homes. Concluding remarks
To protect our environment from the continuous degradation, production of waste may be reduced through the following guidelines: Waste can be reduced by reusing old items. This includes repairing them, donating them to charity groups or using them in a different way. For example, most electrical products can be repaired by replacing the necessary parts, old clothes and toys can be donated to the orphans and the less fortunate, and old bottles can be used as home-made plant pots. Recycling can be considered a breakthrough in waste reduction strategy. It turns waste into valuable materials. By recycling, we can conserve resources for our children's future and reduce the need for new landfills and incinerators. The recycling process involves the collection of recyclable materials, sorting and processing them into raw materials and manufacturing them into new products. Recyclable materials are collected from homes and offices and then brought to recycling centres, where they are sorted and prepared into raw materials. These raw materials are sold to manufacturing companies. At present, many products are totally or partially made of recycled content such as, newspapers, paper towels and drink cans. By purchasing recycled goods, everyone plays an important role in making the recycling process a success. Besides the points discussed, all of us should be very conscious in our daily activities to save our natural resources. This environment is our habitat and we are nourished from it. It is high time, one and all of us repent for our incidental activities that degrade the environmental condition and promise not to do any activity that goes against its conservation and prepare our mentality in order to present a healthy and sound environment to the next generation. Dr. Md. Younus Mia is Chairman, Department of Environmental Science & Resource Management, Mawlana Bhashani Science & Technology University, Santosh, Tanagil.
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