GREEN TIPS

TIP OF THE DAY

"SWITCH OFF YOUR ENGINE AT TRAFFIC SIGNAL"

Vehicle emits carbon monoxide and keeping your vehicle engine on waste fuel and pollutes environments. Smoke from engine triggers asthma and bad for health. Switch off engine to save fuel and save environment.

Little crusader on ‘green' mission

Eight-year-old Manikya Srivatsa from Bharatiya Vidya Mandir High School in Udhampur (Jammu) was the youngest delegate at the "All India Oriental Conference" organised by RSVP

Ask him on the consequences of indiscriminate tree-felling or on deliberately polluting the surroundings, he is ever ready to give an elaborate lecture. For eight-year old Manikya Srivatsa, environment protection is a very serious topic and the concern is too conspicuous on his face to be missed.

Manik, for short, was the youngest delegate at the 45th session of All India Oriental Conference (AIOC), organised by Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha here during the last three days, where he presented a paper on ‘Environmental awareness in the Vedic prayers', under the session on Vedas.

A student of Bharatiya Vidya Mandir High School in Udhampur (Jammu), Manik laid emphasis on the combination of spiritual and scientific development through prayers, especially the chanting of the hymns that leave a special effect on the environment. “The local environmental conditions depend on biodiversity conservation,” he asserted, quoting a sloka by Veda Vyasa.

His concern for environment broadened as a result of his active participation as a ‘cub volunteer' in Bharat Scouts and Guides, Jammu and Kashmir chapter. Narrating the ill-effects of smoking, consuming liquor and drugs on the human brain and explaining how it could lead to a fall in character, the little delegate saw Yoga, meditation and ‘Pranayama' as the right therapy to get rid of the vices. During the convention, he also launched a signature campaign on environment preservation, rainwater harvesting, child labour, female foeticide, literacy and protection of plants and animals.

TIP OF THE DAY

"Use reusable container to carry water"

Instead of bottled water get a reusable container to carry water. Also you can get a filter to make your home tap taste more like bottled water. It is definitely more cost efficient....

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2010 " MANY SPECIES - ONE PLANET - ONE FUTURE "

World Environment Day 2010 - “Biodiversity — Ecosystems Management and the Green Economy”


We, human beings, behave as if we own this lone blue planet EARTH. But we must not forget the fact that we are just one of several million species taking shelter on this planet, however important we consider ourselves to be. It is estimated that about 2 million species call Earth their home.The interesting statistics is that it is just one species-Homo sapiens - whose population keeps soaring at a steady pace while that of most animals and plants keeps dwindling. It is crucial to remember this on this World Environment Day (WED) of 2010, which also happens to be the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB).

Realizing the importance of biodiversity for human welfare.UNEP has decided to reinforce the global efforts toward biodiversity conservation.. This clearly reflects this years WED theme ....

Beginning of the World Environment Day :
World Environment Day which is a world-famous event was founded by the UN General Assembly in 1972. Nearly, 100 nations around the globe celebrate this event. This event commemorates every year on June 5th.


The theme of "WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2010" IS "MANY SPECIES - ONE PLANET - ONE FUTURE"
It is high time to remind ourselves that we are also an integral part of "the web of life" and if we damage the web, we are putting our future in dilema.


THE THEMES OF THE PAST WERE :
World Environment Day 2009 Theme - "Your Planet Needs You - UNite to Combat Climate Change"
World Environment Day 2008 Theme - "Kick The Habit - Towards A Low Carbon Economy"
World Environment Day 2007 Theme - "Melting Ice – a Hot Topic?"
World Environment Day 2006 Theme - "Deserts and Desertification - Don't Desert Drylands!"
World Environment Day 2005 Theme - "Green Cities – Plan for the Planet!"
World Environment Day 2004 Theme - "Wanted! Seas and Oceans – Dead or Alive?"
World Environment Day 2003 Theme - "Water – Two Billion People are Dying for It!"
World Environment Day 2002 Theme - "Give Earth a Chance"
World Environment Day 2001 Theme - "Connect with the World Wide Web of Life"
World Environment Day 2000 Theme - "The Environment Millennium - Time to Act"

Around 17,000 species are now threatened with imminent extinction. The more alarming fact is that many species are getting extinct before they are even discovered. Why biodiversity is being lost at an alarming rate? This may be caused by various factors but the major one is human activities involved in various developmental projects. We have cleared substantial portions of original forests, drained half of the world's wetlands, depleted 75% of global fish stocks and emitted tons of greenhouse gases(GHGs) to warm up the planet to alarming levels. We have accelerated extinction of species by 1000 times of natural rates.

Why should we care?
Biodiversity is the variety of all life forms on the earth and it underpins human well-being and the very survival of human species. It gives us food, clothes, fuel, medicines, and various other goods and ecosystem services. The loss of just one strand(one species) of the web of life can have catastrophic effects which in turn can imperil human welfare.

UNEP has identified 6 environmental challenges of the 21st century. They are:
" Climate change
" Disasters and conflicts
" Ecosystem management
" Environmental governance
" Harmful substances
" Resource efficiency

World Environment Day Celebrations and Activities in 2010 :

The World Environment Day Celebrations will be held on Friday, June 5, 2010. Pittsburgh has been selected by UNEP as the host city for World Environment Day 2010 in North America.

In Pittsburgh, World Environment Day events taking place during the six weeks that “bridge the gap” between Earth Day on April 22 and World Environment Day on June 5.

At local level we need 2 maintain sustainable & organic environment in HYDERABAD
The other day i read in newspaper that SCB is all set to ban PLASTIC BAGS . Lets welcome this measure & stop using plastic bags

~ Make your personal pledge to support the Environment :

- Reduce power consumption by turning off the lights when they are not being used

- Turn off computers when not in use

- Reduce petrol/diesel consumption by traveling by public transport or by walking

- Increase re-use and recycling, refusing to buy packaging

- Take re-useable shopping bags to the supermarket

TIP OF THE DAY

"USE NATURAL LIGHT TO SAVE ON ELECTRICITY BILL"

In daytime, don't make the room dark and then use the Electric lamps. Instead, use the Sunlight in the daytime. One can reduce the Electricity bill to a great extent....

9 REASONS TO SAVE TREES

Trees clean the air: Trees help cleanse the air by intercepting airborne particles, reducing heat, and absorbing pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.

Trees are Effective Sound Barriers: Trees are as effective as stonewalls in stopping sound. They muffle urban noise almost as effectively as stonewalls. Trees, planted at strategic points in a neighbourhood or around your house, can mitigate major noises from crowded roads, railway stations and airports.

Trees Produce Oxygen: A mature leafy tree, in a few months, produces as much oxygen as that required by 10 people for one year.

Trees become dustbins for harmful gases: a tree absorbs and locks away carbon dioxide, and other harmful gases which warm the environment. An urban forest is a carbon storage area that can lock up as much carbon.

Trees Shade and Cool: Shade from trees reduces the need for fan, coolers and air conditioning in summer. Studies have shown that parts of cities without cooling shade from trees can literally be "heated islands," with temperatures as much as 4-6 degrees Celsius higher than surrounding areas.

Trees Act as Windbreaks: In winter, trees break the force of winter winds. This protects houses, farmland and vegetation.

Trees Fight Soil Erosion: Trees fight soil erosion, conserve rainwater, and reduce water runoff and sediment deposit after storms.

Trees help in lowering the dust levels and pollution levels in the cities.

Trees decrease respiratory problems: Children staying in areas and localities with trees have much less breathing problems that children staying in localities which have no trees.

PLANT A TREE - SAVE THE PLANET

Has human kind inadvertently declared war on the planet that gave us life?
Everyday we hear new horror stories being perpetuated but there is a good news coming up, efforts are being made to improve the situation, starting with the Plant A Tree movement.

Our wonderful little planet has take a real beating from human excess, rich forest ecosystems flattened, desertification of once vibrant soil, poor water management,land fills & environmental waste the like of which has never been seen in all of human recorded history...

Planting Trees

Humankind has an obligation to put right that damage we've caused, and evidence suggests the planet has a remarkable ability to heal, if we give it a helping hand. Planting trees is seen as one of the most important things the average man in the street can do, not because of its environmental impact, but instead because of its motivational power within communities.

Trees absorb Carbon Dioxide, recycling it into much needed Oxygen. This goes some way to counteracting the effects of global warming and helps to cool the planet. As trees grow, their roots strengthen the soil, helping to prevent erosion, their canopy casts shade allowing the soil to retain moisture and providing perfect conditions for mini ecosystems to develop. There are many things you can do in your garden to help.

Reforestation

Reforestation projects around the world are making a difference, in Israel over one billion trees have been planted since 1900, turning idle desert wasteland into thriving forests. Naturally eco-tourism is a positive spin-off from this. Reforestation of desert areas in Israel is proving year after year that deserts can be rolled back, soils can be returned to health, dry water ways can spring back to life, and precious fauna can be reintroduced and thrive.

Deforestation of the planet is something humankind should be ashamed of. Planting a tree is a small step, costs very little, yet the rewards to future generations are invaluable.

TIP OF THE DAY

CARRY YOUR OWN SHOPPING BAG

Instead of accepting polyethene bags to hold the stuff you buy routinely from shops carry your own shopping bag. Your shopping bag can preferrably be recyclable (cloth or paper based)...

TIP OF THE DAY

SAY NO TO CHEWING GUM

Chewing gum is the second largest littering item in the world.Chewing gum is not biodegradable and will stick to its surface for many, many years until treated.

SAY NO 2 PLASTIC

It's time to start thinking about reusing your plastic bags. They can be used way more than once. The shops provide plastic bags for your convenience and what would you do without them. What you leave the shops with is your responsibility

I don't know why they're even manufactured when earth friendly alternatives like cotton string bags are available. I'm so tired of supermarket staff packing one or two items per plastic bag and the drive through staff at fast food restaurants giving me my small takeaway feed in a plastic bag too.

Im saying "NO TO PLASTIC"

WHAT ABOUT YOU ?????