Environmental Awareness in Children

What is Environment?

The definition of environment tells us that it is the natural conditions and surroundings where all the living beings including plants, animals, birds and we human beings live together.

It also includes the atmosphere, land, water, sunlight and everything that is natural.

However, the easiest way of defining environment should be just calling it

home. The sooner we understand this, the easier it becomes to be aware of it and protect it.

All the living and non-living beings in an environment are directly or indirectly connected to each other in such a way that a small change in any of these shows an impact on the other.

Therefore, it is very much important to maintain the natural balance of the environment in order to avoid any disasters.

Threats to Environment

It may sound strange but the biggest threat to the environment is us. 

Human beings in the process of development   over the years have made a lot of changes in the environment which have adversely affected the ecological balance. 

Most of the threats are man- made resulting from the need of modernisation and urbanisation which lead to   deforestation, change of river courses and flows, change in landscapes by cutting down hills, filling up waterbeds, etc.

Majority of these activities are against the nature which result in land erosions, floods, inconsistent rains, earthquakes and other natural calamities resulting in the death of a large number of animals and birds, even humans.

Now, does it mean we should go back to the Stone Age and stop all these? No.

 However, we can definitely try to   compensate the loss by being more responsible. And when we say “we”, it means each one of us.

 “The biggest threat to the earth is the thought that someone else will save it.”

Environmental Awareness in Children

Children are rightly called the future of our country.

They are intelligent, inquisitive, learn things quickly and are sensible and caring than many of us.

It is high time to use these qualities and teach them about mother Earth and the environment.

We elders as their parents and educators need to teach them about the threats to the environment,   how we are a part of the problem and the possible solutions.

How many times do we discuss carbon footprint or ecological balance or climate change with our kids?

How many of us have motivated our kids to be a part of a cleanliness drive or a plantation drive?

Have we ever shown them how  we can recycle our own stuff at home?

These are few questions we need to answer to educate our kids about our environment.

Ways to Reduce Environmental Threats

The earth is changing every day and being aware of the environment is important to make our survival easier.

The  foremost step to awareness is discussing it with kids, teaching them about the threats which the earth faces and its   effects by showing real examples at home and around.

Let them think what they want to do or can do about it. Teach them about Reduce, Reuse and Recycle concept.

Before teaching them, we elders need to set examples by a change   in our way of life and habits.

1.  Let’s start with baby steps by encouraging kids to turn electrical appliances off when not in use like computers, televisions, lights, fans, etc. as they consume a lot of energy. Switch to energy efficient appliances and electrical items and explain the difference to them. Saving electricity helps conserve a lot of power to go a long way.

2. Saving water should be in our heads all the time asthere’s no life without water. It is said that the reason for another possible world war would be water and rightly people have already started fighting over  rivers. So teach kids to not waste water and use as less as possible. Show them examples by storing rainwater and using it for cleaning purposes, watering plans, etc. This also saves electricity indirectly as  water purification needs electricity.

 

3. The worst threat to the earth is climate change and the prime reason for this is cutting down trees. Trees are our source of oxygen and the reason we breathe fresh air. Everyday a huge number of trees are cut  to build roads, buildings, factories for upgrading the living standards. While all this is necessary, we can  compensate by lanting more trees. It takes a day to cut a tree but it takes years for them to grow.Encourage kids in gardening, plantation drives or planting saplings on special occasions like their   birthdays.

 

     4. Say a big no to plastic. Plastic cannot be decomposed which means all the plastic  produced till date is   present somewhere in some form. Plastic is hazardous for all living beings and to the environment as   well. The need of the hour is to stop the usage of plastic as much as possible and switch to sustainable  or biodegradable alternatives. Right from their toothbrush to toys, pencil boxes, water bottles, etc.  everything is mostly plastic; 

let them identify and see how which all they can stop buying or use  alternatives.

5. Kids can also be taught about reducing waste which is another big concern as acres 

of land are getting  wasted just for landfills. Teach about using every bit of a product, or reuse it. 

Let them donate their old  toys, clothes, books or shoes to others and similarly they 

can also borrow the same from others who  do not need them to help reduce waste. 

Teach them about waste management by identifying wet and  dry waste and 

disposing them properly.

6. Encourage kids to use bikes or cycles or simply walks for shorter distances. Also ask 

them to go for   carpools and switch off the engine at signals thus reducing pollution 

and the carbon footprints.

7. Motivate kids to join workshops which teach making their own cleaning supplies, or DIY crafts using   materials at home.

 

8. Teach children not to litter rivers banks and sea beaches as it leads to water 

pollution killing a lot of  fishes and aquatic animals eventually disrupting the 

ecological balance. This also leads to a lot of water  borne diseases which can be 

fatal. Encourage them to join cleanliness drives for rivers banks and   beaches. 

Cleaning it themselves will make them stop others from littering.

 

9. Educate kids to learn to read and identify chemical based products and encourage 

the usage of natural  and organic products over chemical based ones to reduce air 

and water pollution.

10. Schools should conduct regular environmental activities like competitions on ideas 

to reduce waste or   reuse and recycle things. The lessons on environment should be explained with  more real life examples  to understand the importance of the 

situation.

The earth is suffering a lot because of pollution which leads to climate changes, 

Melting,glaciers, forest fires,  insufficient rains, floods, droughts, earthquakes. 

As a result of which  the world has lost 50% of its wildlife,  more than 100 of species have 

gone extinct and many are on the verge of extinction. We should act as   responsible 

citizens by coming out of our comfort zones a bit and changing our way of life to 

minimise these  effects and avoid further disasters.