We all know that we are part of the environment we live in. Unless we change our attitude towards environmental issues, our habitat will become as barren as the image you see below. The solution to many environmental problems lies in our attitude towards the environment. Be it awareness to keep our surroundings clean or the realisation to conserve natural resources by re-using and recycling wherever possible. The best bet to bring about a change in the attitudes of over 100 crore people is through children. They have no vested interests. They are impressionable. They are our future. They are the single most important influence in any family.
Here are a few initiatives that we wish all the best in their endeavours. The National Green Corps is an initiative by the Government of India while EnviroCorp is a community oriented effort in Washington, USA. Our personal favorite is SAVE as it highlights the power of the individual in the process of change and starts at the grass route level. Swati Aggarwal has initiated the Student’s Association Volunteering for Earth in a small village in rural India showing us that one person can indeed make a difference.
National Green Corps
With this realisation the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India has decided to launch the National Green Corps Progarnme (NGC) in all Districts of our vast country. The main objectives of this programme are to educate children about their immediate environment and impart knowledge about the eco-systems, their inter-dependence and their need for survival, through visits and demonstrations and to mobilise youngsters by instilling in them the spirit of scientific inquiry into environmental problems and involving them in the efforts of environmental preservation. This programme is being implemented in each State/UT through the Nodal agency appointed by the State/UT Govt.
EnviroCorps
EnviroCorps is a nonprofit organization based out of Washington, USA that provides people with self-directed opportunities to serve the community close to their home. Volunteering with EnviroCorps enables one to get some exercise, enhance parks and other natural areas accessible to the public, meet others who share common interests, enjoy the outdoors, and spend valuable time with family, children or grandchildren.
Student’s Association Volunteering For Earth
This is an initiative by Swati Aggarwal in Mandi Dabwali, a small town on the border of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. The idea is basically to educate adults about Green Living; through their own children. Over 500 plants and trees have been distributed to people to plant at their homes. The venture SAVE is an apt acronym for Student’s Association Volunteering For Earth. Its an effort to educate students about the environment, green and clean living and in turn bring about long lasting change in civic and environmental awareness amongst adults.
