A Red Letter Day

Again!  after one year we have witnessed this glorious day – World Environmental Day. Rather than observation, it was a celebration too. The theme put forwarded by United Nations was thought provocative, ‘Think, Eat, and Save’; more simply we should think before we eat. This theme was in the wake of increased food wastage amid poverty and hunger. UN reported that around 1.3 billion food are being wasted every year. Around 1/3^rd of the food become waste. The prodigality in the midst of crisis is raising a serious concern, one in seven go to bed every day without food. It is observed that United States and different European countries are forefront in this spendthrift. Estimates shows that to produce on liter of milk, an amount of thousand liters of water is required and producing one kilogram of rice, it requires 1500 liters of water. This reiterates that our efforts should focus on conservation and be frugal in every action.

The Vice Chancellor of Cochin University of Science and Technology called for the habitual change of human beings. Rather than considering this planet, our imagination should extend to the concept of universe and each of our actions is for the empowerment of this universe. He shared his experience while he was in US; one of the Governors remarked that while we go in to the toilet, think that our responsibility is to clean the toilet, when go for food think that our onus is to prepare the dining table our others. This is exactly the approach of sustainable development – development that meets the need of present without jeopardizing the ability of the future to meet their demands. The responsibility lies up on is to preserve the nature for the future generations. Mahatma Gandhi one said, “Air, water, land and resources are not an inheritance from our forefathers but on loan from our future generations; so we are expected to give to them at least as it was handovered to us”. Before complaining others, we should look to ourselves and ask question, what role we are playing for this noble cause? It is sustainable actions that make meaning to life. Such a habitual change and environmental consciousness is a need of this time.

We have planted around 200 trees in the campus and protect it by tree guards. Now students are ready to water it every day. This was our second sapling planting in this semester followed by the development of fruit orchard in the campus. We were totally tired after a whole day event, but with great gratification. While return, one of the professors approached us for a genuine cause – his car was fell in to a pit made by us for planting trees. Two of us gently raised a side of the car and managed to move. With sincere thanks he dropped us half of the way to our department and I marked it as one of my red letter days.

Paul V Mathew