We, the residents of Lahore, are hit by smog in early winters. Polluted smoke mixes with the fog and renders an atmosphere in which it is hard to breathe. It also causes irritation in the eyes. These conditions, causing respiratory and eye diseases, prevail in a large part of Punjab.

This does not end here, Sindh and Balochistan also witness pollution but of slightly different kinds. For instance, on my recent visits to Karachi and Peshawar, the noise and air pollution were quite noticeable there. With increasing urbanisation and growing road networks, green habitats are diminishing at a fast rate all over Pakistan. Then there are other problems such as the scarcity of clean water, proper waste disposal and emission of greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide) all over the country.

other problems such as the scarcity of clean water, proper waste disposal and emission of greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide) all over the country.

These, and the other related environmental issues, are prevailing in many other places in the world, especially developing countries such as Pakistan. The lack of care shown to Mother Earth by humans is causing damage to our environment and atmosphere, and some of these damages are irreversible.

Deforestation is taking place at a rapid rate all over the world, destroying the natural habitat of wildlife. Rainforests are particularly being destroyed for making wood-based products and clearing land for agriculture. As a result, some wildlife species are in danger of becoming extinct. Fewer trees also mean there will be more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as it is trees that convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. Carbon dioxide, nitrogen, etc. are called ‘greenhouse gases’ as they trap sun’s heat and radiation within earth’s atmosphere. The resulting ‘greenhouse effect’ is causing global warming and climate change.

The aforementioned global warming is causing snow caps and glaciers to melt in Antarctica and other cold regions. As a result, sea levels are rising and causing adverse climatic and landscape changes. These climate and landscape changes also destroy the natural habitat and food supplies of wildlife, thus endangering their very existence. As you can see, one bad change causes a chain reaction because the environment, natural resources and living things are all interlinked and inter-dependent. This chain reaction destroys the natural balance of things and/or ecosystems.

There is also lack of proper waste disposal, particularly plastic waste disposal. Billions of pounds of garbage is dumped each year into landfills (garbage dump sites), rivers and oceans. All this causes pollutions of various kinds. The sad truth is, majority of this garbage and waste can be recycled or prevented from being dumped improperly, by effective human actions. But left untreated or not recycled, this waste and garbage takes years and years to decompose.

Energy resources and fossil fuels are also being over-utilised and, in some cases, being wasted. Countries around the world need to switch to environment-friendly and renewable resources such as the sun, wind, etc. for power generation and sources of fuel. We also need to increase our food resources and clean water supplies as the world’s population is increasing at a fast rate. Preserving and using the world’s resources efficiently is the need of the hour.

Some harmful gases in the atmosphere resulting from air pollution are also damaging the ozone layer. The ozone layer is a natural O3 gas that exists in the atmosphere at about 10 km above earth. It helps to protect us from sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation, which causes skin cancer and eye diseases. But damages to this layer are causing human exposure to ultraviolet radiation and, as a result, skin cancer and severe eye diseases.

All these damages to the environment and the earth by humans are like trashing one’s own home or setting fire to it. What is more surprising is that we are not even fully aware of all these issues and/or are in denial of these problems. It is also shocking that each one of us thinks that he/she cannot do anything about these problems. And it is alarming is that little is being done to address these environmental problems, which are spiralling at an alarming rate.

An effort at an individual level is absolutely essential by each one of us. Only then we can move towards solving the aforementioned problems.

For this and other related reasons, International Earth Day is celebrated in nearly 190 countries of the world on April 22, each year. To summarise, its aims are “to raise awareness about environmental issues, demonstrate support for environmental protection and help find solution to the environmental problems in hand.”

Like other forms of knowledge and awareness, the knowledge about environmental issues and their solutions is also essential for us. Based on that knowledge and awareness, each one of us needs to take action to create a better planet and a better tomorrow for all of us. Otherwise, we would face a degenerating planet Earth and loss of lives of millions of humans, animals and marine life in the decades ahead.

Facts related to environment issues

• About 20 percent of world’s income comes from forests. By forests’ destruction at the current rate, an estimated 100 million of world’s population will move below the poverty line by 2030.

• Pollution affects the health of nearly 100 million people around the world.

• When it comes to premature deaths, air pollution ranks fourth in the list of causes of premature deaths.

• In the last few decades, we have added billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.

• 27,000 trees are cut down each day for toilet paper.

• Billions of pounds of the industrial and human wastes, including garbage, are dumped into oceans and seas. It kills millions of ocean life including sea birds.

• People who live in areas with highly polluted air have 20% more chances of getting lung cancer than people living in areas with less air pollution.

• More than three million children aged five years or less, die each year due to environmental factors.

• Landfills (garbage dumps on land) are the biggest source of soil pollution; but more than 80 percent of items in the landfills can be recycled.

• For each mile you walk instead of using an auto-mobile vehicle, you prevent one pound of pollution from spreading in the environment.

• Shutting down a computer, when not using it, leads to 85 percent less power consumption.

• A reusable bag, when used again and again for its lifetime, prevents the use of 600 plastic bags.

• By recycling a can of soft drink, we can save enough energy to power a television for three hours.

— A.I.

How can we help?

We need to know about and be aware of what needs to change or happen at a global level. Among other things, the following are essential:

• Each one of us needs to start with conserving electricity and water at our homes and the places we visit. This would ensure that more than necessary natural resources are not utilised to generate electricity and water.

• Avoid the use of plastic bags and plastic products.

• Ensure proper disposal of waste products and garbage.

• Cut down on deforestation and plant more trees.

• Use recycled paper and plastic. Cut down on plastic use and save paper.

• Adopt effective measures to conserve wildlife and prevent extinction of endangered species.

• Electricity and other energy needs should be met from sources such as solar panels, wind turbines, geo-thermal energy, etc. instead of fossil fuels.

• Instead of being thrown into landfills and oceans, majority of the garbage should be treated by recycling, composting and other environmental friendly methods.

• Establish irrigated forest plantations.

• Create awareness about environmental problems and their solutions through social media.

• Organise events in your school and local communities to raise the aforementioned awareness.

• Join and support organisations/ NGOs that raise awareness and try to solve earth-related problems.

—A.I.

Published in Dawn, Young World, April 21st, 2018