'Teach kids to lead eco-friendly lives'

Dubai - By 2020, it's important that all high school graduates know the basics about climate change and the environment

It is important that the new generation learns about the basics of climate change and environment as it will be their duty to pass on the knowledge in the future, a top Dubai Municipality official has said.
Tasnim Alfalasi, head of the environmental awareness section at Dubai Municipality, told Khaleej Times that many youngsters still do not know much about waste segregation and reusing waste.
She was speaking at the annual Earth Day event held at Kite Beach on Saturday, when children were taught about ways to protect the environment. Alfalasi said: "We have done several waste segregation initiatives and we noticed that many people still don't know how to separate the waste. They don't know how to reuse the waste either. They end up throwing things that can be recycled and reused.
"The main people who will be spreading the education and knowledge are the people from this generation. If they learn ways to protect the environment, they share that knowledge with their families at home and that's how awareness spreads."
Alfalasi said that by 2020, it's important that all high school graduates should know the basics about climate change and the environment.
"The Earth Day Network are the ones who arrange Earth Day every year and they're the ones who have a goal that by 2020 every student graduating high school must have the basic knowledge on climate change and the environment," she said.
"That's to say when they leave high school, they'll know at least what their actions will do to contribute to greenhouse gasses and what changes they can make to live a more eco-friendly life.
"We are targeting that age group because we are finding that they are the most influential. They're the ones who go on to decide whether they're going to study in the fields of environmental studies after they leave high school. Also, they're the generation who will have kids and that kind of knowledge is very important to be passed on."
Dubai Municipality holds different kinds of events each year to spread environmental awareness. To mark Earth Day this year, they had various activities meant for children.
This year's theme centres around educating young people and children on climate and environmental issues, towards a goal that by 2020, all high school graduates have basic climate and environmental literacy.
 
Students trained to plant saplings on World Earth Day
dubai - More than 150 students from different schools in Dubai got together on Saturday to mark the World Earth Day, by planting trees and plants. The Desert Group in collaboration with Pink Mango Project held the half day event, at the Dubai Garden Centre, from 8.30am to 12pm and saw the attendance of students from all nationalities and various schools like Our Own English High School, Amled School, Gulf Indian High School and Oxford School to name a few. The planting activity was conducted in students batches of 20, wherein they planted a sampling, learnt the importance of planting to the environment, received tips on how to nurture and maintain the plant, and were given ownership of the plant.
Commenting on the occasion Michael Mascerahnas, CEO of Desert Group said, "We at Desert Group are continuously trying to initiate the next generation towards planting and building a greener environment for themselves. With the current and continuous depletion in the environment, it is important that the younger generation understands the importance of caring for nature, growing trees and plants. As mentors, it is our responsibility to guide them to do what is right and good for their future."
Rohit, the initiator of Pink Mango Project commented: "It is wonderful to be tying up with Desert Group on the occasion of World Earth Day. The event really helps highlight the importance of plants in our ecosystem, especially towards the younger population, who remain the immediate future and patrons of these resources."
The Earth Day celebrated annually on April 22, was the perfect occasion to get the school community together to raise environmental awareness. The idea behind this initiative was to inculcate the values of planting within children and help them understand how a little effort from their side can make a big difference to the wellbeing of the Earth and in turn their future.
sarwat@khaleejtimes.com