There’s a rising consensus among educators and green activists that it’s also important for families and households to adopt sustainable living practices to protect the next generation from the impending environmental disaster that’s looming ahead writes Kiran Balimane, Mini P. & Cynthia John At the COP28 Meeting — the 28th United Nations (UN) climate meeting — which recently concluded (December 12) in Dubai, world leaders (including Prime Minister Narendra Modi) representing 200 countries discussed the catastrophic impact of climate change on Planet Earth, how to mitigate it and prepare for the future. For the first time, all countries agreed on the need to “transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems”, reduce carbon emissions and approved a climate disaster “loss and damage fund” to aid vulnerable communities and developing nations most heavily hit by climate disasters. However, the ‘agreement’ doesn’t compel countries to take specified action and no timeline was set. The COP28 Meeting was held against the backdrop of scientists confirming that 2023 was the hottest year ever experienced by Planet Earth with average temperature rising by 1.5oC. There is rising panic around the world that Planet Earth is inexorably gravitating towards an unprecedented environmental crisis. Global warming, climate change, destruction of natural habitats of wildlife and plants, air and water pollution, rising sea water levels due to meltdown of polar ice caps, are slowly but surely destroying environments around the world and threatening humankind leaving children in particular, staring at a bleak future. India, that is Bharat with its large population heavily reliant on fossil fuels, and under-educated citizens is among the worst hit countries. According to a recent report of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), three Indian metros — Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata — are ranked among the world’s Top 10 most polluted cities. Another report of the NITI Aayog — the Union government’s thinktank — reveals that 21 metros including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad, are experiencing a severe water crisis due to overexploitation of ground water, pollution, and climate change, and are expected to run out of groundwater by 2025 which will directly hit 100 million citizens. A study of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) highlights that only 22 of 51 urban cities countrywide have functional solid waste management systems. Even as governments are doing their bit at the macro level to limit the impact of an environmental crisis threatening Planet Earth, there’s a rising consensus among educators and green activists that it’s also important for families and households to adopt sustainable living practices to protect children from the impending environmental disaster that’s looming ahead. “The global environmental crisis is real with climate change, dwindling natural resources and toxic air pollution casting a dark and deep shadow over the future of our children. In the circumstances, it’s the duty of all parents to start actively contributing towards limiting environmental damage by adopting sustainable living practices. Sustainable living is way past being a fashionable trend, it’s become a necessity. Parents need to educate…
