In the world of super-fast trains and advanced computers and gadgets who wouldn’t expect faster and better results. As humans living in the 21st century each one of us is instinctively drawn to the place or person who can give us the best results in the least amount of time. But let us look at the bigger picture; does all of this really benefit us in all ways? Sure, we can find the solutions to our queries at the tip of our fingers using our smartphones and undertake advanced calculations in the matter of seconds, but as great minds have said,” everything comes with a price,” the price that we pay in exchange for this worldly knowledge is compromising the health of our planet.

For years we have been enjoying the discoveries and inventions that we made but now we have deal with the consequences. As students we are taught about global warming in lower grades, all we did was learn the mere definitions to write down in our examination sheets, but now we feel the real heat, literally. Icebergs are melting, water levels are rising, lands are being submerged into the sea, pollution levels are breaking charts, marine life is being threatened, and the list could go on forever. We are going to be paying a huge price for taking the nature for granted and not paying attention to the adverse effects of our creations. But as they say, ”what is done, is done” and now it is up to us, the future of this world, to move forward and keep making new breakthroughs in science and technology but this time keeping in mind the welfare of our planet.

So what is it that we children can do to help the environment? There are so many ways in which we can contribute:  Studies have shown that ‘intergenerational learning’ is an effective way to motivate our parents and elders to care about environmental issues. Use reusable bags while going shopping, print as little as necessary, use the recycling bins and segregate waste properly, and use reusable beverage containers. At the end of the school year, connect with students of future classes and give them your notes, or at least recycle the paper used. Use energy efficient electric appliances and lower your air conditioning when it is not necessary.

One important point that we always need to remember is that when it comes to taking care of our environment there is never an ‘I’ it is always an ‘us’ or a ‘we’. As the growing generation of this world ‘we’ have to work together to help our planet. ‘We’ have to come up with new ideas for sustainable production and creative solutions to these environmental problems. So let ‘us’ put our heads together and let each of us contribute to this cause in whatever way possible, no matter how insignificant it may seem and make Earth beautiful once again.