OUR ENVIRONMENT AND US

Prepared and presented

by

Adebukola Margaret ADEKOLA, 

Executive Director, Whole Planet Initiative.

Our environment is the living space where human and all that exist subsist. It's made up of land, air, vegetation, and water. These elements are the general commodities that provide and sustain lives and all that exist on the earth crust.

These elements have over the years suffer some forms of abuse, mismanagement and unsustainable use by human bringing them to degradation at a very fast pace.

The implications of this degradation is the weakened sinking capacity of the environment which makes it to emit hazards of various kinds including floods, diseases, epidemics, climate change, low productivity of land, famine, scarcity of resources among others. All these are capable of exploring the vulnerability of the people and can result to casualty of varying magnitude of not properly managed.

To ensure this hazards are minimised, everyone is needed. In other words, we are all stakeholders to initiate and promote the change, necessary to make our environment sustainable.

One of the simplest obligation required of everyone in this sustainability project is effective waste management.

Waste management in this while involves the process of generation of waste to collection and the eventual disposal that brings no harm to man and the environment.

There are 7rs to observe  to effect effective waste management by individual, household, company or community.

These are:

R- rethink

R- refuse

R- reduce

R- reuse

R- recycle

R- regulate

R- research.

When these steps are religiously observed by everyone, the challenges pose by waste particularly the outbreak of diseases it could cause, defacement of streets, blockage of drainages and the eventual flood among others implications will be refuse.

Another important concept recommended for everyone is proper waste sorting. This involves the categorisaion of waste materials (paper, plastics, bottles, metal, wood etc)  to the classes they belong to make it easier for pickup and recycling.

In conclusion, our environment is fast depleted in resources. Incorporation of 7rs into our lifestyles is an antidote to prevent the overexploitation of natural resources that can put the lives of the future generations in danger of scarcity. Remember, we didn't inherit the planet from our fathers, we borrowed it from our children.

Thanks for listening.