We are in an era where everyone has a role to play in
the conservation of the environment. Industrialization and other human
activities are progressively leading to environmental pollution in a big way.
For instance, In
Beijing, the level of air pollution from industries and
vehicles is so high such that people have to use respiratory masks to protect
themselves from the toxic
gases and fumes. As much as national governments have a
role to play in curbing environmental pollution, parents also need to take initiative by teaching their children green cleaning and eco friendly living
habits. Children learn by example and teaching them green habits early will
turn them into responsible adults.
Here are 5 easy ways of teaching your children how to
go green:
·
Conserve
water
A majority of people tend to use water in ways that
they cannot account for. Although a shower is essential in every home, the
amount of water that is used by a single person is likely to fill 2-2.5 bath
tubs. Cut down the usage of water in your family by teaching your kids the
importance of conserving water such as; taking shorter showers and turning off
the faucet while brushing.
·
Recycling
paper and plastic
Most of the time polythene bags and plastic items are
thrown into garbage cans instead of being recycled. Such materials are not biodegradable
and so the more you throw them away, the higher the chances of causing
environmental pollution. Start by designating two bins; one for the polythene
and plastics and the other for the biodegradable waste.
·
Conserve
electricity
When a device is plugged into a power source and is
not in use, it still uses electricity. Teach your children the importance of
unplugging the appliances such as TVs, laptops, and gaming systems when they
are not in use. You can even have them plugged to one power extension with many
switches to protect them electric shock in the process of plugging and
unplugging the power cords.
·
Reuse
resources
The simple things we tend to ignore have significant
environmental benefits. The papers we write on are made from trees; it takes a
sixth of one tree to produce about 600 sheets. You can conserve trees by using
double sided printing anytime you are printing your documents. Besides that,
you can also teach your children the importance of donating the clothes they no
longer wear.
·
Shop
at your local vendor/store
Take your kids with you when you go shopping, and
encourage them to pick the locally produced items. Groceries that are locally
produced are healthier, contain fewer chemicals and help cut down on the
environmental pollution that is caused during the transportation of foods from
their original source. The same also
applies when buying other items; encourage them to shop at the local stores.
