What are we even doing to reduce planet contamination?

What are we even doing to reduce planet contamination?

02 Mar,2022 05:28 PM, by: Manna Mili
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Take a walk around your neighbourhood and observe your surroundings the next time you step out. There is a high chance of you encountering trash littered on streets as well as in the drainage system, along with sightings of undesignated garbage dumping on the sidewalks. And if you happen to visit any nearby water body like any lake or river, you’ll most likely find garbage floating in it too. Sadly, this is the world we live in today. What’s sadder is that it isn’t a new piece of information.

Amidst the hues and cries around rising pollution, climate change and environmental damage that we humans are responsible for, majority of us live in oblivion; almost as, it isn’t our individual concern.We as a society have grown accustomed to this disturbing reality. A reality, for which very little is being done in comparison to the magnitude of waste piled up on planet Earth.

Back to our neighbourhood – almost all of us are aware of the importance of proper waste management system, and our individual role in making this mechanism work. However, not many practices proper waste disposal in their household and do not prioritise recycling or reusing of commodities optimally. Even though we may maintain separate dustbins in our homes for collecting dry and wet waste, we usually dispose them together. Worse, is when we dispose our waste in undesignated areas and consider it to be normal. And then we forget about it.

Effects of improper waste disposal

There are several adverse effects of improper waste disposal, apart from environmental damage. Waste accumulation in scattered places throughout a region acts as a breeding ground for disease carrying insects such as flies and mosquitoes – leading to dengue, yellow fever, encephalitis, malaria, etc. Unhygienic conditions arising out of improper waste disposal also led to diseases like diarrhea and other severe sickness.

Contamination of land masses and water bodies with non-biodegradable waste such as plastic also leads to loss of habitat. Several animals and marine lives have been deeply impacted due to man-made pollution. This has resulted in an imbalanced ecosystem with a disrupted food chain. Several studies have linked loss of marine lives directly to plastic and toxic waste contamination, for which humans are solely responsible.

When did the Earth get so polluted?

According to Census Bureau, the world’s current population is projected to be at 7.8 billion people.

That’s an awful lot of us releasing an awful lot of waste into the planet. Plastic was introduced as a powerful commodity to bring convenience in our everyday lives. However, the rise of our population also led to a rather complex surge in demand for plastic and other non-biodegradable items; resulting in way more plastic waste than the world could handle.

Similar to plastic, electronic waste is another critical hazard adding on to the environmental damage. Exposing e-waste to heat releases toxic chemicals, and these substances get released into the air we breathe, the land we cultivate and the water we use. Earth wasn’t polluted in a single decade. However, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that we have accelerated the rate of pollution with the rapid rise in consumerism witnessed in this century.

Pressing order of business

Reducing our exposure to toxicants from plastic and electronic waste will definitely improveour chances of having a clean and healthy environment for our future generation. In fact, plenty of wonderful initiatives in this direction have already been taken up by organizations, volunteers and government bodies at both global and community level. Govt. of India’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a nationwide movement in reducing improper waste, keeping our localities clean and removing waste from water bodies and beach sides. Independent volunteer groups, NGOs and CSR wings of private firms are also dedicating to this cause.

But more grounds are to be covered and there’s a world wide call to as many volunteers of planet Earth to show up and join the cause. There is an urgent need for government agencies and health authorities to enact and enforce environmental laws that will monitor the production, usage and disposal of plastics. Similar intervention is also needed for responsible disposal and segregation of electronic waste.

Are you an environmental activist, social worker or an NGO working towards reducing and managing plastic and electronic waste in Northeast India? Share with us your work here, to get featured in our portal, and attract like-minded partner associations to collaborate with.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author's. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of The Critical Script or its editor.