EARTH DAY: Let's do more for the environment

By Dr Zorina Khalid, Malacca

WORLD Water Day was celebrated on March 22. Many people did not realise what an important day it was.

Malaysians, known for their over-consumption of water, will carry on with their lives without any concern that clean water is a precious commodity that should be used with great care. Perhaps it's because they can afford to pay the bill.

On March 27, I was at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

I used the self-flushing toilet and noticed that the toilet flushed even before I started using it.

This was not the first time I noticed this happening with self-flushing toilets.

Shouldn't the toilet only flush after someone has finished using it? So much water is just wasted.

The self-stopping taps are also a problem. Most of the time, the pressure is too strong and the water flows for a long time.

It saddens me that we have to resort to these automated devices because we are not civic-minded in the use of public facilities.

The World Earth Day was celebrated on Sunday.

Let's start doing something useful for our ailing planet.

Eat less, bathe for a shorter period of time, plant trees, cut down on air-conditioning, car pool, recycle and reuse, quit smoking and don't ever start if you are a non-smoker.

There are many more simple gestures and practices that we can adopt to make ourselves healthier as well as to save our planet.

Over-consumption is a practice that we need to curb.

Over-eating also causes more animals to perish.

Our seas are being depleted of fish, more water is used and more waste is generated.

This over-consumption scourge has led to various diseases related to affluence. We have to tackle obesity and the diseases that come along with it.

More dialysis centres have to be opened and with this more energy and water consumed and more waste produced.

To be earth-friendly we need to live in moderation. Follow the path set by Prophet Muhammad, Gautama Buddha and other religious figures who taught us to be moderate in our eating and spending.

Prophet Muhammad, for instance, preached that we should eat until we are only one-third full.

If more humans can make changes to their lifestyle and practise a simpler life, then our earth can be sustainable for many more years.

Therefore, spare a thought, eat wisely and healthily, use less, reduce wastage and make a pledge to be more earth friendly, if you haven't done so yet.

Start doing something useful for our planet, like planting trees.

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EARTH DAY: Let's do more for the environment

WORLD Water Day was celebrated on March 22. Many people did not realise what an important day it was.

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