It is our collective responsibility to maintain our earth as a habitable place for our present and future. Today, more than ever before, we are facing environmental challenges that can spiral into major crises unless we take urgent corrective measures. We have to strive to execute our actions points and Gobar Times provides us a wonderful platform to achieve them.
If I were the editor of Gobar Times, I would design its content and activities so as to proactively save our environment. Besides reaching out to subject experts for content, I would publish interviews of young students undertaking credible research and analysis. I would conduct surveys and Q&A sessions, and organize hands-on workshops to raise overall awareness on environmental issues. Through campaigns and active participation, we can make a societal impact and move towards a greener future.
One of the topics closest to my heart is waste management. We are already aware of the importance of waste segregation at source and avoiding the usage of non-biodegradable plastic. So, I would proceed and cover biodegradable waste—the actual ways of handling it through composting it in one’s own backyard. I would include diagrams, audio-visual links, and step-by-step procedures in my magazine describing how to compost at home. I would also organize DIY workshops and encourage their participants to spread awareness on the benefits of composting. They could then campaign for its implementation in their neighbourhood.
Such home composting would allow food scraps to degrade in the presence of oxygen in our residential premises itself, instead of piling up in landfills that release methane. The resultant compost can serve as a natural fertilizer for our plants, thereby reducing the consumption of toxic artificial fertilizers.
The second cause I will take up is groundwater depletion. It is a real concern particularly in Delhi and its vicinity. Rainwater harvesting is an effective way of reducing groundwater usage and also recharging it. My articles would focus on its importance and proceed onto organizing workshops about the same. They would demonstrate how to setup rainwater harvesting systems at homes and in localities, and thereby promote water conservation.
Another topic I would like my magazine to cover is—solar energy. I wish to encourage articles on how to utilize solar power on our rooftops and neighbourhood for generating electricity for water heating and other uses.
My magazine’s goal is to celebrate actual green projects implemented to rescue the environment. Success stories of such projects with pictures would also feature in my editions.
Student of class VI, The Shri Ram School, Moulsari, Gurugram.