Last few weeks were pretty rough for us. Your uncle is so sick; sewage pipes got blocked and we are so worried....
COVER STORY
Message, July 26, 2050: Hello, I don’t know where we’re floating right now. But we will figure out; we must be somewhere around the place where Empress Market was. There are just boulders and some electronic stuff floating around us. It’s so disgusting to look outside the windows. The walls of the house are always smouldering hot; I can’t even lean against them when I feel weak and want to cry. I never thought underwater life would be that gloomy and strenuous. I don't know what we have done to deserve this.
Last few weeks were pretty rough for us. Your uncle is so sick; sewage pipes got blocked and we are so worried about the bad condition of our house. I am afraid if something hits our windows, they will crack and we will be floating with all the garbage around us. I was missing everybody so I thought I should drop you an email to tell you people your uncle and aunt will be dead soon. I love you all.
Your Khala
Who would want to receive such a gloomy message from their loved ones in the future? Of course, nobody! But the truth is bad times aren't far away. The deadly smog in winters, excruciatingly hot summers and devastating floods are just a glimpse of what life would be like in the coming years. What are we doing to save our planet? We don’t have to send our kids on school strikes or pay celebrities to become environmentalists. All we have to do is adopt eco-friendly ways of doing things
We talked to people from different walks of life and asked what they do differently to protect the environment.
Educate, not exhaust
Suggestions from teachers:
“At our school, we encourage students to pass on their books to their juniors. On the result day, students submit books to the librarian from where others students collect them. Until and unless the editions change dramatically or there is a change of book, students are asked to use the old books.”
“Exams produce a lot of trash. All we can do is try to minimize the trash. We don't throw away extra question papers if they have blank sides. We save them and during the maths exam, ask students to use those question papers for rough work.”
“I can recall bundling up extra pages taken out from my class notebooks at the end of the year.
I used to be so angry that I would always want to go to my teachers and ask them why they make us buy 300-page notebooks when we have to work on 100 pages only. Even some pricy textbooks that we would buy with such enthusiasm would go untouched. I am glad parents and students are more vocal now; if something isn't going right, at least they reach out and discuss. Speaking up and questioning the authority, even at a very basic level, is the first step towards bringing about positive changes.”
Straw nonsense
“There is no denying plastic straws are hazardous! But it doesn't mean everyone should start an eco-friendly straw business. Using paper, bamboo or metal for making straws is still a waste of resources. These alternatives are just a way of tricking millennials into buying things they absolutely don't need. Ditch all kinds of straws and sip your drink directly.” (Sobia Ayub, student)
Be water wise
“At plant nurseries, our major concern is water. Due to the shortage of water in Karachi, we get fresh water once a week only; so it has to be used mindfully otherwise no water means the death of all our plants or else we have to spend a huge sum of money to get water tankers. But thankfully, someone suggested us to change the time we water plants. Instead of early morning, we started watering the plants in the evening, just an hour before sunset. This way water stays for a longer time in the soil and the plants stay hydrated for a longer time; so you don’t have to water twice.
“Watering in the early morning means the water dries up quickly. Later in the afternoon, plants begin to wilt and we have to water them again to keep them fresh.
“Those who own a lot of plants or have a lawn should consider watering plants in the evening to save water.” (Rahim, a gardener)
Recycling electronics
“Believe me I have a lot of customers who change mobiles every year. I always tell them to get a second hand mobile instead of a new one. Of course, the once who are obsessed with upgrades never listen. My advice is if you know someone who is a trusted dealer, always go for a second hand mobile. Don't waste your money on buying luxury phones.
“There are dozens of electronic markets in Karachi where you can go and handover useless electronic items such as home appliances, mobiles, laptops to professional dealers who either repair, or sell them to recycling companies for extra cash. When you throw away your chargers, headphones and cables in the garbage, they’re picked up by waste pickers and hoarded in slum areas. There it gets mishandled. I will give you an example here: the black substance (manganese oxide and ammonium chloride) that’s filled inside the pencil cell can cause rashes on the skin or if inhaled, it can result in extreme coughing.”(Bilal Syed, mobile dealer)
E-waste contains harmful materials such as lead, cadmium, chromium, brominated flame retardants or polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). If burnt, the toxic fumes are released into the air; if left as it is, the chemicals seep into the soil and contaminate the water, creating health issues for the people.
When trash gets a second life
“The wedding invites are so pretty and are made of quality paper. Imagine all the wood, water and chemicals that go into making them. After the wedding is over, I cut out all the flowery, bright edges to make bookmarks. Or save bits of those cards for decorating my sister’s million projects.” (Uzma, student)
“Newspapers are a great resource in an educational setup. We just flip through them, scan headlines, and trash them at the end of the day. I make sure to collect newspapers daily and extract useful text for my language classes. This way they are used properly before going into trash. Art teachers can also make the most of them in their classes.” (Sundus Jawaid, teacher)
“I don't mind sharing my clothes with my friends and cousins. In fact, I encourage them to reach out to me if they find something interesting in my closet. And if there is a fancy dress that I don't like or need anymore and I think someone in the family can use, I share pictures of that on our family group chats. Same goes with the jewellery pieces and shoes. And interestingly, now other family members are also doing the same. Keep circulating the stuff to promote sustainable living.” (Rabia Nadeem, handicraft artist)
Ban the bag
“There is a mini mart in my area that doesn't provide customers with shopping bags to carry stuff. It’s clearly written outside the mart: bring your own bags. Since the mart offers great discounts, shoppers don't mind carrying their own bags. Mostly they’re polythene bags, but at least they are being reused. But I always take my cloth bag with me.” (Salma, seamstress)
No spending Sunday
“Actually I got the inspiration from social media. I introduced this no spending Sunday challenge to my family. Since Sunday is the day we tend to spend the most money, it is a bit of a struggle but we do pretty well. If guests come over, we serve them homemade snacks only. Or if we get bored, we just go out for a stroll and play indoor games. As a result, we have become mindful consumers: fewer visits to shopping malls and no fast food deliveries means a lot of saving is done for meaningful work.” (Ayesha Yousuf, doctor)
Practical gifts
“People who value my existence know I am a very practical person; they all know sentimental gifts are clutter to me. Teddy bears, key chains, photo frames, mugs and decorative items all just end up behind the furniture where they lay in dust and cobwebs for years. When I feel like treating my loved ones, I ask them what they need before making a purchase and ask them to treat me the same way.” (Afshan, teacher)
Lend your stuff
“I absolutely love inviting family and friends for lunches and dinners. But the problem was I didn't have a lot of cutlery so instead of buying it, I would ask my guests if they could bring few plates, glasses and spoons with them. They have always acted very kindly. And it is such a good feeling to be able to share your food and belongings with each other. And for get-togethers, when it seems inappropriate to ask guests to bring cutlery with them, rent some from catering service providers.
“I see that we emphasize a lot on buying expensive crockery and dinner sets when we absolutely don't have to. Don't feel shy to ask people to lend stuff.” (Shehnaz, homemaker)
Recycling the right way
“I saw this really efficient way of encouraging people to sort out their recyclable trash before they dump it in an apartment complex, Troy Towers, in Bloomfield, New Jersey in the US. There are separate bins for glass, plastic and paper trash. I noticed that people were taking those bins very seriously and dumping the right trash in the right bins. Recycling should be made as easy as possible for waste management. Offices, restaurants, schools, banks, etc. can play a huge part in reversing the effects of climate change just by recycling the tonnes of waste they produce every year.” (Laiba, student)
This is certainly not an exhaustive list; there is so much more we can do to reverse the effects of climate change, but we have to start small right now to create an impact. After all, nobody would want to live in a house underwater with all the garbage and sewage around them!
