Youth Sections
"The Braves Arise " |
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he word “green” has been dramatically overused in our society for someone who is environmentally cautious. I have seen countless advertisements teaching how to be “green”. Some suggest that just turning off the tap and electricity before one leaves the house will make one green. Yet, I always thought that there must be more to being green than that. I started to ponder what being green really means to me and after some thinking, the answer came. Being green is not only recycling and reducing our individual carbon footprints but also carrying a missionary zeal to educate and inspire others to do so. “Green” people work from the goodness of their hearts so that everyone else around them as well as the future generations can also reap the rewards of a healthy environment.
To be green you must affect the environment in a positive way. Individually, you must recycle paper and conserve electricity. You could do simple things like taking the bus instead of having your parents drive you to school. You must also participate in collective actions and as a missionary for causes of the earth. You can engage family and friends in your environment friendly activities by educating them about the consequences of polluting. You can also educate and inspire others to become green by starting or joining a group, club, etc. Knowingly polluting is like deliberately killing the Earth. When you pollute, you not only affect yourself but you also affect every living being in your environment. An empty plastic bottle in the trash takes 100 years to decompose and so you can well imagine the consequences of just trashing plastic as compared to recycling it. One way of being “green” is to take part in activities. Instead of watching TV endlessly, someone helping the cause could go outside. You’d be surprised at how much of a difference this can make to not only the Earth but also to your mindset. Truthfully, I would not consider myself “green” but I do the part that is expected of me like riding my bike when I can, walking, and conserving energy and paper. While I have not taken that next step in being “green”, I really admire those who devote their time and life to “green” causes. My favorite depiction of being “green” came from watching some 2nd graders making pictures for reusable bags. One stood out to me in which a kid had drawn the Earth with a smiley face. On top of the Earth was a person watering a plant. Now this kid was no Pablo Picasso but she expressed the Earth exactly as I see it-as a person who we need to keep happy. If we keep earth happy by doing simple things like planting, recycling, starting and joining groups, it will reward us with fresh air. But if we get it angry by polluting and wasting, well we better be wary because there will not be fresh air for the generations to come. This might be a childish outlook on things but it makes perfect sense to me. In conclusion, I think that those who embrace the idea of the Earth being a person and live by it are “green.” |
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*Arman Koul is a 12 years old, 6th grade student from Andover, MA. He enjoys reading, music and sports, not necessarily in that order. |
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AAru, Great message and very thoughtfully written. You make us proud ! Your article on such an intricate subject shows your maturity. Till next comment, Sanjay Uncle
Added By Sanjay Kaul
It is amazing that you are sensitized to this highly charged issue of 21st centuary on the need of conservation and preservation of natural recources which humans destroy heartlessly.If we do not mend our ways we shall be led to gloom and doom.It is therefore a timely warning to us all to learn to live in syn with our environments even by starting with small things but of great import.One can only envy profound thoughts of Master Arman.
Added By pushkar ganjoo