The mixed thali

The environment is everything fresh, natural, lively and full of love. Environment doesn’t have a definition, it is all about our perception on it. Environment for me personally is the dance of the happy green trees which sway with the fresh air. It is the movement of the beautiful ocean waves which move up and down and teach us to keep going even if we are going through ups and downs. Environment is the fluffy white, cotton-like clouds which flow in the sea of sky. Environment is the fresh white snow with the dirty earthy mud; it is the union of all the lovely elements of nature. It is like a perfect Indian thali that brings a smile on our faces.

But this perfect thali brings an emotion other than happiness- hunger. Greed and hunger, though denied, are two emotions which often find themselves in our minds. The nature gives us so much, handles us with so much care that it leaves us wanting more.

Our greed is silenced on one day, Environment Day. But it makes an immediate comeback on the next day. We think of environment as our property, as our right. We seem to forget that the environment is to be shared by the world, by all, by each and every organism.

Fifth of June, Environment Day is celebrated to commemorate the opening of UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme). We are supposed to respect the environment, and we seem to remember this only on this dear day. We keep forgetting the fact that the environment has given everything to us, from the food we eat, to the air we breathe, to the clothes we wear.

We all pledge to make a change; but unfortunately fail to do so. Small things like switching off the lights when not in use, walking or cycling for smaller distances, efficiently handling the water supply, reducing plastic usage, etc can help us to make a change.

We all learn about making a change in the environment at school. But the truth is, we fail to implement it and we ignore such suggestions. Having the desire to make a change, alone is also enough. The spirit of encouragement and hope is the sole component towards accomplishing this mammoth task. The change in environment is going to start when we take an initiative. The change is going to start when we all come together and get everyone to start a movement and come together. The change starts with us, and it starts today.