Ms. Iman Haroon, Green Blogger, Environmental Science, GCWUS
Awareness is Important.
I am going to start this blog with a very infuriating yet a very interesting topic to talk about. Taking you a month back when I was traveling from Sialkot to Riyadh, where I had an encounter with a very respected man at the immigration counter. Everything was fine and as per usual this man asks me where I am traveling to and why did I come to Sialkot and what am I studying to which I replied: "Bachelors in Environmental Science, Sir". I answered all his questions very eloquently until his next question/statement. The statement was something like this: "Why did you come so far (From Saudi to Sialkot) to study this (Environmental Science) should've rather stayed in Riyadh...Should've pursued medical instead". In short, he meant to say that Environmental Science was not worth studying or was useless. I was struck by his words. I was shocked by his recklessness towards such an essential subject. My mind couldn't accept the fact that this very respected man has no idea about the importance of this field. However, I somehow managed to remain respectful towards him and without saying a word I moved forward to the waiting area. Because I know he isn’t the only one not aware of the importance.
I am writing this blog with the sole purpose to let people know how important it is to attain knowledge about this serious matter. I wish I could ask the person if he had any idea about the rise in temperature happening day by day and how we are very close to our destruction. Only if this person knew that Kuwait recorded the world's highest temperature in that very week!
Agonizingly, most of us don't even know about it or the reason behind it. Isn't it shocking that only a few know the amount of damage we humans are causing to the Earth?
Not denying the fact that we all do have a little knowledge about issues like pollution, global warming, acid rain, climate change etc. And that only because these topics were compulsory and included in our syllabus back in school and I think you'll agree with me when I say these topics only comprised of short paragraphs, not even providing the entire detail.
It means that we are depriving our students of this vital information. The information that lets students know how a bad environment can directly or indirectly affect their ability to nourish or grow.
I am not against studying medical or arts, but my point is that studying about the environment you're living in is equally important. If we start focusing on helping the Earth become a better place to live, we won't even need as many doctors because then we'll have a clean surrounding which will lead to fewer diseases and eventually fewer people getting sick hence fewer doctors required. We have so many brilliant minds working on finding the cure to new diseases which is great but how about those minds start working on how to stop the disease to even occur in the first place? How about starting from the root cause? And who doesn't know that most of the diseases which are now widespread are due to an unclean environment?
Whatever love you give to the Earth, it'll come back to you in the form of better and longer survival for you and for the generations yet to come. Help yourself, help the Earth. Let’s stand for, what we stand on.