How much have you paid attention to our environment so far? Are you one of the people who cannot leave the supermarket with only one plastic bag in hand (yes say it, you want more because you reuse it as garbage bags at home)? Do you say NO when ask by the cashier to purchase reusable and biodegradable bag for only .50 fils and then free to change for life? Have you been negligent of the water bottles you emptied and left it everywhere unnoticed or are you the person who always have a trash bag inside your car to put your trash and throw away when you find a garbage bin?
Which type of environmentalist are you? Are you the protective or destructive type?
I say I am still in the middle, sometimes guilty of the things I ask you above, I still have to polish that protective side of me for mother earth. As a mother, I have the responsibility to teach my kids to be protective of their environment too and make them aware of dangers that humans post to nature. The love for nature and environment must be instill to them while young so they grow up and live with it.
With the growing concern of Dubai (and UAE) and its locals and residents alike about the environment, one young boy named Cameron from South Africa started a campaign which he called Cameron's Camel Campaign. A young boy who was disturbed after reading about one article in Gulfnews (Dubai's local newspaper) concerning camels dying due to ingestion of plastics and garbage in the desert. The young nibble and swallow only to choked and die while the adult camels live with prolonged suffering of excruciating stomach pain before death. The photo below speaks for itself, this is not just one, Dr. Ulli, Wernery Scientific Director of the Central Veternary Research Laboratories in Dubai found 30 carcasses in Ras Al Khaima, a place which he called "Death Valley".
The aim of the campaign is to STOP people from littering the deserts with all non-biodegradable materials used by campers, picnickers, desert adventurers, endurance riders like bags, bottles. caps, lids, plates, containers, cutlery, ropes, loops of can, and even worn-out tyres. These things don't stay where people left them, it is blown away by he wind, some get caught in the trees, bushes, and far into the desert where camels roam to find food and mistakenly eat plastics and garbage as food.
This campaign earned a lot of publicity and Cameron received the 2008 Abu Dhabi Awards and also the youngest recipient of the prestigious award given by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan himself.
Camerons Camel Campaign will never stop until no camels will die of plastic and garbage ingestion. Let us support this campaign and preserve this wondeful desert beast for our next generation to see.
To visit Cameron Camel Campaign website please click here.
We've been using grocery bags since last year. Although occasionally we can't avoid using the plastic bags especially if we're buying from the wet section. But it really helps to push efforts to minimize the use of plastic.
ReplyDeleteUnga, kawawa na ang mundo, ang daming basura. Even sa bansang France,may mga pasaway pa rin, sa loob ng bus, may nasisipa akong bote ng mineral water, kaya pinupulot ko at tinatapon sa labas , basurahan. Sa kapitbahay ko naman, iiwanan ang basura sa labas ng pinto nila then, whole night, mangangamoy ang daanan.Its all a matter of education. And not many doesnt want to know.
ReplyDeleteHay bigla tuloy akong napaisip sa kalagayan ng basura dito sa UAE. Ang ganda ng naisip ng bata. I often wonder kung saan nga dinadala ang mga basura dito sa UAE. Will visit the link later.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post.
@winds&nuts: soon they will ban the use of plastic, nasa balita na yun before.
ReplyDelete@francesca:dapat talaga people needs discipline, minsan kasi kahit may malapit trash can, ignore pa rin hayyy.
@Misalyn: oo di ko rin alam pero di pwedeng kung saan lng dapat itapon ang basura, municipality will fine the people or companies who will do this.
hindi ko matagalan tignan talaga ang mga patay na hayop. nakakaawa. guilty ako dun sa plastic. eh kesa itapon o bumili pa ng black bag. hehe! pero yung mga plastic bottle iniipon namin tapos pinamimigay sa mga nanghihingi para ibenta sa junk shop. sobrang asar ako pag may nakikita kong nagtatapon ng basura sa kalsada habang nasa loob ng sasakyan. tapos magtataka ang mga tao kung bakit binabaha na ang halos buong metro manila sa konting ulan pa lang. :(
ReplyDelete