Get students to play active role in protecting planet

Straits Times Forum 12 May 09;

I REFER to the article, 'Blue Plan to save Singapore's biodiversity-rich coral reefs ready' (April 24). I heartily approve of the Blue Plan. As much as possible should be done to protect various aspects of the environment.

However, not enough is being done. All these policies take a long time to implement. Global warming and destruction of the environment will not wait for man to do something to rectify his mistakes.

We should make environmental conservation and protection one of our primary concerns, and the Government should devote more effort and resources to this.

One way is to better educate the public. After all, is it not we who harm the environment? The Government should start with schools. Most schools have few, if any, programmes related to the environment.

Of course, the basic minimum is being taught, such as the need for recycling, reducing and reusing. And recycling bins have been set up. However, all these are repeated over and over and students become bored and consider these measures burdensome.

If schools do more in-depth teaching, and conduct more programmes and workshops, students will become more interested and play a more active role in helping to conserve and protect the environment. Global warming will become a more real issue to them.

Lhavanya Dharmalingam (Miss)