Are youngsters more environmentally conscious than adults?

Hyderabad|India|June'2010: Kids are sensitive. They are sensitive to the welfare of others. They care for pets. They care for nature. Damage to environment hurts them. Strong emotions are hidden in their tender hearts. Off late kids have been showing a keen interest in environment issues like

Earth Hour,
human chain on World Earth Day
discouraging use of plastic covers.

Kids and youngsters are the main carriers of the message of environmental impact. This may be because of various media highlighting the issues, but the greatest impact is being seen in kids and youngsters.

So they are more conscious than adults. Recently three students of Hyderabad based Abhyasa Residential Public School Akhil Pasala, Isahn Khade, Raja Ashutosh secured cent per cent marks i.e 100% in Environmental Education in ICSE and ISC Board exams. Which is something unheard before!

At a time when the global think tank's are busy in finding ways to save the planet, kids are emerging as a force to reckon.

ITC too recognised this when they organised a seminar attended by school teachers on Wealth out of Waste (WOW) (a recycling programme ITC launched) addressed by noted environmentalist Ken R. Gnanakan who ho launcherd PEAS (Programme for Environmental Awareness in Schools) 15 years ago. Around 100,000 students from 1,000 schools across India are now engaged in various activities to spread awareness about environment-related issues, according to Gnanakan. The teachers were targeted to help build opinion among the youngsters to take up the issue of waste management in a big way. A recycling day is being observed on July 01 by ITC BPL. It is organising a huge meeting in Lalbahadur Stadium in Hydrabad where 50000kids are participating. Champions, Evnironmental Champion awards will be presented to kids by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on that day.

Another reason to believe children are more environmentally conscious than adults is that many parents today are raising a Environmentally-Conscious Kids. I do agree that children are more sensitive towards nature than grownups, says Mrs. Kalpana, an Environmental Studies Teacher in a city school. “I encourage my child to write on the both sides of the page to save paper. But, their teacher raised an objection. When my son explained why he was advised to write on both sides, the teacher not only appreciated but patted on his back with an announcement in school assembly. Incidents like this and many kindle a thought in young minds to think how best he can contribute for environmental protection”, Kalpana says.

On seeing the Earth hour promos on TV, my son kid Dhaval asked will they shut everything in the world. On being told that it was not possible to shut down everything, but a little can be done, he said let's shut down the lights of our house. And we did shut down the lights for a while, says Mrs. Harsha, a beaming Mother of the seven year old.
“Young people have power, and it is time to use it to our advantage. If a lot do a little, a lot gets done.” said Bittu Sehgal, the founder of Sanctuary Magazine sometime ago while addressing a youth gathering of Indian Youth Summit on Climate Change (IYSCOC) at Infosys Campus in Gachibowli, Hyderabad.

“These youngsters are not only environmentally conscious, they are large in number in India. They are the force to reckon. India has a population of 650 to 700 million people under the age of 30” said Narayana Murthy, Mentor Infosys addressing youth environmentalists at IYSCOC. If we can mobilize this force, we will have enormous power for change to address many environmental concerns and issues.

World Environmental Youth Conference is another example to illustrate the fact that teens are the biggest allies in our fight against climate and global warming. Environmental Youth Conference, the largest of its kind anywhere in the world, is for the youth and by the youth. Youngsters run it, conduct workshops, publicize it, experience it, enjoy it. And above all spread green initiatives and educate others.

But, not all the children are environmentally sensitive. Kids in nature increases their awareness of the nature. They become more environment-friendly.

Research too suggests that this is true. Recent research continued to expand and support the idea that more than any other factor the act of getting children outdoors will powerfully impact their desire to preserve the natural world.

Prominent environmental educator David Sobel said once, "One transcendent experience in nature is worth a thousand nature facts." It turns out that children who have an immersive experience in nature between the ages of 5 and 10 foster a deep love of the environment that they carry with them their entire lives.

A recent study of 300 of the world's most innovative thinkers and leaders proved this. Those who had their childhood immersed in nature developed more care for nature.

But, unfortunately, today the children increasingly isolated from nature and outdoor activities. Many schools do not even have any playgrounds.

Schools too must inculcate environmental consciousness among students from early childhood. With the increasing urgency of environmental issues - from climate change and energy shortages to waste disposal and water conservation - the more you can educate today's younger generations, the better.

After all, as today's youngsters mature into adulthood, they will continue to face many of the environmental problems being dealt with today. What's more, the rate at which the world is developing means the young people of today might have to deal with such issues on a more serious level in future years.

Kids are kids no more. Children imitate adults but now time has come when adults must emulate kids. Kids and youngsters have emerged as the agents of change in their communities and the world. Kids are our best bet to spread awareness on environmental issues.The young 'adults' are the biggest weapons we have to tackle climate change and global warming.

If you see the total annual activities of many youth NGOs like LEOs, Rotracts, Bharat Scouts and Guides, NCC, NSS, Junior Jaycees etc and many other, large chunk of their activities are environmentally related activates.

The younger generation is more aware, more concerned and more active than their parents were at their age. If today's kids are tomorrow's future, then the future surely looks beautiful and green.
 

-June'' 2010