Recently,when I and some of my friends were roaming around in our school during recess,one of my friends started plucking flowers and started playing with them.When I tried to stop her,she said that it was no big deal..When I told her that plants and flowers have life and she shouldn't do this to them,the reply that I got was that there are millions of flowers and plants in this world and it wouldn't matter if the number was reduced by a 100.

What do you think??Do you do this very often? Well then try to stop yourself every time you do such a thing.
Plants are living organisms and they are sure to get hurt if we pluck them.Besides,if you are continuously doing this and to a great extent,it is possible that it might lead to an unbalance in the ecological system.It is ultimately going to harm the human specie.Why not be a little more careful next time?Be a plant saver.If you cannot plant saplings,then you really have no right to destroy them or cause any harm to them.And if you can,planting new saplings is a really wonderful thing,be sure to try it out and you will get one of the best feelings in the world,the feeling of pride,but for something good that you've done.Why not stop others when you see them plucking leaves or flowers??If you call yourself socialized,then you have to take the initiative.Again,
keep in mind..Every BIG thing has a small beginning.

Once when I was in my school bus,I realized that the girl sitting next to me was plucking leaves from trees and also motivating others to do the same.That day,I told her not to do so and explained her the reason.Adding to it,I said,"How would you feel if someone plucked a hair from your head??".
Since that day,she quit plucking leaves and now she gives the same so called 'lecture' to anyone whom she sees doing the same.I feel really good.

Believe me,you should try some social work like this. Nothing is better than contributing to humanity.And one more thing,when you are in school and you are called on the ground and made to sit,your hands automatically start plucking grass.It used to happen with me also but now I be very careful about this.

For all those people who are in the habit of plucking leaves and flowers randomly:
So what do you think now??Are you still wanting to continue it??

I am sure most of you must have read the 'Celebrate Eco-Friendly Diwali' article in
Young Bhaskar
(a supplement of Dainik Bhaskar newspaper).
Well,this idea is just superb! Why don't you try celebrating an eco-friendly Diwali this time?

You all know that Diwali celebrations are now more associated with pollution than their traditional significance.In our zest to celebrate Diwali,we go overboard. Carelessness during Diwali celebrations can have a detrimental effect on the environment.So we need to take care of what we do.Many times when I tell my family that I wouldn't burn firecrackers or I would only use eco-friendly firecrackers,they find it irritating.But you have to live with the truth-Firecrackers can cause excessive air pollution and noise pollution.Any sound beyond 50 decibels is classified as being noise.Diwali favorites like 'Laxmi bomb' produce a sound of 100 decibels when they burst.
The noise produced by these firecrackers are extremely hazardous to health.Sudden noise can cause temporary hearing loss or even permanent deafness,sometimes,it can even lead to heart attack for a heart patient.Well you never see who is passing by,do you? Children burst crackers on the roads.Besides,this noise can cause extreme and hazardous anxiety in small toddlers and household pets.You would know if you have one. Plus,this can lead to disturbances in sleep of young toddlers and the elderly.

Before you take any action,you need to know the reason why you have to take action.
Here is a list of toxic substances present in firecrackers which are not just harmful to human beings,but to all living creatures. They tend to remain in the atmosphere for extended periods:
#Copper: Causes irritation in the respiratory tract,which leads to respiratory ailments.
#Cadmium: Reduces oxygen carrying capacity of blood,causing anaemia;causes kidney damage.
#Lead: When present in the body,it can have harmful effects on the nervous system.
#Magnesium: Magnesium fumes cause a condition known as mental fume fever.
#Zinc: Also causes mental fume fever.It also induces vomiting.
#Sodium:Being highly reactive,it combines with moisture in air and on skin,causing burns.

Therefore,it is required that minimal use of firecrackers should be done,even when they are eco-friendly.And when in community celebrations (a very good option-less costly,more eco-friendly),large open spaces should be chosen as the venue,crowded places should should never be opted for as the possibility of mishaps reduces when in large open grounds).
Here is some information about eco-friendly firecrackers:
-->These crackers don't cause any kind of serious mishap like burns and fires. Besides, these new crackers can be used in indoor parties and functions also. These crackers work on the principle of vacuum pressure.As these crackers are based on vacuum combustion technique, no smoke or fire is emitted, making them safe even for small children. These crackers make sound with colourful pieces of paper.So we see,these are cheaper and better for the environment and hence,the best choice.
And not only this,sometimes,when you put fire to rockets,they shoot off towards unexpected places,it might be an old tree,some poor person's home,or anything,you never know.So this is a humble request to you that if you want to burst crackers as Diwali wouldn't be fun without firecrackers,then please use eco-friendly ones.Remember this for every Diwali.

-Ayushi Sharma

First of all,I would like to thank certain students of Advanced Academy,Indore who visited our School
Delhi Public School,Indore on 29 October 2010, to create awareness about the same.
They told us about various important things related to Elephants,like their dung contains Methane gas which can be used to generate huge amounts of electricity.
India is home to 60% of the remaining Asian elephant populations making their survival in India critical to the survival of the species as a whole.We must do something to preserve these species as extinction of any specie leads to an imbalance in the ecological system and can ultimately lead to end of human.So if human doesn't care for it,it is indirectly going to harm human himself.If we do not take care of them,who will??

Sarcastically,we have reached such a phase where we humans seem to rule and nature,our servant,struggles to survive.

Habitat loss, leading to fragmentation, is a serious threat to the Indian elephants. Habitat fragmentation results in small isolated populations of elephants which are vulnerable to extinctions. Large animals like elephants require substantial areas to support them. If protected areas are not large enough, elephants may search for food elsewhere. This often results in conflicts with humans, due to elephants raiding or destroying crops.
Besides,killing them just for the sake of ivory and tusks isn't fair enough.We cannot see just our own present profit as in the long run,this is a very dangerous thing and God forbid,if one day we reach a situation when elephants,trees,nature has vanished and we are on our deathbed,then it would be too late to regret.So we better take action now.

Some of these fellow students of Advanced Academy told us about their visit to some national park.A shocking thing that they saw there was that very large space had been given to one tiger while comparingly quite less space had been given to a pair of elephants.This is another major problem.Elephants are big animals and need large space.

-Ayushi Sharma

To report any Elephant injustice (to Save The Elephants),
Call on +254 20 891673 / 890597
OR +254 720 441 178

OR to e-mail,click the cherry pink Elephant button ------->

As Diwali approaches, there is happiness all around.People light up their houses and one can easily notice the sound of firecrackers which almost all households spend large money and time on,firecrackers form a prominent part of Diwali celebration.We forget all our worries and celebrate this most popular festival of India with great joy and pomp.But little do we know that this could be really dangerous to some.

Firecrackers are known to cause air pollution as well as noise pollution and are extremely harmful for senior citizens and small children.Pets such as dogs and cats also suffer on account of firecrackers as animals have a more sensitive sense of hearing than humans.It is important for each one of us to act as responsible citizens and discourage the use of firecrackers.YOU have to take care of this Earth because you live on it.
Deep inside in our hearts, we all know that bursting firecrackers has some harm to cause to the nature.But actions speak louder than words.Can we be responsible citizens and keep in mind to take care of the givings of nature? Human has always been selfish.But a single effort can make huge changes,don't forget that.Besides,firecrackers are one of the major causes of hearing loss, high blood pressure, sleeping disturbances.Do you know that bursting firecrackers could even lead to serious problems like permanent deafness,asthma,bronchitis,heart attack,etc.?
Just for the mere joy,would you like it that someone would die? Numerous mishaps can take place.

Okay,now imagine.Imagine that you are celebrating Diwali and you are really very happy and in a joyous mood.You and your friends are bursting crackers.You have put fire to a bomb(firecracker) and you have kept it on the road.You have fled and are eagerly waiting for the merry explosion.Suddenly, a heart attack patient walks by(he does not know about the bomb) and the bomb explodes that millisecond and that man has a heart attack and his condition becomes really serious.Will you be able to forgive yourself? What if it was a cat or a dog?

Why is it that we understand the real importance of something until we ourselves experience it??
This is a very good chance for all you readers to escape any future blunders.
So let's say NO to firecrackers this time.Diwali is not all about firecrackers..
There are various other ways in which you can celebrate Diwali and have fun.How about having a get-together?Or why don't you do some social work??..That is one of the best things you can do..
I hope you will join me in this campaign. If you are really impressed with this article,then please write to me.I guess I am too late this time.Next year,I will give out online forms.

-Ayushi Sharma
You can express your feelings about this then.But do fill the form below at present:

What harm could releasing balloons do to the nature??
But every single small thing matters..
THE IMPRESSIVE VISUAL IMPACT OF THOUSANDS OF BALLOONS BEING RELEASED INTO THE SKY MAY LAST A FEW MINUTES, BUT THE IMPACT ON WILDLIFE AND THE MARINE CONSERVATION ENVIRONMENT MAY LAST MANY MONTHS WITH POTENTIALLY HARMFUL CONSEQUENCE..

Before thinking of solving the problem, first get to know it:
[ Many people are unaware that balloon releases can result in littering and harm to wildlife. Once balloons are out of sight, they don't disappear - what goes up must come down! An estimated 90-95% of released balloons rise to an altitude of 5 miles where the temperature and pressure is such that they burst into small fragments. The remaining 5-10% that do not reach a high enough altitude may remain inflated and can float many miles before descending back to the land or the sea semi-inflated. Once balloons are released, they can become a serious form of marine pollution. A long list of marine creatures - dolphins, whales, turtles, fish, and seabirds - have been reported with balloons in their stomachs. It is believed that they mistake balloons and other buoyant plastics for their natural prey e.g. jellyfish and squid, and eat them.
THIS IS NO JOKE..The following species, all of which occur in the North East Atlantic waters off the UK, have been reported with latex balloons in the digestive systems:

Common Dolphin, Risso's Dolphin, Loggerhead Turtle, Leatherback Turtle, Blue Shark, Northern Fulmar.

Whilst most balloons used in balloon releases are made of biodegradable latex, some are made of mylar foil which persists much longer in the marine environment. An infant sperm whale met its death in New Jersey in 1985 as a result of ingestion of an inflated mylar balloon which had lodged in its intestines. Consequently, the whale died of starvation.

A study on balloon persistence in the environment indicated that latex balloons degrade 'faster than an oak leaf' and this is often used in defence of mass balloon releases. However, an oak leaf in a cold water environment may take six months to break down and during this time the balloons can be carried hundreds of miles by sea breezes and ingested by marine life.

Attachments such as ribbons and string tied to balloons are a particular problem as they can lead to entanglement. A Code of Practice for mass balloon releases has been issued and states that ribbons must never be used, which will reduce the incidence of entanglement.

All seven species of marine turtle are near extinction and many turtles of two species in particular, the Loggerhead and Leatherback turtle, have been found with balloons in their guts, probably having mistaken them for jellyfish, their preferred prey. ]

Now,if you are thinking that you can do nothing about this,then think again.
        Every big thing starts with an individual initiative.      
 
  # If you get to know about any pre-planned balloon release, request the organisers to adopt alternatives like using the same balloons to build up a statue. Or if they decide to proceed with balloon releases despite several recommendations,then urge them to use latex balloons rather than mylar or foil balloons.
  # If you find a balloon on the beach with a company name, send it back to the company with a copy of this factsheet urging them to think twice next time.
  # Plan a 'Beatchwatch Day'. Go to any beach and monitor your it for litter such as balloons and other debris harmful to wildlife.

 Always remember, YOU CAN DO IT..

Special thanks to Marine Conservation Society for creating awareness about this fact.

Please sign their petition,if you care for the marine life,here.

-Ayushi Sharma