A pledge for the planet

SAY NO TO PAPER BILLS

I'm going to bring in Earth Day this year by consciously trying to reduce the usage of paper; I’ll use more of digital resources. An example of this is refusing to accept paper bills—a small gesture goes a long way. I also want to have a garden in my balcony so that I can wake up to beautiful growing plants, colourful flowers and maybe a few herbs too. I love DIY homemade beauty products so using peels of fruits and trying to use milk and curd to whip up face masks are all good ideas. I hope to get my friends to adopt a plant as well because I think that you can never be too green.

- Shruti Mane, Mahalaxmi resident

GO THE ORGANIC WAY

Earth Day should be celebrated more often as it is difficult to always be conscious of all the things that are harming our environment. I'd like to do my bit by buying organic products and vegetables. I keep myself informed about products that are not good for the environment. Also, we have a green bin at my office, where everyone can discard their used paper so it can be recycled.

- Anushka Shetty, Tardeo resident

SAVE WATER and ELECTRICITY

On this Earth Day, I'll make sure that I don't pollute the environment in any way, be it throwing garbage on the street or overusing electricity and water. I'll refrain from doing all such things and discourage others as well. There are so many people around who are not privileged enough to get water and electricity all day long. Our planet is already deteriorating each day and I don’t wish to add to the destruction. Also, throwing unrecyclable garbage into the sewage drains and the streets only adds to the existing pollution. So, I pledge to save the environment in any way I can.

- Gauri Chaubal, Dadar resident

switch off gadgets

On Earth Day, I would ask my family to switch off the TV, mobiles and other gadgets and just talk to each other. Without all that distraction, we would  talk more freely with each another. This year, I also plan to change the light bulbs in my house to LED. If possible, I would also like to organise a small meeting that includes members of the younger generation to let them know about our ecosystem and encourage them to take small steps to do their bit for our planet.

- Biren Shah, Kemps Corner resident

April 22, 2015, marks the 45th anniversary of Earth Day.

The theme for the day this year is 'It's our turn to lead.'