No Earth no home, says child environment warrior

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

Sheikh Salem Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ras Al Khaimah Government Executive Council member, Ras Al Khaimah Department of Civil Aviation chairman and Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) honorary member, has suggested two ways by which Mother Earth would spring back to life.

“Think globally and act locally. Let us all start at home,” he stated in his speech before the virtual audience from a cross-section of the UAE on Monday morning.

Sheikh Salem was the chief guest at the “Emirates Recycling Awards 2020,” the 23rd edition since the 29-year-old EEG initially held it in 1998 to recognise the winners of its first “Aluminium Cans Collection Campaign” for the year 1997; and which so far, until the end of 2019, had gathered and recycled 330,885 kilogrammes (kgs).

That landmark waste management awareness drive-cum-collection competition consequently led to the growing mindfulness of stakeholders and residents in the UAE for the re-purposing of old and used glass, mobile phones and laptops, paper and plastic. These goods, rather than landing up in landfills to destroy the Earth’s ecological balance and defile human and animal health, are delivered at authorised recycling centres, instead.

Sheikh Salem was glad that “humanity can come together despite disruptions as COVID19.”

He associated the “World Environment Day 2020” theme of “Celebrate Biodiversity” to the awarding ceremonies, made possible through the GoToMeeting platform. He pointed out that animal and plant life would be restored through the networking of the like-minded with institutions: “We can save our planet. Expand your (winners and guests) networking with EEG which (has encouraged) individuals and corporations across the region in practicing sustainable lifestyles.”

Sheikh Salem reminded everyone “to stay safe and follow government directives” in reference to the current health crisis.

Among the over 20 winners from the 2019 cycle of the EEG collection-recycling campaigns, including the “Environmental Drawing Contest” was Shivani Adduri.

Gulf Today virtually interviewed the primary level pupil at Leaders Private School-Sharjah:, “I feel so happy to be in this awards on this screen. A big thank you to (EEG chairperson) Ma’m Habiba (Ma’arashi) who let me participate. Thank you so much Sheikh Salem Bin Sakr Al Qasimi. I like recycling. Participating in contests is very fun.”

She chirpily continued: “I am very happy. You see I got 700 mobile phones.”

Adduri’s collected mobile phones were part of the “Project Green Call 2019” wherein according to the EEG portal, was participated in by 131 schools, entities and students for a total collection of 2,433 used mobile phones for recycling.

Further asked for her interest in recycling, Adduri promptly replied: “Because it is saving the Earth. It is saving our planet. Without it, where are we going to live? We cannot do anything without our planet.”

She answered in the affirmative when enquired if she finds herself being in a career espousing conservation and protection of the environment: “I will encourage my friends to join me.”

The girl, whose added feather on her cap on Monday, was another individual prize for her interpretation of “Your Dreamland” at the EEG “Environmental Drawing Contest 2019,” earned no less than the admiration of and encouragement from Sheikh Salem: “Shivani, you are special. Keep up the good work.”

Ma’arashi, in her welcome speech, said the EEG waste management and recycling programmes are in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) 11 to 13 as well as 15 and 17.

The particular SGDs are: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns; Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts; Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss; and Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development.