PLANT A TREE!

The 1^st day of spring is approaching and most importantly this week is recognised as a week of planting trees! Arbor week is an initiative which focuses on planting trees to expand the formation of trees in our communities and schools worldwide.  The week is nearly approaching as it is due to run from the 1^st – 7^th of September. Many companies are participating in Arbor week. Companies such as Total in South Africa and SABC are proud sponsor and supporter of Arbor Day. Every year schools, businesses and industries are encouraged to plant trees in that week. As most may remember this day in primary school as  being a day of standing in the blazing sun and planting tree after tree, many people are unaware of the great impact which planting a tree does to the environment. Not only does it “green” the environment, but it also helps bring life and heart into communities. Most importantly without oxygen there is no life and by planting a tree you providing life into our environment and to YOUR own life. With the current increasing rate of deforestation and the removal of our forests for development, days like this should not be for a weekonly, but rather should be sustained to run throughout the month or year. The knowledge and the spreading of climate change and global warming is influencing our society greatly and rapidly especially with the increasing rate of carbon emission. Start this week to apply the 4 “R’s” in your own personal life which are RECYCLE, RE-USE, REDUCE and RESPECT and make a change!

GREEn TiPs!

Green Gadgets:

More and more companies are becoming supporting the GREEN movements. There have been great new and exciting innovations on eco- friendly gadgets.  Cars are one of the highest emitters of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere so why not go green and hook yourself up with the new Puma glow in the dark bicycle. By this bike glowing in the dark it makes it more convenient for you to ride at night. Not only is it modern and green, but it also reduces your carbon footage!

The Solar cell scarp is one of the recent ways which instead of you recharging your cellphone with the ordinary battery which uses up more energy. The solar cell scraper works as an add on which you clip onto your phone and then uses the energy which is received from the sun and recycles it to charge your battery

      Organic wear has introduced new cosmetics which are not only environmentaly friendly but also are organic. Their products are 100% free from harsh chemicals; therefore this makes it healthier for ones skin and has no added preservatives.  It is 100% NATURAL and all packaging is recyclable!!!!!!! So exciting! They produce products such as eye liner, eye shadow, mascara, moisturizers, lip gloss etc. GET INVOLVED LADIES! (and men if you want)

      Computer companies are also joining the green movement on being The Dell Studio Hybid. This is on the greenest desktops made in today’s current time. It is made of recyclable material and uses an energy efficient Intel Core Duo.

      Phillips has also modernized their technology and created an Eco friend Phillips TV. The TV capability to dim lights when it detects that the sunlight is dimming shows that it is able to save energy by using less energy power than regular LCDs                       .

Deforestation, illegal waste dumping and Somalia

Most people have seen the devastation and extreme suffering which the Somalia civilians are experiencing currently. What is more notable for me is the environmental challenges which the Somalia civilians are surrounded by, mainly desertification. Deforestation is one of the main causes for the changing climate conditions and extinction of species. Somalia has had an alarming increase in deforestation over the last seven years. Already the country is a savanna with few forests and limited rainfall, but yet people still cut off trees for economic trading and trees are being exported in volumes. What most people do not realize is that although the country’s GDP is increasing there is also an equilateral increase in droughts which lead to water shortage and starvation in rural areas as most communities are dependent in the rainwater for livestock. There is also a reduction in land suitable for grazing as well soil erosion, increase in desertification, and a decrease in the habitat for animal species and loss of biodiversity as well as the increase of runoff. In turn this causes major environmental degradation and affects the livelihood and socio-economic aspects of the society. Somalia geographical location has also made it a place suitable for Illegal hazardous waste dumping. In return this affects the fresh water supply to people and the increase of deaths amongst the civilians living on the coastlines. There has also been an increasing improper disposal of solid waste by the local people this affecting the public health and individual health. All these environmental challenges are caused by the negligence of the human population and of Somalia as yet till today there is no solid environmental protection in existences. Somalia should be an eye opener for many underdeveloped countries to take caution to their environment and to take charge over the exploitation from the developed countries.