Going Green

Rising coastlines, floods, droughts, wild fires and famines are common scenes on every TV channel across the globe. Natural calamities, because of global warming have become one of the biggest threats to humankind. Yet, these are mostly a result of man-made activities? Daily activities like transportation, using electricity and waste disposal, contribute tremendously to this phenomenon. “Going green” is a word anyone who reads has come across. It does not mean turning your complexion and everything around you green, but rather, implies having an environmentally friendly lifestyle. It is also making sure that day-to-day activities do not have any negative effect on the environment. For those who already knew what it meant, but were wondering how they could go green, here are a few tips. Turn off lights in room that are unoccupied. Every minute your lights are off saves the amount of electricity spent. Only, use lighting in rooms that are occupied. Turn off the taps when you are not using them. For example, when brushing your teeth, you should not leave the water running. Only let water flow when actual rinsing is needed. Walk or take a bus whenever you can (you know you could use the exercise!). This reduces on carbon emissions due to the use of fossil fuels. On the other hand, you can practice car-pooling (offering a lift). This has proved to be an efficient way of transportation especially for people working in the same organization, those who have children studying at the same school et cetera. Buy a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water all the time. They are available in most supermarkets within Kigali City. Practice the Three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. It sounds like something from a kid’s rhyme, but sometimes people lose sight of how much they buy. Try buying less, and reusing and fixing things when you can instead of buying new items. The ‘green lifestyle’ is catching up, so be sure not to be left behind. People are becoming more environmentally conscious by the day. It is therefore necessary that we all strive to go green for the sake of future generations. mariakamiz@gmail.com