By Nathan Kiwere
As 2020 begins, resolutions are on everybody’s mind. That is because the New Year is all about new beginnings. While you formulate your list of New Year’s resolutions, be sure to include a few goals focused on environmental protection and preservation.
I can state without fear of contradiction that it is during the Christmas holidays that the environment suffers most from degradation resulting from human activities. There is so much trash that comes with the heavy feasting and partying that defines this season.
This is the time when nearly everyone can afford to do or eat something they were never able to afford during the year. We can be sure that dumping of domestic refuse is rife, so is littering of all manner of junk on beaches, party arenas and by the wayside, among other places.
This is more obvious in the sprawling suburbs of Kampala where heavily pregnant sacks of waste lie on roadsides (sometimes right in the middle of the road) and beaches along Entebbe road where Lake Victoria has swallowed tones of plastics and other waste material.
Let the beginning of year be a time for us to ‘repent’ of our sinister treatment of the environment by undoing some of the damage we inflicted on it and act differently the rest of the year. Together we can make a few ecofriendly resolutions in 2020. The following are simple things we can resolve to start doing in order to make a difference.
Avoid plastic
Make it a habit bringing your own bags whenever you go shopping. Reusable shopping bags help reduce both plastic and paper bag consumption. Choose some favorites and keep them in your house/car. Just remember to keep them again after use. Even those without cars can be more creative in keeping them.
Accumulating plastic bags at home results from having every small thing packed in a separate kavera. This is very common in small grocery stores and big supermarkets. You can take your reusable bag resolution one step further with the purchase of washable produce bags as well.
Dealing with plastics at a personal level can go a long way in mitigating the damage it is inflicting on nature. For instance, available information indicates that more than floating around in the water column, plastic trash is found in the guts of at least 90 per cent of the world’s sea birds and also destroying marine life.
According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), there will be more plastic by weight in the world’s oceans than fish by 2050 if current trends continue. Set a goal to do your part to avoid plastic as much as possible.
It is no easy task since it is everywhere we turn, but start by noticing the packaging on your frequent purchases. At worst, shop products that use environmentally conscious packaging. These are usually indicated on the packaging.
Create a compost bin
These days most homes in urban areas use garbage collection service provider to dispose of their domestic waste. In 2020 you can choose to use a compost bin to recycle your trash.
Compost bins are structures used to house and make compost until it can be used in the garden. Most are designed to hasten the decomposition of organic matter through proper aeration and moisture retention.
With the proper combination of air and moisture, ideal conditions are produced for the activity of aerobic organisms responsible for the high temperatures that transform the organic materials into compost. The same process will eventually take place over time in a compost “pile” or “heap” even without any housing.
However, with a bin you can speed up decomposition. Depending on the style of compost bin you choose, bins can also have the advantage of making it harder for rats to access your compost.
Whereas this is a lot more convenient for those families living alone in closed quarters, you can join hands with a neighbor in communal places and acquire a common compost bin.
Be an eco-friendly ambassador
Swedish climate youth activist Greta Thunberg, 16, received worldwide recognition for her efforts to fight climate change in 2019. She first sparked an international movement to fight climate change in 2018 with a simple message: “School strike for climate” handwritten on poster board.
Thunberg began skipping school on Fridays and protesting outside the Swedish Parliament. Thanks to social media her actions have spread and influenced millions of young people all over the world to organize and protest climate change. We cannot wait for Thunberg.
You can choose to become an ambassador of clean environment this year by telling at least five people a month about the virtue of a good environment, starting with your family and friends.
