Introduction
A few weeks ago I received an invitation to attend a luncheon on Sustainable Future. I accepted the invitation but quite frankly I accepted the invitation because I wanted to hear from a best-selling author Mr. Steve Overman since I love to write. However, after attending the luncheon I left with an appreciation of the importance of conserving our environment. Prior to this luncheon, I really had little or no regard for the environment.
Therefore, I am writing this article to share with you what I have learned about the environment and how we can do our part in conserving the environment.
Why conserve the environment?
It is important that we do our utmost best to conserve our environment not only for ourselves but for our future generation. If we fail to do so, it can impact our health. One way our health is impacted is through air and water pollution. Pollution leads to a number of diseases including cancer.
Global warming is real and part of the reason we are experiencing global warming is due to the interference and misuse from humans. We have witness an increase in the heat in and we have also seen an increase in the severity of storms. We must combat global warming
Another reason why we should be concern is that our economy is depending mainly on tourism. One of the primary reason tourists visit TCI is due to our beaches and our coral reefs. If we do not conserve and maintain our beaches and coral reefs, this will not be an incentive for persons to visit our country and if they do not visit, then all of us will be impacted.
According to the speakers at the luncheon, at least 85% of millennials pay for a destination that focused on sustainable environment. If the millennials are willing to pay more, then the TCI need to do the best to ensure that we do have a sustainable environment to attract these millennials.
What can we do?
We need to educate ourselves and others about the importance of conserving our environment.
Many years ago, our government has designated many areas throughout the Turks and Caicos Islands as national parks and protected areas. Some of us may not have an appreciation for it and perhaps would rather see those areas developed.
The Turks and Caicos Islands Government has also put a ban on plastic straws and plastic bags. In order to avoid any strains on small businesses, the Government reduced the duty rates on alternatives to plastic bags.
One of the issues mentioned at the luncheon was the fact that there is so much wastage on food and so it was recommended rather than wasting food, we need to use the Just in Time concept in which you only get what you need or will use.
Trees play a very important part of the environment by keeping the environment cool and blocking winds. Therefore, we can do our part by not destroying our trees or even planting more trees. We can practice recycling and reusing. Also rather than printing all information on paper, you can save many documents electronically.
Conclusion
Like myself, I always assumed that trying to conserve a sustainable environment may be expensive. However, it does not have to be so. Even if it is more expensive, wouldn’t you want quality goods and that last longer than to get something cheap that only last for short period and may impact your health negatively. Too many companies and individuals are interfering with the environment by exploiting natural resources so that their bottom line will grow.
Let us be conscious of conserving our environment. We can do this simply by our lifestyle; what we eat, what we drink, what we wear and what we drive.