The 5th of June 2013 was World Environment Day (WED). This important day is celebrated each year on June 5th to spread awareness among global citizens about mother nature. The theme for this year is Think. Eat. Save…. Reduce your foodprint. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), every year 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted. This is equivalent to the same amount produced in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, 1 in every 7 people in the world go to bed hungry and more than 20,000 children under the age of 5 die daily from hunger. While the planet is struggling to provide us with enough resources to sustain its 7 billion people (growing to 9 billion by 2050), FAO estimates that a third of global food production is either wasted or lost. Food waste is an enormous drain on natural resources and a contributor to negative environmental impacts (Source: United Nations Environmental Programme).
The theme is to encourage you and I to become more aware of the environmental impact of the food choices we make and empower us to make informed decisions. So take action from your home and then witness the power of collective decisions you and others have made to reduce food waste, save money, minimize the environmental impact of food production and force food production processes to become more efficient. So think before you eat and help save our environment!
United Nations Environmental Programme shares the following tips on what you can do to help save the environment;
- Act now. Make the decision to become more aware of issues related to food waste.
- Adopt as many eco- friendly lifestyle choices as you can and make them habits.
- Buy locally. Flying foods across continents increases global transportation emissions.
- Bring a cloth bag to do all your grocery shopping. A reusable bag will last longer and only needs to be used 5 times to have a lower environmental impact than a plastic bag.
- Bring a mug with you whenever you go for take-out beverages, so you avoid using paper cups.
- Compost your organic food waste.
- Don’t buy more than you really need.
- Discover an alternative to using traditional wrapping paper for holidays and birthday gifts.
- Engage in an environmental activity, like school or neighborhood beautification or tree planting.
- Educate your friends on how individual actions can have an exponential impact and motivate action.
- Form a group of peers or colleagues to oversee the food waste at your school, neighborhood or workplace.
- Form a tree-planting group with family and friends and commit to planting and maintaining these trees together.
- Green your office by printing double sided, turning off monitors, starting an office-recycling program.
- Give seedlings as birthday gifts.
- Go electronic for bills and payments: at home, in the office, at the bank etc
- Identify the nature that surrounds you; take note of the beautiful plants and animals that you may not always appreciate. Learn about the amazing ecosystem services they provide.
- Improve the insulation of your home, it will really help your energy consumption and your monthly bills
- Join a local environmental or conservation group. You can team up with those around you and make a real difference in your community.
- Jog outside and save the energy you would have used on the treadmill.
- Learn more about the environmental impact of food production. Did you know that it takes 1000 litres of water to produce 1 litre of milk.
- More food in your pantry increases the risk of food going bad before you consume
- Mobilize your networks! Message your friends about the environment- facebook, twitter, sms, phone, email- it doesn’t matter, just get the word out.
- Notify your friends on how their action against food waste could have a huge impact. Even if just one-forth of the food currently lost or wasted globally could be saved, it would be enough to feed 870 hungry people in the world.
- Optimize the use of your washing machine- use the cold-wash option and significantly save energy and reduce your daily carbon emissions.
- Opt for public transport whenever possible.
- Order small food portions first. Better to add on than waste.
- Plan in advance. Know what you will need before you go grocery shopping so not to end up buying more food than what will be consumed in your household.
- Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
- Sacrifice something small each month, eat locally grown vegetables instead of imported vegetables; do without steak, as cattle ranching is high impact! Carpool with co-workers; take your bike to work etc
- Support and motivate companies that use certified materials and operate in ways that are environmentally responsible.
- Switch your light bulbs to energy- efficient LED’s. You will see substantial savings on energy bills!
- Understand your options. Learn about the small ways you, as an individual, can make a positive impact on the environment.
- Use rainwater for your indoor plants- they love it, and you’ll save water at the same time.
- Travel around town on your bike, on public transport or walk to a restaurant near you. It’s cheaper.
At the World Environment Day celebrations held at Botanical Gardens in Gaborone, UN’s Resident Commissioner emphasized: “Food is a human right. Say NO to food waste and help reduce food print. THINK before you EAT and help SAVE the environment. Individual actions when multiplied can make a big difference to the planet.” It was also great to see primary school students taking part by showcasing their environmentally friendly products such as decorations, handbags and so forth. There was a young local businessman from Kanye who makes house decorations, kitchen utensils and ladies earrings with cow horns. They indeed proved that one could earn a living through turning recyclable and reusable material into a thriving business.
If you are passionate about the environment and do not know where to start to find out more on how you can positively contribute towards environmental awareness and sustainability in your community, do visit the following departments and organizations.
GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS
- Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism (MEWT)
- Department of Wildlife and National Parks
- Department of Environmental Affairs
- Department of Forestry & Range Resources
- Department of Waste Management and Pollution Control
- Department of Meteorological Services
- Department of National Museum and Monuments
- Department of Tourism
NGOs
- Cheetah Conservation Botswana
- BirdLife Botswana
- Kalahari Conservation Society
- Tsholo Trust
- Khama Rhino Sanctuary
- Mmokolodi Nature Reserve
- Forest Conservation Botswana
- Recyle- It Botswana
- Wena Environmental Education and News Trust
TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS
- University of Botswana Wildlife Conservation Society
- Colleges of Education (Serowe, Francistown, Molepolole & Tlokweng)
I also got a chance to engage with the MEWT Youth mainstream personnel whom gladly shared the youth opportunities in the Environment/ Conservation, Wildlife and Tourism Sector which include;
- Youth employment
- Youth income generating projects (reuse, recycle, fish farming production, game farming, tree planting, tour guiding services, arts/ curio/ crafts outlets, tourist camp sites/ picnic sites, travel & tours, guesthouse
- Youth skills capacity building
- Exchange programs
- Environment and Conservation programmes grants
- Information, Educational and Communication materials
Robert Swan OBE, the first person in history to walk to both the North and South poles and founder of 2041, International Antarctica Leadership Expedition once said, “The Greatest Threat to Our Planet Is the Belief That Someone Else Will Save It”. Saving our environment begins with YOU and I.
Contact me at ccbotswana@gmail.com if you need any information on the above mentioned departments or organizations. Remember, you can also contact me if you are a student, graduate, professional, out of school or unemployed in need of services including career advising, CV writing or preparation for job interviews.
Kutlwano Magazine, Career Corner Page 58, June 2013 Issue
Career Coaching Botswana 
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