‘WE NEED TO GET OUR ACT TOGETHER’
On World Environment Day, today, Bhumi Pednekar says the urban class is the biggest abuser of natural resources
In the last two months since lockdown was imposed in the country, pollution levels have indeed gone down, but Bhumi Pednekar has a word of caution. While the actor hopes that people have learnt their lesson, she feels there’s still a long way to go. “We’ve to understand that the two months of global lockdown is not the solution. We’ve to continue on this path, so that our planet gets a chance to recover,” says Pednekar, adding that this has been a great awakening in every way.
“People have had the time to understand that there is no planet B. This is the only world we have and it’s our only chance at survival,” she says.
Insisting on the need for every individual to take note of the gravity of the situation, the actor, 30, says it is all about adopting new habits. “We may think what difference will one person’s habit make, but it does matter. In the last 40 years that things have gone out of control, it has taken one generation to do all the damage, and it’s going to take a lot longer than that to heal our planet,” says the actor, who through her initiative, Climate Warrior, is urging people to share their ‘One Wish for The Earth’.
The actor feels that the action to save the environment can be as small as not wasting water at home, saving electricity, not taking long baths and banishing single use plastic.
She explains, “It’s about making smart choices. Especially the urban class is the biggest abuser of the natural resources. We really need to get our act together. We should recycle and avoid food wastage. We’re producing more food than our planet can support, and we still have people that are hungry.”
Pednekar also urges people to not just do it for the future generations, but for their own future as well. “I want to grow old in a surrounding that’s fulfilled. I want to go out for a walk after I retire, breathe in clean air and have clean water. It’s my basic right,” she asserts.
However, she fails to understand how humans feel that they’re invincible and think they’ll survive “without water food or clean air to breathe”.
Raising awareness is the key, Pednekar points out, and adds, “We can bring about a change when we talk about it. In India, we’re fortunate that we’re working towards green businesses, developing renewable energy, and celebrating going green or blue with our infrastructure.”
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY: JUNE 5