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Volunteer Stories: Creating a Cohort of Pollution Warriors

CFA Student Ambassador BlogPosts: Lusha Jetly

16/11/2016

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Introduction: Care for Air launched its first Student Ambassador Programme in 2016. As part of the programme, we asked the young ambassadors (anywhere between 14 and 17 years old) to blog about their learning experience. Here are some of their voices.

A Problematic Pledge

Part one:


Not too many years ago,
We made a tryst with destiny.
And the time has come for us to redeem that pledge.
Not wholly, or full in measure
But very substantially.

And redeem it we shall,
The preparations are underway!
With plumes of toxic smoke,
We welcome the dirty air!

Match by match we light the fire,
To ignite Earth's funeral pyre.
The young and old celebrate,
With sulphurous fumes and nitrates!

What a noble pledge indeed,
Upheld by every caste and creed.
To mark glorious celebrations,
With death, disaster and desolation
Masked under bright lights and smoke-
Isn't it time you awoke?


Part two:

When you picked up your first firecracker,
You pledged to the cause.
When you lit your first cigarette,
You pledged to the cause.
When you switched to diesel,
You pledged to the cause.
And when you burned plastic on Lohri,
You pledged to the cause.

You also pledged to the cause,
When you didn't stop the kabaadi-wala
From burning the trash he collected.
Or when you let maali-bhaiya
Burn the leaves, unaffected.

Oh, what a noble pledge indeed,
Upheld by every caste and creed!


Part three:

Time and again,
Your allegiance was upheld.
It is time it is broken,
Crushed, and quelled.

For your forefathers swore an oath
To let us awaken
To life and freedom.

But you see, I am bound.
The strings of my mask tie me down to my,
Air purifier, which my mother insisted I bought,
Because my nebuliser has gone for repair,
And my inhaler won't help with Delhi air;
And this is why, you need to care,
Because the city now has to bear
With allegiance you swore
To a slow, painful death.


Lusha Jetley: I'm a 15 year old Sanskriti School student. When I am not been whisked away at parliamentary debates and MUNs, I'm writing poetry and clicking photographs, in attempts to encapsulate my thoughts about the world we live in today. My best friends include my violin, my dog Pepper and a good book.  My student initiative, Art for Sale aims to increase public awareness through the medium of art. This Diwali, we urged people to not burst crackers by sharing handmade diyas and posters in small gift packages.
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CFA Student Ambassador BlogPosts: Dayawanti Punj

4/11/2016

1 Comment

 
Introduction: Care for Air launched its first Student Ambassador Programme in 2016. As part of the programme, we asked the young ambassadors (anywhere between 14 and 17 years old) to blog about their learning experience. Here are some of their voices.

In the first session of the Care For Air Student Ambassador Program, we discussed the various problems air pollution causes in our city, our country and some of the solutions to these problems. One of the problems discussed was indoor pollution and how it’s caused by the use of ‘chulhas’. I learned that efforts have been made by the Government to reduce indoor pollution with the provision of bio-stoves in rural parts of the country, and people use ‘air purifiers’ in more urban areas. Most of these methods are costly to the state and to the individuals, while some methods are not easily accepted by the section of our society that believes in traditional methods. 

When I went home, I decided to do some research and  brainstorm other effective yet inexpensive alternatives that will reduce indoor pollution and would be accepted by rural households. Air-purifying plants (more specifically herbs) was one of the eco-friendly and effective methods I came across. 

It is quite well known that herbs have several uses in the kitchen and has medicinal properties. Certain herbs, as it has been discovered, reduce carbon-dioxide and increase the oxygen in the air when grown indoors or on a windowsill.

Herbs like Jasmine, Basil and Mint are relatively easy to grow and care for in a country like India, and they also purify the air. While there are other benefits. Jasmine gives out a nice fragrance, can be used in herbal tea, Basil can be used as seasoning in food as can mint, which also keeps away mosquitoes and prevents respiratory ailments. 

Therefore I decided to grow a small mint plant on my windowsill as an experiment to see how easily it would grow if I were to incorporate it into a large scale project. I did not germinate the seed, but grew it from a cutting. I also kept another mint plant next to it to see how easily it would be to maintain. I found that mint is one of the easiest plants to grow and maintain. It requires next to no care and has many alternative uses other than purifying the air. While the difference in air quality is not evident as the plant has been kept indoors, the more I researched, the more I realized that the little plant by my windowsill is actually doing a lot more good than one can see, feel or measure. 

This was just a small, easy step that I took to improve the air quality in my house. It might make a small difference, but to me, it’s a constructive difference that might on a larger-scale help my school or community. 
Dayawanti Punj: I am a 15 year old Shri Ram School Moulsari student. I have been passionate about the environment since a very young age and am the Grade Representative of Environmental Initiatives at my school. I have managed paper waste and tetra pack recycling initiatives, silent protests (anti-crackers, anti-water wastage during Holi etc. ) at the school-level. The cause for clean air is something I relate to on a personal level and wish to positively impact. Apart from working on environmental initiatives, I am a pianist and enjoy reading economics and politics. 
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    ​DISCLAIMER:
    Any views or opinions presented in these blogs are solely those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of Care For Air. Any reference to specific products or suppliers is solely the opinion of the author and does not represent an endorsement by Care For Air. 

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  • HOME
  • WHO WE ARE
    • Co-Founders Team
    • Governing Board
    • Core Executive Team
    • Advisors
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Training Programs >
      • CFA Advocacy Training Program
      • Student Ambassador Program
    • You Can Help >
      • Get Involved With Care For Air
      • Acknowledgements
  • PROTECT YOUR HEALTH
    • What is PM2.5?
    • What Are The Health Risks? >
      • Children Most At Risk
      • Does Air Pollution Cause Cancer?
    • Guidance For Protection Against Air Pollution >
      • iCare - Recommendation For Schools
      • Outdoor Activity Guidelines
      • Protect Yourself While Travelling in India
      • Protect Against Air Pollution Exposure
    • What The Studies Tell Us >
      • So What About Delhi's Air?
  • SOLUTIONS
  • CONTACT
  • BLOG