Some 200 interactors from various schools in Ipoh converged at SMK Main Convent Ipoh to partake in the Environment Awareness Camp held in conjunction with World Earth Day on Sunday, April 21. Led by the Interact Club of SMK Main Convent, the participating schools included SMK Anderson, SMK St. Michael, SMK Methodist (ACS) Ipoh, Perak Girls Secondary School and Methodist Girls School.
The guest speaker of the day was Associate Professor Dr Richard Ng, Chairman of KOHIJAU and Ipoh City Watch who spoke on global warming and what we could do to save our planet.
“This can be achieved if we reduce garbage especially plastics from going to the landfill as plastics take more than 500 years to decompose. Methane gas released from plastics will cause the temperature to rise 20 times higher than CO2, thus affecting the greenhouse gas composition which absorbs the infrared radiation and increases global warming,” he explained.
His tips to reduce carbon footprint involve saying no to plastics in the form of straw, utensil, food packaging and shopping bag. Plastic bags from the shops should not be used to pack garbage and oxo-biodegradable plastic bags should be used instead which can decompose at a shorter period.
He urged everyone present to plant trees as it will absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen to balance the greenhouse gas.
“By recycling 1,000 tonnes of papers we can help save 18 trees from being chopped down in the forest,” the award-winning NGO social activist in climate change added.
After the talk, all the invited guests and interactors planted trees within the school compound followed by plogging and other upcycling activities.
World Earth Day is celebrated throughout the world in 192 countries and participated by over 1 billion people each year on April 22.
