Online edition of Sunday Observer

Today is World Environment Day, a day when we wake anew to the fact that we are the custodians of the environment we live in. The quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the world we will leave behind to future generations are all determined by how we care for the environment today. But this doesn't mean agitating for new laws to save the iguana, fighting for the rights to claim ownership to a rare species of frogs, or even demanding stringent laws to prevent bio-piracy, illegal felling and even mining.

For, through the iguana and frog, stringent laws are necessary to maintain our unique bio-diversity, what's more important is our daily action in dealing with the environment. For instance, how many of us still continue to litter the street with no thought about the consequences. What will happen when several million of us do the same?

How many of us actually separate the waste, re-use what could be re-used, recycle...We asked a cross section of people for their views on the everyday good environment habits.

Dr. Ajantha Perera, founder National programme on recycling of solid waste identifies parental negligence as the root of all bad environmental habits. "Proper self administration in disposing garbage or waste matters have become an unavoidable etiquette in today's life.

We learn good habits from our very first teachers in life - the parents. Today learning to act like a human being is not considered important. Instead parents pay more attention to educating their children only on subject matters and then try to get fame out of that for themselves. Like maths, science and music, our children should also be taught to respect others and love their country, so that they'll be more concerned about the place they live in.

She adds, "If you discipline a child when he is growing up he will think twice before doing something," and stresses that good disciplined to behaviour begins at home. "Secondly, this should be activated in the classroom and in school. Class teachers should educate the children even to put a toffee or ice cream wrapper into the dust bin. If there's no bin he should be taught to put it in his pocket until he finds a bin, without throwing it all over the place. They should be taught to be more environment friendly. Such habits should be taught from the basic level of primary eduction", she stresses.

The third factor which Dr. Perera stresses is that the inadequate activation of the law in Sri Lanka to protect the environment. "The political realm must bring new laws. The Public Nuisance Act 1932 says a fine of Rs. 50 can be charged on anyone who throws garbage by the roadside.

The Ministers of Environment; have been asked to activate the fine, which has not been done so far. One would think the fine is too much to impose. But my advice is to increase it upto Rs. 5000 as only then a society like ours, which has no idea of road rules and disposal of garbage should be disciplined," she comments.

Lal Fonseka, Productivity Resultant and Quality Management System Consultant has been one of the pioneers in introducing Five 'S', the five steps which originated in Japan, for a better way of life with quality and productivity management, in Sri Lanka "Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seikepsu and Shitsuke are the five steps in this segment.

Since each of this Japanese word begins with 'S' sound they are called Five 'S'", he explains. 'Seiton' means keeping the wanted stuff in an orderly manner, 'Seiso' means in five minutes and advocates cleaning the environment daily.

'Seikepsu' means standardisation. It highlights the importance of using the first three 'S'. The fifth step, 'Shitsuke' stresses on importance of training and disciplining. This includes changing the mindsets of people," explains Fonseka.

"I feel the discipline that we need as a nation to protect and keep our environment clean is included in these Five 'S'. So it's high time for us to get aquainted with the Five 'S' as it will help us immensely in the economical development process as well as in enhancing human quality management in the country," stresses Fonseka.

Manel Jayamanna, Director, Central Environment Authority also stresses that polluting the environment is an indirect result of bad human qualities. "It is one of the repercussions of the lack of respect for each other from the top to the bottom in our society.

We have one of the highest literacy rates in the world which equals that of the developed countries. Every aspect of environmental defilement in this country is due to ignorance. Today the majority of our society merely think of grabbing a portion and enhancing one's individual share.

This is a big social and human issue. Under these circumstances protecting and keeping the environment 'clean' and 'unpolluted' is a joke. Changing the minds of people to enhance their qualities to be better human beings would be the first thing that we should do. For that we have been introducing many programmes for the public."

Lalitha Fonseka, Deputy Director General of the Central Environment Authority (CEA) says that they have been conducting many school programmes in educating school children from the primary grade in protecting and keeping the environment clean. "It's not easy to change the thinking pattern of an adult. That is why we are paying more attention to the future generation, the school children," she says.

"In addition to the school programmes we publish a quarterly newsletter in all three languages. We also use the electronic media.

The Deputy Director General further says that the CEA has a mobile environment exhibition unit which conducts educational sessions for school children. In addition there is a permanent exhibition centre and a research information centre at the CEA premises at Battaramulla.

Anybody who wants information regarding environment can enter this place free of charge and enhance his knowledge with reference work. The centre also conducts one day programmes for school children. The schools should contact the centre in advance and reserve a date for them.

Deshabandu Dr. Victor Hettigoda, says that the increasing population in a developing country would equally increase health and environment hazards, "We have been facing this problem for the past 15 to 20 years.

Land, water and air have been getting polluted. Dumping garbage everywhere, fumes that come out of motor vehicles, pesticides and other chemicals have been generating many health hazards, causing severe destructions" he points out.

According to him, ninety per cent of Sri Lankans do not have an idea about how they are helping to pollute the environment. And there's hardly any practical solutions like waste recycling projects in the country. "I do not think our country has adequate laws to stop this dilemma.

The Government, the media and all the other authorities should get the idea across to people that protecting the environment is an individual responsibility," stresses, Hettigoda.

Prasanna, (Savoy Cinema) says that throwing things has become just another habit, "We've kept waste bins inside the cinema hall, but apparently nobody bothers to put the food and wrappers in to the bin. Instead they just dump the stuff under the chair. We don't keep boards prohibiting the act and I don't think it's necessary. It's not kids who come to see these movies, as adults they should know better.

"In Singapore, peoples are fined for these acts. People come in big cars, but dump the left over food and garbage on the road - how big is that?

"Stern action must be taken to prevent this. It's pointless trying to educate them, they merely care for themselves and their compounds," he says.

Haniya Cooray (Housewife) considers dumping garbage on the streets, a crime. "It's a shame what our people are upto. It's just a matter of correcting yourself. I collect what could be burnt as I've built a dirt basin at the back of my garden and burn everything. As for the vegetables and left over food, I have dug a pit in the garden to put the remaining stuff which will eventually become compost.

As for those who just can't be bothered but will go on littering the environment, perhaps they will be reborn as worms. Actually it's the people who come in luxury cars who throw everything on the road.

"Even the kids can keep a simple thing like a toffee wrapper in their pocket instead of just throwing it on the ground."

Dennis (street vendor - Duke Street) says that, the garbage problem is a huge one, not only to them but to the whole of Sri Lanka, "The street is being littered even at this minute. People might think it's we who pile up garbage on the sides, but if you take a look at the kind of stuff that's thrown, you'll see that it can't be us that consume all the expensive chocolates and snacks. Of course, there's a bin a few metres ahead, but nobody bothers to put things in there. They conveniently scatter them on the road.

"If a foreigner can put his refuse in a bag and keep it in a corner out of love for the environment, why can't the locals do it?" he asks.

Danya Udukumbura (Architectural student) sees it as an attitude problem, and people have become rather shallow-minded. "Their attitude towards the rest of the world shows through the selfish acts. It's a very sensitive issue and people don't seem to realise the gravity of it.

It's just a matter of putting a piece of garbage in the correct place. If you don't care for your surroundings, you won't care about the country. If Singapore can have an immaculate environment, I don't see why we can't do it.

It's not about laws, we don't need a policeman telling us the do and don'ts. As human beings we should be able to make judgements ourselves. Each one should begin to improve our personal environment then it becomes a collective effort.

The biggest menace is the use of polythene and plastic. We should stand up against those who dish out polythene and plastic bags. It's the attitude of the society that thinks. They'll just dump anything on the ground so long as it's not their own."

"W. G. Piyadasa (vendor from Manning Market) doesn't seem to be affected by the kind of environment that he lives in, "I know it's pretty much a mess, but sometimes you just don't have a choice. When the few garbage bins overflow, we have no place to put the decayed vegetables and fruits. It's impossible to take them back home.

There's no place to dig a pit either. The authorities must do something about the lack of dust bins,"he says.