As
a biological scientist, she is quick to reiterate the life supporting role of
the environment; stating that “any crime against the environment is an offence
against ourselves”.
Disturbed
by the spate of pollution in local communities, the environmentalist is calling
for the resuscitation of The Green Forum in Ghana to salvage the situation.
The
Forum, which operated in the country in the early 1990s, attempted to sensitize
people to appreciate environmental protection.
Madam
Sophia, who chaired the Ashanti regional branch, recalls the sensitization initiatives
of the Forum impacted on children and market women, as well as road transport
operators who were taking steps to introduce waste disposal materials in their
vehicles to discourage passengers from littering the roadsides.
According
to her, ideals promoted by The Green Forum remain crucial today to raise public
consciousness on the correlations between poor sanitation and health.
“We
need to revisit it,” she said. “Otherwise we fail to do it at our own peril. If
all of us look on, I wonder what the environment will be like in five years; we
will be dying and may never know the epidemic that will break one day because of
poor sanitation.”
Madam
Sophia has co-authored a book titled “Mind
Your Environment; It Is Your Life Support” to drive her call for a sound
and friendly environment.
“We
need to get this book in the homes, workplaces, in the schools, market places,
everywhere; we need to apply the tenets of this book to whatever we do,” she
entreated.
The
purpose of book by Harry and Sophia Awortwi, according to its preface “is to
bring to the attention of every citizen of the earth that in whichever location
we find ourselves, we must realize that the care of the environment lies in our
hands. The environment may be the home, land, air or water; and how we treat that
environment may eventually have positive or negative impact in our health and
longetivity on earth. For this reason, it is important that we appreciate the
environment, understand it and take responsibility for the unique role each
person has to play in its preservation and sustenance”.
Issues
of pollution, climate change, waste management, forest and water conservation and
sustainable development are highlighted in the 200-page book.
Story
by Kofi Adu Domfeh
No comments:
Post a Comment