what we should do to protect our environment | Teen Ink

what we should do to protect our environment

July 21, 2008
By Anonymous

Singapore, being a state-of-the-art country has endowed us with advanced
infrastructure and profitable facilities for us to make good use of, but what have we,
humans, done to it? Each morning when we wake up, unpleasant sights like piles of
cigarette butts, tissue paper and empty drink cans can be observed. Haven’t we realized that we have not taken the responsibility to take care of our surroundings? We need
people to be more civic consciousness and take pride in their neighborhood, rather than
be constrained by fear of punishment.



The quandary here is that the environment, along with the modernized facilities has been exploited mainly because of lack of knowledge of the environmental effects of littering. This is undeniably what we would not want to see occurring on God’s green earth. For starting, sending photographs of dirty blocks to the residents to remind them of the impact of littering would open their eyes to how damage the environment is. To be considerate is to understand to one another. A benefit of this would be how such foul pictures of filthy neighbourhood would indirectly and unwittingly remind human beings that the environment is better off embraced than exploited. This means that neighbours living in a HDB flat should and must have the thought of cleaning their own vicinity. One who is considerate will not take accountability of his or her area. This would result to major filth and grime.


It as clear that a mucky neighbourhood is in need of a make-over which is why the community should plan some activities such as clean-up days, to get the neighborhood kids involved in their community and in the habit of keeping it clean. A clean up is a large investment of time and energy, but there are many benefits to organizing a neighborhood clean up. A clean up obviously improves the image of the neighborhood, both literally and mentally as it gives the residents an opportunity to appropriately dispose of waste. Clean-ups can also be events that encourage residents to be involved in their community establishing lasting relationships with local organizations and can demonstrate a commitment to neighborhood maintenance and preservation. Not only does this help produce a clean and green neighborhood, it also establishes good neighborhood relationships and a sense of civic mindedness in particular towards our environment.


As aforementioned, the neighborhood has been exploited mainly because of lack of knowledge of the environmental. It is important that the community has some kind of educational programmes to educate the residents living in the district. Through public education and enforcement, this campaign will work to engage individuals to take a greater responsibility for improving their community environment. It is also important for people to be encouraged and enthusiastic in keeping not only the neighborhood, but also the environment clean. With this, it enables the residents to change their behaviors and improve the community by focusing on litter prevention and embellishment programs with an additional emphasis on waste reduction and recycling.



Changing attitudes about waste and its handling reduces litter and dumping. The government should organize a campaign that can help in important ways like cleaning up the trash that has been selflessly left behind, and preventing it from building back up again. Educating and involving people help them appreciate their environment more and learn that their actions matter.



Trash and litter are a unifying issue. The majority of the complaints, from what that has been researched, are about trash and litter. Education, enforcement, preservation and embellishment are the means that can be used to address the quandary and revolutionize peoples’ mind-set about their part in the clarification. It provides a structure for modification. With a campaign to stand behind, more people will stand up to fight against litter.




However all these programs are in need of people. Without the efforts of the people living in the neighborhood, there would be no need for all of these campaigns, as it would just go to waste. Which is why it is important to launch program to gain awareness. To do this the community can design and develop promotional materials, including logo, flyers and stickers. They can also create a website section where people can view and educate themselves via computers. Increasingly, they can also announce the campaign to the neighborhood via newsletters and appearances at neighborhood meetings. By doing so, the neighborhood can continue to be proactive and follow through with the neighborhood on enforcement and maintenance issues





It is not a widespread knowledge that the milieu is kept clean due to the army of foreign workers employed to keep our country clean. The shortage of cleaning manpower in the future and the cost of hiring foreign workers to clean Singapore threaten the clean and green image of Singapore aims to achieved globally. We must not sit back and put the burden of keeping our country clean solely on the Town Councils and their cleaners. Every one of us should be sensitive of the state of cleanliness of our very own area.




Nobody likes to live in an area with trash everywhere and all types of pollution. Unfortunately, many people live in this type of place, but there are ways they can contribute to making the area nicer for everyone around. First of all, set a good example and don't litter. Besides the fact that you would not be contributing to the trash on the ground, other people may see what you do and follow suit .This is especially true if someone is somewhat famous in his or her neighbourhood. If a neighborhood is always plagued by litter, organize a town cleanup. This can be done by schools, residential commitee, clubs, or any other groups of people willing to help pick up the litter.




For example, on Thursday, April 19th, 2001, the WUNA Livability Action Group had set up a program, Neighborhood Cleanup where a group of volunteers from a district area come together to clean up the area. They have cleaned up a total of 32 square blocks. Moreover, according to the volunteers, not only did they beautify the area, they had the opportunity to meet neighbors they did not know before. This will help build foster bonds in the neighborhood. There are a lot of things that can be benefited from this program because if people have work their hardest in making the neighborhood environmentally healthy, they would have a condusive place to get to know each other, not as neighbors, but as friends.




Apart from educational programs, people living in the neighborhood should be on their feet up volunteering themselves to be in some kind of a watch group. More willingly than idling around, not doing anything beneficial, these people are ought to be more wholehearted to help contribute to the cleanliness of their neighborhood. Basically, this is a program whereby volunteers petrol around the district area to make sure that no brat or scoundrel are up to no good in keeping the surroundings clean. If more people were to volunteer themselves, there would be no need to litter or altruistically dumping one’s trash behind, hence making their neighborhood clean and green like it is expected to be. Once they have cleaned up the neighborhood, the trick is to keep it clean rather than let it gradually become full of litter again. That just defeats the whole point. You need follow-through. That means regular litter patrols by you and other volunteers, but also some vigilance and a sense of pride and education that encourages people not to litter in the neighborhood. Petition the council to provide an adequate number of litters bins to and empty them regularly. Although it takes work, and some organization, but you can help clean up your neighborhood and keep it clean for a much more pleasant place.





Like a tree without its foliage, this expression would correspond perfectly to a neighbourhood with inconsiderate people, not helping out in keeping their area clean. This would result to chaos and mishaps making the neighbourhood would look like a remote island filled with rubbish. We need everyone in the neighbourhood to help out regardless of race, age or position to ensure the purity of their neighbourhood. It only takes one person to make a difference in the spotlessness of the area, which is why everyone should do his or her part to contribute to the community.









Keeping Singapore clean does not only mean keeping that particular area clean, but also to beautify it with embellishments. If one has some waste ground, once it’s been cleaned, it would be a great idea to plant some flowerbeds there. It is possible to persuade the residents a garden center to donate plants, and it should be easy enough to find those willing to help put them in the ground. It beautifies the neighborhood and gives everyone a sense of pride. Of course, it will need regular weeding, watering and tending, but then again, it should be easy to find volunteers.



People tend to forget that we have the opportunity to have a say in decision-making. People look out if there is anything the neighborhood could be doing to help keep the area clean. For example, if one feels that there are not enough trash cans around the district area or that your town does not have a good recycling program, it is possible for them to write to the appropriate people to let them know so that they can make the neighborhood a pleasant place to live in.



However, there are drawbacks to these plans and activities. Would the residents really and truly benefit from the programmes or at least have the grace to be present? What has happened to the minds of these people? It has been said that the cleaners, working their hardest to keep the neighborhood clean, are not doing their work properly. But the truth is, these cleaners are doing their job in cleaning our rubbish that we have selflessly left in the area. They would sweep the neighborhood clean, but the following morning, loads rubbish everywhere again. 'Without our cleaners, I think Singapore would have become a garbage city.' As for the people in the residential area who litter, there are some leading factors to their horrendous littering behavior. Firstly, once litter that has already accumulated, more people are inclined to littering as more litter are present. Secondly, people who litter often feel no sense of pride in the areas they are littering. Next, there is lack of social pressure to do the right thing. Lastly, people litter when they think someone will come behind them and clean it up. If all of the people did the actions listed above, this will result to the devastating amplification of the amount of rubbish left unreasonably.

If it were in the hands of the government and the parents of youths to foresee a plan to build a better tomorrow, the actual architects of the future would be the youth of the nation today. The future that lies before us depends on the efforts put in by the youths. The youth of today has to be up to carry forward not only the neighborhood’s hopes, but also their country’s hopes for the future. If they are not prepared to face the future, not only would the situation be filthy, but also the population of pests like cockroaches or rats would increase drastically too resulting to major spread of diseases that can harm the lives of human beings. The youths of today have the inevitable task of trying to help the ones that has lesser knowledge of neighborhood cleanliness too. With this, they can all unite to build a better tomorrow.



All said, whether cleaning or beautifying the neighborhood, the strength of our neighbors working together is in deniably unconquerable. With the efforts of our working people, the environment in such vicinity will be utterly clean to admire the gifts bestowed upon mother nature with respect with the advanced facilities that man has provided us with..


The author's comments:
i am inspires by the society itself.the environment at risk, which is why the neighborhood should do something about it even the nitty-gritty things

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This article has 4 comments.


fizzyfiiz said...
on May. 18 2010 at 7:16 am
fizzyfiiz, -, Other
0 articles 7 photos 4 comments

Favorite Quote:
I write to express,
I sketch to suppress.
Then I wake up from it
having to live it again once more

Thank you so much. Glad y'all like it.

mimou said...
on May. 4 2010 at 1:26 pm
i want to say if we can protect our environment with anythings we do that because the earth ned to our self for protect him and am with you it is a good article(pour senssibilisé les gens a lessé la polution loin de l'environement)by

chauhongteo said...
on Feb. 24 2010 at 4:50 am
I feel interested to read this article :D

chauhongteo said...
on Feb. 24 2010 at 4:49 am
Hi everyone