ENVIRONMENTAL CARE A MORAL DUTY FOR EVERYONE
KOTA KINABALU: Care for the environment should be accepted as a moral duty and commitment of everyone in the community.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Borneo Marine Research Institute director, Professor Dr Saleem Mustafa told the New Sabah Times that the attitudes and values of the people must change towards respect for the environment.
"People should do introspection and understand the implications of their action for the environment," he said.
At the same time, there is also a need to identify and focus more on motivating factors and perspectives for encouraging greater responsibility in the community towards the environment, he said.
"In my opinion, a concerted drive is needed to bring all sections of the society on board in this serious issue at a time when we are facing the worst challenge of our times from climate change," he said.
He also shared several bold steps which he felt could be adopted to encourage members of the public to commit themselves to care for the environment.
The steps including conducting a massive public education programme as well as provide incentives for environmental conservation, especially for those whose livelihood depends on using resources of the environment.
There is also a need for visible actions towards environmental protection that reflect a commitment to save our natural heritage and housing projects reflecting environmental concerns in their plans such as the ‘green lung’, greening of barren lands, mangrove reforestation, control of sedimentation of waterways and so on.
“Another step which needs to be adopted is capping the carbon emissions as far as possible and introducing appropriate carbon offset solutions,” he said.
He added that carbon trading can be considered as carbon offset solution where industries and companies are made to realize their obligations to reducing carbon emissions, financially supporting reforestation and other carbon sequestration avenues, and to invest in research leading to development of technology oriented towards reduction of Carbon Dioxide concentration.
And we also need to introduce urban forestry scheme to cover derelict land areas with trees, he stressed.
“In certain demarcated areas that are devoid of primary rainforest or full-grown trees, the feasibility of growing fruit trees such as mango, guava and so on, and those used in traditional medicine deserves serious consideration. This will provide a social dimension to tree protection. With the high value that products of such trees fetch in the market, the local community would be inclined to save them for economic benefits from sustainable harvest, and that serves the purpose of a carbon sink,” he said.
He added that he was not recommending monoculture or single species culture, but rather mixed cropping, out of the range of forest areas and where there is no tree management activity.
“I am sure when momentum of such a level is generated towards environmental protection, the society as a whole will mobilise towards this goal,” he said enthusiastically.
