Act For The Planet

Sonia Colasse

Author the children bilingual book: “The Adventures of Enzo”

The air pollution has various effects on health and the environment; it is a global phenomenon.

Enzo, who are five years old, finds day after day, how well organized we have to be for his land and also his friends’ can make a breathing healthy air! He learns that in heaters, smoke from factories and gas from vehicles, evaporates solvents and hydrocarbons are the sources of the air pollution.

The air pollution can affect our quality of life and our health. It is also dangerous to the environment and climate. The pollution is mainly in large cities or industrial areas. In recent years, there has been a significant improvement in air quality and certain pollution. However, today most of us are exposed to pollution from cars and road transport. In the space, the air quality varies. The air is pretty good in protected areas and places where traffic is low. It becomes poor when it is in a high traffic area. Other factors can affect the air quality. This is, for example, the weather.

Air is essential to life, Enzo knows it, but it can have harmful effects if the quality is poor. Enzo lives in Southern California, where the rain is rare, the soil is dry and the temperatures are high. In his city, people use their cars instead of their bicycles. When he walks on the streets, it is up to the exhaust pipes, he receives bad car fumes and often coughs. So he swallows hydrocarbon solvents, harmful to his health. He sometimes hides behind his mom’s back, when he is waiting on the sidewalk up to the crosswalks to protect from these gases.

Enzo and his parents must follow rules against fires.

His mom sleep in the first place to the safety of its electrical appliances to avoid any risk of inflammation, especially in winter where it counts more house fires due to the heating, a large cause of fire. For more security against fires, can also bring a fire alarm or a fire extinguisher. In Enzo’s house, there is an alarm in every room of the house. Although this seems obvious, it should not be forgotten that among the devices with fire hazards are heaters and fireplaces. These must be cleaned at least once a year to prevent the old soot caught fire in the duct. The gas heaters should also be maintained and monitored. Most fatal fires occur at night.

That is why Enzo recommends being careful with a few household items, Christmas tree, not to put too close to the fireplace. Scented candles or not should be placed high up and should be used with caution. It is best to turn them off instead of letting it burn itself. He discourages smoking in bed, as a cigarette smoker who falls asleep can create great devastation. However Enzo is reassured his parents are non-smokers!

Not only we now see almost every year fires do not only come from inside the house, but also from the outside, especially in Southern California, or when the climate of a country is particularly dry and the wind is powerful. In California, the ground is hard; the plants are dry and quickly become a fire. It is recommended to cut the trees, which are too close to home.

Enzo’s parents also ensure good clearing brush to avoid facilitating the spread of fire. Water the garden and pick up the dry leaves, twice a week. Enzo loves to hold the watering can, he can get wet to cool off, but in moderation because water is precious. In California, we must conserve water. It rarely rains. Enzo takes good model from his mom, who does not leave the water running for no reason!

Fires can be natural or human origin, volunteers, criminals, but most are the result of imprudence a cigarette butt, a barbecue, a campfire… Enzo was born in April 2009, a week after his birth, himself and his parents had to leave the city a few days as a natural fire had spread. Enzo, therefore, well aware of the importance of vigilance walks in the beautiful mountains of his city.

Enzo and water.

The clean, unpolluted drinking water becomes more and more rare. Chemical pollution by sewage from industry and agriculture, sewage household detergents loaded and laundry, as well as the infiltration of toxic substances, has already reached groundwater. Water dispensers are, therefore, faced with major problems concerning the limits of allowable pollution. Enzo’s mom uses detergent that preserves the planet. Almost all meals are prepared and cooked with water, vegetables and fruits are washed; coffee and tea are also prepared with water. Enzo loves to drink some tea in the morning, which his mother prepares with great love and with the ” drinking water ” boiled, but this does not eliminate the most harmful substances. They reach our body directly through food. Therefore, we have to double our vigilance.

Some rules to save water.

At dinner, in the evening, Enzo’s sister fills a pitcher instead of having everyone go serve themselves and let the water run unnecessarily. Moreover, to make it better and cold, she puts the pitcher in the refrigerator. It is mom that does the dishes every morning and tells Enzo to fill the sink to avoid letting the water run. Enzo waters the plants, thyme, mint leaves and basil with water rinsing salad. His mom always checks that the valves be closed to prevent drips in the night. Enzo has two brothers and a sister, who fill, each night, the dishwasher, so it is at its maximum capacity before starting. Enzo’s mom has planned a cup to wash his teeth, it allows Enzo to close the tap and save water. The tap of Enzo shower has a low flow, which cuts the water supply, while he soaped. Every evening, the mother of Enzo ensures that the flush is put in its place. She also says not to throw g enzo and trash, global education magazine arbage in the toilet as a cleaning cloth that can be very harmful to the environment. Enzo often likes to hide and seek, and his mother founds him inside the dryer. His mother ensures that the machine does not turn by itself with a timer that can also adjust the temperature of the dryer to avoid electricity consumption. It regulates the water level in the washing machine according to the amount of clothes she inserts. Enzo often has fun sorting off the white clothes and color clothes.

Also, Enzo likes to sort household waste.

At home he has two bins, recyclable and one for household waste. He knows at five years old that cardboards are put in the blue recycling bin, and puts the empty pot of yogurt, which is not a recyclable product, in the brown bin!

So you, what do you do for the environment?

Translate by Bélinda Colasse

This article was published on 5th June: World Environmental Day, in Global Education Magazine.