Thursday, Mar 24, 2011
Gulf News
Abu Dhabi What you have to do first to protect the environment?
The answer: “First you have to talk less in your daily life.”
Shaikh Abdul Aziz Bin Ali Al Nuaimi of the ruling family of Ajman, popularly known as “Green Shaikh” for his eco-friendly initiatives, gave this answer to a question from the audience after speaking at a seminar yesterday.
Abu Dhabi Airport Company (Adac) and Etihad Airways jointly organised the seminar at Adac headquarters to shed some light on environmentally friendly habits individuals and corporations can adopt to reduce resource consumption.
The questioner asked about three important things to be practised in daily life, and the Shaikh explained that those who want to conserve nature should talk less.
He said most of the people do not have the time to hear what others say as they are in the midst of hundreds of issues. So the best thing is practice good habits like using less water and energy, so others will notice it. “That is second best thing to do in daily life, he said. People want to see the things being done.”
Speaking to Gulf News on the sidelines of the seminar, Al Nuaimi said, to minimise the talk and act more, people can learn from the Japanese. “Even to protest, the Japanese wear a sticker on their shirts and keep working without talking about it,” he said. The third best thing to practice is, Al Nuaimi said, ‘to be yourself”. “You have to be yourself whatever be your social or economic status,” he said.
“If you try to be like others [to get recognition or any other gains], you will lose everything.” He said one has to be humble and express what he or she believes despite the consequences.
About the challenges to the environmental conservation in the UAE, the Shaikh said, implementing the regulations is the most important one. It is a challenge to enforce all the established regulations, he said.
Public participation
Awareness of the decision makers, conserving the water resources, ensuring the public participation and minimising the consumption of resources are the other challenges, Al Nuaimi said. He reminded the audience that about the less privileged people across the world who do not have access to clean drinking water and food, showing some pictures.
“This man drinks sewerage water while we are wasting a lot of clean drinking water,” he said, showing picture of the man.
A two-minute shower takes 15 litres of water which is enough for a person to drink in a month, the Green Shaikh said. “If you spend more time on shower, you will be wasting huge a amount of water.” So he suggested a two minute shower to save water.
“If you shower in cold water you can finish it fast.” If it is in warm water, people tend to take more time and thus waste more water, he explained. Talk less to promote green habits to save planet
Alex Westcott/Gulf News
Making a point
Shaikh Abdul Aziz Bin Ali Al Nuaimi, also known as the ‘Green Shaikh’, drives home a point with volunteers at a seminar organised by Adac and Etihad Airways on environmentally friendly habits individuals and corporations can adopt to reduce resource consumption. The seminar was held in a build up to Earth Hour on Saturday.
saving energy
‘Blue majlis’
The Green Shaikh said he is designing a “Blue Majlis” which will save resources. It will save energy; it will never take energy from outside, he said. He did not reveal further details about the project , but said everyone will be invited to the Blue Majlis, once it is ready.
— B.A.K.
By Binsal Abdul Kader Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2011. All rights reserved.
