By Geetha Kadava
Loosing control over the best invention Humanity has ever made, means that the future of our children is under threat beyond what a normal person understands. Plastic pollution doesn’t need an introduction What needs introduction is a better way to handle the impending crisis, right at our homes.
It did not feel acceptable that our children, despite all the awareness, scientific studies and technology advancement, still get to play with plastic toys that are known to have harmful chemicals in them. It felt even more unacceptable to learn that these chemicals are causing irrevocable diseases in our children… Slowly but surely.
“Out of 419 chemicals found in hard, soft, and foam plastic materials used in children toys, we identified 126 substances that can potentially harm children’s health either via cancer or non-cancer effects, including 31 plasticisers, 18 flame retardants, and 8 fragrances,” explains quantitative sustainability researcher Peter Fantke from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
What felt all the more unsettling is the fact that mother nature is not able to ‘digest’ or bio degrade these plastics. Which means they only break down from micro plastics to nano plastics and now, to the size of bacteria. This means that plastics are now in an expecting mother’s amniotic fluid too. Doctors have confirmed plastics floating in blood samples of babies as young as 2 months!!
Why then, should we continue using plastics? Haven’t our ancestors lived for centuries before this material was invented? There is no simple answer to this. Studies have confirmed that the only way to reduce the plastic pollution and its effects on human health is for consumers to stop buying plastic! Remember the basics? As long as there is demand, there will be supply!
As a mother daughter duo, I and Siyona took up this challenge seriously and are working towards making children’s lives as plastic free as possible, under the Little-WISE (Warriors Inspiring Sustainable Earth) project, now a trust. Its our responsibility and children’s prerogative to let them inherit a sustainable earth. Children from the schools in our program, have shown great resolution towards this initiative. It not just surprises us but makes us proud that we, have been able to collect close to 3 metric tons of plastic waste from just 10 schools through 50+ collection drives and 1700+ Eco-warriors. Thanks to efforts like Wonder Woman Wednesday who provide space for us in their platform and hearts. That is precisely the need of the hour, to create content and hence awareness.
Our interactions with children of all ages shows the determination they have, to work for a better tomorrow. Its for us to provide them with the platform to perform.
If everyone reading this article took it seriously, Lots of children can be saved from unnecessary diseases in the future. You could contact to know more and be a part of it, at contact@littlemindchats.com
Let us all get a Little Wise and lot more Civilized with our waste.
Geetha Kadava is a distinction Mtech holder. As Siyona Vikram’s mother, she has been working very closely with and on Siyona since she was born in 2011. Siyona Vikram is a 12 year old podcaster.
She has played an big role in bringing gamification angle into the Little-WISE project. Her 15 years of software experience in UK has helped convert these ideas into the workable system it is today. The software designed is probably one of a kind that digitally gamifies physical environmental efforts made by children.
You can reach out to Geetha Kadava and Siyona Vikram to know more about their Little WISE (Warriors Inspiring Sustainable Earth) project at contact@littlemindschats.com
