What can we Scouts do to help save the environment ...?

This August in the Youth Environment Forum in Suncheon, Korea during the 27th Regional Scout Jamboree I was asked to give a keynote speech on the different environmental issues that we are facing today in a global perspective. After concluding the speech, the forum was open for questions ... among the many questions I was asked one particular question was "What can we Scouts (young people) do to help save the environment?"

It was just the question I wanted to be asked...

1. Turn off the lights,fans other unwanted electric appliances when you leave he room
2. Unplug unused appliances
3. Don’t stand with the refrigerator or freezer open while you decide what you want
4. Shop with a re-usable shopping bag
5. Practice Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
6. Plant a tree
7. Chose to walk or cycle
8. Once your cell phone is charges then unplug it from charger
9. Use e-mail instead of paper correspondence
10. Copy and print on both sides of paper
11. Reuse items like envelopes, folders and paper clips
12. Use recycled paper
13. Don't leave water taps running
14. Use reusable plates and utensils instead of disposable ones
15. Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently

The Scout Movement has a membership of over 28 million scouts, youth and adults, boys and girls in 160 countries. We are the largest Youth Movement in the world ... from what I see, we can make things happen. If we all work together in confronting the different environmental issues that we are facing today we can be the hope the planet need.

Imagine the amount of energy that can be saved if 28 million Scouts switches off unwanted electric appliances ... Imagine how clean the world would be in 28 million Scouts use dustbins and trash cans ... Imagine how green it would be if 28 million Scouts plant a tree each ...

We as Scouts can be a very good influence to the environment, it is among what scouts do to preserve and conserve the environment ... Scouts should take the initiative in there own societies to work and promote doing simple things to save out environment ... I have listed down few very simple things that can be done to save earth, these maybe very simple things however if done by a movement of 28 million members it would have a major effect. If 28 million Scouts around the world do these simple things to save environment ... the collective contribution of scouts world wide would be a great effort to save our planet.