November 6, 2010
Department of Social Work, Coimbatore
 

Mother Earth is heating up …
 

Every time we burn coal, oil and gas, carbon dioxide and methane are released into the atmosphere.
 

These green house gases are causing most of the warming.
 

Trees are nature’s way of absorbing carbon dioxide, but we’re cutting them down.
 

There is a solution, we can plant more trees.
 

On October 28, students of the Department of Social Work and Green Friends of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham at Coimbatore came together under the auspices of the National Service Scheme to plant saplings.
 

These saplings were planted at the K.G. Chavadi School in Ettimadai. Led by first year social work students Mirshad Rahman and Ravi Mohan R., as part of their field work, the initiative also drew Mr. Shanmugam, Vice-President of the Ettimadai Town Panchayat, to participate.
 

Mr. Shanmugam spoke to students about environmental awareness and the role trees play in the earth’s eco-system. He emphasized the importance of cultivating a positive relationship with nature to uplift society.
 

Planting seeds of respect and value for nature, he stated, “If the change sprouts from student’s sense of kinship, it has the potential to revalue the system in which we live.”
 

Helping to foster this change, Nature Club, directed by Mr. Kumaresan, a teacher at the school, was officially inaugurated.
 

Throughout the function educational flyers explaining the importance of nurturing nature, were distributed.
 

At the conclusion of the day’s events, Mr. Shanmugam was joined by School Head Mistress Ms. Sreekala as well as Amrita faculty and staff including Mr. Nagalingam and Mr. Jagannathan, as they put their ecological aspirations into practice and planted saplings.
 

It is said that about a ton of carbon dioxide is absorbed during the lifespan of just one average tree. In a few years, the students’ efforts will begin to result in the removal of several tons of carbon dioxide from the earth’s atmosphere. That is good news!