January 7, 2021, by Communications
Sustainable practices at UNM by SEEN
The University of Nottingham Malaysia Sustainable Environmental Education Network (SEEN) is a volunteer network supported by the Campus Services and Estate Office. SEEN brings together people who are passionate about integrating sustainability into their lives and also creates opportunities for those interested in learning about sustainability. As climate change is an unavoidable reality now, we talk to Asiya Ishaq, the student leader of SEEN Gardening, to see how we can reduce our impact on the climate by reducing our waste.
Asiya Ishaq
“Wasted food decays and releases methane, a greenhouse gas that absorbs infrared radiation and traps heat, which means it can contribute to global warming,” Asiya explains.
“According to the World Wildlife Fund, the greenhouse gases generated to produce food that ends up being wasted is equal to the amount of greenhouse gases emitted from 37 million cars.”
While this may be shocking news to some of us, Asiya assures us that we can take easy steps to help solve this issue by simply preventing ourselves from buying things we do not need, and by using reusable bags and food containers.
Asiya also shares her thoughts on the Zero-waste lifestyle that many people have employed, where they attempt to reduce their waste as much as possible by reusing and repurposing the items that they already own.
“I personally have not reached the point where I make my own soap and toothpaste, but I admire the people who do. Zero-waste lifestyle means being wise in using our resources without causing damage to the environment. I have started my own garden at home, so my kitchen waste goes back to my garden, it is like a cycle.”
“One of the biggest misconceptions I hear is that it is too late to save the environment. But the fact that we still have oxygen to breathe and that the earth is not burning down, is evidence that it is not too late to prevent further damage. Another misconception is that whatever we do does not make a difference. It is wrong to think that you are incapable of saving the environment.”
“As members of UNM, each of us must ensure that we too engage in sustainable practices because reversing climate change is a team effort.” she shares hopefully.
On World Hunger Day, SEEN and other sustainability networks on campus collaborated to raise awareness about food wastage.
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