Thiruvananthapuram: The Green Army is soon going to have a special ‘blue’ brigade of the ocean conservation group. In a couple of days, the details of the programme including its activities, focus areas and name will be fleshed out by Green Army coordinators. The idea of a group that works specifically on reducing ocean pollution was proposed by the Friends of Marine Life (FML), an NGO based in Valiathura. They have been conducting ocean literacy programmes in schools and colleges in the Thiruvananthapuram coastal area.
Its coordinator Robert Panipilla spoke to DC about the importance of ocean literacy. “Oceans absorb 50 per cent of the carbondioxide that we breathe out. The oceans of the world supply protein-rich food. The sea is the source of numerous things which man considers a necessity, including petrol. Moreover, 70 per cent of earth’s living organisms live in the sea,” he said.
Most of the waste created on land ended up in the sea, but governments were more concerned about managing waste on the land, he said. The programme might help pave the way for awareness among people who live away from the coast. Creating a generation that understands the importance of conserving oceans and seas, will be one of the objectives of the ‘ocean club’.
Green Army is a network of school students mentored by several agencies and individuals to be more eco-sensitive, especially when it comes to waste management. According to preliminary ideas discussed, a club of children interested in marine life will be carved out of the Green Army. “They will get to learn about the sea, straight from the people who live there. We might even get to start Green Army units in coastal schools. But nothing is finalised,” said Green Army mentor Dr Ashin Mohan.
