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Ministers pledge
The Minister of Natural Resources and Energy, Honourable Mfomfo Nkambule pledges to replace light bulbs in his house with energy saving version. You may be wondering why the bother? You will reduce your electricity bill. If you do this for one year, you will save over 20kg of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere, thereby reducing the impact of global warming, which causes the seasonal variations we are experiencing. 

The Acting Minister of Tourism Environment and Communications, Ms Constance Simelane pledged to plant a tree. Planting trees is one way we could tackle the problems of global warming. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and in 100 years, a tree can absorb around 300kg of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.  We also need to plant trees to obtain oxygen, which is essential for life. 

Plant a tree 
Mrs. Khosi R. Mthethwa, Yonge Nawe Chairperson committed herself to plant one tree. Similar pledges are from Duduzile Mbuli, Sipho Fakudze, Bonsile Ndzabandzaba, Anson Zwane, Cebsile Lomkhosi Ginidza and Neal Nixon.

Pledging to save water
Swaziland is perceived to be in the midst of a water crisis and many factors are alluding to this crisis and one critical factor is that of mismanagement. At household level, for example, a lot of water is wasted when bathing, flushing toilet, washing dishes and vegetables, brushing teeth etc. 

Did you know that if you turn off the tap while brushing teeth you will save about 28 litres of water a day and around 10, 000 litres in one year assuming you brush for four minutes a day?  Similarly, if you stop using running water when washing dishes and vegetables you will conserve around 140 litres of water per day. This means that you will only use about 23 litres. By now you should be asking yourself how water you use water in your home?  According to the World Health Organisation, the basic minimum water requirement is 20 litres per person per day.

The Rural Water Supply Branch (RWSB) pledged among others to increase the coverage of clean potable water to rural areas in an effort to reduce the incidence of water-borne and water related diseases and to reduce the effects of HIV/AIDS.

Save water
Join the campaign! Jean Marie Rwangahwba, WHO Epidemiologist, Sipho Fakudze and Neal Nixon, Directors at Mud Hut Advertising, Inonge Mutonga, from St. Michaels’ High School and Mandla Manana pledged to save water when brushing their teeth.  Mrs. Khosi  R. Mthethwa committed herself to conserve water by not using running water when washing dishes. Petros Z. Dlamini pledged to use a bucket when washing his car.

A lot of water is wasted by leaking taps and pipes, Anne Mtanga who works for WHO pledged to report any leaking pipe.  Remember count every drop because every drop counts!

Educate the masses
"I will inform, educate and communicate effectively environmental issues," says Muhle N. Dlamini, a health education officer. Information and Education is essential in environmental protection. Why not make your pledge now? 

Re-use shopping bags
"I will start using a shopping bag when doing groceries," says Martin Dlamini, Times Editor and Swaziland National Association of Journalists (SNAJ) President.  Swaziland is flooded with plastic waste, popularly known as,  "Swazi flowers."  If you throw four plastic bags in your refuse bag per week, you will contribute to about 208 plastic bags waste ending up in a dumpsite per year. Plastic bags take about 20 years to decompose. Mrs Margaret Thwala-Tembe, Yonge Nawe’s Natural Resources Management Coordinator prefers to use a cloth bag when doing her groceries. If you use a cloth shopping bag and reuse plastic bags you will help reduce unwelcome sight of plastic waste in our beautiful kingdom. Shop owners can play a major role in reducing waste problems by minimising the number of plastic bags when packaging customers’ groceries.

Green your business
We are living in an era where corporate responsibility is hot on the agenda. There have been calls for the corporate world to respect workers’, communities’ and the environmental rights by investing in socially and environmentally responsible businesses. Workers, communities and the environment have suffered untold pollution caused by irresponsible businesses.

A clean, healthy environment means a better quality of life – we all benefit from cleaner air, healthier land and fresh water. Dr. J.N. Kundaeli an international consultant, pledged to green his business by making it environmentally and worker friendly. What is your pledge? Join now! Make a difference!!

How do I pledge?
Today, we are celebrating the 30th World Environment Day 2004. Below we suggest things that you can do to help save the environment. By pledging to carry out just one of them, you will do your bit to reduce environmental degradation, preserve water or reduce the growing problem of waste. We are encouraging everyone to make pledges, register them below and then carry them out throughout the whole year. We will certainly make a big difference through our combined efforts to save the environment. 

What is your pledge?

• I will replace one light bulb in my house with an energy saving version
• I will make my business greener by observing environmental laws and standards
• I will make my business worker friendly by complying to Occupational Safety Health and Environmental (OSHE) standards
• I will start using a shopping bag when doing groceries 
• I will throw rubbish in a bin
• I will stop washing dishes under running water
• I will report any leaking pipe 
• I will turn off the tap when I brush my teeth
• I will recycle waste
• I will use a bucket to wash my car
• I will not smoke in public
• I will plant one tree either in my garden or as part of community forest

Some people have already committed themselves to help protect the environment by changing their lifestyle in a small but significant way. We need to do our bit to ensure that our children will see and experience what we have today and not only see pictures of what they have missed. So let us all care for the present and future generations. 

Act now, make your pledge now and send it to Yonge Nawe.

Published in support for the World Environment Day 5 June 2004: