With environmental issues starting to hit closer to home, individual groups, corporations and government-linked agencies have begun to make changes to conserve the ecosystems for the future generation. Realising the need to make greater strides in this direction, the Green Earth Society (GES) was formed to educate and create awareness on the deteriorating climate and to champion the conservation of nature.
Madam Elisha Indhunathi and her husband, P. Shiva Kumar, formed GES in 2013, with an urge to conserve the environment as well as to educate the masses on its importance and how it affects the quality of human life.
“First and foremost, we want to educate the people on pollution and how to take charge. We want to show them how they can reduce pollution little by little. We also focus on the importance of trees and conduct tree planting activities, but the most important aspect is to nurture the change of behaviour and to be actively aware of their waste and the environment,” said Madam Elisha.
GES is funded through public donations, personal contributions and grants, allowing them to conduct frequent public engagements to raise awareness on the challenges of protecting Johor’s rivers from the impact of pollution.
“River clean-up is not just about the rubbish, but also the water quality. We use mud-balls made from local river soil which contains microorganisms that help clean the water in the rivers. This will help promote a healthier ecosystem which benefits all,” added Madam Elisha.
She explained that they try to be as proactive and impactful as possible, conducting at least one river clean-up program each month. GES is dedicated to mobilizing a mass movement to save Johor’s rivers as well as address the pollution issues in our waterways. They work to bring about environmental reform by collecting data and exposing major industrial polluters of rivers and raw water catchment areas, including oil palm mills and sand miners.
