Starchild: Why Malaysian children want a greener tomorrow
Every year, on April 22, people around the world celebrate Earth Day. It’s a special day to show how much we love and care for our amazing planet. This year’s theme is Earth Vs Plastic.

What is Earth Day? Well, it’s like we’re throwing a birthday party for our home, Earth! It’s a special day when we think about all the wonderful things our planet gives us, like clean air to breathe, fresh water to drink, and beautiful forests to explore.

Zoe Chin, 9But Earth Day isn’t just about celebrating. It’s also a day to take action and help make our planet even better. We can do simple things like picking up trash at the park, planting trees in our homes and neighbourhood, or turning off lights when we’re not using them to save energy.

This year, people all over the world are coming up with creative ways to celebrate Earth Day. Some schools had lessons about recycling and composting. Others organised clean-up events in their communities.

Remember, every little thing we do to help the Earth adds up to make a big difference. Even small actions, like using reusable water bottles instead of plastic ones or walking to school instead of driving, can help protect our planet for future generations.

So, let’s make this Earth Day the best one yet! Let’s show our planet some love and work together to keep it green and healthy for many Earth Days to come. Happy Earth Day, everyone!

Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, 9

“We can take proactive steps to reduce plastic like reminding our parents to bring along a cloth bag when out shopping to keep our purchases and also bring our own water bottle and container for drinks and food takeaway. It takes planning and effort to reduce plastic but we must do what we can to protect our planet,” writes Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, nine.

Asher Wang Qi Chuen, 6

Younger sibling Asher Wang Qi Chuen, six, says: “We can reduce Earth’s plastic waste by recycling and reusing our plasticware creatively – like using empty plastic bottles to make toy robots and lanterns. We can also bring along metal containers from home when buying porridge outside so that restaurants do not need to pack our food in plastic boxes.”

“Save the Earth. Don’t cut the trees and throw rubbish. We need oxygen to breathe,” writes Abrianna Kamala Johnson, eight.

Bryan Krishnan, 8

“We breathe, eat and live on Earth. We are citizens of Earth. The cleaner our planet, the healthier we will be. Water and air are important on Earth,” writes Bryan Krishnan, eight.

“Our hands carry our Earth. We need to protect Mother Earth,” writes Dhivya Shri Kumaran, seven.

Nine-year-old Zoe Chin wishes people would stop fighting and caring for our planet. “Earth is our only home in the universe. I want lots of fish to live in the seas, and birds flying in the skies. I wish to see lots of crabs and mudskippers in mangrove forests.”

ITEM: To celebrate Teacher’s Day on May 16, we want to hear all about the incredible educators who have made a lasting impact on your life.

Share your personal stories, cherished memories, and heartfelt gratitude for those teachers who have supported and guided you along the way. So, students, let’s come together to celebrate and appreciate the amazing teachers who light up our lives and inspire us every single day. Share your stories, and join us in honouring the extraordinary individuals who make a difference in our lives. And don’t forget to send us a drawing.

E-mail your contributions to lifestyle@thestar.com.my by May 10. Please put “STARCHILD: Teachers Day” in the subject line of your email.

Scanned drawings should be in jpeg format, with a resolution of 200 dpi. Your contributions must carry your full name, age (open to children aged 12 and below only), gender, phone contact, and address. Instead of handwritten letters, please type out your letters.
Starchild,Earth Day
Here are the drawings by Starchild readers on the topic, Earth Day.