Climate change and our responsibility

Dhaka is a mega city, home for more than 10 million people. It is the main commercial hub that serves the country's economy as a backbone. Due to over-population, unemployment, and to accommodate everyone with open heart, the city faces many challenges, but now one more challenge has been added to this i.e. climate change. Even though it helps as a commercial backbone, Dhaka is unable to provide safety to its inhabitants.  
Climate change is a recent global phenomenon, which is affecting lives all across the globe. As we know, we humans are largely responsible for this recent climate change due to increased levels of carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels. However, if we do not take actions now, our future generation must find the city a much less hospitable place to live in. Here in this article attempt is made to share few tips so that everyone can play a role in saving city. These are few tips which we can do today to make a better tomorrow:
We should try to reduce the emission of carbon dioxide, and we can do it by growing greenery in the city. It helps to remove the greenhouse gas CO2 from the air.
We can also switch to energy saving bulbs at homes or workplaces. We can also take measures such as switching off electrical appliances (TV, computer, laptops) from the source, when we do not need them. In fact, there are power strips that glow to show you how much power is going through them unnecessarily. We can control such strips from our computers and i-phones.
Be clever while using air conditioners and heaters. Turn up the thermostat on the air conditioning. Try to stay under fans in summer and in winter wear warmer clothes indoors to reduce the need for heating. This not only good for city, it also reduces your electricity bills significantly.
Make a habit of going for a walk instead of taking car for nearby places. This will not only reduce the fuel costs but also help in reducing pollution.   
Be aware of how much water we are using. It takes a lot of energy to pump water to your home, particularly in Dhaka (one of the most water-scarce cities in Bangladesh). A leaky toilet can waste up to 200 gallons a day, so taking small measures like fixing leaks, or not keeping the water running while you shave, take bath or brush your teeth can conserve a lot of energy.
Develop your habits to re-use and recycle everything. Try to use reusable grocery bags in the stores while shopping. Try to avoid using paper cups and paper plates while you go out to drink or eat anything. Save the tree, use the tap water boiled instead of in plastic bottles. Plastic water bottles may cause environmental disasters. Reusing products and recycling reduce pollution and conserve energy.
These are the small acts, but by imbibing such things in our daily routine, we all can contribute and make a real difference. It is a dire time to spread the word particularly in our city where people remain largely uninformed about climate change. Our public institutions should help people by running public campaigns. Most of these solutions are convenient and easy to do. In fact educational institutions can play their roles by educating people on such core issues because climate change affects everyone, regardless of religion, social status, and creed.
The above steps need to be incorporated in school curriculum so that students, right from school life, form their habits. These will last in their entire life.  
The writer is an educationist who has written extensively on social issues. E-mail: farhanjumani@gmail.com