Streisand doles out most important environmental conservation steps

Washington, July 14: American singer/actress Barbra Streisand has doled out the most important conservation steps that an individual can follow. Streisand, 67, who revealed she became ‘committed to gaining a deeper understanding about environmental issues’ after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, revealed she spent months talking to environmental experts.

“I was very frightened after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and I was committed to gaining a deeper understanding about environmental issues,” a website quoted her as saying during an interview. “I spent months talking to experts who studied the effects of climate change, and I learned about the work of leading environmental organizations, including the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Environmental Defense Fund, among others,” she said. The singer, who is a noted environmentalist, spoke about the most important conservation steps that an individual can take. “The awareness of global warming and the efforts at conservation have come a long way in the past 20 years,” she said. “The US contains 4 percent of the world’s population but produces almost 25 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions. “A lot of time was lost over the past eight years to make the necessary drastic and critical changes in our behaviour in order to curb climate change. “Many Americans feel like the problem can only be solved with significant intervention by the federal government. “That is true, but we also need the action of every American to help solve this problem. “It was fantastic that, during the 2008 presidential campaign, President (Barack) Obama highlighted ways in which everyday Americans can help in this fight. ... by filling up the air in their tires, replacing older light bulbs (with) newer, energy-saving ones, driving a hybrid vehicle, carpooling, bringing your own bags to the grocery store, installing low-flow showerheads, unplugging unused appliances and recycling. “These are not just energy-saving tips but cost-saving ones, as well,” she added. ANI