Bhumi Pednekar has been using her star power to fight climate change, one idea at a time. In 2019, the actor launched the online initiative, Climate Warrior, thus setting into motion a concerted effort to create awareness about environmental issues among the common man. On World Environment Day today, as she launches a 10-year mission, Pednekar says the value of being environmentally conscious was inculcated in her at a young age. “When I was nine years old, I used to wonder what would happen if our planet became too hot, or if the water level rose. While growing up, we were taught not to waste electricity and to remember to switch the geyser off. My parents made sure we didn’t waste food,” she recounts

Appalled by people’s callous attitude towards nature conservation, Pednekar decided to bring the focus squarely on the subject through her online platform. The actor not only implemented no-plastic policy on the set of ‘Badhaai Do’, but also joined forces with an eco-warrior to convert hazardous air particles into ink. Now, she has charted out a 10-year programme that will focus on three goals — increasing green cover, water conservation and reduced plastic use. To increase forestation, she intends to launch programmes encouraging social media users to plant saplings on special occasions. “My goal is to see people [adopt] planet-conscious behaviour. 2021 is all about hammering better habits and cutting down on use of single-use plastic. We need to see more plantation. A decade on, I want us to co-exist with the species that rightfully share this planet with us. This is our home; there is no planet B.”

The green crusader says the past two years have been a rude wake-up call for us. “We have seen forest fires, floods and cyclones. I had hoped that over the past year, people would’ve understood that you cannot mess with nature, but I still see people littering and throwing medical waste in the oceans. It’s our responsibility to leave behind a cleaner planet for our future generations. I wouldn’t want to raise my children in a world full of pollution. I want them to be brought up in the kind of world where I grew up, where everything was abundant.”