OUR environment is everything around us. It includes land, air, water, animals, and most importantly, people. The environment is important to us because it provides us with food, energy, air, water and other materials. However, our actions impact our environment either directly or indirectly. 

To find out how our actions impact the environment, we can carry out a simple environmental audit. An environmental audit can be carried out in various places: at home, at school or at the workplace. An environmental audit will help us to identify the changes that we need to make in our lives to minimize our impact on the environment.
Planning an audit
An audit cannot be designed as a ready-made package to suit all circumstances. In carrying out an environmental audit several things need to be taken in consideration.
• The first consideration should be the place where the audit will be carried out, e.g., the classroom, the kitchen or the office.
• Secondly, you should decide what issue will be focused on, e.g., waste management, energy, water etc.
• Work out a timetable for how long it will take to do the entire audit.
• Develop a scoring format in order to effectively analyze the data.
Carrying out the audit
In carrying out the audit you should do the following:
• Identify key questions that will help you assess how your actions impact whichever issue you will be investigating, e.g., for waste management, how do you attempt to reduce and reuse products, and recycle waste?
• Come up with practical ways to reduce your impact on the area identified.
Some questions that you can include in your audit are:
Waste
• Do I reuse anything to make craft items such as toys at school?
• How do I dispose of my garbage?
• Is there a bin in my classroom/office/kitchen?
• Do I carry my own bag while shopping?
Energy
• Do my appliances have the Energy Star logo?
• What do I do with appliances after using them?
• Do I iron my clothes every day?
• Do I turn off lights when leaving a room?
Water
• Do I run the washing machine only when it has a full load?
• Do I reuse water used for washing clothes to do other chores?
• Do I wash my vehicle with a hose or bucket?
• Have I installed low flow showerheads?
When carrying out an audit, it is important to garner support from others, especially in the school setting. Remember, an audit should point out where improvements can be made and changes should be made upon its completion.
Kids Activity
In the word search below find the following words related to performing an environmental audit.

You can share ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/o EIT Division, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN or email eit.epaguyana@gmail.com.