Responsible citizen

A responsible citizen cares for the environment. One way a responsible citizen cares for the environment is by reducing the amount of water he or she uses. When you are brushing your teeth, turn off the water and fix any leaks around your home. Another way of caring for the environment is by reducing pollution by travelling by bike, scooter or walking whenever possible. This has the added bonus of keeping you healthy by burning off some extra calories. Driving a diesel car produces as much pollution as a bus, so if you need to travel by car, drive a petrol one. Better still buy an electric car!

A responsible citizen follows rules and laws.  If most people didn’t obey rules and the law there would be chaos as people would not be able to agree on how things should be done and so nothing would get done. There would be conflict which would lead to fighting and may be another world war!

Responsible citizens show manaakitanga. This means they show respect for each other and care for each other. Keeping someone company when they are having a tough time is a way of showing manaakitanga.

If we all try to be responsible citizens, step by step we will grow stronger communities and protect our environment.