Last semester YNO had a campaign which handkerchief's usesave the forest. Our little practice can protect the environment.We wanted to hear a student's opinion about the importance.When you read the title to this article, the first thoughtthat strikes your mind is probably, “How arehandkerchiefs related to environmental issues?”However, if you take the time to think about ahandkerchief’s most common substitutes, papernapkins or tissue paper, it starts to make more sense.These two things have almost completely replaced theuse of handkerchiefs in everyday life.It is the substitution of these paper products in theplace of handkerchiefs that directly affects theenvironment and this in turn explains the meaning andimportance of using a handkerchief in protecting theenvironment.The simple reason, why we dumped our poorhandkerchiefs once and for all, is that we want life to betoo easy. We use a paper tissue once and just throw itaway. We are not inconvenienced by carrying tissuesaround and washing them as is the case with hankies.But we don’t seem to have the slightest idea that thiseasy going nature of ours contributes greatly to cuttingdown trees and the waste of paper products which has adirect effect on the environment. Hardly anyone has anyidea what it takes to make a paper napkin or where itgoes after you throw it in the bin.The story starts with cutting down enormous tracts offorest for the purpose of paper pulp production whichleads to deforestation, and is also a very energyintensive process. This energy mainly comes frompower plants powered by coal, which is itself a majorsource of pollution due to the carbon emissions itcreates. Moreover pulp and paper mills themselves arelarge sources of Air Pollutants, which in turn contributeto ozone depletion, respiratory problems, and acid rainamong other things. In addition this process consumesa great deal of water, and frequently diminishesgroundwater supplies. Paper production also leads to alarge amount of solid waste which either requiresexpensive land filling or becomes a major source ofaccumulated toxic chemicals in water bodies, thuscreating havoc for aquatic life. At last, when it is burnt asa means of disposal, it again produces a lot of toxicfumes.It must be crystal clear to you by now that at each andevery step of its life cycle these convenient substitutesfor handkerchiefs pose a great threat to ourenvironment.It’s high time that we become wise enough, to go backto the loyal and faithful handkerchief before it’s too late.And for those people who think that the handkerchief istoo dirty for daily use, someone has rightly said. "If it’syour hankie, why are you afraid of your own germs?"