Small steps for a big change...

It’s high time we realized that we are on the brink of a major environmental disaster; signs are already there, but somehow or the other we have been ignoring them. The seemingly massive problems like climate change and global warming have really simple solutions. We lack the willingness- both civil and political. Growth and environment can walk side by side. Though most of us know the problems and even the solutions, we don’t bother to bring them into practice. This is because of several reasons like:

1. There is a difference between ‘knowledge’ and ‘awareness’; knowledge does not always translate into awareness. ‘Awareness’ is the missing link between ‘knowledge’ and ‘Action’.

2. The consequences are not so immediate to everyone, not so tangible and not so direct to establish a relationship between the problem and the cause. People in general (i.e. only a small fraction do) don’t think beyond their and their children’s welfare. So, they don’t bother to think and visualize what might happen to their next to next generations, neither do they realize that their actions lead to large scale problems for a different section of people.

3. People think their individual actions are too small to make any significant impact on the environment and their small changes in lifestyle are too small to solve the problem, which is huge in magnitude!

4. There are short term economic implications (read negative ones for certain people) of the solutions

The solutions can be manifold; from legal to policies to technical to living styles; one such small solution is changing our habits to make them eco-friendly. Small changes in habits and lifestyle by individuals can add up to significant savings in resources and energy and in turn it will lead to reduction in production of greenhouse gases. Small habits like switching off the light-bulb when not in use, using energy- efficient appliances, saving water in day to day use, taking care of the engine, etc (the list can go on) can go a long way in making life on earth sustainable.

The beginnings of all the things are small....only small droplets of water add up to make the ocean... seconds make the hours and the years. Not always big problems have big solutions; it's the small things that matter....and our collective actions matter.

However, here lies the difficulty: ‘Changing Habits’, it’s not at all easy; and then retaining the good habit is even harder. In any case, it has to start with creating ‘awareness’. One way of doing this is to reminding one every morning that he/she is expected to do something and the result will be a better world around him/her.

An IDEA

It is exam time and its so weird of me to sit on blogspot and scribble my views. But all of us know we do stuff DURING EXAMS which otherwise we never usually do .......For me I never sit back to write. But it is this idea which bulged my head yesterday night while i was reading "National Income" of the Economics fame. Though it has got nothing to do with National Income per se. But i got to remove this bulge which i would only be able to once i implement the idea but as of now I can ease myself by writing it out. It is since long have been planning to have a campaign at the Home Science canteen area where students litter empty plates, glasses after they gulp down coffee, maggi etc. Funny is we have dustbins out there but still we eye so much of junk dumped in the the tree-pit (i.e the area where the tree stands and surrounding it is a three stepped otla. Tree pit is the space that surrounds the tree ) which is ideally a place to sit, rest and chat.

To initiate a "Change Habit " campaign at the Home Science faculty, have been thinking lot of stuff and have implemented an idea or two. But yesterday got an idea which would initiate my campaign of "Stopping Hands That Throw Junk". Now the trees out there at the Home Science Vicinity will speak. How???Definitely I plan to paste large sized poster surrounding their trunks which would have such ITCHY statements which would induce people who sit over there to THINK and ACT.......The second stage of the campaign is already taking shape in my mind. Want to make this an all INDIA campaign, which requires me to think a bit more but i will figure that out....I think we need to learn to be civilised, taming our hands to act differently and throw junk in the dustbin irrespective of DUSTBIN being there or not . WE NEED CIVILIZATION.

Towards Change, Towards Civilisation, Towards Greenliness

We and Environment

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Keep Yourself Cool Whilst You Save Energy

Keep Yourself Cool Whilst You Save Energy

Krupa Gandhi

Here are some ways which will not only help you beat the heat bug but will also prove remarkable energy savers:

#Coolant 1

Why not sleep on the terrace during summer nights and enjoy the cool breeze under the silky starry sky instead of closing yourself in an air-conditioned room?

#Coolant 2

Cover your balconies and open spaces with a heat protective shield (it is a green colour cloth available in the market, I am yet to figure out what it is made of but it has this quality of keeping premises cool) to lessen the degree of warmth in your apartment. This will lead to using a fan and not a cooler/AC to get solace from ‘the barbaric’ heat.

#Coolant 3

Indulge in terrace garden candle light parties once in 15 days with friends and loved ones to do a bit for your self campaign of “Save Energy”. Mind well, the food should be “only raw delicacies and salads”. This should be enough to save a bit on LPG and boost your metabolism levels.

GREEN EARTH, COOL EARTH

Everyday is “Earth Day”

Everyday is “Earth Day”

---Krupa Gandhi

22 April has been marked as “Earth Day” to reinforce the importance of the fact that our “Mother Earth” needs to be cared for a change.

But, what about other days round the year? Should we name other days as well? Because unless we have a day marked we do not bother to think or act for the subject’s betterment. How can we forget to thank our highly liberated western culture (as far as relationships are concerned)? Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and other days are their contribution to our culture and our expression of feelings to our dear ones remain restricted to these year-marked days.

Well, I have nothing against the western culture; in fact we have lot to learn from it. My only concern is, let us express ourselves frequently through conversations with friends and acquaintances, raising concerns in discussion forums, volunteering for environmental organizations as well as media campaigns and spreading awareness by several other ways.

Let us take examples of several means of media, newspaper being one of the strongest one. Kudos to these newspaper publications, specifically, the Times of India, for entertaining “Save the Globe Campaign and “Cleanliness Campaign”. These campaigns have not only made the city aware of the burning environmental issues but have proved that community participation is the key to success to almost any concern. How about being a part of such campaigns?

We have been warned enough of the deteriorating health of our Earth by media and environmental experts. Now is the time to do. Let us start the following from today itself:

• Plant a tree and take responsibility for its maintenance
• Store water for thirsty birds as well as animals in an earthen vessel to help them fight the burning heat
• Use public transport or bicycle your way to your work place
• Use CFLs for electricity
• Use dustbins to throw waste

GREEN EARTH, COOL EARTH

Poster Campaign- "Save Our Environment" -Suvendu Rout

It's better to take small actions to improve our environment rather than debating over whether 'Global warming' is happening or not; it's high time we realized the impact of our small actions to solve the big problems. One such small action is: changing habits and spreading the message. WE have started a poster campaign exactly with this in mind.

WE have designed this poster targeting the drawing rooms/living rooms of households, where people usually spend most of their time and discuss on wide ranging subjects. The poster can provide an important topic to start a discussion. The objectives of this campaign are:

1) Make people aware of their day-to-day habits that waste energy and resources
2) Remind the people time and again the importance of saving such resources
3) Provide the inmates with a topic to discuss the environmental concerns
4) To spread the message of environmental consciousness by reaching out to the visitors (of a particular household)
5) To convey the message of importance of small actions (by changing habits)

We have observed that mostly people agree with the concerns and want to change. A lot of people are showing interesting in doing more. We are planning to have a survey; we will publish the results when we do it.

Just an appeal: Please start doing now: observe what habits of yours are hurting the environment and change them.
To get this poster, please write to: weandenvironment@yahoo.in
or, weandenvironment@gmail.com

Also ‘Do’ While You ‘Talk’

-Krupa Gandhi

11 October 2009

How about gifting your neighbours, friends, fellow citizens a “Dustbin”, a “Spittoon” or “a poster which tips on saving energy and water” this Diwali? Well, this sounds so weird but I think we should initiate this custom as this is one of the ways we can make ourselves and others realize that bad habits costs environment unbearable damage.

I commute in Ahmedabad on my two-wheeler, it being the most comfortable mode of transport for me. Everyday, while commuting, I observe, on average 8-10 citizens either spitting on roads or throwing junk on roads either from cars, rickshaws, two-wheelers, bicycles, etc. I always feel that I should chase them, initiate a conversation and gift them a portable spittoon or a portable dustbin. I think this would be enough to embarrass them and provoke their thought process. I am going to implement on this idea soon.

Similarly, in offices we are aware that paper, energy and water are wasted like it is everlasting. But, everybody knows that the current environmental scene is not that rosy. We hear, read and talk of climate change, global warming, environmental awareness and we do not do anything about it. Friends, this is not a high end contribution to our planet’s betterment where only scientists, government and NGOs can contribute. We as individuals too can achieve milestones. If you see your fellow colleague who forgot to switch off his computer screen/fan/tube light/tap, just politely tell him to be cautious the next time and gift him a leaflet that tips on saving energy and water, while you see him/her being negligent. Such baby steps too can help immensely in combating with giants like “Global Warming”, “Pollution”, “Garbage Dumps”, etc.

Let us all take a step forward towards going green.

For posters, leaflets and stickers on tips to save water and energy,

Contact: socent_sa@yahoogroups.com, weandenvironment@yahoo.in

An appeal............. By. Debarati Sarkar

It is high time we all put our hands together to save our one and the only shelter. It is planet earth which is the only place that harbours life in the universe. Earth has provided the comfortable environment, where human being has come into existence . It has endowed us with suitable atmosphere, which is mandatory for life to sustain .It has gifted us with six different seasons , so that we can enjoy different aspects of nature It has decorated our life with different kinds of magnificent flowers and nurtured us with different kinds of fruits etc . We cannot point out all its contributions towards human life because it is end less.

But have we ever pondered over the fact, what have we given her in return. Human being always have an aspiration of developing themselves. Man has always put his step towards development,.. Development has always a positive effect, but to that extent when it is not hurting any body. But the real fact is that human being has been captured by the obsession of becoming powerful. And they have totally overlooked the fact that they are polluting the environment through their activities, which in their language is development. We, the human being are so proud of our success that we have never realized that we are destroying our one and only shelter. Have we ever noticed that now a days we have stopped experiencing six different seasons? Do we have time to observe that now a days natural calamities have become more devastating? Have we ever realized, wheather our future generation can breathe in this polluted earth or wheather life can exist in this planet?

So, friends it is the prime time when we should try to find out the answer for this questions .It is time to take some action also. Our group has already started to put our efforts to save our earth or rather we can say to save our own life. But we cannot do this alone. So we need all of you people besides us ……………………………………….