Global warming and increasing pollution from plastics are almost daily themes for BBC and France 24 news. There is some feature or other across the world indicating this concern. While there are many things which can be done by state or governments (local or national), I am noting down some possibilities at individual and house-hold levels.
1. Plastic reduction: After 3 months in a hotel room, in Qatar, I feel a little happy about some minor progress I could attain in this regard.
When I arrived, I was left with no option but to use plastic water bottles for my drinking needs, and the hotel would not provide any other means. They said, it was the only thing permitted. After a month, I insisted on a water dispenser and 20 litres can has been installed in my room since then, thus avoiding Almost 250 bottles (half litre) a month. Next was coffee. Hotel provides instant coffee with one pack (or two) for a mug. Thus generating in one point about 3 to 6 plastic sachets for the same. I requested for a 250 mg bottle of NESCAFE (which might work cheaper), it's now about a month and the bottle is still only half empty, and the waste has been reduced. Milk (or substitute) is not usually used, but a cup might require one (or two) standard disposable sealed cup. Now without my having to ask, they brought a bigger can which can substitute almost 20 such disposables.
2. Somebody initiated the movement to have earth hour, by switching off the lights at 8 pm on Earth Day. It is more of a token. But this could be a means by which heat generation can be curbed. If every family can decide on such a 'zero hour' on a daily basis, at least with regard to lights and refrigeration (leave AC), I think there could be tremendous reduction the world over. This could be a modern day virtue (punya) or sacrifice (tyaga) for self-purification or spiritual growth, if we need a religio-spiritual motif for the same. The spiritual leaders could promote it universally, as it would go against no dogma of any religion.
I was very glad to read about an experiment led by a young parish priest in Kuttanad, Alappuzha District of Keralam (India). Fr. Rajeev Palakkacherry of Changanachery arch-diocese is now guiding a 'carbon neutral parish'. It is a great possibility thrown open to thousands such centres to go beyond the ritualistic god-seeking towards a planet-based stewardship! (Palakkachery, 2022. CMIssion Magazine, January-April 2022, pp. 72-77).
3. But a more radical decision could be a 'zero carbon' diet. Perhaps, we start with such an agenda on one such day - Environment Day or Earth Day or whatever.... one full meal is substituted by fruits or uncooked vegetables. If this can be a practice for one whole day, per week, by all the families of the world, it would have multiple impact - 1) less consumption of meat the production (based on consumption) of which there is large scale emission happening 2) healthy for humans 3) tremendous reduction in heat emission.
Those religio-spiritual people (or health enthusiasts) who take to fasting, could think of zero carbon fasting that would serve both their purpose as well as the planet's agenda!
4. A third strategy towards reducing solid waste is already gaining momentum - the research group of women in Trivandrum, under the banner of 'Sastra', has pioneered a bold and meaningful step - 'environment friendly menstruation' - to get rid of the accumulating waste of the disposable sanitary napkins. If sanitary napkins are substituted by 'sustainable ones' instead of 'disposable ones', a tremendous amount of waste can be reduced. There are now such affordable (perhaps, less expensive), safe and sanitary substitutes available in the market today. Imagine, the waste reduction by almost 25% of the world population (wild guess), and subsequent impact on emissions from burning, which is a usual fall out.
6. The current trend in celebrations implies venue management, including making it attractive through decorations. And balloons play a major role, and they are indeed attractive. But they are indeed an addition to unmanageable waste. Of the deadliest ocean thrash, they are ranked number 3, after fishing gear and plastic bags & utensils.
Nice of you to articulate the points. Agree and hope they gain traction. Air-conditioning is an area which should be focused - where mostly a simple fan could otherwise do the job, AC has now become a necessity (wasteful), contributing to unproductive energy consumption.
ReplyDelete