Switch Off........

It’s 2050. The streets of New Delhi are dull and lifeless. As you walk down the road, you can barely see 10 metres ahead. On the busier streets people are scurrying about their daily life. But fashion has changed. The days of bright colours, short skirts, low hip jeans or branded suits are long gone. Today’s attire transcends age or gender. It’s known as the Hazmat suit. Sounds like a high priced brand from Fashion Street? Sadly, you are wrong. This suit shall be the only barrier between life and death; your protection from the various toxic substances present in the atmosphere. This is just a fictional image, but an image that could come true. Think of it, do you want your kids to live a life where they wear gas masks to school or work everyday??

The countdown has begun. The industrial revolution changed the face of production. The environmental revolution shall soon change the way the whole world lives. Statistics Show that the last 100 years have affected planet earth the most. Whatever mankind has done to enhance life have been having detrimental effects on the health of Mother Nature. The predicament that most scientists envisage will pretty much become true unless we take some action. Environmental organizations have been campaigning for more eco friendly policies and practices, but it’s only in recent times that government agencies have actually started listening to all that. But bureaucracy being bureaucracy, it’ll become a millennium by the time our heads of states get down to taking any proper action.

So now the onus falls on us citizens to put in whatever effort we can, to make up for whatever we have lost. Talking about drastic change, there isn’t any need to switch to the Stone Age and use bullock carts for transport and pigeons instead of SMS, but we can make simple changes to our daily activities which may not drastically change everything, but will obviously make a greater impact when collectively done by everyone. Here are some tips given by the greenies:

> It’s time to say good bye to Mr. Edison and his illuminating invention. Incandescent bulbs are out and Compact Fluorescent Lamps are what we need. Consuming up to 70 percent less energy and giving out more light, these bulbs are the solution to our spiralling electricity bills.

> Walk to places located nearby instead of taking your vehicle out each time. You can burn a few calories in the process while taking in the sights and scenery of your neighbourhood as well.

> Use less running water. By collecting the water required to be used, in a mug or a bucket, up to 30 percent of water can be saved in comparison to washing under a tap.

> Carry cloth bags to the market instead of getting plastic bags at each store. Wearing cargo pants if you are going to buy small objects would be a good idea too…J

The above activities are just a sample of the kind of things we could do. They just require each person to make a very small adjustment to their daily life which would go a long way in helping conservation. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle has been the mantra in many developed countries and it is high time we took it seriously here as well. Reducing unnecessary use of plastics will help in minimising landfill requirements. Recycle materials like metals, glass and paper. Reuse objects that may have finished their initial objective but can in some form or the other be used for some other purpose.

Another issue to be addressed is air pollution. Toxic gases in the atmosphere cause greenhouse warming and other ill effects like acid rain. I needn’t explain in detail about these phenomena as we have had ‘exhaustive’ study on them through subjects like environmental science. We should minimise burning and switch to alternative sources of clean energy like solar or wind power.

Automobiles are a major source of toxic gases in the atmosphere, yet I shall not advocate using the public transport system like most people do as I personally feel that our private vehicles are much more environment-friendly that those diesel powered smoke belching sheet metal contraptions that run on our roads right now. Use public transport only when bus drivers stop practicing Formula One cornering manoeuvres and lap timing records on public roads. Till that day comes though, instead we should attempt to get the best out of your vehicle. I do realize that I shall be considered an outcast by my petrol head fraternity for advocating efficiency rather than performance. Yet given the situation today, efficiency has to be given priority. Else one day we shall soon be walking the seven continents like our gods of yore. At least they had extra powers to help them….

An alternate solution would be carpooling which is a very simple and effective concept. The idea is that a few people going to the same place from the same location can share a car instead of each person driving his/her own vehicle. The end result is less congestion on the roads and less expenditure on fuel costs.

What I have mentioned are just a few solutions to a few environmental concerns. There are many more that need addressing, but have been conveniently overlooked or over shadowed by our political leaders for commercial reasons. Very clearly they aren’t going to look into them in a hurry any time soon either. So let us take a step forward and make this place a better place, maybe not for today, but surely for a better tomorrow…