“GREEN” is the most talked-about topic of discussion these days. Companies are spending hefty amounts to find various ways for reducing their carbon footprints. Governments also are equally concerned about the environmental crisis and are taking all probable steps to reduce the carbon emissions from the industrial sector. However all these brilliant efforts of reducing the carbon footprint are concentrated on Industrial sector completely ignoring the fact that individual contribution towards the CO2 emission is also substantial?
I believe that “Thinking green” and “embracing green” are two completely singular concepts. Today we are taking all possible pains to reduce emissions from the industries which I agree is very important. But have we really embraced a “green way of living”? We all should pause for a while here and think hard on this issue. Is it the case that the moment we step out of our company premises we completely forget about the “Think green” motto?
After all who wouldn’t like to travel in an AC car, sleep comfortably in an AC room, document hard copies for quick reference, light up all the rooms, watch movie in an AC Theater, exercise in an AC gym, etc? Given a choice we all would love to have a relaxed and easy life. We earn so as to be able to afford these luxuries. But have we ever thought about the price that we actually pay to have all these extravagance?
Human being is considered to be the most intelligent of all the species on this planet. But look at what are we doing to our own habitat!!
We are mindlessly using the free resources available to us without giving a second thought about the purpose their use serves us. As an rightly quoted by an anonymous:-
Only after the last tree has been cut down,
only after the last river has been poisoned,
only after the last fish has been caught,
only then we will realize that money cannot be eaten….
It will not be an exaggeration to say that this mass exploitation of our environment is soon going to put all of us in grave danger or should I say that we already are? That time is near when mere existence will be a problem. Dearth of basic resources will spawn various social problems, thus violence.
Only by “embracing green” in our lifestyles can we reduce this senseless misuse of the wealth gifted to us by mother earth. Governments need to take initiatives to encourage the masses for opting greener ways of living.
Reducing Industrial emissions is a mass endeavor which depends on several entities and various factors many of which are totally beyond our scope of control.
But we have complete power on our own choices and thus our carbon emissions. We can contribute in saving the environment by consciously making choices that are “green”.
Like preferring a bicycle over car/bike to go to a nearby place or best, walking over, reducing the use of air conditioners at our homes, pooling for cars, choosing e-paper instead of a hardcopy for any financial transaction etc. This list is endless. I for one have started avoiding the use of vehicles as much as possible. I prefer to walk over to the places that are in and around 3 kms of my house. And encourage my family members to do the same. Initially it was a little painful because we are so much used to the comfort of riding a vehicle that even the saying “where is a will there is a way” also fails. Body simply refuses to cooperate. But gradually the stamina increases. To my surprise walking down to the nearest store was quite a pleasant experience. Not only did I get a break from the fast life of Mumbai but also got enough the time to notice many small things on my way. Like a household garden with varieties of beautiful flowers and veggies which is a rare sight in Mumbai. Earlier I never paid attention to these minute details as speeding vehicle never gives sufficient time to notice anything except maybe for the patches on the road. I have also planted a few trees back at my hometown. My parents take care of them. In Mumbai space is a major constraint to even think of having potted plants.
They say there are three kinds of people:-
“People who learn by observation, and there are the few who learn by experimentation. And then there are those who actually TOUCH the fire to see if it’s really hot.”
In the case of “global warming” none of us would like to actually live in an ecologically imbalanced world and experience the dread and fatality to believe in it. Imagine how difficult it would be to actually survive in scarcity of basic resources like drinking water, food or oxygen to breathe!!!!!
Struggling for basic resources on daily basis is not what any of us will like to do.
So our individual contribution towards having a green planet is what we need to concentrate on at this point of time. Only when we imbibe nature in our lives will we be able to really help in reducing industrial emissions also. “Green” should be a culture and not a mere thought.
All we have to do is make tad bits of changes in our lifestyles leading towards a green society. These ways may initially need conscious efforts but once we start making those they will come to us naturally. Living the “natural way” will become our habit.
As famous English novelist “George Eliot” has said “What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?” Let us all join hands and go the green way. Share how you make intelligent green choices in your daily lives.
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