Your planet needs you
It’s always green on the other side. So, on World Environment Day, how about crossing the fence, asks Arun Katiyar
Speaking about Sher, a Tibetan village, Daniel Goleman, the author of ‘Ecological Intelligence’, observes how when a home is to be reroofed, a willow tree is planted in the village. The willow tree lasts 400 years and when one dies, another is planted. The village of 300, even in its harsh Himalayan environment, can survive for thousands of years through its sustainable approach to life.
Goleman’s conclusion is that the people of Sher have a brand of wisdom that has kept them alive for centuries. He calls it Ecological Intelligence. Do you have Ecological Intelligence?
The good news is that in India environment-friendly practices are ingrained in us from childhood. Although many of these practices are vanishing – for example, it is difficult to find a cobbler to mend a torn shoe, something that was easy to do two decades ago – India still tops the world in sustainable practices.
According to the third and latest annual Greendex Survey conducted by National Geographic Society and GlobeScan in 2010, Indian lifestyles were ranked the most sustainable (three years in a row). The survey looks at consumer behaviour and the impact it has on the environment. India may not be installing solar panels and deploying technology on a large scale to address environmental degradation, but we do have a bath with a bucket of water that reduces wastage; we hang our clothes to dry in the sun instead of using energy-hungry clothes dryers; and, come to think of it, we produce the world’s largest selling green car in the Reva.
At the bottom of the approach is not to look for fashionable green technologies, but rather concentrate on reducing, reusing and recycling. That, perhaps, is a more rational approach to ‘saving the world’ – through a real commitment to lifestyle practices that are sustainable rather than by changing the products we buy.
However, here is a list of some unusual products and practices that go beyond the regular bunch of eco-friendly suspects like CFL bulbs and reusable shopping bags.These can help you make changes to your lifestyle and make it pro-environment.
The bicycle: You’ve heard it a million times, but using a bicycle can help in more than one way. Look at Fact 3 under ‘Did You Know?’ – by using a bicycle for your daily shopping, you can make a big difference to the environment. To make things even more interesting, why not use a bicycle made of bamboo that reduces the use of steel?
Bangalore-based bicycle designer Vijay Sharma makes world-class bamboo bicycles that are natural, environment friendly and rugged.
Eco Ganesh: God lives in the details. Next time during Ganesh Chaturthi ensure your Ganesh idol is eco friendly. Make certain the idols are unpainted as the paint is toxic and when the idol is immersed in a lake or a river, the paint pollutes the water. Chetan KS, the founder of Bangalore-based The Living Store, makes unpainted idols as well others that are painted with eco-friendly vegetable dyes.
All natural plates: Throwing a party? Need paper plates? Why not replace them with environment-friendly plates made from areca palms? The making of the plates does not even involve the cutting of trees. Natural leaves are turned into chemical-free, biodegradable, compostable, disposable plates. Best of all, the plates are microwaveable! Available at most large grocery stores.
Banana fibre cushion covers: Actually, banana fibre can be used for a vast range of home products like cushion covers, reusable bags, laundry bins, window blinds, lamps and mats. The banana fibre is sometimes blended with other natural material like jute and grass to make the most exquisite home decore items. More details at www.gramya.co.in
Support eco-friendly establishments: Take The Fat Chef in Whitefield – Bangalore’s first restaurant that encourages people on bicycles to visit them. It has a bicycle stand where you can park, use their chain lock to secure your bike and they even have an air pump for bicyclists who may need it. The Fat Chef is trying to ensure that they encourage their patrons to reduce noise and air pollution – and add to their health. Also a great place to meet other cyclists! Supporting organisations and establishments that are environment conscious can be a big step in making a positive lifestyle change.
Eco-friendly holiday: Why increase your carbon footprint by taking a holiday that requires you to fly thousands of miles? Just hop across to an environment-friendly place called Our Native Village on the outskirts of Bangalore.
Our Native Village serves vegetarian food (Look at Fact 1 under ‘Did You Know?’), generates its own wind power, recycles waste to produce cooking gas, has its own cows to supply milk and has thin cotton towels that require less water to wash and are easier to dry in the sun than Turkish towels, the soap in the bathroom is natural and the swimming pool is kept clean using natural bacteria. Just staying there is a lesson in being environment-friendly. More details at www.ournativevillage.com
