We live in a modern, consumerist and largely urban existence, and mitigating our impact starts with everyday choices. Simply put, sustainability is the ability of the system to endure. While most people immediately think of the environment, true longevity demands economic development as well as social equity. Here are a few things we can integrate into our daily practices to ensure a healthy world for us and for future generations.
Energy conservation is one of the most important things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. Leaving your electricals on standby needlessly uses up energy — hit the off switch and you could see huge improvements, most noticeably in your energy bills. Want to go further than simply turning it off? Make sure that the tech you use is as energy-efficient as possible. This way, you’re using much less energy for the time that the product is on, saving money, and reducing your energy output.
You can help reduce your carbon footprint by practicing recycling, composting, refusing to use disposables and single-use plastic and bringing your own reusable bags. You can recycle almost everything, from batteries to paper to cars. Before you throw it away, take a minute to find out if you could recycle it instead. If you have let your food go that little bit too far past its ‘best by’ then you need to be sure to compost it rather than putting it in the bin. Not only will this help create a natural fertiliser and keep your garden green, it’ll also reduce the amount of waste going into a landfill.
Quitting our culture’s addiction to plastic may seem like a near impossibility — but some single-use plastics are easier to avoid than others. Plastic straws are simply unnecessary. Either don’t use straws or carry a reusable one with you in your zero waste kit. Carry a refillable bottle with you at all times and a reusable cups for hot beverages if you like a coffee for the road. Always be equipped with reusable cloth bags for when you have to make spontaneous grocery runs.
Ditch your car as often as practically possible. Cycle, walk or take public transport whenever you can. While personal vehicles may be the most common mode of transportation, they aren’t always the most environmentally friendly. Especially in large, populated cities, public transportation systems can be a lot more energy efficient. And when they make use of green technology, clean commuting is even more beneficial to the environment.
Travel is rewarding and incredibly gratifying, but the unfavourable impacts of travel industry are undeniable. The good news is, there are many ways you can be a responsible traveller. Booking flight tickets and travel accommodation is more convenient than it’s ever been, and most travel portals now indicate when a certain flight or hotel is green. Once at your destination, start with immersing yourself in the local culture, while still honouring customs. Learn about the challenges locals face, seek out indigenous artists to source souvenirs from, remember that animals are not props.
The numbers are in and they’re terrifying — India has only about 4 percent of the world’s renewable water resources, but is home to 18 percent of the world’s population. The need of the hour is thoughtful water resource management at a micro level. Start with watching your water usage — turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth, take shorter showers and avoid unnecessary water consumption. In the current climate, one can’t help but talk about groundwater recharging. Let’s talk about the word “groundwater.” Groundwater is the water that is obtained by pumping from below the ground surface from storage units commonly called aquifers. This water is an important source for agriculture irrigation as well as domestic consumption. Groundwater is being used at a faster rate than it’s being replenished and will not be replaced for some time to come. The age of groundwater in many aquifers is in fact tens to thousands of years old, and in some cases even older. Because groundwater is such a precious resource, estimating the amount of it that remains stored in aquifers is critical. Groundwater Recharging has a number of advantages, including lower permissions, construction, and operation costs, less water loss to evaporation, reduced energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, greater distribution across the state, restoration of groundwater-dependent ecosystems, and more local control over water resources. Moreover, it has the capacity to store an incredible amount of water.
As with most things, a lot of living consciously is about doing less and researching more, making sure our valuable resources are being spent effectively and in ways we can be proud of.
This pandemic that humanity is staring at is driving sustainability in many ways. The world is consuming far less. The air is cleaner. Cars are not on the road. Travel is at nearly zero. Most airlines are not flying much. Working from home has been forced upon us. Perhaps overall there can be a substantial increase in WFH and that will impact our effort towards sustainability tremendously.
We are learning a very effective lesson from nature on living sustainably.
Written By Mohit Gupta
Week 15, April ’20
