Every little act of conservation helps….

During my workshop/training program I always touched upon food, and the concept that I started in 1994, “Abhudaya” under the heading of “Ethical Approach to Food and Life”. We are one with nature and nature is one with us. We live in an interconnected world. It is important to choose the right food for our own health, but it is just as important to make choices that will help to preserve the environment that sustains and nurtures us as a species. We are living on a borrowed time from the future generations and it is our moral duty to protect the environment for the future from the ravages of human greed and neglect.

Everyone should accept this responsibility.

Ever since I moved to India, I have found myself deeply concerned about the extreme levels of pollution around me. The government can do very little or perhaps lacks the vision and perseverance to protect our environment. But Indians using their own initiative, can make a difference! It is now up to every citizen of the country to shoulder some responsibility for protecting the environment.

You can start by reduce your usage of paper, plastics, styrofoam and limit the use of cars, electricity and disposable containers. Reuse plastic bags and containers for as long as possible. Use less water to wash and while taking baths. Try to use containers that are reusable for years and not just months. Each small step will go long way without significantly affecting the quality of your life.

Whenever I visit offices in India I am amazed and amused to see people sitting with suits and ties in an air-conditioned room that is permanently fixed at 18 degrees C. There is no need to waste so much electricity over-cooling offices! Why don’t employees go casual smart on all days except on the occasions when there is a real need to be formally attired. Even dressing ‘formally’ in India is not necessary, and we can dress appropriately without a stuffy and silly suit and tie ensemble that was not designed for our climate anyway. This will help us to conserve electricity because we can cut down on the use of air-conditioning.

The food choices we make also have a profound impact on our lives and environment. From farm to plate, growing food uses enormous amounts of fuel, water and chemicals. By making few small changes in our eating and buying habits, we can help our environment and indirectly we will be helping helping our children and grand children who will be inheriting the earth from us in the years to come.

Consider eating locally produced food and avoid products which come from far away. Eat seasonal food, which is referred to as ‘climate friendly’ food to help cut down the demand for storage and transport refrigeration. By eating beef, we help to create a great deal of pollution because cows produce methane, a potent global warming gas, and the grains typically used to feed cattle consume large quantities of energy and chemicals. Worldwide, the destruction of forests for cattle ranching creates massive amounts of global warming pollution. It is the same for poultry and sea food farms as well.

So, when you shop in your super market, avoid food products that are not grown locally. In the US, most produce is transported an average of 1500 miles before it reaches the consumer. Think about how much refrigeration and transportation pollution that is created to get the food the produce from point A to point B. Buy fresh, buy local and avoid frozen or extensively processed and packaged foods.

Save water by using less for your daily needs. Remember an average of 6000 children die every day, due to water-related diseases and the unavailability of clean water. Many places around the world are going dry due to lack of respect for the natural resources.

The time to act now; it is a chain reaction and every little act of conservation on your part helps in a significant way.

The people in Nuba Mountain in Sudan walk 7.5 hours to fetch water. Imagine that! If there should be a another major world war it might very well be due to the diminishing fresh water supplies around the globe. Think about that the next time you shower for 20 minutes or leave the tap running while you brush your teeth or leave your water sprinkler on all night long. What are you doing to preserve the environment? Think!!!