Celebrating our Earth Day – Living with gratitude

Introduction

In our Shanti prayers we always say ‘Prithvi Shantihi, Aapa Shantihi.. Shantireva Shantihi’, meaning may the Earth be peaceful and the water be.. On the Earth Day it is our solemn duty to thank, show our gratitude, and finally realize the responsibility we have and align our life style accordingly. Sustainability is the word, and Earth holds our life. Hence, nothing is more relevant than mother Earth for the Sustainability purposes.

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Origins and traction

By 1960s it was realized that the environmental costs for the progress made is becoming heavy. It was in 1969 that planning around the educative talk session on Earth was conducted. It was on this day, April 22nd in 1970 that first Earth Day was celebrated and it was an instant connect for many. Then onwards the day is marked as so and many related events are happening. Themes are being announced to bring-in the necessary focus on to the relevant item or action point. Last year the theme was around invest in our planet. This year it is around ‘Planet vs. Plastic’, centering on Plastic menace we are facing. The challenges are many before the inhabitants of the earth. Carbon footprint, rising temperatures, drinking water crisis, unpredictable and changing weather and its pattern, waste management, per capita resource consumption along with the rise in population are among the urgent. But thought through has been happening for a long time and SDGs too incorporate these objectives in the form of climate change, sustainable cities, clean energy, etc. We shall examine these.

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Plastic – The theme of this year

If we position Planet vs. Plastic for a debate, all will stand for Planet, and there is no doubt about it. However, in terms of the consumption, almost all of us stand on the side of plastic. A great poet quipped, is there anything or a topic on which poetry can’t be spelled? Similarly, is there any ‘use area’ in which plastic is not involved? ?Probably direct consumption is the only one option we have not explored. However, micro-plastic consumption has been happening for a long period. Animals that are innocent have been taking plastic in, either with food or mistaking it as food. Occasionally we hear the reporting of a cow from which fifty plus kilos of plastic is taken out! Inhuman, unethical, and not done are the responses we may have but it is happening.

Convenience is the factor that made it ‘popular’, many of my petrochemical industry friends told me. Another argument is without plastic in many industries the reverse logistics cost has to be incurred! Agree on both, but at what cost? Small size, large strength, use and throw culture made plastic a household name. Imagine buying curd of half a kilo without plastic and get it home. Nextgen will wonder how. Most of the currentgen used to carry steel boxes and the shopkeeper would find out the tare weight and then add 500 grams measure to weigh required curd. I carried it as a school kid. Today for everything, ranging from kirana to veggies to fruits, everything is carried in plastic. Use and throw, doesn’t take these anywhere but choke our drains causing water logging in our cities, or as we touched upon filling the stomachs of innocent animals. On both counts, SAD is the only response.

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Five Rs

Reduce is the first R we quote when Sustainability related Rs are discussed. Reuse we urge so that resource impact is taken care of. Often thin plastic of fifty or less microns is used and thrown with an attitude that it shall ‘degrade’. Never to be for next many centuries, aware of us know it well. Polymers like HDPE, LDPE, PET etc. give us single use plastic that never degenerate and become micro-plastics and continue to do the damage. Best is avoid the use, next is start reducing the use, till we stop using this. Recycle is the other R we talk of. For recycle to happen, huge discipline and sensitivity is required in the ecosystem. Collection has to happen. If cluttered, then separation at the dumping ground level has to happen. Given the poor record of less than twenty percent of the ‘waste’ getting treated responsibly, we can’t say much about the recycle with any confidence. Repair is not that relevant but where plastic is used, if the items are repaired then the new plastic consumption shall be lowered is the positive view. Last R is recovery, more recovery is done before dumping the items, better for the world through lowered use of the new plastic.

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Did we do it earlier?

Many other creatures are low on the per capita resource consumption footprint. Humans are the guzzlers of the resources. Can we reduce and shouldn’t we reduce. Minimalism has the key to facing this situation. Each one, if can reduce by a percentage of other than food item consumption can hugely save our planet. When you want to buy two of any item, can’t we manage with one should be our first question. A simple item of pen, should it be ‘use and throw’ or ‘refill replaceable’? Can we repair the items at home and lead a sustainability aligned lifestyle or just throw these out to get new. How ‘old’ is ‘really old’ is another question we need to ask and answer. Timely repairs, refurbishments shall save the situation for much better. Century and half or two plus homes in certain parts of our country are still habitable and large families are living in these is a verifiable fact. Quality of construction and timely maintenance helped these. Real sustainability. These may not have the rankings or grading but are living proof of sustainability. These are green buildings too, as then there was no electricity and hence natural lighting was leveraged, and for flow of air, cross ventilation was used. Central courtyard being open to sky made the natural light and open-air access to many rooms in the house. We have only forgotten the fundamentals, we may say.

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On a closing note

Macro planning, implementations have not really happened in an effective manner. The famous book ‘Small is beautiful’ gave us the path forward. Small and micro initiatives shall add up and deliver the required. Micro is individuals, societies, and communities. Bottom of the micro is the ‘individual’. Can we do some introspection, reduce our cravings? May we defer our consumption to the next timeline? Shall we switch to more environmentally benign products? Even food grains, we know that millets are less harsh on the environment and water. Last year was the ‘Year of Millets’, shall we make a beginning with onetime millet consumption? Textiles have been very harsh on Mother Earth. Heard of Sustainable Fashion? May we stop buying dresses for six months from now? Let chemical imprint on earth and water consumption in textile making be reduced for better. Do we mind donating our dresses that are in excess or not used but in right condition so that these get ‘refurbished’ and can reduce the demand on freshly made cloth? Shall we stop bottled water at offices and start carrying re-usable bottle of water from homes, if not using the cooler/tap water at office for direct consumption. It is said that in ‘sookshmam’ (micro) there lies ‘moksham’ (holistic solution), meaning the solutions lie at the heart of ‘Micro’. We are micro, and with right earnestness, let us begin on this Earth Day that we shall conduct Sustainably, avoid plastic, and live holistically. This shall bless the generations to come.