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Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day everybody!

One of my resolutions this year was also to live a “greener” life. Much has been said about global warming and the devastating signs it has brought with it. Yea, sure we won’t be able to make huge differences, but every little bit helps. Boond boond se saagar banta hai. Right?

Heal the World by Michael Jackson is a song that gives me goosebumps everytime I hear it. This world is far beyond healing with bandages and dettol. We need some drastic surgeries! Iraq saw the highest death toll recently since the United States attack. Now, the real way to heal this situation would be to go back to August 2001 and give George W a jolt from his vacationing and have him act upon some serious threats. Then the WTC attacks wouldn’t have happened or atleast could have been deterred in some fashion, and George W and his administration. wouldn’t have sought the life of Saddam and brought civil unrest in the name of weapons of mass destruction. Did they find any? or are they still looking deep down in the dungeons? All that can’t be undone but what can be done is wait for November 2008. I usually stay away from opining on politics but this song and the footages from Iraq were too strong to ignore.

Mahatma Gandhi said “Be the change you wish to see in this world.” I can’t take care of all the people dying in Iraq or Sudan or anywhere else. But I can help make this world a greener place for generations to come. Some tips on living green gathered from numerous Eco and Stop Global warming pages:

1) Switch the bulbs! A slightly expensive but energy efficient bulb will go a long way in preserving energy and saving us money at the same time!

2) If you have access to public transportation, don’t take your car! Taking a bus, metro, or carpooling not only have energy benefits but you could also get that presentation brushed up or read that book you always liked!

3) Turn off the lights, fans, whatever it is that you are using in a room when you leave it. Now this might seems a gimme, but isn’t that what your momma always told you and you still catch yourselves leaving things on?

4) Drive less,walk/bike more. Lose weight, get healthier, save gas!

5) Thought of e-waste? Everytime you throw that old cellphone, computer, gizmo, gadget..you create an alarming amount of metal ewaste. Ever thought how it gets disintegrated in the earth? Well, it doesn’t. Try selling it, giving it to charity, recycling, or that maid whose son just went to college.

6) Plastic bags. We are all guilty of going to the grocery store and coming back w/ new plastic bags every visit. Stocking them somewhere in a drawer and hoping to reuse them at the next visit only to bring back more. I made a pledge to reduce my share of plastic bag consumption. Incidentally, when I was in Mumbai in 2005, I saw the implementation of a plastic bag ban throughout Mumbai.

7) Go with e-billing. Banks, credit cards, hotels, grocery stores, all have websites and e-business options. Save trees and cut the paper!

8) Thermostat! Are you heating up the home way too much in the winters or jacking up the AC during the summers? Bundle up and save on the heat, fan it up and go easy on the air conditioning.

9) Get laptops instead of PCs. They take up less energy. I had this habit of leaving the laptop on 24/7. Now, I am getting better at turning it off. besides when its off, I usually find other things to do than surf the net.

Watch your carbon print! Everything we do has an impact on our environment. Help friends and family reduce their carbon print. If you have the contacts, reach out and spread the message. Many small differences can add up over time. Find ways to reduce your carbon impact on this beautiful earth!

Helpful Links:

http://www.conservation.org/

http://www.stopglobalwarming.org/

http://www.oneearth.org/

Heal the world, make it a better place. For you and for me and the entire human race….There are people dying, if you care enough for the living…make a better place…