World Environment Day: Go Green

WED 2009 is being held in Mexico this year. A concept that begun way back in 1972 is being commemorated each year on 5^th of June to create awareness amongst masses, to urge people to be responsible citizen and to provide with a human face to the environmental issues. The forum reflects the urgent need to change the environment for the better. It tries to drive and encourage communities to Go Green and take responsible initiatives for a safer and prosperous future.

What is the theme of WED 2009?

From the first theme of Only One Earth in the year 1974 to Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change in 2009 is a long way. 35 years have passed by and the theme gets changed with warning tintinnabulation.

The morning is beautiful and each day a new beginning for millions of people worldwide and to let it remain so until the clock ticks we need to do something and not jot down action points amidst fanfare.

I woke up to see tiny tots in green dresses with a sapling in their hand towing unsteadily towards the compound. Children are going to school donning green tees with a caption on WED. From the little one, working class to the senior citizen, each seems concerned and there is lot of tittle-tattle on WED. The need of the moment is to Unite for a Global cause to save Earth.

From World’ Earth’s Day to World’s Environment Day, it means nothing just to commemorate with loose talks. It requires concerted efforts to make it Go Green!!!

Little steps that you can continue doing just begin it on WED with a firm resolution…

Plant trees. It will just take few minutes of your time and nurture it to say how it grows to add beauty and life wherever it has been planted. Be it your neighborhood, workplace or in your school. Just do it and make the UNEP’s Billion tree campaign a success.

Get into car pooling mode. It will help reduce carbon emission and the roads will be less decongested and you reach your destination faster.

Reuse shopping bag, defrost your freezers regularly and save your energy so that you can bequeath a healthy environment to your next generation, if not anything else.

It is Global Climate Change-Can you feel the heat?

It’s still the month of February, but heat is catching up in this part of the Indian subcontinent. The winter seems over and the mercury has started soaring. One can really feel the effects of global warming and climate change in our daily pattern of living. I am using the term global climatic change just because it’s not limited to only one part of the world, but global warming effects can be typically felt in sum total of all the weather patterns in the world.

Here, in India, it’s the month of March, April and May that the temperature rises. But come 2009 and one has already packed off the woolen garments in January and is gearing up for a very hot summer. With little and almost no northwest monsoon in the months of October, November and December, there is hardly moisture in the soil. And if there is no rain in the month of March, you can be rest assured to feel the Global warming effects.

So, do you need government policy to take few steps to control the harmful consequences of this climate change? Of course not! You will definitely not want the glaciers melting and sea levels rising, but would work your life out as a responsible citizen. The awareness needs to light up your ignorance. So read more find out more and most importantly act judiciously to save our planet, our environment from global warming.

Can we not all do some simple things to make life free from the worries of global warming effects? Little steps taken can go a long way in taking the quantum leap.

• Did you check that the Television power is switched off before you hit the bed at night?
  Was the geyser on throughout the day? Take care to switch it off in time.
  
• Check on all the lights and electric equipments and do not keep the machines in the stand by mode
  
• If you are not using your computer even for a short while, ensure that the monitor is switched off.
  
• Replace regular incandescent light with CFLs. This is because CFLs use almost 60 percent less energy than a regular bulb. This act alone can save almost 300 pounds of carbon dioxide in a year.
  
• The filters on your air conditioners and furnaces need to be cleaned at regular intervals and that can save almost 350 pounds of carbon dioxide in a year.
  
• Defrost fridges and freezers at regular intervals.
  
• Choose and buy intelligently the electrical appliances so that they save maximum amount of your energy bill and also pollutes the least. Energy-efficient products are the need of the hour.
  
• Switch your energy consumption into a greener mode as it is cleaner and renewable source of energy. Examples of green energy are solar energy and wind energy.
  
• Reduce road congestion and emission of pollutants in the environment by walking, cycling or car pooling. So simply start off a car pool with your co workers or friends
  
• Decrease travel by air.
  
• Use more of non-toxic cleaning products and reusable bags and boxes.
  
• Try recycling waste products as much as possible and begin using recycled materials.
  
• Switch over to organic food consumption. This is because organic soils keep carbon dioxide store at much higher level than soils from conventional farms. So, as you grow more foods organically, one can remove almost 580 pounds of carbon dioxide emission in a year.
  
• Conservation of forest is essential. So, last but not the least plant more trees .

These simple steps can really make Earth a better place to live and would give a true meaning to celebrate 'World's Earth Day'

Ode to World's Earth Day

Everyone is reeling under the blazing sun, trying to catch a glimpse of the weather report in the news channel, an upsurge in the sale of air-conditioners and even the anorexic women cannot resist a sip of carbonated drinks to quench thirst... yes...it is the SUMMERS...on most part of the Indian subcontinent. The headlines of our morning newspaper speak on how to beat this heat as the mercury is soaring higher and higher. There are cool tips on almost everything, from food that one should eat and the perfect sun-screen lotion with the correct SPF number to be put on, from colored camisoles to spaghetti tops that should adorn the closets and various options to spend the summer evening such as sipping a mug of beer at the poolside or dancing to the tune of soft music in a cool air-conditioned ambience with twinkles of dim light all around.

We do all, taking a tip from here and there. But do we ever question as to why this heat on every summer is rising at an increasing rate. Did we ever delve into the reason for this increase in temperature?

The reasons are far too many and people are divided into different groups debating on the causes, concerns and solutions to salvage the extreme weather conditions. The obvious reason which often keeps coming back on our thoughts is the drastic effect of global warming. India is one of the most worst effected country by global warming. A much talked about topic, discussed in forums, actions points jotted in board room meetings to tackle issues concerning global warming but actions are still a far cry.

The soaring temperature of today has an inevitable correlation with the greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere. It is this excess of gases in the atmosphere that includes carbon dioxide, water vapour, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone gases that increases the temperature of the planet. We as humans, instead of marauding the ecosystem, need to take conscious measures to prevent emission of these harmful gases into the atmosphere or else we need to be prepared for the doomsday.

Yes, I say it a doomsday, which might read as a horror story, when the Himalayan glacier will melt causing unprecedented flood, rivers will get dried up causing desert like surroundings coupled with shortage of water and mercury will soar higher killing thousands of people. So, to avoid this horrific end, can we not join hands to check the emission of the greenhouse gases?
To combat the adverse effects on every sphere of life from national security to economy as a result of global warming, a strong environment policy need not to be only formulated in black and white but requires implementation under strict supervision and adherence to laid down rules.
Or otherwise the World Earth’s Day of 22nd April will one day transform into doomsday.