Mon 13 Jan, 11 PM My wife proposed setting up a website to educate people on the necessity of living with an environment-friendly mindset.

Tue, 14 Jan: tried scraping up a manifesto (vision/mission note).

Climate Change

  • What is it? How does it affect you and me?

Weather patterns – seasons of change – are no longer the gradual shifts summer turning to autumn, turning to winter. They can now be harsh and sudden.

Our bodies are not machines. When the temperature fluctuates over the space of two days to the tune of 2 degrees Celsius, we fall sick more often.

Summers are scorching previous records. Forest fires spontaneously erupting from Australia to the Californian bush.

Weather phenomena are beginning to astound – like the Kufiya-clad Arab astonished to see snowfall in an Arabian desert.

The pursuit of wealth

Much of human rapaciousness stems from the nation state’s pursuit of prosperity – by raising productivity or per capita GDP. This metric of prosperity focuses on producing more output in goods and services, and fostering greater consumption – the rotation of money. All production is essentially a refinement of, or contingent upon exploiting natural resources, be it plastics (petroleum), or EVs (lithium). The irony is, even spiritual practices like Vipassana, knowingly clear wooded areas to construct gilded domes for meditation retreats. Where previously there were bird songs, now there are spiritual centers run as well oiled retreats.

Unbridled consumption – material or pseudo-spiritual – smites the wisdom of the earth, shatters the equilibrium of its creatures, and ravages the planetary balance.

Course correction: What can we do?

  1. Introspect & analyse: looking the other way does not absolve you of complicity in this global crime. Every time you feel the urge to get the latest ‘bauble’, ask yourself:
    • Do I really need this?
    • Really how eco-friendly is this industry / object of desire? Note: EVs are not.

Instead of buying a car(s), can you re-calibrate your lifestyle to move closer to your place of work perhaps within cycling distance, or use the public Mass Rapid Transport System instead?

How much plastic are you consuming?

Tough questions need honest answers.

We are not blameless as a nation either.

As we rise above the shackles of poverty and raise productivity, it is also our duty to consider, ‘how’ we produce, and ‘what’ we consume, in the service of our goal.

  • mindless consumption vs frugal innovation

Care for the planet: it is our host, not as something to be ravaged mindlessly. We need to be conscious of the impact of our actions on communities and fellow species, of the suffering that unchecked consumption can cause. At this moment there are Polynesian states (autonomous territories around New Zealand) in a huddle, their existence in a quandary due to rising ocean water levels.

Start with yourself!

The simplest solutions are in the realm of lifestyle choices.

Be the child who is happy in the cradle of nature – not the offspring of worldly material aspirations.

Adopt the Japanese Zen mindset – discriminate between the essential and non-essential. Everything should have a place and purpose in your life. Eliminate the superfluous. Learn the art of self-denial. Teach it to your children.

Minimalism is not for everybody, but it can bring focus to your lives. You might find it the hardest thing to unclutter the paraphernalia of life.

Simple steps

Waste management

Local municipalities have mandated segregation into wet and dry for disposal. Take it a step forward.

Start Composting your kitchen waste

When you compost, mindful segregation will tell you:

  1. the levels of plastic you consume – it’s origins and role in your life.
  • We found we primarily generate milk and wheat flour packaging waste,
  • cut down on processed food (biscuits, etc.), switching to fruits for snacking instead
  • started carrying steel tiffins to the meat market

The simple act of composting leads to discussions around the topic of waste management, and you start thinking of greener options.

There isn’t much point in sending green waste to landfills. It just rots there and leads to methane generation and spontaneous fires as happened in Mumbai’s Deonar dumping ground, in January 2016 and March 2018, releasing toxic smoke and causing high air pollution levels and widespread respiratory issues for nearby residents.

Compost is ‘black-gold’ for gardening. So get a composter – even an earthen pot with holes drilled for aeration, buy some microbial powder, and wake up and smell the flowers.