Today is Earth Day and people everywhere are planting trees. But what does Earth Day mean to you?
All around the world people are engaging in battles against various environmental issues. These may vary from country to country, state to state, but they may also remain the same. Here are some issues that we see as prevalent in India and some ideas that you can use to make a difference, no matter how small.
– Pollution: It may be obvious to you that many big cities suffer from major pollution. We know that planting trees is somewhat cliché on Earth Day, but did you know that helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cleans pollution, secures soil in place to prevent erosion, and provides homes for a lot of biodiversity? So pick a tree that you know can survive in your climate and get right to it!
– Decrease of birds in big cities: Why is this important? Birds are changing their migratory patterns and avoiding big cities. Development and construction are destroying many birds’ natural habitats, but bird populations play an important role in every ecosystem and we NEED their biodiversity! Spend some time with your family or friends to build a birdhouse or make a bird feeder with objects that would have otherwise been thrown away to encourage the local bird population. Use objects that would have otherwise been thrown away to create beautiful works of art!
– Waste Management: Do you see garbage everywhere you look? Are plastic bags most of the trash found lurking around the streets? The best solution is to buy as little as possible and avoid items that come in lots of packaging. Try to find other uses for things that you no longer use, carry a cloth bag for carrying your purchases, and recycle your plastic bags!
– Toxic chemicals: Are you using harmful detergents and cleansing products? Remember these chemicals are flushed back into the ecosystem as waste, are stored in the soil, and sometimes find their way into water sources! So, try making up a simple vinegar-and-water counter cleaner, or swapping out your bleach cleaner for a less-toxic orange-based one. You don’t necessarily have to give up your heavy-duty cleaners–just try using them when you really need to disinfect, rather than simply clean.
– Water Resource Management: Many cities in India suffer from lack of water. Wondering how to counter this problem? Start taking shorter showers! If all the Facebook shortened their shower by 1 minute, we would collect enough water to fill 1,136,364 Olympic swimming pools!!!
– Veg vs. meat: Plan a menu that uses locally produced foods, which are healthy and has minimal impact on the environment. Veggies use less resources to grow than mass-farmed meat, so try and have an organic food diet plan which includes meat on one or two days of the week.
– Riding Cycles: Don’t be part of the pollution! Be the change you wish to see! Use your bicycle or other forms of human powered transportation to commute to work or school.
– Learn more about the environment: Borrow some library books and read up on an issue such as pollution, endangered species, water shortages, recycling, and climate change. Or, learn about a region you’ve never considered before, like the Arctic, the deserts, or the rain forests. Think about the issues that concern you the most and if you haven’t done so already, join a local group that undertakes activities to help protect the environment.
– Use Earth Day to learn to appreciate our planet: Engage others in conversations about your environmental concerns. Appropriately present facts and then explain your feelings about them. Encourage them to respond and if they have no opinions or they seem to not know much, help them learn some more by imparting your environmental knowledge in a friendly and helpful manner.
– Every day should be Earth Day: Anything to help our environment is a perfect thing to do on Earth Day and every other day. Don’t restrict yourself to just one day a year; learn about how you can make a difference to environmental protection all the time!
Is there an environmental issue or cause that you are passionate about? We would love to hear about it and about what you are doing to make the world a better place! Contact Ashok to share your story (Ashok@myikc.com).
All around the world people are engaging in battles against various environmental issues. These may vary from country to country, state to state, but they may also remain the same. Here are some issues that we see as prevalent in India and some ideas that you can use to make a difference, no matter how small.
– Pollution: It may be obvious to you that many big cities suffer from major pollution. We know that planting trees is somewhat cliché on Earth Day, but did you know that helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cleans pollution, secures soil in place to prevent erosion, and provides homes for a lot of biodiversity? So pick a tree that you know can survive in your climate and get right to it!
– Decrease of birds in big cities: Why is this important? Birds are changing their migratory patterns and avoiding big cities. Development and construction are destroying many birds’ natural habitats, but bird populations play an important role in every ecosystem and we NEED their biodiversity! Spend some time with your family or friends to build a birdhouse or make a bird feeder with objects that would have otherwise been thrown away to encourage the local bird population. Use objects that would have otherwise been thrown away to create beautiful works of art!
– Waste Management: Do you see garbage everywhere you look? Are plastic bags most of the trash found lurking around the streets? The best solution is to buy as little as possible and avoid items that come in lots of packaging. Try to find other uses for things that you no longer use, carry a cloth bag for carrying your purchases, and recycle your plastic bags!
– Toxic chemicals: Are you using harmful detergents and cleansing products? Remember these chemicals are flushed back into the ecosystem as waste, are stored in the soil, and sometimes find their way into water sources! So, try making up a simple vinegar-and-water counter cleaner, or swapping out your bleach cleaner for a less-toxic orange-based one. You don’t necessarily have to give up your heavy-duty cleaners–just try using them when you really need to disinfect, rather than simply clean.
– Water Resource Management: Many cities in India suffer from lack of water. Wondering how to counter this problem? Start taking shorter showers! If all the Facebook shortened their shower by 1 minute, we would collect enough water to fill 1,136,364 Olympic swimming pools!!!
– Veg vs. meat: Plan a menu that uses locally produced foods, which are healthy and has minimal impact on the environment. Veggies use less resources to grow than mass-farmed meat, so try and have an organic food diet plan which includes meat on one or two days of the week.
– Riding Cycles: Don’t be part of the pollution! Be the change you wish to see! Use your bicycle or other forms of human powered transportation to commute to work or school.
– Learn more about the environment: Borrow some library books and read up on an issue such as pollution, endangered species, water shortages, recycling, and climate change. Or, learn about a region you’ve never considered before, like the Arctic, the deserts, or the rain forests. Think about the issues that concern you the most and if you haven’t done so already, join a local group that undertakes activities to help protect the environment.
– Use Earth Day to learn to appreciate our planet: Engage others in conversations about your environmental concerns. Appropriately present facts and then explain your feelings about them. Encourage them to respond and if they have no opinions or they seem to not know much, help them learn some more by imparting your environmental knowledge in a friendly and helpful manner.
– Every day should be Earth Day: Anything to help our environment is a perfect thing to do on Earth Day and every other day. Don’t restrict yourself to just one day a year; learn about how you can make a difference to environmental protection all the time!
Is there an environmental issue or cause that you are passionate about? We would love to hear about it and about what you are doing to make the world a better place! Contact Ashok to share your story (Ashok@myikc.com).