Earth

[anbu_kathir]

Vanakkam/Namaste

My name is Prasad, and I am a Masters student in IISc India. This thread is about our planet, our only home, (atleast as of now), what has/is being done to it by us, our current environmental/social value systems and what we can/should do to change whatever has to be changed.

Having found no active thread relating to these issues, which are perhaps the most important ones facing humanity as a whole right now, I have started one. Please throw in your views and suggestions, practically of use now and those that you envisage for our future. I know we are all busy doing things for a living, but I wish everyone does take notice of what is happening around us, and that we could potentially lose forever some things that we have always taken for granted.

I begin with a youtube video.

These links are about the speaker in the youtube video, and about her life/work.

http://www.time.com/time/2002/greenc...eneration.html
http://www.slothclub.org/pages/activ...r/sevindex.htm


Love and Light.

[Anoushka]

refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle

Refuse to buy/get anything just for the sake of getting it! refuse extra packaging in the shops, refuse gifts that you get for birthdays and anniversaries... (instead you can ask people to donate to a charity of your choice), refuse to print material that is not needed, the list is endless!

Reduce using unnecessary resources where ever possible. Try and walk to the shop instead of driving, use CFL's where possible (it is not practical to sit in the dark and not use electricity, instead reduce its use), etc

Reuse whatever you possibly can. I depend on a lot of hand me down stuff for my son instead of buying new stuff. Clothes, moses basket, pram, etc. If you can reuse anything, then do it!

Recycle - I am not sure if this is done big time in India but where possible recycle stuff. Atleast use organic waste and compost it, this should be possible anywhere in the world!

[wrap07]

Hats off to you for bringing up this topic

A Brilliant and moving speech by the girl.


As told in a most scathing manner by her, it is true that if people become sensible and sensitive to these issues, world would be a better place to live in.

[wrap07]

Waste disposal is one of the major issues which is not being attended to at present. It is being dumped wherever empty places are around and it is a major hazard. A mechanism to get over this will be a great boon to the enviornment.

[Anoushka]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste-to-energy

[wrap07]

Thanks for your link. It is very enlightening.

[anbu_kathir]

Thanks for the replies.

Living amidst the wannabe-scientists and the engineering cream of India, I find it extremely distasteful how recklessly most of us (sadly, the faculty too) here handle water, electricity and paper. The importance of these are realised only when we do not have them, for an hour or for a day. Then its all back to the same old story. 'Education', well, definitely seems to be a misnomer in this sense.

Coming to the issue of waste, I have heard the efficiency of recycling is highest when done locally. Probably every apartment/house needs to have some kind of a solid waste management system that enables efficient recycling of recyclable solid waste and disposal of the other stuff. No idea about the costs involved in this, but where there is a will there will always be a way.

But every issue singularly seems to be just the tips of the iceberg. We must look for a global perspective and priority shift and transformation, starting from every one of us. Until then we will be handling just the symptoms and not the problems themselves.

Doing work and having fun is perfectly fine, but there should be something that is meaningful work and meaningful fun, something that enhances the quality of life in the world as a whole and not something that ignores/worsens it.

Here's another report from the BBC.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programme...nt/7366899.stm

Love and Light.

[thriinone]

How much is possible to be practically put in practice?

[anbu_kathir]

I actually find it no longer practical to not notice these issues. Any human being of age lesser than or equal to 20 is going to face the culmination of all irresponsible human actions foisted upon earth till now. Tackling that with wisdom and responsibility seems very practical to me.

Love and Light.

How much is possible to be practically put in practice?

[Devar Magan]

great job prasad, the Al Gore of the Hub...

we need to improve ourselves as an individual who cares abt the earth.. we have to follow simple steps like saving power, using lesser tissue paper and most importantly spreading this message to children ..