Don’t Say, Do Go Green

What is one song that whole world is singing together? Go Green. Almost every minister mentions in his speech (safest topic), worldwide conferences are held, shopping centers put big hoardings, we add to our email signature and that’s it. Even if we chant Go Green whole year it’s not going to benefit us. So what we can do? I know first question arises like we working class, people living on rent, in small houses, flats what we can do about it. If you travel all round Delhi you will find lot of areas without even a single tree. It takes years to grow a tree and a few hours to cut it.  I am not going to suggest you create a small garden in your tiny balcony (sounds good, practically difficult). Here are few which I follow religiously. You might also like these simple ways. 

• We all have facility of printer at our work place and we can print as many papers we want for free. I have witnessed a lot of misuse. I have seen people are printing whole course books. Many times print doesn’t come right and whole bunch goes where? Dustbin. Will you do when you are using your own printer or paper? Think like ten times before you actually print. That way you can save some paper. For my job I need to do lot of math so I pick up waste printed papers lying on printer tray. That’s how I save some paper.

• We all have great typing speed on smart phones (thanks to WhatsApp). All smart phones have features of taking notes. Instead of writing, type on your phone. Your daily shopping list, reminders, addresses use your phone. Even if you save one paper a days, in an year you will save almost three notebooks. I always save all kind of notes in my mobile phone.

• Keep a separate bin/bag in your house and keep all papers in that. Once it’s full give it to raddi wala. It will go for recycling. Even in office always shred your waste papers in shredding bin only.

• At home make it a habit of sitting together so that light, fans are switched on for one room only. This way few units of electricity will be saved and family members will be bonded well.

• If you have a vacant land, plot till the time any construction is pending. Plant trees there. It won’t cost you much. Plant trees of neem, peepal, sheesham, kikar, and guava. These grow real quick and conserve land. Don’t plant eucalyptus tree. They lower ground water level. I have seen while travelling by buses, trains huge vacant land. Why can’t government grow trees there? Any companies who are trying to do something for society they can reach out and if permitted can plant trees there.

• When you have some stale water in your bottle and you have to throw away try to pour in plants which are planted near to where you are standing.

• Instead of spending fifty thousand on expensive mobile phones (which will become obsolete in a year) invest in LED lights, solar panels. I have seen few houses that are using solar panels for various uses.

• When you are buying a flat ask builder if ground water harvester has been installed or not.  If any property builder is reading this writeup please try to save as many trees as possible when you are starting construction on land. If you have to cut trees owing to construction, sow seeds once construction is done.

It’s our land and we have to live here like forever. Try every bit to save nature. If everyone will contribute a little, nature will be saved. Otherwise each year heat will increase, less rainfall, dry lands and worst air to breathe. That’s all we will have in future. I can’t even write/think of all ways. This is an open writeup and if anyone has any suggestions feel free to add in comments section below.

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Megha Gupta