Guest Post ~ Second To None ~ Anu Gummaraju's green initiative :)

I am glad I met Anu Gummaraju on the blogosphere. A genuinely warm lady who blogs over at scatter the batter and A fleeting Glimpse. Her blogs being one of the reasons for my admiration, another is her initiative in Banglore - An initiative called Second to None. (I had the privilege of doing one of the initial posts for the blog :). India has very few flea markets worth mention. More about the initiative and the flea market in Anu's own words :)

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Armchair enviornment-activism is all very good, but there comes a time in all our lives, I presume, when it just isn't enough. We may be thinking constantly of how much plastic the world is generating and consuming and discarding in dangerous ways, we see signs to keep our city clean and think yes! I will do it, we know we have to conserve water and electricity and do a little bit in that direction in our homes. But is that all?


This became a big, big question for me around mid last year. It wasn't enough. Could there be some way of first, practicing and then nudging the change on a broader scale? Prodded by this, I was looking for avenues in Bangalore by which reuse and recycling could be promoted.There were a few fora for giving away unused goods, but they were voluntary and not very wide spread. Craig's list was just too anonymous and scam-ridden too, at times. There was no physical space for such activity, apart from the really old Bangalore markets which are very congested today!

The Market
Flea markets have always been a favourite concept of mine, and the idea of a local market in Bangalore, which could serve as a promoter of recycling and conservation and at the same time, provide a fun atmosphere for people to congregate and exchange ideas and learn about going green, suddenly appealed big time.

Speaking to friends and fellow passionate green-people, Reena Chengappa and Shilpa Kamath, about the idea, their enthusiasm and willingness to be a part of this movement sealed it. And Second to None was kicked off in June 2011.

Initial days
We started first with an online group (an online flea market of sorts), on Facebook, to provide a platform for people in the city to interact and exchange reuse ideas and to buy and sell used goods online. A group with people who either knew each other or were added by friends seemed to be a reliable platform. The online group took off, with members selling anything from curtains to post and pans, to furniture, and exchanging reuse ideas. At the same time, we were also planning the first physical flea market, and scouting for an ideal location, a space which would support and nurture such an initiative and Jaaga (which means Space in Kannada) lent itself brilliantly to the cause. Read about Jaaga here (http://www.jaaga.in/).

With Jaaga booked for July of 2011, we were all set to kick off the flea  market experiment over two days of a weekend. The only publicity we had at the this time was the Facebook group network and two local news dailies who figured this was new enough in Bangalore to be talked about. And what a fun weekend that was! The two days of the market came quite abuzz with activity, where like minded folk came together to buy and sell used goods from their homes, gardens, and more. We had resourceful members well versed in waste management, composting at home, effort-free drip gardening, and so on talking to visitors and helping them start similar ventures on their own. We had sellers exhibiting papier mache lamps, paper bead jewellery, recycled paper products, knick knacks from homes, decor, books, movies and more. And everyone wanted more.

So the flea markets have become a regular event now, we had one more market in Nov 2011, and the 3rd market is happening in Feb 2012. Between markets, the Facebook group has grown to 1260+ members and everyone is sharing and talking about how we can make simple changes in our daily lives, which can cumulatively make a big impact.

The idea of a local market, which happens regularly, is what I think appeals to people and encourages thinking and participation. It has provided a fillip for people to come participate and be a very physical part of the reuse concept, making us believe that local groups, events and happenings is the way to go to spread the word and get people involved. And the involvement here isn't just with the facilitators (us and Jaaga). It is everyone who comes in to sell or buy.

The sellers make the space what it is, it is they who can make an event exciting and spread the word. When each one of them gives away, sells or makes new things out of old stuff, they are sending out a message. A message that says old does not mean useless, that we can use objects for more than their perceived shelf lives, that the more we reuse the less garbage we burden the earth with. Such a place is also a great place for bargains.

Let us face it, everyone is aspirational and there will always be people who want to own the next best thing, even in plastic, if they have not had it before. And what better than to get it at a good price? So the market has seen some barely used and vintage stuff going at incredible prices, which makes both buyer and seller happy.

Second to None began with a core principal of consuming less and reusing more, and making healthy choices for ourselves and for the planet. But we did not start with a blueprint, we have grown and learnt and accommodated new ideas along the way. We support home kitchens making organic food, and NGOs who empower people with training to earn a lving. Their products get exhibited and sold at the markets.

What is most exciting for us is that people from across the cHide allountry have joined the group and have started similar ventures in their own cities, citing Second to None as their inspiration. We are so happy about that! There is Reduse in Hyderabad, by Ipshita Roychowdhury and Rashmi, The Best and The Rest in Ahmedabad by Saurabh Pacheriwala and Anushree Poddar (https://www.facebook.com/groups/225422360867287/), BombayB by Joanna Lobo and Yoshita Sengupta (https://www.facebook.com/groups/BombayB/).

As we set up the 3rd market in Feb 2012, we are seeing so much enthusiasm and sincerity in people who really want to make an effort in reusing and recycling. Everything under the sun that has a use and a purpose is being sold online and at the markets today, and here are just some of the repurpose ideas shared by the group:
Painting, decorating used bulbs as decor items or plant hangers.
Bags from denim pants.
Fashioning anything from bangle stands to soft boards with salvaged wood pieces.
Runners, table cloths and more from wasted pieces of fabric from tailors.
Candle holders with used bulbs.
Waste toilet seats refashioned into mirror frames, pieces of art.
Etching and art on used wine bottles.
Jewellery and accessories with used buttons.
Old photographs, prints from magazines into wall art.
Decoupage old boxes and containers with used newspaper, other prints.
Bags, pouches and more made from tetra pack paper, jute rice bags, etc.
Side tables with cable spools.

The list is quite long and growing every day! Check into the FB page or blog to stay updated on all the cool ideas that are out there!

Thank you Sudha, for asking me to write in A Green Crusader @ Work. Many of your posts on the environment and green choices are inspirational!
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Thank you Anu...people like you give me hope and will to continue what I do :)

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New beginnings for the better at University of California

I got this message in my email and had to share it here. 

For Immediate Release:

Student groups at the University of California Santa Barbara, including the Associated Students Coastal Fund, Environmental Affairs Board, Isla Vista Surfrider Foundation and CalPirg, have banded together with campus administration and the Plastic Pollution Coalition to make a profound impact on the campus community and the City of Santa Barbara. 

Compelled by the goal to ban single use plastic bags and raise awareness of the detrimental affects of plastics on our environment, the students have created a new partnership on campus named the UCSB-Plastic Pollution Coalition (UCSB-PPC).

The global Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC) is an alliance of individuals, organizations and businesses working together to stop plastic pollution and reduce its toxic impacts on humans,animals and the environment. The UCSB-PPC is participating in the global PPC's "Plastic-Free Campuses" project as the pilot school. The goal of the project is to encourage more universities to reduce their plastic consumption by educating their fellow students, raising awareness in the campus community and actively engaging students in campus policy.

Alyssa Hall, a core member of the UCSB-PPC, described the importance of the campaign that "We live in one of the most exceptional places in the world. We go to one of the most exceptional schools in the world. Shouldn't our policies around single use plastic be exceptional as well? We can do better than single use plastics and the UCSB - Plastic Pollution Coalition has unified our campus around eliminating this wasteful practice."

The week of January 9 - January 13 marks the kickoff of the campaign and will include such displays as dumping a single days worth of plastic collected in the center of campus, the installation of a sculpture made completely of plastic found on local beaches, and a press conference.

In conjunction with UCSB-PPC's campaign, UCSB Reads, which hands out over 3,000 free books to students every year, has chosen a book focused on the theme of marine plastic pollution. Moby Duck, by Donovan Hohn, discusses a spill of plastic ducks into the Pacific Ocean in the 1990s and the hunt to find them on local beaches. These organizations have joined forces to bring even more campus support to the campaign.

Upcoming events for the UCSB-PPC include the author Donovan Hohn coming to campus to discuss his book, "a day without a bag" where they will be giving out free re-usable bags, a re-usable item vendor faire on the UCSB campus. Students organizers will continue to collect signatures on campus with the goal to make an impact to City Council and the campus to be plastic bag free!

For more information on the PPC and upcoming events, email ucsbppc@gmail.com.

Pic courtesy: UCSB-Plastic Pollution Coalition (UCSB-PPC).

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Beth Terry on TED

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Who cares about the forest?

Who cares about the Forest? from Franke James on Vimeo.

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On Avoiding Plastic Produce bags

Big Box stores and grocery chains liberally hand out polythene bags at the billing counter. Plastic bags have become so cheap to produce, that stores no longer consider them an overhead. The 80's and 90's shopper stopped taking totes to the store, and was asked to choose between paper or plastic. (Most of them seem to have gone for plastic. (not that paper would have made sense).

In the late 60's and the early 70's, invention of plastic was said to be a great boon for mankind. Extensive and short sighted choices made over the last few decades have ended up as a decent sized plastic patch floating around in the ocean(s). We hear a lot about the Great Garbage patches in the oceans. Pacific plastic patch is just one of them and has only grown over the last few year.

source

source

Shoppers never seem to stop and think if they really need to pack fruits and vegetables- first in a flimsy 9 micron bag at the produce section

and then bag it at the billing counter in another 9 or 20 micron bag.

source

Sheer waste of resource and such a heavy penalty on the environment. Avoiding those two bags may not seem to make a difference, but spreading the thought definitely helps - exponentially speaking.

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GiveaCar ~ Guest Post

As mentioned in my previous post, here is the guest post from Daniel, of Giveacar, UK.

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Car donation: a great way to recycle your car

Recycling a car can be a difficult and daunting prospect. It’s not always easy to find someone who is willing to collect you vehicle and make sure it is thoroughly depolluted and reused. There are many people still out there who will simply harvest your cars easily resalable parts and leave the rest to rust.

If you’ve decided to purchase a more fuel efficient vehicle or have resolved to give up your car entirely for a greener mode of transport, car donation is one of the most environmentally friendly ways of getting rid of your old vehicle.

There are a wide range of car donation programs out there, supporting an array of different charitable causes. It is important to find one that will either scrap your vehicle in an environmentally friendly way or put it in to an auction to find a new owner. This ensures that the oldest cars, those with worst fuel consumption, are taken off the road, and newer ones are reused, reducing demand for new car production, which has a significant negative effect on the environment.

If you are in the UK, a great donation program to check out is Giveacar. They guarantee that at least 85% of the weight of your car will be recycled and reused. In addition, they only work with scrap yardHYPERLINK "http://www.giveacar.co.uk/scrap-yards"s that are affiliated to the UK Environment Agency, meaning that your car will be fully depolluted and not just left to drip its hazardous chemicals into the earth.

As well as the environmental benefits of their car HYPERLINK "http://www.giveacar.co.uk/car-scrappage"scrappage scheme, Giveacar promise to donate at least $100 to the donors chosen charity for each car donated. They are partnered with a variety of different causes including several charities tackling the effects of climate change.

Only a year old, they have already recycled more than 3,000 cars and have raised more than $300,000 for good causes.

If you would like to learn more about recycling your car or would like to donate a car, please visit the Giveacar website – www.giveacar.co.uk.

 PS: pictures courtesy: Giveacar 

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Giveacar ~ Green Charity

Daniel from UK based company called Giveacar, a not-for-profit organisation, sent in a post to be featured on Green Crusader. 

About the company:
Giveacar is into collection and recycling of unwanted cars, with the proceeds of each vehicle going to charity.
They have imported the idea of car donation from the US to the UK, and work with over 250 charities and have raised over £200,000 in the past year through car donation. The company works with scrapyards and salvage operators to ensure cars are sold for their maximum value – thus providing the maximum donation to charity.

Daniel says "Giveacar has had a really positive response, with the service providing a serious financial boost to charities in this current climate, and Reuters have made a news video on the positive effects of social enterprises such as Giveacar. (http://www.reuters.com/news/video/story?videoId=180720019). We are an environmentally friendly operation, recommended by Keep Britain Tidy and recently covered by the Ecologist:
http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/out_and_about/687787/recycle_your_car_dont_scrap_it.html"


Watch this space for the Guest post. :-)

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A beautiful Native American Quote - Earth Teach Me

A very beautiful Native American quote speaks volumes about how to be wise with our choices.

A Native American proverb suggests that all that we do today must be done with the next 7 generations in mind.


and that
We have borrowed this planet from our future generations and we are bound to give it back to them as beautiful as it is


Here is another very beautiful wise speak....
Earth, Teach Me
Earth teach me quiet ~ as the grasses are still with new light.
Earth teach me suffering ~ as old stones suffer with memory.
Earth teach me humility ~ as blossoms are humble with beginning.
Earth teach me caring ~ as mothers nurture their young.
Earth teach me courage ~ as the tree that stands alone.
Earth teach me limitation ~ as the ant that crawls on the ground.
Earth teach me freedom ~ as the eagle that soars in the sky.
Earth teach me acceptance ~ as the leaves that die each fall.
Earth teach me renewal ~ as the seed that rises in the spring.
Earth teach me to forget myself ~ as melted snow forgets its life.
Earth teach me to remember kindness ~ as dry fields weep with rain
.

An Ute Prayer



source: link

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Individually Packed Dry Fruit - Wasteful or otherwise?

For all those dry fruit connoisseurs who love prunes (dried plums), here is some food for thought!

nutsonline-com

Bowel movement and overall health are a great argument when it comes to buying prunes in plastic bags. 

or grabbing a bottle or two of prune juice....

 (sunsweet website)

Manufacturers are already adding to the plastic clutter and the ocean patch, and have every reason to rethink their packing methods. And as if existing problems weren't enough, a genius marketing strategy session later, Sunsweet launched its individually wrapped prunes.


 Each prune individually wrapped in plastic...:-(

And then put them in another HDPE container..

Seriously!, did we need more plastic in the world? All in the name of a little of convenience!.. It is sadly amazing to see that consumers do not assess the impact of their choices on the planet? The nutritional information provided on their website, mentions eating "about 4 prunes" to equal one serving.

My question - why not package them in packs of four then? Back to the basic question - WHY the Wrapping in the first place. One logical explanation could be (probably) - that the company has to come up with new shenanigans to appeal to consumers and appear dynamic by showing that they are constantly reinventing themselves. Agreed. As much as that intention is appreciated, individual wrapping is a serious mistake and a definite waste of resources. On a lighter note! imagine having to eat more than one and all the packaging one has to peel..lol...hmm..seems like it is the company's trick for portion control!!! :-)

Given the fact that Sunsweet controls over 2/3rd of the prunes market in the US, higher sales figures for the single-wraps means an avoidable 3 sq inches of plastic wrap in the trash can (for every piece consumed). Isn't it time we as consumers took action and made informed choices?.

Any argument for and against this idea are pleasantly welcome.

(Sunsweet is a US based food and beverage manufacturer specializing in packed dry fruit and juice). 

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Guest Post - The Eco-Friendly Backyard: How to Save a Little 'Green'

It is a pleasure when thinking individuals acknowledge my crusade and want to put in their two cents! I was contacted by Elizabeth Greene of - My Dog Age My Blog, for featuring a guest post, I agreed. Its a pleasure to introduce Joy Paley and her take on American Consumption patterns and her thoughts on Lawn maintenance in particular. I am sure you will love this post...:). Onto Joy

The post

There’s no place near the “normal” American home that doesn’t reek of conspicuous consumption, and the backyard is certainly no exception. As post-WWII suburbs sprawled across the nation, so did the idea that a happy home was one in which the front and back yards were covered in emerald green turf. Not only does keeping a carefully maintained lawn use up an incredible amount of water (and money!), it also keeps rainwater from making its way through the soil to groundwater and causes pesticides and fertilizers to flow into nearby streams and rivers. Here are a few tips to green up your backyard and save a little dough in the process.

1. Get Rid of the Lawn

What is the alternative to a cushiony green pillow extending from your doorstep to the curb? How about a garden of native shrubs, flowers, and trees? It’ll need to be watered and troubled over much less than a lawn, will allow water to percolate through the soil, and it will attract native wildlife.

2. Collect Rainwater

Having the sprinklers or the hose running all the time zaps money from your pocket and uses up precious resources. Consider putting barrels in your yard or under your gutters to catch rainwater to use on your plants, instead.

3. Mulch Those Plants

Even if you get rid of your water-sucking exotic plants and make the switch to native species, you can still preserve energy by mulching around what you do have. Mulching keeps the sun from sucking up water out of the soil.

4. Compost

Composting is a low-cost way to generate nutritious soil for your garden and cut down on the amount of household waste you send to a landfill. A tumbler or regular barrel is a great way to start. Check out this Cornell site for the basics.

5. Use Earth-Friendly Yard Products

Most people maintain their yards to actively enjoy them, by picnicking, letting their kids play outside, etc. But would you really want your kids playing on a lawn that had been cared for with toxic pesticides and fertilizers? Check out organic lawn care options that are safer and easier on mother nature.

6. Upgrade Your Mower

Some old gas lawnmowers emit an incredible amount of pollution. Switching to a push mower is best, as they use less energy than ride-alongs. If you can’t stand the idea of pushing a mower across your lawn, an electric ride-along is your next best bet.

source: Joy Paley

This eco-friendly "no mow" lawn made of native grasses and plants is more attractive than any suburban turf I've seen

About the author: 

Joy Paley is a science and technology writer based in Berkeley, California. Check out her musings as a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog or as a writer for Online Schools.

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Guest post - coming soon!!!

I was contacted by Elizabeth Greene of - My Dog Ate my My Blog with a request to feature one of their guest authors on The Green Crusader. 

I thought I'd share her mail here ...

Dear Sudha,

Great blog! Your posts are very informative and I appreciate your post entitled "An Introduction to Ecocide".

My name is Elizabeth, the assistant editor at My Dog Ate My Blog. We have been blogging about politics, education, and technology for a few months now and we think it is about time to start reaching out to other passionate people.I would love to have one of our bloggers write a guest post for your blog. If you have any topic or style guidelines for guest posts, send them my way.I am looking forward to talking with you more.

Elizabeth Greene
Assistant to the Editor - My Dog Ate My Blog

PS: 

My Dog Ate My Blog is a creation of editors, writers, and marketers in the education industry looking for an outlet for their general creativity and immaturity.

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PLASTIC STATE OF MIND - Parody with Purpose

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Green Bag Lady announces a giveaway

I wrote about the Green bag lady earlier >> HERE  and also showed off the bag she sent me :) >> HERE...And now, I take the pleasure of being the unofficial spokesperson for her giveaway....lol...Do try your luck and make sure you follow the instructions to qualify for the freebie :)

Greenbag lady 

Here is the link to her post>> Link 

Best of luck!!

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An Introduction to Ecocide

During my routine research for my blogs, I came across this wonderful website which has coined a new word and has regular updates on earth related topics. I recommend a read. >>HERE is the link to the site - thisisecocide.com

The site talks about Ecocide. which is translated as :

"A CRIME AGAINST PEACE Ecocide is the extensive destruction, damage to or loss of ecosystem(s) of a given territory, whether by human agency or by other causes, to such an extent that peaceful enjoyment by the inhabitants of that territory has been severely diminished..." source: theecocide.com

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World Environment Day - June 5th

My grandfather used to quote from the Ancient Hindu texts. He always mentioned how we need to respect Mother Earth for supporting life, and also appreciate her for being the patient Mother that she is.

Bhoodevi or Bhoomadevi, as Mother Earth is called (Sanskrith/hindi/tamil/telugu etc), is said to have tremendous amount of tolerance and patience.(How else would she bear the weight of all that is loaded on her, and put up with really horrible children (humans) who care nothing about her well being, and still do what she does...!!). Just because someone is tolerating, does not mean that we take them for granted? I am sure she is fed up of her Human population. We all know that she is responding in her own way. (I do not want to reiterate issues, we all are very aware of them.)

It is time for some concrete action and stop hiding behind - "What Can I Do?" or worse - "My irresponsibility doesn't make a difference"

Environmental issues are as pertinent as the Drug mafia, child abuse or any other social and economic problem we humans face. Infact they are nothing when compared to problems the entire life system on the planet is facing. We need to be ashamed that we are endangering other innocent creatures in the name of better life for ourselves. (if you put one and one together, you would understand that every social and economic issue is directly or indirectly related to one or more eco-related issues). We cannot go back to cave living, but can definitely start with something small in our lives. The sense of accomplishment after one small change, is a great motivater in letting us take the effort a step further. All it takes is trying to use common sense and a little sacrifice (nothing major to begin with)

  source: UNEP

WED and the UN
Each year, June 5th is celebrated as the World Environment Day. This tradition was started by the United Nations. In the year 1972, June 5th was when United Nations Conference on the Human Environment began and was concluded on the June 16th. The first World Environment Day was marked for celebration on 5th June 1973.

United Nation has hosted this celebration in a different city each year. As part of the tradition, the theme, all Earth related, is different each year. (An interesting fact - It is Summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere on June 5th).

WED 2010
Pittsburgh, USA is hosting the celebrations this year. The theme for 2010 - Celebrating the International Bio-diversity of life form (human, flora and fauna). -Many Species. One Planet. One Future - World Environment Day 2010



source: Youtube: UNEP Goodwill Ambassador Gisele Bündchen, supported by a global chorus of real people, brings the World Environment Day 2010 message of action to the world.


 It is another day to reckon, respect and realize what the planet means to every living form and make an attempt to reduce the harrasment we put Mother Earth through.



If these videos do not motivate you to make even a tiny change in your lifestyle for a safe planet, I am not sure what else would. Please share your views and your action plan for a better tomorrow. Let everyday be an Earth Day and a World environment day. Let us celebrate Life and the Silent Support System - Mother Earth!!

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World Environment day- Green Celebrations at Blogadda

It is The World Environment day on the June 5th. For many, it is just another "DAY" when the green cult goes about asking regular folk to do their bit. hmm...Or is it more than just that? How could you be responsible for a day and feel ok with harassing the planet the rest of the year? A few regular Joes and Janes take it a step further...they dont care ...no day in particular matters.

Source: ideareader.com

Blogger forums are a nice way to meet up and get chatty with fellow bloggers. I never participate in contests organized by any of the groups, however, this time around, it is something I can relate to (for a change!!). Blogadda is organizing a contest to mark the World Environment Day on June 5th. Here is the contest page >>Blogadda

We are required to use the sponsor - Pringoo.com in the post.so here is what I could do...frankly I dont need to win, but would love people to get smarter and less harming on the planet, and thats not just for this week or the day. Will it ever turn a reality...I am hopeful..but things need to be sooner than never.

Someair
Give my world some air to breathe

A very happy environment day in advance. Be sensible ...live better

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Greenpeace - Save the whale compaign

I am a part of Greenpeace (not surprising!!) and have been working on a campaign to save the whales from commercial whalers. Yes, a practise which was banned 20 years ago has been termed legal by Mr President. The process of killing whales for commercial purposes is going to throw the marine eco system off balance.

This is a mail I got from our Greenpeace network. Thought I need to share it here...

Hi there!

I'm delivering 1.5 MILLION comments in support of whales to the White House tomorrow.  It’s so exciting!

The banners we've made out of your whale cards are so beautiful, and the photos we’ve received are powerful and inspiring.  It’s incredible to see such an outpouring of support.

To make sure that YOUR voice is heard, I need your help – please make a quick phone call to save the whales, and tell all your friends to make a call too!

Here’s the info: 

CALL: White House Comment Line (202) 456-1111

SAY: Hi, my name is _____ and I’m calling from city, state.  I’m calling to ask that you represent Americans at the IWC meeting in June by working to protect the ban on commercial whaling. I'm ashamed that the leader of my country is supporting a cruel pro-whaling position when millions of Americans are deeply against it. Be the leader that you promised by ensuring that the US opposes any deal that legitimizes commercial whaling.

This will REALLY supplement our work tomorrow - we've got to make our voices heard.

Thanks so much for all you do.  Let’s hope that Obama gets the message!

Anna

P.S. You don’t need to be nervous, the President won’t be the one answering the phone :)  Be sure to take one minute to make that call - and let us know that you called!

I hope my friends who are not a part of Greenpeace will try to pitch in. We need to save the whales for our planet to manage its ecology, for us to survive. Lets do our bit.

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Earth Day turns 40

Like any other DAY celebrations, Earth day was born in the USofA. It was the brainchild of a United States Senator, Gaylord Nelson. He proposed a day dedicated to create awareness towards aspects of the Earth's environment. Although, the day was started to inspire people to appreciate the planet, we need to do a lot more than just that given the current scenario.

source: traveladventures.com

Eco and green groups are known to dedicate an entire week to environment related projects and activities starting on 16th of April each year and culminating into a grand finale on 22nd April. This kind of event was first celebrated in Philadelphia in 1970. Hence, the 40th Birthday of "Earth Day".

There is another day dedicated to the planet, and that is an initiation by the United Nations. It is the World Environment day celebrated on June 5th each year. As a rule, UN tries to observe this day in a different country each year.

As any skeptic would argue, I do not believe that doing our bit on one particular day relieves us of our 24x7 responsibility towards the planet, towards ourselves and our future generations. Being gentler on the planet, doesn't end with banning use of polythene bags or plastics. It goes a lot beyond that, it is more about making the right choices in order to keep our land, water and air fit for life to prevail.

Wishing everyone a very happy Earth Day! Let us put our heads and hearts together and realize our potential in letting this planet remain habitable. Our planet is going through a lot of troubles already, and that includes natural calamities. Let us not add to its woes with our thoughtless actions and mindless choices. All those who are too busy with their lives and don't have energy and time to think and live Green, do spare this day and maybe, it could be your first step towards contributing to a clean and green future.

Here is a brilliant video from the Greenpeace archives shared by a fellow Greenpeace activist.

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Giveaway win - update

I mentioned my winning a Sunset Green home Design Guide earlier. :)...The Book arrived and I am so looking forward to read through the entire book !..

Will post more pics of the insides of the book asap!! 

Thank you Rachel

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A school girl at the UN Environment summit - Rio

I had this video link in my bookmark archives....a very simple and straight forward speech by a school girl from Canada....echoes every environmental concern - relevant more than ever today. This undated video should, among many others, actually help us wake up...its high time...its not about money, career or expensive living. It is all about sensible minimal living which will allow existence of life on the planet.

Does it matter?
Thinking about every thing we do and not hiding behind the very oft used phrases/words - "cant help it" or "convenience" is the need of the hour. If one really wanted to make a sensible choice, they could do it. Ignorance, or lack of common sense is what makes involuntarily-earth-hating crowd, the people they are.

Being eco friendly is lot more than not using plastic bags. I am tired of being called as someone who advocates against  plastic bags.Yes, that I am, but there is more to living a green life than just that. The whole terminology kicks my soul. It is sad that we humans first take the fast lane, do some considerable damage and then trace back our steps to go back to where we were. Given this fact, all the jargonology- Green, eco-friendly all make no sense. It seems like a mockery on groups which work in favor of the planet, in favor of LIFE.

Jargons don't matter. Actions make a difference. People need to understand that the choices associated with food, clothes and shelter (our house, furniture, furnishings etc) are all what influence our earth friendly living, or the lack of it. Fancy terms like recycling, composting don't matter if you buy your grocery and supplies in a plastic bag and use it for throwing your trash. Think about the landfill you will contribute to or the nearest water source you will pollute by using and dumping the plastic bag. Chiffon, nylon, acrylic and polyester clothes you buy, will never bio-degrade. (Let us keep in mind that we have not considered the entire value chain footprint yet.) Give a thought to before you purchase - synthetic furnishings (curtains, upholstery etc), your kitchen chopping board or the throw away plastic spoons and forks, paper plates, tissue paper/towel, hawaii slippers/flip flops, beverage bottle, yogurt container buy etc... Everything we choose to use, has an impact and it does matter. 

You would keep your house clean by dumping out the trash..but all the junk never leaves the planet right...Look at a municipal worker paddle his way through a garbage dump (in a local city water source)

Image source: JAY DIRECTO/AFP/Getty Images

A scavenger in a dugout canoe paddles through a sea of garbage along a Manila waterway

All this is to make your surroundings look like this.

 Birds and marine life mistake our plastic garbage and debris for food and ingest them only to die. We are responsible for this. This is neither a regular cyclic change our earth goes through nor is it a natural occurrence. We should be ashamed to see such impact of our mindless actions. We have no right to disturb the eco-system.

source: thechicecologist.com

If you think it doesn't affect your life or health. Think again, look at this cow munching a plastic bag (in india).

source: http://wanderlustandlipstick.com

Cows are revered in my country. And this is what an average cow eats - both rural and urban cows tend to eat everything and anything they lay their eyes on. Thanks to the plastic menace, Cows dying due to ingestion of plastic bags is a common thing as of today. Let us not forget that the same cows and buffaloes are milked to provide us with our daily supply of milk /dairy products. And can we ignore the beef consuming population? So, technically, we end up eating these plastic bags ourselves (remember the "FOOD CHAIN" fundamentals)


Is it too late for a wake up call?
Just like that of other green-crusaders, my quest for minimal footprint lifestyle is a stressful journey too. What I dint know yesterday, I learn today. And what I learn and imbibe, I implement in my life right away. We need the will to open up to ideas and think beyond our comfort zone. This a never ending process and needs time and effort. It is worth the effort and is all for our own good!

I am so tired of people arguing with me or anyone else who speaks about going gentle on the planet. It is just their way to cover up their useless ego and be the escapists they are. It makes the job for a green crusader much more difficult because we not only need to clean up the mess these escapists leave behind but also take things forward with such skeptics in tow. It is tiring but we don't have time to complain, how wonderful would it be if our fellow earthlings, who refuse to do their bit, at least start thinking (for now).

Time and again, I have maintained that, we as a civilized society have gotten used to a certain lifestyle and feel that shifting from usual is difficult. Come to think of it, let us consider a simple things like grocery plastic bags. There was a generation which survived without ready to eat food packs, plastic beverage bottles, and disposable cutlery. It is therefore not unimaginable to survive with out them. Let us make an effort, start with small changes and leave this planet habitable for our children. They deserve that much and more.

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