Earth Day April 22nd 2009

Commuters were given a shock when they were confronted by people in 'nude' body suits 

on the Millennium Bridge, London. It was a stunt to launch the 308 Peugeot Coupe Cabriolet

Enough of visual shock and humor ! ( nice way to start the blog though ! )

EarthDay 2009

Today is earth day, and numerous articles are being published and posted with action plans from corporates to individuals. Lets see a few perspectives, one of the Indian Government and Corporate Sector to climate change , and another,  simple ways we as individuals can contribute to reducing the carbon footprint.

Earth and the Indian Scenario, an overall perspective  ::

In a country that has much else on its mind now, political uncertainty and a slowing economy in tow, Earth Day may not make its mark this year. But that won’t stall the march of climate change. If anything, this is the time, politically and economically, to appreciate that the solution to global warming lies not in slamming the brakes but in stepping on the gas.

Today, with some of the biggest cash injections in history, the global market can be steered towards a low-carbon economy; India is no exception. Its business and social interests are well served in increasing the energy efficiency and decreasing the carbon footprint of products and services originating from here. After all, the cost of inaction is much higher than that of timely action.

From the 1930s, when the signs of global warming started becoming evident, to the present day, climate debate has moved from the margins to the mainstream but businesses, particularly in India, are yet to comprehend that it’s no longer an either-or question. Economic growth and environment protection must go hand in hand. Why this understanding is important is because businesses in the past, owing to their power of scale and persuasiveness, have brought about ground-breaking changes in human behaviour (most recently India’s telecom revolution) and experts believe they can do so again, in averting a climate catastrophe.

Internationally, emission calculation has to do more with politics than mathematics; but locally, businesses need to do their math right—measure their environmental footprint, implement action plans and monitor them periodically for their own benefit. It is feared that after the Copenhagen conference in December, other countries may consider trade-based sanctions on Indian businesses if the country doesn’t commit to an emission target.

Indian companies want to be leaders in their response to climate change but they expect the government to lead by example, both in education and technology adoption. This isn’t surprising as even globally regulation is proving to be the primary driver of change.

In its National Action Plan on Climate Change, India has outlined “expanded action” in eight areas including solar energy, water, and sustainable agriculture, but, it turns out, the nation of mere guidelines that we are, nothing in these “missions” is legally binding, except, of course, the commitment that India’s per capita greenhouse gas emission will “at no point exceed that of developed countries”.

But investment is only one part of the problem; the other, no less significant though, is figuring out how to quickly limit the emission of heat-trapping gases by changing some of the ways we work and live. It could well be moving towards smart power grids or better handling of waste— electronic, municipal or industrial; avoiding deforestation or promoting cleaner biomass burning; adopting renewable energy sources or low power consuming devices, operating an efficient carbon market, encouraging next generation of biofuels or turning to carbon capture and storage. No grand scheme would work; it has to be a mix of smaller, decentralized programmes since our urban and rural divide continues even in the deteriorating environment.

In fact, green activists moan that urban centres will face the gravest challenges. The Rockefeller Foundation is spearheading a major international initiative (Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network) to build resilience in cities to the challenging natural environment. Out of 17 cities in South Asia covered under the initiative, six are tier II cities from India. But India’s own response to urban vulnerability arising out of climate change, the massive Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to a gigantic problem.

Five Ways to Help Save the Planet in 30 Minutes or Less

 You may not be able to reduce global warming, end pollution and save endangered species single-handedly, but by choosing to live an earth-friendly lifestyle you can do a lot every day to help achieve those goals.

by making wise choices about how you live, and the amount of energy and natural resources you consume, you send a clear message to businesses, politicians and government agencies that value you as a customer, constituent and citizen.

Here are five simple things you can do—in 30 minutes or less—to help protect the environment and save Planet Earth.

1. Drive Less, Drive Smart

Every time you leave your car at home you reduce air pollution, lower , improve your health and save money.

Walk or ride a bicycle for short trips, or take public transportation longer ones. In 30 minutes, most people can easily walk a mile or more, and you can cover even more ground on a bicycle, bus or Metro. Research has shown that people who use public transportation are healthier than those who don’t. Families that use public transportation can save enough money annually to cover their food costs for the year.

When you do drive, take the few minutes needed to make sure your engine is well maintained and your tires properly inflated.

2.Eat Your Vegetables

Eating less meat and more fruits, grains and vegetables can help the environment more than you may realize. Eating meat, eggs and dairy products contributes heavily to global warming because raising animals for food produces many more greenhouse gas emissions than growing plants. A 2006 report by the University of Chicago found that adopting a vegan diet does more to reduce global warming than switching to a hybrid car.

Raising animals for food also uses enormous amounts of land, water, grain and fuel. Every year in the United States alone, 80 percent of all agricultural land, half of all water resources, 70 percent of all grain, and one-third of all fossil fuels are used to raise animals for food.

Making a salad doesn’t take any more time than cooking a hamburger and it’s better for you—and for the environment.

3.Switch to Reusable Shopping Bags

 Producing plastic bags uses a lot of natural resources, and most end up as litter, non bio degradeable, that fouls landscapes, clogs waterways, and kills thousands of marine mammals that mistake the ubiquitous bags for food. Worldwide, up to a trillion plastic bags are used and discarded every year—more than a million per minute. The count for paper bags is lower, but the cost in natural resources is still unacceptably high—especially when there is a better alternative.

Reuseable plastic bags, made of materials that don’t harm the environment during production and don’t need to be discarded after each use, reduce pollution and save resources that could be put to better uses than making plastic and paper bags. Reusable bags are convenient and come in a variety of sizes and styles. Some reusable bags can even be rolled or folded small enough to fit into a purse or pocket.

4.Change Your Light Bulbs

Compact Fluroscent Light Bulbs (CFL) are more energy efficient and less expensive to use than the traditional incandescent bulbs invented by Thomas Edison. For example, compact fluorescent light bulbs use at least two-thirds less energy than standard incandescent bulbs to provide the same amount of light, and they last up to 10 times longer. Compact fluorescent light bulbs also generate 70 percent less heat, so they are safer to operate and can reduce energy costs associated with cooling homes and offices.

 5. Transact  Online

Many banks, utilities and other businesses now offer their customers the option of paying bills online, eliminating the need to write and mail paper checks or to keep paper records. By paying your bills online you can save time and money, lower the administrative costs of companies with which you do business, and reduce global warming by helping to prevent deforestation.

Signing up for online bill paying is easy and doesn’t take much time. You can either choose to have certain bills paid automatically each month or elect to review and pay each bill yourself. Either way, you will receive outstanding returns on your small investment of time.

Ciao !