Plastic issues
Some of the facts about plastic in a succinct , graphic style . Pl read and share . Lack of awareness of issues pertaining to plastic is a part of the problem.
source : www.theplastiki.com
Archive for the ‘Make a difference’ Category
Organic state
Thursday, May 20th, 2010
The Indian state of Sikkim is working towards the goal of 100% organic agriculture by 2015 .
Organic farming combines ecologically-sound modern technology with traditional agricultural practices including crop rotation, green manure and biological pest control to ensure reduction or total elimination of chemical inputs. In several parts of Sikkim, farmers have succeeded in growing completely organic maize, paddy, ginger, cardamom and turmeric while expanding the practices to other horticultural crops.
The first step came in May 2003, when the state government withdrew the subsidy on fertilizers. From 2006-07 onwards, the transport and handling subsidy and commission to the retailer was also withdrawn. Alongside, the government also adopted a seven-year plan to phase out use of chemical fertilizers, by gradually replacing these with organic sources.
“The government had taken the decision because it had seen the adverse impact of chemical fertilizers on our soil, water and on human health, considering ours is a biodiversity hotspot,” says S K Gautam, secretary in the department of food security and agriculture.
Wonderful to see the concerted , sustained , planned efforts to make an entire state organic . Yet another reason to visit this beautiful spot of the pale blue dot we inhabit.
Save 1095 litres of water
Sunday, May 9th, 2010
These days many cities and neighborhoods face water shortage . Even those that are lucky to get 24 hour water supply must be prudent with water consumption.
Water used to wash vegetables , rice , dal etc can be stored in a bucket / watering can. This water can be used to tend to home gardens. This change on an average will reduce the otherwise fresh water needed to water plants by 3-4 liters daily . Multiply this over millions of households. That’s millions of liters of water that would otherwise be poured down the drain.
A single household with a home garden that consistently uses kitchen water for the home garden will save a minimum of 1095 liters per year.
If you don’t have a home garden pl make a start . It’s possible to nurture plants in a small balcony / window sill . Use wall space . The joy of seeing plants grow and blossom is indescribable. In a world where most things are marketed as ‘instant’ – from noodles to weight loss – gardening connects us with the rhythm of life that can’t be hurried. We may think we nurture the plants. The plants nurture us with their presence.
Garbage Island
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010It appears that the planet’s landfill is not on land . It’s the oceans.
The Great Pacific Garbage patch stretches for hundreds of miles across the North Pacific Ocean, forming a nebulous, floating junk yard on the high seas. It’s the poster child for a worldwide problem: plastic that begins in human hands yet ends up in the ocean, often inside animals’ stomachs or around their necks. It is outrageous that other species suffer the consequences of human choices.
Phenomena like the Garbage Patch cannot be the fate of the Pacific alone . Possibly the Pacific Ocean is studied more intensively and frequently resulting in ‘sea’ of information.
World over plastic is used widely . Very little of it is recycled . No one is holding on to plastic objects like heirlooms . It’s therefore ending up on land fills or in water.
The planet is a closed system . What we do stays on the planet and it’s atmosphere .The plastic in the land fills and in circulation is going to hang around for hundreds of years . Our best bet at not turning the entire planet into a junk yard is to radically increase creation and usage of biodegradable objects.
The problem is global and local . The solutions have to be local and consistent for it to cascade to a global level.
Pl choose to make a difference.
Why use a cloth bag ?
Sunday, May 2nd, 2010Why use a cloth bag when retailers recklessly and generously hand out plastic bags of varying sizes considering -
- Plastic Bags save you the effort of carrying a cloth / reusable bag with you.
- Plastic Bags can be used as bin liners
- Plastic bags can be used to store veggies in the refrigerator
- If the plastic bag is that of a fancy brand – you get to let your friends , colleagues , neighbors and all in visual range know that you are able to afford the fancy brand in question. Carrying it again and again establishes beyond doubt that you are a person that frequently buys that brand = you have taste + the financial resources to do so.
-Carrying multiple bags shows you’ve been shopping = you can afford it.
Why use a cloth bag ?
- There are innumerable everyday objects for which we don’t have easily available / alternatives to plastic – toothpaste , toothbrush , razor , primary food packaging (e.g oil , pulses , bread , biscuits), plastic water bottles , kitchen containers . These few items alone are enough for an average urban resident to be responsible for a hillock (if not mountain ) of plastic in his/her lifetime. At this point in time we don’t have easily alternatives (or even answers) for some of these everyday items that come in plastic. With a bag at least you have a CHOICE.
- Plastic does not bio-degrade . At least we won’t be alive to witness it . The plastic bag you use is going to hang around on the planet long after we are gone.
- Lives of birds , animals, marine life are threatened by the plastic remnants . They die due to ingestion of plastic . Those that survive undergo mutation . Would you like it if consequences of the thoughtless actions of another species affected your health and the duration of your life ?
- The plastic we throw away enters the food chain of human beings through animals , birds and marine life.
- We already have the challenge of dealing with depleting natural resources , pollution, consequences of climate change, terrorism, poverty . From being stuck in the problem end of the equation we need to move to being part of the solution. Governments alone are not responsible for the state of the planet . All of mankind is . No government forces us to use plastic , to leave the tap open , to drive around pointlessly burning fuel , to not reach out to someone whose life we can impact .
The changes needed to make this a sustainable planet need us to participate . Not just by clicking answers on some internet poll. Participate by making tangible , consistent changes.
Your actions matter. Every action matters.
Plastic free magazines
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
It’s almost di rigueur these days for magazines (in Indian retail ) to be wrapped in plastic .
An alarmingly increasing number of magazines are choosing plastic…plastic that will remain on the face of the earth long after the magazine issue has been read and recycled. Ironically several of the magazines carry (from time to time ) articles on ‘how to save the planet’ urge readers to be ‘more eco-friendly’.
Not satisfied with 1 plastic bag some magazines have 2 bags per issue . One for the main magazine , one for the supplement. We’re guessing it’s to maximize revenue from the advertisers of the back cover of the magazine as well as the supplement.
It’s a case of short term gains entirely obliterating the larger issue of needless damage to the environment . The magazine industry is by no means the lone ranger in this regard. A whole host of companies and industries keep them ‘company’.
As readers and citizens of the earth – we should exercise the responsibility to write to magazines to eschew plastic . It’ll take a few minutes to send an email . Repeated messages from readers will eventually necessitate magazines to find alternative , earth friendly ways to transport the copies to retail.
Here’s a draft that you can adapt to write to your fav magazines that currently use plastic covers :
To Team ABC Magazine
I would feel a lot better about buying your magazine if you eliminate the plastic cover . As you possibly know the plastic is going to hang around on the planet long after you and me have moved on. It does not bother me if the copy in retail looks less than pristine. It bothers me immensely that it comes enclosed in a material that chokes our planet and poses risk to all species.
Let’s save the only place we call home – Planet Earth. I believe that while no one can do everything . Everyone can do something.
Regards ,
Eco-warrior (your name here )
p.s – I hope your magazine supports tree plantation in a systemic way to compensate for the paper used to print the issues.
Pl share the draft with your friends via email , Facebook , twitter . Take a few mins to email the message to your fav magazines that use plastic bags to pack every copy. Do so every month till you see plastic free copies in retail.
* The magazines in the pic are representative of the category . The problem is by no means limited to these specific magazines.
The story of bottled water
Friday, April 23rd, 2010Do watch . This will make you rethink the next purchase of bottled water.
Carry a reusable bottle filled with filtered water . When you visit a friend or an office ask to refill the bottle. You’ll have better tasting water and a cleaner planet. Asking to refill the bottle at a friend’s place is possibly easier than doing so at an office . But once you start doing so it’ll feel normal . It will inspire others to do the same.
Go ahead. Make a difference.
Laundry gym
Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
A mechanical foot pedal powered washing machine that requires no electricity by Remya Jose . The kind of innovation we need to create a sustainable world.
When free of the constraints of convention the solutions that emerge are truly amazing.
Time to rethink and Rework a lot else..
