Since the first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, in the United States, global warming has led to temperatures increasing by 0.45 F per decade. A WWF stated that animal species populations saw a whopping decline of 60 per cent between then and now, thanks to habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and other factors. In addition, humans today use 50 per cent more natural resources than we did even in the 1990s.
Earth Day today has now become a global movement, celebrated in 192 countries across the world and shining a light on the pressing issues that need to be addressed. But there is no denying that increasing population, excess energy consumption, exploding trash volumes, non-sustainable homes and living, and depleting ocean resources are just a few alarming markers that haven’t been checked. In addition to the lack of awareness or motivation to think of long-term environmental benefits, there is the added myth that switching to a sustainable lifestyle – one that is kinder and gentler to the planet – is expensive and painstaking. But building a community and neighbourhood that is ecologically sound doesn’t always have to be that way!
Shriti Pandey, Delhi-based founder of Strawcture Eco is one such person who believes that sustainable homes and living need not be an expensive proposition. Her venture provides low-carbon building materials not just to homes and neighbourhoods, but also to commercial communities such as schools and hospitals. Even companies like Wipro, Amazon, and Infosys have used her material to reduce their carbon footprint. “The product is made of 96 per cent paddy straw, which is compressed into panels. Each panel becomes a substitute for plywood, engineered wood, and other plastic components, but is a much greener alternative. The pricing is competitive, on par with leading mass plywood brands, and with the same warranty and durability certification. We want more mainstream people to switch to this alternative going forward. Currently, the five applications are furniture, doors, walls, ceilings and flooring. Homes and communities can add a combination of these to their individual consumption patterns.”
While Earth Day started in 1970, it was only on its twentieth anniversary in 1990 that the movement went global. This was momentous because it led to the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. A decade later, at the turn of the millennium in 2000, the focus had rightfully shifted to climate change, clean energy, and action required not just from leaders, but members of the community as well. For the first time, topics such as air pollution, water conservation, and efficient waste disposal were being spoken about and addressed.
KL Balasubramanian, social activist, eco-warrior, and community leader believes that waste segregation is a discipline that needs to be inculcated at an individual and family level, to make a difference to the neighbourhood. “Make sure that your waste doesn’t step out of your house without being segregated. People feel that if they’ve handed over their rubbish to the corporation, they’ve done their bit – without knowing or understanding where the waste actually ends up. As a community, we’ve been reaching out to people, encouraging them to segregate their waste responsibly and efficiently wherever possible. For five years, we’ve had a tie-up with a company called Kabadiwala. They’ve provided a bin that we’ve deployed not just in our neighbourhood, but in several surrounding. Every house segregates its plastic, and once a week, drop it in this collection bin. This ensures efficient disposal of plastic waste.”
Balasubramanian also believes that educating people about composting is important, and vegetable waste, flower waste, and garden waste should be used as compost rather than ending up in landfills. “Create a compost pit in every home or apartment compound, and guide people on how to compost. We have started a ‘well ring’ system, where all this compost material gets deposited on the streetside with a well ring. We work with a company that collects the contents of this streetside well ring, and drops it into a community street bin for composting. We then make use of that manure. As a community, there are always ways and means to minimise the logistics and facilitate the system of living responsibly.”
He also feels that rather than discard old books, vessels or clothes that we have no use for (most often because we’ve upgraded to something better!), it is a good idea to run camps and tie up with NGOs to distribute them to those in rural and remote areas, who otherwise don’t have access to these things. These are also useful to people during times of calamity and help reduce waste.
The theme of Earth Day 2023 is ‘Invest In Our Planet’. It calls for organisations, communities, and citizens to act now and invest in practices that create a healthy earth and sustainable future.
Balasubramanian believes that clean energy, water conservation, and low-carbon travel should be encouraged. “It is important for people to make simple changes like switching to LED lights. Many people still use conventional light fittings, so creating this awareness is the first step. During earth hour, we requested people to switch off lights for an hour. We also switched off all common lights and gate lights. This is a practice that needs to happen periodically, not just on special days. Also, there are many households that have implemented solar energy and fitted solar panels which is laudable. The challenge that people face is the cost of the investment; also, they cannot really reuse and pass on the excess power drawn from solar energy to the electricity board as the mechanism is challenging. We are identifying champions who can work with us and propagate it on a periodic basis. Another great idea is a digital detox. I read somewhere that an entire village in Maharashtra switches off its electronic gadgets for an hour; while this is a wonderful initiative, it is not easy to achieve! We are also working with a group from IIT Madras that drives water conservation across the country. Communities need to be educated on saving water – even small things like using nozzles to reduce the flow of water from a tap consciously can go a long way in saving your neighbourhood’s resources. Lastly, we would encourage people to cycle between short distances. More efficient than electric vehicles, cycling is energy saving and offers physical exercise.”
These are just a few initiatives to ensure that collective neighbourhoods invest in our planet. You can do your bit as an individual as well, whether it is choosing slow/sustainable fashion, signing up for a beach clean-up, pushing for climate literacy, or growing trees. Every day is Earth Day.