GREEN WARRIORS

This article in sunday HT , May 27th by Tara Mehta, gives us an idea as to why the Indian civilization is one of the oldest civilizations. While the people in the west and also the Indians who have settled there , have in their quest for comforts , adopted a lifestyle with a very large ecological footprint. In the process they have forgotten , as to what will happen when nature fights back. We, in India, have for long been living with water and electricity shortages. As a result , most of us have learnt to make do with limited access to them. People from developed countries laugh at us. What they do not realize is the wisdom embedded in this learning to live with less resources. In the times to come, when people with wasteful habits will struggle, Indians will thrive because of their thrifty habits. Below I list the main learning points in this article :

• Livestock produce more greenhouse gases than vehicles. So shun animal products including milk, milk products eggs, meat etc.
• Try to build your house without using cement.
• Practise rainwater harvesting , by filtering through roots of medicinal plants.
• Treat all bio waste in your house with an enzyme called actizen which leaves diluted urea water.
• Keep potted plants on the terrace to keep the house cool.
• Insulate the walls by hanging creepers. This gives you free oxygen and free air conditioning.
• GREEN WEDDING : Castor oil lamps, sari made of silk , without killing silkworms, khadi dress for bridegroom. Vegetarian meals served on Kansa plates under a pandal made of bamboo and jute. Served aam ras or water in earthen pots.
• Shilpa Jain Udaipur :A Harvard alumnus, has shifted from a life of copious consumption in the US to zero waste living in Udaipur.
• She is now a part of Shikshantar, a people's movement for rethinking education and development.
• She cycles all over the town. Soap is not used in her house and utensils are soaked in ash and water.
• Food is composted and Shilpa does not carry a cellphone.
• Build our house from hollow, prefabricated concrete slabs and stones. The hollows do not allow the air inside the house to be heated up, thus making fans redundant. Moreover such a house can be built for a fifth of the usual costs. Such a house was built by Mukul C Mahant of Guwahati.
• Use your motor vehicle sparingly. Use a bicycle instead.