Shrink Your Carbon Footprint, Starting Now!

chillibreeze writer — Rathi Sudhakar

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Nearly 14 billion years ago, a ball of fire strategically placed itself from the sun so that on its outer surface formed ice caps and water while in its inner core it remained hot and molten! A few billion years later, nothing short of a miracle happened when life, as we know it, began. It was miraculous because this ball of fire had cooled perfectly to the right temperature, had an atmosphere around that was perfect in all aspects and also had all the required chemicals for the reactions to take place and produce life!

Fast-forward to today and all that made life possible, is taken for granted and being misused. This precious ball called Earth may decide to do away with us, humans, if we don’t get our act together soon.

For humans to continue to survive on this planet, a delicate balance in nature need be met. The way we have evolved, we have created many needs for ourselves and are now in a state where we can’t do without many of them like fuel, wood, minerals and raw materials to produce electricity, roads, buildings and food. Our growing population coupled with our greed can sound the death knell for our species.

But we still have hope. A conscientious effort from each and every one of us to shrink our carbon footprint i.e. to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions can be the first step towards retaining the delicate balance and thus saving ourselves. Resolve to be efficient, informed and creative. Here’s how...

Use water prudently while brushing, shaving, bathing and cooking or doing any other chore. Wait till you have enough clothes to run your washing machine on full load. Use utensils optimally and wash them with just adequate water. The water used to clean vegetables, fruits and meats can be used for watering your plants.
Open your curtains and windows to let fresh air and sunlight rather than depend on artificial lights and fans, whenever possible. Avoid air conditioning and heating as far as possible. Decrease your dependence on the refrigerator and the microwave by making and eating fresh food as often as you can. Always use lukewarm water for baths and showers. Let your hair dry naturally! Switch off all appliances when not in use.
Walk as often as you can. If that’s not possible, try and use the public transport or car pool. Only when left with no other option, use a private vehicle. Buy local produce rather than food that is transported from half way across the world!
Do not waste food. Try to plan things ahead and if you are left with extra food, then give it to someone who is hungry rather than trash it! Limit your purchase of packaged food. Go organic. Have plants or if you can, a garden at home, preferably herb and vegetable plants rather than just decorative crotons.
Be aware of the happenings in your locality and the world, to help you come up with ideas that can create a more efficient way of life for all.
Try reading newspapers and books online.
When it comes to your baby, avoid plastic non- biodegradable diapers as far as possible and opt for cloth nappies instead.
Often donate clothes, toys, food and all that you don’t use to the ones in need of those.
Use that toothpaste or cream till the very last possible squeeze, you are not being frugal, you are just consciously minimizing waste.
Collect all the plastic bags in your house and ensure you don’t add to the already existing pile till you have used them all. Carry a few bags every time you step out of the house. They can be used to carry your purchases or as a garbage bag.
Separate the organic, biodegradable waste from the non-biodegradable at your home itself. This way you can throw the organic waste everyday while the other bin can be emptied only when full. It will also help in segregation at the next level, when the non-biodegradables are sorted for recycling purposes.

The suggestions above are not exhaustive and some of them are easy to follow while others may call for a serious change of mindset and lifestyle. It is however crucial to always have this thought at the back of your mind that every action of ours today will have a consequence tomorrow. As long as we are consciously living that way, we keep bettering our chances of survival.

Editor's note: Most articles submitted to Chillibreeze go through a selection process. Only 30 percent of submitted articles are accepted for publication on the Chillibreeze.com featured article list. All accepted articles are edited and proofread for glaring errors of punctuation and grammar. Sentence structure is changed in certain cases and sometimes, entire sections are rewritten. If you notice any errors that have slipped through the cracks, do let us know! (Email us at info at chillibreeze dot com).

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in August, 2011. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.

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