A Bit That We All Can Do: World Environment Day Special

The Darker Side

Its’ no secret that with rapid industrialization and growth in human population, there has been a worldwide environmental degradation over the past few decades. All key elements required
for life on earth including air, water and land are being polluted at an unprecedented rate. This if left unchecked can pose an existential threat to all life on the planet. This threat is not something hypothetical that may happen in distant future, but is already a reality today. A recent study estimated that in 2019, nearly 17 lakh people in India died due to air pollution*. To put this data in context, air pollution is a larger scale killer, multifold in proportion, as compared to even the dreaded Covid-19 pandemic.

The Brighter Side

Most countries in the world have acknowledged the need for coordinated efforts to combat climate change and controlling carbon emissions. The Paris Agreement signed in 2016, is a collaboration of 191 countries and aims to halt the increase in global temperature, mitigate the impact of greenhouse gases and support sustainable development.

There’s a lot more to the brighter side. A great shift towards electric vehicles is underway globally, which can act as a catalyst towards minimizing carbon emissions. Technological advancements to harness solar power is moving at breakneck speed and the cost of production and storage of power from solar and other renewable sources is falling steadily over the years.

The Ozone layer, which was heavily damaged over 3 decades ago, is now showing signs of recovery after coordinated international efforts, though it may take a few more decades to fully heal.  These are great examples of how we humans with the help of technology can make a difference to nurture nature. Technology has also helped in breakthroughs in vast areas including energy efficient irrigation methods, manufacturing processes focused on recycling and minimizing wastes, emergence of hydrogen as energy source, etc. Globally, ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance) is now an accepted standard with which businesses are evaluated, underscoring the significance of these aspects.

Nature itself is a resilient force that has the ability to heal from destruction, reclaim lost ground and flourish, given time and if left alone. Take the example of Chernobyl, the site of one of the
worst manmade disaster in modern history. The ghost city and the surrounding area of about 2,600 sq km has been an exclusion zone since the nuclear tragedy in 1986. With the absence of human activity, the place is now home to trees and other lush vegetation. Even some of the wildlife has returned to these forests surrounding the now-defunct nuclear plant. Ironically, the nuclear disaster itself was far less damaging to the local environment and biodiversity, than we humans were.

The other important aspect of the brighter side is that we can create an impact at an individual level by making behavioral changes for a sustainable living. Let’s look at some of these things we could do to make this world a better place for our future generations.

Things we can do protect our precious environment

• Switch off electrical appliances when not needed
• Do not leave the tap open when not in use, even while brushing
• Spend more time outdoors – enjoy green patches with your family
• Use energy efficient bulbs
• Volunteer for clean-up drives in your community
• Plant a tree
• Shop wisely and use a non-plastic shopping bag always
• Try bicycling for commuting within your neighborhood
• Opt for a carpool once the ongoing pandemic subsides
• Spread awareness; Educate children on being environmentally conscious
• Adopt Waste segregation
• Print copies only if absolutely necessary

While you might wonder why we wrote things, you may already know. There is a deeper meaning to them. Akin to many aspects of our life, just knowing doesn’t help, unless we ‘realize’ the  importance of something. In this case too, to make people realize the importance of doing our bit to save our environment, a little reiteration would not cause any harm.

We all know it is good to exercise every day, but not many do it regularly. Similarly, we all know it’s unhealthy to eat excessive sweets and junk food, but we do indulge in it from time to time. The key point is that we need to step up our game from just knowing or being aware to truly realizing how crucial it is to do our bit to save our environment.

India – A Nation of Rich Legacy

Our nation’s history is full of stories of valor, sacrifice and inspiration when it comes to saving our environment. One such incident happened nearly 400 years ago when 363 people sacrificed their lives while trying to peacefully protect a grove of trees from being cut in Khejarli district in Rajasthan (you can find more info on Khejarli massacre on the internet). Brave Amrita Devi led the protests, whose final words, before being beheaded was “A chopped head is cheaper than a chopped tree”. Shocked by these events, the King of Marwar, banned cutting of trees. Centuries later, the bravery of Khejarli people inspired the Chipko movement of the 1970s, a non-violent movement to protest against deforestation. With this kind of legacy behind us, we must think of the bit that we all can do.

To conclude, we wish to share a 3 decade old, but beautiful quote by famous astronomer Carl Sagan, which holds good even today and instills in us the responsibility we have on our hands to treat our planet with care. “The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.”

Wishing you all on the special occasion of World Environment Day!

Did you find the article interesting?

*Source:
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/17-million-deaths-in-india-were-attributable-to-air-pollution-in-2019-says-study/article33394600.ece

MUTUAL FUND INVESTMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO MARKET RISKS, READ ALL SCHEME RELATED DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY.