the kashmir issue

i really think something must be done about it. in fact, i didn't really realize the seriousness of the issue until i read this article: http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article850893.ece
but i really think the youth of the country must take a stand.

Water waste!

Saving the environment – while it is a respectable issue; while it is a very important thing to do in this disease-infested world, we must be careful that our means of going about it are also intelligent and respectable.

Raising the price of a certain resource that we want to save is one of the most convenient ways to try to cut down on our use of that particular resource. But does it really work?

Look what happened with petrol. I know people are building fuel-efficient cars these days, but those just don’t come in the same ‘league’ as the cars that use half a litre for every kilometre. So, have we succeeded? Do people use less petrol because otherwise they’ll have to pay that much more?

I use as little petrol as possible, yes, but that’s not because I’m thinking of how much money I’ll save; it’s because I’m worried about depleting resources, worried about pollution, worried about my health – not because it costs so much.

I think my point is that raising the price of some rare or depleting resource is not the best way to reduce consumption – it just makes that resource priceless. Everyone wants to own gold, don’t they? Do we really want a world in which drinking good water becomes a status symbol, just like owning a car that drinks petrol like, well, water?

Let’s look at consumption of water. Who consumes more water? And I’m talking strictly about drinking purposes here. The manager of some hotshot bank who sits in an air-conditioned office the entire day, or the labourer who runs around in the hot sun all day? For that matter, who needs to take a bath more often?

I have already seen people boasting about the kind of water they drink. There are ‘water connoisseurs’, even!

This has got to stop. Water is precious, more so to the people who can’t afford it. Raising the price of water will only serve to increase its consumption among the rich, and deprive the poor. So what does that make of the world? Survival of the richest?

I think we seriously need to stop and think about the means we’re using to conserve some of our precious resources. All said and done, it is the rich who exploit our resources, not the poor. 

vison godamnwhenever

Here’s my vision for the world...

A clean, green world. A world where cars exist alongside trees, alongside beautiful ponds and lakes and a complete Lord of the Rings setup.

A world where we have not only learnt our lesson about physical exercise, but also about pollution. A world where the climate is controlled globally.

Not the rains, not the sunshine, not all that – the atmosphere. A world where pollution is kept in check, where extravagance is kept in check. A world that doesn’t have to be the Earth. A world where the only thing people care about is other human beings. Where love exists peacefully along with whatever religion people decide to follow.

A world where language is not really a barrier: a world where people are allowed to speak whatever language they want to, because you’re listening from the heart, not with your ear.

A world filled with love, kindness, understanding, pride in other human beings. A world where one person doesn’t dictate how another should behave, or feel, or be.

A world where you can see a handicapped person and be proud. A world where you can be a handicapped person and be proud.

A world where all of this doesn’t matter, because all that matters is that we’re all human beings living together and that we all love each other. Money doesn’t matter, status doesn’t matter, nothing really matters because we’re so busy loving and caring for and being proud of each other that we don’t have time to be jealous, or greedy.

Think about it. In a world like this, all the dreams that the Bible has created for heaven, that the Quran professes, that scriptures from almost any religion preach – all of this could come true in a world like this. That’s my idea of a perfect world. A world without fear, greed, jealousy – but a world in which people are allowed to be sad or angry if they want. After all, how can one be truly happy if they don’t know what sadness is?

Plastiki

Thums up to Plastiki, boat made entirely of plastic, for having completed its journey across the Pacific.

Did you know that about 46,000 pieces of plastic litter are floating on the surface of the ocean of which 40% will sink, eventually?

Did you know that nearly 90% of the debris in the ocean is plastic, and that this plastic will never degrade, but just, in a million years or so, break up into bits and stay there?

How much of the ocean can we clean? Even if we do stop using plastic – completely – starting today, how much harm that we have already done can we undo?

It’s bad enough that we have already harmed our ecology in so many ways without having to make it worse.

The ocean is where we came from, for crying out loud! If we make it unfit for life, how will we go back?

We are, in fact, destroying history.

So, well, calling all historians…please support cause for using less plastic.

Scientists can also join – because it looks like we’re seriously messing up research.

Biologists can join because a piece of plastic is not part of any animal’s natural biological make-up.

Teachers can join because – well, admit it – ‘one, two, three-four-five, once I saw a fish eat plastic and die’ doesn’t really have the same twang to it, does it?

Chefs can join because – well, sea-food is only fun if there is sea food in it.

Vegatarians can join because killing sea food comes to the same thing whether you eat it or not.

Who’s left? Industrialists? Yeah well, they can just go eat fish. 

The world is in dire need of more expeditions like this to spread the message.  

http://www.theplastiki.com/

Short article on throwing chewing gum wrappers in dustbins

I was eating chewing gum.

When I was done with it, I took out the wrapper that I had kept away for just this, conscientiously wrapped the eaten gum in it, and threw it in a dustbin, like a good citizen, feeling really proud of what I’d done.

It’s an experience that I go through every time I eat chewing gum. Eat-wrap-throw-in-dustbin-feel-amazing.

But this time, something else happened that made me stop and look at why I do this so regularly.

It’s because of the chewing gum wrapper itself that reminds me, every time I eat it, to save the wrapper and throw it in the dustbin to help keep my city clean.

Is that good advertising for the company, or is it good advertising for a good, clean world? I don’t know. What I do know is; it works.

And that is the message I want to direct towards corporate companies – take an active part in social activities. If it only means instructions on the back as to how to dispose of the product in an environmental-friendly, or at least civic way, please do it. It spreads a good message to your customers. Nothing works quite like telling a person right on the back of the bottle to crush and throw.

It spread awareness in the best possible way, and it definitely couldn’t hurt brand image, could it?

So whatever the product is – car manufacturers could give their customers tips on how to best use the car to give back to the environment, and in the process get the best out of their car, light manufacturers could request customers to use electricity sparingly, there’s no end to what just a little co-operation on the part of the company will do to boost environmental awareness, along with awareness regarding better lifestyle and a cleaner living space.

When the campaigners say ‘join hands’, they don’t literally mean a human chain do they? What they actually mean is that everyone can do their bit. And that doesn’t just mean walking rather than taking your car, or using dustbins, or joining conservation activities; you can do your bit in many ways. Just become aware of all the avenues that are just waiting to open up to you! 

Have your luxuries but spare a thought for the environment.

Is there a way to live extravagantly and still save the planet?

Extravagance. Cars – amazing cars with powerful engines and huge exhausts and half a kilometre of unleaded petrol per litre; air cons, anytime, everywhere; huge houses, lots of servants, expensive furniture, real leather, fur, mink – how many of us are drooling as we read this?

Let’s admit it. We love extravagance. Unless we have religious reasons to stay away from something or the other, we just have to have everything. Let’s just admit it; we’re not all the Mahatma. To be that requires too much strength of mind, and more than a little madness in the blood. How many of us can boast of these characteristics? Not many.

But we all would like to see a green world, a clean world, one where you see natural beauty everywhere you turn, where breathing is a healthy and pleasing thing to do, rather than a necessity you would avoid if you could (how many times do we walk the city with our hands over our noses?).

So how do we achieve both? How do we achieve that elusive balance between extravagance and environmental-friendly? How do we enjoy our luxuries without feeling guilty, or wondering if we’re contributing to global warming?

By being aware, of course. You want to buy that car? That incredibly expensive car that people will stare at every time you take it out (or rather, try to spot it, because you are not driving below a hundred when you take that car out!)? Go ahead, then, buy it.

But also include walking into your routine. Sure, if you want to zip on the highway, that car makes perfect sense. Sure, if you want to show off to your gym buddies, take it there. But to the grocery store? I’m pretty sure those people at the grocery store really couldn’t care for the car you come in to buy your milk. Walk. Walk to your grocery store. In fact, why don’t you chart a mental map? Walk to all those places that are from a ten to fifteen-minute walk from your house.

When you go shopping, try parking your car five minutes away from the mall, and walk. Saves that much petrol, and stops that much pollution. Five minutes. Can’t kill you. And even if you do have really heavy bags to carry, you could always come back and drive your car to the entrance to take them in, or ask the shop boys to help you. If for no other reason, they’ll help you for ten bucks out of your pocket.

Can’t be bothered to turn all lights and fans (sorry, a/cs) off when you’re not using them? Alright, don’t. Can you turn one light off? By turning off that one light, you save that much energy. Just a pinch, maybe, but saving that pinch is better than wasting that pinch, don’t you think?

Too cool to carry your own cloth bag to the grocery store? Ok, don’t. But you can at least make sure they put everything in one, or two bags, rather than putting each item in separate bags, can’t you? I’m sure that’s not much of a sacrifice. But it saves that much plastic.

Too lazy to find a dustbin on the road? All right, don’t. But as you’re walking, or driving, you’ll come across garbage heaps on the side of the road. Throw your garbage there at least. That way, you’re still showing some civic sense, aren’t you?

Oh yes, go ahead and spend all the money you have on all the luxuries you can buy. Just make sure that you save wherever you can. That’s all you need to do. So stop feeling guilty about all the harm you’re causing society, and get involved in some – any – planet-saving activity. The smallest gesture makes a difference. And the word is awareness.