Changing and harsher climates, unprecedented floods or droughts, even tsunamis - the earth is experiencing all this and more. All fingers point to human activities as the root cause of all this disruption, and soon there will be nothing left to preserve. What are we going to leave behind for our children? A world that might collapse any moment under this strain? Or are we going to take immediate remedial action and retrieve some of the earth's lost glory? Learn to live 'sustainably' -now. See the immediate improvement in the quality of life you enjoy. Leave behind an ecological footprint you can be proud of, and your children and grandchildren will bless you for it!

There are some simple things you can follow to make your life more sustainable.

• Take a public transport to work. Better still, walk it if it is a manageable distance. Not only will you save on gas (and therefore the toxic emissions), you will be actually doing a cardio which will get rid of all that extra flab. Would your office be interested in telecommuting at least 3 times a week? Work from home and save on those trips to and from the office. Join the public voice for green parks and walk paths.
• Second hand, slightly used stuff is very popular abroad and has a special, niche market. Furniture, electronic and electrical appliances can easily be bought from these thrift shops if they match your requirement.
• Try and give hand made gifts and always use hand made, recycled paper for wrapping gifts. Gift a green growing plant for a friend's birthday.
• Buy organic stuff that is grown locally, whether it is vegetables or pulses, rice and legumes. This way, you are not encouraging the food being transported by lorries.
• If you are living in an independent house, build up your own compost heap. All the kitchen waste and food scrap can go into this and will become manure for your garden in due course. Learn about vermiculture and try it out if you don't have space in your garden.
• Adjust the thermostat in your heater, AC and other appliances to suit the weather and climate.
• If you can afford it, install a solar heater on your roof. Restrict the time spent in the shower to conserve water.
• Do not use the heater facility in your washing machine unless the clothes are very soiled. Dry the clothes in the sun and not in a drier.
• Change your bulbs in the house to the Compact fluorescent bulbs which save energy. These also last much longer.
• At home, invest in a good water purifying machine and use the purified tap water instead of bottled mineral water. This way, you will avoid adding to the hundreds of plastic bottles that litter our bins. It will also prove more economical in the long run.
• Buy non toxic detergents like baking soda and vinegar and use them as cleaning products. Your air quality in the house will automatically improve even while you are saving money.
• The latest items to join the waste bandwagon are the e-wastes. Old, discarded mobile phones, computers and other such electronic refuse are illegally being shipped to third world countries by the developed nations to be disassembled and thrown away. Little is done about the toxic mercury content that will harm human and animal life in these countries. You don't have to keep changing your mobile or your laptop to possess the latest. Think of the harm to the environment every such action causes. Find out how you can dispose off hazardous these items safely.
• Even if you are a compulsory non vegetarian you can reduce your meat consumption every week. You will save money and also save the environment - after all, meat processing factories use huge amounts of energy and also emit toxic and noxious wastes that damage the environment. Diseases like Bird flu are all born in these hotbeds of diseases. The government then spends billions culling birds and trying to prevent the diseases from spreading. Going veggie at least twice a month?
• Join the local Exnora and insist on the good maintenance of the few parks and open spaces that are left today. Do your bit towards a healthy sustainable environment.
• Use the local libraries and college libraries instead of buying books which will only add to the general waste.
  

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