The hope of saving from the lock-down
Who knew there would be a day when we would all be forced to stay home, unable to see anyone, and the world would eventually take a break?
The Covid-19 lock-down enforced 8 months ago confined humans to where they were and eventually took a deep breath from our mother Earth and regained some of its magic. Rivers were washed a bit, animals and birds were seen, air cleaned up and noise decreased.
The most significant thing was how much we influenced our world and how it would look if we only avoided fouling it, of all the things we learned in this pandemic.
“The garden of Eden is no more, we have changed the world so much that scientists say we are in a new geological age: the Anthropocene; the age of humans” — Sir David Attenborough
Environmentalists have been talking about living an eco friendly lifestyle, using organic and sustainable products, but we have been too distracted to pay much attention to them. We were wondering, what will we do when it's over? But that's not it, because now you have seen it. There is always hope that we can live an eco friendly lifestyle and save both our present and our future.
There are a lot of things that we can do to take a step towards sustainable living. Few of those are-
- Menstrual cups - Just the idea of going from pads to cups, as a woman I know, is horrific. But girls, it's not only going to save the world but your hard-earned cash as well. From Nykaa, you should try it. It's tried and tested. Also, you can never go back to anything else once you start using it.
- Reuse - This is a big step towards living in an Eco-Friendly living. Purchase stuff you can reuse. Even the batteries you use can be rechargeable, generating less waste and consuming less electricity, which would actually cost you less.
- Reduce - Not only is minimalism a movement or a fad, but it's also going to remain forever. The more we stalk our homes, the more we bear our own responsibility. Purchase truly needed goods and reduce your load of unwanted things.
- Switching to biodegradable products - If we stop using plastic and instead switch to any biodegradable product, it will solve half of our problems.
- Upcycle - It’s the upgraded version of recycling wherein no energy is required to convert a product. You reuse the discarded products creatively to create a product of higher value. To give an instance you can paint your old CDs and stick them onto your walls, making use of the waste and simultaneously decorating your wall. You can turn waste material into anything you wish by using your creativity. This way you will no more pile up the waste.
- Reduce the use of plastic - We all know what plastic is doing to animals and the oceans right now. We can not entirely dump it, however, we can reduce it, of course. Take shopping bags any time you go out, basically using more eco - friendly practices and less plastic, using utensils made of clay. It will be more robust, more recyclable, will take little to no energy to decompose, and, most significantly, will minimize carbon emissions, contributing to a decrease in global warming.
These are just the few things I have mentioned but there are many more.
Just 9% of the plastic ever created has been recycled globally, while 79% can now be contained in landfills, dumps or the atmosphere, harming animals and incinerating 12%. If we proceed at the same pace, the plastic industry will account for 20 % of the overall consumption of oil in the world by 2050. Our oceans could contain more plastic than fish by 2050 if current trends continue. Only imagine that!
It's not done yet, and we still hope to restore the heart of the planet. We also need to make some lifestyle improvements that will benefit us all in the long run. Many of us believe we can't do anything to make a difference as a person, but I have to tell you, my friend, you're wrong. You alone have the power and the enthusiasm to reach for the stars and change the world. This is just eco-friendly living. If you make up your mind, you can certainly do it. We can't just use our way of living sustainably.
