Appreciating Gaia on Environment Day

In ancient Greece the Earth was personified as Gaia and worshipped as a Mother Goddess or Great Goddess in the Greek pantheon. For the ancient Greeks, oaths sworn in the name of Gaia were the most binding of all. But then of course this was the pre -plastics that choke the earth, pre- fossil fuels that spew poisonous fumes into the atmosphere, pre- factories that pollute the waters of our rivers -world.
Worry not, this post is not meant to be another diatribe against the terrible damage that we are inflicting upon the environment. So I will not talk about how by the year 2020 (a mere 11 years away) less than 5% of the Amazon Rain Forests will remain in pristine condition and 1/5 th of central Africa's forests will have disappeared due to climate change. Nor will I discuss that many central and eastern Himalayan glaciers will melt by the year 2035, nor express my horror at the fact that 5 lakh humans will lose their lives due to a fallout of climate change by the year 2030. I won't even talk about the fact that an entire island nation: The Maldives will become uninhabitable by the year 2050. No I'm sure these and other equally horrifying statistics were read/seen/heard by all of us through the various media on World Environment Day which just passed us by on June 5th.In short, I will not preach to you wake up and smell the (pesticides laden?) coffee because there is no rewind button on this horror movie called global warming! Instead I will focus your attention on the theme of World Environment Day 2009: "Your planet needs you-Unite to combat Climate Change".
Yes our planet needs us, but not half as much as we need it,because (NEWSFLASH!!) the Earth is the only planet that we have to call home!! So instead of sanctimonious sermons and pious preaching, I shall just list a few basic measures to give our planet a helping hand. After all you don't have to be an ancient Greek to show Gaia you care!

AT HOME

• Conserve water by not letting the tap run while shaving, washing your face, or brushing your teeth. Go that extra mile by installing shower heads with low flow so that you can be squeaky clean without being an Eco criminal!
• Use heaters with timers to conserve electricity
• All the macho men out there , use an electric razor or hand razor with replaceable blades instead of disposable razors. You will go a long way towards reducing waste and the ladies will love you as much (if not more) for being well groomed AND Eco considerate!

Use towels for drying your face and hands instead of tissues that are used and thrown away. Also, hang your towels to dry so that they can be reused several times. You are after all clean when you use them!

Instead of getting your own individual copy of the daily paper, catch up on the news with the copy in your office or public places like coffee shops. However if you need your news fix with your morning caffeine/OJ/breakfast cereal/current favourite breakfast food, do the responsible thing and RECYCLE

When packing your lunch, opt for reusable containers for food storage instead of wrapping the food with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

Switch off all the lights and appliances when you are not in a room or when stepping out of the house. Also unplug chargers as they continue to consume even if they are not charging. Pssst double whammy Eco tip: Saving energy also helps reduce air pollution.

Don’t place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat as it senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air-conditioner to run longer than necessary.

When cooking dinner, match the size of the pan to the size of the heating element to lower energy wastage.

When you are feeling your laziest, don’t throw clean clothes in the hamper to avoid hanging them up! Wear jeans more than once

AT WORK

• Need your morning caffeine fix? Don't we all! Just remember that using a washable mug is an environmentally-friendly alternative to non-biodegradable styrofoam or plastic cups.
• Leave a cup and reusable bottle for water at work to eliminate buying drinks, which get served in plastic cups, or bottled water. 80% of plastic bottles are recyclable but only 20% are actually recycled
• When you need a pad for lists and messages, turn over an old document and write on the back of that instead
• Take a printout only when absolutely unavoidable
• If you must print, use recycled sheets instead of fresh ones whenever possible. The trees you save will thank you........with loads of life giving oxygen
• Speaking of oxygen......a fabulous way to cheer up your workspace is with a lil potted plant. It looks good AND removes pollutants from the environment while generating oxygen for you
• Lower your office’s carbon footprint by seeing computers, monitors, printers, copiers, speakers and other business equipment to their energy saving feature and turning them off at the end of the day
• Turning off all unnecessary lights, especially in unused offices and conference rooms is an easy way to save energy

WHEN STEPPING OUT

• Cut down on your fossil fuel consumption walk or ride a bike over short distances (great for toning the legs too) and carpool or use public transport whenever possible for longer distances
• Buy a car providing better mileage (watch your money grow as you help save the environment) and always maintain the optimal pressure in your car tyres
• Always carry a cloth bag with you when out shopping……..makes it easy to say no to plastic

And the simplest of all..........Plant a Tree!! Here's to a greener planet and a happier, healthier you!!