The best time to travel through the picturesque countryside of Punjab is at the crack of dawn. I did that a few days ago; winding along the dusty roads of central Punjab, watching the sun rise and the mist roll up from the fields.
It was a beautiful view, until a cloud of thick, pungent black smoke from a nearby factory blocked out the sun and took away some of the magic.
As I rolled up my car window to avoid the acrid smell, I had a sudden realisation that every single human being, including myself, was somehow contributing to the destruction of our environment. The cars passing by, the factories, the tractors in the fields were all inadvertently having a negative impact.
These effects are multiplied millions of times over every day as humans and human-designed technology connect. It’s easy to rationalise this by saying that one person’s impact on the environment is negligible in the grand scheme of things. Probably so, but it all adds up when every single person is making the same damaging choices.
Global warming and environmental damage are realities that can no longer be ignored. 2015 has been the warmest year in recorded history. Smog, polluted water and debris underfoot are things people in cities experience on a regular basis and now even in sleepy central Punjab hamlets, the sky is no longer clear.
Also read: Weather change: a conspiracy?
For those who are concerned about this problem and want to play their role in improving the situation, do not be discouraged by the sheer size of the challenge. There is plenty that we can do and many damaging habits that we can change with little effort to make a positive difference.
It’s all about being more aware of the impact our actions can have on our surroundings. Here in no particular order are some New Year Resolutions you can adopt to help protect the environment and save up some money in the process, because after all, using resources costs money.
Switch it off
The lights and fans when you leave the room, the PC when its not being used, the chargers when they aren’t charging anything: switch them all off. You will be using much less electricity and reducing your bills.
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Even though it sounds simple, we need to ask ourselves as to how many times we leave things plugged in and running just to avoid the slight effort of getting up and flicking a switch off.
Stop wasting water
This includes turning off the taps while you brush your teeth or soaping yourself, fixing pipes that drip or leak, taking shorter showers and (perhaps this one will be a surprise for most), not buying bottled water.
It takes thrice the amount of water to produce one bottle of water than it does to fill it. Additionally, because of the chemicals used in plastic production, this water becomes unusable. The bottling process is therefore a wasteful one and if you can get by on boiled water, by all means, do.
Another plus of this approach is that you will be reducing your use of plastics. And on that note…
Reduce the use of plastics
Items like plastic bags, bottles, wrappers, containers, plastics have taken over our lives. Though very convenient, they wreak havoc on the environment. Tons and tons of plastic products are thrown every day that end up in trash sites, rivers, seas, forests and gutters.
Plastic products can be recycled but currently their huge consumption and improper disposal outpaces the recycling process. Additionally, plastics are not bio-degradable, but photo-degradable, which means they break down into smaller units but never completely vanish from our environment.
It may be difficult, but not impossible, to stop using them. The least we can do is to use fewer shopping bags and opt for glassware instead of plastics whenever possible, and reuse plastic containers.
Make shopping lists
It often happens that when we shop without a clear idea of what exactly we need, we come home with a lot more than we had intended to buy. Bright, shiny objects look attractive and money is inevitably spent on a lot of things that end up in junk drawers and are often thrown out without ever being used.
If we have a clear idea about what we need, unnecessary purchases are less likely to happen. The best thing to do is to always prepare a shopping list in advance. As a result of this, our houses will be uncluttered, our bank accounts more full and our planet a tad bit thankful that we haven’t loaded more things to the gigantic junk heap of the world.
Swap processed meals for home-cooked ones
Unfortunately, home-cooked meals have fallen out of favour in Pakistan, as there are now countless international fast food chains to choose from, while our supermarkets keep loading their shelves with more and more processed and canned foods.
Not only does this increase our bills, it also adds inches to our waistlines. We end up wasting food which leads to an increase in industrial production, causing environmental damage as companies overspend natural resources.
Connect with nature
Sunlight is good for us and so is stepping away from electronic devices and connecting with nature. The world is meant to be experienced with all our senses, not just to be viewed from bright screens, so unplug and take a stroll down a park.
Let natural light into your home by opening your windows. This will also air out your house and reduce indoor air pollution which can contribute to numerous health conditions.
Also read: Dangerous labour — The little-known 'e-waste' phenomenon
These were some very simple tips that on the surface may not seem like much, but let’s remember that every bit of effort counts. Let’s start by taking the first step and encouraging our loved ones to do the same.
As you become more mindful of the environment, you will be better able to assess the small alterations that can be made to daily routines to have a more eco-conscious lifestyle.
As citizens of Earth, we all reap benefits from the resources it provides and therefore we must all take part in protecting and preserving it for our future, and those of our children, and what better time to start positive habits than a new year.