Embracing Green

With the world waking up to the realities of global warming, thousands of people around the globe are joining hands to transform the earth to a cooler, cleaner planet with inclusive and sustainable growth for all humanity. Individuals and corporations are looking at "greener" ways of functioning. Each of them contribute by making some small change to the traditional lifestyle.

For some people the change means a more efficient use of resources - reducing use of automobile fuel by opting for car pooling, public transport or even choosing a shorter route to work and avoiding extra miles whenever possible. There are some who make conscious attempts to reduce the consumption of energy - switching off electric appliances when not in use, setting the computer to low-energy mode, avoiding hot water for wash or bath etc. Some others have taken a pledge to bid goodbye to plastics. They take the extra trouble to carry cloth or jute bags to groceries, refuse to accept merchandise in plastic covers and use newspapers to line the garbage can!

It's heartening to see changes happening at the corporate level too. Offices automatically shut off power to workstations after specified time and discourage unnecessary printing. Some have even taken extra effort to ensure that newer facilities make maximum use of natural lighting with minimal cooling/heating requirements. In a more informal way they also help in spreading the 'green' word - a recent Diwali related corporate event that I attended had the "green" theme!

Changes in legislation and regulations embracing green economy would need the combined support of millions of people. But there are simple things that each of us can change in our personal lives so as to leave behind a green and healthy planet for our children. It starts with the realisation that natural resources are limited and have to be prudently used - do we think of the millions who are deprived of drinking water when we take a nice long shower?

Kaira

Well, the least that I can do to this cause is to provide you with eco-friendly items for utility/decor. Handicrafts and handloom are eco-friendly by nature, but I have set up a new "ECO Shelf" in my Store to exclusively showcase items made from natural fibres using eco-friendly methods. In addition, most of these are being sourced from organisations that work for upliftment of rural communities, thus providing us a two prong opportunity to make a difference.