Op-ED: Re-envisioning our future: Adopting an environmental friendly lifestyle – By Sanjana Lyall

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Op-ED: Re-envisioning our future: Adopting an environmental friendly lifestyle – By Sanjana Lyall

10:47 CAT | 27 Apr 2022

As we celebrate Earth Day 2022. I sat back and reflected; we have just lived through the worst pandemic in decades which threw the entire world into a state of chaos and disarray. However, I shivered as I thought of a bigger threat lurking and that is climate change and fast depleting natural resources. Surely it is high time we evaluate our priorities and our obligation to protect our Earth. According to National Geographic, our Earth is estimated to be 4.54 billion years old ( 50 million years). It will not forever continue to provide its harvest unless we take steadfast measures to sustain it.

During covid 19 lockdowns, we all have witnessed cleaner skies, experienced fresher air, heard the chirping of birds and saw the surprising return of animals to the vacated human areas reminding us that nature has the capacity to heal itself if only we can give it a chance and create opportunities.

Transitioning to a zero (or low) waste lifestyle is an excellent method to minimize our carbon footprint and its impact on Earth. So, as pharmaceutical companies along with the virologists from around the globe joined hands and worked assiduously to produce the fastest ever covid vaccines, let us, with the same passionate intensity and urgency, try and build a lifestyle and a planet which is resilient to environmental exigency.

We can contribute by adopting a Zero-waste lifestyle that has become a preferred environmental aspiration of many in the recent decade. But what is it and how can we contribute? Here are the Four As tips and tricks:

1.Adapt to a healthier lifestyle and be an eco-conscious consumer: We often hear about a zero sustainable waste lifestyle. But what is it? It is simply a lifestyle philosophy where you consciously choose against creating unnecessary non-biodegradable waste. Adopting a zero-waste lifestyle is one of the most sustainable ways of living and reducing the burden on the ecosystem. One should keep in mind that going to zero waste is a process, and it takes time; however, by taking baby steps, we can drastically curb our cycle of consumption and disposal. Here are some ways to aglow your lifestyle

Ditch plastic bags and instead buy cloth bags for grocery shopping.

Avoid unnecessary printing

Use leftover fruit and food scraps for making sauces, jams and stocks.

Carry your own water bottle.

Practice veganism and vegetarianism ( for a few months in a year).

Set up your bin for composting.

Donate clothes, kitchenware and items that you don’t use.

Understand the best before date rule. It only indicates that the food may change color or texture after the expiration but remain safe to eat.

Grow your kitchen garden. Tomatoes, chillies, onions, and salad are easy to grow and tend.

2.Advocate economic support and eco-conscious consumerism: Engage with the economy with an awareness of the impact of your consumption on society. When you go shopping, be mindful of your efforts to preserve the environment.

Here is what you can do:

Keep the products and materials you use daily securely to prolong their lifespan.

If you are a designer or a manufacturer, be conscious and design for durability and reparability.

Pass on the devices and items you no longer use to those who do.

Get your air conditioners, generators, computers, vehicles, and other machines regularly serviced.

Get appliances repaired instead of discarding them.

Set up recycling bins in your neighbourhood and send your discarded material for recycling.

By partaking in a circular economy, you support the local economy. Do you know the thrash that we discard goes into the landfill? This garbage contains paper, cartoons, wood, glass, plastic, batteries and metals that could have been sold for recycling and created more job opportunities for someone or at least supported small businesses.

3.Apply water retrenchment ideas at home: Although a renewable resource, water is present in limited quantities. Of all the water present on Earth, only 1% is fresh water. Yet, for day to day activities, water is vastly consumed. As the climate continues to rise, this freshwater will continue to deplete. We are already witnessing droughts and desertification of lands worldwide. The change is inevitable but is there something we can do? Some apparent tips to minimize water consumption are

To close the water tap when not actively using it. Insert a silicone ring into the faucet. This will prevent the water from running in large quantities no matter how great the pressure is.

Investing in water-saving Kitchen and bathroom taps is another good trick. It not only aerates the water but makes it look deluxe.

Finally, investing in an efficient flushing system can help save water greatly.

4.Aspire to be a digital minimalist: While electronic devices have made our lives so comfortable, it comes with a considerable cost. Do you know that even before you plug in and turn on your digital device, it has caused an enormous burden on the environment, leaving what it does when used? Tons of gold, silver, aluminium, steel and copper are used for computer casing and wiring. Additionally, we have “Rare earth” elements crucial to manufacturing many hi-tech products. These elements are all extracted through mining, which extremely burdens Earth’s landscape and damages the ecosystem. At the same time, it is not possible to go back to paper ledgers; we can take simple steps to declutter our digital lifestyle. Here is what you can do

Maintaining our devices, keeping them dust-free.

Delete downloads, Apps and old files that are no longer in use. If you have not used these files for months, it is unlikely you need them.

Install updates

Backup your files and important documents in an external hard drive.

Reduce your social media presence by deleting social media accounts like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter if you are not using them anymore.

Unsubscribe from emails and newsletters that you keep getting daily.

Disconnect from digital work at least once or twice weekly or fortnightly.

Organize your files in folders.

Substitute email attachments with links to the documents.

In a study conducted by OVO company in the UK, if every citizen sent one less email, it could save 16, 433 tons of carbon per year. While the impact of an email might not be excessive, it is a vital illustration to remind us that reducing waste is not only good for our well-being but also for the environment. No matter how small your efforts are, remember that anything you can do to reduce carbon emission is pertinent.
In a nutshell, the harsh truth is that the Earth is not sustainable, and its resources are fast depleting. Still, I believe that our future and our end does not need and should not be disastrous. To combat the future doom and gloom scenario, we all have important choices to make. Each choice on how we use Earth’s resources has the potential to positively impact the future of Earth and the generations to come. It only takes a small herd of dedicated people to change the world. You can be one. I have taken up the challenge to go zero waste. It is your turn now.

By Sanjana Lyall

Grade 11 student at The American International School of Mozambique

Bibliography:

“Why Your Internet Habits Are Not as Clean as You Think.” BBC Future, BBC, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200305-why-your-internet-habits-are-not-as-clean-as-you-think.

Society, National Geographic. “Age of the Earth.” National Geographic Society, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/topics/resource-library-age-earth/?q=&page=1&per_page=25.

“What Are ‘Rare Earths’ Used for?” BBC News, BBC, 13 Mar. 2012, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-17357863.

Path), Lindsay (Treading My Own. “Zero Waste and the Circular Economy (and What It Has to Do with Us).” Treading My Own Path, Lindsay (Treading My Own Path)Https://Treadingmyownpath.com/Wp-Content/Uploads/2019/06/Logo.png, 6 Aug. 2020, https://treadingmyownpath.com/2020/08/06/zero-waste-circular-economy/comment-page-1/.