Sustainable development has been defined by the Brundtland Commission of the United Nations as the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability appears to be a super-ambitious goal considering the large scale of current problems like global warming and shortage of resources. Yet, I believe that small religious changes in lifestyle can lead to big revolutionary steps towards a more sustainable life. With this hope, I strive to incorporate sustainability in my every-day life and my surroundings. In this post, I describe my efforts on three fronts: home, office, and personal.
I start with my apartment that has been set up to make wise use of certain resources. I have eliminated unwanted letters from credit card companies, subscribed for paperless billing, and maintained online (as opposed to paper) copies of vital documents. The remaining paper waste, if any, is collected in a separate bin, and is regularly sent for recycling. I have collected a few cloth bags for shopping and never bring home the non-recyclable plastic bags. I try to make the most use of water by saving used water to feed into press iron, to water plants, or to wash utensils. Moreover, my apartment, a miniature earth, is lit by all energy efficient bulbs and has two beautiful plants that give the hope to have a greener world.
Another place of consideration is my office located in a non-Drexel building. After moving in to this office, I initiated a paper recycling program in the building. A challenge of being a doctoral student is the amount of research papers and notes one gets drowned in. This keeps me motivated to try and devise simple yet powerful ideas to avoid wastage and facilitate re-use of paper. For instance, there is no duplex printer at the office, so I recycle the blank sides of used pages for printing new documents. Also, I found that the sticky side of post-it notes makes a decent computer keyboard cleaner.
On personal front, I am a minimalist, inspired by Leo Babauta, and strongly preach and practice owning minimal items, and sharing of resources. Such a lifestyle has several personal benefits too; it helps improve health, gain time, and save money. My immediate plan is to get involved in voluntary programs for tree plantation and trash collection. Finally, I look forward to a more conscious society, cleaner technologies, and a more vibrant earth.
I, like you all,
was born to a self-less mother.I grew up to take her for granted,
and made her age faster than normal .
I am now given a second chance
to undo my mistakes and revive her.
Thus, I pledge to nurture her,
and her offerings with care.
To make it clear,
I call her not just a mother,
but Mother Earth,
the ultimate giver and sustainer of life!
