Small steps, a big cause

Can a lay person contribute in any way to mitigating the problem of climate change? Or does one have to wait for the Government to do it?

The Union Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Geographic Channel have come out with a documentary film which demonstrates how a family of four -- husband, wife and two children -- can reduce their share of the climate change-causing greenhouse gas carbon dioxide by as much as 11 per cent without much of an effort.

Small steps, a big cause

Titled “Cutting carbon footprint”, the 48-minute programme takes the viewer through the day-to-day life of Malhotras, an average Indian family, to show how one can cut down on one's carbon footprints by merely changing to compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, turning off electrical appliances when not in use, unplugging devices like mobile phones once they are fully charged, and fixing leaking taps.

The film points out that over-using the chargers not only wastes energy after the mobile phone or an iPod is fully charged but also reduces the battery life of the gadget. The phones keep consuming as much energy as when they are actually getting charged.

This regular activity alone generates 35 to 70 kg of avoidable carbon dioxide every year.

‘Be responsible'

The film emphasises that science and technology every day present us with the next generation of machines, devices and gadgets but we cannot be irresponsible about the energy we spend in using and discarding them.

The film also features a few corporate entities and individuals who were actively involved in promoting a green society by adopting techniques such as rain water harvesting at a large scale, recycling of kitchen waste as composts for plants and conversion of plastic wastes as a road construction material.

Source: The Hindu