Environment and Economy - A trade Off

Last week on 22nd April the Earth Day was celebrated. This day came into existence in 1970 which was to honour our planet Earth. However in the past few years this day is more focused with the environmental issues faced by this very planet, Earth. One thing which has changed over the years is the human population which has grown exponentially and this population needs to be accommodated on this planet itself. Science and technology is still exploring another planet where some of the human population could be shifted but until then we all will have to adjust on this planet, Earth only. With the human's quest for a luxurious and comfortable life a lot of inventions have happened over the years. From travelling in bullock carts to driving a car; from rowing a boat to sailing in a cruise ship; from living in mud houses to staying in concrete houses - the list is long.

In this quest of a luxurious and comfortable life, we humans have used a lot of earth's resources and destroyed many other resources. From removing green dense patches of trees to blasting rocks or mining underground we have been playing with the mother Earth. The impact of human activities can be seen in the form of climate change, global warming, greenhouse effect, ozone depletion are few to be named.

Last year a 16 year old Swedish environment activist, Greta Thunberg, suddenly gained popularity when she addressed the environmental issues. The girl's concern is that because of current environmental issues people are dying; people are suffering; the ecosystems are collapsing. She was concerned as to how would planet earth change for the younger generations and the damaging effects of this change.

As the year 2019 was ending there was a news from the southern hemisphere of the world. The forests in Australia caught fire and the reason for these forest fires was climate change. The air quality was 12 times more hazardous. The forest fires killed many animals. Who knows many species would have become extinct during the fire outbreak.

However as we enter the second quarter of 2020 things have changed. Most of the world has been locked down because of the Covid-19 pandemic. This lockdown has reduced significant levels of human movements across the world. Various parts of the world have reported seeing animals coming out on roads. In a country like India also people have seen elephants roaming around on roads. The air quality has been improved significantly. People in Punjab can see snow clad mountain peaks which are located in Himachal Pradesh. The water quality has also improved significantly. The Yamuna river located in Delhi has cleared and the foul smell has disappeared. The Ganga river is also said to have gone on a self cleaning mode. As per the television or print news the river water has become pure enough to drink. Car horns have been replaced by soothing chirping sounds of birds. The young generation of children can finally see birds flying in sky and can actually count stars in the night sky. It is said that the earth has gone on a self healing mode.

But then the question is what will happen once the world gets back to normal? When the lockdown gets over what will happen? We, the humans, will again engage in our own regular activities and again it will take a toll on the mother Earth. Can people really sit at home and keep working forever? Can innovation and invention stop? Once the economic activities begin the earth's environment will again start getting affected. Children like Greta who desire for a better planet can we really give them a planet of their dreams? It will be interesting to see to what extend does the world change.

P.S. Chirping of birds captured during lockdown - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db-049W7vqc

A Plastic World

Imagine the entire world was made of plastics. The house, the tree, the sand, the sky - everything made of plastics; but then could we humans survive? Would plastic become our staple; a reason to live?

Unfortunately that is not the case. I remember since my school days I was told plastic is bad for the environment. Since the time science was divided into physics, chemistry and biology we were told plastics are non biodegradable. Since the 1990s I was aware that plastics do not decay like food waste. Infact the idea plastics are non biodegradable and hazard for environment would be existing even before the 90s. As plastics do not decay they just keep piling up.

If  plastics do not decay and are harmful for the environment then why do we use it? 

By 2010 most shops started charging for the carry bags. As a customer most of us would happy pay that extra 5, 10, 15 or whatever extra amount was being charged. However slowly in a country like India government started getting concerned and decided to put a ban on plastics. Those who are environment lovers came with the idea of carrying own bags for shopping.

The question is that we all know plastics are harmful for the environment; then why dont we put a stop on the production of plastic bags? If there will be no plastic bags being manufactured automatically we will switch to cloth bags and maybe carry our bags for shopping.

In schools we are definitely taught plastics are harmful for the environment but the very next minute we might buy something from a shop or vegetable cart and demand for a plastic bag. Maybe the roadside cart sellers find it easier to provide stuff in a plastic bags so they keep a stock plastic carry bags. 

The best way which has been found to educate these roadside sellers is by police threatening them that they will not be allowed to sell their stuff. Some even fine these roadside vendors. Why they dont fine the customers who ask for plastic bags? Arent customers who demand for plastic bags equally responsible for the plastic menace?

Once I went to a mandi in a village near Ranchi and the villagers clearly said without a carry bag they will not sell their stuff. In the mandi a person was selling the jute carry bags at Rs. 10. So anyone who did not have their own bags first had to buy a jute carry bag and then only could they shop around.

Now a days plastics are being used in road construction. Plastics have been rated and more and more places are being encouraged to go plastic less. But still there are a lot of products which we have to package in plastic bags. Even though our government is promoting the idea of Swach Bharat still we throw away plastic covers here and there.

Can we really reduce the consumption of plastics? Can we really try creating a plastic free world? By when can we expect people carrying their own bags and those who are not doing so then some action being taken against them?

I am sure no one would like to wake up with plastic covers all around them.