mini
CHANGE
POWER RESTS IN YOU
Going green. A mini step at a time.
Editorial
To promote Sustainability, Government, Public institutions and Businesses play a large role. However, to Go Green completely, the role of individuals cannot be underestimated. Any positive effort in becoming Green if taken by 500 million people, would mean a great deal.
This issue of mini CHANGE aims at empowering you and giving you guidance for taking certain actions in your quest for Going Green. We have dozens of ideas which if acted upon can help all of us immensely. Sana from CHANGE Edit Team and Trupti & Sandeep from Team GITL took upon themselves to carry out most of the work involved in putting together this first edition of mini CHANGE - aimed at promoting individual actions. Read this lively, easy-to-read mini CHANGE frequently to become smart, active and an engaged eco-conscious person. Share its contents with your family and friends. Also, do share with us the stories of changes that you made in your daily life, at change@godrej.com. It will help us create a Greener Community at G&B.
Indrapal Singh
TEAM
Editor Indrapal Singh Head Edit Board Anil G. Verma Copy & Edit Nalini Kala, Sana Anjum GITL Design Team Una Fernandes, Sandeep Rana, Trupti Silimkar, Harshda Gatkal
A ‘mini’ thought for you. Take a look at your watch: within the next hour you could be doing your bit to conserve the planet’s precious resources, reduce pollution and slow down climate change. The news these days is full of stories about issues such as soaring carbon dioxide emissions, global warming, water shortages, toxins and pollution, most of them man-made. Few people now deny that our lifestyles are to be blamed, and that things have to change, sooner rather than later. But it can all seem very overwhelming. Where do I start? What can I do? Am I doing enough? These are probably some of the questions you’ve been asking. The good news is that each and every one of us can take steps to make a difference, and ultimately make the world a better and healthier place.
CONTENTS 2 4
Carbon Emissions
What is your Carbon Footprint
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Your Carbon Footprint Calculator
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Green Behaviour and Green Mindset
Big ticket troubles ahead of us Global Warming, Climate Change, The key difference
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Specific actions YOU can take
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Cultivating Green mindset among children Green Commuting Being Green at Work Greener ways at Home Conserving Energy Conserving Water Waste Management Green Buildings Green Community
Engagement for a Greener Future Leaving a healthy planet for our grandchildren
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CARBON EMISSIONS
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very time we burn fossil fuels such as gas, coal or oil, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. In a natural carbon cycle, carbon dioxide is re-absorbed by plants and trees. However, we are burning fuels wherein the carbon dioxide has been trapped under the earth's surface for millions of years, and we're doing it so quickly that plants and trees that are alive now have no chance of soaking it up (and it doesn't help that we're cutting down forests as well).
WHAT IS YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT ?
CO2
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It is "the total set of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions caused by an organization, event, product or person."
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our Carbon Footprint comes from normal, everyday activities. We burn fossil fuels to create energy. From fuelling our cars, to growing our food, to manufacturing our MP3 players, energy is used. It is either burnt directly (for example, petrol is burnt in your car) or it is burnt in a power station to drive turbines which generate electricity. Fossil fuels are also burnt at various stages in the process of creating food, products and services for our consumption. The total carbon which we as individuals are responsible for is called our Carbon Footprint.
YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT CALCULATOR
Food
Trave l
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6 ake a moment and analyse how you are contributing to the CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.
Visit-http://www.emcentre.com/ knowco2now/ to calculate your Carbon Footprint. If your number is high, there's good news. Because there are hundreds of ways to shrink your Carbon Footprint easily.
It is about time you learn to make the connection between how you live and your daily contribution to Global Warming.
Home
Stu
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GREEN BEHAVIOUR AND GREEN MINDSET How can you think Green? By just being mindful of and sensitive to the natural environment in your daily life.
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eing Green is more than merely living in a green building, recycling your plastics, having green plants at home, wearing green etc. Developing a Green lifestyle means changing daily patterns, habits, and choices. To succeed in living a Green life, you need a Green Mindset to match. To be Green, you’ve got to think Green! Do a quick analysis of the things you do in your daily life and see how Green you in are your everyday activities. If not, make a list of the non-green habits, activities, and processes and try to adopt ways to be on the Green path. It’s all a gradual process but there is always a start. Look around you, appreciate nature, cause awareness because even that is a good start. Harness a Green attitude, a Green lifestyle and Green thinking will follow.
BIG TICKET TROUBLES AHEAD OF US
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GLOBAL WARMING
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lobal Warming, which is a gradual rising of Earth's temperature, represents a scale of threat greater than anything humans have faced in recent history and it could transform the planet we live on, making the climate (Earth's weather patterns) much more erratic, forcing many species into extinction, and making life much harder. Once something as big as a planet starts to warm up, it's very hard to slow down the process—and almost impossible to stop it completely.
Global warming means Big Trouble.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Glacier melt
Groundwater
C
limate is the pattern of weather in a particular place: how much sunlight and rainfall it gets, how windy it is, etc. The world's weather is entirely powered by the Sun. Since Earth rotates on a tilted axis, different parts of our planet are heated by different amounts at different times of the year, making some regions hotter than others and causing the seasons. The temperature variations between one part of the world and another cause differences in air pressure, producing winds, storms, and even hurricanes. The Sun's heat also warms the seas unevenly, driving ocean currents—which, in some ways, are like underwater winds—from one place to another.
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Extreme weather
Habitat
Links between the atmosphere and the oceans can produce complex weather patterns such as El-Niùo—a kind of abnormal and erratic weather that happens every few years in the Pacific. Scientists believe that greater amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and hotter temperatures on Earth, will significantly change the climate across the whole planet. This Climate Change is already beginning to happen in parts of the world.
GLOBAL WARMING
Global Warming- an overall warming of the planet, based on average temperature over the entire surface.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate Change- Changes in regional climate characteristics, including temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind, and severe weather events.
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SPECIFIC ACTIONS
YOU CAN TAKE
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time to
reen g o g
CULTIVATING GREEN MINDSET AMONG CHILDREN
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arents and teachers are key players in shaping the environmental consciousness of children as it starts at home but is reinforced by schools and the community. Ask for their help- Children are often eager to contribute to grown-up activities. Have them carry a small bucket of vegetable scraps to the compost bin, or let them help you sort recycling material, etc. Use Public Transportation- Demonstrate a commitment to public transportation by taking trains and buses with your children. Introduce them to Wildlife- Petting animals can help younger kids understand that there’s a whole world beyond their community and prevent animals from becoming something that they see only in books or on TV. Create a family garden, and get the kids involved- Gardens are places where the whole family can practice being Green. Being engaged with the natural world at a young age, is likely to stay with them in a powerful way. Encourage Conservation- Let kids know that resource conserving habits such as switching off lights and turning off water while brushing their teeth are expected.
GREEN COMMUTING
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y becoming a Green Commuter you are reducing your Carbon Footprint, protecting the flora, fauna and the green belt in that area. Walk or Bike to work- It is the lowest-carbon option for traveling to work. Anything under a mile can easily be walked else start riding a cycle. Good for health, good for the environment. Also, try using the stairs instead of the elevator and you may start to question why you are paying those hefty gym fees. Use Public Transportation- It can be a great way to meet your neighbours, avoid traffic, save money and improve your health
Consider Carpooling- How many people at work live near you? Is there any chance of sharing a ride? Keep your radars up to catch more people living in your vicinity. Drivers, stop your idle engines- As a general rule of thumb, if you are going to wait for longer than 30 seconds, it is better to kill the engine than to leave it running. This saves gas and also keeps emissions out of the surrounding air. Buy a more fuel - efficient car- So we really can't get you on a bike? How about trading your vehicle in for a smaller, more efficient one? You might also consider a car that runs on alternative fuels like biodiesel or electricity.
BEING GREEN AT WORK A Greener workplace can mean a lighter ecological footprint, a more productive place to work, and interestingly a healthier bottom-line. Be bright about light- Make it a habit to turn off the lights when you're leaving any room and utilize natural light when you can.
Maximize computer efficiency- Make it a habit to turn off your computer and the power strip it's plugged into when you leave for the day. During the day, setting your computer to go to sleep automatically during short breaks can cut energy use by 70%.
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Go paperless whenever possibleMake it a habit to think before you print: could this be read or stored online instead? Make it a policy to post files and similar materials online, rather than distribute print copies. They're easier to update that way too. If you have to print, then print smartly on both sides, using eco-printing fonts and in black and white rather than colour.
Watch how you eat- Make it a habit to bring your own mug and dishware for those meals you eat at office. Avoid using plastic cups and plates.
Rethink your travel- Implore Video conferencing solutions that can reduce your travel time and give you real-time meeting experience.
GREENER WAYS AT HOME
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CONSERVING ENERGY
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Select the most energy-efficient model when you replace your old appliances. Look for the Energy Star Label - your assurance that the product saves energy and prevents pollution. CFLs use 60% less energy than a regular bulb. This simple switch will save about 300 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. While cooking, use pressure cookers and steamers- they can save around 70% energy.
CONSERVING WATER
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Repair or replace leaky faucets. A leaky faucet wastes about 30,000 gallons of water a year. That’s right; imagine what you would be saving with a quick fix! Collect the water you use for rinsing fruits and vegetables, and then reuse it to water houseplants. Shorten your shower by a minute or two and you'll save up to 150 gallons per month.
WASTE MANAGEMENT Reduce Waste less food- About a third of the food we buy is thrown in the bin which represents a significant waste of money, not to mention the Carbon Footprint associated with the production, transportation, preparation etc. Reduce the amount of wastage by estimating the intake properly.
Reuse Refills- When buying detergents etc., look for reusable, refillable containers. Plastic bag type refills create less waste than buying a new bottle or boxful every time you run out. For home and office equipment you can usually get refills for printer, fax and photocopier cartridges.
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Recycle Compost kitchen and garden waste- If you have a garden, you could compost your garden and food waste. You can use a purpose made compost bin or make your own compost heap from old wood. Feed it with vegetable and fruit peelings, teabags, eggshells, grass/plant clippings and even cardboard and paper to create ‘free' compost that will make your garden bloom.
GREEN BUILDINGS
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“Green� Building is one that has been constructed or renovated to incorporate design techniques, technologies, and materials that lessen its dependence on fossil fuels and minimise its overall negative environmental impact. One of the greatest benefits of green buildings is their decreased electricity and energy usage, which helps reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
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Environmental Benefits Enhance and protect biodiversity and ecosystems Improve air and water quality Reduce waste streams Conserve and restore natural resources Economic benefits Reduce Operating Costs Improve occupant productivity Enhance asset value and profits Optimize life-cycle economic performance Social benefits Enhance Occupant Health and Comfort Improve indoor air quality Minimize strain on local utility infrastructure Improve overall quality of life The growth and development of our communities has a large impact on our natural environment. The manufacturing, design, construction, and operation of the buildings in which we live and work are responsible for the consumption of many of our natural resources. By opting for it or even causing awareness about it, you are helping in building a sustainable community.
GREENER COMMUNITY A Green Community conserves its land, offers multiple options for transportation, provides open space for recreation and cultivation, and uses its natural and cultural resources wisely.
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reen Communities aren't a new idea. In fact, for most of human history, "green" wasn't something special-it was simply how people lived. People arranged their days around the rising and setting of the sun and years around the seasons. Healthy land resulted in healthy crops, which resulted in healthy people. Living in cooperation with nature wasn't a matter of choice; it was a matter of survival. Previous generations may not have used terms like "sustainable development" or "smart growth" but they knew that healthy places had clean air, fresh water, fertile soil, and viable ways to move goods and people around.
Let’s go back to living in a Greener Community way.
ENGAGEMENT FOR A GREENER FUTURE-LEAVING A HEALTHY PLANET FOR OUR GRANDCHILDREN It’s about time to give back to our wonderful planet by taking good care of her.
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“A
s we watch the sun go down, evening after evening, through the smog across the poisoned waters of our native earth, we must ask ourselves seriously whether we really wish some future universal historian on another planet to say about us: ‘With all their genius and with all their skill, they ran out of foresight and air and food and water and ideas.’
”
- U Thant
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