Journal of Global Resources

Volume 3

July 2016
Page 179-183
ISSN: 2395-3160 (Print), 2455-2445 (Online)

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ENTHUSIASTIC ECO-FRIENDLY ENDEAVOURS: ESSENTIAL FOR EARTH’S
ENDURANCE
Malti P. Sharma
Associate Professor, S. K. Govt. (P.G.) College, Sikar (Rajasthan), India
Email: malti.sharma0@gmail.com

Abstract: Life is lived on this earth on multiple levels; we live as an individual and as a social
being. We all are aware of our being national and global citizens and have to fulfil certain
duties. We have to live our life to maintain its compatibility with the limitations of the earth.
Ecology has to be taken care of, while sustaining life in all its forms. To live an eco-friendly life,
we have to preserve all the available resources, safeguard all energy resources, put a strict
check on wastage of valuable things, check pollution, balance everything and co-ordinate withthe whole environment. While living on the earth, we have to be considerate about the limited
availability of resources and their judicious use. We have to put a check on misuse, overuseand rash use of resources to support sustainability for all living beings.
Key words: Individual, Social. Global, Ecology, Pollution, sustainability
Introduction
Products which do not cause any impairment to the natural surroundings in the process of
their creation or manufacture are called eco-friendly products. They have no detrimental effecton use by people and during disposal after use. They save a lot of energy and create minimum
pollution. The stuff which is biodegradable is also favourable to the environment. Some suchmaterial can be recycled and some can be reused through the process of composting. In thismanner they help improve the condition of the environment and preserve the natural resources
for future use. Apart from products, there are many practices also, which when implemented,
contribute a lot to the preservation of the environment.
Significance of Eco-green Living
Prosperity and its demonstration is the key word for today’s global society. Consumerism hasgiven rise to demand on a large scale. More demand more production more industries more
raw material consumption more pollution more wastage more depletion of resources rapid
ecological imbalance uncontrolled extinction of plant and animal species and the chain goeson! Resources are in a state of being exhausted in near future. Living species are on the vergeof extinction. In that case the earth will become barren and devoid of the most precious plants,animals minerals and other natural resources. It is essential to become eco-friendly andpreserve our resources otherwise we will be left with nothing worthwhile. We should
appreciate what Jimmy Carter said in his speech in 1979, “Every act of energy conservation ismore than just common sense: I tell you it is an act of patriotism.” The efforts and priceentailed herewith to save the resources, will be far lesser than that which mankind will pay in179

future on losing these precious and irreplaceable things. The pollutants emitted currently haveto be mitigated urgently or else they will challenge our life on the planet.
Small but Solid Practice and Principles of being Eco-friendly
Our daily habits have a direct impact on the environment and use of natural resources. If wemonitor them, we can contribute a lot to the ecological treasure of the earth. Let us discussthem according to the various locations.
Eco-friendly Practices within the HouseholdLife at home can be a great contributor to ecology-care. By reducing the excessive use of
exhaustible things, we can change the ecological scenario. The housewife is the key person
who can decide on what can be reduced in consumption, what can be recycled and what all
can be eliminated from the domestic consumption list. Home appliances have become anecessary part of our life style. She can use the right ones to save energy and reduce
pollution. Keeping the surroundings clean and green can be managed by her decision toreduce use of chemical cleaners and harmful things. They can be replaced by eco-friendly
cleaning agents. Apart from a large garden and kitchen garden her maintenance of small
flower-pots on the balcony contributes a lot to freshening the atmosphere and providing
oxygen. Introduction of this hobby in the family ensures the active participation of all the family
members towards a larger cause. The junior generation will learn the utility of this practice andcarry it forward to its own progeny. If each child in the family is allotted a flower pot andallowed to plant a sapling of his or her own choice, he will take care to nurture his chosen
plant. Siblings can be made to compete. This way the whole household will enjoy the benefit ofgreenery. Love for plants and flowers are a very healthy habit which should be introduced inevery home. Control on pollution in all forms is very significant in the family. Low audio sounds
and cleanliness should be made mandatory habits of all family members. The household
should be proud to observe eco-friendly conduct.
Social Events can be organized on an Eco-friendly mode
We often throw parties and organize many social celebrations. These result in a lot of leftovers
and atmospheric pollution. Many things used on these occasions create a lot of wastage. Theorganizer can be careful about not allowing loud noise and unnecessary dirt to be scatteredaround. Not using disposable cups, plates, glasses, straws etc can be very useful. Instead ofthis, washable and reusable household utensils can be used. There will be less wastage andsome menial workers will get employment by washing utensils. Unnecessary artificial
decoration can be replaced by use of natural green leaves and flowers. Misuse of electricity isa very important factor to be taken care of. If a party is organized during daytime, it will save a
lot of electricity. Gifts can be exchanged in the form of mud-pots with saplings, rather thanchemical and synthetic ones. For children’s gatherings, green twigs with attractive naturalroses can be an introductory step towards teaching them to love and value nature. They canalso be encouraged to dress up as birds, animals, plants etc as they do in fancy dresscompetitions. This will introduce them to the natural flora and fauna. As Zenobia Barlow saysin ‘Confluence of Streams’, “Children are born with a sense of wonder and affinity for nature.
Properly cultivated, these values can mature into ecological literacy, and eventually into180

sustainable patterns of living.” The theme of a party can also be chosen in a manner that all
participants and guests get diverted towards using eco-friendly get ups.
Evolving Eco-friendly Recreational ConceptsRecreation is an integral part of our annual activities. Little do we think that we cause a lot ofdamage to our surroundings in the course of our enjoyment. There are many locations likegreen organizations which entertain tourists and help them to understand many aspects ofnature. Time spent at remote water places, jungles, wildlife sanctuaries, bird sanctuaries,
natural art places and the like add a lot to our taste for the environment and we are inclined towork in the direction of protecting and preserving the environment. If this is made a regularannual practice, perhaps every family will contribute concretely towards eco-friendly practices.
When natural picnic spots become famous, more and more people take interest in visiting
them. This way they create a lot of harmony between man and nature.
Workplace as a Sanctuary for Eco-friendly Practices
On an average, every one spends eight or more hours at the workplace. Water, electricity,fuel, paper, stationary in miscellaneous forms, raw materials etc are used on large scale. Here
we should pay attention towards the type and nature of our work, the things that we use andhow we can reduce their wastage and improve preservation. The saving practices of one
single day amounts to multiplied saving on a monthly and annual basis. If we have aninclination to save, we can do it in adopting many habits in routine. For example,
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Control all switches on the switch board in such a manner that only as many lights andfans are switched on as are really required for a smooth working. Unnecessary fansand tube lights can be switched off. Lights in corridors should be put off during daytime.
Heaters, geysers, refrigerators and other appliances should be used judiciously.
Computer should be set to go on sleeping mode when not being used.
Print-out of only necessary documents should be taken out. Rest docs can bepreserved in the electronic form and read in that state only.
Soft copies of documents and e-bills can be preferred instead of paper bills anddocuments
Drinking water outlets and taps should be checked and repaired for any type ofleakage.
Biodegradable products should be encouraged to mitigate dirt and filth. Most of theworkplaces are littered with plastic cups, glasses and plates used for refreshment
during office hours. These should be discouraged.
Paper, used on one side can yet be used to write rough draft on the other side. It
should be used on both sides, and then sent for recycling instead of being thrown
hither-thither.
Encourage the use of recycled products at the workplace. This will save a lot ofwastage and pollution
We should check the kind of pollution our workplace creates and take proper measures
to check it.

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During production, many harmful residues and by-products are created. It should beresearched if they can be treated in some way to reduce their harmful effect, or convert
into useful products. Measures to neutralize them can also be an effective step.
Car-pooling can be adopted to save fuel.
Cleaners used to clean the floors should be non-toxic
Rechargeable batteries save a lot of wastage.
Washable cloth bags should be used instead of polythene or plastic bags.
There can also be healthy interaction amongst colleagues during free time on thevarious aspects of maintaining healthy surroundings.

The views of Margaret Mead very aptly support the idea of each small contribution. She says,”
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed,
it is the only thing that ever has.”
Automobiles as the Fuming Pollutants
Automobiles are a source of great comfort in transportation. On the other hand they are thelargest source of air pollution on the globe because they emit a large amount of poisonous
elements and gases like tetraethyl lead, methane, carbon di oxide in the air. An ordinary
automobile emits about one thousand types of pollutants. This daily used source should bemade eco-friendly by using green practices. Big public vehicles carry people in large numbers
and emit fewer pollutants. For individual use, smaller cars use less fuel and cause lesser
pollution than big and luxurious ones. Driving causes harm in many ways which can be
avoided by simple practices. Like,
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Cluttering the vehicle with unnecessary things is a bad habit. Unwanted things should
be removed from the automobile to reduce additional weight and misuse of innerspace.
External temperature and internal temperature should be used to moderate thetemperature of the vehicle. In case of warm climate and surroundings, the vehicle
should be parked in shade to avoid heating of the exterior body and interior
atmosphere of the vehicle. Free flow of atmospheric air before starting the AC will
enable the overall moderation of temperature. Switching on of air conditioner after thatwill consume lesser fuel.
Fuel evaporates due to heat. The automobile should be parked in a shed or under thickleaved trees to enable a cool temperature and reduced evaporation of fuel.
Over-inflated and under-inflated tyres affect fuel consumption. They affect the lifespanof the tyre and automobile too. So, they should be as per the recommended limit.
Over-filled fuel tanks spill out excess fuel and cause pollution.
Condition of engine and brakes hits the amount of fuel used and emission of pollutant
air. They should be checked regularly.
Jamming on accelerator emits abundant carbon mono oxide, so it should be avoided.
On a smooth and plain road, like a highway, a higher gear should be used. Higher gearmeans less wear and tear of the engine and lesser fuel consumption.
Every vehicle has its individual speed limit. It should be used in accordance with thatfor maximum output and minimum losses.
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Haphazard movements mean wastage of fuel and time. If the trip and route areproperly planned before hand, many works on the same route and in a definite
sequence can help us to do more work in lesser time and lesser wear and tear of theautomobile.
Asking for confused and indefinite address wastes a lot of fuel and time.
Unnecessary use of brakes damages the machinery.

More than the automobile, the concern and care of the user are important in making theautomobile eco-friendly. As Fujio Cho says,” Environmentally friendly cars will soon cease to
be an option they will become a necessity.”
Conclusion
Our habits make a big impact. They are important in saving the environment from manyhazards. We are living in a consumerist society. All that we use has a direct effect on theenvironment. So, we should be careful about the pros and cons of all that we use. Pollutionand toxins may engulf our whole system within no time. Resources will fall short of the overall
demand. By taking eco-friendly steps we all can unanimously save depletion of resources to agreat extent. Awareness about the alternative methods and products that can be used, reused,replaced and done without should be spread at a large scale. If we all know the alternates, wemay develop a practice of substituting them and contributing to the environment. Eco-friendly
brands should be popularised and made easily available to the common man. Labels
indicating the eco-suitability of a product should also be popularised.
References
1. Fujio Cho, President of Toyota Motors, North American International Auto Show, 2004
http://www.ecohearth.com/quizzes-quotes-tips/eco-quotes.html? Retrieved on 03 Feb.
2016
2. Jimmy
Carter,“CrisisofConfidence”
speech,July,
1979
http://www.ecohearth.com/quizzes-quotes-tips/eco-quotes.html? Retrieved on 04 Feb.
2016
3. Margaret Mead quoted in John M. RIchardson, ed., Making it Happen, 1982
http://www.ecohearth.com/quizzes-quotes-tips/eco-quotes.html? Retrieved on 03 Feb.
2016
4. Zenobia Barlow: Confluence of Streams http://www.ecohearth.com/quizzes-quotestips/eco-quotes.html? Retrieved on 05 Feb. 2016183