GO GREEN!

From major deforestation cases to plaster of Paris idol immersions…from plastic to paper… from polythene to jute… to organic food and eco – friendly Ganesh idols, we have come a long way!

  

Slowly and steadily, we are proceeding towards reducing carbon footprints on planet earth. Our TV sets are thronged with celebs vouching for Green movements … and famous personalities reminding us to switch off the lights and save energy when we leave the room…

Yes, everybody seems to be concerned about the environment...but is only concern enough?

Here is a more concrete, more efficient way to make sure you conserve energy not only now but in the long run too… Read on!

With people becoming more and more aware, the demand for eco friendly homes is definitely up! Builders are using this as their selling point to promote sales. While lawns and trees are definitely green, they do not count as being ‘eco-friendly’. Let’s find out what eco – friendly is (and is not) all about…

Firstly, here is a peak at what Eco – Friendly is -- 

 

   · Preservation and protection of top soil and landscape during construction

   · Optimization of building design and structure to reduce demand for conventional energy

   · Integration of renewable energy sources to generate energy

   · Water and waste management 

   · Selection of ecologically sustainable materials for construction

   · Indoor environmental quality (indoor thermal and visual comfort and air quality)

   · Conservation of soil during construction and proper top soil for vegetative growth

   · Renewal energy-based water heating system such as solar water heaters

[Source – Internet]

Now that we got that right, let’s take a quick look at what does NOT count as eco – friendly! [Even though people think it does!]

   · Lawns. Lawns are not at all ‘green’! They consume around 4 times more water than native species! (And not to forget the pesticides and fertilizers used.) 

   · ‘Eco – friendly elevators’. The term itself sounds bizarre. Elevators run on electricity and thus cannot be classified as eco friendly. Period.

   · “Energy saving PLASMA TV”. Plasmas are the SUVs of televisions. They guzzle two to three times more energy than other screens and are made with nitrogen trifluoride, a gas linked to global warming.

   · Phrases like “Birds Paradise” or “Animal Heaven”. We come across builders who claim their projects to be ‘eco friendly’ because birds and animals are found in abundance! Well, they are found in zoos too…but that does not make the place eco- friendly. 

There are plenty of examples where people do little things to make the world a better place. Whether it is celebrity Gul Panag, who is among the handful of people in India to own a ‘completely eco friendly’ – certified- home or a civil engineer; Professor Venkataramiah Jagannatha who constructed a house based on natural resources… there are ideas galore!

Here is what you can do with what you already have…

1. You can install a mini solar wind hybrid power generating system atop your house that generates electricity which is stored in rechargeable batteries. [The cost for the entire setup would be around 1 lakh].

2. Rain water can not only be harvested, but also recycled! Water which is used for bathing and washing can be collected in a separate tank after gravel treatment and stored in another tank to use for flushing toilets or watering gardens. This will reduce the demand for fresh water. 

 

3. Biodegradable waste which is created in the house can be used as manure for plants and gardens instead of pesticides and fertilizers.

4. Use of ‘hollow clay bricks’ instead of the ordinary ones. These

provide better thermal insulation and cooling and reduce the need for heaters and air coolers.