A Greener Future

A Greener Future

We plan our life, set goals and challenges, and identify the steps needed to move forward. Whether it is the competitive corporate world or the popular Big Boss Reality Show, the better adaptive individuals can deal with risks presented by circumstances and have a better chance of surviving and of passing on their favorable traits to subsequent generations. The survivors aren't always the strongest; sometimes or nowadays mostly, they are the smartest and the luckiest.

Today, we all are experiencing the increase in the global temperature. This global change of climate, popularly termed as ‘global warming’ is predicted to have a large impact on the genetic make-up of generations to come.

What species of today will dominate or become extinct tomorrow?  

Unlike any other living being, we human beings, have the intelligence, the consciousness and the collective power, to behave and act outside the natural evolutionary path. We are more likely to survive by working with nature rather than against it.

The extensive construction activity all over the globe, impacts the ecosystems, depletes natural resources and leads to increased carbon dioxide levels. With the main objective to make the earth more sustainable, the Green Movement is gathering momentum worldwide.  Many organizations all over the globe, such as the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC), UK Green Building Council, Centre for Science & Environment, Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), etc. have actively developed their checklists. The goal is to help to sustain the environment, without disrupting the natural habitats around it. Even small changes can help to promote a better planet earth and a better place for all to live; not just for humans, but also for the plants and wildlife.

The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) was formed in the year 2001 with a vision, "to enable a sustainable built environment for all and facilitate India to be one of the global leaders in the sustainable built environment by 2025". IGBC offers a wide array of services which include developing new green building rating programmes, certification services and green building training programmes.

I have been a part of Amar Builders, a leading real estate development company in Pune, since 5 years, holding the position of Manager, Design & Development. We recently achieved IGBC’s LEED India Platinum rating for our new commercial project in Pune. It is a great sense of accomplishment and truly satisfying, as I was actively involved in the green techniques and strategies to achieve the certification for the project. Wherever possible, we work with and follow IGBC guidelines with a sustainable design approach, to provide our clients with an environmental friendly and healthy space.  In March 2017, Amar Builders gave me the opportunity to appear for the “IGBC Accredited Professional Examination” which I cleared successfully. The IGBC - AP Certification is in a way, my step towards being a part of the green movement. The IGBC - AP certificate allows me to participate in green building projects registered under the various “IGBC Rating Programmes” and apply my passion for sustainable design. Projects achieve a credit point, if one of the participants is IGBC AP.

“Knowledge is accumulation of information; intelligence is the application of knowledge”. We hear and read about sustainable development, carbon footprint and environmental friendly products. Well, it is time we start applying our knowledge, if we haven’t already.

Everyone would agree that making sustainable choices is the correct thing to do. But maybe, most of us don’t know where to start and assume that to make a difference we have to do something big. Making sustainable choices is good for the environment and for the pocket too. Doing small things to reduce the waste going to landfills and energy consumption can add up to big things, including savings. Here are some of the small things that one can do and also enjoy the benefits.

·        Buy yourself a reusable coffee mug and water bottle. Eliminate plastic.

·        Keep your laptop/computer on sleep mode, not screen saver. This works better for your laptop/computer and for your electric bill.

·        If you can get there on foot, do it! You are saving money, getting exercise and fresh air and also doing something good for the environment.

·        Encourage solar water heating in the society or community you live in.

·        Segregate dry and wet waste from your kitchen (consciously followed in many households today).

·        Discourage disposable straws. They are unnecessary and just add to the waste.

·        Recycle wherever possible (donate clothes, reuse scrap paper and cardboard boxes, use blank pages of used notebooks for practice sheets). 

Just by doing some seemingly small and easy things, we can make a big difference to the future and save some money in the process. A win-win situation!

Thus, with a common mission to create a greener future, let us eliminate negative environmental impact completely through smart, skilful and sensitive ways.

Beat The Heat!

Beat The Heat!

Anyone who knows me well, definitely knows how I hate the cold. I am totally a summer person. I love the long days and look forward to the little bit of daylight that is so energizing after office hours.  As much as I prefer the summer season, the increasing heat can be frustrating and irritating. Definitely, it is very important to beat the heat, a very commonly used phrase these days. To fight the problems due to heat, we get tips from everywhere and from everyone; drink lots of water, use sun glasses, apply sun block, wear a cap and many more. All these are absolutely essential and useful tips. 

In one of the related discussions I noted down an interesting thought; the way we prepare for rainy season and winter, do we really plan for the hot summer? For the rainy season we check whether we have an umbrella in good condition or raincoats for our kids. In winter, we try not to forget to carry a shawl or a jacket before stepping out. Similarly, we can do so many things which can help us enjoy the summer and reduce the side effects of excess heat. We all know what should be done, but I decided to list some good suggestions. 

Be Cool As A Cucumber:

• Keep yourself hydrated with flavored water if plain water is boring. Flavored water can be healthy by adding cut fruits, mint leaves, slice of lime, jal-jeera or sabja. Drink coconut water.
• Try to switch to limbu paani, kokam juice, buttermilk instead of the afternoon tea/ coffee. It will surely refresh you.
• Minimise the intake of hot and spicy foods. Avoid fried food. Difficult?? Replace with alternate tasty healthy foods of your choice like Bombay sandwich (tomato, cucumber, chutney), dahi wada, cucumber salad or raita, moong bhel or your favorite fruit shake.
• Eat light small and frequent meals.

Summer Dress Code:

• Wear light color clothes as they reflect the heat. If you are buying new, then get cottons and linens (breathable fabrics). Wear loose clothes.
• Do not forget to carry sunglasses and a cap. Try to keep an extra set in your car, especially if you have to travel in the day for work.
• Apply sun screen lotion without fail. Even if you are sitting in office, in front of your laptop/ computer, the sun block protects your skin from the glare and UV radiation to some extent.

Stay Cool At Home:

• Keep the curtains of your bedroom closed in the day, especially if you are not at home all day. Use thick and light colour curtains to reflect the incoming heat. Your room will be cool when you return from work.
• Open the windows late in the evening, to let the cooler air in.

Fit & Fresh:

• Take a cool shower whenever required, to avoid skin problems due to sweat.
• Splash water on your face as many times as possible during the day. It will reduce stress and will help you stay cool.
• Wipe your forehead and neck with a cold cloth.
• Exercise daily to keep fit and feel fresh. Morning or evening walk, anything is better than nothing. 

Well, these are just a few simple and effortless ways which can be easily followed to enrich your summer experience. As I said earlier, we all know these points, but just reading and reminding helps to put these into action. 

Have a happy summer season and just chill to beat the heat!!