Small Efforts, Great Results

There have been numerous discussions and talks regarding how to tackle the menace of plastic waste generated by our society in the recent years and it has resulted in many suggestions and actions to curb or reduce the generation of plastic waste through public awareness and proper waste management / treatment but the major issue still remains with the attitude of our society.

In a given area where such seminars are held on this issue, you hardly find a substantial presence of locals who could benefit from the talk and also impact the society by acting on the suggestions and actions provided by few social reformers who are trying their best to inculcate the good practices among the masses. Out of the few who do attend such seminars, half of them might take keen interest on the subject and the number reduces further when it comes to implementing on the suggestions or procedures laid down. You cannot expect good results with such scenario.

There are groups of people trying to bring a change for the betterment of our society but it is difficult for them to do everything. We need to realise that each and every one of us should take responsibility to make a major impact on this issue. Let us help the groups/ organisations whenever possible and also inculcate a sense of responsibility in ourselves to do something towards the issue, even if it is a small thing. 

There have been groups distributing cloth bags & paper bags to shopkeepers as well as the general public to reduce the use and sale of plastic bags. It is a good step towards tackling this issue, as it reduces the use of plastic and also reduces wastage of old clothes and paper by utilising them as bags. Various workshops have been taken up by few persons to make these cloth and paper bags, where the public have donated their old clothes and papers as their contribution to tackle this issue.

While attending such seminars on this issue, I have come across many well spoken and knowledgeable persons who have enlightened my mind on the ways that we can contribute individually to create a better environment for our society. Here, I would like to share one of the many advice's that I have come across which is relatively easy to follow through.

One of the speaker shared his personal experience of how he has managed to do his part on this issue. He asked every one of us to keep a spare bag (it can be any bag, even plastic bag) in our vehicles, two-wheeler or four-wheeler as a general habit. This is because we usually carry a bag from home when we specifically move out for marketing (atleast few of us do, hope the numbers increase) instead of asking it from the vendors but we find ourselves in a dilemma when we go to market after office or some other work, when we had not planned for marketing and are left at the mercy of the vendor providing us the plastic bag to carry the things bought by us. This situation can be resolved if we carry a bag in our vehicles, as it can come handy and also avoid buying more plastic bags from the vendors. Initially it might take time to inculcate this habit (as with any other new habit), but once it becomes a habit you will feel good about it. The speaker too had issues initially, but he made it a point not to buy plastic bags from vendors, instead he made multiple trips to the parking lot to keep the items in his car whenever he didn't have a bag with him. This helped him to train his mind to compulsorily keep a bag in his car the next time he moved out from home.

After the seminar, I made a commitment to do the same and have kept a carry bag in my two-wheeler and asked my wife to do the same and it has helped us a lot. I request each and every one of you to start doing the same and spread a word about this. If you are doing it already, then I am glad to have joined your group.

Small efforts like this will generate great results when done on a large scale. All we need to do is to generate awareness and a sense of responsibility in the hearts of our family members, friends, neighbours, colleagues and the general public.

Kindly share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section. Thank you.

Change starts from within - Part II

Recently I was travelling by train enjoying the natural beauty on the way, overwhelmed with varied landscapes that has been bestowed to us. Most long distance train routes pass through hinterlands, away from the busy cities and towns, providing us with serene surroundings, which are still under the control of mother nature as the human population in these areas are scarce. Even if there are any human settlements around they seem to have utmost respect to their surroundings and seldom do we see any garbage or waste materials lying in the open areas. The villagers use natural items as far as possible and don't seem to use plastic materials much. This helps in keeping their surroundings clean. They are more closely connected to nature than we the people living in the cities. For us, connecting with nature has become a part of our outings on sundays that too may be 1 or 2 in a month.

Nature provides us everything that we need. Some might say we create so many things through scientific research but the raw materials required to make them is provided by nature. We are on an endless spree of destroying nature in the name of development without proper consultation and vision on how to strike a balance between development and sustainability. We have created the very things which are degrading the nature to an extent that it is becoming difficult to curb it or even reduce it. There are measures being taken to reduce the damage but it seems to be too late or insufficient an effort to make any substantial change. We cannot just blame the municipality or the city corporations for lacking the procedures, technology, or proper system of garbage management when we ourselves don't make an effort to contribute towards it.

We want our cities to be made "Smart" but we forget that the city can be only as smart as its residents. A smartphone in the hands of an individual would be of no use unless he knows how to utilise its features. Similarly a citizen/resident should be smart enough to utilise and maintain the resources in the city for it to be called as a Smart City. We should take responsibility for our future and the next generation by being able to keep our environment in good conditions.

At present the point of concern is that there is no complete awareness about cleanliness of the surroundings by any age group. A few group of individuals try their best to create awareness but its difficult to teach such a huge population. We can find individuals in all age groups who are aware of the situation and do their bit towards contributing to the wellness of the environment, but what is required at the moment is "to inculcate the sense of responsibility towards the environment among each and every family members first. Once you have been able to transform your family then comes the others, your close relatives, friends and general public." Everything begins from home. It's how parents teach their children which in turn is passed on to the next generation and so on. If a child sees his parents throwing garbage on the roadside then he will follow suit without knowing that it is wrong because his parents are his idols. So it becomes the responsibility of elders to be able to teach their younger generation with example.

It is very disturbing to see people throw garbage/waste in public. On my train journey I noticed few youngsters who threw their cold drink pet bottles and plastic waste out of the window into the river while on the bridge. The same happens in all trains/bus or rented/private vehicle journeys. People just throw the waste on the road without realising what they are doing. Will they eat and throw the waste on the floor in their homes? No, they nicely go and put the waste in the dust bin because they are concerned with their home being kept clean. Then why don't they realise that Mother Earth is the original home which is providing us land to build our home. Why are they not concerned with the well being of the environment? They are happy to litter the place as long as it is outside their home/premises. Saw a similar incident near a tourist spot where the tourists ate sweet corn sitting in their vehicle(as it was raining) and then tossed the waste out of the window onto the road and left. The place looked nice and tidy just before they did that. Once they left, another vehicle came and stood nearby, ate the corns and did the same as if to say "hey, somebody has thrown the waste here, we don't have to worry, we can do it too."

How do we stop this habit? Can you and I go to each and every person and teach him or the people need to realise it by themselves? We need to teach ourselves discipline on how to dispose the waste. A small action of discipline will go a long way in making a person inculcate good behaviour towards keeping our society clean and tidy. We can't expect a few individuals to teach a billion people but each of us need to inculcate good habits and inspire the future generation. Each one of us has to take responsibility to protect our society.

Change starts from within - Part I

We expect a lot from others but seldom do we realise about our own actions. How far have we helped in making our society a better place to live in? It could be a small gesture but will go a long way if done regularly and will promote the good cause among others. Each one of us needs to take the initiative and start doing what is necessary and it will definitely help build a better society for the next generation.

I received a good message on whatsapp today which I would like to share to everyone:

A very humble request to all,

• Don't throw garbage on the roads/streets.
• Don't spit on the roads and walls.
• Don't write on walls and currency notes.
• Don't abuse and insult others.
• Save water and electricity.
• Plant a tree.
• Follow traffic rules.
• Take care of your parents and grand parents, take their blessings & always respect them.
• Respect women.
• Give way to ambulance.

We got to change ourselves and not the country. Once we change ourselves the country will automatically change. If we want our kids to live in a clean and safe environment then pledge to follow these in your everyday life.

No person or leader can change the country alone.

Regards,

Indian Citizen.

There are many more such things which has to be followed to make our surroundings a better place to live in. There are many individuals and NGO's working hard to help the cause but they need more support from us. Get up and get going towards helping solve these issues and everyday will bring a new change in you and this change from within will result in the society being changed at large.

All that glitters is not GOLD

A character of a person cannot be known until he faces an adverse situation. The character of a person who always wins without difficulty or effort(hard work) cannot be known , for character does not mean you always win but it is the courage by which a person tackles his failures and pursues the steps of success.

So, every successful person may not be a person of great character. Of all the successful people in the world only those who are the real golds will glitter throughout their lives. People who get successful due to luck or by short cuts will glitter for a while and fade away. They are the ones who do not have enough self belief to do it the harder way.

A person of gold may not glitter in the open world unless he has been dug out from the crowd, but until then he would still be known as gold by the people close to him.

You can leave your comment on the phrase "All that glitters is not gold".

Be Yourself

I always wanted to be different from other people. I knew that everybody had something special in them which nobody else would have, something unique, it may not be a great thing or quality but it will be a thing in which you are really good at. Nobody would be an exact copy of any person in this world(not even the clone...may be) when it comes to that special quality or character that you possess which sets you apart from being a normal human being to a hero or a special person for thousands of people or may be for the ones who are close to you.It's like the saying "For you the world might be nothing, but for someone you might be the world". So be yourself and enjoy the life as it comes, or try to improve it.

All the famous personalities had something unique which made them great. But it took some time for them to realise what they had in them. It's similar with every one of us. We have it in us, but don't realise it until the day when we actually find out or somebody else finds it in us. But once you get to know, you got to work on it and improve it. That's where our future lies, cos that's what will make us visible from the crowd.

This saying does not apply to those who do evil things or some might feel they have a good quality in them which might be considered wrong in the public. So be careful and find out something good in you. It is a matter of your choice. What you want from you, the good part or the bad. I think you are smart enough to make a wise decision.

So let us all try and find out the things we are good at and make this world a good place to live in and most of all be loved the way you are.

Do not litter - Do The Right Thing

The world as we know has been transformed by the humans to unimaginable shapes, structures, heights and various other forms. The human tendency of invention & innovation has not only changed the present but will have a huge impact in the future as well. Impossible is nothing, that's what is going on in the minds of many great inventors and scientists. From the production of a needle to the launch of a satellite to outer space, we have done it all and plan to do more. We have always kept stretching our imaginations beyond general beliefs.

All these have been provided to us with a price. Unprecedented destruction and pollution of our mother earth. They are either avoidable or non-avoidable. Non-avoidable works up to the mark as per our requirement or necessity for a particular thing. We choose to go forth with the decision of doing something with a greater value in prospect compared to the loss or damage of nature. It has to be balanced. Avoidable depends on the mentality of each of us, YES its your decision making that will either help protect the nature or destroy it. If only could each of us inculcate a sense of responsibility towards protecting the nature can we succeed in maintaining a healthy environment for our future generations.

There may be big corporations and businesses working to make a profit irrespective of how their actions will affect the environment but an individual has the power to contribute to the betterment of the society if he is willing to take the step. We can all take small measures to help protect the environment and the society at large. We should come out of the mentality of "If he does not do it then why should I" and make it "If I can do it then why can't they". We should lead by example and motivate others to do the same.

The public in general cares about keeping their homes clean but don't mind throwing garbage in the neighbourhood. Why don't we realise that the whole earth is our home. We need to keep cleanliness wherever possible and try to find solutions to solve any major issues. Parents & Teachers should teach the new generation about the importance of cleanliness by example. They can't lecture them about cleanliness unless they practice it themselves. We can see people throwing chips packets, chocolate wrappers and other wastes on the roadside from moving vehicles. It's an eye sore to look at picnic spots after a large group leaves the place. Everyone of us should take responsibility and make sure that the environment is kept clean. Keep the trash in your vehicle or in your bag if traveling by public transport and throw it either in a public dustbin or dustbin at home. I have seen people throw plastic cups & wrappers in the water while in a ferry. It feels so sad that they don't respect the water, the very water which provides us life.

The Only Cure For Litter Is You. We need to take responsibility of taking care of our environment and also bring awareness among others. One small step towards bringing awareness by each one of us will help in the long run. After reading this article please make sure that you don't throw trash/garbage anywhere else other then the dustbin. Looking forward to a better society with cleaner surroundings.

Seat Reservation

This blog isn't only about cleaning India from the garbage and waste but also cleaning the minds of our citizens with respect to aspects which touch others life in general in day to day life. To make them aware that their one good action of helping others makes a difference.

There is a factor created by our government which affects a huge population of our country, Reservations. You find it everywhere you go, from government offices to institutes, from election to selection and also when it comes to sitting arrangement in a public transport bus. Being in Goa I had noticed there was not much awareness about the "Ladies Only" seats until recently as compared to other states where it has been religiously followed over a long period of time. There are gents who still haven't come to terms with this change among the general public. It's good to see the conductors actually taking initiative in implementing this, as it provides assistance to the ladies incase someone misbehaves with them when asked to vacate the seat. It feels good to see the change where the public is following the reservations which were placed many years back but had not been of any use then.

As I mentioned about gents not having come to terms with this change, there are some girls and ladies too who were used to sit at the back seat but are being asked by the conductor to occupy the ladies seats first which are usually the first 3-4 rows in the bus. This makes sense as if this girls or ladies occupy general seats leaving ladies seats empty then the next passenger being a male cannot occupy a ladies seat and is made to stand. This makes the reservation useless. I have seen ladies fighting with gents who occupy reserved seats but they never give a thought when they occupy a general seat even if a ladies seat is empty. This has to be changed. If you are fighting for the reserved seats then respect it. Follow it first and then expect others to follow.

People usually tend to follow "Ladies Seat" but don't realize there are 2 other categories too i.e. "Senior Citizen" & "Physically Handicapped". Though the later is not used much as I hardly find any physically disabled person boarding buses but the question arises, do the ladies follow this reservation? do they give seat to a senior citizen if they are occupying the seat? the answer is a big NO. There might be few good people who give their seats but my point is, when you can fight for the ladies seat why don't you realize that you are sitting in a reserved seat meant for seniors and not offer it to them when they board the bus? It's not only ladies but gents too don't offer the senior citizen seats to the ones in need. I feel sad when I see young girls and boys who prefer to sit even if an old lady or old man stands next to them in a speeding bus knowing how difficult it is for us to hold on when they break. 

It just requires the intention to help someone in need. You are not losing money for it but will get blessings from them. Yes, some of us might be tired after a days work at office and feel lazy to offer the seat. But imagine how would we feel when we reach their age and no one offers a seat? Will you allow your parents to stand while you sit? If you think you can bring a change in the attitude of others by stepping forward and doing it, just do it. It feels great. It makes you feel great about yourself when an old lady says "God bless you my child" for offering her your seat. Do it and let me know how you felt. Till then Spruce up India.