19th May, 2008: for the past one week, there has been no respite from scorching heat in Delhi. One wonder if this marks the peak of summers, or June has more sweltering blaze waiting to be gushed out? There is no denying the fact that as the time progresses the ecological system moves towards a more unstable state, the one with colder winters and hotter summers. Do two negatives make a positive? Well think twice when it comes to instability in weather. With more heat and intense cold, the equation isn’t a balancing one, but definitely the one which has its variables moving away from the state of equilibrium.
How an individual feel relieved from the inferno outside his/her home or working place? By using an air conditioned mode of transportation, or by drinking loads of drinks and juices, or by other means which can provide an easy respite. But are all these measures sustainable or are they really affordable by majority of the individuals on the run for major proportion of the day? The answer is a clear no. So what exactly are the sustainable measures that need to be taken care of?
One must realize that higher temperatures are a global issue and it can only be tackled if every individual understands the gravity of the problems it would result in near future. There would be 100’s of articles available explaining various methods of combating with scorching heat and keeping it cool, I would only like to enumerate the measures that would result in a balanced ecosystem & hence eliminate alternative ways to beat the heat.
a) The most important task would be to plant as many trees as possible, or if possible, to plant one tree for every tree cut. For majority of us, as citizens of society, this is a long run practical approach concurred by most but rarely implemented by one. One needs to understand how important is afforestation/ reforestation and how important are trees in lowering the rising temperatures. It is evident from the scenario in villages (which also in fact are getting industrialized in today’s times) where lanes of trees provide a soothing touch of cool air just like an air-conditioner. Planting of trees has a multiplier effect. And not only does it result in stabilizing weather, it also result in creating jobs and improving work efficiencies and productivity. Planting more trees would result in preserving our ecological system. It would also help in lowering temperatures and hence more outdoor activities like going to work, undertaking field tasks etc would become easier. This would improve employee efficiency and organization’s productivity. Trees also provide natural home to diverse bird species & animals. Trees also help in preventing soil erosion and hence prevent floods from occurring. In a nut shell, one tree can solve multitude of our problems, think about having as many as possible? Wouldn’t that change the face of the earth and reduce the amount spent on developing alternative sources of energy to balance eco-system.
b) Make use of car pools is another important measure that needs to be taken on a broader scale. Wisdom not lies in driving the most efficient (on mileage) car single handedly, but rather using any vehicle as a group most efficiently. With ‘nano’ stars waiting to be sparkled across every street and corner of the country, it is highly advisable to make use of each unit to its fullest capacity if possible. People staying in one colony should develop a car pool for to & fro journeys between the place of work and home. This would drastically reduce the fuel consumption and hence quash the ever growing constant demand on conventional sources of energy.
c) Traffic signals provide an effective mechanism for conserving the limited fuel in each vehicle. Had there been no traffic signals, it would have only resulted in creating chaos on roads and increasing cases of accidents due to high speeds in addition to pollution burden. And high speed results in more fuel consumption, and hence more pollution. An individual should switch off the vehicle when the wait time period is at least 30 seconds. If all vehicles preserve fuel by above step, it would only result in saving up to tones of fuel on monthly basis. Hence increasing the supply, lowering the demand and hence prices.
d) Make use of Metro trains as & when possible. Not only metro trains’ help in covering far reaches of a place, but they also provide a rather comforting journey at the most competitive prices. So shouldn’t the Metro trains be made use of if the distance to be covered is long enough to walk down?
Would come up with more sustainable measures which are present right in front of us, one just need the vision to make use of!!!
Till then take care and enjoy summer with cool drinks and loads of water….
