Inspiring Climate Action Since 2009
Tribe, many people have a tendency of complaining about how things are around them, of course almost all of us like to talk about what should be done and how things should be done. But till we don’t start doing something, we can not see the change in the society which we desire.
I strongly believe in strat doing something instead of waiting for authorities, government or higher entities to start something. Therefore, if we care about our mother nature, it’s important not just to have a sustainable lifestyle in your personal life or at home. It is equally important to be a conscious citizen and help local governments in adopting sustainability. Once we start believing that all good things start with me, we all together can make a difference, bring the change! Here are 5 simple ways through which you can be a responsible Green citizen.
If you notice any water leakage, broken pipe or open hydrants when you are out, or an electric short circuit, electric wire not in place. In short, any source of water pollution, land pollution, air pollution report it to a relevant local government authority, so that action can be taken to repair the faults and water or electricity can be saved. You don’t need to spend a lot of time on this, don’t worry. You can just call your local municipality office and let them know about your observations. Remember you are paying directly through taxes or indirectly for the infrastructure provided by the local government. So anything is wasted in public areas is your loss as well.
Share conservation tips with family and friends to help spread awareness about sustainability and sustainable lifestyle. You can share with them that you have started this lifestyle next get-together and let them ask questions so that you can talk about it more. Read more about reduce, reuse, recycle, which can be a great starting point for someone who is interested in the eco-friendly lifestyle.
If you delegating cleaning and other odd jobs at home or office, teach your house cleaner, cook, car wash person, security guard, office-boys about energy and water-saving techniques and main recycling. Read here a very useful guide about correct recycling techniques to make sure whatever you are dropping in the recycling center is getting recycled at the recycling facility. They need to know this, as their involvement can significantly impact a sustainable lifestyle. Do not forget to mention that these energy-saving techniques are going to save some money so that they just don’t do it in your home or office, they do it elsewhere and at their home. For example, saving water & reducing water bills. This might be much more applicable in Asia, where you can find cheap labor and less educated people turn to these odd jobs.
If you notice anybody on-road or in your neighborhood is wasting unnecessary energy say water or electricity etc, please reach out to them politely. You might casually start talking to them and without offending them you can mention the alternative ways where resources are used efficiently. Make sure to tell him or her about it in a friendly manner.
When we talk about Eco-friendly lifestyle, we mostly talk about saving energy, water; but we also need to give a thought to protecting wildlife (or whatever wildlife is now remaining in the urban environment around you). So if you see someone in your neighborhood not being kind to birds or animals, you can reach out to them as a friend. Here are some tips on how you can help conserve wildlife in the UAE, or how to make small changes in our habits to start saving natural resources and start using them efficiently. Also, how to go green in the office.
If you get an opportunity of presentation or speak in front of an audience say business-related or community, schools or even family /friends get together; please add some of your favorite sustainable tips in the end. Tell your audience proudly how green you are and how they also can make small changes and can start living more Earth-friendly. Some ideas for such facts can be found in waste facts or another popular guide of simple tips about how to reduce plastic consumption to reduce waste.
Lastly, don’t forget to join our tribe here and spread the word about ‘Sustainability Tribe’, Middle East’s pioneering grassroots movement. We have been raising social awareness about ‘sustainability’ since 2009, so Tribe, your contribution will be well received.
Amruta Kshemkalyani, an expert sustainability professional turned social entrepreneur, is the founder of the Sustainability Tribe, AK Sustainability
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