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Hot and fuming

Are we thinking about the environmental consequences when we keep the tap running or honk our way from home to office? asks Monish Mathiaas

What is it that affects mankind irrespective of caste, creed, sex, age, literacy, status? Well, I would say pollution — of air, water, noise and what have you. The degree to which you are affected by it is uneven, since the rich have some shield from them.

We know Bangalore is getting more hot and polluted by the day, but how many of us even bother to switch off our engines as we wait at the signal light? Lakhs of litres of petrol is being wasted just as we wait near traffic lights. Even the small measure of keeping the air levels correct in your vehicle wheels goes a long way in saving fuel. Let alone not doing things like car pooling, we take our cars to even go to a shop in the neighbourhood. And talking of noise pollution, ask yourself if you have ever driven to office or back home without once pressing the horn? Try it and see how dependent you have become on it. And we don't know how to use it judiciously.

According to sound audit reports, places like Majestic and M.G. Road have decibel level of 85 against the maximum of 65. Constant exposure to noise pollution causes mental distress and affects one's physical health too.

Water depletion

In big cities the question is not just of water pollution, but of alarming depletion of water sources. Causes? In apartment blocks we have 300-odd houses in a block of land which would have otherwise housed a maximum of 10 to 15 independent houses. Now imagine how much more water consumption it entails. With the population rising, there is no feasible alternative to apartments, but at least apartment dwellers can use water more judiciously. Alternatives like rainwater harvesting should become more the norm than an aberration. Water let out during basic activities like shaving and brushing one's teeth amounts to a difference of 15 to 20 litres between using a mug of water (about a litre) and using a running tap. Water that we usually throw down the drain from cooking and so on can be used for watering the plants.

There are plenty of other things one can do around the house to conserve energy and other resources. Reducing the flame from high to simmer while boiling milk or water reduces 25 per cent of the gas used. By switching off the TV or the monitor of the computer we can save up to 200 watts per hour. Try using solar heaters instead of electric based heater for water.

Use CFLs (compact fluorescent lamps) instead of ordinary bulbs. Use buckets instead of showers. Cool the food properly before storing in the fridge. Check on the gasket lining or the seal of the fridge... .

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