TEN SIMPLE WAYS TO BECOME MORE EARTH CONSCIOUS.

Earth Day is celebrated on 22nd April every year. You can either spend it skimming through gloomy statistics floating around on social media highlighting how we are slowly, but surely, killing the planet we call home, and sigh sadly. Or actually pledge to do something about it. (No, we are not here to tell you to 'plant trees', even though the earth could use more trees). Truth is, we can all make a difference to the ecology by making little changes in our everyday lifestyle choices. From the clothes we wear to the food we eat to the stuff we throw out - everything has an impact on earth. Here are ten little steps that will ensure you are on your way to being more earth conscious, pronto!
  1. Buy Only Handloom: India has an extremely rich heritage of handloom fabrics that are eco-friendly, since they are handwoven and use natural dyes. They are hand-crafted by weavers who are practitioners of art forms that are centuries-old. By buying local weaves you invest in fashion that's sustainable, durable and earth-friendly, and at the same time, encourage weavers of the country to continue practice their craft.
  2. Avoid Fast Fashion: Fast fashion - mass produced, low cost clothing that mimics current trends - is the new filthy word in fashion circles as they come at a heavy ecological price. They use up large amounts of water, produce humongous amounts of waste, and giant corporations that make them follow unfair labour practices. So the next time you click 'buy' on that Rs. 200 crop-top or get '70 percent' off at the mall, ask yourself 'Where is this coming from?'. Adopt the mantra 'conscious fashion' instead.
  3. Say No To Bottled Water: Every time you buy bottled water, you are contributing to the plastic waste that is already choking the planet. Instead, buy a reusable bottle in which you can carry filtered water from home. With RO filters almost everywhere these days, refilling your bottle with safe, pure water is not much of a hassle. Inspire others to do the same.
  4. Exercise Outdoors: It's such a simple thing to do, but it's shocking just how many people don't do it. When you work out, you break into a sweat - as you should. But staying indoors while doing so only means you will turn on the AC and fan to cool off. Next time, get out, even if it's only to the balcony, and get some fresh air.
  5. Wear Hemp, Chuck Cotton: Yes, chuck cotton! Modest estimates say that almost 5,300 litres of water goes into producing just 1 kilo of cotton. That's not all, about 25% of the world's pesticides goes into cotton farms. Hemp, on the other hand, uses just 50% of the water and grows with almost zero chemical assistance. What's more, farmers can produce 200% to 250% more hemp fibre in the same amount of land compared to cotton. Apart from the good you are doing for Mother Earth when you wear hemp, the bonus is, you get a durable fabric that gets softer with use, and is a hot favourite of designers who call it the new champion fabric for those who want to adopt a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
  6. Don't 'use and throw': Anything 'use and throw' is seriously detrimental to the environment because most of these items are made of low quality material that can't be recycled. They add to waste, which in turn, ends up in land-fills and lies piled up for years, releasing toxins into the earth. Ergo, 'reuse' should be your mantra.
  7. Take The 'Eat Local' Challenge: Traditionally in India, it was believed that you should eat that food that's grown at a walkable distance from where you live. Even if that may not be possible for those of us living in cities, we can still take up the 'eat local' challenge. Everything on your table should have come from the local market/farm. That means nothing imported; nothing out of season.
  8. Pledge to Compost: Composting is the process of recycling fruit peels, leaves and vegetable scraps into a decomposed organic matter that is good for the soil. It is important to compost even if you don't have a garden, sending food and plant waste to landfills means that they sit there for long, releasing harmful gases into the air. If you simply separate bio-degradeable food waste and follow one of the many DIY compost ideas online, you can do your bit for earth!
  9. Go Natural: Just how many chemicals are you slathering on your face, hair, skin each morning? And just how much is the production of all those chemical-laden shampoos, soaps and make-up harming the environment. Once you ask yourself this, it will be hard to go back to buying toiletries you really don't need. Use natural cleansers, beauty products as far as possible. They are great for you and the earth!
  10. Say Yes To Menstrual Cups: A major portion of the garbage produced in the city is from sanitary waste like disposable sanitary napkins and diapers. They are non-biodegradeable and a great threat for environment as well as health. Try using eco-friendly reusable menstrual cups or cloth pads available these days, mother earth will thank you!
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