charu sharma

I can now work the rudimentaries of a Blackberry, but I am still, for all intents and purposes, e-illiterate.  So when the very persuasive Ravi Agnihotri requests me to ‘blog’ – I’m quite confused.  In the past, my understanding of bloggers was, not without good reason, limited to a bunch of anonymous authors, whose sole purpose appeared to be spitting unadulterated venom at any topic of choice.  Perhaps times have changed.  For the better.  For, now, blogging seems to have evolved into a sane, mature platform for an exchange of viewpoints – to make our world a better place.  So, whether what follows is a ‘blog’ or an old fashioned ‘article’ here goes…!

We are all guilty.  To varying degrees, yes, but we are all guilty.  Of either polluting our planet directly, or, not doing enough to prevent senseless pollution.  You don’t need an IQ of over 10 to see the environmental degradation around us.  Thanks to the media, we’ve seen and heard it all.   Global warming, glaciers vanishing, floods, drought, polluted air, water, food.  Lakes disappearing, rivers choking, sea rising, forests depleting…  I don’t need to go on.  Yes, there has been enough comment on how, over the past few years, our planet is desperately hurtling towards destruction.  Yes, these intellectual discussions need to continue.  To ensure that people are constantly informed, reminded, warned.  But talk is cheap.  I should know – I make a living off it! 

What we are desperately lacking, is action.  And this is where groups such as Green Commandos are poised to make a significant difference.  The situation we all face right now, is that of standing at the base of a very tall, steep mountain.  You look at the size of the mountain and tell yourself, ‘forget it’, no way I can get to the top.  And you walk away.  If we look at the environmental problems that surround us – in our neighbourhood, leave alone a city – they appear so monumentally difficult to solve, that we have become masters at ignoring them.

Most of us make the classic error of presuming that our individual effort is not going to make any difference.  I suppose it’s the same principle that prevented so many of us from taking our voting right seriously.  But, if intellectual discussion is at the global level, action must begin at the individual level.  I don’t think Mahatma Gandhi was sitting around in his younger days, waiting to collect a billion people before following his convictions.  He did what he knew he had to do.  And the numbers came.  And very tall mountains were climbed.

Bottom to Top.   Clearly, that is the only mantra that is in our control.  If we keep waiting for others, relevant authorities even, to come to our environmental rescue, its not going to happen.  So what can we do as individuals?  I’m not offering a D I Y kit.  But step ONE, surely is to practice what we preach.  These days, I suppose it’s more fashionable to say, ‘Be the change you want to see’.  So, however silly and quixotic you may be made to feel, take that first step.  The first Green Commando focus is on saying NO to plastic.  I like it.  Because it’s simple and do-able.  And is a high impact solution.  Yes plastic bags are cheap, convenient and easy to get rid of.  But we know better, don’t we?  These damned plastic bags just do not go away.  They come right back up choking our drains, lakes, streams.  Looking like hell.  Mocking us, for our stupidity at succumbing to short term convenience.  So, if we are truly concerned about leaving this planet in better shape for our children, let’s take the first step and begin carrying cloth bags for planned shopping.  Buy a half dozen in varying sizes.  Or, better still, have them tailored, if possible, from, say, some old curtains or other such strong cloth.

Next step.  Discourage others from using plastic.  Shopkeepers, friends, neighbours, strangers.  I honestly don’t think somebody is going to turn around and biff you, should you sincerely (and politely) remind them about the obvious hazards of using plastic.  We can either do this by design.  I know that going house to house is not an easy proposition.  It is a simple battle.  Our shyness and fear of being mocked, versus the need to play an active role in cleaning up our world.  If we approach this battle as an individual, the former option will win most times.  But here is where an organizational identity provides us with a protective cloak. 

Next step.  Sign up with Green Commandos!  When you approach neighbourhood doors as a Green Commando activist, you are wearing an organizational badge, which, hopefully, which provide you with added courage to do the right thing.  To contribute to make a difference.  And remember, no difference is too small.  If you look at the plastic bag menace that afflicts Bangalore, or Karnataka, or India or the entire world, you may not ever take that small, simple, first step forward.  But if the problem is seen at just the local level (a 2 km radius, for instance), chances are some of you may be inspired to play a proactive role.  We cannot allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the environmental problems we have collectively created.  We can only ask ourselves whether we are going to sit back and let things ride, or do whatever little we can.  You may think you will be the lone crusader in your area.  But I can say this with extreme conviction, that we will all be surprised by the numbers that eventually come together and join hands.  Think. Act.  Inspire.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 12:29 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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