Reduce Consumption;Save Resources

Good morning!

Last month, Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC), of whom Samuchit is part of conducted a youth conference at Paderu, AP on the topic Resilience to Climate Change through Community-Based Development. Various partner organizations of INECC came from all over India and discussions were held on different community engagements and participation efforts. As part of the field visits, we went to Badama village and met the Konda tribe who currently uses the water filters and improved smokless chulhas of Laya resource center,Paderu which has made their life easier and quality better. The conference was mainly on rural initiatives of the partner organizations and how they are helping community to adapt to the various climate change issues related to farming, rainwater harvesting and other livelihood activities.

Badama Village

After coming back to Pune, one thing which kept occurring in my mind was how different we - people in the cities and towns- live. Nothing is enough for us. We need more and more – of everything.  This trend of buying more and more among the masses is relatively recent. Since the last 10-15 years simultaneous with the growth of IT in India and rise of middle income group, materialism has grown.  We are made to believe that whatever is advertised is necessary for us. In olden days, if something does not working, we fix it; now we throw it and buy a new one.

A middle income family now goes for clothes shopping minimum 4 times a year which used to be once earlier. Now shopping is based on new arrivals and sale rather than the need. Eating habits have also changed with the arrival of gourmet food and fine dining. Now it’s a must to eat out with family or order food once a week. Another section which has found prominent place in every one’s life is beauty and health products – irrespective of gender, everyone spends a significant amount on skin care, hair care, perfumes and other fancy products. Also a must in family schedule is weekly entertainment – be it cinema or adventure park or trips.  A kid growing in this era thinks they cannot live without the above and it becomes their basic necessities. I am also part of this materialistic behavior -  my definition of basic necessities has evolved to include a higher level of material needs.  

Conference participants with a caption
for future.

The result of such a trend is large waste generation and more resource usage. We are depleting earth’s resource more than it can rejuvenate.  Lets try consciously to REDUCE CONSUMPTION and come out of  the bubble that is put around us..

JUST THINK OVER - Can't we reduce our Consumption? - Aren't we blindly becoming more materialistic?

Anu K

anukuncheria@gmail.com