My City My Responsibility - Benefits of responsible consumption

Dear All,

Since we have been consuming a lot, if we are now considering our resources while consuming its great news!!! We now know that consuming stuff in a responsible manner is helping us conserve our resources and ultimately our planet. Do you realise that there are bigger benefits of consuming in a responsible manner? 

Linkages of Responsible Consumption

- Reduction in overall wastes generation

When we start using the principles of R's i.e refuse to buy new stuff (unless required) reduce, reuse and recycle our stuff. We start contributing towards generating lesser waste as an individual that leads to overall reduction of wastes ultimately. For example, its about avoiding unnecessary wastage of food according to the United Nations Development Programme, 40% of the food produced is India is wasted.

- Reduction in overall Pollution

Wastage is also an indicator for pollution,the moment we reduce wastage, pollution reduces. Pollution of air, water and soil is directly related to the amount of waste that is generated and treated. Today we are generating more wastes than nature can treat and hence we are facing huge levels of pollution. 

Using alternatives that are environment friendly can help us reduce pollution.

- Better Health and Wealth

Reduction in pollution will definitely result in better health quality due to the reduced illness and diseases. This will at least ensure saving our money that is spent in paying the hospital bills. For example, demanding a better managed and affordable public transport for daily commute can keep you both healthy (less vehicles on roads means less air pollution) and wealthy (not having to invest in own vehicle).   

- Better Earth

Earth is a biosphere that is home to other living creatures as well, which are vanishing rapidly due to the increased pollution and resource stress created by us. Responsible consumption and equitable use of resources ensures their survival as well making the Earth a better place for all to coexist happily.

Responsible consumption is just one side of the coin, the other side is responsible production and we shall talk about it in the next blog. 

Pournima Agarkar.

My City My Responsibility - Think before you consume

Dear All, 

I am back and I am glad, all of you appreciate the idea of thinking before buying is it really needed? I am sharing an image created by my friend that shows consumption as a cycle where we get stuff from nature in the form of a raw material and give it back in the form of a waste material exploiting it completely. 

PC: Rajath Dasanakodige Manjunatha

While understanding consumption one should know about the lifecycle of any stuff. By 'lifecycle' I mean the entire journey of the product right from the time its born till its death. The entire process involves generation of wastes in every stage of the cycle, which is also called 'cradle to grave'. 

Lets take an example of the vegetables that we consume daily. We require fertile land, seeds, adequate amount of water, chemical fertilizers and pesticides, along with appropriate climatic conditions and consistent human efforts to grow the vegetables. A lot of energy is also consumed for harvesting and transporting the vegetables to our homes in the cities. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s 2016 State of the Forests Report 7 million ha of forests are turned into agricultural land annually in order to meet our food demands. Are we indirectly depleting our forests in order to fulfill our consumption needs? So what do we do about it? 

As an individual we can explore options like Permaculture and organic farming in our backyard or terraces that can suffice our household food demand, wherever possible. Also, we should consume food as per what and how much is needed for well being. 

However, the bigger picture lies in understanding lifecycle of any product. Since it helps us know from where and how does the product come to us. What are its impacts on our environment, health and economy? How can we reduce or minimize these impacts and act responsibly? Is anyone producing the same stuff as per 'cradle to cradle' (the waste of one product becomes source for another product) philosophy?

If we start consuming responsibly, businesses will be forced to produce responsibly. 

Pournima Agarkar