Less Impact Story: My Experiment
Moving towards a greener lifestyle
Personally speaking, I was taken aback when I saw the documentary entitled 'No Impact Man'. The movie had several aspects that were intriguing. For instance, the worm bin concept or even creating homemade cleaning liquids were practices I was naïve of. Even though they seemed to be pretty disgusting at first sight, I was amazed to see their functionality and the positive impact the activity had in achieving sustainability and a healthier environment. I would definitely say that the movie not only educated me on the ways in which we can act in a sustainable manner to bring about a change in our external environment, but also inspired me on the idea of how one can and should live on this planet with doing more good than harm. It's always said that one should start small in order to achieve big. And because man is a social being, he adapts and learns through social interactions in the society. Hence, through this practice I also learnt how it's important to take initiative rather than wait for someone else to.
Taking inspiration from Colin and his several activities to help achieve a greener planet, I decided to give up on the use of private transport for a period of 3 weeks. Upon analysing the current scenario in Mumbai and an activity we performed which helped us calculate the estimated carbon footprint of certain cities, I was able to figure how Mumbai due to its large population density is being increasingly covered in soot day by day, worsening the air we breathe due to commercial and private activities like the manufacturing of chemicals, burning of fireworks or even driving a car; each of which emit harmful gases into the Earth's atmosphere.
At first thought, I was quite reluctant to give up on private transport obviously because of the fact that it's much more luxurious and convenient compared to public transport like the local trains and buses. I wanted to avoid taxis and auto rickshaws because they too, similar to cars destroy the environment although at a lesser extent. I thought that I wouldn't be successful before I even started. Since I have issues with things being unhygienic, I couldn’t imagine travelling by the local trains due to the fact that they’re full of germs. However, when I finally did, I realised how using public transport like the local trains helped me arrive to my destinations in a much quicker time span rather than travelling in auto rickshaws or cars which ended up being caught in long traffic jams. I started reaching school on time in the morning which really helped me a lot as I usually wake up late in the mornings. To overcome my fear of cleanliness and hygiene, I avoided touching the railings or even the support to help us stand in the trains. I started carrying my own pocket tissues and sanitizer to satisfy myself. In due course of time I was able to develop a positive attitude towards both, using public transport as well as bringing about a change in our environment.