How to live sustainably every day (Part 9) - Drive to change

The minute we take our car out, we can see how other people’s cars are a nuisance. A brisk morning walk burns calories, strengthens muscles, works the lungs and gets the blood racing. If you get up at dawn and drive to the gym or park to engage in this virtuous exercise, you probably encounter dozens of fellow walkers, eyes fixed on their trainer-clad feet. For the rest of the day, how many of these well-heeled exercisers will actually walk to go somewhere?Those who own cars often lament that ‘banks are giving loans left and right, and everyone owns a car now.’ The minute we take our car out, we can see how other people’s cars are a nuisance.

How to live sustainably every day (Part 8) - Shop talk

We started this series with what goes out of our homes. The other half of green living is what we bring into our homes. The products we buy and the way we buy them affect our families, neighborhoods and society at large. Start with the simplest thing we do when we shop. The plastic carry bag pollutes our streets, rivers, wells and forests. It clogs sewers. It kills cattle and wildlife. Why shoppers insist on it is a mystery. If we all carry cloth bags as we used to, and nag our friends to do the same, we can be free of this menace. In fact, we can even refuse other kinds of excess wrapping, such as the boxes and plastic sleeves that come with saris or shoes.