- Worldwide, environmental activists are forcefully attempting to draw the global community’s attention to have a realistic and holistic look at palpable degradation afflicting us, vis-à-vis erratic weather patterns resulting in tremendous challenges for every country. The unchecked fossil fuel burning has led to consequences like unseasonal rains, snowstorms, heatwaves, cloudbursts, drought, famine, and other such weather events, making our lives challenging. Gone are the days when the weather patterns used to be accurate, allowing us to anticipate the occurrences most organically. Unfortunately, we have allowed the rampant abuse of natural resources to such an extent that the weather gods can no longer be predicted on previous lines.
PC: The Hindu
- The natural habitats deserve a better humane approach seems to have been lost, going by the way we continue to show irresponsible behaviour in our conduct and understanding. Yet another instance of a sheer lack of responsibility towards our environment was visible when a fridge was fished out of a Bengaluru lake recently. Unbelievable, it might sound, but that’s the level to which we can stoop. Agreed, Bengaluru’s lakes sometimes catch fire. Because there’s so much garbage that it simply overwhelms the water. This sight, if not the fires, at least not so far, is a familiar one at water bodies across the country. The irrefutable fact that the water bodies are the lifeline of humanity is lost in the melee. Such a shame to even read this.
PC: NRDC
- What feels even more overwhelming is how every cleanup points to the need for bigger and better efforts. At Madiwala Lake, which suffers a severe water hyacinth infestation, an airboat called Jaldost, designed by the National Aerospace Laboratories, has already pulled out over 20 tonnes of waste. But what all makes up this waste? Not just weeds. Not just plastic bags. But also mugs, books, pens, and steel vessels. Both at home and at work, our dustbins are growing larger and larger. The detritus of modern life overflows. The garbage mounds lining our highways and railway tracks, and culverts that we are constantly photoshopping out of our selfies, are the result of governments slacking. They have fallen out of step with how much we consume and create waste.
PC: The Hindu
- It’s shocking to see how Jaldost has fished out a refrigerator from Madiwala Lake. We haven’t embraced do-it-yourself culture with nearly the same enthusiasm. Here, it’s still possible to comfortably find someone to repair a shoe or an air-conditioner, to reupholster the family sofa, to appreciate a hand-me-down silk sari or door or carpet, or book. We have carpenters, cobblers, tailors, mechanics, carrying forward our reuse and recycle heritage. Yes, the less it’s patronized, the faster it will die, and the fridge story reveals, so will our lakes and forests. Imagine all our refuse and rubbish invading all our surroundings like relentless water hyacinth. It’s time we exhibit responsibility and have a rethink. Choosing repairing over replacing is a much better option.
