Dear members,
I am sure that this exercise will bring fruitful results for all those who need the awareness about low carbon lifestyles. There are very basic and easy to do points through which one can reduce its carbon footprint and can help to save the environment. Tool kit is very useful specially among school children because if they will adopt these things as a part of their daily life, it will bring a stable change in future which will help to develop a sustainable approach. I with my team have also initiated some other methods to spread awareness among general public on environment issues and would like to share those points but first I would like to give my comments on strategies and policies which needs some change to give a fruitful result. These are:
Government Policies:
As we know that people in metros are adopting CNG vehicles, which were initiated by a Supreme Court order. People are keen to have CNG kits in their vehicles, adopted gas based power and generators (which is commonly used in shopping malls, restaurants, industries etc) and it brought significant change in air pollution but you will find here that people adopt the gas based appliances and vehicles not because it is eco friendly but just because it reduces their vehicle running cost in comparison to Diesel and Petrol. Now, Government is increasing gas prices, and if the running cost for both diesel and gas becomes same, then people may get diverted towards diesel and it will again increase the pollutants in air.
Corporate Group's Initiatives:
All corporate groups should initiate staff bus systems for their regular employees as it will reduce the private vehicles on the road and also will reduce the load on public transportation system.
All corporates should instruct their employees to save paper by adopting automation, habit of less print outs and re use of rough paper.
School Initiatives:
Schools can promote adoption of low carbon lifestyle by a series of workshops, seminars, competitions, etc on regular basis.
What is the best possible strategy to maximize the use and outreach to stake holders of the tool kit?
To maximize the use and outreach, tool kit should be provided to all. You can make partnerships on a voluntary basis and send it to all households through schools (with their fee receipts), through corporate (with electricity, phone, gas bills) and through organizations (by NGO volunteers).
How an ‘individual stake holder’ can contribute to maximizing the outreach and benefits from the toolkit?
An individual stakeholder can contribute a lot. A school or college student may initiate "tool kit chapter" in his/her school and locality with proper guidance. Corporate may start delivering the tool kit points to their vendors and sub contractors, and NGO volunteers may deliver it with all their other programmes on social welfare.
I am associated with Mission Bhartiyam which is a group of youth registered under SRA 1860 and working on various sectors of social welfare in Uttar Pradesh. Very recently we have initiated our Project Haritima in Basti district in collaboration with two other NGOs in which we organize seminars on environment issues, distribute pamphlets among general public and we deliver one plant to one house without any charge. Project is self funded and people (specially youth) work for us as volunteers in this noble initiative.
Thanks to all.
Ravi Nitesh
(Published over a query of Climate Change Community of UNITED NATION development team in INDIA)
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