Is Earth the same as in 2002 ?

OIL SPILLS

Well, looking at the oil spills in Gulf & China, increasing number of genetically engineered crops in Italy etc., rising carbon emissions, destruction of bio-diversity, extinction of rare species of flora & fauna, adding nuclear weapons, forest destructions, increasing population more than the planet can support, adding more waste than the nature can recycle or manage..

I don’t feel the Earth is still the same as that of the Golden Era in the past..!

I think the Triple Bottom Line of People, Planet & Profit is much more than that & looking at present world, it should include – Persistence, Prudence & Punctuality – which is the need of the hour.

The inevitable scarcities like that of clean water, fresh air, pleasant weather, vast bio-diversity, waste recycling or management, lie outside the market mechanism & outside the realm of plausible technological substitution and no company or institution is focusing on their production. (AYRES, 1993)

Man-made Capital, which is the main concern of the companies etc., can never replace or even be compared to the unique, non-renewable, irreversible Natural Capital, which at the present pace of consumption doesn’t seem to last for long. As it says – “a stitch in time saves nine” – thus advocates the Strong Sustainability by emphasizing the precautionary principle.

Human Habits highly harmful to the Oceans:

• .)    Carbon Emissions & Ocean Acidification
• .)    Packaging & the Pacific Garbage Patch
• .)    Sushi Dinner & Disappearing Seafood – 100% of global fisheries will completely collapse by 2050.
• .)    Over – Consumption & Whale Deaths because of loud sounds of ships & collision with ships is threatening their very existence.
• .)    Driving & Deep-water Oil Wells

Thus: - Minimizing reliance on oil equates to keeping oceans safe from deadly pollution.

-          Minimizing packaging plastic usage

It’s time to increase throughput efficiency which can be achieved by reducing pollution, population pressure, and depletion of non-renewable resources. Many organizations & corporate have realized the criticality of taking solid steps like Nokia’s Recycling Campaign in Delhi, India; in which Nokia would plant a tree for each handset dropped into the recycling bins and would also be gifting presents to the people participating in its campaign. Companies like FedEx have taken initiative towards greening of supply chain by mitigating global warming by cutting carbon emissions, reducing unnecessary shipping, using hybrid eco-friendly trucks for transportation etc.

The corporates have to take initiative as they have the potential to bring in Paradigm Shift & they have the power to motivate the people through various incentives & encouraging drivers.

Moreover govt. of various nations are also taking steps like National Mission in India for enhanced energy efficiency – to reduce energy consumption by 5 % n save about 100mn tonnes of C0₂ annually by 2015. These measures can be considered as initiative toward enhancing eco-system efficiency as focus on causing minimum harm to Mother Nature.

Some of the environment organizations like Greenpeace, Corpwatch etc. are doing appreciable job by keeping a strict vigilance over various corporate who claim to be active towards Corporate Sustainability but actually lack in intra-generation equity. They need more participation of public & stricter vigilance of laws and concrete actions to reach their goal of Ecological Sustainability in its true sense.

We have come to know from the ecological foot-prints calculation that if we & the nations like US & China will continue to live like today, then more than one Earth will be needed. So it’s the need of the hour to realize the importance of the precious planet & fragile Earth; and use the resources wisely so that our future generations can also see the healthy planet & inhale the clean fresh air rather than spending their whole life using artificial inhalers & suffering from lethal from their inception.

Conclusion: Decisions like skipping an unnecessary plane ride, eating less meat, use recycled paper, buy less alcohol, install a water heater blanket, drive less or car pooling, and buying green power can radically reduce one’s carbon footprint , and help alleviate one of the biggest threats facing our oceans.

“Heal the Earth; Make it a better place…. For You and for Me and for every Soul on the Earth.”

Kinshoo Shah

20th August 2010

Singapore