Recognize+the+extent


 * Aim 5**: Recognize the extend to which technology plays a role in both causing and solving environmental problems.

Technology has played an important role in the lifestyles of humans and here to stay. But it has made irreversible damage to our environment and only way to recover or save our planet is to educate the future generation. I am glad to be taching the subject Environmental Management. The transformation of lifestyle has not allowed the individuals to ponder and reflect on the choices made and thus we are becoming a world of disasters. I would like to share some simple practices during my growing up years which made positive impact on my immediate surroundings, for example; Earlier vegetable shopping done with help of cloth bag carried from home which could be washed and reused, water stored in earthen pot filtered with cloth filter and water remained cool due to porous nature of the material, crops were not adulturated and was mostly organic in nature, walking short distance was a norm and not disgrace, ventilation was good and there are many more simple practices which were part of my growing up in urban India ( Mumbai). I would love to know more about such practicies from the other participants. Alternative resources is an answer to our problem of declining non-renewable resources. I woulld like the inputs of more green technology from the readers. Anita Kapadia ( Aditya Birla World Academy)

Hi Anita! The ultimate root cause of our current crisis is the unchecked human population growth (and this is felt in India, probably more strongly than anywhere else in the world!). There are simply too many of us! We have exceeded the carrying capacity of our planet! The only hope to alleviate this pressure on the environment is to radically reduce the level of consumerism in developed and developing nations.

There is an environmental slogan that has been around for years, "Live simply, that others may simply live." This return to a simpler lifestyle has now become crucial to our sustainability. As an example of a simpler lifestyle that I have experienced was when I was younger and the hippies glorified the natural lifestyle (now Warren will know I fit into the "over 30 group"),I have lived for eight months in a teepee, and have spent years in houses that had no heat or running water, I enjoyed tending and eating from wonderful vegetable gardens, and I never felt deprived of any necessities. (Incidentally, vegetarianism is essential for feeding the growing numbers of humans from our limited farmlands.) Examples of simpler expectations here in Mexico, most homes have no heating or air conditioning, or dishwashers or clothes dryers, and there is a fantastic public transit system, you don't need a car (and I walk miles almost every day!) and there are fabulous street markets (you don't need MegaWalmart!) - all conveniences that Americans feel they can't possibly live without, everyone is just fine without these things here. And whatever happened to paper bags?! What happened to the great solar clothes dryer in the sky (it's still there!)?! What happened to our feet?! Our bicycles?! - Jane