Operation UnPlug - One!

This post is a continuation of my previous post which was quite grim. After giving some thought to it I decided to come up with a list of things which we can-do based on our feasibility to lessen our dependence on the 'crumbling' economy and at the same time respect Mother Earth a little bit more. These are just beginnings of a new perspective of life for me...but I can guarantee that there are people out there who are already very actively leading lives which are very self-sufficient and very eco-conscious...so if you are such a person and you happen to stumble across this post of mine please share your thoughts and ideas...and maybe we can make this world that much more nicer to live....

There are many things which we need to unplug ourselves from. Take for instance the food inflation which seems to be getting worse day after day. The best way to 'unplug' from this is to grow our own vegetables. Ok, I agree, it's not easy - we live in a flat too with very little gardening space but what is stopping us from having a few potted vegetables like tomato, potato, carrot, cucumber and so on? This will not only help reduce our dependence on the expensive vegetable hawker but will also give us the satisfaction of cooking our own home grown vegetables :-) which I can bet will be more tasty and fresh. This will also increase the 'green' quotient of your home and you will do your part in making the planet greener...

The next main thing is to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. For this we need to reduce our dependence on driving a vehicle or even renting one. I for one rent autorickshaws when I have to travel out but they are a species of humans I think I would be better off dealing without. If they gas prices go up by one unit these guys increase their rates 10 units. There is no one to question their rowdyism. I always abhor traveling in one but end up traveling as I have no other choice. To find a solution to my problem I started researching if there are electric bikes (remember I want my solutions to eco-friendly as well) which I could buy. But then I realized that were a couple of electric bike choices but their maintenance costs were way too high. Every year the maintenance cost would be about 50 % of the initial purchase price!!! I think there is a huge potential for electric bikes in India which is currently being ignored by the government for their own selfish purpose. Then I realized that in China there are a lot more varieties of electric bikes. If any business men are out there I would request you to please tap into this potential market which is the best solution from an environmental angle as well.

This is the first post among a series of UnPlug posts. I think people who think in favor of the environment and talk 'big' are still ridiculed upon today. But I think it is high time that the others wake up to the damage that has already been done and unplug themselves from all selfish associations and try to lead more fuller more eco-friendly lives. Their life may not be on the 'fast lane' but it will definitely be on the more 'sensible lane'.