Horn – NOT OK Please!

A road trip down the highway in India, often gives us a glimpse of the rear of heavy vehicles indicating drivers behind to Blow Horn to get pass ahead. While this unspoken gesture may be the norm to maintain driving principles, it inadvertently increases the levels of noise produced in the surrounding. Similarly in cities, people resort to blowing horn to get ahead or to get people out of their way and many a times in an annoyingly rude manner. They are immune to realizing its unseen effect on their health and also of those around. Needless to say, India has rightly earned a reputation of being among the noisiest places in the world.

The levels of noise pollution have only been increasing over the years. Studies have revealed high level of noise to have a direct impact on one’s health, prominent among them being mental stress, reduced concentration and productivity, anxiety, sleeping disorder, and even hearing impairment when exposed to high sound levels. Noise produced from vehicles, which include engine sound and horn, is among the major sources of noise pollution out on the road. With more number of vehicles and space constraint, the probability of noise creation is getting higher. It is thus imperative that we control the making of noise. The engine’s sound is usually tackled at the manufacturer’s end by integration of silencers or sound absorbers, but noise produced from blowing of horn can only be minimized by the ones who drive. Moreover, measures by government like prohibiting blowing of horn in certain zones such as schools, universities and hospitals have been implemented, but it’s a common practice to flout these norms. And with an enormous traffic to manage, the traffic police are not well placed to tackle such violations. More importantly, reducing the level of noise pollution caused by vehicles has never been an area of due concern and hence the lack of response by people in general.

If people are made aware of the harmful effects of noise and urged to observe certain rules when on the driver’s seat such as not using horn unnecessarily, avoiding the usage of horn completely, being patient, and sensitive to the surrounding, then the current levels of noise pollution can be brought down significantly. Since we co-habit and consume shared resources and also share the impact, the onus is on each individual to reduce noise produced by them and make a conscious effort in this direction.

So next time you drive, please think twice before hitting the horn – it’s not OK please!

Footprints - Should we leave them or not?

Should we “leave footprints on the sands of time”?– depends on the context by which we understand this phrase. If it means leaving back memory, a mark, an inspiration, a positive impact or a distinguished legacy, it is certainly worthwhile leaving them behind. But when it comes to Ecological footprint, the lesser the better! Ecological footprint is an account of the impact that humans create on the ecosystem by consuming its resources. It measures the demand for natural resources as against earth´s ability to regenerate it. Carbon/Energy footprints are terms used to signify the amount of CO2 emission that is left behind when fossil fuels are burnt or when energy is produced from non-renewable sources or when greenhouse gases are released. Needless to say, with unprecedented progress and advancement in science, technology, development, increase in population and human consumption, our planet´s natural resources are getting depleted at an astounding rate. The earth is unable to regenerate the resources at an equivalent/higher rate as utilized by humans. Consequently, climatic changes, global warming, drastic weather conditions, crop failure, stressed water resources, floods and droughts, have become common occurrences.

The Global Footprint Network, an independent think tank based in the US, calculates the Ecological Footprint of the world’s nations and humanity as a whole every year, and compares that with biocapacity – the amount of resources nature is able to re/produce. It is measured in terms of the area of biologically productive land and water resources required to fulfill consumption and also to absorb the generated wastes. Ecological footprint and biocapacity are measured in standard units called global hectares (GHA). As per the latest available estimate (2011), the average available biocapacity on our planet is 1.7 GHA per capita. This indicates that if a country´s per capita ecological footprint is higher than the available biocapacity, they are demanding more resources than our planet can regenerate and releasing wastes more than can be absorbed in the atmosphere. Presently, Australia (8.3), UAE (8.1) and USA (6.8) are the top three countries by ecological footprint per capita. Conversely, countries with higher biocapacity (say 4.5 GHA) have more resources per capita than the world average. Guyana (60.6), Gabon (25.9) and Bolivia (16.9) are the top three countries by biocapacity per capita.

In India, while the ecological footprint per capita is 0.9 GHA and the biocapacity is 0.5 GHA, the gap between the per capita ecological footprint and biocapacity is widening in the recent years, which is certainly a cause for concern. The present gap is 0.4 GHA, making India a biocapacity debtor or an ecologically deficit country (footprint greater than biocapacity) – although lower than developed countries in absolute numbers. According to Global Footprint Network, the Ecological Footprint per capita is a nation’s total Ecological footprint divided by the total population of the nation. Consequently, a country´s population largely affects the per capita footprint and biocapacity numbers. Thus, if we go by the total ecological footprint estimates, China, USA and India are placed at the top three spots accounting for over 1 billion GHA. I have given these estimates to establish an understanding of how important it is to ensure ecological balance and sustainability of our planet which directly affects us. Advocates of ecological conservation and the governing section/policy makers of countries across the world have realized the seriousness of the demand humans exert on the planet and the damage it does in the process. We have been urged to reduce our ecological footprints by adopting environmentally-friendly practices.

So what can we do to contribute our bit in minimizing our footprints? To reduce ecological footprints means to reduce over-consumption, reduce wastage of resources and also reduce the damage we cause to our environment. At an individual level, we can start by becoming sensitive to what and how we consume goods and services. The kind of lifestyle one chooses goes a long way in determining our ecological footprints. Reducing, reusing and recycling are some of the ways in which we can minimize our ecological footprints. Small alterations in our consumption patterns can become powerful means to protect the environment – for instance, the food choices we make, the methods of waste disposal deployed, using fuel-efficient vehicles, carpooling, walking short distances instead of using vehicle, saving energy in our offices and homes, using eco-friendly products like paper bags instead of plastic bags, optimizing travel trips, work-from-home if possible, choosing travel options that have low impact on the environment, and so forth.

After all, we need to live as responsible world citizens and justify our lifestyle and consumption needs since it’s about living within the means of what our planet can provide, not only for ourselves but also for our future generation. We must certainly leave footprints by our little eco-friendly actions to help our planet sustain our ever-increasing demands.

SMILE – It’s time to LOVE!

I have found the most simplest and profound expressions of Love by the epitome of Love and compassion, the revered Blessed Mother Teresa. On Love said she, "Let us always meet each other with smile, for a smile is the beginning of love”. It’s so easy to smile, isn’t it? And in the normal course of our mundane lives we give our smiles to different people – members of our family, our helpers, colleagues, neighbours, absolute strangers, somebody who mean nothing to us. Imagine, by this one quotation, we are sharing Love in the bargain of exchanging that smile. We would never consciously have thought that our smile can be the beginning of Love. Yet, we do it inadvertently. In the process of smiling as we may visualize by our experiences, we can say a lot even without dialogue, it signifies compassion, it signifies happiness, it signifies approval, it signifies forgiveness, it signifies repentance, it has the power to build broken bridges, one can move mountains and it requires no effort, in fact it is believed by many over the course of history that it takes more muscles to frown than it does to smile. Indeed, a simple smile can create simple love; while in reality we tend to complicate Love!

Everybody I know of is seeking nothing but Love, although expressed in different ways. It is the most significant need that one can desire. My thoughts intend to go beyond the realms of mere romantic love, while it is quite significant too; I believe Love in its core essence is more subtle than it seems, nonetheless ubiquitous and all encompassing. Yet, we live in a world which is Love-deprived. Today, a smile could mean deceit, or a fake expression or a veil one wears to cover the feelings of anger, pride or jealousy – some of the most common vices known to disrupt human integrity. It’s such an irony that sometimes we are bound to become victims of our own intellect and knowledge that we can easily overlook the simplest expression of love in a positive sense. We need to establish a better understanding of Love and that can only happen if we begin understanding ourselves. While it may seem vanity at a superficial level, sincerely loving ourselves first is fundamental to be able to understand Love. We need to ponder over our actions and thoughts and become more sensitive to these. After all we receive what we give and if we cannot give Love (which we ought to have), it’s hard to receive it. We may not realize it, however, most of our actions – good or bad - are motivated by Love or the lack of it. And it has to come from nowhere else but from self-love or self-hatred. Strangely enough, Hatred is the other side of the same coin and it is up to us what we want to give. We would be doing ourselves and those around us a great favour by realizing the Love within. It will help in becoming aware of our marvelous possession and then only can we distribute that which we have. A beggar cannot give because he has not. 

So let us begin by sharing the richness of a SMILE, which is meant to be given during this season of Love. (Although Love should be a 365 days - 24*7 affair!). As a closing thought on Valentine’s day today, I would like to share what I believe to be the most divine passage from the Bible 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 on “what Love is and what it is not” - 

Love is patient, Love is kind.

Love is not jealous or conceited or proud.

Love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable.

Love does not keep a record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

Love never gives up, and its faith, hope and patience never fail.

Love is eternal.

There are inspired messages, but they are temporary;

There are gifts of speaking in strange tongues, but they will cease;

There is knowledge but it will pass.

Diversity - A stimulus for creativity!

We live in a world characterized by diversity. Given the rampant spread of cross cultural interactions as a result of education, work, business expansion, human expression, and social exchanges, the subject of diversity has been receiving due emphasis. The reason is not just because the world has become a global village, but also because the information age has rendered awareness and sensitized the presence of such differences beyond the familiar norms. And to succeed in such an environment, rigidity or resistance to differences does not work.

The ICT revolution has blurred geographical and cultural boundaries, bringing together people from diverse communities. The most striking association one has with diversity is any visible differences in culture, tradition, beliefs, values, race, religion, language, or social community. While these are common themes linked with diversity, there are also diverse ways of expressing one’s thoughts and ideas by translating them into creative avenues. In fact diversity stimulates imagination and brings out the best solutions to problems. To put it differently, diversity maybe considered the food for creativity. 

Although one usually tends to be comfortable with own culture and traditions, it is worthwhile to explore the differences outside the recognizable zone. Every country and social community has something to contribute within their differences. Understanding, accepting and appreciating the differences gives better scope to boost expression and innovation. Diversity simply adds color to the outline of our experiences and surroundings. Imagine a world where everybody follows the same practices or project similar set of ideas and thoughts in the absence of diversity. Won´t it be a boring world? It would simply kill creativity because of a dearth of curiosity or motivation. Diversity allows exchange of experience, deeper awareness and exploration for imagination to flourish.

“Mother – Thanks be to thee!” - A tribute to all the mothers

From time unbounded, I have known thy tender care,

My journey with thou began when destiny had me form in thy womb,

And the first feeling I ever experienced in my life, Oh Mother,

Was thy warm touch, when thou embraced my spirit’s mortal casing.

While I grew from a seed to a shrub and to a youthfully blossoming tree,
Thou made sure to water my roots with thy affectionate tending.
Thou nurture me with the silage that my heart desire,
And give me all thou can, often beyond thy reach!

I value the pain thou endured to show me your splendid world,
Thou immersed me in thy Love, to give me an assurance
That thy world isn’t as appalling as I though it to be,
And indeed, thy world is a glorious place!

In the flick of my life, I see the twinkle in thy eyes, every time I strike a feat,
Again, I see tears in those same eyes, when circumstances go beyond control –
And in both these instances, thy soothing words give me an inspiration –
An understanding that winning and losing is a part of life’s game.

And as days go by…..
A silent prayer, thou say for me - to my well being,
A silent tear, thou shed for me - when life is trying me,
A silent wish, thou make for me - to ensure my happiness,
A silent blessing, thou give me - to make my life a bliss.

To learn that my healthiness and prosperity is thy utmost happiness,
Reassures me of thy devotion to me and how important I am to thee;
This in turn makes me an ever surging stream, overflowing with Love for myself –
It gives me the ability to spread Love around, as thou have Loved me!

I exalt thy sacrifices, Oh Mother,
That, which made me what I am today,
A surrender of thy slight happiness, indeed, fulfilled my selfish needs.
But, thou bore it because thou wanted to have me in thy world!

Mother, how great art thou! And how splendid thy name…
Thou showed me that there is no greater Love and Friendship than what we share,
Because only thou know the Joy and Agony of creating me,
And only thou know the secrets of my heart!

Oh woman, thy sacrifices are invaluable
And thy unconditional love is my priceless treasure
Mother, I know that the Love of thy spirit
Will help me sail through the roughest storm,
In the exigent spell of my life.

How blessed am I to be reaped from such a magnificent pasture,
And wish that I bear a comparable fruit to this world!
It’s indeed all about receiving and giving …..

Dedicated to my lovely Mother

Blossom - 24.01.2008