Air– one of the five essential elements to survive. What if you get to know thatyou can’t live with or even without air in today’s parlance? Sounds shocking –and this really is and we all know this in hindsight and we all tend to ignorethis. We ignore this perpetually as we are just ‘common masses’ and we areneither the Government nor the NGT nor any such authority! But remember that westill breathe, and so do our children & family.

According to latestinsights collated by WHO, air pollution causes 1 in every 10 deaths world-wide& claims 7 million lives per year. 9 out of 10 people breathe in pollutedair in today’s global scenario. Looking at its gravity WHO also organized thefirst ever global event, the Global conference on Air Pollution & Health inOctober 2018.

Air pollution is a silentkiller which takes toll on our health and gradually takes us towards illnessesor even death. It induces illness like stroke, heart diseases, pulmonary &respiratory diseases, lung cancers etc. And ironically we can’t even choose notto breathe at any specific place. And this makes it the fatal most killerunlike other such killers where at least we can make some choices.

Air Pollution can spreadlike an epidemic unannounced. It can even induce climate changes, apart fromthe direct ill impacts on health of living beings. And we seemingly haveaccepted to live amidst air pollution without even thinking about improvementareas. Like, the people of Delhi are used to hear about alarming pollutionlevels daily & the impacts it has and about those fatal days when pollutionreaches the peak and denies settling down. Well, this is a big self-createdtrap. Fact is, we all can do much and only we all can do! Even if theGovernment needs to do few things, we have to push things harder in all possibleways. Drops makes an ocean isn’t just a saying.

What Government can do isto frame & implement stringent norms for stopping industrial pollution,curbing other sources of air pollution, promoting the use of energy efficient& less polluting tools wherever possible etc. But what we can do is alsoimmense. Don’t we mostly take cars to places where we can go using publicconveyance just to ensure full comfort? Don’t we keep AC’s on even when chillis running down the spine and use blankets instead, because we have made that ahabit? Do we remember when we last or if we ever planted a sapling?

Admit it or not, we allhave and are becoming highly reluctant in this fast paced world and always findourselves short on time. But will this decrease our breathing requirements forfresh air?

It’s time to wake up anddo every bit possible. What do you think? Is our time so scarce that we can’teven plant & help grow plants just for our & our children’s interest (let’snot even talk about the society)? Does it takes too much to leave your comfortat times and take metros/buses at times? I hope it won’t take much time toswitch off those lights, fans, AC’s where ever we see them ‘on’ with little orno use. It’s just a matter of ‘thinking consciously’ what we all already knowand doing something about it. It’s just a matter of not ‘just thinking’ andrather ‘putting to action’ our small & petty contributions and make thempart of our lifestyles. 

Use that crowded metro –take it as a compulsive measure to exercise by climbing those extra stairsinstead of nagging about the crowd. Don’t make driving in car your statussymbol – what matters is who you are as a person and not what you drive. Ifthese things would matter you then there would be numerous things the worldwith throw on you to just ‘matter to you’. 

Use public transports& adjust to little discomforts at times. Don’t make your kids couchpotatoes – switch all lights and AC’s and take them in the playgrounds outsideand simultaneously conserve energy, let them know that when you sweat is whenyou really evolve. Putting air purifiers everywhere will also won’t make thingsmiraculously change. There is no substitute of natural fresh air.

Do pay note to energyefficient ratings of appliances you use. Use recyclable products. Say NO toplastic. Contribute to environment in all ways possible. Plant saplings andtake care of your plants. Put pictures of hazardous actions/deeds towards theenvironment and post in abundance on apps made available by Government. Takepart in meetings of & support NGO’s working in this regards. Let us createmore sound for Government and authorities to hear us aloud – actions speaklouder than words.

Say Yes to Life! Say yes to incessant personal contributions!

Earth Root Foundation – We salute you!