I have been struggling with my shortcomings and one of them being the inability to regularly update my profile, update my resume and most of all write something new on my newly formed blog. Nevertheless, it is time I wrote about something, started getting into the habit of posting things that I might otherwise brush off as insignificant reveries.
I was talking about my hitherto mysterious poetry writing ability in my first post and how reading them after almost a decade brought back memories. Buoyed by the encouragement of some well-meaning friends, I thought I'd post the very first poem I ever wrote. Reading it brought a smile to my lips.
Annihilating souls
Where the sun is warm light is bright,
Where nature is calm, spring a sight.
My eyes are aching for that land oh! Lord,
My heart is searching for those hands oh! God;
Who will turn our desolate into a haven of beauty.
The earth, which we have festered with metal and concrete,
Where the beast of unlimited technology is hegemonic,
Where nonpareil science and destruction are harmonic,
Where “self” is the king, and “needs” are his queens,
Where revolution only gives birth to dilapidation.
And where greenery is but only a condition.
In that world oh! God! Transform these ferriferous beings.
Plant the seed of knowledge for their well being.
Incarnate yourself again oh! Lord! The Earth needs you!
Composed on: -01-09-1995
I recently saw the movie Avatar in theaters and it warmed my 'tree-hugger' heart - I guess some things never change. I may crave a Lexus (although I have a suspicion that when it comes to actually buying one, I may just buckle down and buy a small car) and I may sometimes let the air conditioning run a bit higher than usual because I start hyperventilating in heat, but I am also the maverick who used to take her own cloth bags to Walmart every week and have both the bagger and cashier roll their eyes. I recycled my brown bags till they started fraying and tearing apart, then I would use them as stuffing and packing material. I'd recycle plastic bags till they had no more use. I even recycle my old Planters peanuts boxes to store my spices and teas in them - yes I do! Reading this poem in a time when we are all reading about the Copenhagen climate change conference was opportune.
Having lived both in India and the USA, I have formed my own perceptions about being green and environment friendly. I remember buying chana jor garam and other roaster snacks from the street peddlers who served them in recycled newspaper bags. Most groceries were sold in shops packed in such recycled paper bags. Glass bottles were recycled, as were old scooter/car or bicycle tires serving as swings or modified bicycle seats. I remember my parents never threw out a plastic bag, but rather used it as a trash bag. Whether it was a consideration for money or the environment, I remember getting a tongue lashing if I did not switch off the ceiling fan and the tube lights in the room once I left it. showers are a luxury that even now I don't indulge in when I am home in India at my parents' house. A bucket of water, and the heater is switched on for just long enough to heat the water and then switched back off. The toilet flush tanks are specially equipped to flush in two different modes - the less water and the more water mode depending on the need. We learnt this neat little trick to stick a 2-ltr coke bottle filled with water inside the corner of the flushing tank and this way the tank used 2 ltrs less every time you flushed - without any compromise on the cleanliness.
I don't remember reading about any other country that used bio-gas fuel, or specially made solar cookers. I remember when I read about it in my science lab, and a few weeks later dad invested in one. It was the coolest thing I had ever seen. Saving on the fuel costs was the bonus. We'd use it all year around except during the harshest of winters.
I could go on and on about how eco-friendly my Indian upbringing was. Admittedly, I am sure this country does cause a lot more pollution than some other countries, we also have the biggest number of human being breathing, pooping and peeing around in the world. With a population density exceeding a thousand persons per square kilometer, I am sure we Indians survive quite blissfully in the worst conditions. Despite all that, I think the modern world has a lot it can learn from it's so called 'less developed' counterparts.
I love the US, it is my home now. Nevertheless, the wasteful nature of the people in general there hurt my heart. The spirit of the developed world towards the environment in the recent years is laudable, but their supposedly sincere efforts are laughable at best. Most of the US is poorly serviced by public transport and thus there are cars honking around everywhere guzzling more gas than any other place. It is amusing to see that in a country with cars carrying just the driver, a car with two people is categorized as a 'high occupancy vehicle"! I recently asked my class to name some renewable sources of energy, I was shocked to find that no one in my class knew that term!
We perceive that saving the environment should be a government effort, the govt should provide us means to save the planet. We don't stop and think what each one of us can do as an individual.
