The Sunday News
Tinomuda Chakanyuka
AS the earth’s natural resources continue to dwindle, widespread concern for the sustainability of life on the planet continues to cause panic.
This panic has led to the creation of a variety of strategies to “save the planet”. However, most of these options play on people’s fears and innocence in order to market products and turn a profit. These high cost advanced technologies on the market for those who have an interest in protecting the environment and “saving the planet” are in most cases inappropriate for low income countries like Zimbabwe. They lead to indolence despite the good intentions.
Yet, for those who have an interest in sustainable living (living in a way which has the least impact on the environment and living things) but have no disposable income to join in high cost life changes, all is not lost.
Simple observations from our past yield valuable lessons for present and future sustainable living practices which may have just as much impact as high cost practices and even provide us with the opportunity to save money. Contrary to the notion given off by highly commercialised marketing gimmicks, sustainable living need not cost anything.
Rather, sustainable living should at the least save us money. This observation derives from the basis of sustainable living, which is rooted in simplicity and thoughtfulness. In that sense therefore, low income people are in a better position to live sustainably than their more affluent counterparts. Yet, economically and technologically advanced societies with their talk of hybrid cars and nuclear energy would have us believe that drastic adjustments need to be made in the way we live in order to contribute towards a healthier planet.
Lessons from our past will attest otherwise. Let’s go down memory lane. Most of us would remember the days when simply forgetting to switch off your bedroom light or letting the water tap drip would result in serious ramification at the hands of parents. One would also remember the days when every trip to the grocery store was made with a recyclable shopping basket or plastic bag. Most of us would also remember watering the garden only during the early hours of the morning albeit under heavy protest.
These and more actions which were practiced in the past vividly capture the foundations of sustainable living, which incorporate three principles which are: Reduce, Reuse and Save. Observing these lessons and applying them is the first step to a sustainable life. Let us begin by considering the transport that we use.
Three decades ago, being able to drive in Zimbabwe was a status symbol, mainly a preserve of those high up the socio-economic ladder. Now almost everyone is driving. Gases emitted by cars are one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases which are the main cause of global warming.
How then do we ensure that we reduce the amount of gases emitted by our cars? Since electric cars, hydrogen cars and smart cars are still a long way from becoming trendy in this part of the world, reducing the number of cars on the road and the number of people driving is the most prudent way of cutting down on emissions.
We should begin to consider carpooling to work or to school. If our day involves sitting on a desk or in a class/lecture room, sharing a family car or a friend’s car is a good way to reduce our carbon footprint.
With rising fuel and parking costs, carpooling can save us a lot of money anyway. Carpooling will help to improve our interpersonal relationships as well. This drive time can become family time or a time to catch up with friends thereby bringing us closer together. For those who drive everywhere including the market or grocery store (which is only 2km away), walking or cycling as alternatives to driving will not only save on greenhouse gas emissions but will contribute to a healthy lifestyle.
The Minister of Sports and Recreation Cde Makhosini Hlongwane has been on record making similar allusions.
“Cycling is a sport. As a ministry we encourage people to stop relying on vehicles but to actually cycle to work because when they cycle to work they become people with good health and even our environment is conserved,” he said.
Buying more eco-friendly products is yet another way to save the earth. Back in the day, it was natural to buy eco-friendly products although we didn’t necessarily consider this to be service to the planet. We saved money through buying local produce. What we did not realise was that we were also reducing our carbon footprint by reducing “food miles”.
Foreign products don’t only cost more but travel much longer distances to reach us thereby using up more energy and more greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere in the process. Choosing to buy energy saving appliances will help to reduce our carbon footprint as well as save us money in the long term. Energy saving bulbs for example use as little as 10kw of power as opposed to the conventional 60-100kw and can last up to six years. These bulbs will save money on our electricity bill as well as reduce the pressure on our severely compromised national energy generating capacity.
The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority has since criminalised selling of filament bulbs in the country.
While we strive daily to save money, many of us do not make the connection between resources and finances, forgetting that electric bills and water bills make up a significant portion of monthly expenses. Just because these resources and expenses are necessary, that does not mean they cannot be cut back, or used more thoughtfully and effectively.
Often, we act in a wasteful manner, simply out of habit. But habits can be broken. We should learn to cut the habit of leaving the water running when brushing our teeth, cleaning dishes, or washing our cars. By simply filling the sink halfway with water, then adding soap, we ensure that no water is lost unnecessarily during dishwashing.
How about using buckets and turning the hosepipe off when washing our cars. Taking showers for shorter periods or using buckets also ensures that we save water. Thousands of gallons of water are wasted each year, simply because people are too lazy to turn off the tap when doing daily tasks.
Through simple and thoughtful acts like turning the lights off if we are not in the room or taking full advantage of natural light whenever possible by opening curtains during the day, help reduce our energy use and costs.
Reducing the amount of waste which we produce and recycling the waste is another important lesson for sustainable living which we can draw from the past.
Litter will always find its way into rubbish dumps and landfills. These landfills are one of the major producers of methane, a leading greenhouse gas which contributes to global warming. Using recyclable carrier bags or shopping baskets will also help to reduce the amounts of excess plastic we generate. This will also save us money since plastic bags are now for sale in grocery stores. One of the most important acts we can engage in is tree planting. The value of trees to our lives can never be over emphasised.
While planting a tree is a simple exercise, its value to our lives is immeasurable. Trees are the major removers of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. They are therefore one of the most potent weapons against global warming and climate change.
Trees also contribute immensely to our health and well being. They remove gaseous pollutants from the atmosphere and produce vital oxygen. Trees clean our water, preserve our soils and cool our environment. One person or one generation alone cannot do it. This task needs as many people contributing as possible.
Therefore, let us continue the culture of sustainable living through simple acts of thoughtfulness.
This will augment and redevelop the basis for a culture that will live for generations to come.
