With The Dark Hour Approaching
30 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
by jillinthebox90 in Home, No Expectations Tags: 2012, Black, Developing Countries, Devil #win, Environment, Hypocrisy, Ignorance is not always blissful, Trying Times
So Earth Hour is to take place this Saturday, same time, all the places. I still recall the madness and frenzy when it took place last year. Running around the hostel trying to switch off all lights with the irony of having to see the warden watching the idiot box in darkness.
This year, Earth Hour is coming and the weather will “supposedly” not permit anyone to turn off their fans and boredom will keep them from shutting down their laptops. I read up on controversies that led to this campaign and they speak of the fumes of candle and how it is hazardous to the environment.
Furthermore, the theme for 2012 speaks on the lines of “If you will, I will”. I don’t know how many people will, or comprehend the necessity of this not-yet-commercialised-save-the-earth-campaign let alone “will” for it, thus it’d just leave me and well, myself. Oh and, I, too.
The problem I see with the world today is the fact that they take everything for granted. The fact that there is an unlimited supply of whatever required available with dealers, both legal and illegal. Despite the horrendous economic calamity that is taking place, I sincerely doubt that the economy has not thrived as much it is now since the time of the barter system. People are in debt, yet they continue to buy. Fuel prices increases, yet the sale in the number of vehicles do not decrease. CoL is atrocious and the dollar back home is gaining like there is no tomorrow, yet people continue to populate and buy luxury items that could feed hundreds, if not thousands.
In this light, why should people practice Earth Hour? Production has to run in order to avert colossal losses. People have to continue to buy, buy and hoard more than their wardrobes or storage places could hold.
We are all turning out to be capitalist slash consumerist bitches. I too am one. Environmentalism seems to have conveniently found itself outside the window.
We No Longer Have Time to Save the World
16 Jan 2012 2 Comments
by jillinthebox90 in Home, No Expectations Tags: 2012, Apathy, Black, Blogging, Developing Countries, Devil #win, Environment, Faith, Hypocrisy, Ignorance is not always blissful, Life in a New Land, Pressure, Soul Searching, Sri Lanka, Trying Times, Yindiar, Youth
I used to be an environmentalist. Then I came to India.
With all due respect to Indians, this is not me being my usual racist ways but I am truly and deeply concerned. The country has astounding rates of poverty – no I do not know the figures but I know it is bad – it is overpopulated – contradict me, but when there isn’t room to budge in the street, yes it is crowded – and no one is doing anything about it.
The place where I live: a reputed girls hostel in an even more reputed educational institution. I was surprised at how much of food – purchased from outside – was wasted, how many lights were left on, taps unclosed but then my bewilderment was nothing in comparison to what it was upon the dawn of Christmas. While gaudy may perhaps be the ideal term to describe the decorations, the number of lights used – not even CFL mind you – were just, so many. To my utter amazement, while most electricity was consumed by these ugly – I know that everything is beautiful in its own way, but even the term grotesque beauty would not suffice to describe the pathetic state of the driveway.
That’s when it dawned on me. Please note that my observations are entirely objective.
The West maybe is not so keen on letting the East come to power because they wouldn’t want consumers of a similar nature in this world. On the contrary, like most in the East, I do agree that the West would not want to share their resources with the rest of the world. Bah. There goes our Economics lesson on the equal distribution of resources flushed down the toilet.
But then again, I cannot help but blame natural human tendencies. The more we earn and the more our purchasing power increases, the more we buy. We make ends meet and even surpass it, at times.
I agree that God did not create us perfect so that we could find our purpose in this world. Just today I was justifying man’s flaws and the search for purpose. But what happens when all our flaws submerge to the same big fat ugly truth?
I used to be an environmentalist. Then I grew up. I manage my expenses less and I’m also ashamed of myself when compared to what, my philosophies once were. India only opened my eyes to the reality I was denying.
Earth Hour
10 May 2011 Leave a Comment
by jillinthebox90 in Home, No Expectations Tags: 2011, Developing Countries, Environment, Hypocrisy, Individuality, Life in a New Land, Pressure, Sri Lanka, Trying Times, Yindiar
It’s a little late in the day I know. In fact, it was the first thought that crossed my mind upon opening a new tab, but still, better late than never eh? Now coming to think of it, Earth Hour has been on my probable blog list for sometime now, ah we all know where that went. However a post on LBO resurrected this dying thought.
Despite claiming to be an environmentalist, I must say that I do very little for the environment. In as much as there is so much I want to do, at times my measures are limited to merely switching off a monitor, which does not happen always either. I managed to get rid of the microwave at home a few years ago, only to have two air conditions, a high pressure, vacuum cleaner, electric grill and a few other electrical appliances consuming nearly 1000 w or more in my house now. At this point of time, the only term that blinks vividly in front of me is hypocrisy.
However, there is this infamous Earth Hour which I think to be is a great concept. While it maybe overrated, I appreciate the positivism it engulfs. Even if people do it for the sake of doing it – turning off the power for an hour #RhymeAwhile it does make a change. In this context, I believe that by turning off one light, fan, television that is used in that one room of your house or apartment creates a world of a difference. But the question lies with being unable to accept that the same is made when I turn off a monitor at my workplace only to get a minor-verbal bashing from a co-worker.
Being in India for Earth Hour this time, I was surprised to find out as to how little people knew about it. Looking back on that day, I think I am more disappointed and saddened by that forsaken hour as opposed to being surprised. The girls in the hostel were curious to find out as to why all the lights were switched off. Last year I vaguely remember being at an event during Earth Hour.
The train of thought flows. A call interrupts it. This is followed by an invitation for chocolate mousse, which is delightful. The blogging resumes and I contemplate of ways to segregate the waste at home.
