Green on the go - SFO Airport

As I travel around the US visiting colleges that I'll be applying to in the fall, I'll chronicle some of interesting environmental findings I come across - starting off with California. 

1. San Francisco, CA - airport

Ranked #1 by the Siemens Green City Index for its remarkable management of waste, carbon dioxide emissions, air and water quality, transport, land use, and building intelligence, San Francisco is well known for its policies enforcing sustainability. It's airport demonstrates the city's  environmentally focused programs. Terminal 2's bathrooms, Gold LEED certified, proudly inform visitors about the energy they are saving. 

The airport restrooms feature automatic faucets, toilets and Dyson airblade dryers! 

                     

The environment in a year – 2012.

Here's what happened in 2012: 

January

The 2011 winners for World Challenge were announced. The winners included Chile, who implemented the Tech Crunch initiative – the company Recycla integrates the “socially marginalized” of the country and recycling e-waste!  In India, Hand in Hand turns food waste to gas, similar to what our club at Canadian International School did right at that time. In Mongolia, Snow Leopard Enterprises helps the country’s rural sheep herders, who are constantly being threatened by snow leopards. The company gives families a few hundred dollars in an attempt to prevent the numbers of leopards in the house from decreasing any further. Log onto www.theworldchallenge.co.uk in January 2013 to see the winners of 2012!

February

My environmental club at Canadian International School, The Green Idea, holds a WWF Animal survey, in support of the World Wildlife Fund’s campaign to “adopt” a wild animal, by donating money to the WWF. The Snow Leopard was by far the winner, with the panda trailing close behind. By February 2012, the biogas unit at our school was ready to go. The first cup of coffee was made with this and the kitchen staff vowed to use our environmentally friendly fuel to make the teachers’ coffee and tea. The Green Idea started the idea of a monthly Green Hero, and the social studies teacher, Mr. Jayan Philip, was awarded this prestigious title for being an instrumental person in keeping the green spirit going at school. Mr. Philip was seen collecting Tetra Pak juice cartons from the trash cans so that they could be recycled.

March

I was awarded the Sparrow Award for 2012!  This was for my efforts in school and my community – starting the Green Idea, implementing a recycling program, the Biogas, and the sparrow boxes. The other winners were Mr. Dilsher Khan, who dedicates his time to the vultures of Madhya Pradesh. The Green Umbrella team helps Fiscus plants in Kalwa that are stuck growing in buildings. The Shri Mahatma Gandhi Ashramsala helps promote environmental awareness among children in the Kutch desert. Everyone is making an effort to help the earth become a more environmentally safe place!

April

The 22^nd is Earth Day and worldwide, people turn off the lights and make a difference in the fight for a greener earth. CIS made an attempt to help the earth by planting a vegetable garden by the pool area. Everyone was excited, especially the 6^th and 7^th graders, who helped plant their own carrot and cucumber patches! In the US, the Oregon state Senate limited the amount of mercury that is allowed in CFL bulbs in the state. The American Bird Conservancy  filed a 100 page petition with the FWS (US Fish and Wildlife Service) that asked for standards in operating wind farms so that birds and bats would not suffer from the harmful effects of the turbines’ blades. I think it’s remarkable that even small 11 and 12 year olds can pitch in to save the earth. There was such enthusiasm that day, when we planted all those saplings. It’s interesting to see similar actions all the way across the planet in the US. Lawmakers are seeing the importance of saving the planet – as shown with the bill passed by the Oregon Senate.

May

Old tectonic plates are starting to shift again! In May, an earthquake shook Northern Italy, as a result of compression by the Apennine Mountains. The Mediterranean region is seismically active because of the African plate and Eurasian plate clashing. More people are worried that increasing events such as these will result due to careless usage of the earth. Damaging tsunamis have been recorded due to earthquakes in this region. Earthquakes throughout history, dating back to 1693 in Sicily and more recently the 1908 Messina, which had a magnitude of 7.2 make up the deadliest European earthquakes that have occurred. Italy better be prepared! This should send a message to the world that the earth’s environmental patterns are beginning to change. Activists have been warning us that the following years will be environmentally rough on the earth, but we need to help mitigate these effects.

June

June 5^th marks World Environment Day, which the United Nations Environment Program conferred the theme of “Green Economy: Does it include you?”  for 2012. The idea of this new theme was that countries will become more eco-friendly through their economies increasing the standards of living and work. From June 20^th to 22^nd, a UN conference in Rio de Janeiro covered sustainable development. The conference was aptly named Rio +20 due to its occurrence 20 years after the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio. The mission of the conference was to “rethink economic growth advance social equity and ensure environmental protection.” I think the idea of the economic growth was  brilliant, especially after the world was going through so many economic troubles. More conferences like this one should be held, where people come together to discuss problems of today and how they relate to the environment. Even younger people, like us, should try to make an effort to see where we can help. That’s where GINSING (November) comes into play!

July

The 2012 Summer Olympics begin in London! It’s imperative that people realize the environmental impact that comes with the spectacular displays and what we can do about them. Some activists think that offsetting for just for events like the Olympics don’t help, but the overall emissions for the country will help mitigate such events’ impacts. The Olympic Flame was carbon neutral! This is a really big step towards the whole environmental attitude of the games. The 24 MW of energy that supplied the games came only from renewable energy sources, like wind power. It was estimated that the games would produce 3.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, whereas the UK normally has an annual 550 million metric ton emission. A pre-games study approximated that media packs and briefings alone would account for 8,250,000 sheets of A4 size paper. This year, Britain finished its first carbon budget cut, and made the London Olympics’ carbon footprint binding to these terms. The UK government did do its part in calculating the carbon emission beforehand, setting goals to stick to, and attempting to execute its plans! I applaud the organizers of the 2012 games in London for all these efforts. I hope the 2016 Olympics will consider the green aspect of their games as well. Countries should set up a competition system for the Olympic committees in seeing how they can realistically implement carbon footprint reducing policies.

August

The election campaign is starting to get tough in the United States and citizens are starting to pay attention to the green promises of the candidates. The big topics included:

Clean Energy – The focus was on providing jobs and affordable energy  sources for the US. Many Americans looked at the reducing the “fracking” that goes on in the country and improving the reliance on solar power.  I think this is a really important factor to consider, since the US has historically used up coal mines after coal mines. If the US wants to continue to be the top country in the future, the government needs to be clear on becoming fossil-fuel independent.

Climate Change – Some people don’t believe in this phenomenon, which I think is ridiculous. Can’t you see the higher temperatures in the summer? The photos of the melting ice caps? The right candidate worried about the earth’s future has to believe in global warming, or the lifestyle of most Americans won’t change for the green good.

Water Quality is another main question that people were questioning candidates about. Had Superstorm Sandy come sooner, I think this would have been a greater concern for the citizens of the US.

Biotechnology, is related to America’s increasing reliance on oil that is not found in the US. Candidates that were worried about the earth’s future were made sure to acknowledge the idea of other alternative fuels. Here is where our CIS biogas really could come in handy! In Bangalore, CIS is on the right path, relying more upon the earth friendly fuel.

September

The world undertakes a challenge to clean up its beaches. Nations ranging from the Philippines, to South Africa, to Venezuela used the power of 598,076 volunteers to sweep the coasts clean of 9.2 million pounds of trash. Even in Singapore, the American school teamed up with the National University to clean up a mangrove that was filled with an initial astonishing 2.3 tons of trash that was collected in 4 hours. The Ocean Conservancy organizes this global initiative every year since 1987 and releases its data to the public, scientists and the powerful law makers.  At the mangroves here in Singapore, plastic bags made up most of the trash but worldwide, cigarettes made the top. 27 mammals, such as dolphins, were found entangled in ropes and other beach debris, in addition to the 49 birds facing a similar plight. Find out how you can make a difference in your community! Participate in the 2013 International Coastal Clean-Up; it was a really great experience for me. It opened up my eyes to see how every little piece of plastic that ends up on the beach could potentially hurt an animal. I think this could be implemented even on holiday beaches. Pick up whatever little garbage you see – you’re helping an animal survive.

October

Hurricane Sandy hits the eastern coastline of the United States as well as the Caribbean. Many believe that Sandy symbolizes the beginning of a series of environmental catastrophes. Maybe the earth is telling us something – we need to be more diligent with the way we are using our home! Flooding of the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, residents are worried about toxic residue. 630 oil spills have been reported in New York City, as a result of the storm. Arthur Kill, a strait between New Jersey and Staten Island, had 336,000 gallons of fuel spilled. Due to the biodegradation of the oil, fish can die after exposure to low oxygen levels. Salt marshes could also be affected, and more wildlife habitats may have been threatened due to the deadly storm. But that’s not all; the list goes on and on. Sewage treatment plants could not control the release of sewage into local waterways.  Pesticides, contaminants, and bacteria could affect drinking water supplies in the regions that were hit by Sandy. I think that the US government needs to pay more attention to the effects of such storms. The impact for both humans and wildlife could prove disastrous. Imagine those poor creatures in the marshes panicking due to the oil spills! What will happen if the drinking water sanitation becomes extremely low? I’m sure that importing drinking water to certain states will be extremely expensive. The government must look into the environmental mitigation of superstorms like Sandy.  

November

Students of South East Asia met, discussed, and planned ways to make the earth a safer place, environmentally, socially, and politically. GINSING, the Global Issues Network Singapore Conference, brought people from Manila, Dubai, and a whole slew of other schools all the way to Singapore to discuss topics like Natural Disasters, Human Trafficking, Global Warming, and rewiring taxes for the 21^st Century. GANGs – Global Action Network Groups – came together to brainstorm ways to make the world more aware and how we, as mere students, could make a difference. The conference was an all-out success. Guest speakers such as Abigail Ailing contributed to the buzzing atmosphere. Delegates and Facilitators are still communicating with each other to keep the spirit of GINSING alive!

December

A conference on climate change was held in Qatar – the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Delegates talked about extending the Kyoto Protocol; they are hoping that by 2015 there will be a new climate agreement in 2015. The World Bank released a report that investigates the effect of an increase in temperature by 4 degrees Celsius – intense wildfires, heat waves, droughts, dead ocean life, increased pests and disease. Increased dependence on fossil fuels is another big problem that the world needs to deal with soon. There are almost 1,200 new coal plants that are going to go up soon. 2011 exceeded the record for greenhouse gas, and there’s a possibility that 2012 will do the same. It’s good to see the leaders of today and tomorrow taking a stand on environmental 

awareness. The young people of today need to do the same, more often.

Reflections for the year

I really wish that in the first few months at my new school, SAS, I had gotten the chance to assimilate into the green environment faster. Now I’m thinking of a few ideas that I hope will become a reality in early 2013. My junior year has to be an environmentally filled one! Sometimes I think back to the nuclear plants of Japan. We don’t want another abandoned community like Fukushima. I hope they are secure now, because if another major tsunami hits, the whole east coast of Asia could be in trouble.

The plan for 2013

Everyone can contribute to helping the Earth become a safer, cleaner, greener planet. Regardless of your age, nationality, or political power, your little actions make a difference. In 2013, I plan to make a difference. My number one goal is spreading awareness. At SAS, SAVE club – the environmental club – is extremely popular. So many people have joined. Empowering those people to come and join one of the activities or fundraisers in important. I know that in 2013, I will definitely participate more in SAVE! The earth needs my help and I will make the effort to be there for our planet!

Keep the environment in mind this holiday season! Happy holidays!

Sources:  

http://blog.wegowise.com/blog2/bid/137837/The-Environmental-Impacts-of-Hurricane-Sandy

http://www.cnn.co.uk/2012/12/09/opinion/morgan-climate-change-talks/index.html

http://blog.wegowise.com/blog2/bid/137837/The-Environmental-Impacts-of-Hurricane-Sandy

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/marine-debris/

http://www.oceanconservancy.org/our-work/marine-debris/check-out-our-latest-trash.html

http://www.actionsustainability.com/news/174/2012-Olympics-a-mixed-record-so-far-on-environmental-issues/

http://www.london2012.com/mm%5CDocument%5CPublications%5CSustainability%5C01%5C24%5C08%5C76%5Ccarbon-footprint-study.pdf

http://www.canadianinternationalschool.com/news/Green%20Idea%20February%202012%20Newsletter.pdf

http://heartland.org/newspaper/2012-april-environment-climate-news

http://news.yahoo.com/top-five-environmental-issues-2012-election-173600279.html

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/poster/2012/20120529.php

Dead Zone Lakes Coming Back to Life

In June 1969, as Ohio’s Cuyahoga River was on its way to Lake Erie, it caught on fire because of the heavily polluted water. And since the 1970s, the public has started to make an effort to reduce the water pollution levels, leading to the Great Lakes Water Quality Act and Clean Water Act. Since then, levels of pollutants in the lake, such as phosphorous, have reduced by two-thirds.

But the phosphorous levels are back up, claims a Great Lakes expert. The increase in phosphorous levels might be due to storms and heavy rains, which carry the phosphorous into the lake through run-off. The chemical is found in many commercial detergents, water treatments, and fertilizers.

The lake’s waters are warm, creating the optimum conditions for algae, which use the phosphorous ions for growth and development, in the Great Lakes. The algae use up oxygen in the water, leaving little for the fish population. The resulting anaerobic condition of the lake is favorable for avian botulism: “a paralytic disease caused by indigestion of a toxin,” which is produced by bacteria, according to the NWHC (National Wildlife Health Center). The avian botulism and other bacteria can be dangerous to animals and humans. The algae cannot be removed by boiling and large areas of the Great Lake have been considered “dead zones”, as nothing can live with a lack of light or without a supply of oxygen.

              Climate change is causing extreme weather patterns and 2011 is considered to have been a year that had all the right conditions for algae blooms, by Jeff Reutter, the director of the Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory at Ohio State University. The early spring storms filled the lake with lots of phosphorous. The storms were followed by a long drought, resulting in less run off, draining less pollution from the water.

              Another problem that helps the algae blooms: shorter, warmer winters. Ice on the lake now forms later in the winter, rather than in the fall, and thaws earlier, due to the warming climate and falling water levels. Usually, the cold atmosphere would kill most algae and bacteria, but in the warmer winters, the algae bloom under the ice.

              There’s only one direct solution that will help solve the problem; the usage of phosphorous needs to be reduced.
              So whether you live around the Great Lakes or not, try and identify products that have phosphorous and other similar chemicals which promote algae blooms. Don’t use them. Remember - you have the simple power of helping prevent water pollution in any water body, all over the world.

Sources: http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/pollution/water/water1.html, http://www.nwhc.usgs.gov/disease_information/avian_botulism/, http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/weather-changes-mean-more-dead-zones-for-lake-erie

Go Green, Go Vegetarian

Being a vegetarian myself, I understand the consequences that animals have to go through because of human needs. They end up sliced and chopped up on most of our plates at meal times. And sometimes I wonder if the human taste needs to be at the expense of other living beings.

And being vegetarian has advantages all around. It’s good for the environment. The earth benefits from humans not eating meat. So if you’re vegetarian, not only are you saving the animals but you’re also taking a big step towards environmental conservation!

According to PETA – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – raising animals that will eventually be slaughtered for food requires enormous amounts of land, food, energy, and water. The byproducts play a huge role in the pollution of waterways and air.

Why does this happen?

The animals are using up a lot of natural resources! Animal agriculture is responsible for most of the consumption of water in the US. It takes 2,400 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef and only 180 gallons for one pound of whole wheat flour. The farm animals are injected with hormones and drugs, forcing them to grow larger and larger. In the process, they consume more food, more water, and take up more space. For example, when a pig is in its “finishing phase”, it weighs from 100 to 240 pounds, consuming more than 500 pounds of grain, corn and soybeans on its own.

Animals excrete waste products that add to greenhouse gas emissions! Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide contribute largely to global warming and are produced by many of the animals that are grown for mass animal agriculture. Factory farming is the “use of animals and the natural world merely as commodities to be exploited for profit,” according to Farm Sanctuary. Factory farms produce thousands of tons of dust that contains harmful organisms including bacteria, mold, and fungi, coming from the feces and feed of the animals. This dust accumulates in the air, adding to air pollution, but it also impacts human health. In a report by the California State Senate, it is shown that animal waste that emits toxic chemicals can be responsible for inflammatory, immune and neurochemical health issues in human beings.

Factory farming adds to the pollution of waterways through the dumping of manure (87,000 pounds of waste per second!)  in lakes and rivers, which can end up in drinking water. The excrement and fertilizer in the feed from the factory farms contains nitrogen that helps algae populations to thrive. The algae use all the oxygen in the water, hardly leaving any for other life forms.

These days, there are hundreds of vegetarian recipes that can be made and eaten without even thinking about meat. Help save animals from human cruelty and save the environment with one easy step – go green, go vegetarian

Visit PETA or Farm Sanctuary for more information on being vegetarian!

Getting Back to School the Environmentally Friendly Way!

It’s the time of year again when a new school year is approaching and you need to get organized! Here are a few tips that will help the environment and you!

Green Cleaning

Summer’s a great time to clean up the house and make it look fresh and comfortable for the upcoming school year! But how can you make sure you’re cleaning green?

Here are five examples of green cleaning products you can make yourself at home, without doing any harm to the environment or the family!

Water, Water, Wasted Water.

Water used to be an abundant resource on Earth. It was, and still is, one of the main reasons life does not exist (as far as we know) on other planets. A number of drinks have taken over the beverage industry, but water is still on the shelf. It’s a vital necessity for any living organism’s functioning. The water we drink today is scarce; yet we continue to waste water, not thinking about the implications this will cause in the future. Even if the water supply does not run out during our life time, what about the generations to come? Will they be able to sustain on Earth with a limited water supply?

In the last 60 years, the American people have increased water usage by 127%. Producing one kilogram of beef takes 15 thousand liters of water, proving that going vegetarian for just one day, all over the world, can help save a tremendous amount of water! Products we use, eat and drink regularly such as cane sugar, milk, and bread, require thousands of liters each to produce.

Zooming in on…

Cheese: The global average water footprint according to www.waterfootprint.org is 5000 liters for 1 kg of cheese.

The Wine Glass: About 125 ml of wine uses 120 liters of water, as it is used to grow the grapes.

Apple: An apple of 100 grams needs 70 liters to grow. 200 ml of apple juice takes 190 liters to make.

Coffee: 140 liters for one cup. International trade for coffee products requires 80 billion cubic meters of water!

Leather: 16600 liters for one kilogram of leather is atrocious. Skinning the hides of cows for material to wrap around our feet is scary, especially if it takes so much water to produce!

Water may seem abundant but when you take a close look at where all the water is going and how it’s being used, the truth is terrifying! Try to save water! Drink coffee and wine less often and try to resist buying those shiny, polished leather dress shoes. Remember, each effort you make saves water! :)   

Sources: http://www.chelseagreen.com/content/ten-facts-about-the-water-we-waste/, http://www.waterfootprint.org

Rising CO2 levels, trapped heat, and…

As it rains in the summer and becomes warmer in winter, carbon dioxide levels increase, trapping more heat in the earth’s atmosphere. The result? Higher global temperatures and weird weather, for sure.

The “Down-to-Earth Guide to Global Warming” by Laurie David and Cambria Gordon claims that the following 7 things can result due to global warming.

1.       Larger and More Itchy Poison Ivy

Urushiol is the toxin in poison ivy that makes it itchy. When carbon dioxide levels rise, poison ivy produces even more urushiol!

2.       Dull Fall Leaves

We all love those fall leaves! The bright reds and oranges are at risk with global warming! Longer summers prevent frosts from changing the color of the leaves.

3.       Worsened Allergies and Asthma

Again it’s the notorious carbon dioxide! More CO₂ in the air causes pinecones and plants such as ragweed to produce more pollen, which many are allergic to, all over the world.

4.       Shorter Ski Seasons

The Winter Olympics of 2006 in Italy actually had to use fake snow because there wasn’t an ample amount. At ski resorts in places like Oregon and Washington, it rains more than it snows in the winter!

5.       No More Outdoor Ice Rinks

Ice skating and ice hockey, played usually on outdoor rinks during cold winters, are harder to play during the warmer winters! Lakes and rinks aren’t completely frozen and there is a risk playing such sports, especially if the ice might break!

6.       More Disease Carrying Mosquitos In the World

Warmer climates encourage mosquito and tick breeding. These creatures bring in Lyme disease, malaria, West Nile Virus, dengue, and yellow fever to places where these diseases have never been seen before.

7.       Maple Syrup Depletion

In places like Canada and eastern United States, Maple Syrup is an important business. However, with warmer winters, the sap from the maple trees flows more easily and sugar tappers take too much of the supply, too quickly. This causes less maple syrup for the real winters, where everyone wants some to go around.

Only some of the effects of global warming, impacting us, are listed above. Many more worries and causes of concern are rising every day.

We should all try to reduce the happening of such events and save some maple syrup for ourselves! If more people in the world pitched in, more than just maple syrup could be salvaged! Help the Planet! Think Green!  

Difference of Green

After coming back to India after a trip to California, I realize how much the US strives to be a green community, in comparison to the overall green atmosphere in India.

In California, everyone is required to recycle at home. The recycling bins are twice the size of the trash cans and most packaging, from milk cartons to wrapping paper is recyclable. Many grocery stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods encourage foods grown in environmentally friendly ways.  Offices and schools have recycling bins in addition to trash cans and universities such as Stanford offer tremendous support to the idea of being green. For example, Stanford has some ‘green’ buildings, which focus on being energy efficient.

The story is a little bit different in India; although people claim to be interested in the environmental field, very few actually try and make the difference! India is slowly ramping up to a greener air around the country, but the air seems to get blacker every day! The numbers of vehicles on the road are unbelievable and on a clear night in the city, all that can be seen is smog. City lights ruin the view of stars of the night sky, most of the time, and don’t mention the garbage! It’s garbage galore in big cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad and Delhi. There are a few recycling programs, but nobody knows where they go.

I believe we need to make the difference! Awareness in India about the environment is minimal and we need to try and educate at least some of the one billion population. There is huge potential in such a big country for being green.

Start a green club, plant a tree, bike to school. These are ways you can help raise awareness, help the environment, and feel good about yourself anywhere in the world! 

Be Green. 

Summer Green

The Petroleum Free Water Bottle Sold at Ike's Place

Just finishing a summer course at Stanford’s summer institutes EPGY, I realized how much of a green atmosphere Stanford cultivated. The students strive to keep the green environment in place, along with the professors who encourage them too. Here are a few examples of the green dining experience:

At the dining hall, whether for hot drinks, ice cream, or just ice, Stanford’s dining provided drinking cups of the brand “Eco-Products.” On the back of the cup, Eco-Products claims the product is made of 100% renewable resources, made entirely out of plants. The cups are not made from oil, reducing the effect the cups have on global warming. The other option for drinking cups at the dining hall was hard plastic, washable and reusable. All utensils at the dining hall were stainless steel, and reusable. When plastic utensils had to be used, “Tater Ware” utensils were used. The bag with the spoon, fork, and knife states, “Cutlery, bag and napkin are biodegradable,” allowing us to throw even the cutlery into the recycling bin.

The sandwich shop, Ike’s place, sells water bottles manufactured by the company “Green Planet”. The bottles are petroleum and BPA free and made 100% from plants. The bottle is even compostable!

Such simple, but effective investments just related to dining at Stanford makes us feel good about helping the environment in our own way. Every biodegradable spoon used and recycled makes a difference! I hope that more of these products will be used by the world’s population.

                
For more information about these products, visit http://www.ecoproducts.com, http://www.greenplanetbottling.com and http://www.earth-to-go.com! =)

A Greener IPL

For those of you who don't know what the IPL is - The Indian Premier League, sponsored by DLF (a builder in India), is one of India’s most exciting sports events where thousands of fans cheer on their favorite cricket team. Everyone loves the feeling of sitting in the stands, the thrill of the tumbling hit of a 4 and the big 6 that appears on the viewing screen makes you tingle with excitement and joy. But try zooming out; take a look at the big picture. Comprehend beyond the pitch; see away from the shrieks from the fans. The IPL might look big and grand on the inside, but the overall image is not so pretty – for the environment.   Here are 5 examples of how to make a “Greener IPL”.

1.       As the car drops the fans off at the stadium, there is confusion, a mess, at the various gates. Some realize that they are at the wrong gate and start asking wildly for the gate number specified on their ticket. Some police officials are helpful, others are not. Many travel by car through the indefinite lanes, roads, and gullies that snake together to link around the stadium. And there we are! The first harm has been done to the environment, without the match even starting. Prolonged confusion turns into prolonged waits in the car. The car is being driven and the A/C is on; it is extremely hot and the atmosphere becomes humid and sticky quickly, due to the immense crowd that forms around. The engine is on for a longer time, releasing more unhealthy emissions. Air pollution: affecting not only the Earth, but the people as well.

Perhaps a more organized approach to the chaos, with a map on the ticket or stationed officials at every corner, would help. Fewer cars would be hurrying to and fro, along with smooth parking.

2.       Finally, the car reaches a place where it can be parked and left alone for the next few hours. Grand lighting is placed nearly every meter on the pathway towards the seats. Some bulbs are so small that they hardly make a shadow – proving useless as a part of the intricate lighting designs that they are used along with.

Why not take out the small, yellow lights and replace them with more energy efficient ones that helps fan walk to the entrance easily?  

3.       Some progress has been made among the mad rush of the bustling crowd and you stand near the security scans. Some stations are thoroughly checked, as the scanning of spectators through the big gray arches is made mandatory. Even binoculars are suspected as a camera or any other various devices. However, if you notice closely at the entrance levels of other gates, there is a very minimal security check. One guard looks over to make sure that you have the correct ticket and allows you to pass. The next glances at the blue piece of stiff card, and simply waves his hand. At the third stop, there is a security official who guides fans through the process of inserting their ticket into the machine, as it verifies it, and signals to move on. There are too many people behind, pushing and shoving trying to run as fast as possible, hoping that the game has not begun. People run through the security scanners that beep violently, blink and flash with a bright red color.

Not only is this a security issue, you realize that each of the 4 to 5 scanners in one gate alone is left running on all throughout the night, not being regarded at all. Versions of less energy consuming machines, as well as better usage might prove them a little bit more energy efficient.

4.       The Opening Ceremony was beautiful, with the colorful firework displays and invigorating lights. However, one must ask themselves if this is really necessary. Does the world need to see all of the energy wasted and harmful for the Earth that is put in right at the beginning of the show? The simple answer might be yes, but you, as an individual, among the many others (hopefully), reflect on the volume of carbon emissions released from the fireworks into the Earth’s atmosphere, slowly destroying the Ozone layer.

The lights show the program very clearly, but careful investigation might prove them to have very low efficiency, wasting lots of the power that was input initially. Reduce the fireworks and reuse the lights. There’s a simple solution!

5.       The last and final element of making the DLF Indian Premier League a greener national event lies in the power of the people. Everyone must contribute in creating a greener community. It is not only the government’s responsibility to place energy efficient lights, but the public’s responsibility to be aware, and realize the amount of energy lost, affecting the Earth and its people, on a long term basis.

We, the people, must contribute what we can to try to form an IPL that not only excites the Indian population, but also benefits nature and the world as a whole.