I am hoping this would not be one-off. Anyone who starts off on a series, as I wish to on this topic, has many items to start with, but I have only one. Perhaps in posting this piece, I would be hit by “Green” lightning!
From
the conversations I hear around me, it has been way past time that people are
concerned about “Going Green”. It was a fad and people have gotten tired over
decades of what is seen as mere words and no action. The so-called developed
nations are continuing to blame the developing countries and the latter do a
tit-for-tat on this.
Let
me claim that I am still worried about global heating (it is no more merely “warming”),
but may stop soon. The reason? Frustration; none to talk to in any meaningful
way. So, in my current station in life, the prudent thing may be just to defenestrate
the idea, just like we throw waste paper.
The
above is an insert in the newspaper I subscribe to. It is printed on glossy paper. I am not
sure that newsprint is a “Green” product; but these glossies can never be so.
The
newspaper agent must be getting a cut on inserting these, must be a tedious job
in the ungodly hours they work on street pavements (I have seen them). My
question is what the RoI is for the advertiser. He is, of course, bombarding
people through advertisements on TV, on the Net and elsewhere. So, why does he
not give up this mode? I do not know.
Could
it be that we, the consumers, like the rustle of the paper in our hands, even
if it be of the glossy kind? I do not think so, because if it is a glossy
advertisement, it is almost a certainty we would have seen it on TV or seen
advertisements pop up when you search for something, anything, on Google.
These
glossy advertisement inserts do not soak oil from deep-fried snacks, the best
use I can think of for yesterday’s newspapers. Newsprint is good. I am big on
deep-fried snacks - give me pakodas, samosas, chips, French fries any day,
night, awake or asleep, at home on the road. My wife obliges! At work college
canteen is always there. Indeed, they are served on newspaper cuttings, at
least in one canteen I have gone to!
What
I do know is I am helpless. I have no levers to push the advertiser away from
newspaper inserts. He is not going to listen to me about “going Green”, unless
the green is of the money type – the greenback in the US.
I
know that newspapers are sustained by their ad revenue. It is built into their
business model. Can they not tweak the model to become less dependent on paper
subscriptions? Going on-line? Well, that brings in a lot of additional “unGreen”
stuff – like the dirty coal used to generate electricity. So, any which way you
go, the only way to go “Green” is to be ignorant of happenings around the
world.
Well,
I have not come to that stage of renunciation in my life, as yet.
But,
if and when I do ... I will be the “Greenest” you have ever seen me.
Raghuram
Ekambaram
5 comments:
So,is going paperless the answer? 🤔 Digital stuff has its limitations for people like me.I can not read digitally with undivided attention, as it is my attention span has reduced considerably with age. 😁
Same here, Aditi. I too am aging, faster than you! But, I have already pointed out that going on-line gets you deeper into the issue - dirty coal from which electricity is generated, at least in India. This is how I ended the post.
Thanks for coming in.
Raghuram
Global warming is a serious stuff. Of course what you have pointed out is a small matter. The biggest concern is to reduce the CO2 emissions of industries. I just wrote about the possible reduction of CO2 emissions by the cement industry(based on the global association of cement and concrete recommendations), which occupies 6% of the global output. Already the cement available in the market has 15-20% fly ash.
Fly ash is an industrial byproduct of the thermal power plants, and is very harmful to health and also the environment. But as more and more renewable energy options are generated, the fly ash also will not be available (good for us). Hence an international project involving 2 IITs in India, Switzerland, Cuba and others have developed a cement using calcined clays(which also reduced the energy requirements of the production). Capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and using it in many ways including curing of concrete is a big industry. There are only a few things. Several other innovations are already shaping up, May be we will not see oil driven cars in future, May not even own cats due to services like OLA. Lot of developments are taking place due to the IT industry also.
I also like to read physical paper or books, as we are used to it. But the current generation does use digital media considerably as you may see even toddlers using IPad! God bless all of us!
Cats should be read as cars. There are only a few things should be read as these are only a few things. My paper is due to appear in the February issue of the CE&CR.
I look forward to receiving a copy of your paper, Mr. Subramanian. I, being a civil engineer, though not oriented towards material, mm aware of substitution materials for cement. The newest building in LSE makes a point about it.
My focus is on the side of reduction; hence my focus on materials that cannot be recycled.
By the way, every effort is small compared to te task ahead.
Regards,
Raghuram Ekambaram
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