Anshu Gupta
The idea of LiFE was introduced by Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on November 1, 2021 as a Mass Movement. The idea promotes an environmentally conscious lifestyle that emphasizes on ‘Mindful and Deliberate utilisation’ instead of ‘Mindless and Wasteful Consumption’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), in the presence of the UN Secretary General António Guterres, at the Statue of Unity, Ekta Nagar, Gujarat on 20th October 2022.
The consequences of unsustainable lifestyle on environment are now widely known. According to Intergovernmental Panel on climate change (IPCC) anthropogenic Green House Gas emissions are driven by population size, economic activity, lifestyle, energy use, land use pattern, technology & climate policy. World has now evidently understood the association of our lifestyle and its impact on our natural environment. Hence our lifestyle of moderation can be the strongest tool in achieving the Sustainable development. The Mission LiFE intends to nudge individuals to undertake simple acts in their daily lives that can contribute significantly to climate change when embraced across the world.
“Pro-Planet People” (P3): The mission plans to create and nurture global network of individuals, namely “Pro-Planet People” (P3).The P3 model, i.e., Pro Planet People is premised on the basic principles of ‘Lifestyle of the planet, for the planet and by the planet’. P3 will have a shared commitment to adopt and promote environmentally friendly lifestyles. The mission seeks to create an ecosystem that will reinforce and enable environmentally friendly behaviours to be self-sustainable. It is a people powered platform that relentlessly focusses on bringing individual and collective actions to the core of the climate action narrative. Changing individual and community behaviour alone can have a significant impact on the environmental and climate crises. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), if 1 out of 8 billion people worldwide adopt environment-friendly behaviours in their daily lives, global carbon emissions could drop up to 20 per cent
Transitioning from Throw-away culture to a Circular Economy is imperative: There is a need for change in the so-called consumer & materialistic way of living. Mission concentrates on replacing the prevalent “Use and Dispose” economy that is governed by mindless and destructive consumption by Conscious and Delibrate Consumption. It promotes the circular economy where the concept of ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ can help in striking a balance between development, economic growth and sustainability. Circular economy (also referred to as circularity and CE) is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle are the concepts woven into our life. The Circular Economy has been an integral part of our culture and lifestyle”. Circular economy can generate around INR 14 lakh crore of additional cost savings by 2030.
LiFE builds upon India’s environment-friendly culture and traditional practices: The “Harmony between humans and nature is integral to the Indian tradition and ethos.” Not only this is supported within the Indian culture, religion and tradition but also to the Indian lifestyle.
Sustainable Lifestyle & Indian Culture: The solutions of Sustainable Development can be achieved by approaching our roots of Culture and Lifestyle and move forward on the path of Development. There can be many ways of reducing our carbon footprints just by changing our present behaviour of consumption and modern lifestyle by going back to our traditional living.
Nature Conservation: Indian culture has always preached a lifestyle that is harmonious with nature. Trees have been worshipped and forests valued. Conservation of sacred species, groves and landscapes have always been an integral part of ethics in our culture.
Traditional Rain water Harvesting: Importance and scarcity of fresh water has always been known to communities. Communities had developed traditional rain water harvesting systems according to the topography, rainfall and climate of their dwelling locations
Food Locally grown and seasonal food: Eating locally grown& season produces are recommended for good health, which significantly reduces the need for preservation &transportation of food. Eating seasonal is primarily encouraged by our traditional system of medicine.
Utilizing the food waste. creative reuse of the extra food prepared, hence reducing the waste has always been followed in households from ancient times. Many recipes to recycle the leftover food are prevalent in our country hence reducing the food waste. (Khakra, Curd rice, dal parathas, vegetable peel chutneys etc.)
Energy Saving Techniques of Cooking: Various energy saving techniques like hand grinding and hand churning using madani are the traditional techniques of cooking in Indian households that has been slowly replaced by electronic devices.
Food preservation has also been done in a very environment friendly manner without using energy generated by fossil fuels instead simple method of pickling, sun drying etc. (Aam Papad, Pickles etc.) has always been carried out.
The Indian Science of Architecture – Vastu shastra: Vastu shastra is a traditional system of architecture that has its origin in India. Vastu Shastra has scientific principles on design, layout, measurements, ground preparation, space arrangement, and spatial geometry which should be implemented in a certain way before and after building a house. Vastu shastra gives directions based on energy flow patterns – particularly of light and wind, utilization of shelter space for various activities.
Traditional Dhajji Dewari construction: Earthquake resistant construction system in Jammu and Kashmir: Dhajji Dewari has been in practice for more than 200 years. As the name itself describe, the construction seems as patchwork done using different types of patterns and it is also referred in the Indian Standard Codes as brick nogged timber frame construction.
Across the Jammu region, especially in southern districts and Kandi belt of the state, traditional ponds once played an important role in maintaining the water table but the approach of the locals and the administration has led to the drying up of these water bodies. Moreover, most of the ponds have turned into garbage dumping sites.
In today’s time we all feel modern and advanced. We have attained a lifestyle of utmost comfort and luxury as we have crossed all impediments and hinderances for achieving this. We have not only utilized but overexploited our natural resources, beyond the capacity at which they can be regenerated by nature with the help of advancements in technology in the last two centuries at a very high pace. In present scenario patterns of action and consumption by people to affiliate and differentiate themselves from others must be that meet basic needs, provide a better quality of life, minimize the use of natural resources and emissions of waste and pollutants over the lifecycle, and do not jeopardize the needs of future generations. We all need to Have a lifestyle which allows taking from nature only that much as it can regenerate. There is a need to shift from a Modern Consumer Culture To A Sustainability Culture.
“Need of the hour is to solve the challenge faced by our planet using human-centric, collective efforts and robust action that further sustainable development”. We must realize it now that Our planet is one but our efforts have to be many – One earth, many efforts. Lets all be a part of this mass movement for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment).
(The author is Assistant Professor in Environmental Sciences Higher Education Department, Jammu and Kashmir presently posted at GDC Sidhra)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
