news details |
|
|
| Eco-Living | | | Dr. Pragya Khanna | 12/27/2011 11:57:29 PM |
| Environmental issues often seem too big and too distant that generally one feels that it is out of my reach to do anything about it. But there is plenty you can do when you bring the focus closer to your home. Yes! Indeed there are ways in which you can protect your home environment and yourself and can protect your health, your family's health, and the small piece of the planet that you call home.
Let us begin from the outer side of your home.
1. I suggest that we should aim for a healthy lawn rather than a perfect lawn. At the same time we should believe that no garden is Eden to be entirely pest-free. But you can reduce the risk of insect, disease, and weed problems if you take a few steps. For instance, choose a location with 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day. This aids the growth of most vegetable crops. It also speeds the evaporation of water from plant surfaces, reducing the risk of disease. Apply pesticides only when other corrective methods do not do the job. Select pesticides that target specific pests, do not remain in the environment for a long time, and are of low toxicity.
Don't underfertilize or overfertilize your plants but just the optimum dose would work wonders. Organic fertilizer improves the condition, or health, of the soil. It is less likely to burn the lawn or leach down through the soil and into groundwater. It also provides a larger complement of minerals for plant growth. Water the soil thoroughly by adding an inch of water per week when there is not sufficient rainfall. If plants suffer from too much or too little water, they will be less vigorous and more susceptible to problems.
2. Attract birds and butterflies to your surroundings. In order to make your habitat a haven for birds, provide the essentials: food, water, and shelter. Also, birds generally prefer a landscape rich in trees and shrubs.
3. At the same time use pest barriers in your garden. A variety of pest barriers are available for use in the yard and garden as alternatives to pesticides. Plant covers are used when crops are small and they keep insects away from the plants.
4. Create a compost pile. A compost pile is a teeming microbial farm which can be easily made from daily waste. The microbes in a compost pile go to work for you, breaking down leaves, grass clippings, fruit and vegetable waste, and other organic matter. You can even add bread, coffee grounds, egg shells, fruit, shredded paper, tea leaves, vegetables, and wood chips to the pile. Materials that should not be put in a compost pile include: bones, cat and dog manure, cheese, chicken, fat, fish scraps, milk, meat, noxious weeds, and oils. Mixing compost material into your yard or garden loosens heavy clay soils, allowing better root penetration and improving plant growth. It also improves the infiltration and percolation of water through the soil, improves a sandy soil's capacity to hold water and nutrients, and may help add essential nutrients to any soil.
5. Reduce household waste. The best way to manage solid waste is to not produce it in the first place. To that end, buy only what you need. Buy durable products, and maintain and repair them to ensure longer product life. Borrow or rent items you don't use often.
If you can't reuse a product yourself, find someone who can. Sell it to the local hawkers who collect such waste or else donate it to a community organization. Consider donating books and magazines to public libraries or to nursing homes. Reduce the number of paper and plastic bags your family uses by carrying reusable tote bags to grocery and department stores. Minimize use of paper towels, paper plates, and napkins. Invest in cloth napkins for everyday use, and choose reusable cloths, towels, and plates, rather than paper "throwaways." We can substitute rechargeable batteries for throwaway batteries.
Reduce, recycle, and reuse are known as the three Rs of the waste-reduction movement. But a fourth R often is forgotten: Respond. You can refuse to buy packaging that you think is excessive, packaging that is not recyclable locally, or products that are harmful to the environment.
6. Prevent contamination from septic systems. If you don't maintain your septic system on a regular basis, the system could malfunction, possibly causing problems: contamination of groundwater and surface water; spread of sewage-borne diseases such as cholera, typhoid fever, and more commonly, gastroenteritis; or costly damage to your home and septic system.
To help your septic system operate correctly, know the location of all of the parts of your system, and don't run heavy vehicles over them. Avoid planting trees or shrubs near drain tiles. Their roots can clog drain lines. Also, divert surface runoff around the system, if possible. And be careful of what you dispose of in the toilet or in your drains.
Household chemicals can destroy the bacteria that break down organic material in your septic tank; garbage disposals can add unnecessary solids and grease to your system; and non-biodegradable material can clog the absorption field. Therefore by changing our ways a little we can find ways to. Create a landscape that is beautiful and diverse at least around us as one must consider that service is the rent you pay for room on this planet. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
