Take off on a very foggy day in Delhi

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The mercury has dipped to a new low in Northern India. The capital is experiencing lowest temperatures since the year 1912. The cold fronts are slowly becoming stronger. Trains, flights and life in general has been disrupted.

As mentioned in various SnapKeys before, the winter holds a historical significance for when life comes to almost a stand still. As hunter-gatherers, we had to prepare for it by collecting and storing food. During the season, people stay in and don’t move about, armies stay put (unless you are the Mongols), the fires stir and in totality everything is mundane.

The worst effects are faced by those who cannot combat the cold. People who cannot afford shelter, warm clothing and good food to keep themselves protected from the harsh winter especially in modern times when societies seem to be quite aloof from this problem.

The cold has played a deciding factor in political scenarios as well. The most significant example being the invading Nazi Germany losing to the Soviet Union in the second world war simply because the former’s troops could not fight in the extreme conditions.

Why is Northern India facing the brunt of winter? We could say that climate change is in effect. It is a gradual process and this extreme levels of cold is just an example of how it is going to affect human lives in the coming years. The Earth is our only home. Just like mother nature takes care of us, we too have to do the same for her. It is imperative that something is done to combat climate change immediately.

While governments of the world bicker amongst themselves over who is to be held responsible for this problem. We individuals need to do something about this problem. All it takes is that you slightly change some of your habits. Can a single person’s contribution do something? No. But what about the individual contribution of a billion people? That can bring about drastic changes. It reminds me of a popular Hindi phrase.

बूंद–बूंद से  सागर भरता है

Every drop fills an ocean

Taking this spirit of individualistic contribution forward, here are a few things you can do to help combat this issue:

• Use public transport.
• Invest in energy efficient appliances.
• Reduce water waste. Turn off taps and fix taps which are leaking ASAP.
• Use LED bulbs which use 80% less energy.
• Maintain your personal vehicle.
• Offset your carbon footprint by planting trees.
• Spread awareness in your social circles. Each one, teach one to plant one!

Let us take a collective step through individual contributions towards combating climate change and try to make sure that the winters are not as harsh in the coming years! What do you think? Let me know in the comment section below!

–Priyamvad Rai

This SnapKey is a prelude to an upcoming Perspective post by Priyamvad Rai.

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