Madhav Gadgil, Indian ecologist Unni Krishnan S, Director, River Research Centre In the wake of the biggest natural calamity — many argue forcefully that is man-made — faced by Kerala in a century, an effort is on to rebuild the State to its former glory or to make it even better than it was in the pre-flood era. Many green activists have been asserting that it is a warning cum distress call by nature and that if we do not listen at least now, history will repeat itself.We speak to a few environmental experts on how, as a society, we can coexist with nature by practising sustainable living.Apart from shunning drinking water sold in plastic bottles and energy conservation, the citizens need to join hands in putting together good information. A lot of damage can be reduced by disseminating the right information to others. In the long run, this will be very useful for environmental management. There is no platform better than online. For instance, the wiki platforms can be very well utilised. There are public forums as well where genuine information can be disseminated. Citizens should turn journalists and they should question all the wrongdoings against nature, especially quarry works. The photographs of such misdeeds should be taken and the disseminated via online.Water is the most crucial thing that we need to survive. To receive good quality air is beyond our capabilities but water can be always conserved by us.How we use and manage water is very important. If we observe the lifestyle of people living in other countries, we see them utilising water in an optimal way. The water used to bathe is then used to flush toilets. Malayalis need to incorporate this aspect in our lives. Traditionally, we used to share surplus water. When we take bath in a stream or river, it is shared. But now we use bathrooms where the water isn’t shared. Hence, if one can improve his relationship with water, it will be the first step towards green living. If residential associations can come forward to bring in shared use of water by making some common spots for car washing and then recycle the water for other purposes, it will go a long way in water conservation.Backyard garden can help hold carbon in the soil. Scientific studies say a top fixing soil with at least a bit of organic content can hold nearly 27,000 litres of carbon. If we are able to increase the organic content of the soil around us, we will be able to improve the inherent capacity of the soil to grasp the rain water. Thus, we can link water to food by cultivating the vegetables and also preserving the rainwater in our own land.Cultivate at least one or two vegetables that are used regularly in our daily life. Increase the number every year and this will lead to green living automatically.In urban living, physical exercise takes a backseat. If we can connect our physical activity with energy production, it will bring about a big change. In California, the physical exercise given to the jail inmates is cycling. The energy produced via cycling is transferred to a residents’ association nearby. If we could use solar energy and wind energy to produce power, that will also help. Innovations which can link physical fitness and energy production will be an innovative step.It is important to build community living. Even the recent disaster proved that the community can survive better than individuals. A community in Canada, which has 230 houses, buys one copy each of all the newspapers and magazines and keeps them in a reading room. We can think of common refrigerators and other common services in residents’ associations.It is time we learnt to live in harmony with nature by protecting the environment and other living beings that inhabit the earth.In this rebuilding phase, while building houses, we need to identify the right place for them and construct it using minimum materials. A portion of your land should be set aside for greenery. Those who lead an urban life can make space for it in their balcony or in the front yard.Only minimum energy should be spent. The design of the houses should be in such a way that maximum sunlight is used and minimum electricity. We should also conserve water by reusing and recycling it. Say, reuse the water used for cooking to water the plants and so on.An important aspect to avoid are the concrete fences. Instead, if we can grow trees and make hedges, it can become home for birds and butterflies too, allowing for a small biosphere. This can be done in apartments as well. Thus, children can grow up in an eco-friendly environment and become more intimate with the nature.We should avoid the use of automobiles as much as possible and opt more for carpooling and electric vehicles.Avoiding plastic and having a proper waste management system at apartments is the need of the hour.Centralised terrace-based rain harvesting system can also be implemented in apartments.

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