Posts
After a report released last week by Wadala-based Environmental Management Centre (EMC) stated that Mumbai's carbon footprint is higher than the national average, Mirror handpicked four city dwellers across professions and income groups to put their lives to test.
Carbon footprint (CFP) is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by an individual, event or organisation. It takes into account the emissions of six greenhouse gases including methane and hydro fluorocarbons that cause global warming.Anil Uchil, a 42-year-old corporate communications professional, Mahesh GN, a 41-year-old business head of a multinational chemicals firm, Sejal Motani, a 45-year-old homemaker from Malabar Hill, and Pooja Bhalla, a 28-year-old marketing professional from Malad, make eco-friendly choices, like cycling to work, and shunning plastic bags.
Yet the four believe they could do better.
Mirror got EMC to test each volunteer's CFP, and carbon footprint index (CFI), using a calculator (http://emcentre.com/knowco2now /) which takes into account personal information, including electricity service provider, monthly electricity consumption, type of gas supply, mode of transport, number of family members and floor area of their apartments.
While the CFP measures the overall impact of a person's consumption of available resources on the environment, CFI indicates how efficiently he utilises those resources, says Prasad Modak, executive president, EMC.
"An individual who uses public transport to get to his office that is far from his residence may have a higher CFP than someone who drives a car to work which is a short distance from his home. Yet, the former's CFI may be better than the latter's. The index helps us arrive at an accurate indication of the efficiency of our green choices," explains Shantanu Roy, vice president, EMC. Inputs by Harsh Vora
COUNTING CARBONS
EMC'S REPORT found that Mumbai's carbon emissions are close to double than the national average of 1.4 tonnes per year. The findings are based on data provided by 600 respondents, who used the online carbon footprint calculator devised by EMC.
Pooja Bhalla, 28 Senior manager with a credit score firm Asenior marketing manager with a Nariman Point firm, Pooja Bhalla travels to work by train 24 days a month, joining lakhs of Mumbaiites who rely on public transport, and not private cars.
She lives in a 1,200-sq ft apartment in Malad, but her monthly electricity bill barely touches Rs 600. This should make her an ideal member of the city's small breed of eco-conscious citizens - except that her carbon footprint is more than the national average.
"It's a little surprising, but I believe there are many factors that contribute to individual carbon emissions," she said. "Now that I know my efforts are not enough, I want to do more."
While Pooja's transport choices for the city are lowcarbon, it is her trips out of town that increase her ecoburden. The 28-year-old loves to travel, and every month she takes at least one 100-km car trip. She also takes a flight to the US or Europe to meet her relatives once a year, clocking 5,000 km.
INCOME GROUP RS 10 lakh to RS 20 lakh per annum CARS OWNED
One
HOUSE AREA 1,200 sq ft
MONTHLY POWER BILL RS 300 to RS 600
LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS PER YEAR One
CARBON FOOTPRINT
1.88
Tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year
CARBON FOOTPRINT INDEX 0.98
EXPERT'S ADVICE
Shantanu Roy, the vice-president of Environmental Management Centre, suggested Pooja to switch to a train or a bus for her monthly trips. He also recommended waste segregation and composting.
She lives in a 1,200-sq ft apartment in Malad, but her monthly electricity bill barely touches Rs 600. This should make her an ideal member of the city's small breed of eco-conscious citizens - except that her carbon footprint is more than the national average.
"It's a little surprising, but I believe there are many factors that contribute to individual carbon emissions," she said. "Now that I know my efforts are not enough, I want to do more."
While Pooja's transport choices for the city are lowcarbon, it is her trips out of town that increase her ecoburden. The 28-year-old loves to travel, and every month she takes at least one 100-km car trip. She also takes a flight to the US or Europe to meet her relatives once a year, clocking 5,000 km.
INCOME GROUP RS 10 lakh to RS 20 lakh per annum CARS OWNED
One
HOUSE AREA 1,200 sq ft
MONTHLY POWER BILL RS 300 to RS 600
LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS PER YEAR One
CARBON FOOTPRINT
1.88
Tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year
CARBON FOOTPRINT INDEX 0.98
EXPERT'S ADVICE
Shantanu Roy, the vice-president of Environmental Management Centre, suggested Pooja to switch to a train or a bus for her monthly trips. He also recommended waste segregation and composting.
Sejal Motani, 45 Homemaker
Like most homemakers, Sejal Motani, 45, spends her time taking care of her family and their plush Malabar Hill apartment. Her day begins as early as 5.30 am, and gets busier by each hour; there are her son's Std X tuitions and school timings to manage, her businessman husband's meals to watch, errands to run and even some hobbies to pursue.
And though she is always on top of her hectic routine, there is something she hasn't been able to manage to her liking: the family's carbon footprint. The Motani household's carbon emission is 6.86 tonnes per year, way higher than the national average of 1.4 tonnes. This despite the fact that they take basic measures to keep the level down.
"We don't keep the lights on unnecessarily and keep windows open during the day. We are concerned about environment, and try to prevent wastage of resources," said Sejal, who lives in Malabar Hill's Everest Chambers.
She added that despite their affluence, she and her husband, Saurabh, had inculcated the concept of carpool and public transport in their 15-year-old son.
But she admits that her family and thousands of others in the city need to do more. "Households need to adopt a more systematic approach to the issue," she said. "The problem, however, is that there is little support from the city administration. Even if one wants to reduce reliance on a private car, the person cannot because the public transport is unreliable."
INCOME GROUP RS 20 lakh to RS 30 lakh per annum
CARS OWNED BY FAMILY Two
HOUSE AREA 1,200 sq ft
MONTHLY POWER BILL RS 5,000 to RS 10,000
LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS PER YEAR One
CARBON FOOTPRINT
6.86
Tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year
CARBON FOOTPRINT INDEX 5.53 EXPERT'S ADVICE
Environmental Management Centre linked the Motani household's high carbon footprint to their power consumption.
"They have many electrical appliances in their home. Their two air conditioners are old, and hence consume more electricity. We have suggested switching to energy efficient ACs, and also consider installing a solar water heater," Roy said. He also suggested waste segregation and composting.
Like most homemakers, Sejal Motani, 45, spends her time taking care of her family and their plush Malabar Hill apartment. Her day begins as early as 5.30 am, and gets busier by each hour; there are her son's Std X tuitions and school timings to manage, her businessman husband's meals to watch, errands to run and even some hobbies to pursue.
And though she is always on top of her hectic routine, there is something she hasn't been able to manage to her liking: the family's carbon footprint. The Motani household's carbon emission is 6.86 tonnes per year, way higher than the national average of 1.4 tonnes. This despite the fact that they take basic measures to keep the level down.
"We don't keep the lights on unnecessarily and keep windows open during the day. We are concerned about environment, and try to prevent wastage of resources," said Sejal, who lives in Malabar Hill's Everest Chambers.
She added that despite their affluence, she and her husband, Saurabh, had inculcated the concept of carpool and public transport in their 15-year-old son.
But she admits that her family and thousands of others in the city need to do more. "Households need to adopt a more systematic approach to the issue," she said. "The problem, however, is that there is little support from the city administration. Even if one wants to reduce reliance on a private car, the person cannot because the public transport is unreliable."
INCOME GROUP RS 20 lakh to RS 30 lakh per annum
CARS OWNED BY FAMILY Two
HOUSE AREA 1,200 sq ft
MONTHLY POWER BILL RS 5,000 to RS 10,000
LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS PER YEAR One
CARBON FOOTPRINT
6.86
Tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year
CARBON FOOTPRINT INDEX 5.53 EXPERT'S ADVICE
Environmental Management Centre linked the Motani household's high carbon footprint to their power consumption.
"They have many electrical appliances in their home. Their two air conditioners are old, and hence consume more electricity. We have suggested switching to energy efficient ACs, and also consider installing a solar water heater," Roy said. He also suggested waste segregation and composting.
Mahesh Gopalasamudram Narayan, 41 Business head of an MNC
INCOME GROUP RS 40 lakh to RS 50 lakh per annum
CARS OWNED BY FAMILY Two
HOUSE AREA 1,300 sq ft
MONTHLY POWER BILL RS 1,000 to RS 2,000
LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS PER YEAR 12
CARBON FOOTPRINT
1.47
Tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year
CARBON FOOTPRINT INDEX 2.47
The business head of a multinational chemicals company, 41-year-old Mahesh GN exercises some good old South Indian minimalism when it comes to utilising electricity at home.
The Thane resident advises his three daughters, aged 13, 9 and 6 years, to switch off lights, and turn off the television and computer when not in use. The family also uses the air conditioner only during peak summer days.
Mahesh, who works out of two offices, Kalwa and Vikhroli, also makes it a point to car pool. "There are 10 of us who live in the same neighbourhood. For the past three years, we have been car pooling. I take my own car twice a week, and the rest of the time I'm picked up by my colleagues," says Mahesh.
Mahesh's work often makes him travel to different cities. "If I have to head to cities like Daman, Pune or Nashik that are close to Mumbai, we hire a taxi. The rest of the time, we fly," says Mahesh, who travels out of town on work at least four times a month.
"I also make sure that on each trip, I meet three or four clients. I never take a trip to meet just one client," he says. Mahesh is keen to buy a cycle, but doesn't see it as a viable option to travel to work. "I walk to the market, instead of driving down. We also try and contain the amount of waste we generate from home, by buying vegetables as and when we need them," he adds. According to Roy, Mahesh's carbon footprint is slightly above the national average. "It is good Mahesh car pools with colleagues, but his carbon footprint index indicates that his usage of electricity is high. His AC and refrigerator are energy efficient."
EXPERT'S ADVICE
Although the CFP does not include Mahesh's air travel for work, since that would come within his company's carbon footprint, it would be good if Mahesh explored the possibility of video conferencing.
INCOME GROUP RS 40 lakh to RS 50 lakh per annum
CARS OWNED BY FAMILY Two
HOUSE AREA 1,300 sq ft
MONTHLY POWER BILL RS 1,000 to RS 2,000
LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS PER YEAR 12
CARBON FOOTPRINT
1.47
Tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year
CARBON FOOTPRINT INDEX 2.47
The business head of a multinational chemicals company, 41-year-old Mahesh GN exercises some good old South Indian minimalism when it comes to utilising electricity at home.
The Thane resident advises his three daughters, aged 13, 9 and 6 years, to switch off lights, and turn off the television and computer when not in use. The family also uses the air conditioner only during peak summer days.
Mahesh, who works out of two offices, Kalwa and Vikhroli, also makes it a point to car pool. "There are 10 of us who live in the same neighbourhood. For the past three years, we have been car pooling. I take my own car twice a week, and the rest of the time I'm picked up by my colleagues," says Mahesh.
Mahesh's work often makes him travel to different cities. "If I have to head to cities like Daman, Pune or Nashik that are close to Mumbai, we hire a taxi. The rest of the time, we fly," says Mahesh, who travels out of town on work at least four times a month.
"I also make sure that on each trip, I meet three or four clients. I never take a trip to meet just one client," he says. Mahesh is keen to buy a cycle, but doesn't see it as a viable option to travel to work. "I walk to the market, instead of driving down. We also try and contain the amount of waste we generate from home, by buying vegetables as and when we need them," he adds. According to Roy, Mahesh's carbon footprint is slightly above the national average. "It is good Mahesh car pools with colleagues, but his carbon footprint index indicates that his usage of electricity is high. His AC and refrigerator are energy efficient."
EXPERT'S ADVICE
Although the CFP does not include Mahesh's air travel for work, since that would come within his company's carbon footprint, it would be good if Mahesh explored the possibility of video conferencing.
Anil Uchil, 42 Corporate communications professional
INCOME GROUP RS 10 lakh to RS 20 lakh per annum
CARS OWNED BY FAMILY None
HOUSE AREA 770sq ft
MONTHLY POWER BILL RS 600to RS 1,000
LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS PER YEAR None
CARBON FOOTPRINT
1.39
Tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year
CARBON FOOTPRINT INDEX 1.16
Anil Uchil's favourite mode of transport is his B Twin Hoptown folding bike. The 42-year-old corporate communications professional does not own a car, or possess a driving license. From meeting clients to taking vacations in his hometown in Mangalore every year, the Mulund resident only ever cycles to destinations.
Uchil takes his trusted bike to his office in Chakala, and to meet clients in Prabhadevi, Andheri, Vashi, Thane and Goregaon. He travels in cycling shorts, a tee shirt and wears a helmet for protection. He carries change in a backpack.
"Given Mumbai's traffic, I always save on time when I cycle. In the bargain, I stay fit and do my bit for the environment," he says. Uchil, who clocked the lowest carbon footprint among the four, has a high footprint index only on account of the electricity consumption in his house. "Anil's CFP index is high because the family uses the geyser four or five times a day, and forgets to switch off the TV and computer from the main switch," says Roy.
EXPERT'S ADVICE
Anil Uchil should create consensus among his building residents to install a solar water heater. I'd advise him to replace his air conditioners with those that have an energy star rating. These use electricity more efficiently. The family needs to cut down on the use of the geyser.
INCOME GROUP RS 10 lakh to RS 20 lakh per annum
CARS OWNED BY FAMILY None
HOUSE AREA 770sq ft
MONTHLY POWER BILL RS 600to RS 1,000
LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS PER YEAR None
CARBON FOOTPRINT
1.39
Tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year
CARBON FOOTPRINT INDEX 1.16
Anil Uchil's favourite mode of transport is his B Twin Hoptown folding bike. The 42-year-old corporate communications professional does not own a car, or possess a driving license. From meeting clients to taking vacations in his hometown in Mangalore every year, the Mulund resident only ever cycles to destinations.
Uchil takes his trusted bike to his office in Chakala, and to meet clients in Prabhadevi, Andheri, Vashi, Thane and Goregaon. He travels in cycling shorts, a tee shirt and wears a helmet for protection. He carries change in a backpack.
"Given Mumbai's traffic, I always save on time when I cycle. In the bargain, I stay fit and do my bit for the environment," he says. Uchil, who clocked the lowest carbon footprint among the four, has a high footprint index only on account of the electricity consumption in his house. "Anil's CFP index is high because the family uses the geyser four or five times a day, and forgets to switch off the TV and computer from the main switch," says Roy.
EXPERT'S ADVICE
Anil Uchil should create consensus among his building residents to install a solar water heater. I'd advise him to replace his air conditioners with those that have an energy star rating. These use electricity more efficiently. The family needs to cut down on the use of the geyser.
0 comments:
Post a Comment