Doing Our Bit The Little Way
We were approaching the end of the
financial year, and our Accounts Team was discussing the changes we need to
bring about in the new financial year. I had a little idea that I had long since been mulling over. It had nothing to do with accounts or accounting SOPs whatsoever, but it certainly had something to do with an issue which has long since been very close to my heart - environment.
In my own little ways, I try to cut down on my carbon footprints as much as possible, without disrupting the normal routines of a normal life.
For example, at work and pretty much everywhere, I try to cut down on the consumption of paper. I print a document only when strictly necessary, avoid taking printed receipts and statements at ATMs, etc.
In fact, if I could have my way, I would totally do away with all kinds of printed paperwork. But since documentation is an integral part of any organizational workflow, that’s not an entirely plausible option.
For example, at work and pretty much everywhere, I try to cut down on the consumption of paper. I print a document only when strictly necessary, avoid taking printed receipts and statements at ATMs, etc.
In fact, if I could have my way, I would totally do away with all kinds of printed paperwork. But since documentation is an integral part of any organizational workflow, that’s not an entirely plausible option.
But, now that we were making plans for the next financial year, I had a small suggestion that could reduce our paper consumption by 50%.
We used A4 size papers to take print outs of our accounting entries. There wasn't enough material to be printed on a full A4 size paper. The bottom-half of the page would be left blank and unused most of the time. So I suggested that we could re-adjust the format-setting in a way that we could print the same content on an A5 size paper.
Our manager was quick to take action on this idea and had the setting re-adjusted, with the effect that we now use just half of what we would have otherwise consumed. For my manager it meant cost-cutting, and for me, it meant that fewer trees were being cut down. So, it was a total win-win.
A small step towards a great change.
We used A4 size papers to take print outs of our accounting entries. There wasn't enough material to be printed on a full A4 size paper. The bottom-half of the page would be left blank and unused most of the time. So I suggested that we could re-adjust the format-setting in a way that we could print the same content on an A5 size paper.
Our manager was quick to take action on this idea and had the setting re-adjusted, with the effect that we now use just half of what we would have otherwise consumed. For my manager it meant cost-cutting, and for me, it meant that fewer trees were being cut down. So, it was a total win-win.
A small step towards a great change.
And these small steps aren't just limited to workplace. Back home, we have brought about a small change to conserve water. But before we get to that...do you have any idea just how much water we end up wasting every time we turn on the reverse osmosis water purifier?
I did a quick internet search and the result is astounding. The waste water to clean water ratio is a whopping 3:1. It means for every litre of clean water we get, we end up wasting three.
So this is what we do at home - we collect the waste water into a bucket and use to do laundry, and wash bathrooms, balconies, etc. Now there's some theory that the soap won't dissolve in this kind of water because of it's hardness. Trust me, it does. I tried. And at any rate, you could you the water to rinse your clothes. Hardness of water won't be problem there.
Our water purifier disposes waste water at 2:1 ratio, and our family consumes an average of 10 litres of water a day. So the waste water'd come up to about 20 litres a day, and that makes it an astounding 7300 litres a year.
Imagine seven thousand three hundred liters of water down the drain every year in an urban household when there are people around the world with limited access to potable water! That's plain arrogance folks.
I think each of us could afford to put in a little effort to make our earth a little bit more greener, and to conserve a little bit more water. Time is running out, and this is the need of the hour. If each one of us takes a step the right direction, I'm sure it would amount to something meaningful and effective.
And this extends to pretty much everything like the dispersal of justice, equitable rights, safety of women, accessible healthcare, right to education, conservation of energy, transparency, accountability and good governance. The collective impact that we will be able to make would be huge and undeniable.
Our water purifier disposes waste water at 2:1 ratio, and our family consumes an average of 10 litres of water a day. So the waste water'd come up to about 20 litres a day, and that makes it an astounding 7300 litres a year.
Imagine seven thousand three hundred liters of water down the drain every year in an urban household when there are people around the world with limited access to potable water! That's plain arrogance folks.
I think each of us could afford to put in a little effort to make our earth a little bit more greener, and to conserve a little bit more water. Time is running out, and this is the need of the hour. If each one of us takes a step the right direction, I'm sure it would amount to something meaningful and effective.
And this extends to pretty much everything like the dispersal of justice, equitable rights, safety of women, accessible healthcare, right to education, conservation of energy, transparency, accountability and good governance. The collective impact that we will be able to make would be huge and undeniable.
After all, it ain’t about the big, great
swings, life is indeed about the little things.
PS : I am dabbling in poetry these days, and to my own surprise and delight, have come up with some pretty decent stuff. Poetry has an obscure, obtuse quality to it, which I find quite intriguing.
Excellent!! Keep up the good work.
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