Divali, “The Festival of Lights”, as most know it, is one of the most anticipated and auspicious Hindu festivals of the year. Many may be doing the ritualistic house cleaning and making various preparations including painting, shopping and sourcing food ingredients . Let us not forget the true meaning of Divali and awaken the inner Light of knowledge, will and action this year and commit to making it a more eco-friendly, cleaner and safer one for all.
Here are a few tips on how we as a Hindu community and as Environmental Pioneers, can join in and make a difference to foster a culture rooted in the Preservation and Protection of our Mother in the form of Nature: Mother Earth (Prithivi Maa) and Water (Ganga Maa):
- USE NATURAL, ECO FRIENDLY MATERIALS – Use plant based oils like coconut oil for lighting of deeyas as opposed to wax deeyas, as wax is petroleum based and other than requiring a lot of energy to produce, it releases harmful toxins in the air such as benzene, formaldehyde and lead which are hazardous to both humans and the environment.
Also, during this time, many purchase plastic cups, plastic bags (prasad and sweets) and styrofoam plates and containers (for serving, storage and take away food). It is best to refrain from using plastic and styrofoam on a whole as these CANNOT BE RECYCLED and are non- biodegradable items. They will instead go directly to the landfills adding to the already huge piles of trash in our country.
Instead, use brown bags for prasad and sweets, suhari leaves as plates (which used to be the norm long ago), paper foldable boxes for take away food as these are non-toxic and biodegradable/compostable and use of metal spoons and forks for feeding and eating rather than plastic cutlery. If you want to be creative (and this may be fun for the younger ones), you can also create small paper plates using leaves and twine or if you’re a bit more adventurous, you can even check out local suppliers for eco-friendly, compostable cutlery and storage containers, plates. There is one supplier in Trinidad and Tobago who is introducing these eco-packaging items that look like plastic but made from plants. Do check out these options!
- USE ZERO VOC PAINTS– VOC or Volatile Organic Compounds are organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at ordinary room temperature and are present in many paints that we use every day, such as formaldehyde which is toxic. Unfortunately many of our local paints are not free of VOCs. There is good news however as some of the foreign brands (which may be slightly more expensive) are now VOC free and is available locally. Some of these paints come as aself-primer so you use less. Very soon, local paint manufacturers will be challenged to remove VOCs and other red list chemicals from their paints, creating a product which is no longer harmful to People and Planet.
- ENSURE WELL VENTILATED ROOMS DURING AND AFTER PAINTING – If you are to use VOC paints, it is recommended that you use some sort of mask to prevent the fumes from entering your lungs and keep the room well ventilated so the paint can dry very quickly, either using fans or opening the windows and doors. DO NOT USE AIR CONDITIONING as a means for ventilating the rooms as this can contaminate the filters and in fact re-circulate this toxic air in your room for days. Avoid touching paints as some of the chemicals can be absorbed through your skin and enter your blood stream.
- REFRAIN FROM THE USE OF FIRECRACKERS OR FIREWORKS – While this may be difficult for some,as they are associated with festivity and are a beautiful display of colors and light, by not using them you may be saving the lives of animals and even birds that tend to suffer most because of the loud noise created. Many people aren’t aware of the harmful effects of firecrackers which contain several toxic chemicals. The table below lists the contents of firecrackers and the negative impacts to human health.
Chemical Impact Copper Cadmium
Lead
Magnesium
Sodium
Zinc
Nitrate
Nitrite
Irritation of respiratory tract Anemia and damage to kidney
Affects the nervous system
Its dust and fumes cause metal fume fever
Reacts violently with moisture and can attack the skin
Leads to vomiting
Could lead to mental impairment
Could lead to coma
- REDUCE WASTE
- REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION – In the previous article, we spoke about switching to energy efficient lighting to reduce our carbon footprint and save on energy. This will come in handy during this time.
In summary, as we celebrate Divali 2016, let us as a community keep in mind our duty to Mother Earth and dispel the darkness of ignorance when it comes to protecting People and Planet. Do have a Blessed and Eco-friendly Divali.
Lydia Singh
Vice President-SWAHA
BSc. Eng, PMP,Living Building Ambassador(International Living Future Institute)
