In the era of instant gratification, who would care about what happens to the world a few decades down the line? So what if the polar caps are melting? We don't live in Antarctica, do we? And quite a lot of us don't even live near ocean coasts. So unless we are actually caught up in a Katrina or an El Nino, all the brouhaha over Global Warming will be only rhetoric to us.

 

Kyoto Protocol is nothing more than pseudo-intellectual drawing-room talk and "going green" is just another buzz word for celebrities to talk about. Developed nations pin responsibility on the third world and the third world nations point fingers at the developed nations. Have you ever wondered where your place is in the ping pong game? No matter which side wins, each loses. Because the thing with global warming is that we reap as our neighbors sow.

 

For instance, the infamous forest fires in Indonesia were caused because of all the smoke and pollution in the neighboring Malaysia. So no matter which country has how many carbon credits, can you sleep well in the night knowing that by the time you will have lived your extravagant ways, you will have made the earth a lot less livable for a lot of innocent souls? Is that the kind of footprint you would want to leave behind?

 

This is what the concept of "Carbon Footprint" is based on. When applied to individuals it simply means the amount of carbon dioxide that is produced by the actions of an individual (especially through his energy use) over a period of one year. It is understandable how many would not be willing to give up their profligate lifestyles for a seemingly fuzzy concept like this. But you really don't have to become a Himalayan sage to leave a greener footprint behind. Nobody is asking you to go back to the prehistoric times.

 

You can still light up your garden to your heart's content. Only switch to solar lighting. Try energy saving bulbs for your home. Not only are they easy on energy but also on your bills. Similarly, use solar chargers for your phones instead of ordinary ones. And ask yourself whether you really need to replace the car that you bought only two years back. Do you realize the amount of energy and non-renewable resources that go into the making of a car?

 

When nature unleashes its fury it does not strike on the basis of color, nationality or bank balance. With global warming becoming a reality now from mere portents, we cannot afford to live with the "it-can't-happen-to-me" attitude.