Turning a new leaf

Concerns over the state of the environment both at home and globally are causing some influential Thimphu residents to call for a reevaluation of their lifestyles.
“Although our traditional way of life is more environmentally sound and natural, the growing affluence in our society brings new challenges,” says Dasho Paljor Dorji, an advisor to the National Environment Commission. “The question is how do we educate this [new] affluence how not to go over board.”
One of the most visible signs of the new affluence Dasho Paljor speaks of can be seen in the growing numbers of fuel-thirsty Land Cruisers and heavy SUVs that populate our roads, according to environmental officers. Modern kitchen and household appliances also soak up energy, giving many of the capital’s residents a reason to pause for thought.
“We keep belching out more and more carbon dioxide to keep warming up the planet we all live in,” says an exasperated citizen.
“Our lifestyles, especially the city dwellers, have increased our carbon footprints,” says an official from the National Environment Commission.
Fortunately, there’s a lot an individual can do with their lifestyles to fight environmental waste, the NEC Deputy Minister Dasho Nado Rinchen says.
“[Even] small things like switching off the lights or cell phones can reduce the consumption of energy which contributes to climate change,” he says. “We can also plant more trees to offset carbon emissions. For instance, the city corporation, while approving the construction of a house, must make it mandatory to plant trees depending upon the size of the plot. If we do this, in the next few years, Thimphu will still be green.”
Even the minister for economic affairs—a branch of government one might expect to be at odds with environmental restraint—says he believes the time to act is now.
“We have [long] enjoyed the pristine environment our country has to offer,” Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk says. “However, our beautiful natural environment has been taken for granted for too long. It’s time now for every individual to live a green life because the way we have been using the natural resources might ultimately be unsustainable.”
There are indications that the awareness is finally seeping in, some locals say. They think individuals are finally starting to make small changes that have the potential to add up to big differences in the fight against global warming.
From planting trees to walking to work, to generating public awareness about the importance of carbon reduction, many Thimphu residents, according to them, are beginning to “walk the talk”.
As an environmental science major in Bangalore, Dorji Wangda says it hurts him to see the appliances in his mother’s kitchen devouring too much energy. “I always try to tell my mother to use appliances that do not consume too much energy,” he says.
“Many people are becoming more aware of the need to turn to greener lifestyles,” says Ugen Tenzin, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Environment.
But, in the end, it may not be enough to simply turn off the lights, plant trees and drive smaller cars (or better still) to walk to work. People also have to examine what ends up on their dinner plates, making a strong case for vegetarianism. The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently estimated that animal agriculture [which ultimately puts the meat on the tables] is responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions, much more than the direct emissions caused by all cars and light trucks combined.