Taking small steps towards greener world

Dubai: Nearly one-third of Gulf News readers polled are doing their bit for a green world by reducing their electricity consumption.

The newspaper ran a week-long online poll asking 450 readers what they are doing to reduce their carbon footprint. Around 31 per cent, or 139 people, said they were limiting their electricity usage.

With the United Nations Climate Change Conference in motion, the environment is currently in the spotlight and Gulf News readers are clued in.

However, it has come as a surprise that 10 per cent of readers are reducing their impact on the environment by eating less meat — just 2 per cent fewer than those who have committed to eliminating the use of plastic bags. According to Time.com, plastic bags are one of the main contributors to global warming.

Even as residents chose different ways to tackle the issue, Gulf News' survey of a dozen Readers Club members showed that all respondents are concerned about climate change and are keen to reduce their impact.

Plastic bags, while convenient, are an environmental hazard and Vandita Kumar, an Indian national residing in Dubai, makes sure she stays clear of them.

Kumar has started turning light fabrics from her family's old clothes into shopping bags. She uses them to carry fruits and vegetables from the supermarket.

But it's not just about plastic. Sarwat Rizwan, a Pakistani national residing in Dubai, does not believe in wasting anything, as she collects all old household items such as books, crockery, bed sheets and clothes, and donates them to various charities.

She said: "[Donating] gives me immense satisfaction, and the feeling that I am saving the planet from global warming."

Rita Amr, a German national residing in Dubai, is so committed to conserving scarce resources that she stands on a basin when using the pool shower so that she can collect the run-off to water the plants in her garden. It is a habit that her children, and even the neighbours, have picked up.

She said: "During the summer, we save around 15 litres of water a day."

Apart from recycling bins, Amr buries fruits and vegetables that have gone bad in her garden, as they are biodegradable.

She said: "We usually fill up around five litres worth of food a week. It is better than throwing it in the rubbish bin."

Sunil Roy, an account manager residing in Dubai and a self-proclaimed "citizen of Hopenhagen", has been using the Dubai Metro as much as possible his way of reducing his carbon footprint.

For Jessica March, a university instructor residing in Sharjah, it was essential to turn her infant into a green baby, regardless of how oblivious she felt she was toward environmental causes.

March first considered reusable diapers for her infant when she "looked in the bin at the number of nappies and... felt "ungreen".

The environment is a top priority for Gulf News readers, who responded with deep concern to the newspaper's online poll and Readers Club survey. Over 450 respondents said they are contributing to making the world a greener place. For readers, creative and unusual changes in habits — from reusing shower water to sewing cloth shopping bags — are proof that even a little can go a long way.