15 Actions To Achieve The SDGs : Home Equals Planet
The plastic ending up in oceans every year is equivalent to the weight of 800 billion plastic bottles.
Environmental issues like climate change, plastic pollution and deforestation have been lurking around for a long time. To solve these problems, the United Nations came up with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that focus on the social, economical and environmental sustainable development.
To know more about the SDGs in detail, check out this video by Earth5R.
To play a part in achieving these goals, Earth5R developed the Home Equals Planet project. Home Equals Planet comprises 15 tangible actions that are taken on an individual level to create a change.
These 15 Actions suggest minor changes in one’s lifestyle that are not only much more sustainable, but also benefit the individual.
A small step of switching to LEDs will not only use 90% less energy, but will last longer and reduce the electricity bill.
The Home Equals Planet project is designed to provide citizens with sustainable solutions to environmental problems by educating and motivating them to take individual action.
Mala Chauhan and Ravikant Chauhan are two such citizens who are a part of Home Equals Planet and are taking action on a personal level. Today, they share their experience after receiving the 15 Actions training and the impact it had on their lifestyles.
Mala Chauhan: “The 15 Actions are very practical and can easily be incorporated into one’s daily life. The training made me realise the importance of small steps and how I can improve my life along with my surroundings.
I have started growing more food-bearing plants at home like potatoes, spinach, garlic etc.
Mala’s food bearing plants
I also reuse various containers, bottles for my plants instead of buying new pots. I keep experimenting and make decorative pieces with the scrap lying around my house.
Mala reuses plastic bottles and containers to grow onion and garlic
After Home Equals Planet training, I started eating more home cooked meals. Earlier I ate outside approximately thrice a month, now that number has dropped down to 0-1 time a month.
I am now much more conscious of my actions and realise my responsibility as a citizen towards our planet.”
Mala spending time with her plants
Ravikant Chauhan: “My biggest takeaway from the Home Equals Planet training was the importance of spending time in nature for my inner peace and to be able connect with it.
I have started spending some peaceful time everyday, appreciating the beauty of nature and it has been very helpful in reducing stress.
Ravikant spending some time with nature
I also realise the importance of staying physically active. I now make sure that I do some sort of physical activity six days a week. I regularly involve my daughter in this, to keep her active as well.
Ravikant playing badminton with his daughter
I was also impressed by the survey and data collection method, which showed me the improvement in my lifestyle in a month and quantified the impact of the training.
The 15 Actions have had a very positive impact on me and my family. I am aware and am willing to do more to create a change starting from my home.”
Citizens like Mala and Ravikant help achieve collective results with their individual actions. Their actions motivate others to be a part of the change.
A chain of Home Equals Planet’s 15 Actions will support in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and improve lifestyles of the citizens.
In order to do so, we have to be a part of the movement and take action on a personal level and further inspire those around us to do the same.
“An idea not coupled with action will never get any bigger than the brain cell it occupied.” ―Arnold Glasow
The Earth5R team would like to appeal to all the citizens to join Home Equals Planet and be a part of the change. To know more about Earth5R, visit their website at https://earth5r.org/.
ABOUT EARTH5R
Earth5R is an environmental organization from India with its head office at Mumbai. It works with the NGO sector, Companies and helps them conduct environmental Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs across India.
Earth5R specializes in circular economy based projects. Earth5R also offers short term and long term environmental courses and fellowships.
– Community training and reporting by Aishani Raghav