On an average, nearly 16 million tons of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere everyday. This is one of the many noxious truths of global warming. It’s high time we all changed our lifestyles a wee bit to save our Earth.

Haute products come to the rescue
Individuals and global communities can combat global warming but intelligently using natural and innovative products and concepts.

- Watches, gadgets and electronics: Eco-Dive watches from Citizen are batteryless watches, so they help reduce gaseous fumes; Tissot followed suit with PR 50 Solar watches. There are solar calculators and solar torches as well.

- Lingerie, clothes and bags: Urban Yoga, the first clothing line inspired by Yoga makes use of unprocessed and unbleached green cotton and bamboo fabric. La Senza’s eco-friendly lingerie collection of bras, panties, etc., made with organic cotton and bamboo, are bio-degradable and anti-bacterial. Malaga has a array of intricately woven jute bags aciomplete with colourful beads.

- Solid and liquid: BK Environmental Innovations Pvt Ltd produces a range of products called edible cutlery. Made from flour, it is mixed, kneaded and baked in a particular way which prevents sogginess.

- Eco-beauty: Blosom Kocchar’s Seaweed Pack contains extracts of seaweed, aloe vera, soyabean, pure essential oils of neroli, rose and lavender, all the while protecting our skin from damage due to external environmental aggression. Suparna Trikha’s Aveda range of natural products are a tribute to Mother Nature. Jewllery made from natural resources such as beads and stones look classy and are a fashionable alternative to precious metals.

- Recycled paper, glass and rubber: Paper can be recyled and made into handmade paper bags, notebooks, calendars and more. Toys made from rubber and plastic too can be melted and remade. Household mats are another by-product of recyled rubber. Like this there are thousand of options which we should go for.

- Home and garden: Made from natural fragrances, they are lead-free and a ‘true luxury’. Yoga mats, available in various attractive colours, are non-slip and offer insulation. The yare 100 per cent organic, unbleached and chemical-free. Yamini has an eco-friendly range of towels, bathrobes, handmade soaps made from the finest botanical ingredients.

What you can do
Here are some ways of cooling down the earth’s temperature:

- While at a traffic light, switch off the ignition of your vehicle. Pollution levels will go down, and you will conserve fuel.

- One should maintain home appliances and electronic items. They should not consume too much energy. If they are – have them checked.

- While buying a vehicle, make sure it is highly fuel-efficient.

- Walk or join mass car pools instead of driving yourself.

- Wash clothes in warm or cold water – not hot. This should help you save about 227 kg of carbon dioxide each year. Cleaning a dirty air-conditioner filter can save 5 percent of the energy used.

- Buy fluorescent bulbs instead of yellow ones for your most-used lights.

- Plant trees around your home – you could save 2268 kg of carbon dioxide per year.

What’s not cool anymore
Here are things you should avoid totally:

- Smoking
- Pashmina and shahtoosh shawls
- Sprays, perfumes
- Ivory jewellery
- Diesel automobiles

Where is the action
Join the numerous non-governmental organisations engaged in making the earth a better place to live in.