Monday, October 20, 2008

Save the world. Read less.

I don't know about you, but it occurred to me this morning that if even Thomas Friedman is urging us to adopt environmental issues, it's time to take action.

And so, taking the bit between my teeth, I've decided to do my bit for a greener planet. I'm going to stop reading.

No, not books. It's magazines I'm talking about. Have you picked up any of the Indian newsweeklies lately? Each one is swathed in enough plastic to make a raincoat for a well-built child.

And what's inside these plastic sheets? Well, the latest issue of the magazine, of course, but also various other glossy supplements that contain many ads and, if you examine them closely, also some articles.

Having spent all of last night going through one such stack, I realised that my life wouldn't be diminished one whit if I remained ignorant of diamond-encrusted cellphones, rare caviar, yacht parties and tony sushi bars.

So there it is. I'm going to use less plastic by cancelling my subscription. If your grandchildren wake up years later to a green planet, they have me to thank.

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