#50shadesofgreen II

Carry a canvas bag if you can, cos they're strong.

I cannot tell you the number of times I've been told that Dubai is a good place to shop. So many people come here just for a little retail therapy. Those who come here on package tours (hello, fellow members of the middle class) feel compelled to shop because they must take home SOMETHING from dazzling Dubai.
It's kind of like people telling me that Goa is a party place.
How do I say this nicely- THERE'S SO MUCH MORE TO BOTH!!!
There. Now that that is out of the way, here's today's shade: Never go shopping without a bag. Canvas, Plastic, Paper- whatever the material, carry a few when you go shopping. And keep a plastic bag with you for spontaneous purchases.
Carrefour sells reusable bags at the checkout counter. Geant charges you for each bag you take, and refunds your money when you return them. Any market worth its salt in Goa has a row of bag vendors.
Step 1 : Make the investment. Or stuff a bag from last week's groceries in your bag, or car. Step 2: Remember to use it.
Don't you feel a shade greener already?
Heard about the Ecopreneur competition sponsored by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Dubai Eye. Here's the clip. More on that as I hear about it.

#50shadesofgreen

50 shades of green. (I love clovers!)

It seems to me that everybody is reading Fifty Shades of Grey. I've heard all kinds of reviews, all possible viewpoints. Not feminist enough! An expression of female fantasy! Pointless! Groundbreaking! Disgusting! Beautiful!
FSG started as Twilight fan fiction, and- to me- it always will be Twilight fan fiction, even if the names of the characters have been changed. And that is all I have to say about it.

Coming to the point of this post: have you noticed that in both series there is a mysterious male trying to 'save' a clumsy, diffident female?
Here's my analogy: WE are the (not-mysterious, not-necessarily-male) saviours of a force that has been considered female through most of history- our planet. She's not clumsy, and we aren't really saviours. But as far as analogies go, it'll do.
Do you see what I'm getting at? Let me spell it out. Every contribution counts. Every act makes a difference.Even when you don't believe it.

So here's what I'm going to do- I'm going to list 50 things that I personally have done. 50 things that can help our planet. I don't know if they'll be pointless or groundbreaking or cliches. Whatever they are, they'll make the planet a shade greener, I think.
I'll try to cover as broad a spectrum as possible. However, I haven't gone on a paint-splashing, whale-saving spree yet, so that end of the spectrum might not get covered.

The first thing you can do? Use public transport. I do. And so do millions, billions, of other people around the world. Try it for just two days a week. You'll enjoy the break. And so will Gaia. (Go Planet!)

Sustained in Dubai

OMG!!!!
(Yes, I do realize how ridiculous I sound.)
But this is the kind of thing that makes you sit up and take notice (I was standing, but you know what I mean).
Dubai has a store that sells eco-friendly products! It's called The Change Initiative and was founded by a man named Gundeep Singh (must be Indian origin). Guess who else is on the board of directors? Robert Kennedy Jr. That's right, nephew of JFK.
The 'facility' is located in Al Barsha. 4,000 sq. metres!
I must find this place and check it out!
And when I do, I WILL write about it!
(I suppose you can tell by all the exclamation marks in here how very excited I am!)
For more information, click here

The Living Planet Report

This is not FRESH news, but it is still worth noting: the UAE has the third worst carbon footprint per person in the world*!
That's terrible- I always thought it was bad, but that bad?
To move from a populous nation to one that is not nearly so populous (though population density might be higher in parts) and find that one has gone literally from the frying pan into the fire- BIG LONG SIGH.
I know this is a desert, but there's got to be something green about the place! From today, it is my mission to celebrate the green. And to put it out there, in the hope that, in some attraction-of-the-Universe/the-Secret way, it creates more ecofriendly moments to savor and remember. And, of course, post about.

* according to the Living Planet Report. I read about it in The National.