THE BIG COUNTRIES ARE GIVING their all to save the situation brought about by the financial crisis. Are we responding positively to this crisis?

While we expect business activity and export growth to slow down, we have good opportunities to live a healthier lifestyle and help lower pollution emissions.

Helping lower pollution emissions:

1. We should reduce energy requirements. Orienting house and office activities for maximum thermal comfort will bring down the use of energy for lighting and air conditioning, a major energy guzzler.

One of the biggest energy consumers in homes and workplaces is the air conditioner. Room size is the biggest determining factor when choosing an air conditioner. Too small or too big a unit means wasting expensive electricity.

Increasing roof insulation will prepare us for the hot summer months as we continue to experience the extreme weather conditions of climate change.

Equipment and appliances can be checked for low-energy standards. Solar panels have a 10-year payback period or longer and using them for often-used areas will justify the cost.

2. The neighborhood’s quality of life can be improved by planting many trees and hedgerows, as well as practicing edible farming in vacant lots.

Checking our neighborhood drainage systems to avoid stagnant water where mosquitoes breed will redound to good health. Clean surroundings mean less dependence on toxic pesticides and chemicals for getting rid of pests and insects.

3. A rainwater collection system, low-flush toilets, spray taps and water-conserving appliances help conserve precious freshwater and will reduce the water bill.

4. We can reduce building and demolition debris through sorting, reuse and recycling. Reusable metal frameworks in lieu of wood frameworks reduce waste.

5. Improved public transport links will benefit greatly from the government’s recent increase in infrastructure spending. This program will help pump prime the economy.

Hopefully the public transport system in the metropolis will be modernized some more to ease traffic congestion and lower the high level of air pollution. Low speed limits should be imposed in residential areas.

Shaded footpaths and cycle routes will also bring down carbon emissions as communities become more pedestrian-friendly, thus reducing dependence on the automobile, a major source of pollution.

6. More mixed-use architecture not only reduces air pollution and personal stress, but also promotes harmonious social relationships. Giving importance to the pedestrian element in the city movement system is very green. Mixed-use and compact living and business spaces are getting more and more popular.

7. Let us reduce the impact of noise and excessive lighting, especially in residential areas as we get close to the Christmas season. We cannot overemphasize the need to check our lighting system and use only high efficient electric light.

8. Are we dealing with residential, commercial and industrial waste in a responsible manner?

We can minimize the use of single-serving bottles, such as the popular plastic bottles used for mineral water. Not all of these bottles are recycled. Most of them end up in landfills or incinerators. It is preferable to use reusable bottles.

Environmental policies should by now underpin our waste disposal system.

9. There’s profit in developing sustainable products and services. The future belongs to green practices.

10. Our wasteful consumer habits need scrutiny. Each of us can reduce our carbon footprint and reduce waste generation by clearly differentiating between what we need from what we want. This crisis will give us a good chance to improve our behavioral patterns and gain confidence to see the green as we go over the hump.

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