MY CLIMATE ICON
Rajogopalan Vasudevan
DECARBONISATION PROJECTS I LOVE
Direct air capture projects that turn CO2 into materials like stone, concrete etc. to store CO2 in them forever
MY CLIMATE 'TIPPING POINT'
Up until the start of 2020, I had been dissatisfied with the work I was doing because I wasn't doing what I truly believed in. I wished to work towards something bigger than me, us, humans.
During the lockdown of 2020 due the pandemic, while humans were forced to stay confined to their homes, other species could freely reclaim lands & oceans that were once theirs e.g. dolphins came out to sea in Mumbai which was unheard of. Skies were clearer than before, the air was fresher and more breathable. On the flip side, multiplying effects of natural calamities like the wildfires in the Amazon & Australia made global warming actually real to me.
That lockdown made me realise that there could be nothing more pressing to work towards than the greater good of the planet.
SOLVING FOR CLIMATE MEANS
Leaving the planet sustainable to live in after me for my nephews, nieces & future generations so that they don't have to scramble to be part of 'escape to Mars' missions and have the choice of continuing to live on Earth.
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES I'M PROUD OF
1. Switching to toilet paper, kitchen rolls and tissue papers made out of recycled paper vs. single use bleached versions
2. Carrying water bottles from home even while travelling within the city instead of buying plastic bottles on the road
3. Shutting the shower while applying soap / shampoo vs. leaving it running
4. Stopped the use of cling-films and use steel lids and reusable covers