Create Clean Air by Reducing Pollution and Growing Green

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Growing plants is not just a pretty task; it purifies the air surrounding your home and also cleans up the toxins in the soil. The smell that you get from new clothes, mattresses and rugs go beyond something new and exciting; it also indicates the presence of toxins in the material that are released during manufacturing.  Getting plants into the house will take care of improving the air quality in your home.

A natural way of reducing the toxicity in the air and the exposure caused to you, your family and your pets is to grow green, in the form of a Kitchen or Herb Garden or if possible, an outdoor lush Garden.

According to a NASA Study, scientists found out that during the photosynthesis process, plants inhaled Carbon Dioxide and cancer-causing pollutants and exhaled clean and pure Oxygen.    

Here are a few things that Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) can do to reduce pollution and make the surrounding air clean.

Growing Green

Engage every resident to make the housing society grow green, either inside their residences or outside.  Here are a few tips for RWAs to promote and encourage this movement.

• Just like a parking spot is allotted to residents, a patch or plot of land to grow a Kitchen Garden or otherwise, can be encouraged and promoted.
• If land for a garden is not available inside a housing society, RWAs can team up with farming land to promote weekend farming.  Nowadays, there are a lot of land owners, usually at the city outskirts, who offer professionals a piece of land to grow their own millets, vegetables and fruits.  During the week, they are working professionals and during weekends, they become organic farmers, taking care of their plot of land and growing whatever they desire.  The satisfaction that they get from produce off their land is immense and they not only consume their own produce, but they also have enough to distribute amongst friends and relatives.  They also head out to these farms with their families and friends and making an outing of the whole experience.
• Inviting an expert to talk to the resident about how to grow a garden and how to take care of it.
• Collaborate with a gardening store on giving a healthy discount to the residents on plants, soil and gardening tools.  This would go a long way in promoting the “Grow Green” Movement.
• Advising residents on

Choosing plants that can be grown indoors

Choosing indoor plants that are bigger and leafier is extremely effective, but it also depends on the space that is available to you to grow them and there are also other factors like ventilation and airflow. 

It might be a good idea to have a variety of plants, as different species remove different toxins from the air.  However, it is important to note where to place them, depending upon the number of sun rays that filters in the room and the temperature in the space.   

Terrariums are a great way to have a little garden indoors for city dwellers, starved for space.  These beauties in a glass bowl are great to look at, easy to create and can be customized exactly the way you want them to look.  They can be placed anywhere you want to; on a window sill, at your bedside or even at your work desk.  With decorative items such as stones, rocks, shells, pebbles, a little bridge and much more; the list is endless and is left to your imagination, you can amplify the beauty of your home or space.

It is a mentally rewarding hobby to have your garden and the satisfaction you derive from watching things grow in front of your eyes is immense.  The stress that is reduced and the monotony that is busted when you indulge in this activity, especially during these pandemic times cannot be undermined. 

Tips to keep in mind while maintaining a Terrarium

• There is no need to buy a fancy glass bowl.  Any see-through container will do, like an old pickle bottle, an unused glass jar, a bulb or a decanter.
• They are easy to maintain; some of them require watering only once a week and some like a closed tropical terrarium requires watering only once a month.
• They do not require sunlight at all and can be maintained in a small apartment, without occupying too much space.

Plants that can be grown indoors, apart from Terrariums are

• Snake Plant
• Spider Plant
• Lucky Bamboo
• Weeping Fig
• Areca Palm and more

Choosing plants that can be grown outdoors

Growing a garden outdoors can reduce the air pollution inside your homes.  A study at Lancaster University says that the more trees that are grown between the road and your front door, the better it is for the quality of air inside your homes.  It would be wise to grow a lot of diverse species of plants that are native to your region.

Tips to be noted while growing an outdoor garden

• Test the soil for toxins, especially if you are planning on growing food-related items.
• These tests can identify imbalances, identify threats and allows you to fix them, so that you can grow healthier food and create safe spaces.
• Spring is the best time to test your soil, as it would not be too difficult to dig the ground and it would also not disturb the other plants.

Plants that can be grown outdoors are

• Plumbago
• Fountain Grass
• Tasman Flax Lily
• Lily Turf and
• A Kitchen Garden with Mint, Green Chillies, Coriander, Tomatoes, Herbs like Thyme and Rosemary and much more.

The benefits of growing a garden, whether indoors or outdoors are immense. Here are some thoughts on them.

• It purifies the air from pollutants and toxins and creates fresh and pure air.
• Spending time in a garden calms the mind, it is a mood booster, it reduces stress and gives you immense joy and satisfaction.
• It improves cognitive skills like memory, as one grows older.
• It feeds your family, fights climate change and beautifies your surroundings and community.
• Physical activities in a garden like digging, chopping and shovelling will help control your weight gain and keep you active and mentally agile.
• Horticultural therapy or working in a garden is known to help with addiction recovery programs.

Promote Car or Vehicle Pooling

RWAs can promote vehicle pooling and the use of cycles, instead of a single person taking out a car just for themselves.  This conserves energy, reduces emissions and encourages an eco-friendly mode of transportation. 

For group outings of residents, RWAs can organize buses so that people can travel together and reduce the number of individual transportation on the streets.

Providing electric heaters to night security guards

In the year 2017, the Delhi Government had issued a notice to all RWAs that electric heaters should be provided to all night security guards, to protect them against the cold chill and temperature of the night.  This is because security guards burn coal and wood to protect them against the cold and get some heat and the smoke that is emitted in the air from this burning is trapped near the surface due to lack of wind, high moisture and low temperature.  Providing electric heaters is one of the ways to fight this pollution.

Green Clean India (www.greencleanindia.com) is an initiative to exhibit the collective power of Housing Societies, by providing a common platform across the country to interact and exchange thoughts that best suit community living. For details on how we can help you make lifestyle changes, do contact us at +919717938018 or write to us at wecare@greencleanindia.com