So, what can we do to reduce noise, pollution this Deepavali/Diwali?

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Whatever we choose to do, let’s be mindful of the law.
7 states have imposed partial bans or restrictions. (Green crackers only, limited to two hours etc) based on the SC order.

Do check for this where you live.

I wish everyone a warm, safe, noise and smoke free, safe celebrations of this festival of light and enlightenment!
 
Friends, let us take a step back and look at how we are going about our discussions, debates on this platform….

Many of us might say the purpose of debates and discussions is about helping someone with an incorrect, harmful idea see the light as also to learn something new. It’s an act of kindness. It’s about getting to the truth.

But the way we tend to engage in debates or discussions contradicts our supposed intentions.

Are we debating because we want to prove we’re right and the other person is wrong? In that case our interest is not in getting to the truth. We don’t even consider the possibility that the other person might be correct or that we could learn something from them.

As decades of psychological research indicate, our brains are always out to save energy, and part of that is that we prefer not to change our minds about anything. It is much easier to cling to our existing beliefs through whatever means possible and ignore anything that challenges them.

Bad arguments enable us to engage in what looks like a debate but doesn’t pose any risk of forcing us to question what we stand for.

We debate for other reasons, too. Sometimes we’re out to entertain ourselves. Or we want to prove we’re smarter than someone else. Or we’re secretly addicted to the shot of adrenaline we get from picking a fight. And that’s not debating or discussing.

I myself have much to learn in this regard. Let’s all learn to do this better. And not just in this thread…
 
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Delhi's overall air quality on Monday slipped into the "very poor" category. The overall Air Quality Index (AQI) was at 302, said the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR). According to the SAFAR, the share of crop residue burning emissions in the major pollutants such as PM 2.5 stands at about 8%.

The agency further predicted that the air quality in the national capital may improve to the upper end of the poor due to expected change in the direction of the wind, ANI reported.

However, on Sunday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted that the air quality in Delhi will likely remain in the lower end of the very poor category on November 1, and 2, 2021.

news.abplive.com

Ahead Of Diwali, Delhi's Air Quality Slips Into 'Very Poor' Category As AQI Reaches 302

According to the SAFAR, the share of crop residue burning emissions in the major pollutants such as PM 2.5 stands at about 8%.
news.abplive.com news.abplive.com
 
I was thinking of getting some green fireworks which is permitted by our state government for the children in our apartment. There is not much of pollution in our area except the usual pollution caused by cars. So I figured that the planet would forgive the tiny bit if pollution of the green crakers and would enjoy the laughter of the children over the usual sounds of the neighborhood.
 
Yes, there is excitement, fun & thrill in noise pollution and environment pollution but all that comes with a price. Are we all willing to pay that price? And even if personally willing, will that price only affect the willing or the unwilling too? Shouldn't we care about that?
And this has absolutely nothing to do with a festival or politics. The festival is incidental so let us try to separate that from the problem.
As a child, growing up, I indulged in and loved the noise and light and everything that came with it. But at that time I and my parents and peers didn't know any better. Now that we have grown up (maybe!) and know better would I still do the same as I did when I was ignorant? Absolutely not!
I would love for my child and other children to experience the same thrill that I had back then but then knowing what I know now, it would be regressive. They have many other sources of thrills which I can afford to let them indulge in.
We can point fingers at other sources of pollution and indulge in "whataboutery" all we want but that does not make the problem at hand and which is being discussed go away. Yes, there are tons of other sources also causing the problem and we should do all we can to minimize the cause, if possible and within our means to do so.
I am intrigued by the fact that the older generation seem to be bristling with (out)rage this time every year but the kids are more aware and most I know put their feet down when asked to pollute the environment. Are we really that stupid? Umm, probably yes, and I take solace in the fact that most of our generation are going to leave this world earlier than the generations after us. :p
 
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How about not eating cattle round the year which is by far the biggest cause of greenlight gases and methane. For those who don't know methane released by cattle and poultry cultivated for eating is the biggest contributor to global warming much bigger than the pollution compared to vehicles
 
@keith_correa has made a very convincing argument against the use of fireworks.

But I am going to get them anyway. :)

Just to add, none of the fireworks that I get will be those that go bang. The fireworks will be in small quantities that probably will get used in under 15 minutes.

In our apartment complex, we have 48 flats out of which only 3 (including our watchman) belong to Hindu families but all of us celebrate Deepavali, Christmas and other major festivals with small gestures like customary greetings, putting up lights, lamps and a little bit of fireworks etc for the many many little ones we are blessed to have in our apartment complex.

To compensate, maybe I will walk to places where I normally take my car. (For a few days of course, not for the rest of the year.)
 
msankadi said:
How about not eating cattle round the year which is by far the biggest cause of greenlight gases and methane.
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Will eating beef part of the year and not all year round solve the problem? :p
Jokes apart, people who consume beef will not stop eating beef that is why the government has done it's part by banning beef slaughter in most states. The reasons for the ban are different but it shows the same results.
msankadi said:
For those who don't know methane released by cattle and poultry cultivated for eating is the biggest contributor to global warming much bigger than the pollution compared to vehicles
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No, methane released by poultry is negligible. The associated infrastructure around poultry farming contributes much more.
Are you claiming that only cattle/poultry cultivated reared for slaughter release methane? What about cattle reared for milk? And poultry for eggs? Would you have that not consumed round the year too? o_O

BTW, on a separate note, ever wonder how much methane "gobar" emits? You WILL be surprised! ;)
 
All the sanctimonious activists can chill. I'm eagerly looking forward to those colourful rockets that'll roar into the night sky on the 4th. Always a mesmeric sight to behold from my terrace every year not to mention the beautiful kandeels and diyas. What a beautiful colourful festival. Thank God we live in India!!!!
 
DIWALI:

It used to be a grand festival of sound and lights, lots of nice sweets and palagarams (snacks) and of course fun and fun with family n friends
Diwali was one festival that surpassed all religions, for a change, crackers united all.

The fireworks used to start the previous night. The night sky sparkled with rockets, tharachakram (ground chakkar) and flower pots.
It seemed like the stars were exploding or we were engaging in a colouful war with an alien force.

In Tamilnadu Diwali starts at 4 a.m when we welcome the twilight with the King of Fireworks - Electric Crackers (28 chorsas to 10,000 chorsas to 1,00,000 chorsas). These musical cacophony of electric crackers were alarm clocks to the neighbourhood.

It used to be followed by a special home made concoction called Legiyam (kind of chooran) that every family member had to consume to prepare the stomach for the daylong supply of gastronomic food.
What followed was the loving hands of the eldest lady of the family ladle the head with a warm dose of oil mixed with special ingredients while handing over the new clothes kept at the feet of the lord and followed by a warm bath using Acacia (shikakai) for soap.

After gulping down sumptuous breakfast, the family sprinted out to fire crackers accompanied by neighbours. This went on for a couple of hours as there was joy all around, with everyone in colourful attire and in spite of the pandemonium of the fireworks, it was all music to the ears and feast for the eyes.

It was hard to drag the feet back to the home for some poojas followed by lunch, such would be the addiction of crackers.
A heavy and sumptuous lunch would invariably follow with a nice movie on the telly, a siesta, a get-together or for the kids back to the alley for more fireworks.

The late evenings would be another new set of clothes, another session of very very colourful fireworks that would lit the surroundings and the sky and conclude with a special dinner.

Diwali was indeed a joyous time for all................................. then
 
I remember when I was little and out of the blue my late father started the practice of lighting a little bunch of crackers after we came home post midnight Mass on Christmas day. He used to encourage me to light the crackers and make some noise. I always refused because to my mind it was not fair to wake people up from sleep. I used to sulk and tell him that we will make "noise" the next morning but for some petty reason in his mind he insisted that it be done after the witching hour. I won eventually! The reason I cite this, is for you all to know that I was a bit of a di*# then too and am a bigger one now. ;)
 
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keith_correa said:
Will eating beef part of the year and not all year round solve the problem? :p
Jokes apart, people who consume beef will not stop eating beef that is why the government has done it's part by banning beef slaughter in most states. The reasons for the ban are different but it shows the same results.

No, methane released by poultry is negligible. The associated infrastructure around poultry farming contributes much more.
Are you claiming that only cattle/poultry cultivated reared for slaughter release methane? What about cattle reared for milk? And poultry for eggs? Would you have that not consumed round the year too? o_O

BTW, on a separate note, ever wonder how much methane "gobar" emits? You WILL be surprised! ;)
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Nope I am saying what you and me and others do around the year contributes 99% more to pollution than what happens on diwali, so focus on changing those habits to see tangible benefits as compared to focusing on one day. Btw i do eat all kind of meat too so I am also a culprit
 
msankadi said:
Nope I am saying what you and me and others do around the year contributes 99% more to pollution than what happens on diwali,
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Of course it does - I don't think any reasonable person will deny that. That is why I said this in a previous post:
Yes, there are tons of other sources also causing the problem and we should do all we can to minimize the cause, if possible and within our means to do so.
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msankadi said:
so focus on changing those habits to see tangible benefits as compared to focusing on one day. Btw i do eat all kind of meat too so I am also a culprit
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And you are absolutely right! That is what we all should do and it doesn't matter whether we eat meat or not and whether it's a festival or not. We ALL are culpable in some way or the other and we should change! For the better! Or at least try. Else we can keep playing the victim card and let us all go to hell on a jet. :cool:
 
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