Sustainosphere

Sustainosphere is the first and one of the major initiatives the TOE Foundation took. The initiative focuses on working for society's welfare by promoting sustainable living methods. With a vision of inculcating the habit of living a sustainable lifestyle, we work with schools, colleges, communities, and villages to promote the idea of a responsible lifestyle.

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Sustainosphere follows the patterns of a green circular economy, starting with behavioral changes, supporting the latest mission announced by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi – ‘Mission LiFE,’ to bring individual behaviors at the forefront of the global climate action narrative.

The idea behind Sustainosphere is to "Sustain the bond between humans and nature."

 

The team also focuses on replenishing the environment and helping society in every way possible. We collaborate with local government and non-governmental bodies to organize several transformative and on-ground programs. Sustainable menstrual practices drive, Health and Eye Check-Up camps, Repurposed fashion drive, Donation drives, and Clean-ups are some examples of events.

 

Areas of Concern under Sustainosphere:

 

Greenwashing: also known as "Green sheen," wherein the marketing team conveys a false impression or provides misleading information about how a company's products are more environmentally sound than it is. Due to the GHG emissions, consumers become the vicious part of the problem even though they have the best intentions. Therefore, background research on significant companies must be conducted and held accountable for their actions.

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The sustainability trends indicate inconsistent words and correlated actions to actualize a specific goal. It relates four pillars under sustainability, i.e., Social, Economic, Human, and Environmental. In the past five years, we have seen a significant boom in the term sustainable. It has become a superficial buzzword without actually considering what it implies. The trend could be empowering at an individual level when people actually ponder over the pros and cons of an industry and then suitably find a low-carbon solution but simply categorizing something as sustainable will not help. Consumers must be critical of themselves and the companies in the marketplace and trends out there more than ever.

 

Fake environmentalism revolves around the part of environmentalism which doesn't provide a solution to the climate change issue. Both greenwashing and sustainability trends can be subsumed within the topic of fake environmentalism. One must be critical and not be swayed under the disguised green vocabulary. It's time we start asking a more solution-oriented question. Namely, which of our so-called eco-friendly behaviors save the Earth and only save face? The answer is simple: things that don't leave a carbon footprint (or any pollution) save the planet, while anything releasing pollutants damages the Earth. The only time a consumer is being eco-friendly is when they abstain from buying a new product in the first place.

 

Major Programs under Sustainosphere:

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The initiative is currently working to improve and expand on some of our activities and look at mass mobilization.

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1. Village Action Program (VAP)

This program is for Rural areas, specifically for villages in remote areas, where even with the advancement of technology and resources, people are not able to avail those opportunities due to a lack of information, awareness, and education. Our aim with this program is to survey these areas, followed by a dialogue with the local community and identification of problems, and then help them seek solutions and hopefully live a better life. Some examples include the plan to provide villagers with the tools to install solar panels, irrigation pumps, and rainwater harvesting.

It also includes a program on Sustainable Menstrual Practices with the central vision to create awareness about menstrual hygiene in women in rural areas and promote sustainable methods to do the same.

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2. Organizing Responsible Events

We always try to minimize the Loop effect, and organizing sustainable events is one way to do it. We advise and help organizations, networks, and people do responsible events in various manners. Some examples are switching to reusable cutleries, introducing vegan options and producing less waste at least during environmental events. We started this with our first advice in The Climate Justice Library launch in Delhi on March 15th,2022. We have since then collaborated on various events to ensure our resources are not wasted and our practices align with sustainability standards. With the collaborative spirit amongst young people, we are able to organize dozens of smooth responsible events.

 

3. Educational Workshops

We curate workshops for three different audiences: primary school, High school, and college students, deliverable in both online and offline modes. The workshop focuses on teaching and instilling a value of collective responsibility and environmental ethics. The workshop is curated by verticals transitioning from awareness about sustainable lifestyles to an out-of-loop lifestyle.

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4. I Love my Earth Campaign (ILMEC)

A digital approach to initiate environmental practices at home. ILMEC is a digital campaign started during the first Covid-19 lockdown in March 2022. ILMEC aims to engage youth in discussion and dialogue about the theme-specific issue (Reducing Plastic, Best out of Waste, Vertical Gardens, Sustainable Fashion, etcetera). It promotes a call to action by simply sharing things fun and interactive through social media platforms and establishes peer learning among the participants. We have successfully conducted 5 phases of this campaign. The campaign starts with a simple pledge, and then with regular follow-ups, we aim to inculcate a sustainable lifestyle habit.

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To check all other programs, click here