Power Dressing for the Planet: CSIR's 'WAH Mondays' Initiative

New Delhi: Until today, several corporates have adopted the 'Thank God It's Friday' or 'Casual Friday' dress code. Employees skip formal clothing on Fridays and instead dress in semiformal, informal attire. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India's biggest civilian network of research institutes, has launched the 'WAH Mondays' campaign, with WAH enlarged to 'Wrinkles Acche Hai' (wrinkles are nice). The concept is to encourage individuals to wear unironed clothes to work every Monday as a symbolic protest against climate change. Dr. N Kalaiselvi, secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research and the first woman director general of CSIR, describes WAH Mondays as part of a bigger energy literacy effort. CSIR decided to contribute by wearing non-ironed clothes on Mondays. Ironing each set of clothes amounts to the emission of 200 g of carbon dioxide. So, by wearing non-ironed clothes, one can prevent the emission of carbon dioxide to the tune of 200 g," she said. The 'Wrinkles Acche Hain' campaign has been launched as part of the 'Swachhata Pakhwada' from May 1-15. As part of its larger initiative to save energy, CSIR is implementing a few standard operating procedures to reduce electricity consumption in all labs across the country, with an initial target of a 10 percent reduction of electricity charges at the workplace. These SOPs will be implemented during June-August 2024 as a pilot trial. Recently, the country's biggest climate clock was installed in the CSIR headquarters building in Delhi's Rafi Marg.  "This is CSIR's contribution to saving Mother Earth and the planet," Dr. Kalaiselvi said. Signifying Powerful Strike Towards Climate Change ~  Manufacturing Doubt: Is Climate Change Real? (Source: Google Image) One of the most alarming aspects of climate change is the uncertainty surrounding it all. You begin with the grand image of a warming planet, but as you zoom in, you see an increasing number of climatic, geological, and biological systems interacting with one another—a complexity beyond human comprehension. We are discussing a dilemma that affects every organism and every square inch of the globe. Renewable energy sources such as water, geothermal, wind, and sun are available in every country, but their potential has yet to be completely realized. Currently, renewables account for over 30% of global electricity. By 2050, renewable energy can and should account for 90% of global electricity generation. The planet is expected to add as much renewable electricity in the next five years as it has in the previous 20. Renewables are expected to overtake coal as the leading source of worldwide power generation by early 2025. Renewables are the most rapidly expanding energy source in many areas. The decisions we make today will shape the environment we will face in the future. Large and persistent reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions might help to mitigate climate change. If we act now, we can slow down climate change and keep the earth livable. We have the knowledge, tools, and resources to ensure a livable and sustainable future for everyone.