Cycling to work: A journey towards climate action and well-being
This is my second inning at Thermax. During my previous job, I used to walk around 6 km to and from the office every day. The daily walk routine brought a remarkable improvement in my health. Thus, when I re-joined Thermax, I was thinking of ways to keep myself physically active as my home and office are a little too far apart for a walk. This brought me to the idea of cycling to my office at Bhosari, Pune, and I implemented it immediately.
Choosing to cycle has been one of the best decisions in my life as I continued to maintain my good health (barring the viral fevers and flu) and overall well-being. In addition to promoting good health, cycling has proven to be beneficial in various other aspects. It effectively helps me manage stress and keeps my energy levels high, even after a long day at work. Moreover, since cycling is already integrated into my daily routine, there’s no need to set aside separate time for exercise or going to the gym.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my decision to cycle to the office is that it has inspired some of my colleagues to do the same. While some have adopted cycling as a regular practice, others have embraced it intermittently. Many others have expressed interest but have come up with various excuses such as coming to office sweating, traffic congestion on their route, inclement weather, waking up late, or feeling unwell. However, my consistent response has always been, “If you genuinely desire to commute to the office by bicycle, the only person who can stop you is yourself.”
I take great pride in commuting to the office on a bicycle, knowing deep inside that I am making a small but meaningful contribution to reducing carbon emissions. Most of us are well aware of the saying, “We don’t inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” It is a constant reminder that we have a responsibility to protect our planet for future generations. The reality of climate change cannot be denied, as we witness the increasing average temperatures, disturbances in seasonal cycles, more frequent natural calamities etc.
The world has changed since our childhood, and mostly, in an unfavourable way. We all have the responsibility to hand over the world to our next generations at least in the present condition, if not better. The key lies in acting against climate change, regardless of how small those actions may seem. Each person’s background and circumstances may lead to different approaches, but what truly matters is that we all take the initiative to act, otherwise the survival of our future generations is in jeopardy. My action towards battling climate change is cycling my way to office. What is your action?
– Ravikiran Jasti
Process Engineer, FGD, Environment House, Bhosari
