Just as I was halfway through with my morning coffee this Tuesday, my eyes fell upon a great piece of news. NASA scientists have found flowing water on Mars. While NASA does not want to assume too much yet, they are quietly confident that this may hint towards the possibility of life and habitation in near future.
Water can remain in liquid state in sub-zero temperatures
You may be wondering how liquid water can exist in sub zero temperature of Mars. Actually, there is evidence that water found in Mars is mixed with salts (perchlorates, for example) and its freezing point is thus lowered well below zero degree.
If Mars is wet in certain places, microbes can exist there and they can give birth to larger life forms. So, in short, I am allowed to hope.
Are we leaving Earth habitable enough?
As expected, this news has got a fair bit of global media coverage. There is frenzy everywhere. But let us not get carried away. The Earth is still our top priority and it is a sad piece of news that intelligent life is fast vanishing from earth. For instance, vertebrate wildlife has come down by 50% over the last 40 years. Shocking!
And how about this one: We know that only about 3% of water found on earth is fresh and moreover, only 1% is accessible. Yet we waste it like there is no tomorrow. On top of this, we are not paying enough heed to our environment and it is only making matters worse.
I sometimes wonder have we already begun thinking in terms of shifting to Mars? What else can describe our negligence towards Earth’s environment?
Home design – part of the solution
Talking in this light, I feel lucky to be in a profession which is becoming increasingly aware of environmental issues and- what’s better- acting on it. Home designers have come to understand how important it is to build green; what with carbon footprint becoming such a concern. Designers are also aware that our planet is staring at an energy crisis and they are doing their best to create energy-efficient homes.
‘Eco-friendly’ and ‘energy-efficient’: top two mantras of home designing
In the past, people did not care much about living in a well-insulated, eco-friendly, energy-efficient home. These were principles that one aspired for but never actually bothered about implementing in their homes. But today, homeowners are willing “to become the change they want to see in the world”. ‘Green’ and ‘energy-efficient’ is on the top of their wish-list when they meet home designers.
And designers have raised their bars even further. They are thinking in terms of sustainable homes. One aspect of this can be producing more electricity than one consumes and selling the extra production back to the grid. They are putting in an all-round effort to bring down energy needs of homes and increase their greenness.
So now is the time to welcome solar panels, green walls, fans with laminar blades, new-age energy-rated appliances, top insulation materials with high R-values, concept of radiant heating, among other things. It is all opening up beautifully for the world of home designing and home renovation.
And before I wrap, a line for Matt Damon: Mark Watney, we are coming for you Mr. Martian! Soon you won’t be that lonely on Mars.