After spending my 20s and 30s in the US, I moved back to India in 2009 and currently live in Bangalore with my husband, one or more of our three children who happen to be home at any given point in time, a senior Indie dog, and a few cute but entitled outdoor Indie cats.

Over the course of my writing career, I have done stints in journalism, marketing content strategy and nonprofit communications. I love the fact that researching and writing about people, places and issues help me understand the world a little bit better.

This blog is the culmination of a challenge that I have grappled with for the better part of my adult life: to find a balance between convenience and the desire for a reduced carbon footprint.

Let me be honest. I am not a minimalist and don’t entirely walk the environmental talk. I frequently buy home furnishings or personal accessories I could do without (although I am increasingly scouting out secondhand sources for these). I can’t always pass up the allure of same day delivery. And I have way too many jars of condiments and sauces in the dark spaces of my refrigerator.

The thing about stuff, though, is that you can usually get by with less of it. Sometimes what you already own can be repurposed or upcycled. When you do buy, it helps to invest in solid pieces that last. The use and throw culture propagated by the clothing industry, for one, has created a mess of epic proportions.

So through this blog, I hope to uncover ways to think smaller and slower when it comes to consumption. To highlight planet and people friendly business models, as well as social ventures that create livelihoods along with beautiful handmade products. To shine a light on the work of those who are doing something about the problems that our appetite for stuff has created – in waste management, plastic use, and more. And lastly, to talk to experts to see what combination of systemic and behavioral changes will help to make a real dent in these problems.

‘Small & Slow’ is not advocating for an unattainable form of environmentalism in daily living. It’s just out to discover sustainable and socially driven ventures treading lightly but purposefully toward their goals. So that each of us can decide if and how they fit into any green reboot we have in mind.