Good old resources conservation habits

Memory 1 # When I stayed with Mr. & Mrs. Iyer at their Chembur flat during my summer internship (April-June 2005), I noticed that Uncle used to eat rice and dal without spoon. He used his hands (typically found in South India) and at the end of the meal, he made sure that the plate was clean; he cleanly ate all bits of rice on the plate (which is only possible with hands and not spoon). This ensured that food was not wasted at all. It also ensured less water usage at the time of washing dishes.

Memory 2 # When my late grandmother had to take bath in winters, she used to keep the bucket of water in open sun. By around 1 or 2 in the noon, the water was warm enough to be used for bathing. Geyser power saved!

We still sometimes, keep refrigerated items out in open to come to normal temperature, 10-15 minutes before being put on the stove for heating. It saves gas.

I think traditionally, we lived simple lifestyles and have been always conscious of the limited nature of our natural resources. Why can't we incorporate these elements in the new buildings we design, the cars and other resource consumption devices we design?