Visit to Jama Masjid, Delhi

Yahi hai ebadat, yahi din-o-eman,

Ke kam aaye duniya mei insaan ke insan. (Hali)

 

Insan ko insan se kina nahi accha,Jis sine mei ho kina, wo sina nahi accha. (Nashikh)

 

 Naya safar hai,nai manjhileny bulati hai,

Musafiro,ravish-e-karwan badal dalo. (Unknown)

The Indigenous Knowledge Vs Scientific Knowledge

India has long history as a cradle of civilization. The journey from early civilization to present day have came up with various things. One such vital boon is our indigenous knowledge. The local practices which are being practiced by different communities in nooks and corners of our country is having immense importance, not only for the local people, but also for the local economy,environment,culture,and to our knowledge system.

With the emerging Intellectual Property Right debate and the various contentious issues associated with it, the Indigenous Knowledge became a vital issue to be dealt with in the light of present developments. But here I am not going to deal with these issues, instead of this I am taking this issue one step ahead. After accepting the potentialities of indigenous knowledge many Government Bodies and various institutions have started working on the validation of this knowledge system. Which is indeed a welcome step. Few day’s back I was going through a report prepared by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research on the validation of Indigenous Technical Knowledge. That was really a serious effort to establish the validity of indigenous technical knowledge. Different methodologies have been employed by them, from PRA to scientific experiments to check the validity of the indigenous knowledge. And on case by case basis, they have assured efficiency and validity of the available indigenous knowledge.

As Indigenous Technical  Knowledge titled : Banana  as an indicator plant to  irrigate.

As described in the report, some villages of Ganjam district of Orissa practice this technique, as mentioned about the technique, “In the sugarcane plot one or two plants of banana are planted. As the banana is ssensitive to moisture stress, it shows symptoms of water deficiency earlier than sugarcane. Farmers apply irrigation when the water-stress deficiency in banana is noticed. By this practice farmers save fifteen to twenty percent water and are able to provide irrigation to sugarcane crop in time, resulting in ten to fifteen per cent higher yield of sugarcane as compared to normal practice of irrigation indiscriminately.”

So, the argument which I want to forward is that, even after establishment of such fact, why the government bodies are not disseminating these valuable information’s to the masses. There is a common myth that, our indigenous knowledge is inferior to scientific knowledge, which is not always the case. At the same time on many occasions and in many locality these indigenous technical knowledge is far better suited and efficient then the scientific ones, and also perform better on the scale of sustainability of the technology. These information’s should be spread up-to the grass root level, the practitioners should be motivated and promoted for these practices. Also, other areas where this kind of technology could yield better results should be targeted and special drives should be taken up to popularise these technologies. Then only this kind of government efforts would  yield result, or if  it is only to be kept in libraries then the whole objective of this kind of research would be defeated.

Green Advocates….

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. Mahatma Gandhi

What kind of world you want to live in?Demand that your teachers teach you what you need to know to build it. Peter Kropotkin

We are living in a false economy where the price of goods and services does not include the cost of waste and pollution. Lynn Landes

When we heal the earth,we heal ourselves. David Orr

If there is magic on this planet,it is in water. Loren Eisley

We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. Albert Einstein

What a country chooses to save is what a country chooses to say about itself. Mollie Beatty

Changing the Climate on Campus

An article by Bryan Walsh in Times has thrown light on the emerging issues in  U.S college campuses and how they had changed. On one time, issues like civil rights,Vietnam war and apartheid were the major attraction of the students conscience. Now the climate change and global warming is gaining popularity and acceptability in campuses. On of the early advocate of climate change problem, Professor Goodstein had played vital role in promoting this issue in campuses, even before the Al Gore work. He states the grim position of environmental awareness in America by saying that, “They think global warming is scary, but they don’t realize how short a window of time we have.”

The political and educational initiatives had helped in a great way for making the students aware about the issue. The aim of these activities is to create a strong foot soldiers in the form of students, who have to live with the consequences of climate change. As always the responsibility have been handed over to the coming generation for tackling the issue. So the objective of emerging political activities is to create a strong foot soldiers team, they will work in the direction of resolving the issue.

Towards Green Villages: A refresher workshop on sustainable villages

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi, announces a five-day refresher workshop on how to use the environment to eradicate poverty in rural India.

For more than two decades, CSE’s research and advocacy experiences show that India’s poverty is ecological in nature. We have to regenerate our ecology to eradicate our poverty. Many villages have done this. CSE has been studying their experiences.

The refresher workshop seeks to learn from these village experiences and put in place a framework for sustainable villages. This highly interactive course designed to clarify the linkages between environment and poverty and also demonstrate its feasibility through a 2-day field trip to the village of Bunga in Haryana. This village has been successfully able to draw lessons from Sukhomajri, a neighbouring village that pioneered in watershed management and created sustainable livelihoods. In addition to experienced CSE staff, the course faculty includes eminent development experts.

THE COURSE

• Understanding India’s biomass economy
• Eco-systems, land use and livelihoods: Linkages
• Rainfed areas in crisis: Food security
• Spectre of jobless growth: Chronic, concentrated poverty
• Key indicators: Environment and poverty linkages
• Poverty eradication programmes: A critique
• Ecological opportunities, economic value
• Decentralised governance: Ecology, Panchayati Raj
• Ecological Act: The promise of NREGA, experiences
• How to evaluate development effectiveness of NREGA
• Case studies: Community-led village eco-restoration
• Workshops: How to harvest rainwater? Prepare a detailed roadmap on how to create sustainable livelihoods using local ecology
• Field trip: “Bunga, Haryana” A 2-day visit to Bunga village in Haryana, exploring ways to sustainable livelihood.

METHODOLOGY The highly interactive workshop has four components: classroom sessions by CSE resource persons, invited lectures by eminent development experts, hands-on activities, and a 2-day field trip to Bunga, Haryana. Each day of the workshop has a specific theme, related guest lectures and homework for participants WHO SHOULD ATTEND This course is aimed at development practitioners, NGOs, grassroots activists, rural development agencies/institutions, students/academics, among others. To Apply online http://www.cseindia.org/aagc/tgv.asp A certificate of participation will be awarded to all participants Last date for receiving applications is February 4, 2008 VENUE Anil Agarwal Green College 38, Tughlakabad Institutional Area (Behind CSE building) New Delhi – 110062 COURSE FEES ·  The course fees (payable in advance) of Rs. 8000 (Rs. 5000 only for Indian NGOs, academics and international students, Rs 1500 for Indian students,) includes instructional course fees, training manual, lunch and refreshments. All costs of the 2-day field trip are also included. The fee does not include travel to and from Delhi, local travel, accommodation or dinner.. ·  Please send the fee by demand draft or cheque, in favour of ‘Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi’. ·  We will be unable to refund the fee unless the notice of withdrawal is received by us 15 days prior to the start of the course. ·  CSE can help arrange accommodation for participants (at cost) CONTACT PERSON Neha Sakhuja Research Associate, NRML Unit Centre for Science and Environment 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi-110062 Phone: 91-11-29955124/6110/6394/6399 (Ext: 225) Fax: 91-11-29955879 E-mail: neha@cseindia.org or Aditya Batra at aditya@cseindia.org

UNEP calls for Nominations for the 2008 UNEP Sasakawa Prize

Nominations are officially open for the 2008 UNEP Sasakawa Prize, the United Nations Environment Programme announced today.

The US$200,000 award is given out every year by UNEP and the Nippon Foundation to reward environmental innovation, initiatives and research from around the world.

This year, winners will be chosen for work related to the theme for this year’s World Environment Day: ‘Kick the Habit: Towards a Low Carbon Economy’. The Prize will be awarded for work related to reducing society’s dependence on carbon-intensive technologies and lifestyles. Sustainability and the proven potential to replicate will be among the key elements that will guide the search for a winner.

Sasakawa Prize winners are achievers with an established track record of achievement and the potential to make outstanding contributions to the protection and management of the environment consistent with UNEP’s policies and objectives. UNEP’s hope is that the Prize will offer the financial support laureates need to build on their achievements.

To nominate someone, please visit www.unep.org/sasakawa before 15 March 2008.

Further information on the UNEP Sasakawa Prize and the nomination process is available at www.unep.org/sasakawa or from sasakawaprize@unep.org

Or contact Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson, at tel: +254 20 762 3084, mobile: +254 733 632755, or e-mail: nick.nuttall@unep.org; or Anne-France White, Associate Information Officer, at tel: +254 20 762 3088, or e-mail: anne-france.white@unep.org.

Environmental Sayings

Today we are faced with a challenge that calls for a shift in our thinking,so that humanity stops threatening it life support system.  Wangari Maathai

 

Most instituitions demand unqualified faith;but the instituition of science makes skepticism a virtue.   Robert King Merton

 

In the end, we conserve only what we love.

We will lovw only what we understand.

We will understand only what we are taught.   Baba Dioum

Tribute to Bhopal Gas Tragedy Victims

The 3rd of Dec, 1984 was one of the blackest day in history of India. On this very day, the leakage of methyl iso cyanate from the union carbide factory in the outskirts of Bhopal had lead to the tragedy, in which more than 2000 people lost their lives and many more than this number became permanently disabled.

This day always make us remember how trivial interest of few people can lead to death and destruction of others. Human error and lack of industrial safety had converted this tragedy into one of the most devastating industrial activity in human history. The saddest part is that, even after 23 years the victims of this tragedy had not been properly compensated. Let’s convey our full support to the victims of this tragedy.

Glimpses of landscapes from Rudraprayg

Mighty Mandakini river, which meets with Alaknanda in Rudraprayg.

Terrace cultivation in  hills of Gharwal (Phata,Rudraprayag).

Blasting in the Himalaya’s.

A traditional village in Rudraprayag.

Sheep Herders, means of occupation.

Bridge,connecting life in hills.

A panoramic view of a rivulet.

BNHS “Plantlife Campaign”

Think Global, Act Local

Be a part of the solution to fight global warming

Sponsorship Form for Adopting a Tree

 

Why the campaign?

 

“It is argued that an estimated 40 percent of the world’s population could be affected by the loss of snow and glaciers on the mountains of Asia. Many Asian rivers begin in the Himalayas and less ice and snow would mean less water for drinking and agriculture.

In addition, rising sea levels would affect low-lying coasts and islands hitting hard countries such as Bangladesh or Indonesia.” – Outlook for Ice and Snow report, United Nations Environment Programme.

 

PARIS, Feb. 2 — In a bleak and powerful assessment of the future of the planet, the leading international network of climate change scientists has concluded for the first time that global warming is “unequivocal” and that human activity is the main driver, “very likely” causing most of the rise in temperatures since 1950.

“In its fourth assessment of global warming, released Friday, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change used its strongest language yet in drawing a link between human activity and recent warming.

They said the world is already committed to centuries of warming, shifting weather patterns and rising seas, resulting from the buildup of gases in the atmosphere that trap heat. But the warming can be substantially blunted by prompt action, the panel of scientists said in a report released here today.” The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Thanks to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, the issue of global warming has been highlighted often enough for many to take notice. It is easy to see that the effects of global warming are far reaching and of a magnitude that affects everyone on this planet. Thus the time for complacency is no more, now is the time to take action and look for possible ways and means of reducing global warming.

Without going into too much of technicalities, global warming occurs due to the emission of greenhouse gases in high quantities from industrial, domestic and other sources. Other than cutting down on the usage of fossil fuel and other energy sources which add to the levels of green house gases in the atmosphere, one of the best methods of  countering global warming says experts is through conservation of existing green cover and planting more trees. As trees absorb a large quantity of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, planting of trees can help in reducing the effect of at least one atmospheric gas.

It is with this in mind that the BNHS with its mission of “Conservation of nature primarily biological diversity through action based on Research, Education and Public Awareness” has decided to take up an awareness drive to gather support from the public and corporates alike to increase India’s present green cover which is at only 20% instead of the ideal cover of 33%.

What is the Plant Life Campaign all about?

The Plant Life Campaign addresses the individual as well the corporates by providing them with the opportunity to do something for the environment. Many of us want to do something for the environment, for nature but most of the time we are unaware of where to go for support or to offer support.

Through this Plant Life Campaign, BNHS provides individuals and corporates with the unique opportunity to help in the conservation of nature by adopting or sponsoring trees for a nominal amount of Rs. 750/- for planting of one tree.

How does it work?

BNHS with its rich heritage and tradition of scientific research and conservation, has been supported by the government in various parts of the country by providing them for land which can be used for planting of trees.

When an individual or corporate adopts a tree, it essentially means that a tree is planted in the person or corporates name, taken care off and looked after by BNHS in various location across the country. So by investing Rs. 750/-, an individual or corporate gets a tree planted and looked after for him/her/them. Along with this the sponsor is sent a digital image of the tree with his/her own name/signage along with the name/species of the tree.

Sponsors can adopt more than one tree at a time. Corporates can adopt a large number of trees together to avail of certain concessions.

Please fill in the Sponsorship form and mail it to at bnhs.cmd@gmail.com or call on Tel: (022) 22882073 on any further information.