TIRUPATHI and CLIMATE CHANGE: Strange but true

WOW, now thats called a BREAKKING news !! Recently i read in the BBC news stating, now India’s richest shrine TIRUPATHI, is also GOING GREEN. Going green is not just the mantra for multinationals and professionals today, but goes way beyond the boundaries, surpassing all the conventional means of reducing the catastrophe of climate change. It’s inexorable to know this. In the country of 2 Billion people , where our culture, religion and beliefs form the foundation of all crucial moves and decisions , can a move like this serve the potential to make a difference???

As the news mentioned the Shrine has registered itself for carbon credits and thus by saving tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere, the shrine plans to earn credits and then sell them..!! Now isn’t that a WOW...!!! The shrine manages to cater to 50-1, 00,000 devotees per day. To serve plethora of devotes daily, the shrine has used its roof for huge SOLAR PANELS which help them cook independent of diesel use. An initiative like this not only will make the world think on non conventional ways of combating climate change , vis a vis mere negotiations and paper blotting policies , but will also change the way we look at things. Sometimes solutions to few problems are beyond our reach and sometimes they are so close that we often fail to identify them. Religious places have always played an essential role in changing the dynamics of our country. Now who ever imagined, it might also prove its influence on Global issues like climate change.

When socially powerful institutions like these realise their power and strengths, they can create a metamorphosis. A transformation, to bring a revolution. Now we have for the world to say, rather state, that we are not just rich in culture and population, but culture with a difference and population with an attitude to make a difference. 


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“The One-SMART Revolution”

Its more said than believed by us today ,”Life was much simpler when Apple and Blackberry were just fruits”  The phones are no more the same old hefty boxes which somehow help you connect to your near,  and dear ones today.  They do much more than that...just beyond what we would have imagined in our dreams few years ago.  Nevertheless, the "i"- revolution,  that shook the market few years back, by introducing the very concept of SMART Phones, still continues to do so , rather has spread like a wild fire. Infact to put it this way, this will continue, with or wihout Steve Jobs. At the risk of sounding too statistical, it was proved,  in a survey done by an UK Communication Organisation, that more than a third of adults and 60% of teens admitted to being 'highly addicted' to their SMARTPHONES. Especially the under 25’s???????  In this case what distinguishes addiction from revolution? Why is this thin line so conveniently ignored? Where is this revolution leading us...rather...are we really heading somewhere? To put it straight , has it just become an " all group" style statement?

An 'always on' phone status also enables you to do many of the things you used to do from a normal OLD PC. From socialising to banking, all is in your pocket today. Life seems so easy this way. As i recently read somewhere, these smart phones today, have an application, popularly known as "APP" to monitor your health parameters like sugar etc. What else you can ask from a simple phone now.  What is astonishing here is , to look into the pace at which it has managed to pierce into the hearts and pockets of the societies. We were taken over by the technology in all sense before we could even realise what happened to us.

This is one way of looking at it. Another way could be, this clearly indicates how vulnerable are we and the society at large to “change”. Is this our strength or our weakness? If this is a weakness, then its an alarming situation indeed. And strengths like these can be used to turn the world upside down. Can global issues like Corruption, climate change, terrorism be fought with these kinds of revolutionary movements?  I guess, the success of the technology does not lie merely, in its effectiveness, but also   depends on its popularity, glam associated and the scale at which it is managed.        I leave it to you to take a stand on this.

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The Facebook University

Recently i got an update on face book, stating the Chinese taking over solar markets in U.S creating job issues. I was stunned with the news, and immediately switched on to the Down to Earth fortnightly magazine site to view the full story. It wasn’t even a second more, and there flashed another update by my friend prachi.....

Oh.....i missed Rockstar movie’s first scene .....  

It’s a baby girl for bachchans........ and many more....

Updates are very updated these days. The world of education and knowledge-seeking has undergone a paradigm shift. Education, with the slight touch of entertainment is what is liked, loved and accepted by all the societies today at large.

The fact of the matter is Education/knowledge is no more confined to the boundaries of four school walls or class rooms per say, it has broken all the conventional modes of expression and have induced itself in all possible forms. All the forms which people believe in, enjoy staying connected with.... and love being a part of. Not just networking sites like face book does it all, it has Twitter, Linked In and many more to say, do this job of so called EDUTAINMENT. This newly coined word is the truth of today’s times. Be it environmental organisations, reporters, journalists ,politicians or hard core academicians, learning has become so accessible to most of us today. The recent revolution on lokpal bill was certainly exacerbated more and reached the masses, especially the youths, across the country, through all these networking sites more than the news channel could actually do.

There are youth networks running their chapters across the universities/colleges just through emails/face book, connecting the academicians, researchers and students. This phenomenon has even crossed the mobile age. The institutes or universities find no guilt today in displaying their curriculums online and share the link on face books just because they very much now how to get to the right targets with the right mediums. World bank today has a plethora of information updated on climate change on twitter. The news of passing of Steve Jobs, was first flashed on Twitter . Many more like these to quantify the fact that networking sites have all that we need today.

Face book and twitter are no more a medium to just connect yourself to the world known by you; it also means to know the world, known by others, having treasure of opportunities hidden for you. It’s just using the right medium for tight purpose.

These Social networking sites are all inclusive sites of times today. Education + Entertainment is what sells. Edutainment stays the paramount mantra for many today. With the times changing and the revolutions changing the images of multiple things in fraction of seconds, it won’t be wrong to say that, we would no more need physical learning institutions to mainstream education. 

We are probably entering a world where, Google and face book will suffice the needs for education, there is getting created an parallel virtual world, that is slowly taking over the physical forms of learning. Its no more a forced change, but a change that is gradual...yet so revolutionary....virtual yet so real.....and fits in only an 14 inch laptop...but is capable of changing the world around you. So are we ready for this change? Or maybe the change is so fast that probably it is leaving us with no time to actually think...???? Can Google/face book/teacher ever be able to give us the right education, we might want out children to undergo?

I open this debate here; let me know your comments .

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Climate change? Are you Serious?

                                      

Climate change? And what’s that? Yes,  to every one’s surprise, that’s what even most of the Americans ponder upon ,when asked, a recent BBC study revealed? Despite the U.S being the largest contributor to this whole issue, and all the problems which have emerged today as a biggest threat and challenge to the humanity as whole, they still somehow manage to ask this. For a while even i was surprised at their this kind of a cavalier attitude, but then i gave  a thought over it and realised its not just people in the west doing it, but most of us in all parts of the world are doing it. Not knowing a problem and hence no action.... can be excused!!!  But, knowing a problem and still continue ignoring the issue,  i guess invites more trouble.

Climate change is a serious business and not just a matter of making business. Today more than an issue it has become a sophisticated lobby of sophisticated scientists, trying to solve a problem in their own sophisticated pace. Climate is changing today at much faster rate than ever. The warmest years since 1850 have been experienced in the last 12-13 years. So now what do we do with that? Either we continue living with the changing climate and think of adapting it and spend trillions , or alter it ...i repeat  “alter”  not change our lifestyles from an EXPENSIVE to EFFICIENT  one to mitigate the emissions.

 

Last week i was in Bangkok for our study, we stayed there for over 8 days, and could observe the lifestyles of the people living there. The emissions made by the each individual ( what we call as per capita ) is ,much much higher than those of the Londoners and equivalent to the New yokers. High use of plastic,  high use of vehicular mode, high electricity consumption by industries....together is making Bangkok a worst city ...even worse than cities like Mumbai, Manhattan as far as the emissions are concerned. Despite knowing the fact , that their emissions will be solely responsible to the rise in the level of the very sea which they have their economy dependant on....they are not serious....................??????

 So our thoughts need to be in tandem with our actions, eliminating the gap between the two.

So then what are these climate conventions meant for? Are they just another long holiday for parties, to relax, enjoy and get over with the issues so casually. Can we really get in to the crux of the global issue like climate change and try to solve the same by sitting in an air conditioned conference somewhere on a romantic island, making tonnes of emissions by flying for the emission reduction conventions per say? Its a total oxymoron? What are we doing then? I mean issue like this, that will be having devastating impacts the entire of Asia, including other parts f the world, needs an urgent attention as we can loose the resources  even before we thinking  about saving them.

If the climate emissions are not fastened and the pace to cap them is not geared up then probably we would no more see, Mumbai in 2100 as the risen sea level would have crossed its limits already. Millions of people are expected to be displaced. We won’t be there by that time, but then what about our children why should they pay for our deeds and ignorance,

Think over it...climate change is a serious business and i repeat not just a serious money making buisness. Unbridled exploitation of the natural resources for years and years, today have made us confront this terrible situation, so to get this climate back to its normalcy is a tough task, yet if we act now,  the magnitude of the forthcoming impacts can atleast be redeemed ,if not stopped completely....!!!

Law of the FEW

In the country of 1,2 billion people, how far it makes sense when we talk of  bringing about a change by handful number of people. Seems to be an oxymoron in the Indian context.But then to support the statement we have these over hyped instances like, the hunger strike by anna hazaare, the Posco project , that is taking the government for a ride and many more like these, sometimes really  make us ponder, does there  still exists in the world of billions the      " law of the few". Most of the revolutionary changes in the world have been brought  by these handful number of elements in the society who, drove the world crazy, leading the society to tip & then watched out for twists leading to an exponentially unbelievable climax.

World  wide the economists believe the revolutionary movements in society work on the Law of the Few.........mass revolutions have always been triggered by few.....there has always been a 80/20 theory in most of the things we encounter ...say for instance 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people, 80% of the beer in the world is consumed by just 20% of the people.....to add to the fact.. The theory applies itself aptly, when we zero in on the most talked about issue of the town...Sustainable development, though again sounds like an oxymoron, might tip after a point, when law of the few comes into the picture....

India’s position in climate discourse have always been the topic of debate, being the developing economy.  Corruption, over and ever exploding population,poverty , fluctuating economy, dynamic GDP and not to forget the targets we need to adhere to , to remain in tandem with the other developing economies ...and many more..actually highlights the ultra urgent need to work on the issues like climate change and Sustainable development. 

                                                                       

Historically many incidences state that the law of the few has worked only when the issues have been raised, fought to be worked out and have neared the tipping point, and eventually made  it tip in such a  way that it redefined new theories all together.

The point here i am trying to make is, we often wait for revolutions to arrive, considering the societies at large, and seldom identify the power of few. A sensitive issue like Climate and Sustainability can no more remain subjective.It essentially has multiple dynamics associated with it & needs a bottom up approach, beginning with few masterminds, working on the issue and disseminating the approaches for the world to follow.But then the paradox of the situation is such that, there are too many masterminds and no one to follow, and thats exactly what brings the whole discourse to a stagnancy, and compels us to question,  will the rising issues,in india actually this time override the law of  few? Or will it still continue to lay the same impact in this whole climate discourse?

No costs attached....

I often wonder, do we really have to value only things which come with a price tag? Are priceless things less valued than one with those having them? The entire issue of global warming, climate change exists today ,probably just because there is no cost attached to the use of atmosphere, there is no cost attached to the extent to which our earth is exploited and also, there is no cost attached to the knowledge of traditional practices which are no more trickled down generations, which carry trillions of essentials along with them . We are incidentally allowing this treasure, simply vanish away from our hearts and minds.

                                            Natural Rainwater Harvesting Pond in Barmer

The unbridled neglect of resources, traditions and knowledge is one of the chief reasons, why we are falling short of all of them today and are craving for more. But still that doesn’t stop us from exploiting them. Again, just because there are no costs attached.

I recently happened to explore few villages of Thar desert. Climate has always been harsh in the western Rajasthan, Its just the close proximity of the poor farmers in the region with the environment, their faith in the same and extreme dependency on nature made them value it more and was thus, an inseparable part of their lives. Be it agriculture, be it the traditional rainwater harvesting structures or be it the common property resources, all had CLIMATE ,as the governing factor for their existence. People fostered them, just because they were conversant with the unpredictability of the climate and its resultant consequences.

Today, the tradition is dying. With the advent of technology, Rajasthan is entirely losing out on the base of its tradition. Tractors have taken over traditional animal power practice, the concrete water tanks and piped water supply is very much responsible for the defunctness of the traditional water harvesting systems, Accessibility and affordability is taking the community away from the environment, which some time back formed their identity.

Who is at fault for the same? Is it the Technology? Or our attitude towards it ? The answer to this lies in both. With the interventions in technologies, advances in practices, our traditional wisdom is demoted. There is a tremendous squabble between the modern technology and traditional practice with a total lack of balance. 

I personally feel, with the increase in the scales of  the systems, the pace at which we need to cater to the demand, technology is  a must , but then if it is in tandem with the traditional practice, then the combination of the two would create wonders. The deeper the roots are, taller the tree grows, the more the bow is stretched back, farther the arrow moves. So may be our modern approaches might take us way ahead of time, provided we parallely value what we have left behind. Development is not just burying the traditional wisdom, but approaching it with a novel perspective, and valuing it as it deserves.

Photo courtesy : 

Prachi Aswani   & Rucha Dande

The Social meanings of Climate Change-Rajasthan calling....

 

 

The colors of the PAGADIS, the flash of the shining deserts, the wonderful dahi kachauri and lots more precisely defines the “ Rajasthani culture”

"Padharo mare des:” is very aptly phrased. 

It essentially highlights the willingness of the rajasthanis to offer immense hospitality to their visitors. They flatter you with their offerings .

Recently as a part of our training we got an opportunity to understand the economically and socially backward community of rajasthan and their resilience to climate change. IN the pursuit of achieving our targets, i also unknowingly started seeing something that was intangible , hidden, yet very prominent. Something that forms an inseparable part of their lives. Something that we never thought we would study , but actually forms a core backbone of our study, and that’s the sense of contentment amongst the people to the situation , their ways of living. We had been to the villages of barmer meeting the people there..

Unbearably extreme weather conditions.........

seamless boundaries of deserts..............

no life services....

All that the community had , was a "a big curve that set things straight "  - thats their beautiful smile. Immense sense of contentment.

No food to eat, but dozens to offer...

Counting the drops of water, yet no regrets to put forward....

“Take life as it comes to you “ is what forms the baseline of their actions today. Adversity is something that they have learned to live with. Poverty, Ignorance and struggle governs their lives Happiness, contentment and hospitality shapes their lives.

They live the most sustainable way. All the buzz that we talk about sustainable living is, what can be seen reflecting in the ways of living of these people.

Global issues like climate change has shaken the world today. Green thinking, behavioural changes, integrity with the nature, climate responsive architecture....a live demonstration of all these can be seen in the villages of india...

Its our tradition...that we need to go back to....

Its our treasure that we must learn to value....

Climate change is unequivocal..also, the way we look at climate change differs as per the regions and states.Our different social contexts shape the way we look at things.

Rajasthan visit made me experience the social meanings of climate change..it made me realise more profoundly , that our answers to climate change are already been thought of, its just we need to go back an unfold them. It lies somewhere in these experiences that we often forget paying attention to......!!!


Photo courtesy:Prachi aswani
                       Rucha dande