The best things in life, are free.

Hello Mr. Hornbill 

Our home overlooks a designated forest, but over the years it had been neglected and abused and greatly denuded. It was a very sad state of affairs.

Then concerned people and groups began to work together. Over past decade there has been a very good effort by citizen groups, environmentalists and the government forest department

When people collaborate and sincerely work together towards a goal, results have to come. 

Surprisingly, when we share our labours and energies for achieving something better, fatigue rarely occurs. Purpose fills our mind and body with inexplicable joy  and a kinship with others. 

In pursuit of comforts, we modern beings live in cocoons, mostly disconnected from nature. Is it any wonder that to just spot a Hornbill perched at the edge of our balcony, it should cause the heart to skip a beat? 

The inexplicable joyful emotion and the contemplation that follows can be a spiritual experience, that is not easy to describe.

The growth in the forest and green cover has had many benefits, for us residents and visitors to the vicinity they, 

• There is much less dust in the air and in our homes.
• The air feels fresher and more rejuvenating. The climate has become better, the weather cooler, even in summer. One rarely needs to turn on the air conditioning even in summer. Saving energy and money.
• Where there is respect and worship for nature no policing and enforcement is necessary. People have almost completely stopped throwing garbage onto the forest land so the environment looks and feels healthier. 
• The ground water levels have risen. The bore wells that we had drilled in our our housing society as a standby to overcome water shortages in summer now rarely run dry. 
• The noise levels are much lower as the forest absorbs noise and vibrations. 
• When we are respectful and welcoming, guests will flock to our home and enrich our lives. Butterflies and bees are more common. Sparrows, Mynas, Peacocks, Sunbirds, Parrots, Robins, along with many Squirrels are regular visitors all year long.
• The ambience, the chirping of birds and the fluttering of butterflies makes one feel in harmony with existence.

Its true, the best things in life are free.

The forest behind our home BEFORE  conservation efforts

The forest behind our home AFTER conservation efforts

The forest behind our home AFTER conservation efforts

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Thanks to my friend: Arvind Patole  for providing the image of the Great Indian Hornbill

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Are we destroying the earth?

One day my sons Mohit and Pavit and I drove through the the middle of the city. We passed a stream, which flowed into what was previously a pristine river. 

Pollution destroys waterbodies and the oceans, killing all life, slowly but surely.

We humans had turned the beautiful gift of life, the river, provided to us by nature, into a sewer.

I sighed and shook my head muttering, "What the hell are we doing to our environment? If this continues we humans will destroy the world. We must save the Earth?"

Choked and polluted streams attract pigs and disease 

Mohit responded, 

"Dad, if we do not respect nature, how can we expect nature to respect us? 

Humans cannot destroy the Earth though we are causing much damage and numerous ugly scars. It is the arrogance of us humans, that we think we are going to save the Earth. 

Bird dies from eating junk, mistaking plastic for food

The Earth has been around for 4.5 billion years and humans for only 7 million years. What we humans are really doing is, we are destroying ourselves and our future generations. 

At the rate we are going, we humans will be extinct pretty soon.  In 20,000 or even a 100,000 years Earth will simply recalibrate and reset itself without humans"

No one spoke a word for the next three hours.

22nd April is marked as Earth Day. 

Countless speeches, media articles, editorials, and Facebook comments will change little or nothing. 

Unfortunately many religions, ideologies, and governments preach that nature belongs to Man for his pleasure and exploitation. The truth is, Humans are not apart from but just an integral component of nature.

We can only survive as a species if there is respect. **Respect for all nature, all life, different people, faiths, thoughts and cultures.

How long do things take to decompose?

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO DECOMPOSE

• Banana Peel- 3-4 weeks 
• Orange peels- 6 months
• Apple Core- 2 months
• Paper Bag- 1 month
• Cardboard- 2 months
• Milk Cartons- 5 years
• Newspaper- 6 weeks
• Paper Towel- 2-4 weeks
• Cotton Glove- 3 months
• Tinned Steel Can- 50 years
• Aluminum Can- 200-500 years
• Disposable Diapers- 550 years
• Plastic Bags- 20-1000 years
• Glass- 1-2 million years
• Cigarette Butts- 10-12 years
• Leather shoes- 25-40 years
• Rubber-Boot Sole- 50-80 years
• Plastic containers- 50-80 years
• Monofilament Fishing Line- 600 years
• Foamed Plastic Cups- 50 years
• Wool Sock- 1-5 years
• Plywood- 1-3 years
• Plastic Bottles- 450 years

Respect yourself

Environmentalism can only work if there is respect.  

Respect for nature, and all of Creation.

During a walk one late morning, I passed through a back 
street and came upon a pile of garbage consisting of left 
over food and disposable plates and glasses etc. I asked 
around and learnt that the garbage was dumped there by 
the staff of a school from across the street.  So I marched 
up to the school gate and asked for the person in charge 
of the office. Unfortunately it was a Sunday and I gave 
the bewildered watchman a piece of my mind.

I saw some gentlemen, and mistaking them to be from 
the school gave them a piece of my mind too. I was soon 
embarrassed to learn that they were in-fact from a social
organisation looking to clean up the environment. The 
folks enthusiastically invited me to join their cause and 
attend at the school itself the launch of their environment 
drive the following Tuesday. I readily agreed.

My wife and I walked to the meeting on Tuesday. My 
heart sank when I observed that non biodegradable 
plastic disposable materials were used in abundance. 
The food was stored and served in disposable plastic as 
were the numerous banners, commemoration plaques etc.  

All this  amazing quantity of non recyclable  materials 
which would surely be dumped into the environment the 
next morning.

Our children and our followers never listen to what we 
say, but rather to what we do.  I tried to politely point 
out to my well intending hosts that I felt they were 
wasting their time and those of others.

My uninvited suggestions to the organizers were 
acknowledged by them with all the right noises, but 
their expressions betrayed the opinion that they thought 
I must be crazy to expect real change.

Everyone asks for suggestions and criticism but people 
really only want praise.

It is fashionable to go with the crowds, pretending to do 
what everyone else seems to be saying or doing. People 
should say only what they mean, and do what they say.

I am an optimist and believe we can protect our 
environment which nourishes us, if we do so with 
integrity and respect. Come. let us join together and be 
true environmentalists. 

If you wish to be respected by yourself and others 
then please respect your environment.

This is my land

The Bishnoi community people of Kankani village near Jodhpur in India revere all life. They know that their environment nurtures them  and they in turn respect and protect their environment. This was highly publicised in October 1998 when the local people agitated and had a group of irresponsible film actors from Mumbai arrested for poaching and the senseless killing of several animals including endangered species of black buck and Chinkara deer.

What really transpired only God knows, but what was heartening was the local people arose in unison to protect and preserve their environment.  In most places this sense of belonging is now mainly visible by its absence.

I travel extensively across my beautiful country spoilt by garbage, filth, the polluted air and stinking water bodies.  Most people cover their nose and mouth and trudge along or merely drive past.

I despair not only for the desecration of our home and environment but at the total apathy of my people. Then I ask myself, 'my people?', who are these strangers? How come my people have become destroyers of their own land?

By nature people are neither fools, nor are they uncaring, then what causes them to become so indifferent to their impending self destruction?

Love gives rise to a sense of belonging and care. Such people need few laws and even fewer law enforcement people. They live by a code of honour and respect which has existed successfully for millennia. Societies living in harmony with their environment have thrived and those that have failed to do so are doomed to perish sooner or later.

Symbiosis of man and nature leads to both enrichment of the environment and its people. Skew the balance and the entire fabric comes apart.

However if people are shunned or made irrelevant they possess neither love nor belonging. But what is making people uncaring? The answer is big government and our current system of governance. The government is normally blamed and rightly so, for it is so disconnected from the needs, problems and possible solutions of its people. It has by way of legislation and bullying monopolised all powers, resources and means to deliver services to the people.

An officer or a department sitting far away manned by bureaucrats having no stake in the outcome of any situation can hardly be motivated to do what is appropriate. Bureaucrats and government exist only for their own self preservation.

The government consisting of politicians, bureaucrats, government officers and their select vendors can afford to show totally disdain simply because of the apathy of the people.

Apathy sets in when people do not have mechanisms for discussion, interaction, sharing of problems and possible solutions.

Be it medical facilities, education, garbage, crime, corruption, the only way forward is to force by political, judicial  and civil activism the government to vacate all areas of activities except defence, monetary policy, fiscal policy, and policing. Leave it to the people to evolve non governmental policies and structures.

This is my land, these are my people and this is my world. Let us come together, start a dialogue implement plans and bequeath to our children a better world than what we inherited.

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# Black buck deer and Chinkara gazelle images from wikipedia

Bishnoi girl image from Flickr;  http://www.flickr.com/photos/devriese/69629290/sizes/m/in/photostream/

I love Gaia

'Gaia' , The personification of Mother Earth as per Greek Mythology is also called by many many names.

Our planet Earth is part of a small star system, in a tiny galaxy of this universe, but it is our home. We who inhabit this beautiful planet are insignificant as individuals but collectively are inflicting irreversible damage to this home.

The bad news is that at the current rate mankind along with many lifeforms could be in all likely hood be extinct in 100 years. The good news is that current levels of technology, and management can provide us the means to stop further destruction and eventually recover much of what we have lost and are currently losing.

Almost everyone either points a finger at someone else or throw up their hands in despair and frustration. Most people too love this earth and life and are individually concerned and even worried about our environment, but feel helpless to do anything.
How can I as an individual or my family really make a difference? That is a question that we all ask and  find f if any answers.

Yes, as an individual you can do much more than can be imagined.  Many people have pulled up their sleeves and started doing something, in fact anything to save our home and leave to our children a world better than that was bequeathed to us by our parents.

I am more of a thinker and a facilitator and less of a doer, so I decided with the help of my many friends and guides to try and share ways and means to live a healthier, happier and more prosperous life and yet respect our environment.

Working in pooling our knowledge and efforts, the worst outcome of our efforts will result in stopping our slide towards certain extinction, however the best that can happen is that we will reverse the trend, and help Gaia to heal herself, while individually becoming materially, physically and emotionally wealthier.

The first step I feel would be to identify what we can do as individuals, followed by what we can do as families and small groups, then as a community and then as universal citizens.
We would attempt to collate knowledge and wisdom that already exists along with the means to implement that knowledge in your personal lives.

I implore you to be a part of this community and take advantage and contribute your knowledge with others, after all this planet belongs to all of us.