tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33554223612083809122024-03-19T14:54:42.644+05:30the green denaddressing socio-enviro issues and concepts of sustainability.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-18878000642484930232016-01-13T15:31:00.001+05:302016-01-13T15:31:22.819+05:30jumping back So a little while ago, as I was deciding to re-start blogging on this blog, I accidentally managed to delete a bunch of my old posts. So it says that the last time I updated this blog was in 2011, so the posts in the interim have disappeared into the dark space of blogosphere. I've given up trying to retrieving them - anyway, new year, new start and all that so I shall start by updating you with what's been happening.<br />
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I moved to Madras, city of incredible humidity, gorgeous winters, and endless beaches. Right now, it is the said gorgeous winter and therefore you won't hear me complaining about the weather for awhile. The city had recently been battered by a 100-year flood in December 2015 and amidst all the chaos and wreckage, there were stories of incredible humanity to be found. I was safely out of town during that time and all I could do was coordinate a bunch of relief trucks with the essentials.<br />
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It got me thinking about the fragility of this built up thing that we call Life. It also got me thinking about how often we actually take stock of what we have and what we're grateful for. More often than not, its not about the things that we lose in the flood but the things we discover. <br />
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So this little post is a step-back into the world of blogging. I have lots more news, updates, and thoughts to share and will keep writing back as often as I can.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com89tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-27589639170403936272011-12-31T22:06:00.014+05:302012-02-08T10:52:06.888+05:30fer auld lang syne...<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKRka96s3TdHsXUbE9g7xyi4ZIvOIeK1igKy7IPqr8gHr7NNf_jIoXOp10zxvg9s0pjc0M0dDV9FzgAz7q3bDYGcBpKkiH5hh64xQ4Sv1DVAcN6TtrMAA7lZOxFTXpOUCN5CG5w72tTQw/s1600/Xmas-Card_2011final.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 262px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692335382385223938" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKRka96s3TdHsXUbE9g7xyi4ZIvOIeK1igKy7IPqr8gHr7NNf_jIoXOp10zxvg9s0pjc0M0dDV9FzgAz7q3bDYGcBpKkiH5hh64xQ4Sv1DVAcN6TtrMAA7lZOxFTXpOUCN5CG5w72tTQw/s400/Xmas-Card_2011final.gif" /></a> <span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:78%;">GDC's Holiday Greeting Card. GreenDen Consultancy </span></span><span style="text-align: left; "><span>©</span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><span style="font-size:0;"><i style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(68,102,102)"><span style="FONT-STYLE: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,255,255)" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div align="justify" style="text-align: left;"><span style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify;font-family:georgia;">This time of the year always puts me in a reflective mood, as I take account of everything that has happened. I'm filled with gratitude for my friends, family, colleagues and my work. This year, the most significant thing I have done was start </span><a style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" href="http://thegreenden.net/"><span style="font-family:georgia;">GreenDen Consultancy</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"> and make the first big step not only towards entrepreneurship but also towards taking a stand in changing things.</span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">This year has been an extremely hard for many reasons. It has seen its share of natural calamities, a nuclear disaster, oil spills, the European debt crisis, the Occupy Movement, </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2011/08/power-of-one.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Anna Hazare's hunger strikes</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> in India, the Durban climate talks and environmental problems. Reaching </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2011/10/7-billion-and-counting.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">7 billion people in terms of population</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> has put population control back on the map - AIDS, cancer and malaria research also made tremendous headway. In many ways, this year will set the trend for the coming decade as many issues have reached the boiling point.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">The most inspiring trend to be seen is that socio-environmental issues have come to the forefront, not just in the Western world but also in Asia. These were visibly demonstrated in several instances and I reckon that this is going to continue.</span></div><div align="center" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div align="center" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">One of the biggest deciding factors for a better future will be how we manage our resources. This will have to start this year - oil, natural gas, coal, metals, and minerals will take front and center position in terms of sourcing as well as creating opportunities for companies to be more thrifty. Conserving other resources like water, forests, wildlife, and agricultural land will create even more pressure on the way we live. Overarching conservation policies for all of the above are needed to forge ahead into a world that places the least strain on the environment.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">A couple of weeks ago, I just finished reading Amanda Little's book <i>Power Trip</i> and although the book was published in 2009, it is still pertinent. It renewed my faith that the world of the future is possible with consolidated efforts starting now, not only in terms of consumer trends but also government policies. There needs to be radical changes in the way we view energy usage, </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2011/10/food-security-maternal-deaths-and-685.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">food security</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> and production as well as resource utilization. Emphasis is required not only on creating new technology to reduce impact but also improving existing technology to make it more efficient.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div align="center" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">For now though, let us take some time to reminiscence, gather our strength, mourn, laugh and welcome with hope, a new year as we respectfully lay the last to rest. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-88705508132509583932011-11-04T22:26:00.009+05:302011-11-05T14:48:48.115+05:30of dal lake and saffron<div align="justify"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQa3XG84XoiBnOk3rLd7XrGAB6HLpv6WIMVhj0Q_j60wlaDD1tt7fMhvTFeemuovBgBmnr9GMl0HJbIhSsyOJMcJfBOrsX734NVhonkO0J9NBQdjo9JeeEmul2rXULODOMO-cfwuaiVLf/s1600/IMG_5170.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 267px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5671194517930142898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDQa3XG84XoiBnOk3rLd7XrGAB6HLpv6WIMVhj0Q_j60wlaDD1tt7fMhvTFeemuovBgBmnr9GMl0HJbIhSsyOJMcJfBOrsX734NVhonkO0J9NBQdjo9JeeEmul2rXULODOMO-cfwuaiVLf/s400/IMG_5170.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">I recently returned from a trip to Kashmir. It is everything people say it is. There are several things that are uniquely Kashmiri and saffron is one of them. Saffron is probably the most expensive spice in the world and there is a reason why. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Apart from Kashmir, the spice only grows in Iran and Spain. Although Iran supplies up to 70% of the world's saffron, Kashmiri saffron far surpasses it in terms of quality. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">The soil required for cultivation is rather dry and bulbs are introduced into the soil in September which give rise to the saffron flowers towards the end of October. These flowers stay alive for just fifteen to twenty days, during which time they must be harvested. Saffron farming therefore, only provides a single crop per year. Many farms in the area use organic practices, both to enrich soil and keep away pests. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I visited Pampore, one of the two saffron growing provinces in Kashmir. Over the last few years, production of saffron has dramatically declined. Most of the saffron farms are family owned and are small plots which are managed by the family for generations - the younger generations have started migrating out of Kashmir and out of the trade which is now seen as unrewarding. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">The flowers themselves grow only a few inches off the ground. Each purple flower has three vividly coloured stigmas. These stigmas are the spice, which are plucked, graded, dried and packed. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">It surprises me that the Indian government has taken such little interest towards investing in the future of this spice. It also amazes me how other countries take such pride in the native produce be it cheese from Camembert, pasties from Cornwall and so many other foods that have a direct connection from the place of their origin. It is not just an emotional connection, but one of pride and tradition that should not be forsaken.</span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Kashmiri saffron certainly deserves this recognition and it also deserves the protection placed on heritage foods. The sad fact remains is that if nothing is done about it now, there may not be anything left to protect a few years down the line. </span></div><br /><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><i>Photo Credit: </i>Saffron Crocus.<i> </i>Akhila Vijayaraghavan <i style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(68,102,102)font-size:13px;" ><span style="FONT-STYLE: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,255,255);font-size:x-small;" class="Apple-style-span" >©</span></span></i></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-20827576316672939242011-10-31T19:34:00.012+05:302011-10-31T20:16:56.016+05:307 billion and counting<div align="justify"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSbNDyl0qIJDGDi-wKdW8xcdBY2lHiF4Z1e7407RRDCbsy2pA4pnGHUECU_8dmljeoh65ABf8k2BzU1iRADiqfLwzjX9HwcwhQD8tYiDwN9D_CWPJdlogIZ4HfrFTsjiZfXe1nsDqKrir/s1600/7billion.png"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 194px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669665884977668114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSbNDyl0qIJDGDi-wKdW8xcdBY2lHiF4Z1e7407RRDCbsy2pA4pnGHUECU_8dmljeoh65ABf8k2BzU1iRADiqfLwzjX9HwcwhQD8tYiDwN9D_CWPJdlogIZ4HfrFTsjiZfXe1nsDqKrir/s200/7billion.png" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Today the world reached 7 billion. It is quite fitting that the 7 billionth baby was born in India, in a place called Lucknow and is a girl - there seems to be a poetic coincidence in all this. Beyond the celebration of a new life, there is a darker reality of </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2009/06/go-forth-and-really-really-think-before.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">how the world is going to support 7 billion people</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">. </span></span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Stanford University's Paul Ehrlich, the author of <i>The Population Bomb</i> recently gave an interview that emphasized how population growth is adding to many ecological problems. Population growth is leading to rising food prices, loss of biodiversity, deteriorating ecosystem services, water shortages, contributing towards epidemics, and scores of other problems. By 2050, it is projected that the Earth will support an additional 2 billion people. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">These 2 billion people will not enjoy the same comfort of life as the last 2 billion. In order to support the excess population, we have to start farming poorer land, mine from even-poorer ores, drill deeper for water -- all of these will be exponentially more energy intensive. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Talking about population control means talking about sex education, women's empowerment, education of the girl child and scores of other social issues. I believe in India there is a cultural pressure to reproduce - this needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, although birth rates do seem to be falling, it is falling in the urban middle-class. Birth rates have remained the same in rural areas which means that poverty is also on the rise and the rich/poor divide continues to grow larger. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Enforcing a one child policy in India would be disastrous as it would further skew sex ratios. The solution therefore, needs to be the old one of education and awareness. Availability of contraception and birth control measures is one option. Adoption needs to be encouraged, especially in India as an alternative to IVF. The craze for IVF needs to be discouraged - maybe falling fertility rates is Nature's way of telling us that we need to slow down. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Although reproduction is a personal choice - it is not something that can be taken lightly. Bringing children into a world with increasing socio-enviro-economic problems, more diseases, less biodiversity, less natural resources would be selfish on our part. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">There are theories that suggest that population will level off, mid-century and then there will a gradual decline. In this case, economic productivity will also decline, but it would be good for the environment. However, if we take care to ensure that we keep our numbers in check, we might be able to have both. Wishful thinking?</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-31161092358635669902011-10-15T13:49:00.009+05:302011-10-15T14:30:27.673+05:30food security, maternal deaths and 685 crores<div align="justify"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRi76T5n2tgTM2YYPOBaZDAi23bGqOp9cNiOSvJLT4__BbeyuxzBy8mZ8T0YnKZIns37TrnAJt188iHUyTAgtoeBfDRvAOiAem8iCjpiWDiuL3qh1PIDpE8E2NZ2IY45AqJ18eJfRerqX/s1600/poverty_india.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 384px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 325px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5663637910413129314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRi76T5n2tgTM2YYPOBaZDAi23bGqOp9cNiOSvJLT4__BbeyuxzBy8mZ8T0YnKZIns37TrnAJt188iHUyTAgtoeBfDRvAOiAem8iCjpiWDiuL3qh1PIDpE8E2NZ2IY45AqJ18eJfRerqX/s400/poverty_india.jpg" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">This country never fails to amaze, astound and embarrass me. The limits to idiocy that India and its politicians can reach knows no bounds. I'm referring of course to </span><a href="http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/mayawati-inaugurates-park-in-noida-slams-congress/1/155055.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Mayawati's megalomaniac display</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> of utter crap. 685 crores, is the price tag for showing what a Dalit woman politician can achieve. Does this actually improve the lives of the dalit community? Absolutely not.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">On the one hand, we have India's astounding economic growth. On the other hand, our food security </span><a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Food-security-India-ranks-lower-than-Rwanda/articleshow/10320971.cms"><span style="font-family:georgia;">falls behind Rwanda</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">. Rwanda, for crying out loud! Something is wrong. Something is very very wrong. 685 crores could be better spent through community outreach programs, women's education, children's welfare and hoards of other schemes that would actually improve lives of countless people. </span></span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">By the end of October, the world's population will have reached 7 billion. India contributes a large portion of this number. What are we doing in terms of family planning, planned pregnancy, children's welfare and child labour? There is absolutely a severe lack of grass-root development in a country where the vast majority of the population is grass-root. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">India boasts the highest rates of maternal death during childbirth and pregnancy. Every seven minutes, an Indian woman dies bringing new life into this world. 78% of these cases are preventable. And what about after the children are born? Does every child get an education? Does every child get adequate nutrition? Does every child get a childhood? </span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">One of the saddest things I saw recently was on a trip to Mumbai, not long ago. There were two girls maybe around the ages of 8 and 5. The little one was beating on a plastic drum while the bigger one was doing cartwheels in the middle of the street during a traffic-light stop, begging for money. There are scores of children like these. Looking into their eyes is painful. I do believe that a country who is unable to take care of the poorest of its poor and its natural resources has no right to boast about its economic progress. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Recently I was exchanging ideas with New Zealand's former Prime Minister, Helen Clark who is now administrator with the UNDP. It was opined that India's demographics and gargantuan rich/poor divide makes it a key battleground towards achieving the </span><a href="http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Millennium Development Goals</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">. She also said that, "private sector plays an important role in development but quality state and subnational governance is important too." The world will not and can not meet the MDGs, if India does not. </span></span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Poverty elimination is the key. Education is key. Woman's welfare is key. This is the same song that has been sung for the past so many years and yet no one has bothered to learn the true meaning of its lyrics. Instead we allow someone, to spend 685 crores on a park in a country where earning Rs. 32/- a day means you're not poor. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Go figure. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-46473653741664301702011-08-28T21:30:00.010+05:302011-08-28T22:12:55.912+05:30the power of one<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0xueJ_kKNso_MpUce62NlrcPR2ElCWysa1ZUSkhhkQbC_ySiBGXWcjaD0rm0bRs8zoCsmj1n5nqPBMKS-2ddxwKjMBwZZkq6fCSMm2am5_xTjWslH1p2NV7F-8M2CIL5TfqnkevYtHoL/s1600/images.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 194px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 259px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645942111332861394" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0xueJ_kKNso_MpUce62NlrcPR2ElCWysa1ZUSkhhkQbC_ySiBGXWcjaD0rm0bRs8zoCsmj1n5nqPBMKS-2ddxwKjMBwZZkq6fCSMm2am5_xTjWslH1p2NV7F-8M2CIL5TfqnkevYtHoL/s400/images.jpg" /></a>
<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Change. 6 letters and such profound implications. Change is not easy for many of us and changing anything be it behaviour, thought process or a political system requires huge momentum. Today Anna Hazare broke his fast and the government has finally conceded to the Jan Lokpal Bill (People's Ombudsman Bill) . For a country struggling under a form of modern tyranny, this is the stuff of legends.</span></div>
<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div>
<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Indians for the most part are a passive lot and it can be argued that this is part of the reason why the country has survived its very long, and often bloody history. Like reeds along the river that bend when the water rises, the people of this great nation have always stooped to conquer. What Team Anna has shown us is that, sometimes we must stand up to fight. </span>
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<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">In his defiance to accept less than what is deserved, he has awoken a listless nation to a full frenzy. Activists always talk about the power of the people when it comes to a social, political or environmental cause. However, we have forgotten what it entails. We have forgotten the passion it demands, the frustration it needs, the belief it creates and the revolution it can awaken. </span></div>
<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div>
<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Change is difficult for many reasons. As human beings we are set in our ways and rarely venture out of our comfort zone. However, throughout history we have witnessed that it often takes only one individual to stand up tall and firmly say, "Enough!" - and magically people follow. There is a saying in India, in fact it is inscribed on the national emblem which reads <i>Satyameva Jayate</i> which literally translates to 'Truth Alone Triumphs'. Ironically, it was adopted as the Indian national motto after Independence but since then it appears that we have forgotten what it means. It turns out that we needed a smiling old man from the time it was initially adopted to remind us. </span></div>
<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div>
<br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">And oh! what a reminder it was. Not only did Anna Hazare go out to achieve his aims but he has also reminded us all about the power of one. Like I said change is difficult; and memories are short but hope springs eternal. So let us hope that we remember that revolution is not dead and change will come when it is ardently wanted. </span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-1550335168229911162011-04-22T16:33:00.016+05:302011-05-16T11:21:37.276+05:30earth day message from the trenches<div align="justify"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 283px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598362485986707730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnCWhwA1N2EMCS9aj4nWC0Ze1gIxwZKlXaa0AT2SoZJn9D2kXRa64nJ6-0klsjmB2uK3T517GO1GB5x__qmhPdUVNRH0AX4njD9hgcsoWo6FYkdJMBNZUy3skDioCzl46pIpuDH5HPvlU/s400/greenden+flyer+lo.jpg" /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">As you know these days I have been busy with my <a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2011/03/green-den-consultancy.html">new venture</a>. We finally have a </span><a href="http://thegreenden.net/"><span style="font-family:georgia;">website</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> up and running and you can check this out - would love to hear your thoughts.</span></span></div><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; "><br /></span></div><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; ">I have re-emerged for this blog post on Earth Day as it seemed fitting to break my silence today. The Green Den has received overwhelmingly positive responses from the CSR community and I've been totally blown away. </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; "></span><span style="font-family:georgia;">We are now of course actively seeking clients, networking and getting our name out there. It's been exciting so far but the real work starts now. We also have our blog up and running which you can check out </span><a href="http://greendenpulse.wordpress.com/"><span style="font-family:georgia;">here</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">. While you're at it, you can also </span><a href="http://blogspot.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=f0cedc935d01a7a9271111bb9&id=e24b2610a5"><span style="font-family:georgia;">sign up</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> for our bi-monthly newsletter. </span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Last year in my </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2010/04/goldilocks-planet.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Earth Day post</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> I said that I wanted to make an expedition to a rainforest and grow my own organic vegetables. Happy to report that I have achieved one of those goals. My organic garden with its own </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2011/01/composting-101.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">compost</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> is happy and thriving. I even got a bumper crop of tomatoes a couple weeks ago. I plan on adding more vegetables over the next month. The expedition is still in the works! </span></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">What has really changed in this year? On the onset, perhaps not much. The </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2010/08/whats-with-all-oil-spills.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">BP disaster</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> has left many people still reeling - a year from that and the US congress still wants to push for offshore drilling. No real progress has been made in climate talks, new laws etc. In India, the environment ministry is finally waking up to the fact that there <i>is</i> an environment to protect. There was also a report of increasing </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2009/03/tyger-tyger-burning-bright.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">tiger numbers</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> but unfortunately, there were also stories of </span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2009/08/down-came-engine.html">elephants</a> </span><span style="font-family:georgia;">encroaching on farm lands. Or is it the other way around? </span></span></div><br /><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">There are many environmental challenges that are still solve and still many others to even acknowledge. One of the biggest new developments in India is the acknowledgment that corruption is so wide spread. Recent scandals have rocked businesses and made investing in Indian business a high-risk venture. This scenario needs to change because without a stable economy, we cannot talk about environmental protection and social progress.</span></div><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div align="justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">This year I have no goals, except to work really hard on GDC. I'm all geared up to change 'business as usual' because I believe the time has finally come to think about things differently.</span></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align="center"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">We cannot solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them</span></i></div><div align="center"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">- Albert Einstein</span></i></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-31983704915651800382011-03-06T19:21:00.015+05:302011-10-15T14:38:00.827+05:30greenden consultancy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQsgjNREk2TJc7gsIlTszJ45rPH0uD-NOfk8xzFt6ZlJjG04sSGW8PeZHMLKAGTL81j08VkNkoVcbJqDILX-ywr_GGHjyex20J2gbW6pG0GR6Coior3qfkjf7tNW-OBZNU7nuK4c0atdP/s1600/Greenden2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 152px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580967876026838050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEQsgjNREk2TJc7gsIlTszJ45rPH0uD-NOfk8xzFt6ZlJjG04sSGW8PeZHMLKAGTL81j08VkNkoVcbJqDILX-ywr_GGHjyex20J2gbW6pG0GR6Coior3qfkjf7tNW-OBZNU7nuK4c0atdP/s400/Greenden2.jpg" /></a> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Photo: GreenDen Consultancy Logo </span><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px" class="Apple-style-span"><i><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; FONT-STYLE: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,255,255);font-size:x-small;" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">©</span></span></span></i></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">This blog has been getting no love from me and finally now I am feeling rather guilty. I have been incredibly busy the past month. Part of the reason is that I am starting up my own consultancy. It is called GreenDen Consultancy and you only have to guess what inspired that. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span">I have been mulling over GDC's core business plan the past few months and it finally all came together the last couple of weeks or so. To put things succinctly, we are a global network of environmental experts and will be offering cutting edge services for businesses. G</span>DC provides services which will establish a culture of sustainability from ground up by providing businesses with various eco-solutions to maximize profitability:</span></div><ul><li><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Consulting, report and CSR policy writing </span></div></li><li><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Eco-friendly cost saving solutions</span></div></li><li><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Environmental services with strategic advice on climate change, biodiversity, waste management and pollution abatement </span></div></li><li><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Stakeholder engagement and community development </span></div></li><li><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Communication of environmental initiatives </span></div></li><li><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Training and learning opportunities </span></div></li></ul><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Our team of consultants include experts from Europe, US and India to bring truly global solutions to socio-enviro issues in the business context. Having a business strategy based on sustainable development sees great returns in terms of maximizing brand image, profitability and market share. At GDC we want to help tap into the true potential that every business has because we believe that 'business as usual' is on its way out.</span></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Please follow us on Facebook: </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/TheGreenDen"><span style="font-family:georgia;">http://www.facebook.com/TheGreenDen</span></a></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify;font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">And also on Twitter: </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/TheGreenDen"><span style="font-family:georgia;">@TheGreenDen</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify;font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify;font-family:georgia;">Please check out <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.thegreenden.net">our website</a> or follow up on social media. Thank you for your support!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-90614143836878521462011-01-12T13:20:00.010+05:302011-01-12T18:51:59.443+05:30composting 101<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcTPqOaK13BaIGzEMHSC9k_hG3mZQ7aWgQfy3tqMmjyNx4zl_oIa_JQSbnfT0UXHUHIlDf8tLTQPkemdURSp-pr83bbGQMxVitb_0YXAP97zpkeJCZk4JCArv4BVpFAnU668sfIRhXYz4/s1600/IMG_4238_edit.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561205442948820850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdcTPqOaK13BaIGzEMHSC9k_hG3mZQ7aWgQfy3tqMmjyNx4zl_oIa_JQSbnfT0UXHUHIlDf8tLTQPkemdURSp-pr83bbGQMxVitb_0YXAP97zpkeJCZk4JCArv4BVpFAnU668sfIRhXYz4/s400/IMG_4238_edit.jpg" /></a><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px;font-size:small;" class="Apple-style-span"> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><i><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; FONT-STYLE: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,255,255)" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Photo</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">: </span></span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,255,255);font-size:x-small;" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Akhila Vijayaraghavan © Mycompost heap .</span></span></span></span></i></div></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">This year I started a fresh </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2009/08/from-garbage-to-garden.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">batch of compost</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">. I hadn't composted in about 4 months and was beginning to feel rather guilty about it. Once I started I remembered how totally easy it is. My compost bin is about 10 days old and it smells really really good. This might be a weird thing to say about garbage but a well-balanced compost heap really does smell like a forest. </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Composting is confusing for many people and it is understandable but it really is easy. You literally need no special equipment - get started with a plastic crate or a big plastic bucket, with a lid. I repurposed a big plastic crate and covered it with a sheet of thick cardboard. You can also purchase </span><a href="http://www.justmeans.com/Green-Living-From-Garbage-Garden/38874.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">composters like Daily Dump</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> if you fancy but all you really need is something sturdy to put the compost into. </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">I started with a whole bunch of pea pods, dead New Year roses, banana peels and egg shells on Day 1. Gradually I added vegetable peelings, orange and lime rinds, more egg shells, coconut shells (broken into smaller pieces), corn cobs, corn husks, tea leaves, spinach stems etc. Then I added in sawdust - what I'm trying to do here is to add an equal mix of 'green' and 'brown' matter. You can also add grass clipping, leaves, wood shavings, torn pieces of paper, coffee grounds etc. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">As I've mentioned before but will also say here. <span style="line-height: 18px; " class="Apple-style-span">Composting organisms require four equally important things to work effectively:</span></span></div><p style="text-align: justify; line-height: 18px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(204, 238, 221); "><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></p><div style="text-align: justify; line-height: 18px; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(204, 238, 221); "><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div><ul style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 18pxfont-size:13px;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; ">Carbon ("C" or carbohydrates), for energy - the microbial oxidation of carbon produces the heat. High carbon materials tend to be brown and dry.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; ">Nitrogen ("N" or protein), to grow and reproduce more organisms to oxidize the carbon. High nitrogen materials tend to be green (or colorful, like fruits and vegetables) and wet.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; ">Oxygen, for oxidizing the carbon, the decomposition process.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; ">Water, in the right amounts to maintain activity without causing anaerobic conditions. </span></span></li></ul><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; COLOR: rgb(204,238,221)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">So in order to ensure that all these criteria are met in addition to ensuring that your heap is properly balanced. You also would need to stir it everyday to ensure aeration. The pile should not be too wet or too dry - it should have the moisture content of a wrung out sponge. Avoid putting in rotten food, cooked leftover food especially it if contains spices, meat, fat, grease, oil and your heap will be fine. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; COLOR: rgb(204,238,221)"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; COLOR: rgb(204,238,221)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">As you can see from my picture - the older food has already started to compost - the corn husks and onion peels are relatively fresh. It takes about 3 months for the pile to be fully composted. If your pile starts smelling like the forest you know you are on the right track! And as long as you avoid the few "dont's" it most likely will. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; COLOR: rgb(204,238,221)"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px;font-family:georgia;" class="Apple-style-span">The reason why garbage heaps smell is because anaerobic respiration takes place. A compost heap uses aerobic respiration and apart from attracting fruit flies, which are a normal part of the process it does not attract house flies, maggots, worms, cockroaches, rats and other critters. These will appear only if you add meat to your heap (egg shells are fine). </span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px" class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px;font-family:georgia;" class="Apple-style-span">Now that you know that composting is easy as pie, get started and keep me posted on your progress as I would love to know! </span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-24801780095345952682010-12-30T16:15:00.022+05:302011-01-12T16:14:40.356+05:30end of year wrap-up 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGI4J-IctUu6vgMfacGB8N4Yuq3UTHG0aPe9F6g0uU_dNhSRgSXNp7CZpphl09oVqC4Cg4ls12k1cdkfXBOR5RfrdMMzlUMJnmiPR1J979sdiTeVLwT6olUEadzHRS9LT-hAM3IVR24g6c/s1600/IMG_9974_edit.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 267px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556433879496953346" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGI4J-IctUu6vgMfacGB8N4Yuq3UTHG0aPe9F6g0uU_dNhSRgSXNp7CZpphl09oVqC4Cg4ls12k1cdkfXBOR5RfrdMMzlUMJnmiPR1J979sdiTeVLwT6olUEadzHRS9LT-hAM3IVR24g6c/s400/IMG_9974_edit.JPG" /></a><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px;font-size:small;" class="Apple-style-span" > <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><i><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; FONT-STYLE: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,255,255)" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Photo</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">: </span></span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,255,255);font-size:x-small;" class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Akhila Vijayaraghavan ©</span></span></span></span></i></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><i><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; FONT-STYLE: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,255,255);font-size:x-small;" class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></span></i></div></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">The </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2010/01/year-of-biodiversity.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">year of biodiversity</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> has ended with a lot of up and downs, just like any other year. 2010 has marked the hottest year on record, it is also a year with untold tragedies of the Haitian earthquake, the </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2010/08/whats-with-all-oil-spills.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">BP spill</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">, Icelandic volcanic ash, Chinese earthquake, Pakistani floods - all of which has contributed to severe loss in economy and of life. </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Over all international news seemed bleak with little causes for rejoicing. However when it comes to biodiversity, the news is a little more encouraging. It all started with the UN declared this year international year of biodiversity. Then the TEEB report finally put a </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2009/05/biodiversity-loss-and-climate-change.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">monetary value on biodiversity loss</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">, thus putting it in a political radar - this report did for biodiversity what the Stern report did for climate change.</span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">The CBD conference that was held in Nagoya, Japan saw delegates agreeing to adopt Biodiversity Targets which will guide national strategies and enhance cooperation among developing countries. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Post the Cancun climate-conference governments have agreed on plans to save forests which will not only halt climate change but also aid in biodiversity conservation. In addition to preserving existing rainforest cover, tiger protection also received a boost. Governments of India, Russia, China and S.E Asia joined hands for the first time to make serious inroads into the protection of the tiger.</span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Just today I read the news that nine species previously declared extinct were re-discovered. British fauna and flora seem to be thriving in spite of the </span><a href="http://www.justmeans.com/Snow-Global-Warming-Ethical-Consumer/40733.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">extreme cold weather</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">. All of these little signs are symbols of hope that Life is fighting back. However it does still remain that we are rapidly reducing the Planet's regenerative capacity.</span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">According to UN Under-Secretary General Achim Steiner, "We are destroying life on Earth. The plants and animals, fungi and micro-organisms that produce and clean our ait, generate drinking water, hydro-power and irrigation; provide food, shelter and medicines and also bring joy and a spiritual dimension to our daily lives need a helping hand - if not for their sakes, but for our own." </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span">P</span>sychologists are of the opinion that children growing up these days spend too much time indoors with computer games and suffer from </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2009/07/idealism-in-modern-world.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">'Nature deficit disorder</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">'. E.O. Wilson the famed biologist reckons that all humans have a natural affinity for nature which he calles 'biophilia' and current lifestyles are suppressing this. Therefore finding more ways for </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2010/01/close-encounters-with-endangered.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">people to connect with nature </span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">may lead to more of it being conserved. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">As a New Year's resolution, let each one of us make the effort to appreciate, to be awed, to enjoy and preserve the wonderful world around us. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-29865644780459639242010-12-15T17:13:00.014+05:302010-12-15T18:59:01.022+05:30CSR and STEM graduates<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Recently I was asked by Aman Singh of Vault's CSR blog to contribute a piece about CSR and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. A version of the piece was also posted on the <a href="http://blogs.forbes.com/csr/2010/12/03/job-hunting-in-csr-why-science-and-technology-graduates-should-consider-a-career-in-sustainability/">Forbes blog</a> which can be read here. As a STEM grad myself, I think that the topic needs more coverage so <a href="http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/blogs/entry-detail/?blog_id=1462&entry_id=12154">here's</a> my piece that I originally wrote for Vault:</span></div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify"><br /></div></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;">One of the biggest drawbacks in </span><a style="COLOR: rgb(2,122,167); TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/vcm/detail/Career-Advice/Career-Advice/Entering-the-Environmental-Field:-Laying-the-Groundwork-%28Graduate-Programs%29?id=70&filter_type=0&filter_id=0" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;">environmental management</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;"> is the lack of holistic thinkers. Breaking up the environment into bite-sized bits and attacking problems associated with only those specific areas will create more problems than actually solve issues.</span></span></span></div><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><p style="MARGIN: 15px 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px" align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;"><img class="embeddedObject" border="0" alt="Science, technology, engineering and math graduates are the most crucially needed candidates for the field of corporate social responsibility and sustainability" align="left" src="http://content.screencast.com/users/vault.com/folders/Jing/media/da944584-e22d-4a98-bbac-676182cd49d5/2010-11-22_1251.png" width="227" height="185" /></span></p><p style="MARGIN: 15px 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px" align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;">Everything in the environment is linked to something else and it needs to be thought of as a whole system in order to arrive at solutions. By some quirk of brain mechanism, a certain kind of people are drawn to </span><a style="COLOR: rgb(2,122,167); TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/vcm/detail?id=33585" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;">science, technology, engineering and math</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;">(STEM) fields and through natural inclination and academic training, graduates from these fields are taught to think holistically. These are the kind of people that need to be given opportunities in the environmental field.</span></p><h3 style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51)" align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;color:#ffffff;">STEM & CSR: An Obvious Career Gap</span></h3><p style="MARGIN: 15px 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px" align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;">Environmental issues are no longer the custody of politicians, governments, economists and business leaders alone. Graduates trained in systems thinking need to be able to step forward to lend a hand in solving some of our most pressing problems. Of course, there is no one single solution. But to arrive at a combination of solutions, there needs to be many more people working on the problem. Right now, there is a dearth of talented systems thinkers that look at the environment and its problems holistically.</span></p><p style="MARGIN: 15px 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px" align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;">We see this even within company operations. CSR is a field that is not affiliated strictly to the right-brain or left-brain talent. It sits smack-bang in the middle requiring both creativity as well as logic in order to solve problems. Ironically, most STEM graduates already have the skills to solve logical problems creatively.</span></p><h3 style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51)" align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;color:#ffffff;">Connecting Molecular Biology with CSR</span></h3><p style="MARGIN: 15px 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px" align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;">Speaking as a STEM graduate, my academic training in molecular biology has not only sharpened my ability to accurately assess the whole picture but also helped me make logical connections between parameters and arrive at solutions from a holistic lens—all of which are incredibly important skills for a CSR analyst.</span></p><h3 style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51)" align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;color:#ffffff;">CSR Is Unattractive to STEM graduates...</span></h3><p style="MARGIN: 15px 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px" align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;">CSR is primarily thought of as a 'business' field and because of this misperception, it does not draw many people from STEM fields; however professionals with a background in </span><a style="COLOR: rgb(2,122,167); TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa/blogs/entry-detail?blog_id=1462&entry_id=11550" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;">marketing, HR, and PR</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;"> migrate to it much more easily with their people skills. Taking away nothing from the importance of these expertise, corporate social responsibility desperately lacks people who are able to look beyond the business functioning.</span></p><p style="MARGIN: 15px 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px" align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;">Here's the thing: At its core, CSR tries to address how to increase the positive influence of business. Think of it as throwing a net: this figurative 'net' covers the full sphere of its activities from social influence, environmental impact, a business's many stakeholders, supply chains, consumers, etc. CSR then involves looking at everything under this net, studying their interactions and fine tuning each of these 'mini-systems' in such a way that the main-system benefits.</span></p><h3 style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51)" align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;color:#ffffff;">...But CSR is Really Just Another Word for Scientific Systems Thinking</span></h3><p style="MARGIN: 15px 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px" align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;">Putting one of these optimally functioning micro-systems into the macro business world as well as extending and adapting the 'net' to serve every kind of business is a model of sustainable business. The close ties that CSR has with business can put off many STEM graduates, however, the function of CSR in reducing externalities and boosting brand value is simply business speak for scientific systems thinking!</span></p></span></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify" align="justify"><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px;font-family:georgia;color:#ffffff;" class="Apple-style-span">The economic world is a sub-set of the ecological world just like the biological world. The base that the modern economic system is sitting on is getting shakier. We need people to fix the foundation before skyscrapers can be built. And these people can only come from science, technology, engineering and math fields.</span></div><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"></span><p style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 15px 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px" align="justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;color:#333333;"><em><span style="color:#ffffff;">Thank you Aman for the opportunity to present my piece on Vault and also on Forbes</span>.</em></span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-9263390467370246282010-12-13T22:22:00.002+05:302010-12-13T22:26:11.506+05:30the green student<span style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Take a look at my friend's blog where she talks about her own green journey. She has just newly started it and asked me to comment on a few questions that she had.</span> </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://thegreenstudent.blogspot.com/2010/11/green-den-6-questions-with-fellow.html?spref=bl"><span style="font-family:georgia;">The Green Student: The Green Den- 6 Questions with a fellow blogger</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">: "My own blog has (in part) been inspired by the articles I've read in TheGreenDen. A blog by my friend, and CSR practitioner- Akhila Vijayaraghavan..."</span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-35853753166089577282010-11-18T21:29:00.012+05:302011-02-22T09:55:28.721+05:30my take on 'no-growth'<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4ea7Je_noinUR6g9p8Z-MS10lsIUwnmztNei1OvowSQIHCDhO_1Utr_zPFzufnj8deEkGa5O0QTN-rT9CDXWUFJn2bvi5zTR-DqldddLjF-woZODkcmEgRerGQUMReSa9Y8lSLtBS43y/s1600/success_and_happiness.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 314px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 283px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540928658167758546" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP4ea7Je_noinUR6g9p8Z-MS10lsIUwnmztNei1OvowSQIHCDhO_1Utr_zPFzufnj8deEkGa5O0QTN-rT9CDXWUFJn2bvi5zTR-DqldddLjF-woZODkcmEgRerGQUMReSa9Y8lSLtBS43y/s400/success_and_happiness.jpg" /></a> <div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2G2BB85rcY1TWvKqqMoTFfZDHSOYfzU8ALOz9j-hVoRDoK-AA82HfvaPhksWquyu4YOMMysBYlHx0HtAlSXHHi5aQy7gZJVHmRp_54WZ2bO74RpX_IonrnE1BKxsrRkDmN50GfVG1ELV/s1600/success_and_happiness.jpg"></a><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">In my last post, I talked about the </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2010/11/no-growth-model.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">no-growth economic model</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> which could be the model of economics the world is forced to follow due to growing environmental constraints. The US Congress can deny climate change 'til they're blue in the face but the fact remains that we're already seeing negative effects on our economy due to climate change. I choose to listen to the wiser economists and scientists, like </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2009/02/green-house-gases-externalities-and.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Nicholas Stern</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> perhaps. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">The way I see it, the no-growth model is already happening. Or at least happening in part of the world. Economical growth in the Western world is beginning to taper off. More and more people are choosing to distance themselves from the rat-race, live alternatively and are seeking to discover that '</span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2009/04/abstracting-ourselves-from-reality.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">lost part of themselves</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">'. In the 1970s they were called hippies; now they are the new radicals, the so-called pioneers of the environmental movement. Basically however, they are the category of people who have realized that economic success is not the real measure of happiness. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">In the 1950's, at the peak of American industrialization everything was hunky-dory, people reported an all-time high in happiness. Since then standard of living has grown but happiness quotients have dropped. Something changed: perhaps the measure of happiness itself? Lives became busier, parents had less time for children, for friends, for hobbies - all the things that give us happiness. Instead people </span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2010/07/story-of-stuff.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">bought stuff</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> to fill a void and subsequently landfills became bigger and bigger. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">So now all of this is happening in the East, in the 'developing' world. People are working more, earning more, buying more and yet every single high-flying career person I meet isn't exactly <i>happy</i>. We now live in a post-recessional, climate-change laden, biodiversity-decreasing world full of majorly unhappy people who want to buy stuff but can't really afford to. But this view of mine changed when I met a few people recently who work but not crazy-hard, live on a farm, grow their own vegetables and have time for the things that matter. They were happy, like radiating bolts of joy just bouncing off of them. </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">This is the product of no-growth. It is not entirely bad. However, the bigger question remains: the people in the less-developed world, who want to aspire for the rat-race and fancy gadgets - do they realize what awaits at the end of this rainbow? Or are we just going to go around the wheel and realize that the place where we started from was the best place after-all? </span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span> </div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;">S</span><span style="font-family:georgia;">eems a waste of time to me. </span></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-7715703786964174702010-11-11T17:16:00.005+05:302010-11-18T21:24:36.493+05:30the 'no-growth' model<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGfV7QrzA3ryHSJDSlGCmjZu5pTK44h0B-1KXaRQWKa_jCmhu4UUamnCDXm_5UDoc_xiBeNhQ7WTeOU02A7jEM2rXc3fqYdIbHNNbzgMvoFsdMbikgEBzzqipoUoE39IPAfq0aGXhDq5b/s1600/dividend-growth.jpg"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 250px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 166px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538300145899432114" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGfV7QrzA3ryHSJDSlGCmjZu5pTK44h0B-1KXaRQWKa_jCmhu4UUamnCDXm_5UDoc_xiBeNhQ7WTeOU02A7jEM2rXc3fqYdIbHNNbzgMvoFsdMbikgEBzzqipoUoE39IPAfq0aGXhDq5b/s320/dividend-growth.jpg" /></span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:small;">It is almost blasphemous for an economist to consider a 'no-growth' model, the very subject itself is the study of economy and no growth = no money, right? Traditional economists propounded that the earth could support endless growth. However, current economics proves that this is not possible - destruction of the ecological system, leads to eventual collapse of the economic system. </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:small;">It seems to be a Catch-22 situation. Without growth, we spiral into poverty. With growth we head towards ecological collapse. To address the tantalizing question of whether we could have a healthy economy that doesn't grow, Prof. Peter Victor of York University, Toronto created a computer model of the modern Canadian economy. He then adjusted the model so that elements like consumption, productivity and population gradually stopped growing after 2010. He then shortened the workweek to 4 days to stave off unemployment. He also set up higher taxes on the rich and more public services for the poor. He imposed a carbon tax to discourage the use of fossil fuels. According to the model, it took a couple of decades but unemployment fell to 4%, much lower than what it is today, standards of living rose and GHG emissions decreased well below Kyoto levels. </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:small;">The idea of a 'no-growth' economy is not new. Adam Smith, John Stuart Mill and John Maynard Keynes have all acknowledged that when maximum growth is reached, man would devote his time to "non-economic purposes". Industrial-age economists did not have to face the problem of resource crunch. The ones that did worry about resources running out where so far ahead of their times and it was not considered to be an issue of concern. </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:small;">The biggest problem that the post-modern economic system faces is the use of GDP as a yardstick for the measurement of economic growth. GDP is an often baseless figure which is based solely on economic growth, completely disregarding 'unmeasurable' but often important components of actual growth. In terms of growth, the majority of the world's population has hit the point of no return vis-a-vis monetary wealth and real happiness. </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;font-size:small;">In the end, resource scarcity, price hike and climate change will cause global conflict and no-growth thinking could become a realistic economic model. Do we dare hope? </span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-10547052771405048412010-11-07T11:04:00.009+05:302010-11-07T12:02:30.247+05:30perspectives: post-travel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KxxeZBUYvd3Q1dJj7XOw44DIyZFJ2FFC8RiwDmhTn0b3aLT1EohRHxREF53s53ggXvb11xK-ICHMPn4poQS2MlJnaWkHMcrwy_694SQAK3C-E9_J_M4eGP9n5lHT10odrH5WmbOXhQ4U/s1600/IMG_4071.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5536683986301999762" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KxxeZBUYvd3Q1dJj7XOw44DIyZFJ2FFC8RiwDmhTn0b3aLT1EohRHxREF53s53ggXvb11xK-ICHMPn4poQS2MlJnaWkHMcrwy_694SQAK3C-E9_J_M4eGP9n5lHT10odrH5WmbOXhQ4U/s320/IMG_4071.JPG" /></a> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Yes I know, this post has been a long time coming. I have been on blogging sabbatical and now I'm back. Over the past month I made a massive trip through Malaysia and IndoChina mostly on work. In Malaysia I attended the </span><a href="http://www.justmeans.com/Asian-Forum-for-CSR-Day-1/35239.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">AFCSR</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> and met a lot of eminent CSR personalities. It was all very exciting. </span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Vietnam and Cambodia were both a revelation. Cambodia was only 3-day break during the whole trip of networking and meeting people. So I stayed in a </span><a href="http://www.justmeans.com/Small-town-CSR-at-Golden-Mango-Inn/36058.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">quaint little place</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;"> in Siem Reap and visited the famous Angkor temples. The people in Cambodia are incredibly friendly and live in abject poverty. Yet for some reason, are more hopeful and optimistic than most Indians I know. I also noticed that even if they were poor, they weren't starving mostly because they grew their own vegetables and fished in the three large lakes in the town. Siem Reap is a gorgeously green little town and is under conservation in Cambodia. The country is not without problems; apart from the mentioned poverty, it also has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. </span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">The point of food self-sufficiency kept striking me as something obvious that every government should be striving for. The government of every developing country is moving in the opposite direction of introducing a centralized food production system that is taking away from something basic in the lives of most people. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">My next stop was Vietnam. I was in Ho Chi Minh City which is very much like Mumbai. It is so much better planned, cleaner and developing at an unprecedented rate. However, unlike in India I saw a plan in their growth and development which was forward-thinking and heartening. Vietnam, like India is an SME-based economy and also many MNCs have entered the market, awareness of sustainability issues are not that high. However, I did have the chance to speak to a few people and through them I learnt that many companies are becoming more and more aware, which is encouraging. </span></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Overall, the trip was fruitful and insightful especially in gaining new perspective about development in other countries. More to follow on here and also on </span><a href="http://www.justmeans.com/editorialauthor/368.html"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Justmeans</span></a><span style="font-family:georgia;">. <span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="WHITE-SPACE: pre" class="Apple-tab-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Photo: </span></span></span></span></span><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; COLOR: rgb(204,238,221)" class="Apple-style-span"><i><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; FONT-STYLE: normal" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,255,255)" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Akhila Vijayaraghavan © View of Saigon with the Saigon tower.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-52342799561995631042010-09-17T12:54:00.015+05:302010-09-18T10:35:53.594+05:30growth, development and garbage<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdxbu1LlqZpHth-pywNySTHxkmElLB_61lgkdplVV9vrdsw6Yf-UBPTQ1FnHGHp6oaDlPybrm1ILRptr-FXV0gobwhJode1uUHk73KX1jHv8b1ZzXRR37svZUnwgceb3mIT-hS9UM5VMT/s1600/growth-chart2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 215px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517785977316366642" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdxbu1LlqZpHth-pywNySTHxkmElLB_61lgkdplVV9vrdsw6Yf-UBPTQ1FnHGHp6oaDlPybrm1ILRptr-FXV0gobwhJode1uUHk73KX1jHv8b1ZzXRR37svZUnwgceb3mIT-hS9UM5VMT/s320/growth-chart2.jpg" /></a> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Lately there have been many questions that have been bothering me. I wonder why we have to rely on someone else to come and clean up our mess after I read the </span></span><a href="http://indiafirsthand.com/2010/08/18/garbage-girl-godliness-is-next-to-cleanliness/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">story of the Garbage Girl</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">. Don't get me wrong, it's great someone is making an effort but are we so fundamentally socially backward that we cannot even insist on basic civic sense? I wonder why we don't have in place a system of municipal waste collection that actually works - this is infrastructure at its most basic. We are the civilization that invented the zero and consequently are one of the biggest players in the IT field. We have a space program that a lot of developed nations can be proud of. We have a culture and history that is unparalleled. </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">But we also have so many social problems - poverty, malnourishment, the highest rates of maternal death, female infanticide, a garbage problem threatening to mask all our accomplishments. In the eyes of the world, we are still seen as a filthy country in many aspects. When are we to get rid of this image? </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Behind the glitz and growth of new malls, multiplexes, supermarkets and all the trappings of the west the real India is being swallowed up in piles of garbage. All of our resources are stretched, our cities are choking with pollution, drowning in filth with not enough water or electricity for the burgeoning population. Do we not deserve more? I'm tired of trying to find a reason for the way things are - corruption, government, politics etc can only get us so far. What about individual accountability? What about </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">you</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> standing up to say that you don't like the way things are and doing something to change it? The father of this great nation, based our independence on the power of singular change... and things went rapidly downhill from there. </span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I remember reading a chapter in biology in school entitled 'growth and development' and remember thinking that they are two entirely different things that are so easily confused. The understanding of 'growth' and 'development' is not just a study of semantics but there are entire philosophies, economic policies and government principles involved in the distinction. India is sadly an example of growth without development. </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">This country needs to be built from ground-up. All we are currently focusing on is embellishments whilst nations like China and even Brazil are focusing on grass-roots development. They have similar problems as us, so why aren't we at least trying? </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">For India to take its rightful place in the world, we must invest in infrastructure, education and focus on growing holistically, sustainably. The kind of imbalanced growth we are seeing will only lead to more social problems and eventual economic collapse. The center cannot hold. The center </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">will not</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"> hold. I wonder how long we are going to try to drive this horse with a broken cart until the wheel gives way to complete irreparability... and then what?</span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(204, 238, 221); line-height: 18px; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia; ">Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake - Rabindranath Tagore</span></span></i></span></span></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-25183770573817847422010-09-11T18:22:00.008+05:302010-09-17T17:28:08.794+05:30the not so golden triangle...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHG3J1nT-9ryMBjA8OY7ECXLfQKnOfBeXTFPEjBCyx8gsXIaT8A7JS7KXbygIVzeaiZhr_lwDP2OqaBJtF0MxdcNz8naM4zaqTkJmq_dw5FKZfk7P_gsCuIY8wQbMYKSqmDLSO6BMDpENx/s1600/IMG_2642.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 214px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515648511176676658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHG3J1nT-9ryMBjA8OY7ECXLfQKnOfBeXTFPEjBCyx8gsXIaT8A7JS7KXbygIVzeaiZhr_lwDP2OqaBJtF0MxdcNz8naM4zaqTkJmq_dw5FKZfk7P_gsCuIY8wQbMYKSqmDLSO6BMDpENx/s320/IMG_2642.JPG" /></a> <div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I know I have been terribly neglectful of this blog lately. It's been a month since my last post, the longest gap yet! But rest assured that I have been working hard on my </span></span><a href="http://www.justmeans.com/editorialauthor/368.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Justmeans blog</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> and have been writing about a lot of things there and now write for two categories - CSR and ethical consumption. </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I recently returned from the famous 'Golden Triangle' tour covering Delhi-Agra-Jaipur and it is extremely strange to be a tourist in your own country. Travelling in India is an experience beyond anything that can written about. It is uncommonly hot, difficult, tiring and everything about the place assaults you in a myriad different ways. The kind of tourist attractions it offers is on a gargantuan scale of its own and in many ways pales the rest of the world in comparison. </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">In the space of 5 days I saw the largest gateway in the world, the Buland Darwaza; the largest sundial in the world in Jaipur; several forts, an entire city of red stand-stone and of course the Taj Mahal. This smorgasbord of sights is difficult to top. </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">For me, it was also deeply disheartening in many ways. For all the beauty on offer, the monuments in India are dismally maintained. Akbar's tomb in Sikandra which was absolutely gorgeous on the outside was a sad let-down upon entry. The intricately painted walls were peeling and in need of desperate restoration. </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">The whole city of Jaipur was extremely forlorn in appearance and did not seem at all like a capital city of a large state. The roads were appallingly bad and the rains did not bode well with the ancient sewer systems. The Amber Fort was gorgeous in bits but many of the walls were defaced by visitors and again several areas were in need of maintenance. </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I can moan on about the fact that people in India are in desperate need of civic sense which for most part is true but who is to teach this valuable lesson. Without a sense of pride for national treasures how can preservation be insisted upon? Indeed, without civic sense how can environmental consciousness even be comprehended? </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;"></span></span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">We cannot boast of trying to be an emerging super power, our IT prowess, space program etc etc when our basic sense of a civilized society is misplaced. Travelling India filled me with a deep sense of pride and an equally deep sense of shame. I wonder if things are ever going to change for this country so filled with potential and yet so encumbered with blindingly obvious faults. </span></span></div><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><i><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; FONT-STYLE: normal; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51)font-size:13;" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,255,255)" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><i><span style="LINE-HEIGHT: 18px; FONT-STYLE: normal; COLOR: rgb(51,51,51)font-size:13;" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,255,255)" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Photo</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span">: </span></span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,255,255);font-size:x-small;" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Akhila Vijayaraghavan ©</span></span></span></span></i></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-20531988267702725252010-08-12T13:14:00.006+05:302010-08-12T18:41:36.189+05:30what's with all the oil spills?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4I6CYvBD5SCoUwyC5G2HF-5VWBfYtclLhtvKHYJSRxckYxTAxdGcTnhux5YHBz_IVqkYpeUTLx9Js0zGKFG_PLhyphenhyphenNcqOMp9cKuiEYWJ51AsXfRhqgZe6KcERB4OynU1qXiOaskRF1I4zs/s1600/image_thumb938.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4I6CYvBD5SCoUwyC5G2HF-5VWBfYtclLhtvKHYJSRxckYxTAxdGcTnhux5YHBz_IVqkYpeUTLx9Js0zGKFG_PLhyphenhyphenNcqOMp9cKuiEYWJ51AsXfRhqgZe6KcERB4OynU1qXiOaskRF1I4zs/s400/image_thumb938.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504426179429020434" /></a><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The BP oil spill of course eclipsed the others that followed due to its sheer size as well as location. The oil spill in Kalamazoo in Michigan didn't receive as much coverage in comparison because well... it happened in Kalamazoo.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The Enbridge Energy pipeline burst and dumped nearly one million gallons of crude oil into the Kalamazoo River which runs directly into Lake Michigan. The pipe that burst is the part of one of the largest networks of pipeline in the world. It carries dirty tar-sands oil from Canada to distribution points throughout the Midwest.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Tar-sands is the most pointless exercise of oil extraction in the history of oil extraction. First the ancient boreal forests were cleared then jaw-dropping quantities of energy and water are required to extract the thing that is supposed to provide more energy and create more pollution. The process is so toxic and leaves a sludge so big that it can be seen from space. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">C</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family:georgia;font-size:small;">loser to home the Mumbai spill has been officially declared as an ecological disaster today. Having occurred off the coast of the Elephanta mangroves, it poses a risk for spawning fish and sea turtles which use the area as nesting grounds. The spill coincides very unfortunately with nesting season for endangered turtle species. It will also affect other ocean life like lobsters, sponges, bivalves as well as marine animals and birds. This morning it was declared that the slick had reached the high tide mark and the "slow poisoning has begun". In addition to this, $4bn will be lost by this weekend if the port continues to be inoperational, what with being one of the busiest ports in the world. If the situaiton continues, the city of Mumbai could run out of fuel.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family:georgia;font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family:georgia;font-size:small;">Trickle down effects include losses in the fishery and tourism industry. Already 500kg of fish were found to be contaminated and fishermen in the area are woeful about future prospects. The spill in Mumbai occurred after two Panamanian carrier ships collided and the on-going inquiry will tell us why this happened. However, as with the aftermath of every disaster the reasons why it happened gives little comfort because it <i>did </i>happen. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family:georgia;font-size:small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; font-family:georgia;font-size:small;">Everyday we are faced with reasons to wean ourselves off of petroleum. Its about time we started. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-42431495187500314302010-08-03T21:40:00.008+05:302010-08-03T22:38:41.857+05:30the new Justmeans CSR writer<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I have started writing for </span><a href="http://www.justmeans.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">www.justmeans.com</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> and will be their new CSR writer. For those of you who don't know Justmeans is the largest community of people interested in social and environmental issues. It is full of relevant 'green' news and great articles by a bunch of talented writers who are experts in their fields so jump on there if you are interested. You can connect with the site on </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-NY/JustMeans/37183836043"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Facebook</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">, </span><a href="http://twitter.com/justmeans"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Twitter</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> and </span><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=1774073"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Linkedin</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">So far I'm loving it because it means I have one more reason to research CSR news and think about it all the innovative stuff that companies are doing in the world of CSR. I no longer write for the Examiner though because I felt with Justmeans I am able to reach a better-defined target audience. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">You can find my writing </span><a href="http://www.justmeans.com/editorialauthor/368.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> - there is also </span><a href="http://www.justmeans.com/editorials/authors/368/Akhila.xml"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">my RSS feed</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> which you can use to receive updates. You can also connect with me on </span><a href="http://twitter.com/aksvi"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Twitter</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> or just get updates through the Justmeans page. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">If you think I should be covering any CSR news or initiative then drop me a line and let me know. I look forward to your thoughts and comments.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Just holler! Thanks for the support. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-39094418022963537332010-07-29T19:44:00.005+05:302010-07-29T22:06:11.536+05:30reintroducing the cheetah<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-nWhFpeSgknIi2qiZ0kJIbOyS1Yi0m7KKrL8LZlRd4pvNnTbBON-6qt4jZsnRBl1rvgyJRMclGvmcsInnxe9TGBu58G6ouQyhooaGKUy5kPBA0MncZfg2qfqjUAs0v95EIgbx8OLeHDf/s1600/349px-AkbarHunt.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 233px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-nWhFpeSgknIi2qiZ0kJIbOyS1Yi0m7KKrL8LZlRd4pvNnTbBON-6qt4jZsnRBl1rvgyJRMclGvmcsInnxe9TGBu58G6ouQyhooaGKUy5kPBA0MncZfg2qfqjUAs0v95EIgbx8OLeHDf/s400/349px-AkbarHunt.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499365240830086594" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I first read the proposals of the cheetah reintroduction scheme in India back in 2009. Today it is in the news that the Central Government has approved of a $65 million plan to bring the cheetah back to India. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Cheetahs became extinct in India in the 1960s as they were excessively hunted. The plan is to import the cats from Africa, Middle-East and Iran. Kuno Palpur and Nauradehi wildlife sanctuaries in MP and Shahgarh area near Jaisalmer in Rajasthan have been selected as the reintroduction site. The program will take about 3 years to complete in various phases and will have IUCN involvement along the way. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Jairam Ramesh the Indian Minister of Environment has been quoted saying that the reintroduction of the cheetah will improve the health of Indian grasslands. Grasslands are one of the most productive terrestrial ecosystems and have been severely exploited by over-grazing and agriculture. Restoring the balance of this ecosystem will mean that other species depending on the grasslands will also flourish. The endangered imperiled great Indian bustard and caracal among others will benefit from the reintroduction of an apex predator whose role is to restore balance to the ecosystem. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">One of the most successful reintroduction programs to date is the Yellowstone program to bring back the wolves. It was fraught with complications and almost did not take off, the cheetah program will face similar challenges. Animals that are reintroduced suffer various degrees of stress from transportation to adaptive problems that can affect their reproductive abilities. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">If this program is successful, it will be a great boost to Indian wildlife as well as tourism in these areas. The ecosystem of the grass-lands will also benefit greatly due to the introduction of an apex predator. This reintroduction program should also be done without diverting funds away from other conservation programs in the country, most importantly the tiger conservation. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">This is something that has been promised by the MoEF and only time will tell if the program can be deemed a success. With only 10,000 cheetahs left in the wild world-over, increasing their range is essential to the species' survival. Cheetahs unlike other cats don't breed well in captivity and are prone to various genetic ailments and diseases due to less diversity and inter-breeding. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Introduction of the cheetah in India will see that the species thrives as a separate sub-species in the years to come. The Asiatic cheetah thrives only in Iran and it is critically endangered - this is the same species that was once abundant in India. With the reintroduction, India can boast that it is the only country in the world that hosts 6 of the 8 big cat species. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">I'm skeptical and hopeful at the same time. It seems to me that Indian wildlife authorities are trying to open a new can of worms without figuring out methods to deal with existing wildlife problems. All of the big cats in India are endangered - with this kind of track record, can the cheetah hope to survive? </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;">Photo: Painting of Akbar hunting wiht locally trapped Asiatic Cheetahs c. 1602. He was said to have had 1000 cheetahs assisting in his royal hunts.</span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-10033852463713409062010-07-24T13:37:00.006+05:302010-07-24T13:47:05.306+05:30elliott bay café<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3UmvZqdkksUtMbz1QQocUHnqcjnEipSUbxyNhg2t2l8apuN4g5hwBUW5DDCU3HjQKdmXAQQai24576bLsy6WyPgnJXYh2k4YkthKhB9kGgISy6kMJlcIHGBijPfdJulx_lWQANi69vMH/s1600/IMG_0465.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3UmvZqdkksUtMbz1QQocUHnqcjnEipSUbxyNhg2t2l8apuN4g5hwBUW5DDCU3HjQKdmXAQQai24576bLsy6WyPgnJXYh2k4YkthKhB9kGgISy6kMJlcIHGBijPfdJulx_lWQANi69vMH/s400/IMG_0465.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497383290017713090" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><p style="text-align: justify;border-top-width: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">When I was in Seattle recently, I came across a very good example of sustainable business in action. The historic center of Seattle in located in Pioneer Square and tucked away in a little corner is the </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><a href="http://elliottbaycafe.com/"></a></span><a href="http://elliottbaycafe.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Elliott Bay Café</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> - which is most commonly linked to the TV series Frasier, great coffee and good food. It can be very easily missed if you don't actually look for it. Luckily for me, I was.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;border-top-width: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This Zagat rated gem is owned by Tamara Murphy and run by her very enterprising chef/manager - Zephyr Paquette. Zephyr made the time to speak with me about the café's principles. Her dedication to making a difference in her own way is obvious from the way she approaches food. The café features a small, carefully selected menu that is seasonal, so it is often updated. The food that is served is locally-sourced, seasonal, fresh and more often than not, organic. The beef is grass-fed, the chicken is free-range and sourced from small farms. The tofu is from a local tofu maker in Seattle.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;border-top-width: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Zephyr sources all her fresh produce directly from local farmers in the Seattle area. She makes sure that the staff are fully invested in the preparation of food and know where the food comes from. Her "teaching kitchen" extends to encouraging her staff to work on the vegetable garden at her home. She believes that supporting local businesses, eating seasonally and organically makes a big difference not only to the taste of food but also a huge impact environmentally. "It is a lifestyle change, it is how I do my job", she says emphatically.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;border-top-width: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">This is an example of how independent businesses incorporate CSR into their practices. Zephyr's commitment is a testament that even small businesses can work a business strategy with key-stone principles of sustainability concepts. These principles of course are industry specific - the identification of where a business can create the highest impact is essential in order to act upon it.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;border-top-width: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The power of CSR is such that you do not need to be a big business with a million dollar budget to make a difference. It is the simple matter of analyzing the way you want to run your business and then doing it. Zephyr obviously engages all her stakeholders - employees, customers, local businesses as well as as part of the community. This rapport, is the key to all CSR engagements - it is not just what you do but </span></span></span><em style="border-top-width: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">how </span></span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">you do it.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;border-top-width: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If you are ever in Seattle, swing by here and see for yourself.</span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;border-top-width: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 18px; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#CCFFFF;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Photo</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">: </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 255, 255); font-size:x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Akhila Vijayaraghavan © </span></span></p></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-41953582603676221112010-07-22T15:40:00.010+05:302010-07-22T17:10:16.213+05:30the story of stuff<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTWR_SSnkhOxDTQKEDM6Ys6sWTZ_ybZyfuPoGnzwAgGuQvGVru6qz7G2BPAK6Wj8X6nIeuo7Eom6BYXwGq-zD1Af7AxfosvyfDUXm68HLA4Wk_RSHTxMaZhEjvJv8SgSgONNnCohUTjJu/s1600/6a00d8341bf90b53ef0115709738ef970b-800wi.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 271px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJTWR_SSnkhOxDTQKEDM6Ys6sWTZ_ybZyfuPoGnzwAgGuQvGVru6qz7G2BPAK6Wj8X6nIeuo7Eom6BYXwGq-zD1Af7AxfosvyfDUXm68HLA4Wk_RSHTxMaZhEjvJv8SgSgONNnCohUTjJu/s400/6a00d8341bf90b53ef0115709738ef970b-800wi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5496680914603962098" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Annie Leonard the author of The Story of Stuff tells us the story of how excessive materialism is hurting the planet and affecting our happiness. The </span></span><a href="http://www.storyofstuff.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Story of Stuff Project</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">'s mission to educate and transform the way people use things and make them more aware of where things come from. The underlying message is that when you start examining the whole life-cycle of stuff, you begin to realize how environmentally harmful many of the things you use can be. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">After the success of the 20 minute web film entitled '</span></span><a href="http://www.storyofstuff.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Story of Stuff</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">' where Annie does a detailed LCA of where stuff comes from and where they go, she has done several other short films. She has done a video of </span></span><a href="http://storyofstuff.com/capandtrade/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Story of Cap and Trade</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, </span></span><a href="http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Bottled Water</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and most recently </span></span><a href="http://storyofstuff.org/cosmetics/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Story of Cosmetics</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The Cap and Trade story talks about why it is not the solution to reduce carbon emissions and why people should not buy into it. This is the simplest explanation of C&T that I have come across and would recommend the video for anyone who wishes to understand what it is. The Story of Bottled Water is rather poignant because it talks about the globalization of trash. Annie mentions how plastic water bottles that are manufactured in America end up in landfills in Madras, India. Pollution outsourcing anyone?? </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The story of cosmetics was done in conjunction with the Safe Cosmetics Campaign and highlights many of the things that I talked about in my </span></span><a href="http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2009/07/lipstick-jungle.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">earlier post about cosmetics</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. Annie's environmentalism was sparked when she visited a landfill in Staten Island when she was in college and saw with her own eyes, the effects of consumerism. Reading <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/story-stuff-annie-leonard/story?id=10388339&page=1">Annie's article on abcnews</a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> gives a detailed picture of how her upbringing and her 20 years of research shaped her into the 'systems thinker' that she is today. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Thinking about the environment requires this kind of brain-power. It requires knowledge of free-market economics, marketing, manufacture of products etc to know that consumerism is a phenomenon that is </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">not</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> innately human but it is a learned behaviour that has been reinforced by marketing strategies to make consumers dependent on the cycle of use and throw. Why is this done? - to ensure that manufacturers can carry on with 'business as usual' i.e., make more stuff so people can buy more stuff. This the basis of economy - "manufactured demand" which pushes what we don't need and destroys what we need the most. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The story of stuff is powerful in its message and a consolidation of painstaking research into an easy to understand video. So watch and learn. The next time you buy something really ask yourself whether you need it. </span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-78109394618509876632010-07-20T17:09:00.008+05:302010-07-23T11:37:21.742+05:30greenwashing, greenblushing<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHk5ofl3D85cgwkhly7rYhyphenhyphenkaC8N67kXQQ93liQyeFZzo9AxvGAu-zb02BRsY2iONPv0FVwvGkoEMEBmhx1BT9BtHzMJc3kpHTXG-j9dyCtAAdlbogP0COz-en4Fxmr1rPsYW3EtPA1TdZ/s1600/greenwashing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 347px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHk5ofl3D85cgwkhly7rYhyphenhyphenkaC8N67kXQQ93liQyeFZzo9AxvGAu-zb02BRsY2iONPv0FVwvGkoEMEBmhx1BT9BtHzMJc3kpHTXG-j9dyCtAAdlbogP0COz-en4Fxmr1rPsYW3EtPA1TdZ/s400/greenwashing.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495970050983623842" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">T</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">here are a host of enviro-biz terms being tossed around and specific to CSR and marketing there are two that come to mind - </span></span><a href="http://sinsofgreenwashing.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">greenwashing</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> and </span></span><a href="http://blogs.dix-eaton.com/three-ps/entries/introducing_the_opposite_of_greenwashing/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">greenblushing</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">. These are terms often used to describe companies that either over-talk their CSR credentials or under-talk them. Greenblushing is the most recent of the two was coined by Gregg LaBar. Greenwashing has been around since 1986 and was coined by Jay Westerveld.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">From a PR perspective, both are bad news for the company. For consumers who are trying to make the right choice, it can be disheartening. So how can you be a smart shopper and tell the difference? Your first clues are to read the label and be discerning. Top words that should set off alarm-bells are "eco-friendly, all-natural, organic, biodegradable" etc. These words are being used on a variety of products that are simply not what they claim to be. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">There is a limit to green, eco-friendly product design. Not every aspect of every product can be green. The first way to cut through the jargon is to ignore the packaging, regardless of whether is it made of 100% post-consumer recycled paper, hemp or bamboo. While you're at that, don't even look at the pretty pictures of rainforests and baby animals that may be on the product. This is a visual 'green-sell' to the uninformed. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Second, look at the product itself - how 'green' can garden pesticides be? or your supposedly "all-natural" shampoo? or cigarettes? or diapers? </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Third, look at the company that makes the item. All of this should give you a clue. Whilst you're looking at the company, also look at the list of ingredients that go into the making of the product. Rule of the thumb: for processed food products - the list should not be over 5 items. For all other products - if you cannot pronounce the name of the ingredient, do not buy it because you most likely don't know what it is and what it does.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Finally, the best way to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys is to keep abreast of the news. Corporate policies are </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">not</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> the place that gives you information. Most companies embellish their websites with green marketing jargon. When it comes to CSR, what companies </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">don't</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> do is as important as what they do. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Take all this with a pinch of a salt. because there are companies that do mean it when they say that they are eco-friendly. The greenwashers make it harder for these companies to compete freely. I often find that the best organic, all-natural, most eco-friendly products are from small-scale companies, so focus there. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Farmer's markets and local trade fairs are an excellent place to start. There are several small business owners who sell products like soap, shampoo etc which are made in their own homes using organic ingredients - what can be more eco-friendly than that? Not shopping in super-markets is the single greenest thing you can do. If you must shop at a super-market, then be brand conscious and also price conscious. The cheaper you buy, the less 'green' it is. Aim for a happy medium in terms of price. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Shop with brands that have consistently met industry standards for being green - Johnson & Johnson, Burt's Bees, Gap, Dell, HP etc. The list is endless when you really delve into it. If you are here, reading this post then you must be on your way to becoming a smarter shopper because information is key. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">More power to you!</span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-26319801033121757432010-07-12T20:50:00.008+05:302010-07-12T22:25:15.829+05:30but all food in India is organic right?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQB5FD2QlC5-rgGJ1EhbSC2YwtbW_JjyfvdQN5pQAWiNsYD52Ilne4jBPaTfHgzy2HXRZq2qR75o47UTW2VOSipXL70tAABYpw4F4pOi78n8C_t-tXW-hens3wH4LWCFmoJg4B1wU5puQ/s1600/Fertilizer.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 275px; height: 289px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQB5FD2QlC5-rgGJ1EhbSC2YwtbW_JjyfvdQN5pQAWiNsYD52Ilne4jBPaTfHgzy2HXRZq2qR75o47UTW2VOSipXL70tAABYpw4F4pOi78n8C_t-tXW-hens3wH4LWCFmoJg4B1wU5puQ/s320/Fertilizer.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493060214580289826" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I have been asked the above question several times and it baffles me every time. Why would anyone assume that conventional agriculture is organic? The great illusion of Indian agriculture is that all produce is grown on small-medium sized farms and farmers use traditional methods of cultivation. It is true that most farms in India are small but 'traditional' methods as with everywhere else has been replaced with a fertilizer intensive, hybrid heavy form of production. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Agriculture remains the cornerstone of the Indian economy. There is a need to ensure maximum production to support the growing population as well as ensure export targets are met. All this needs to be achieved in the face of monsoon vagaries and diminishing agricultural land. This has naturally led to the increase in the use of fertilizers and pesticides. The manufacture of both is one of the biggest contributors of greenhouse gases. Synthetic fertilizers contributes 6% of India's total GHG emissions. A shift to ecological fertilizers will reduce this contribution to 2%. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">The Indian government has been subsidizing fertilizers in order to make them cheap enough for farmers to afford and although the use of fertilizers have been increasing, yield in certain places have been dropping. The average crop response to fertilizer use was around 25 kg of grain/kg of fertilizer during the 1960s, this has reduced to 8 kg/kg in the late 1990s. High use of chemical fertilizers is also associated with high levels of water consumption and micro-nutrient deficiency in the soil leading to subsequent decline in the water table and deterioration of soil health. Furthermore, fertilizer and pesticide run-off has caused various secondary problems to water bodies. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">Every year the central government spends crores of money on fertilizer subsidies. The figure for 2009-2010 alone was Rs. 49.980 crores. The good news is that organic farmers are making their voices heard and are disgruntled that the Government spends so much money on an environmentally harmful method of food production. Several bodies like the Karnataka Organic Farming Mission, Greenpeace etc are lobbying with the government to ensure that organic products are also subsidized. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:georgia;">It remains however that India has one of the highest usages of fertilizer in the world. The sooner we realize the potential of organic food not just to restore out diminishing soil resources but also in terms of health, the better for us.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3355422361208380912.post-40118458704984920052010-07-10T17:22:00.007+05:302010-08-15T18:16:13.791+05:30sporting green<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jm4RvveY2HmNjMQOmoUfC9WEYLCSzUKt1p4hf7v-Xmtpo4jLqRB4lVfH6wJ-sMAC75V31Fscx2P0ZAkRXyvRjpV0Ev2t0TqIfs3PnApWEu9p7BlI1dJJ6yw12LwotA4Hev3gst8LJpWy/s1600/t1larg.southafrica.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5jm4RvveY2HmNjMQOmoUfC9WEYLCSzUKt1p4hf7v-Xmtpo4jLqRB4lVfH6wJ-sMAC75V31Fscx2P0ZAkRXyvRjpV0Ev2t0TqIfs3PnApWEu9p7BlI1dJJ6yw12LwotA4Hev3gst8LJpWy/s400/t1larg.southafrica.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492263360760718802" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Sunday is the big day for the beautiful game. All the drama and passion of such an event also makes me wonder about the footprint of sports. It is a large category to cover as there are many kind of sports but for the purpose of the post, I shall limit it to spectator sports in giant stadiums. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">In June this year the </span><a href="http://www.euronews.net/sport/340125-f1-teams-seek-to-cut-carbon-footprint/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">F1 teams said</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> that they aim to reduce their carbon footprint by 12.4% over the next three years as well as increase fuel efficiency of the cars. There is a discussion of whether motor-racing should even be allowed at this conjuncture but I shall leave that debate to the extreme environmentalists. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">The sports industry is mega-bucks. From the designing of sporting equipments, transportation, distribution, marketing, disposal and various other steps in between the LCA of a sporting event is mind-bogglingly complicated. Just thinking about LCA and footprint of a major sports company like Nike or Adidas proves this point. The amount of resources that goes into major events like the Olympics or the World Cup rests this case.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">The organization of events of this magnitude puts enormous pressure on both renewable and non-renewable resources, creates noise and light pollution, disturbs local ecosystems and creates new waste-streams. UNEP has categorized </span><a href="http://www.unep.org/sport_env/general_information/impact_env.asp"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">environmental impacts of sport</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> and lately there are several spotlights on the topic of greening of the sporting experience.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">Several teams in the NFL, Major League and NBA have made attempts to green their teams. The Boston Red Sox have plans to 'green' Fenway Park and Philadephia Eagles have been touted as the</span><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=3648383"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> greenest team of the NFL</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">. Games with year-round seasons have a higher footprint than games with shorter seasons. Energy used in the stadiums also count - for this reason, basketball is better than hockey. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">The FIFA World Cup is being touted as being one of the greenest world cups ever played. However there is </span><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/science/05/31/eco.southafrica.worldcup/index.html?hpt=C2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">evidence to the contrary</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> that suggests that this may not be true. According to the article in CNN, this cup has a footprint 6 times larger than the one played in 2006. Although several initiatives were taken there was a lot more that could've been done to make this cup a greener, more eco-friendly event taking a cue from an enterprising businessman who makes </span><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/07/09/kelp.eco.vuvuzela/?hpt=C2&fbid=YfvMdZlAybk"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">vuvuzuelas from kelp</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">The 2012 London Olympics are said to be the most eco-friendly sports event ever planned. The planning committee is looking beyond the games to see how the new facilities can be put to use in the future. The planning committee has won awards recently for commitment towards health, safety and environmental standards. The website has a whole section devoted to the </span><a href="http://www.london2012.com/making-it-happen/sustainability/index.php"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">sustainability initiatives</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> in place and worth is having a look at. The <a href="http://green.cwgdelhi2010.org/?q=node/503">Commonwealth Games</a> to be held in Delhi later this year is also doing its share to reduce the footprint of the event. The organizers have also tied up with UNEP for guidance and advice.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;">There are several things that spectators can do to reduce their impact and as with everything else starts from being eco-conscious about your personal impact. </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07985593774685421365noreply@blogger.com1