Green pledge campaign

Some of you might be wondering why all of a sudden few guys have started cribbing and making hue and cry over environment and all. Well, its all for a simple reason that the saving environment is no more a social issue, it’s a humanity issue. Going forward, what kind of world do we want to leave for our future generations so that they look back on us and say “there lived a generation which made a conscious decision to change their daily lives for the better, or do we want to be remembered as the generation that turned on the heat blinded by our ruthless craze for domination over nature.

There is a concept of Gaia philosophy. According to it, Mother earth is a single unified organism; in this view the Earth's biosphere is consciously manipulating the climate in order to make conditions more conducive to life. It considers earth to be conscious, sentient, and highly intelligent, are usually considered outside the bounds of what is usually considered science. Richard Branson talks about it in his autobiography “Just do it“and wisely says that it is no matter a question of saving environment. It’s a matter of survival now. OUR SURVIVAL.



For anyone still wondering if the threat of global warming is real, here are some facts to substantiate it.

• Average temperatures have climbed 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit (0.8 degree Celsius) around the world since 1880, much of this in recent decades, according to NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

• The rate of warming is increasing. The 20th century's last two decades were the hottest in 400 years and possibly the warmest for several millennia, according to a number of climate studies. And the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that 11 of the past 12 years are among the dozen warmest since 1850.

• The Arctic is feeling the effects the most. Average temperatures in Alaska, western Canada, and eastern Russia have risen at twice the global average, according to the multinational Arctic Climate Impact Assessment report compiled between 2000 and 2004.

• Arctic ice is rapidly disappearing, and the region may have its first completely ice-free summer by 2040 or earlier. Polar bears and indigenous cultures are already suffering from the sea-ice loss.

• Glaciers and mountain snows are rapidly melting—for example, Montana's Glacier National Park now has only 27 glaciers, versus 150 in 1910. In the Northern Hemisphere, thaws also come a week earlier in spring and freezes begin a week later.

• Coral reefs, which are highly sensitive to small changes in water temperature, suffered the worst bleaching—or die-off in response to stress—ever recorded in 1998, with some areas seeing bleach rates of 70 percent. Experts expect these sorts of events to increase in frequency and intensity in the next 50 years as sea temperatures rise.

• An upsurge in the amount of extreme weather events, such as wildfires, heat waves, and strong tropical storms, is also attributed in part to climate change by some experts.

[Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html]

Hence taking all of this into consideration, the objective of our Mission SOS is to sensitize the students junta towards living more greener way of living. Capitalism is alluring and adventurous, yet it has to be Balanced Capitalism.,. what use of resources if there aren’t conditions suitable for living.

As a part of our Mission SOS, we have started a Green pledge campaign. We encourage people to visit the link : http://pages.rediff.com/Mission-SOS/5084 and take a pledge about what activity would you follow or any activity which you have been following which is environment friendly.




Lastly to quote Al Gore,

“We sometimes emphasize the danger in a crisis without focusing on the opportunities that are there. We should feel a great sense of urgency because it is the most dangerous crisis we have ever faced, by far. But it also provides us with opportunities to do a lot of things we ought to be doing for other reasons anyway. And to solve this crisis we can develop a shared sense of moral purpose”

Regards,

Team Mission SOS

S.O.M.E memoirs : Chat with Mrs.Anuradha,Prithvi Innovations

Hello all. We have started this S.O.M.E (Saviors of Mother Earth) memoir, as a means of chronicling the efforts and activities being done by environment enthusiasts. A little background about the series of events which has lead to this chat with Mrs. Anuradha. A group of IIM Lucknow students have joined hands together to form a group “Mission SOS” (Mission Save our Surrounding) for spreading environmental awareness and help people adopt more environment friendly outlook. The motivation behind this initiative is the fact that change begins from within, and that each individual can help make the world a better place to live in by consciously deciding to adopt environment friendly ways. As a part of our initiatives to help spread the message, we are interviewing prominent people who have been involved proactively in environmental awareness.

In this edition, we have Mrs. Anuradha Gupta, General Secretary of Prithvi Innovations sharing her experiences about founding Prithvi Innovations and her thoughts on various issues facing mankind and the way normal citizens can make an impact in living a greener life. The quoted line in the beginning is an excerpt from the interview. Over to the Show.

Host: P.S: Prashant Sree

Guest: A.G: Anuradha Gupta

P.S: Maam, we are happy to have you as a part of this Show. I on behalf of Mission SOS team invite you in the Show.

A.G: Thank You Prashant and Team Mission SOS.

P.S: For the starters, could you please share some information with us about Prithvi Innovations and the motivation behind starting it.

A.G: Yes sure. I would like to start with the motivation behind its inception. The primary thought was that each one of us as an individual has a responsibility of giving back to the society. We come into this earth from the womb of Mother nature, but sadly over a period of time, we begin to damage it unintentionally. Just think of this, a new born child which comes into this world, the air it breathes is going to be highly toxic given the current rate of environmental degradation. Don’t we as responsible citizens have a role to ensure that future generations are not hurt by our actions. It was this belief that led to the inception of Prithvi Innovations.



Prithvi Innovations

We started Prithvi Innovations in 1999 with a handful of members. We got officially registered on 2002.

P.S: That’s indeed a powerful motivation. So what kind of activities does Prithvi Innovations conduct?

A.G: Initially, it started with small activities like spreading awareness among citizens and involving children. Then we started arranging workshops, campaigns and involved the school children. We have conducted 2-3 major events, one with the help of International Physical Activity and the Environment Network (IPEN) who financed the vent, about sensitizing the citizens to the risk of poisonous toxins which the pollution is causing and the ways in which we can adopt more eco-friendly ways. We also conduct tree-plantation annually, and spread awareness about saving waste, recycling energy etc.

P.S: Good to know that Prithvi Innovations has been involved in a variety of social awareness activities. Coming to the involvement of school children, what opinion do you have on the involvement of youth in such activities and the extent to which they can contribute towards such issues?

A.G: That’s a nice observation which you have made. Youth, by virtue of their name, represent dynamism and tremendous energy. The contribution which they can make towards the society is huge. Yet sadly, the energy has to be channelized in the right direction. Once the children realize how important they can play a role, I think it would be easier to educate people about various issues. But initially, every youth must realize it within him/her. That survival doesn’t matter, living is what matters.

And today’s youth by all virtues are smarter, tech savvy and bright. It would be great to see more Youth getting involved in social issues. Global warming being the current critical aspect to be worked on, the Youth can play an important role in many ways.

P.S: Very true Maam. I believe with experienced people like you, being present to direct the students, the good work will go on. Could you share with us few examples of the ways which can be adopted by families or by communities..?

A.G: well there are varieties of things that one can do. To quote few things, one would be making judicious use of water in kitchen/bathroom. Another insignificant thing, which not many people don’t know is how their purchasing habits can make an impact. If people can buy stocks in bulk instead of buying it in random way, it would help conserve fuel, time and energy to say the least. One’s money is saved also one ends up making an effective contribution.

Another thing which I have observed is to practice the small things in home. As action always speak louder than words, it advisable to sensitize the children in families towards this. Once this is done, the children will go on to adopt many such practices.

P.S: You really seem to be passionate about involving children and sensitizing them towards the environment issue.

A.G: Yes, absolutely.

P.S: Very good then Maam. On a final note, your thoughts about Mission SOS.

A.G: Well, when I came to know about such initiative by IIM Lucknow students, it was good to see professionally educated students coming forward to join hands to work together on such issues. Iam very happy to get to work along with Mission SOS and my best wishes to Mission SOS in making a better impact and helping the world become a better place to live.

P.S: Yes Maam. Thank you for your kind words. Also, we wish you the best in taking Prithvi Innovations to new heights. Thank You for your time. J

A.G: It’s a pleasure to be a part of this interview. Thank You.

Please do visit the Mission SOS page in Rediff @ http://pages.rediff.com/Mission-SOS/5084

If you are interested in being a part of such initiative, and want to start a S.O.M.E (Save our Mother Earth) base at your place, feel free to contact us or share any experiences which you would have had.

P.S: I thank Uday for patiently recording the video of the interview. We will be uploading the video soon.

What's your EQ score ?? Find it out NOW.

First of all, on the eve of Republic Day, instead of the mundane Quiz on Indian freedom struggle or politics, let us focus on something more relevant today. The Environment and its continued destruction by us...

Before that a small update for the readers. IIML hosted its Management fest - MANFEST, from 22nd to 24th Jan. The special highlights being the Auto conclave attended by Auto industry stalwarts and the Gaming conclave. The last day had performance by Kailash Kher who mesmerized the crowd who were left stupefied by his performance. The weather was unexpectedly cold but the whole colIege withstood the cold wave and ensured that all the activities went on well. There is something interesting which i wanted to share with you all.


I and few of my friends @ IIML (Kiran shah, Uday Sankar, Soumya, Madhavi) had organized a environment awareness campaign). We put on a stall and posters/charts on how to save environment and reduce the global warming which is increasing at a horrendous rate... We had a caption writing contest and a general quiz on environment. I would like to thank my other friends who had been involved and showed active interest in arranging this activity, namely Arava Nirmal(helping out in the Operations), Ashutosh Sardesai(for setting Quiz questions).




This is the banner which we had made for our stall.


Now, coming back to the main purpose of this article, iam sharing the environment quiz with you. I will be publishing the answers along with the photo of the people who got the maximum correct answers.


Quiz:

1) One of the most famous contemporary documentaries, this movie made a former Vice
President of the USA received critical acclaim. Which movie are we referring to?


2) Which iconic cricketer recently appeared at the MCA ground to endorse the BMC’s ‘Save
Water’ campaign?


3) They are geographically defined areas of ecologically similar climatic conditions. Unlike
ecozones they are identified with particular patterns of ecological succession and climax
vegetation. Name them.


4) This American labor union activist who worked as a chemical technician for making
plutonium pallets at the Kerr-McGee plant died under mysterious circumstances after
investigating claims of irregularities and wrongdoings plant. She was immortalized by
Meryl Streep in an eponymous movie. Identify her.


5) As a young footballer he is believed to have commented “hang the Greens while there still
are trees” seemingly expressing his dislike for the German Green Party. Who are we talking
about?

6) John Travolta plays the lead as a civil ligation lawyer and his decade long case against an
American corporation in a water pollution dispute brought by citizens of a Massachusetts
town. Which movie?


7) A beloved science fiction writer he passed away in 2008. In one of techno-thrillers he heavily
criticized global warming terming it a hoax. Al Gore commented about the novel, “If your
baby has a fever, you go to the doctor [...] if your doctor tells you you need to intervene
here, you don't say 'Well, I read a science fiction novel that tells me it's not a problem”. Which
novel/author are we talking about?

Looking forward to your responses !!!

P.S: EQ score means Environment Quiz score. ;)