A Tree Can Save the World

A Tree Can Save The World

Sadhguru

First Edition: December 2012

ISBN: 978-81-87910-59-6

form without the written permission of the publisher, except in the

case of brief quotations in critical articles and reviews.

For comments and enquiries regarding the book please contact:

[email protected]

Published by:

Isha Foundation

Velliangiri Foothills,

Semmedu (P.O.),

Coimbatore 641 114, INDIA

Tel: 91-422-2515345

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.ishafoundation.org

http://ishadownloads.com

1 2

INTRODUCTION

3 4

This book is a call to action. Sadhguru, the founder of Isha

Foundation and the massive environmental movement Project

GreenHands, outlines the role that individuals, corporates

and governments can play in controlling and reversing

ecological degradation. Making it clear that when it comes

to ecological work, it is not somebodys work, it is everybodys

work, Sadhguru links the responsibilities of people, business

and governance to address the problem with both short-term

action as well as long-term vision.

Humanity and life on the planet are fast approaching the

point of no return. The decisions we make today will create

our childrens future. We hope this book moves you to make

the right decisions and begin by planting at least one tree,

because believe it or not, a tree can save the world.

What kind of world will our children have to deal

with in the future?

The World Bank recently released their report on climate

change titled, Turn Down the Heat, which suggests that

unless human beings take action to reduce their impact on

Mother Earth, the world is likely to be warmer by more than

4C (7.2F) in the next hundred years. This will not be the

end. Further warming of over 6C (10.8F) will follow in the

centuries to come.

This warmer world will be radically different from ours. The

heat waves of today, such as the 2010 heat wave that struck

Russia killing 55,000 people and destroying 25% of their

harvest, will be the new norm. Extreme weather patterns

which cause dry areas to get drier and wet areas wetter, will

proliferate. Rising sea levels could put a hundred million

people at risk of coastal flooding every year. Perhaps worst of

all, within forty years, global warming could leave us with less

food per person. English Publications Isha Foundation

3 4

This book is a call to action. Sadhguru, the founder of Isha

Foundation and the massive environmental movement Project

GreenHands, outlines the role that individuals, corporates

and governments can play in controlling and reversing

ecological degradation. Making it clear that when it comes

to ecological work, it is not somebodys work, it is everybodys

work, Sadhguru links the responsibilities of people, business

and governance to address the problem with both short-term

action as well as long-term vision.

Humanity and life on the planet are fast approaching the

point of no return. The decisions we make today will create

our childrens future. We hope this book moves you to make

the right decisions and begin by planting at least one tree,

because believe it or not, a tree can save the world.

with in the future?

The World Bank recently released their report on climate

change titled, Turn Down the Heat, which suggests that

unless human beings take action to reduce their impact on

Mother Earth, the world is likely to be warmer by more than

4C (7.2F) in the next hundred years. This will not be the

end. Further warming of over 6C (10.8F) will follow in the

centuries to come.

This warmer world will be radically different from ours. The

heat waves of today, such as the 2010 heat wave that struck

Russia killing 55,000 people and destroying 25% of their

harvest, will be the new norm. Extreme weather patterns

which cause dry areas to get drier and wet areas wetter, will

proliferate. Rising sea levels could put a hundred million

people at risk of coastal flooding every year. Perhaps worst of

all, within forty years, global warming could leave us with less

food per person. English Publications Isha Foundation

5 6

A TREE CAN SAVE THE WORLD

7 8

We are living in a time when we have to think of

protecting the things which have always nurtured

us. The planet always took care of us, but for the first time in

the history of humanity, we have to protect this planet which

has nourished thousands of generations of human beings.

None of those people ever thought that a day would come

when we have to take care of the planet. If you look at it in

terms of its age, we are like a week-old infant talking about

saving the mother. But thats the reality. We enjoyed the

bounty of what this planet has offered us, but we have lived

so blatantly in the last hundred years that a time has come

when the just-born infant has to talk about the mothers

wellbeing, not the other way round.

It is no longer a myth. The facts are clear. If we carry on the

way we are going right now, it is a disastrous path and the

planet is in for a very serious turndown in the way it functions.

Fortunately, probably like never before, the number of people

aware of this progressing calamity is at its highest. Thats

a good sign. People are talking about it, but unless we

bring about a fundamental change in the lifestyles that we

have adopted, talking about climate change will be

a wasteful effort.

Right now, large populations around the world are striving

to achieve the comfort and wellbeing that one segment of

the population has achieved for itself. According to the Living

Earth statistics, human beings today are consuming one-and-

a-half planets worth of resources. And nations like India,

China, and many other countries are aspiring to develop

themselves. What module are they following? Everybody

wants to become like the United States. Everybody wants to

have the lifestyle that an average US citizen is living. That is the

aspiration, and everybody, either knowingly or unknowingly,

is working towards it. The Living Earth Report says that if

all the seven billion people on the planet find access to the

comforts and conveniences that an average American citizen

has, we would need four-and-a-half planets to sustain us.

But we have only one. We are surviving only because there is

a disproportionate situation.

The world is going on only because of the unfortunate in the

world that half of the population who are hungry and living

under trees or bridges. If everybody on the planet becomes

fortunate, the world will end in ten or fifteen years time.

The planet has enormous capability to recoup from the

damage that it goes through, but for that to happen, we

have to allow a certain amount of time. Either we consciously

handle this or Mother Earth will do it for us in a cruel manner.

This possibility is looming in front of us, but we are still in a self-

destruction mode. I am not making this out to be a doomsday

prediction, but it is important we realize the gravity of what

we are facing.

7 8

We are living in a time when we have to think of

protecting the things which have always nurtured

us. The planet always took care of us, but for the first time in

the history of humanity, we have to protect this planet which

has nourished thousands of generations of human beings.

None of those people ever thought that a day would come

when we have to take care of the planet. If you look at it in

terms of its age, we are like a week-old infant talking about

saving the mother. But thats the reality. We enjoyed the

bounty of what this planet has offered us, but we have lived

so blatantly in the last hundred years that a time has come

when the just-born infant has to talk about the mothers

wellbeing, not the other way round.

It is no longer a myth. The facts are clear. If we carry on the

way we are going right now, it is a disastrous path and the

planet is in for a very serious turndown in the way it functions.

Fortunately, probably like never before, the number of people

aware of this progressing calamity is at its highest. Thats

a good sign. People are talking about it, but unless we

bring about a fundamental change in the lifestyles that we

have adopted, talking about climate change will be

a wasteful effort.

Right now, large populations around the world are striving

to achieve the comfort and wellbeing that one segment of

the population has achieved for itself. According to the Living

Earth statistics, human beings today are consuming one-and-

a-half planets worth of resources. And nations like India,

China, and many other countries are aspiring to develop

themselves. What module are they following? Everybody

wants to become like the United States. Everybody wants to

have the lifestyle that an average US citizen is living. That is the

aspiration, and everybody, either knowingly or unknowingly,

is working towards it. The Living Earth Report says that if

all the seven billion people on the planet find access to the

comforts and conveniences that an average American citizen

has, we would need four-and-a-half planets to sustain us.

But we have only one. We are surviving only because there is

a disproportionate situation.

The world is going on only because of the unfortunate in the

world that half of the population who are hungry and living

under trees or bridges. If everybody on the planet becomes

fortunate, the world will end in ten or fifteen years time.

The planet has enormous capability to recoup from the

damage that it goes through, but for that to happen, we

have to allow a certain amount of time. Either we consciously

handle this or Mother Earth will do it for us in a cruel manner.

This possibility is looming in front of us, but we are still in a self-

destruction mode. I am not making this out to be a doomsday

prediction, but it is important we realize the gravity of what

we are facing.

9 10

Our economic activity is no longer on a small scale. It has

become significant enough to break the planet. Science and

technology have empowered us in such a way that we are no

longer small, two-legged animals. We are a mega-power. Once

you become powerful, you have to be careful. If you were

a small little ant, you could have walked on anybody. There

wouldnt be any problem. But if you become an elephant, you

must be very careful where you put your foot. Technology has

made humanity into real giants. We are hugely empowered.

Now, how we walk is very important. Otherwise we will

uproot everything.

We need to understand that empowerment without the

necessary sense of responsibility can be a major disaster. We

expected governments and businesses to take the necessary

action and reverse the environmental degradation. But for a

variety of reasons political, military or economic they are

not too eager to initiate the essential steps in that direction.

So, individual human beings have to take action. How?

People who are living in developed countries are consuming

an abnormal level of energy. How much can an individual

consume and still keep the planet sustainable is something

all of us have to consider. Are we at least willing to switch off

a light bulb when we dont need it? Are we willing to walk

to our offices instead of driving even that short distance?

Individuals can do these simple things.

This will not solve the whole problem, but they will bring

in more awareness. Once ecological awareness becomes

a popular thing, it will become an incentive for economic

leaders to devise businesses around it. When being green

becomes popular, green will pay. Once it pays, people will

devise businesses around it and invest money to develop more

eco-friendly methods of doing things. But one of the simplest

things that all of us can do wherever we are in the world is to

plant at least a few trees wherever it is possible. That is the

simplest thing we can do.

This is what we are doing in South India right now. We started

a project called Project GreenHands (PGH), which is now the

largest movement in the country. Our objective is to raise the

green cover in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu to thirty-

three percent. When we started the project, Tamil Nadu had

only 16.5% green cover. I did some rough calculations and

we found that if you plant 114 million trees in about six to

eight years time, then in fifteen years time, you would have

33% green cover. When I said, We need to plant 114 million

trees, peoples eyeballs rolled and they said, Sadhguru, so

many! How? I asked them, What is the population of the

state? In Tamil Nadu, we had a population of 62 million

people at that time. So I said, If all of us plant one tree, take

care of it for two years, and plant one more tree, its done.

If we have to do it as an organization, it is an uphill task.

If everybody takes it up, it will just happen. Everybody can

plant one tree and take care of it, isnt it? Even a beggar

on the street is capable of doing this. It is not a question of

affluence or capability. It is just that we have never thought

like this because we always think, Is it my work? People keep

asking me, Sadhguru, you are a mystic. Why are you planting

a tree?

9 10

Our economic activity is no longer on a small scale. It has

become significant enough to break the planet. Science and

technology have empowered us in such a way that we are no

longer small, two-legged animals. We are a mega-power. Once

you become powerful, you have to be careful. If you were

a small little ant, you could have walked on anybody. There

wouldnt be any problem. But if you become an elephant, you

must be very careful where you put your foot. Technology has

made humanity into real giants. We are hugely empowered.

Now, how we walk is very important. Otherwise we will

uproot everything.

We need to understand that empowerment without the

necessary sense of responsibility can be a major disaster. We

expected governments and businesses to take the necessary

action and reverse the environmental degradation. But for a

variety of reasons political, military or economic they are

not too eager to initiate the essential steps in that direction.

So, individual human beings have to take action. How?

People who are living in developed countries are consuming

an abnormal level of energy. How much can an individual

consume and still keep the planet sustainable is something

all of us have to consider. Are we at least willing to switch off

a light bulb when we dont need it? Are we willing to walk

to our offices instead of driving even that short distance?

Individuals can do these simple things.

This will not solve the whole problem, but they will bring

in more awareness. Once ecological awareness becomes

a popular thing, it will become an incentive for economic

leaders to devise businesses around it. When being green

becomes popular, green will pay. Once it pays, people will

devise businesses around it and invest money to develop more

eco-friendly methods of doing things. But one of the simplest

things that all of us can do wherever we are in the world is to

plant at least a few trees wherever it is possible. That is the

simplest thing we can do.

This is what we are doing in South India right now. We started

a project called Project GreenHands (PGH), which is now the

largest movement in the country. Our objective is to raise the

green cover in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu to thirty-

three percent. When we started the project, Tamil Nadu had

only 16.5% green cover. I did some rough calculations and

we found that if you plant 114 million trees in about six to

eight years time, then in fifteen years time, you would have

33% green cover. When I said, We need to plant 114 million

trees, peoples eyeballs rolled and they said, Sadhguru, so

many! How? I asked them, What is the population of the

state? In Tamil Nadu, we had a population of 62 million

people at that time. So I said, If all of us plant one tree, take

care of it for two years, and plant one more tree, its done.

If we have to do it as an organization, it is an uphill task.

If everybody takes it up, it will just happen. Everybody can

plant one tree and take care of it, isnt it? Even a beggar

on the street is capable of doing this. It is not a question of

affluence or capability. It is just that we have never thought

like this because we always think, Is it my work? People keep

asking me, Sadhguru, you are a mystic. Why are you planting

a tree?

11 12

When it comes to ecological work, it is not somebodys work,

it is everybodys work. Everybody who breathes on this planet

must plant a tree because a tree is not an outside entity. What

you inhale they exhale, what we exhale they inhale. This

relationship is something that we cannot do without. As long

as you breathe, you must take care of the environment. If you

are such a yogi that you dont breathe, or you are dead and

you dont breathe, then we can leave you alone. Everybody

else must plant and take care of trees because a tree is like

an external lung for you. Only one half of your lung is in

your body, the other half of the lung is hanging out there in

the tree.

The essence of Project GreenHands has been to bring this

experience and understanding in people, where their

relationship with trees need not be taught to them. It is felt

and experienced. It is something that every human being has

to realize and respond to. This is not work that you need to

do. Just like you tend to your own body or to your children,

a tree is also very much a part of your life. It is in bringing

this feeling into the minds and hearts of people that PGH

has become such a wonderful success in Tamil Nadu today.

Close to 16 million trees have been planted till now. This has

not happened because of some great force. We started this

movement and involved millions of ordinary people. It is the

peasants, farmers, housewives, and school children who have

done this amazing work.

It is very important that we create responsible movements

because today, the world is largely democratic. Political

leadership depends on common people who cast their votes.

Businesses may have money, but people have the vote, which

is why they can influence governments. It is very important

that we build a movement which can put enough pressure on

businesses and law-makers so that the necessary things are

done. Normally, activists take a very violent, anti-somebody

kind of mode.

When you are an ecological movement, you are not against

anybody, you are for everybody. That is the reason you take up

ecological work. You are for every life on the planet, not just

human beings. You want the insects and the worms to live well

too, because you understand that our lives are not separate

from each other. Our life is an integrated and connected life.

How healthy the worms are today will determine how healthy

we are tomorrow. Only somebody who is for all life can

take up ecological work. But till now, most eco-movements

have mostly been against somebody. This has to change.

Eco-movements and the activists have to grow into a different

level of activism.

More than the trees we have planted, one thing we are proud

of is that PGH has happened phenomenally well because

of peoples support which has in turn bred so many other

movements, which is a wonderful thing. Now the government

of Tamil Nadu itself is trying to outdo us! This is what is

needed it should become a part of everybodys life. Even

now, it is reaching the schools and children are talking about

it. Once children start talking about it, they will not let their

parents be something else. They will make them eco-friendly.

All these things have to be done, not as a solution, but to

become a movement that in turn brings in the necessary laws.

11 12

When it comes to ecological work, it is not somebodys work,

it is everybodys work. Everybody who breathes on this planet

must plant a tree because a tree is not an outside entity. What

you inhale they exhale, what we exhale they inhale. This

relationship is something that we cannot do without. As long

as you breathe, you must take care of the environment. If you

are such a yogi that you dont breathe, or you are dead and

you dont breathe, then we can leave you alone. Everybody

else must plant and take care of trees because a tree is like

an external lung for you. Only one half of your lung is in

your body, the other half of the lung is hanging out there in

the tree.

The essence of Project GreenHands has been to bring this

experience and understanding in people, where their

relationship with trees need not be taught to them. It is felt

and experienced. It is something that every human being has

to realize and respond to. This is not work that you need to

do. Just like you tend to your own body or to your children,

a tree is also very much a part of your life. It is in bringing

this feeling into the minds and hearts of people that PGH

has become such a wonderful success in Tamil Nadu today.

Close to 16 million trees have been planted till now. This has

not happened because of some great force. We started this

movement and involved millions of ordinary people. It is the

peasants, farmers, housewives, and school children who have

done this amazing work.

It is very important that we create responsible movements

because today, the world is largely democratic. Political

leadership depends on common people who cast their votes.

Businesses may have money, but people have the vote, which

is why they can influence governments. It is very important

that we build a movement which can put enough pressure on

businesses and law-makers so that the necessary things are

done. Normally, activists take a very violent, anti-somebody

kind of mode.

When you are an ecological movement, you are not against

anybody, you are for everybody. That is the reason you take up

ecological work. You are for every life on the planet, not just

human beings. You want the insects and the worms to live well

too, because you understand that our lives are not separate

from each other. Our life is an integrated and connected life.

How healthy the worms are today will determine how healthy

we are tomorrow. Only somebody who is for all life can

take up ecological work. But till now, most eco-movements

have mostly been against somebody. This has to change.

Eco-movements and the activists have to grow into a different

level of activism.

More than the trees we have planted, one thing we are proud

of is that PGH has happened phenomenally well because

of peoples support which has in turn bred so many other

movements, which is a wonderful thing. Now the government

of Tamil Nadu itself is trying to outdo us! This is what is

needed it should become a part of everybodys life. Even

now, it is reaching the schools and children are talking about

it. Once children start talking about it, they will not let their

parents be something else. They will make them eco-friendly.

All these things have to be done, not as a solution, but to

become a movement that in turn brings in the necessary laws.

13 14

Without the necessary laws, there is no solution. It is only

cosmetic. We can do it for our satisfaction, but that is of no

use. We have to see that a solution happens because even

if I plant a 100 million trees, that is just six days worth of

deforestation on our planet. They will pull it down in six days!

To plant 100 million trees takes a lot of money, a lot of effort:

travelling all over the place, putting the seeds in the ground

and supporting their growth it takes a lot. Then for the

tree to grow, it takes another five to ten years to become

a reasonable thing that you can call a tree. And that can be

removed in six days. In some way, it does not make any sense

to go through all this only to have someone uproot it, but we

still have to plant. We cannot give it up. We have to plant and

work for the solution, but it is silly to create a small solution

for a huge problem and think it is a solution. What we are

doing 114 million trees sounds so big and fantastic, but it is

still a small solution. It is a silly way to approach a problem. It

is like sending an ant to fight an elephant. But at least an ant

is going, and we believe the brave ant will inspire.

Expecting everybody to change by themselves is not realistic.

Strict laws have to be made which consider ecological

concerns. Laws will not come unless there are strong,

responsible, ecological movements which are oriented

towards solutions, and not in trying to beat somebody down.

Movements always have an enemy. But there is no enemy

here except ourselves. We are the enemy. With this, we must

develop large movements which are also action-oriented

because just taking the movement onto the street is not

going to help. It must be action-oriented to gain respectability

in the world and at the same time it must be a large-scale

movement. Only then can we change the laws. Right now, the

problem from nation to nation is this attitude, Okay, I am

willing to change the law and restrict my country, but what

about you? You are not willing to do that. You want to benefit

from my laws. Nobody is going to do it. Who is to bell the cat

is the whole problem because internationally, there isnt any

one body which can enforce these laws.

At one time, we were building the United Nations to a point

where if something really needed to be done in the world,

the United Nations could say so. But that has been lost in

the last ten to fifteen years and now there is no one body.

Every nation is talking about self-interest. If nations talk of

self-interest, the individual will also talk of self-interest.

So who should bell the cat? To determine this, it must be

a worldwide movement.

Movements should learn to connect and become an

international movement so that there will be enough pressure

on the governments to have them change the laws. All the

laws that need to be changed will not change in one day. It

is continuous work. In our lifetime, we must change at least

those laws which are destroying the environment at a very

rapid pace. For example, we can make a law so that the 100

million trees that we plant dont go waste in six days time.

We cannot stop industries from roaring. They have to roar,

but we can make this law. Like this, we can plan out which

laws need to be brought in twenty-five years, and bring them

in step by step, so that it does not hurt us too quickly. People

will not take it if you bring in too much of a drastic change.

The change has to be gradual, giving people enough time

13 14

Without the necessary laws, there is no solution. It is only

cosmetic. We can do it for our satisfaction, but that is of no

use. We have to see that a solution happens because even

if I plant a 100 million trees, that is just six days worth of

deforestation on our planet. They will pull it down in six days!

To plant 100 million trees takes a lot of money, a lot of effort:

travelling all over the place, putting the seeds in the ground

and supporting their growth it takes a lot. Then for the

tree to grow, it takes another five to ten years to become

a reasonable thing that you can call a tree. And that can be

removed in six days. In some way, it does not make any sense

to go through all this only to have someone uproot it, but we

still have to plant. We cannot give it up. We have to plant and

work for the solution, but it is silly to create a small solution

for a huge problem and think it is a solution. What we are

doing 114 million trees sounds so big and fantastic, but it is

still a small solution. It is a silly way to approach a problem. It

is like sending an ant to fight an elephant. But at least an ant

is going, and we believe the brave ant will inspire.

Expecting everybody to change by themselves is not realistic.

Strict laws have to be made which consider ecological

concerns. Laws will not come unless there are strong,

responsible, ecological movements which are oriented

towards solutions, and not in trying to beat somebody down.

Movements always have an enemy. But there is no enemy

here except ourselves. We are the enemy. With this, we must

develop large movements which are also action-oriented

because just taking the movement onto the street is not

going to help. It must be action-oriented to gain respectability

in the world and at the same time it must be a large-scale

movement. Only then can we change the laws. Right now, the

problem from nation to nation is this attitude, Okay, I am

willing to change the law and restrict my country, but what

about you? You are not willing to do that. You want to benefit

from my laws. Nobody is going to do it. Who is to bell the cat

is the whole problem because internationally, there isnt any

one body which can enforce these laws.

At one time, we were building the United Nations to a point

where if something really needed to be done in the world,

the United Nations could say so. But that has been lost in

the last ten to fifteen years and now there is no one body.

Every nation is talking about self-interest. If nations talk of

self-interest, the individual will also talk of self-interest.

So who should bell the cat? To determine this, it must be

a worldwide movement.

Movements should learn to connect and become an

international movement so that there will be enough pressure

on the governments to have them change the laws. All the

laws that need to be changed will not change in one day. It

is continuous work. In our lifetime, we must change at least

those laws which are destroying the environment at a very

rapid pace. For example, we can make a law so that the 100

million trees that we plant dont go waste in six days time.

We cannot stop industries from roaring. They have to roar,

but we can make this law. Like this, we can plan out which

laws need to be brought in twenty-five years, and bring them

in step by step, so that it does not hurt us too quickly. People

will not take it if you bring in too much of a drastic change.

The change has to be gradual, giving people enough time

15 16

to understand why such a change has been made, before

bringing in the next one.

Right now, I dont see such seriousness in the world. We are

still trying to look eco-friendly in front of somebody else. We

are not looking at the drastic phase that ecology is in right

now. We have not realized that if we do not take corrective

action right now, we will pass on a legacy we will be ashamed

of. It will be a legacy that our children will accuse us of and

hate us for.

We are not even looking for solutions yet. People are saying

recycling and alternative power generation techniques will

help. Yes, it will help, but in a very minor way. All the wind

and solar power systems put together produce less than two

percent of the power requirement in the world. I am not

trying to beat it down, but having windmills and solar systems

is more entertainment value than real value. It is still very

essential, because even two percent is very big, but this will

only slow down the disaster. Thats like we dont want the

disaster to happen in our lifetime, but we want to gift it to

our children.

A point will come where it will not be a choice anymore. When

that happens, turning around will not be easy. It will be at the

cost of millions of lives. Not just human lives, there are more

precious lives on this planet than human lives. Studies show

that if all the insects on the planet die, life on this planet has

a little more than twenty years before everything disappears.

If the worms on this planet die tomorrow morning, the life

upon this planet has only eight years left. But if you and me

disappear, the planet will flourish.

In our mind, we think the life upon this planet is human-

centric. But in natural terms, the worms, insects, birds and

animals are far more important than human beings. We as

human beings have become the controlling power, so we

are beginning to think that we are the most important life.

This mind-set has to change. We need to recognize and see

ourselves and every life, as life; not seeing you as you and me

as me. Unless humanity begins to recognize life as life, there

is no solution. Right now, all Corporate Social Responsibility

(CSR) and ecological solutions are oriented towards making

human life a little better. Using recycled paper is fine, but

that is not the point. If you want to save the ecology, the

bio-activity on the planet has to rise, and for that to happen,

laws are needed.

Right now, the first lobby which opposes any such law is

definitely the business lobby. However, businesses can play a

key role if there is a change of heart in them because the way

businesses have grown, lawmakers have to listen to businesses.

Unfortunately, except for a few exceptions, businesses are not

thinking beyond this years balance sheet. There are many

who are going beyond that, but still not enough to find a

solution. There is enough ecological awareness for cosmetic

appeal, but not enough awareness and movement in the

world for a solution. This has to change.

However, if you bring in strict environmental laws, many

businesses may sink and disappear. We know this by experience.

In Tamil Nadu, the city of Tirupur is a major clothing and

stitching center. If you dug a well anywhere around Tirupur,

you would get multi-colored water, depending on the color

15 16

to understand why such a change has been made, before

bringing in the next one.

Right now, I dont see such seriousness in the world. We are

still trying to look eco-friendly in front of somebody else. We

are not looking at the drastic phase that ecology is in right

now. We have not realized that if we do not take corrective

action right now, we will pass on a legacy we will be ashamed

of. It will be a legacy that our children will accuse us of and

hate us for.

We are not even looking for solutions yet. People are saying

recycling and alternative power generation techniques will

help. Yes, it will help, but in a very minor way. All the wind

and solar power systems put together produce less than two

percent of the power requirement in the world. I am not

trying to beat it down, but having windmills and solar systems

is more entertainment value than real value. It is still very

essential, because even two percent is very big, but this will

only slow down the disaster. Thats like we dont want the

disaster to happen in our lifetime, but we want to gift it to

our children.

A point will come where it will not be a choice anymore. When

that happens, turning around will not be easy. It will be at the

cost of millions of lives. Not just human lives, there are more

precious lives on this planet than human lives. Studies show

that if all the insects on the planet die, life on this planet has

a little more than twenty years before everything disappears.

If the worms on this planet die tomorrow morning, the life

upon this planet has only eight years left. But if you and me

disappear, the planet will flourish.

In our mind, we think the life upon this planet is human-

centric. But in natural terms, the worms, insects, birds and

animals are far more important than human beings. We as

human beings have become the controlling power, so we

are beginning to think that we are the most important life.

This mind-set has to change. We need to recognize and see

ourselves and every life, as life; not seeing you as you and me

as me. Unless humanity begins to recognize life as life, there

is no solution. Right now, all Corporate Social Responsibility

(CSR) and ecological solutions are oriented towards making

human life a little better. Using recycled paper is fine, but

that is not the point. If you want to save the ecology, the

bio-activity on the planet has to rise, and for that to happen,

laws are needed.

Right now, the first lobby which opposes any such law is

definitely the business lobby. However, businesses can play a

key role if there is a change of heart in them because the way

businesses have grown, lawmakers have to listen to businesses.

Unfortunately, except for a few exceptions, businesses are not

thinking beyond this years balance sheet. There are many

who are going beyond that, but still not enough to find a

solution. There is enough ecological awareness for cosmetic

appeal, but not enough awareness and movement in the

world for a solution. This has to change.

However, if you bring in strict environmental laws, many

businesses may sink and disappear. We know this by experience.

In Tamil Nadu, the city of Tirupur is a major clothing and

stitching center. If you dug a well anywhere around Tirupur,

you would get multi-colored water, depending on the color

17 18

of the t-shirts they were making on that day. When the

government enacted a law that made it compulsory to recycle

and purify the water before releasing it, many dyeing units

just died. Hundreds of businesses sank. This does not mean

that environmental laws are against business. The reason these

businesses sank is because they were running on ramshackle

infrastructure. They were trying to make a business out of

nothing. Yes, that is enterprise, but even enterprise has to

stand on four legs. Those enterprises which are tottering on a

single leg will all fall. And that has to happen, we cannot help

it. If you change the landscape of business, some will suffer,

some will drown, but some will immediately adapt and learn to

do business in the new atmosphere that we create. Somebody

should have the courage to create the new atmosphere.

It is because our concern for ecology is recent that we think

a law is impossible; a law is very much possible. We can say,

This is how you must take care of your river. If you have a

tree in your house, this is how you must take care of it. If

there was no law as to which side of the road you should

drive, we would be driving all over. Nobody would be able to

move. This is what is happening with ecology because it is a

new concern. Making laws on many levels is most important.

It is not in the hands of business alone, but business can play

a significant role. Corporations can make a business out of

ecological solutions and that is important, because only then

would the solutions be sustainable. We are talking about

sustaining the ecology, but first of all, the business has to

sustain itself. In that sense, it is best that every ecological

solution becomes a kind of business. Only then will it be

sustained over a period of time. Otherwise, people will just

do CSR and be satisfied with it. If you look at CSR, though

there are a few companies that are doing it differently, most

corporates just allocate a small percentage of their profit. CSR

does things for awareness but it will not create a solution. It

cannot create a solution. If you just add up all the CSR amounts

in the world, it is peanuts. You cannot change the world with

that. Whats more, CSR is not sustainable because you may be

doing CSR today, but the next person who takes over may not

be interested in doing it.

Instead of doing CSR, those companies which are already

eco-oriented must do their business more aggressively. For

example, PGH works with one of the largest wind turbine

manufacturers in the world. I keep telling them, Invest in

bio-energy and solar energy, and put everything on your

wind-turbine land. Just do business. Dont do service. Leave

the service to me, because only then will you do it large

scale. Otherwise you will do it only upto a certain point. We

have presented various ideas to them. They can create solar

villages. If the village is in a wind tunnel, they can make small-

scale wind turbines for each village and provide power to the

village at a lower cost. If it powers the village, all the villagers

will support them. Businesses like this can be worked out on

various levels which are beneficial to the local people, so that

they will support and sustain this whole movement towards a

more eco-friendly way of doing things.

What about the other businesses whose business is not

ecology? The engine is roaring somewhere. They know it

causes damage to the ecology but you cannot stop the engine.

17 18

of the t-shirts they were making on that day. When the

government enacted a law that made it compulsory to recycle

and purify the water before releasing it, many dyeing units

just died. Hundreds of businesses sank. This does not mean

that environmental laws are against business. The reason these

businesses sank is because they were running on ramshackle

infrastructure. They were trying to make a business out of

nothing. Yes, that is enterprise, but even enterprise has to

stand on four legs. Those enterprises which are tottering on a

single leg will all fall. And that has to happen, we cannot help

it. If you change the landscape of business, some will suffer,

some will drown, but some will immediately adapt and learn to

do business in the new atmosphere that we create. Somebody

should have the courage to create the new atmosphere.

It is because our concern for ecology is recent that we think

a law is impossible; a law is very much possible. We can say,

This is how you must take care of your river. If you have a

tree in your house, this is how you must take care of it. If

there was no law as to which side of the road you should

drive, we would be driving all over. Nobody would be able to

move. This is what is happening with ecology because it is a

new concern. Making laws on many levels is most important.

It is not in the hands of business alone, but business can play

a significant role. Corporations can make a business out of

ecological solutions and that is important, because only then

would the solutions be sustainable. We are talking about

sustaining the ecology, but first of all, the business has to

sustain itself. In that sense, it is best that every ecological

solution becomes a kind of business. Only then will it be

sustained over a period of time. Otherwise, people will just

do CSR and be satisfied with it. If you look at CSR, though

there are a few companies that are doing it differently, most

corporates just allocate a small percentage of their profit. CSR

does things for awareness but it will not create a solution. It

cannot create a solution. If you just add up all the CSR amounts

in the world, it is peanuts. You cannot change the world with

that. Whats more, CSR is not sustainable because you may be

doing CSR today, but the next person who takes over may not

be interested in doing it.

Instead of doing CSR, those companies which are already

eco-oriented must do their business more aggressively. For

example, PGH works with one of the largest wind turbine

manufacturers in the world. I keep telling them, Invest in

bio-energy and solar energy, and put everything on your

wind-turbine land. Just do business. Dont do service. Leave

the service to me, because only then will you do it large

scale. Otherwise you will do it only upto a certain point. We

have presented various ideas to them. They can create solar

villages. If the village is in a wind tunnel, they can make small-

scale wind turbines for each village and provide power to the

village at a lower cost. If it powers the village, all the villagers

will support them. Businesses like this can be worked out on

various levels which are beneficial to the local people, so that

they will support and sustain this whole movement towards a

more eco-friendly way of doing things.

What about the other businesses whose business is not

ecology? The engine is roaring somewhere. They know it

causes damage to the ecology but you cannot stop the engine.

19 20

All of us need the engine to roar, but businesses have to ease

the throttle a bit on the law-makers. If businesses have to

exist, people have to live. If people have to live, the ecology

has to be good. We have to run the economy a little more

gently, both upon the humanity and upon the ecology.

There is a whole lot of research work and data available which

shows that we can run the economy of a state just by growing

trees in so many different ways. It is just that the first ten years

will be a challenge. But we can definitely make tree-growing

into a very profitable business. We can do it by growing fruit

trees, through forestry, through all kinds of eco-oriented

tourism, with bee-cultivation, bird and animal breeding

there are so many things one could do. We have worked with

some farmers who have seen that forestry is more profitable

than agriculture in certain kinds of land. They have taken

to it and they are very happy. They are earning much more,

and they are saving the planet they have the satisfaction of

doing something worthwhile. There are so many things we

can do, but all these things can take off only if there are laws

and financing.

Unfortunately, there is ambitious business going on on the

planet. There is no visionary business. In my experience, many

companies do not see the possibilities. When I tell them,

Please support us, we want to plant 114 million trees, they

ask, Will you plant it in my state, will you plant it in my

factory? Ecological work is not about my part of the world

and your part of the world. Wherever it is planted, everybody

will benefit from this. Tree planting is most useful only if it

happens from the equator to thirty degrees latitude. This

means India, segments of Africa, Asia and America are the

places to plant. That is where you find maximum benefit.

We have approached just about everybody in the airline and

automobile industries. We worked out intricate plans for

them where the pollution that a car would release in the next

ten years is taken care of by the tree we plant. The cost of the

trees can be divided between the manufacturer, the dealer

and the customer. It is a question of a few dollars. I am sure

the customer will be willing to pay, knowing fully well that

when he drives, he is compensating for what he is using up.

But these plans havent gone anywhere. They have considered

it and considered it. They seem to be considering it forever.

We are in a mode where humanity as a whole has still not

faced reality the way it is. This is the unfortunate way of

humanity that disaster has to strike, only then they will know.

This could be true for the larger humanity. But the more aware

humanity, humanity which is in positions of responsibility and

power, this part of humanity has to act now.

It is very important that we get these things in the right

perspective. When I look at very highly placed people, they

have no clue about even the simple ecological statistics that

are available to everybody and are published every day in

the newspaper. Just about everywhere in the world, people

holding very responsible positions are not even conscious

about it. It is shocking that many law-makers and others have

never even bothered to acquaint themselves because they

are busy with something else. It is very important that it sinks

into everybody because the rate at which we are biting at the

19 20

All of us need the engine to roar, but businesses have to ease

the throttle a bit on the law-makers. If businesses have to

exist, people have to live. If people have to live, the ecology

has to be good. We have to run the economy a little more

gently, both upon the humanity and upon the ecology.

There is a whole lot of research work and data available which

shows that we can run the economy of a state just by growing

trees in so many different ways. It is just that the first ten years

will be a challenge. But we can definitely make tree-growing

into a very profitable business. We can do it by growing fruit

trees, through forestry, through all kinds of eco-oriented

tourism, with bee-cultivation, bird and animal breeding

there are so many things one could do. We have worked with

some farmers who have seen that forestry is more profitable

than agriculture in certain kinds of land. They have taken

to it and they are very happy. They are earning much more,

and they are saving the planet they have the satisfaction of

doing something worthwhile. There are so many things we

can do, but all these things can take off only if there are laws

and financing.

Unfortunately, there is ambitious business going on on the

planet. There is no visionary business. In my experience, many

companies do not see the possibilities. When I tell them,

Please support us, we want to plant 114 million trees, they

ask, Will you plant it in my state, will you plant it in my

factory? Ecological work is not about my part of the world

and your part of the world. Wherever it is planted, everybody

will benefit from this. Tree planting is most useful only if it

happens from the equator to thirty degrees latitude. This

means India, segments of Africa, Asia and America are the

places to plant. That is where you find maximum benefit.

We have approached just about everybody in the airline and

automobile industries. We worked out intricate plans for

them where the pollution that a car would release in the next

ten years is taken care of by the tree we plant. The cost of the

trees can be divided between the manufacturer, the dealer

and the customer. It is a question of a few dollars. I am sure

the customer will be willing to pay, knowing fully well that

when he drives, he is compensating for what he is using up.

But these plans havent gone anywhere. They have considered

it and considered it. They seem to be considering it forever.

We are in a mode where humanity as a whole has still not

faced reality the way it is. This is the unfortunate way of

humanity that disaster has to strike, only then they will know.

This could be true for the larger humanity. But the more aware

humanity, humanity which is in positions of responsibility and

power, this part of humanity has to act now.

It is very important that we get these things in the right

perspective. When I look at very highly placed people, they

have no clue about even the simple ecological statistics that

are available to everybody and are published every day in

the newspaper. Just about everywhere in the world, people

holding very responsible positions are not even conscious

about it. It is shocking that many law-makers and others have

never even bothered to acquaint themselves because they

are busy with something else. It is very important that it sinks

into everybody because the rate at which we are biting at the

21 22

cake, there will be no cake left in twenty-five years. Humanity

as a whole must learn to eat the cake slowly. Another thing

is we must be able to produce more cake out of less dough.

Another thing is we need to reduce the number of mouths

which want to eat the cake.

One thing we need to understand is that all ecological

problems have come because of irresponsible reproduction

among human beings. With medical advances, we are now

capable of seeing that every child who is born survives, in most

countries. Though it still needs to be worked upon in many

countries, the infant mortality rate has been considerably

brought down. On the other hand, medical sciences have

postponed our death, which means that our reproduction

should be much more conservative and conscious. But we are

refusing to postpone birth. We have, to some extent, but at 7

billion people it is not an effective postponement.

Without reducing human population, there is no solution.

Whatever you do, people will gobble it up. Instead of trying

to reduce human aspirations, it is better to reduce our rate of

reproduction. It is a much simpler thing to do. In a few villages

in Tamil Nadu, we suggested that villagers take a voluntary

oath that this year will be a no-conception year in this village.

Just enjoy your honeymoon, dont make babies. These kinds

of initiatives will take a lot of effort to implement but if we

dont control the population, whatever you do will go waste

because the United Nations estimates that the population in

2050 will be 9.5 billion.

At 9.5 billion, all of us will have to live with forty percent

less resources than we are right now enjoying. When I say

resource, I am not talking about gold, diamonds or oil. I am

talking about water, food and air to breathe. Can you even

imagine forty percent less air to breathe? So either we control

our population now consciously, or a time will come when we

will have to put a meter on your nose. We will have to charge

you for how many breaths per minute you take. And those

who cannot pay That is why I said we want to give a legacy

of disaster to our children.

The problem is not small, but some people in a resigned way

say, Nature will correct it. Yes, for sure it will correct it.

The correction will be reducing the human population. But

whenever human populations are reduced, you dont see it

as a solution; you see it as a disaster. Mother Earth is not even

supposed to flex her muscles; she is not even allowed to stretch

her hands or legs. If she does something, a hundred thousand

people will die because human beings are everywhere. She

cannot even sneeze. If a volcano erupts, right there people

have built towns around a live volcano! We are too many.

We are wonderful, but we are too many. We need to reduce

our wonderfulness.

If all the countries in the world take it up that they will reduce

the worlds population by 2050, and if we succeed, that itself

is a great solution. Technologies are continuing to refine

themselves. The amount of power we are consuming, lets say

to light up a place, is almost one-tenth of what we would

have consumed twenty years ago. Technologies are improving

and our consumption of power is reducing. Bringing down

the human population by at least twenty-five percent in forty

years time is achievable, if only the necessary laws are made.

21 22

cake, there will be no cake left in twenty-five years. Humanity

as a whole must learn to eat the cake slowly. Another thing

is we must be able to produce more cake out of less dough.

Another thing is we need to reduce the number of mouths

which want to eat the cake.

One thing we need to understand is that all ecological

problems have come because of irresponsible reproduction

among human beings. With medical advances, we are now

capable of seeing that every child who is born survives, in most

countries. Though it still needs to be worked upon in many

countries, the infant mortality rate has been considerably

brought down. On the other hand, medical sciences have

postponed our death, which means that our reproduction

should be much more conservative and conscious. But we are

refusing to postpone birth. We have, to some extent, but at 7

billion people it is not an effective postponement.

Without reducing human population, there is no solution.

Whatever you do, people will gobble it up. Instead of trying

to reduce human aspirations, it is better to reduce our rate of

reproduction. It is a much simpler thing to do. In a few villages

in Tamil Nadu, we suggested that villagers take a voluntary

oath that this year will be a no-conception year in this village.

Just enjoy your honeymoon, dont make babies. These kinds

of initiatives will take a lot of effort to implement but if we

dont control the population, whatever you do will go waste

because the United Nations estimates that the population in

2050 will be 9.5 billion.

At 9.5 billion, all of us will have to live with forty percent

less resources than we are right now enjoying. When I say

resource, I am not talking about gold, diamonds or oil. I am

talking about water, food and air to breathe. Can you even

imagine forty percent less air to breathe? So either we control

our population now consciously, or a time will come when we

will have to put a meter on your nose. We will have to charge

you for how many breaths per minute you take. And those

who cannot pay That is why I said we want to give a legacy

of disaster to our children.

The problem is not small, but some people in a resigned way

say, Nature will correct it. Yes, for sure it will correct it.

The correction will be reducing the human population. But

whenever human populations are reduced, you dont see it

as a solution; you see it as a disaster. Mother Earth is not even

supposed to flex her muscles; she is not even allowed to stretch

her hands or legs. If she does something, a hundred thousand

people will die because human beings are everywhere. She

cannot even sneeze. If a volcano erupts, right there people

have built towns around a live volcano! We are too many.

We are wonderful, but we are too many. We need to reduce

our wonderfulness.

If all the countries in the world take it up that they will reduce

the worlds population by 2050, and if we succeed, that itself

is a great solution. Technologies are continuing to refine

themselves. The amount of power we are consuming, lets say

to light up a place, is almost one-tenth of what we would

have consumed twenty years ago. Technologies are improving

and our consumption of power is reducing. Bringing down

the human population by at least twenty-five percent in forty

years time is achievable, if only the necessary laws are made.

23 24

The Chinese have done it, but everybody just comments about

it. They think making politics out of it is a great solution.

Population is definitely the single, most important problem.

And the quickest solution will come only if we reduce our

population. Nations must have the courage, and the religions

of the world must have the sense to see that increasing the

population is going to be a disaster for all of us for every

creature on the planet, not just for humanity.

The planet is for all of us and we cannot exist here by ourselves.

We are living here because of the natural process that is

happening, not because of our economic activity. Right now

we are made to believe that we will live well because of the

percentages of economic growth that is happening in the

country. No. We will live well here if everything is green,

beautiful, water is flowing, and air is pure. This has to be clear

in every human beings mind. The preservation and nurturing

of this planet is not different from aspiring for a good life

for ourselves, because there is no good life without a good

planet. Right now, we are looking at ecological concerns as

some kind of an obligation that we have to fulfill. It is not an

obligation, it is our life.

People are identified with their creed, religion and nationality.

But the most fundamental identity is that you are a piece of

this planet. The very body that you carry is a piece of this

planet and half your lungs are hanging out there on the tree.

I want you to feel it, not just think it is a great idea. It is not

an idea, it is a reality that we are living. This reality has to sink

into people. You dont have to talk about identifying yourself

with the tree. If you sit in front of a tree or under a tree

and breathe consciously, you know there is a big difference.

Sitting in the building and breathing, or sitting under a tree

and breathing there is a big difference. One can feel it. I

want people to feel it. But there are not enough trees for all

of us to sit under. We need to plant them.