Expressions - August, 2010

8/9/2019 Expressions - August, 2010

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AUGUST 2010 1

the doon i know & oveARCHANA PURAN SINGH

face to face withISHITA KHANNA

agents for a beautifu toorrowV INEETA BHARDWAJ


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AUGUST 2010 2


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AUGUST 2010 3

Congratulations to team icare on the successful launch of Expressions, July edi-

tion of their e-magazine. The cover page is really catchy and the articles are

thought provoking. Good job done friends and keep up the good work. Wish you

all the success in your endeavours. Lets make Doon a better place environmen-tally, socially and culturally. Let the youth brigade of yours lead the way. God

Bless you all.via web

Wg Cdr Himanshu Chauhan, Indian Air Force

FEEDBACK

Dear Yudhishter,

First and foremost persuasion pays. You have an uncanny never say die attitudewhich will take you places and always ensure you reach the shores.

July edition of Expressions: has delightful pictorial features, enhancing the read-

ing experience are mind expanding graphical backgrounds and I must say the

font and presentation are all par excellence. A commendable effort and product.

I foresee the talent in you and your team are far reaching and your out of the

box topics are poignant and educating. Thanks for sharing the euphoria with me.

Dehradun is certainly a city you are born into or you chance upon to acquire liv-ing time here, it is only if your previous births have granted you positive karmas.

I can only say we are blessed to be in dehradun and if we share and believe that

this is the thruth then we must treasure, conserve and showcase our pride. The

city has abundant character and now as sons of the soil we must also ensure

to always be avid ambassadors to exhibit that abundant character in us so that

there is no mistaking us from our rooting. Yes, we will participate in all Icare

events to restore any lost natures glory in dehradun

Thank you and wishing you good luck

via email Tarit Mohan, Director IMSI India Pvt. Ltd

CONTACT USWrite to us at

Expressions

51-A Subhash Road

Adj. Damama Super Mart

Dehradun 248001

Uttarkhand

For Free SubscriptionSMS I CARE to +919411114921

Call +919760614317

Fax: 011-66173614

Email [email protected]

www.icarefordoon.org

Congratulations for yet another milestone, the July issue has come out very good.

The articles and photographs are really superb, hats-off to the entire team.

via web Amar Barwal

Corrections and Clarifications___________________________

The word Photograph has been

misspelt as photgraph on pages 22,

23 and 24 in the July Issue

Expressions July Issue Aims at the Future with the youth by the youth and it does

hit the bulls eye. The articles, stories, pictures succeed to bring many environ-

mental issues of Today to the forefront. Its a success to see many young minds

working together for that first step awareness to bring the revolution and the

Change tomorrow. My heartiest congratulations to the entire team for being so

thoughtful for our future..Expressions Is Indeed Global..!!!!via web Vineeta Bhardwaj


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AUGUST 2010 4

16 Women: Agents for a

beautiful tomorrowVineeta Bhardwaj

6 Appreciating NatureAanie Singh

7 The Doon I Know & Love Archana Puran Singh

14 Face to Face withIshita Khanna

20 Expressions Coffee withRadha Raturi

24 This is what it turns out to be !Sneha Pande

26 Women & Their PowerAnuvansh Sharma

3 Letters to the EditorFeedback

10 Eco-FeminismYudhishter Puran Singh

12 Photo StoryAbhay Nawani

22 Ways to Photograph DoonSandip Puran Singh

27 Green TipsShilpy Goel Agarwal

28 In the news icare

8 The Girl with the Green HandbagPooja Bhatt

Features

Regulars

Fresh

founder & editor

Yudhishter Puran Singhguest editor

Archana Puran Singh

assistant editor

Pooja Bhatt

creative editor

Akshay Madan

photo editor

Sandip Puran Singh

marketing

Lotus Leaf Business Exhibitions

advertisingTushar Goel (NCR Region)

[email protected]

Gaurav Gupta (Rest of India)[email protected]

subscription team

Harshal Mirchandani, Lavish Bhatia

Ashutosh Pohary

special thanks

Subhinay Khosla, Aditi Bisht

ALL EDITORIAL QUERIES MUST BE DIRECTED TO

The Editor, Expressions,

51-A Subhash Road,

Dehradun 248140, Uttarakhand, India

M: +919411114921, Fax: 011-66173614

Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Expressions., its publisher and/or editors. We at Expressions

do our best to verify the information published but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information.

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Cover Story

cover design & photograph

Akshay Madan


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AUGUST 2010 5

A woman is the full circle.

Within her is the power to create, nurture and transform

-Diane Mariechild

The August issue is exclusively dedicated to women and it begins with

reminiscing thoughts by the guest editor Mrs. Archana Puran Singh

who grew up in the valley and to quote her a place of green hedges

and grey hair which has now conveniently shriveled to a place not

recognizable.THE DOON I KNOW AND LOVE is not exactly against

development, but concerned about the

atrocious cost paid for such growth which

promises very little in return indeed! Its

a lovely article which seems to have been

written with utmost simplicity but is ever

so appealing.

The cover story AGENTS FOR A BEAUTIFUL TOMORROW, hasquite beautifully illustrated the role that women have played in

their commitment towards the present and the future towards

the environment, accenting the plethora of areas where women

have made their mark, one can find women throughout history in

their silent but sturdy involvement in saving the environment. This

issue actually relates to the key points and the innate edge that the

women need to realize to bring about a change.

Our Editor, in his striking article highlights ECO-FEMINISM the term, even though started in the year

1974, will be a new and interesting concept to know and read about. Feminine power cannot be under-estimated especially in todays world. Women play a major role in making their families adopt a green

lifestyle and I am sure all of us will agree they are the real home makers as well as change makers.

Mrs. Annie Singh in her beautifully crafted article APPRECIATING NATURE shares with us how the

reins of young minds rest in the hands of the teacher whose role is paramount and should never be

undermined as hes the artist who paints on the minds of his/her students and leaves indelible marks on

these canvases.

Finally, from this issue onwards we are introducing THE GIRL WITH THE GREEN HANDBAG about a

vivacious girl next door, who discovers her green side. Its meant for chilled-out youngsters who would

rise up from their fantasies if need be, but in their regular lives, promise to be best friends with the envi-

ronment.

Hope you enjoy these stories plus a lot more in this edition!

fromTHEEdiTorsdEsk

Best,

Pooja BhattAsst. Editor Expressions


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AUGUST 2010 6

Mrs. Annie SinghTeacher and counselor

CJM Dehradun

APPRECIATING

The Sylvan Wye of Tintern Abbey which

haunted the celebrated poet William

Wordsworth, the rustling leaves and call-

ing birds which inspired the short stories of Ra-

bindranath Tagore and the nostalgic moments thatRuskin Bond yet writes about our Dehra full of li-

tchi trees, ring no bell in the minds of the students

why? Simply because they have grown up where

the sounds of honking horns are music to the

ears rather than the melodious tune of a koel and

leisure time means computer or television rather

than cycling through the countryside or climbing

trees in the neighbors garden to eat unripe man-

goes.

Is this the future we envisage for the coming

generations where there would be no breathtak-

ing views to capture in the camera, no soul stir-

ring picturesque scenery to paint on canvas? As

teachers we too have a responsibility towards the

youth. Children can be taught to love and respect

Nature through teachers of literature, geography

and science. As a class teacher one can encourage

a plastic free zone in the class and school, encour-

age hobbies like gardening, bird watching, conduct

debates on topics related to the environment and

even put up dramas to depict the degradation

of the environment due to mindless behavior of

the people. Certain habits can be inculcated like

switching off the lights and fans when not in use

and reusing old cards and gift-wrapping paper for

handicraft work.

Simple basic things like two dustbins should be

kept in each class, one for paper and other waste

which can be recycled and a separate bin for

plastic goods that cannot be recycled. As part ofS.U.P.W they can be encouraged to make paper

bags from newspapers or other used paper and

distribute them to the layman in the market to cre-

ate awareness. Children can be taken for nature

study trips on weekends to places in and around

Doon such as Assan Barrage. An enthusiastic

teacher can arouse the same in his/her students.

Essay, poetry writing based on Nature as its

theme can be encouraged by recognition for the

best written pieces.Charity begins at home, a child should be taught

to be sensitive to the needs of fellow mates. If a

childs human side is developed it will never take

pleasure in harming any creature be it a small ant.

Of course, prayer and belief in a divine spirit is of

utmost importance. To accept that some universalspirit exists and connects all living organisms to

one another is a way of developing appreciation

for others. If teachers took time out of their mad

rush to complete the syllabus and gave a little

dose each day, it would have a great impact on

the growing child. The teacher is the potter who

moulds the wet clay. They must realize that they

have the power to touch lives which make this

profession a powerful one in comparison to others.

O, lord help us

Guide and direct us

and open THEIR HEARTS

Children are likely to learn more by observation

rather than lecture. As a teacher, who shows

sensitivity in her attitude towards other creatures

and appreciates nature in all its forms will develop

a positive attitude towards the environment in the

students as well. Young, creative minds need to

be inspired and guided to learn how to keep their

environment clean and

green. We all have to

sit up and think seri-

ously on this or else a

time may come when

birds will sing about

rivers drying to a

trickle and vast haunt-

ed desert land.

EXPRESSIONS 2010


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AUGUST 2010 7

THEdooNikNoW&LoVE

Dehra Dun,a beautiful name for a beauti-

ful valley.....once known as the city of

green hedges and grey hair. Well,

the green hedges have long given way

to ugly sounding and looking boundary walls. Is

this my Doon, the Doon I was born in, grew tolove? Not really, and yet it is. I remember Parade

Ground, big and open, even green! Yes grass actu-

ally grew on the wide open uncluttered expanse

that once was Parade Ground. A circus would

occasionally come and camp on it. Every year

we would go with the entire family, servants and

all, to watch in fascinated terror the annual big

event of Ramlila held there. The first time I learnt

to drive was in Parade Ground, where my Dad

thought it was safe to hand over the wheel to histeenage daughter.......and there I went turning any

which way without fear or danger of ramming

into--what do we have there today?...water tanks,

concrete structures, parked buses, and many

other such occupying bodies of mostly perma-

nent nature!

Astley Hall was almost like a mall road where

people came to see, and be seen! A wide open

road flanked by those gravel paths, and then

the high columned verandahs of Astley Hall, all

made it my preferred stroll of the day! The gravel

paths and the verandahs of Astley Hall thankfully

are pretty much still there, but walking along them

is now impossible.

And of course

no day could

go without the

mandatory trip to

Elloras(it wasa single shop

then, as was its

neighbour Jugal

Kishore)! Today

it is difficult to

spot many of

the old estab-

lishments on

the roadside, as

hundreds(thoughthey seem like thousands!)of shops now line the

road from Saluja Book House right down to Clock

Tower. I love the way we use the term going up

towards Saluja,and coming down towards Clock

Tower!

And yes Eucalyptus Road, my favourite shortcut

from Lytton Road to Rajpur Road! Oh, it is muchbroader now and has not a single pothole. But no

tall, graceful Eucalyptus trees grow by its sides

either. And last but by no means the least, sym-

bolic of the dying of the Doon I knew and loved,

the covering up of the Canal on East Canal Road.

If I had but known it would happen, I would have

loved to have gone down that lovely road one last

time, the way it was, with its gushing canal, its

occasional culverts, and the periodic circular junc-

tions where, fascinated, as a child I would watchthe water eddy and swirl(once it wickedly sucked

my sandal in!)

Well alas, like my long lost sandal, much of the

old Doon is also gone. On occasion when I have

driven up to good old Mussoorie, the drying up

shriveled waterfalls on the way cause me a pang.

On the way to Doodhli, the black tarrish water (its

actual sewage!) of the once mighty and gorgeous

Suswa River gives me a jolt. I have memories of

bathing in these waterfalls, of drinking the crystal

clear and sweet tasting water of Suswa. Oh yes,

I have many memories that our children will not

have.

Maybe its time to stop blaming others and start

taking responsibility for the legacy we are choos-

ing to leave behind for our children. Maybe its

time to start doing something constructive and

being the change we want in others and around

us. Maybe its time to make a new set of prioritieswhere I decide not only what material wealth

my child will inherit, but I will also ensure that no-

bodys callousness will deprive him of his rightful

inheritance. This beautiful and natural world we

inhabit.

akshay

madan

Archana Puran SinghActor

EXPRESSIONS 2010


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AUGUST 2010 8

HiIm Esha Ved a.k.a. The Girl with the

Green Handbag. Funny, absurd name

right? Oh well, I get caught up in these

strange obsessions at times, but some-

things changed and turned into a perpetual obsession I

believe. Ill tell you all about it. Im 19 years of age and

Im doing my B.A. honours in Spanish from Delhi Uni-

versity. I love to shop and I LOVE clothes, accessories,

shoes, chocolates, food, music, movies and all the things

that makes one feel good. I am one party freak youdfind all over the place. I love my friends too much and

like hanging out with them now and then, now dont get

the wrong picture, Im not a complete wacko case but I

feel Im in control and can strike a fine balance between

my academics, leisure time and pleasure time activities.

But I admit all the beautiful things do make me exceed-

ingly happy. Like the latest pair of those dazzling shoes

or the amazing aviator shades I bought last Sunday. At

one point I had a huge hair obsession, couldnt step out

of my place without looking perfectly decent and my

aunt often gifted me these cool hair products from Eu-rope which I cant part with even now, so all my posses-

sions including my family, friends, clothes, beauty-care

products, my phone, my i-pod are simply an indispensa-

ble part of me!

What a self obsessed girl? might be the question pop-

ping up in your head right about now. But honestly, I

dont think I belong to that category and its wrong to

stereotype anyway, I just like to dress up and well thats

not a bad thing at all (Evil grin)

Im basically a very friendly, non-judgmental, support-

ive, fun-loving and extroverted personality. But theres

one friend of mine I met this summer and she changed

my life, as in not completely, I still am what I used to

be and continue to like all of those things, but I have

certainly acquired a broader perspective about life and

that is a brilliant thing.

Her name is Mitali and shes the kind of bookworm I

would have never cared to notice but it so happened

that we ended up being roommates in the hostel. If you

compare personality distinctiveness, were way too op-

posite to be in proximity of each other but shes sincereas hell and used to help me out in every assignment,

thats when I realized what a bright light she is and

I soon ended up loving her. But I didnt like the whole

nagging bit about what to do, and what products not to

use and what not to eat, I really wasnt keen to have a

mother figure around because I really like my freedom,

and detest being pestered, but if I talk about irony then

this is the biggest one, I ended up getting influenced by

her a lot.

I turned GREEN. Oh wait, but theres a prelude to it.

Flashback

I was the only child of my parents and resided in my

ancestral house in Rajpur, in the celebrated Doon Valley,

nestled in the great Himalayas. I lost my father when I

was five in a terrible road accident and after that I grew

to be a sort of frenzied wayward child who took pride

and pleasure in mindless destruction. Now, I didnt cut

off trees with a chainsaw mind you, but just cherished

the idea of chaos somehow, (dont ask me why, it was

my fathers death probably) Anyway, my mother grewexceptionally concerned and said time and again A

girl your age must be cheery and amicable honey, you

on the other hand love throwing things around. Have

something against the world? Well, maybe I thought

but my mother took it as her personal mission to rectify

my problem so every other day she used to take me

out for a walk in the tree clad region near my place or a

drive halfway up to Mussoorie in order to sensitize me

so that I grow out of my pain and inhibition. She used to

tell me with a deep sense of pride about my dads active

involvement in the Chipko Movement during the 70s inthe Garwhal Himalayan region which was a widespread

initiative to protect the trees from massive deforestation

by hugging them.

Back then, it didnt make so much sense to me when she

often repeated Einsteins words for me Look deep into

nature, and then you will understand everything better.

She made me appreciate the joy of living in one of the

most incredible parts of the world and I love her for it.

That amazing song by the Beatles in George Harrisons

voice titled Dehradun comes to mind, (it was officiallyunreleased though I think you can find it on the internet).

It goes like


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AUGUST 2010 9

THEGirL WiTH THE GrEEN HANdBAG

Dehra Dehra Dun Dehra Dun Dun (8)

Many roads can take you there, many different ways, one di-

rection takes you years another takes you days.Many people on the roads looking at the sights,

Many others with their troubles looking for their rights.

See them move along the road in search of life divine

...beggars in a goldmine

Dehra Dehra Dun

So, that was me in childhood, but I changed after I grew

up in this materialistic world I became a happy child or

lets say grew up to be a normal girl too dependent on

things, but it was my mother who brought me so close

to nature, I still feel connected, when I mess up at times,I like to go for a quiet walk or just listen to the birds

sing. But thats not always, and I dont expect myself or

anyone to go hug trees to help lessen deforestation in

this day and age. Todays generation is programmed for

a fast life. We dont have the time or we simply dont

care to look or think beyond ourselves. We cling on to

our gadgets devotedly and are extremely techno-savvy

and I dont blame us for it, its a necessity to be in-sync

with modern times. But the point Im trying to make is

that we should not be enslaved, what we can do is make

our existence more significant, and I dont mean to hint

at letting go of our current lifestyles, not at all BUT let

me tell you very frankly, it doesnt take the slightest bit

of effort to incorporate green-consciousness into our

busy lives. If a girl like me can do it, its a piece of cake

for you. However intricate it may seem, its quite unde-

manding. I just try to make sure that whatever I do does

not waste energy, or disrupt the environment or wildlife.

The single most important thing here is RESPECT and

everyone is capable of respecting the animate and the

inanimate likewise.

Well, let me make things clear to you first, Im not hereto build some sort of a youth crusade pleading in front

of people to do the right thing or campaign against the

evils in society or plain boring lecture you about it. Its

a mere realization and the earlier the better. I just try to

do the right thing myself and urge my friends to do the

same. Well, its their choice obviously, but why not be

discerning and unanimously do what is right if it eases

the planet to endure the yoke of the present times. If

each one starts, the word shall spread and in due course

lead to something constructive.

It lies within us, the power to lead! And leading for a

righteous cause calls for more than just thoughts like

We must do this, or they mustnt do that It requires

grit and devotion. It calls for immediate and continual

ACTION. Simply saying it wont help! (But thats the

first step I agree, awareness is exceedingly crucial) andonce you know it, and then well, dont stare at me like

a wimp. Just go out there and start-off with little things

and move on to bigger things! Trust me on that, listen to

the green call and do whatever you can as an individual

- ultimately you will create an IMPACT which is our

collective goal. And if we reach that goal, Id be the hap-

piest person alive and Id party till I fall down you bet.

Im still proud of who I am and wont change for anyone

but for something that helps the world, I most certainly

would and so I did!

So now since youve managed to read up till here, you

must be well acquainted with who I am and what Im

babbling over here. Each month, I shall come and tell

you more about my crazy life and my experiences and

green adventures as I may call it and that surely makes

my life and surroundings better in a million ways. My

nerdy mate Mitali is with me every time or if not, then

some how drives my whole plan and inspires me to

improve and the best thing is that shes stopped nag-

ging now, seeing how responsible Ive developed into

towards the environment. What a funny thing!

Im loving life. :)

In conclusion, like

Aristotle once said If

one way be better than

another, that you may

be sure is Natures

way.

Stay green until next

time.

Love,

Esha.

Pooja BhattAsst. Editor, Expressions

EXPRESSIONS 2010


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AUGUST 2010 10

ECofEmiNism

Ecofeminism emerged somewhere in the 1970s

with an increasing awareness of the relation-

ship between women and nature. The term,

eco-feminisme, was coined in the year 1974 by a

famous French writer Francoise dEaubonne who

urged women to lead an ecological revolution topreserve the planet. Such an ecological revolution

would entail new gender relations between women

and men and between humans and nature.

Women have a greater concern for the environment

than men but they are often perceived as less active

in the over-all environmental movement. In a way

this is justifiable, because womens levels of political

participation around environmentalism are com-

paratively lower than mens in some of the areas at

least. Though we cannot deny the fact that this is

because womens environmental action is focused

on personal environmental practices, such as green

consumerism, or on local environmental efforts,

both of which are invariably overlooked by the me-

dia, the public, and environmental leaders.

It is known by all that women are more likely than

men to practice environmentalism through non-po-

litical means. One area in which womens environ-

mentalism goes largely unnoticed is in their green

lifestyle and consumption choices. Women and

especially women with children, are invariably more

likely to act in environmentally responsible ways

inside their homes, by buying eco friendly products,

recycling, reducing water consumption and moder-

ating energy usage. This may result, in part, from

womens greater responsibility for household duties

particularly more so in our country INDIA, which

definitely gives those more opportunities to engage

in small-scale personal environmentalism. While all

this may not be often recognized as environmental

activism, these private behaviors directly have animpact on the environment and have the potential

to create measurable and concrete change if wide-

spread.

There are countless examples of what women have

done towards environment conservation starting

back in the 1970s, an organized resistance to the

destruction of forests spread throughout India and

which later on came to be known as the Chipko

movement. Similarly in Canada, women have taken

to the streets to initiate signature campaign oppos-ing uranium processing near their towns. Not to for-

get in the United States, housewives have decided

to clean up the hazardous waste sites by involving

the local support from communities around. Women

of the Green Belt movement have decided to initi-

ate a massive large scale plantation drive in the arid

degraded lands in Kenya and top it up with in Swe-

den; feminists have prepared jam from berries andthen sprayed some herbicides and offered a taste to

members of parliament: they refuse. All these are

just some of the examples of a worldwide move-

ment, increasingly being known as ecofeminism,

dedicated solely to the preservation of our planet.

There are many women who come to my mind

when we talk about eco-feminism especially in our

country from Dr. Vandana Shiva who herself was

from Dehradun to the young and vibrant Ishita

Khanna, an ex-welhamite whose doing wonders

back in Spiti. In my views the real problem of

conserving our environment cant be solved by the

involvement of a few selected groups of women, it

surely requires a global involvement of the entire

community of womenfolk who need to understand

their roles and thereby actively participate together

in ensuring a brighter tomorrow.

I have tried to put down a few ways how a woman

can participate and thereby contribute towards con-

servation of the environment.

Mother is the first teacher

Mother is the first teacher. It is she who plays a

vital role towards the development of the personal-

ity of her child. She has the power to instill in future

generations a respect for environment and the need

to value bio-diversity. Thus developing good habits

in the child becomes really crucial:

1 To throw garbage in separate bins;

2 To respect and love the nature for what it gives

us;

3 Develop a habit planting a tree each year on his/

her birthday;

4 Children have a tendency of wasting paper, there-

by it becomes vital to inculcate amongst children

not to waste the paper the children are usually in

habit of tearing away papers from their note books,

a mother can keep a check on this bad habit of the

child. She can make them understand that for paper

production, the wood is used and deforestation can

bring unhappiness by disturbing the eco-system.

SAlUTING THE WOmEN


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AUGUST 2010 11

Reducing the wastage of Electricity

Light pollution is next on the radar. I dont know how

many of you are aware that the sodium lights used

for electrifying our streets are harmful for our eyes

and body. Thus we must ensure minimum use of

light, only when it is needed. Data collected through

various surveys have revealed that a single unit of

saving of electricity is equivalent to 1.25 unit of elec-

tricity generation. Our women thereby have quite an

important role to play in avoiding misuse of electric-

ity as they are the managers of their family.

Use of Garbage Box

Invariably, we all are in habit of throwing the gar-bage and the waste after cutting the vegetables,

graining, wiping and cleaning the floor, on the road,

just outside our houses, we do not realize that this

creates quite serious problems since it gives birth to

mosquitoes and malaria or other viral fever. The use

of garbage box must be advocated in each house-

hold which can be used to collect garbage and then

later these can be thrown at the bins provided by the

local municipality. This is one such habit if devel-

oped, we will not only be able to keep our houses

clean but, at the same time the colony, the city and

above all our surrounding environment will also be-

come tidy and healthy.

Adoption of Small Family Norm

Today, you do not have to be a rocket scientist to re-alize that the greatest problem which the world com-

munity is confronting is the problem of population

explosion. It is invariably the root cause of all other

problems. If we follow the small family norm, we will

thereby be able to keep a check on the environment

pollution also. I would like to quote Late. Smt. Indira

Gandhi,Its our paramount duty to educate our rural

masses, about the value and the benefit of family

planning, so that we may put a check on population

explosion and may lead a better healthy, hygienic

and peaceful life. Our woman must shoulder thisresponsibility as well.

Men have separated themselves from the ecosys-

tem. Five hundred years of global pillage in the

pretext of development and civilization have brought

us to a situation which is quite scary and we all are

very much aware of the same. Women in the past

have had no voices, but eco-feminism is a new and

radical language. In my views Women must provide

the moral energy and determination since they have

it in them to make a difference. They are the future

and hope in the struggle over life.

In the end I would like to quote Rachel Carson, we stand now where two roads di-

verge. But unlike the roads in Robert Frosts familiar poem, they are not equally fair.

The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy; a smooth superhighway

on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lays disaster. The other fork

of the road -- the one less traveled by -- offers our last, our only chance to reach adestination that assures the preservation of the earth.

ECofEmiNism

Yudhishter Puran Singh21 year old graduate from Mumbai University, a youngentrepreneur who loves to devote whatever time he can

towards creating awareness about the need for preservingenvironment

EXPRESSIONS 2010


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AUGUST 2010 12

PHoTosTorY

As a 16 year student I am pass ionate about na ture and wi ld l i fe and

always want ing to capture the v iv id forms of nature in my camera.

Jo in me in secur ing a br ighter tomorrow. Feel free to contact me atnawani .abhay@gmai l .com

ABHAY NAWANI


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AUGUST 2010 13

PHoTosTorY


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AUGUST 2010 14

I

shita Khanna, 29, is a spirited development professional who was born and raised in Dehra Dun. She

completed her schooling from Welham Girls School and did her masters in Social Work from the Tata

Institute of Social Sciences. Striving to improve life in remote Himalayan villages by building a greeneconomy, Ishita is the founder of Ecosphere an organization which has facilitated sustainable development

and eco livelihoods in the Spiti Valley for many years. She was the winner of the 2008 Wild Asias Respon-

sible Tourism Award and also won the famous Sierra Clubs inaugural Green Energy & Green Livelihoods

Achievement Award in India for 2009. She was also one of the eight finalists of the Pepsi MTV Youth Icons

for 2008. Expressions presents, a tte--tte with the lovely lady about her passion for the environment

and her invaluable contribution through her arduous and courageous work in Himachal Pradesh.

EXPRESSIONS (E): Back when you were in school, did you always think of becoming a social and environ-

mental activist? How did you go about it?

Ishita Khanna (IK): I always had an interest in the environment though had no clue that I would take up and work

on issues that I am currently working on. I also wouldnt call myself a social or environmental activist.

(E)What brought you to Himachal Pradesh and what were the challenges that you faced initially?

(IK) My first job took me to Himachal and I worked briefly for the Himachal Government. My tryst with Spiti began in

2000 when a friend and I biked it to spiti valley. The challenges we faced initially was the remoteness of the area and

the lack of communication facilities for even the slightest of issues one had to undertake the 10 hour long journey

to Manali.

(E)What were the major problems in Spiti and how did you address them?

(IK) When we first began working in Spiti we felt that the major need was to develop alternate and sustainable liveli-hood avenues for the local communities that responsibly use available local resources (natural & cultural) and protect

the environment. Ecosphere hence focused most of its efforts on developing options that tap the local surpluses and

unique attributes of Spiti. One such surplus identified was Seabuckthorn (a wild berry with high medicinal value). The

other high potential livelihood avenue that emerged was responsible eco-tourism. Moreover by developing markets

for indigenous crops such as barley and black peas, Ecosphere is attempting to promote and thereby revive the culti-

vation of indigenous crops which are more suitable to the areas geo-climatic conditions as well as protect the organic

practices of the region.

Spiti being a Trans-Himalayan cold desert, witnesses 6 month long winters where the temperatures fall down to as

low as -30 degrees centigrade. Moreover, due to its high altitude (the average altitude is 4500 mts asl) and extreme

winter climate, vegetation especially trees are sparse. Therefore, during the winter the inhabitants of Spiti burn coal,wood, dung and other bushes to cook and warm their houses.

Although Spiti is extremely cold in the winters, it has an abundance of sunny days. Simple solar technologies, based

on passive solar concepts with the usage of local material, are being used to minimize fuel wood consumption of the

local communities

(E)What are the things that define eco-friendly development and how did you achieve that in Spiti?

(IK) Well, I still feel theres a long way to go but some of our initiatives promoting the use of solar energy are:-

Improved Green Houses

One of the critical issues within the Spiti valley is the availability of green vegetables throughout the year, especially

in the winters. Due to harsh climatic conditions in the 6 month long winter (temperature go as low as -30 degree cen-

tigrade) it is practically impossible to grow anything. Most of the vegetables that are available during the winters are

fACETofACE

wth Ishita Khanna


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AUGUST 2010 15

centred around the urban areas and not accessible to villagers in remoter areas. The other issue pertains to the high

costs of these vegetables as they require long distance transportation.

Based on a simple concept, the improved green houses are well adapted to the geographic and socio-economic context

of cold desert areas such as Spiti. Since these green houses enable vegetable cultivation in harsh climatic conditions,

they not only contribute in providing additional income to the locals but also contribute to the improvement of daily

nutritional intake.

Energy Efficient Buildings

An energy efficient building is south facing and integrates passive solar architecture to gain heat and thermal insulation

to retain heat inside the building. The techniques are based on local materials (dung, straw, mud, and brick) to improve

access to reliable, sustainable and affordable energy.

Studies which have been undertaken on energy efficient houses have shown that fuel consumption is reduced by 60%,

temperatures of rooms are always above 10C and the inner air is smokeless. Cold-related illnesses are reduced and

households are able to take on income generating activities such as handicrafts and double their production. Moreover

3.5 tons of CO2 per household is yearly saved, which contributes to mitigating global warming.

Solar Bathing Facilities

Bathing in these high altitude cold desert villages is difficult due to the limited availability of fuel wood to heat water,

more so for the women, as there are no designated bathing areas in the houses. Using solar geysers to heat water,

Ecosphere has set up community bathing facilities in villagers which are now being used by both the vil-

lagers and tourists visiting these villages and staying in locally run Homestays. This is hence providing

not only an additional income generating opportunity to them but has also worked towards increas-

ing levels of hygiene of especially the women and children.

(E)Do you feel the government promoted your developmental activities in Spiti?

(IK) The government did provide some support for the replication of our Seabuck- thorn initiative.

(E)Tell us about ECOSPHERE.

(IK) Ecosphere is a social enterprise that is a collaborative effort of the local community of Spiti and professionals from

diverse backgrounds. Ecospheres work in Spiti, aims at the sustainable development of the Spiti valley by working on

the triple bottom line linkage of economic empowerment, conservation and development. Ecosphere strongly believes

conservation will only be possible if there is some economic linkage and incentive attached to it.

(E)What was the defining moment of your career and how does it feel to have been honoured with a number

of awards in such a short period of time?

(IK) Well its hard to pin-point on one defining moment there have been many and there are bound to be many more

in the years to come. The awards are for the work that Ecosphere has done in Spiti I am just a small part of the team.

(E)Being young and dynamic, you have achieved great feats that inspire the youth of our country, what is

your message to them?

(IK) Unfortunately our educational systems and the social conditioning of our times forces the majority to flow in one

pre-determined direction. I would urge the youth to take time off --- to explore nature, to discover themselves, to un-

derstand the intricate linkages that sustain life and to experience the beauty of nature and its ever selfless qualities in

contrast to the increasingly consumptive and self centered society we currently live in.

(E)Last of all, what do you think is the role of a woman towards the conservation of environment?

(IK) I think woman and men both have a crucial role to play in environment conservation and everyone must makea concerted effort to bring about a change in their lifestyles and their surroundings that can positively contribute to the

environment.

fACETofACE

EXPRESSIONS 2010


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AGENTsforABEAuTifuLTomorroW

WOmEN

+

This article includes an introduction to the

history of womens involvement in thestruggle for a sustainable livelihood at

individual and community level. World-

wide, women have manifested themselves as

agents of change for environment and sustain-

able development.

Since the start of human history, women have

contributed essentially to the conservation, use

and management of natural resources.The role

of woman-the gatherer was more important for

food and security than that of man-the-hunter.

Around the globe they play distinct roles from

men: in managing agricultural lands, plants, ani-

mals and forests, in collecting water and fodder

for domestic use and income generation, in the

collection and use of firewood and other bio-fuels. By doing so, they contribute time, energy,

skills and personal visions to family and commu-

nity development. Their extensive experiences

make them an invaluable source of knowledge

and expertise on environmental management and

appropriate actions. This makes these so called

illiterate woman as excellent human resource

managers, having very strong environmental

awareness.

The first documented expression of a woman,

who gave her life to safeguarding the environ-

ment, goes back more than three hundred years

ago. The Maharaja of Jodphur, Rajasthan (In-

dia), wanted to build a new palace and required

wood for it. His men went to the area around the

village of Jalnadi to fell the khejri trees. When

Amrita Devi, member of the Bishnois commu-

nity, saw this, she rushed out to prevent the men

and she hugged the first tree. But the axe fell

on her and she died on the spot. People from 83surrounding villages rushed to prevent the men

from felling the trees and by the end of the day

more than 350 had lost their lives. When the king

heard about this, he apologized and promised the

villagers that they would never again be asked

to provide timber. With that event the recorded

history of the Chipko movement started.

In Seventees, Under the leadership of

Gaura Devi, a 50-year old illiterate woman,

women rushed from their homes to hug the trees(chipko means hugging) and prevent them from

being cut. A four-day standoff ended in victory

for the villagers. The actions of the

When you start working with the environment seriously, the whole arena

comes: human rights, women rights environmental rights, childrens right,

you know, everybodys rights.Once you start making these linkage, you

can no longer do just tree-planting.

Wangari maathai


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CoVErsTorY

women of Reni were repeated in several other

places in the region, as hill women demonstrated

their power as non-violent activists.

In Japan, in the 1950s, the Nakabaru Womens

Society and Sanroku Womens Society protested

loudly against pollution from industries and

power plants in the Tobata region. This resulted in

major pollution prevention measures taken by the

local government and corporations.

Another well-known example of womens long-

lasting involvement in environment is the Green-

belt Movement,

Kenya. Launched

on Earth Day 1977

by the NationalCouncil of Women,

this environmental

campaign resulted in

the mobilization of

thousands of women

planting indigenous

trees. The Move-

ment has created a

national network of

6,000 village nurs-eries, The 50,000

women members of

the Movement have

planted about 20 mil-

lion trees.

In Eastern Europe it

is primarily the pollu-

tion of the environment and its impacts on human

health that has fuelled womens environmental

activism. Ecofeminism is seen as the connection

of the environmental movement and the feminism

movement.

Organized womens groups are fighting against

deforestation, pollution and other forms of envi-

ronmental degradation. There are also an in-

creasing number of womens groups and unique

self-help projects regenerating the environment.

Often a woman takes the lead in such campaigns.

And Woman leaders often become a source ofinspiration for a wide range of women.

Individual women have played crucial roles in

enhancing public awareness and political will

for environmental protection and conservation:

Rachel Carson, Donella Meadows, Gauri Devi,

Rigoberta Mench Tum, Gro Harlem Brundtland,

Jane Goodall, Wangari Maathai, Anita Roddick,

Bella Abzug and Noreena Hertz, just to mention a

few.

The commitment, courage, resilience and pa-

tience of millions of individual and organized

women, - scientists, activists and local rural and

urban women - in

sustaining the envi-

ronment is amazing.

Day after day theyperform their com-

munities productive

and reproductive

tasks, or inform the

world community

about the need for

environmental con-

servation.

They sustain the in-

terface between thehuman and physical

environment, thereby

demonstrating a

deep understanding

and technical knowl-

edge about the eco-

logical characteristics

of their environment:

If we only look in the field of biodiversity, nu-

merous examples are available about womens

knowledge of local ecosystems and species, and

their commitment and practices to conserve

these. Particularly indigenous women, in all re-

gions of the world, are custodians of local biodi-

versity.

Their extensive experiences

make them an invaluable source

of knowledge and experse on

environmental management andappropriate acons.


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AUGUST 2010 18

Professional womens organizations have also

been established, such as the Women Leaders

for the Environment consisting of women envi-

ronment ministers from around the world, and

the recently established WOCAN network of

professional Women in Agriculture and Natural

Resource Management. In November 2004 more

than 150 professional women and activists came

together in Nairobi for the first WAVE

conference: Women as the Voice for the Environ-

ment, hosted by UNEP (United Nations Environ-

ment Programme).

What drives women?Taking into account the above developments, a

relevant question is: Why are women interested

in becoming change agents in the environmental

area? And: is their contribution to environmental

conservation different from men?

Womens reproductive and productive tasks and

roles enhance their profound relationship and

commitment towards the present and future well-

being of their children, families and communities.

A sense of motherhood and sisterhood generates

a powerful commitment to resist any develop-

ments that threaten the subjects of that feeling.

Therefore environmental degradation and pol-

lution not only affects womens personal work

burdens, health and quality of life negatively and

limit their access to and control over resources,

but are also strong physical, mental and emotion-

al drivers for action.

So, these physical, physiological or emotional factors make Woman an important

and a powerful agent to fight against deterioration of environment & thus

an agent of change for a healthy environment.

AGENTsforABEAuTifuLTomorroW

Ms. Vineeta BhardwajThe writer has done her masters in Ecology andEnvironment and is also a member of ISSRM &IUFRO(International Forum for environment &Forests. Presently working as HOD EnvironmentScience in Col. Brown School, Dehradun and can

be reached at [email protected]

EXPRESSIONS 2010


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PHoTosTorY


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AUGUST 2010 20

ExPrEssioNs CoffEE

EXPRESSIONS (E):WHAT ARE THE THREE THINGS THAT YOU LIKE ABOUT DEHRADUN?

RADHA RATURI (RR): Climate, Greenery & Culture.

E: WHAT ARE THE CHANGES THAT YOU HAVE OBSERVED IN THE CITY AND WHAT ARE THE IMPLICA-

TIONS OF THOSE CHANGES?

RR: Increase in traffic, air pollution, multi-storeyed buildings, water logging etc. These changes will gradu-

ally affect the climate of Dehradun.

E: WHAT DO YOU THINK WERE THE REASONS FOR THE ABOVE?

RR: Since Dehradun became the temporary capital of Uttarakhand, there was a sudden increase in popu-

lation, offices, vehicles etc.

E: SHOULD THE DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY BE AN ECONOMIC PRIOR-

ITY?

RR: Yes, we should try to develop solar energy, wind energy and launch a peoples movement for rain

water harvesting and recycling of waste water.

E: DO THINK GLOBAL WARMING IS REAL? CAN YOU SITE SOME EXAMPLES WITH REGARDS TO DEH-

RADUN?

RR: Yes, because gradually the summers in Dehradun are becoming warmer- ACs are being used in places

where they were not required earlier.

E: HOW CAN WE PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND AT THE SAME TIME IMPROVE PEOPLES

STANDARD OF LIVING?

RR: We need a balance between development and ecology.

E: WHAT DO YOU FEEL ARE THE MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN DEHRADUN AND HOW

CAN THEY BE DEALT WITH?

RR: Air pollution, improper garbage disposal, polythene bags, choking drains, burning of garbage near

roots of trees etc. To reduce air pollution, we need to check vehicle emissions and reduce number of vehi-

cles, solid waste management by the local body and residents is necessary for proper garbage disposal.

E: ARE THERE ANY ACTIONS BEING TAKING TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT IN DEHRADUN?RR: Each citizen of Dehradun should try to ensure that no garbage is thrown on the roads or pavements,

wth Radha RaturiThe dynamic Radha Raturi is an IAS officer, Secretary finance, chief election

officer and tax commissioner, govt. of Uttarakhand. She did her BA history

hons from Bombay university, MA in personnel management from Osmania university

and a diploma in mass communication from Sophia polytechnic Bombay. She was also

posted as the DM Fatehpur (UP), DM Tehri-Garwal and DM Dehradun. Expressions

got in touch with her to know her views on various environmental issues.


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AUGUST 2010 21

say no to polythene carry bags, segregate household waste into bio-degradable and non-bio-degradable.

E: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR. PLEASE COMMENT.

RR:Yes, for sustainable development all of us have to ensure that we do not waste water and electricity.

We should try to conserve water through rain water harvesting and make maximum use of solar energythrough various implements such as solar cooker, solar lights, solar water heaters etc. We should also try

to plant trees on all vacant land in Dehradun.

E: THE MOST APPALLING GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE IS ...?

RR: Global Warming and Ozone depletion.

E: WHOS YOUR FAVOURITE ENVIRONMENTALIST AND WHY?

RR: Gaura Devi, for launching the Chipko Movement to protect trees.

E: DO YOU FEEL THE USE OF PLASTIC BAGS SHOULD BE PROHIBITED?

RR: Plastic bags should be re-cycled and their use should be minimized as much as possible.

E: DEFORESTATION WOULD REDUCE CONSIDERABLY IF THERE IS SEVERE ENFORCEMENT OF THE

LAW. PLEASE COMMENT.

RR: A peoples movement should be launched to reduce deforestation.

E: WHAT ROLE CAN WOMEN PLAY IN CONSERVATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT?

RR: Women already play an important role in conserving the environment. What we require is to sensitize

the men also towards conservation of environment.

E: WHAT IS YOUR OPINION CONCERNING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS? HOW CAN ITBE MADE MORE EFFECTIVE?

RR: Environmental education in schools should not be a theoretical subject, where children study from a

book and give exams. It should be used to sensitize children towards sustainable development and conser-

vation of our natural resources through practical work.

E: ONE MESSAGE YOU WOULD LIKE TO GIVE TO OUR YOUNG READERS.

RR: Please do not waste electricity at home or in your school and remember to switch off all lights, fans,

ACs, electrical appliances when they are not being used.

ExPrEssioNs CoffEE


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WAYsToPHoToGrAPH 2

The sky needs to be considered carefully in landscape photography as it can either make

a very positive contribution to the impact of an image or seriously detract from it andin Doon the sky has a lot to offer a photographer round the year. An empty, white sky

is best avoided in most circumstances as it can have a very negative effect on the im-

age by drawing attention away from the landscape and, in many cases, weakening the

colour and contrast of the remainder of the image

A FARmHANDS SHANTY IN DUDHlY

Ispotted this rundown

small farmhouse while

driving along a quiet

country road in the Suswa

valley south of the city of

Dehra. I was attracted by

its tumbledown state and

by the arrangement of the

building and the surround-ing trees, which I thought

were quintessential Doon

with corrugated cement sheet

roof and the ubiquitous black

plastic sheet. I also liked the am-

rood trees for fruit in front, the

tun for shade at the back of the

house along with the lone poplar

for cash and not to miss the ghu-

dal as the hibiscus is called by

the local people on the far rightof the shanty, for its dark crimson

blossoms and as the monsoon

had just ended you can see the

tufts of basmati rice in the paddy

at the bottom of the picture.

In normal circumstances, I

would probably have thought of

these as a distraction, but here

they seemed to contribute to the

mood of the scene. But it was the

large white cloud that clinched itfor me, and I doubt I would have

shot the picture had it been blue.

Doonvalley


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AUGUST 2010 23

sand

ip

puran

singh

During the monsoon the road

to Mussoorie provides one of

the most thrilling drives you

can have, and is particularly

rich in opportunities for pho-

tographs because after thefirst few showers the dust and

haze of the summer is gone

replaced by lucid views of the

valley often with rolling cu-

mulous clouds stretching over

the horizon. Some of the more

noticeable features are the

ridges and valleys which, in

many places, have dense for-

ests covering them. I thought

there was some potential in

this mountain range but could

not find any other features

with which to make a compo-

sition. As I drove up the car

park behind Picture Palace it

was late in the evening with

end-of-the-monsoons feel in

the air and some small, nicely

shaped clouds began to put

up a show to on the horizon.

Panning the view it occurred

to me that by including the

cute cottage set in a thicket of

Deodars next to the Christiancemetery on Camels Back

could provide the other ele-

ment the image needed. I then

found a viewpoint (below a

hawa-ghar) where I was able

to include an interesting sec-

tion of the range together with

the rolling clouds and the cot-

tage. I used a polarizing filter

to make the clouds stand out

in strong relief. This had the

effect of making the blue sky

at the top of the frame darker

than I would have liked, so I

used the graduated mask in

the Photoshop to make it a bit

lighter, you can also use Grad-

uated Tint in Google Picasa

under Effects just as well which

Sandip Puran Singhseemasandeepsingh

@gmail.com

is perhaps more intuitive and

simpler to use.

It is often possible to simply

frame the image in a way

that excludes any blank sky,

and this can improve both

the quality and impact of

the landscape. A plain blue

sky does not have the same

negative effect as a white sky

but it rarely adds much to the

image. As a general rule, its

best to frame the image to in-

clude as little sky as possible,

or even to exclude it alto-

gether. But when the sky hasinteresting clouds which Doon

has round the year including

some of it can often produce

more powerful and atmos-

pheric photography

2Doonvalley

CAmElS BACK ClOUDS

EXPRESSIONS 2010


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AUGUST 2010 24

God patiently takes time and pictures every-

thing with perfection. He makes it beautiful

enough to let us fall in love with it by just a

glancebut what we humans do? We try our level

best to dismantle Gods mesmerizing construction

, we destroy things and call it rebuilding something

better. Humans , the so called self made builders of

the society are today proving to be even worse than

that man who lived millions of years ago.

Let me brief you with the amount of changes noticed

as man evolved , let me compare that man who was

no less than an ape to the todays modern intellec-

tual, self made, successful ape whose a devastator

in disguise !

THE EARLY MAN was always in search of food, he

wandered from place to place to let himself stay

alive, he ate whatever he got, he did kill animals butthat was so that he could survive, he had no per-

manent shelter, he stayed in caves, huts made from

whatever little he could gather.He was a gatherer,

a wanderer, a hunter,

yet a lover of nature.He

worshipped nature and

knew its value, he actu-

ally considered nature

his mother in true sense

because nature nurturedhim.

MODERN MAN is no exception. He does absolutely

the same things that the early man did but the only

and rather the major difference between the two

was that, the early man did things to let the ends

meet whereas the modern man does things to end

the means.

We move from place to place, not with the aim of

doing something constructive to the nature rather

we cause destruction wherever we go! We turn good

farmlands, grasslands to untamed land of soil, cut

trees, cause intentional forest fires, change a wet-

land to a complete barren land and shut it all up by

saying, we are taking the society to a better tomor-

row. We plunge extreme amount of pollution in the

air, harness the normal growth of plants n tress,

build unnecessary skyscrapers without even follow-

ing the basic code of construction.

Moreover, as man competes to increase his lot,

the twin rivals Poverty and Illiteracy are well set

against their progenitor. Its clearly understandable

that where poverty lurks and illiteracy proliferates,

the sense of cleanliness (personal or public) fails to

get the spotlight Family planning and other noble

initiatives still await mass-acceptance.

The problems as stated above do not eclipse the mi-

nor responsibilities of the citizens. Undeniably, they

observe public hygiene, and their social well-bred-ness prohibits them from giving a road show to the

calls of their GUT. But they litter in their wandering

spirit. In the process, shreds of detachment (in the

form of skinned fruits and veg-

etables, tatters etc) and slush of

sentiments (squeezed lemons,

watermelons and many more),

find their way out in the open.

Consequence Roads and pave-

ments become the alimentarycanal in hyperactivity.

Some state Governments in a sincere attempt to

combat this problem have tried to give it the Inter-

national Onyx treatment. Bins in green uniform and

apron-ed personnel do their daily job of collection.

But in spite of these efforts garbage is seen free

flowing. Does this looming shadow, shadow all pos-

sible solutions?

No. Mt Garbage may stand mighty but its not

invincible.

THis is WHAT iT TurNs ouT To BE !

early man did things to let

the ends meet, whereas the

modern man does things to

end the means.


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AUGUST 2010 25

The so called modern man is completely

disillusioned by the idea of what progress and

evolution is! He is a bit too ignorant towards

all that is going on around him, we want all

the luxuries of life, we want ourselves to be

extremely satisfied, we will throw our garbage

anywhere and give an excuse,oh! Please, who

cares about others? I should be clean and pre-

sentable.

We kill animals not to survive but to make

more and more money. Accept the fact that we

are the materialistic lot. We have forgotten that

we live in a society and hence were not just

limited to I , me, myself and my family, it is a

bit more than that.

I do not want to be polite or modest and say

that its an advice rather Ill be a little more di-

rect and state that its a red alert! A warning!.

Comprehend and interpret it properly before

we or our future generations land up saying,

Oh yes, petroleum once existed.

Mum, what was the black and orange striped

animal called? Was it the tiger?

Is it really true that once there existed a few

places categorized as Hill Stations?

Are there really 6 seasons in a year or it was

always this hot?

This all might sound a bit exaggerated but this is what we are heading towards,

wake up people and dont let your follies pile up to such an extent that it becomes

increasingly difficult to correct them.

Strict rules and regulations, un-politicized and a role model chosen by us, will lead

to its collapse /downfall, giving nature the much wanted Refresh!The choice lies in your handswhat do you want? A beautiful tomorrow or a de-

structive, black, sooty future??

Sneha Pande

THis is WHAT iT TurNs ouT To BE !

EXPRESSIONS 2010


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AUGUST 2010 26

Environmental history books have mostly fo-

cused on mens roles, and generally womens

involvement with nature has been ignored

but even historical texts have been deficient in

writing about women participation in environ-mentalist actions. The Womens Environment &

Development Organization (WEDO), an interna-

tional U.S. based non-governmental organization

that advocates womens equality in global policy.

It was founded in 1990 by Bella Abzug and Mim

Kelber to take action in the United Nations and

other international policymaking forums. Its early

successes included achieving gender equality in

the final documents of Agenda 21 and the Rio

Declaration. In 2006, the organization was named

as an international Champion of the Earth by the

United Nations Environment Programme. Agenda

21 is a programme run by the United Nations

(UN) related to sustainable development and was

the planets first summit to discuss global warm-

ing related issues. Rio Declaration was a short

document produced at the 1992 United Nations

Conference on Environment and Development

(UNCED), informally known as the Earth Summit.

It consisted of 27 principles intended to guide fu-

ture sustainable development around the world.

One of the outstanding women environmental-

ists is Rachel Carson. She was a scientist, writer,

and ecologist. After being inspired by her biology

teacher she switched her major from English to Bi-

ology. Carson focused on effects of chemicals and

pesticides on the environment. That is when she

wrote her book about environment, Silent Spring.

The book was about what man has done to the na-

ture and eventually to himself, and started a mod-ern environmental movement. Carson believed

that human and nature are mutually dependent

on each other. She argued that industrial activi-

ties such as pesticides use can damages the earth

ecosystem and will have far-reaching ecological

consequences such as future human health prob-

lems. Today, scientific studies have demonstrated

these consequences.

One of the first environmentalist movement which

was inspired by women Gaura Devi, the head of

the village Mahila Mangal Dal, at Reni village.

Gaura Devi led 27 women of Reni village, reached

the site where labourers arrived a truckload to

start the logging operations and confronted them.

When all talking failed, and instead loggers started

shouting and abusing the women, threateningthem with guns, the women resorted to hugging

the trees to stop the them from being axed and

this was the beginning of the Chipko movement

in the 1970s.The movement was an act of defi-

ance against the state governments permission

given to a corporation for commercial logging. The

Chipko movement adopted the slogan Ecology

Is Permanent Economy. The women embracing

the trees did not tag their action as feminist activ-

ism; however, as a movement that demonstrated

resistance against oppression, it had all the mark-

ings of such.

Another movement, which is one of the biggest in

women and environmental history, is the Green

Belt movement. Nobel Prize winner Wangari

Maathai founded this movement on The World En-

vironment Day in June 1977. The starting cere-

mony was very simple; few women planted seven

trees in Maathais backyard. By 2005, 30 million

trees had been planted by participants in theGreen Belt movement on public and private lands.

The Green Belt movement aims to bring environ-

mental restoration along with societys economic

growth. This movement led by Maathai focused on

restoration of Kenyas rapidly diminishing forests

as well as empowering the rural women through

environmental preservation, with a special empha-

sis on planting indigenous trees.

Women are considered to be more sensitive to-wards the environment. So as one can observe the

contribution of women in the field of environment.

It turns out to be our responsibility to give the

women, as well as the environment, the revere

they truly deserve.

WomENANdTHEirGrEEN PoWEr

Anuvansh Sharma20 year old, pursuing B.Tech

(Applied Petroleum Engineering)

EXPRESSIONS 2010


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AUGUST 2010 27

gogreentipsH

ow can we live prudently on the Earth and save money at the same time?

Climate change is in the news. It seems like everyones going green. Were glad you want to

take action, too. Luckily, there are many of the steps we can take to stop climate change and

make our lives delightfully better. Our grandchildren-and their children-will thank us for living more

sustainably. Lets not wait for tomorrow and start now.

Dear readers in this issue, we specially focus on our women readers, how a common house wife or a

working lady can take steps from her very own house for going green.

g g Take a cloth or fabric bag to the store for shopping! If you visit grocery shop once a week, in 5

years youll have kept 250 to 1,000 grocery bags out of the landfill. When a ton of plastic bags

are reused or recycled, the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil is saved!!!!Plastic carry bag is the

main culprit. Use alternatives such as cloth bag/jute bag/paper bag.

Pick eco-friendly toys for toddlers. There has been a lot of concern over the materials used inmaking childrens toys, particularly PVC Plastics. Chemicals that are added to plastic to sof-

ten toys include phthatles, which are considered a carcinogen (A carcinogen is a substance

that is capable of causing cancer in humans or animals) by the EPA (Environmental Protection

Agency,USA). Shop wisely; Dont accept plastic bags from shops. Carry your own bag.

Think out of the box when washing clothes. Using the smallest amount of soap or detergent will

save money and natural resources. Washing clothes in cold water saves energy and colours.

Only Rain in the Drain! Do not dump yard waste in storm drains or natural waterways. Storm

drains lead directly into our streams and rivers without treatment. It decomposes, releases foul

odours and leads to poor water quality

Purchase rechargeable batteries for all your electronic gifts instead of regular alkaline ones.

It is high time we start saving the Earths precious resources for the future generations along with

saving money and assets for them. How many of us agree with this

thought? So why throw away things that could be recycled or re-

used? To read these facts on recycling, it only takes a few minutes

but to actually put it in practice would also take some judicious

thinking and only a few minutes in a day. It is believed that a ton of

paper that is recycled saves 7000 gallons of water, 380 gallons ofoil and as much electricity to electrify an average household for 6

months. One aluminium can recycling can save electricity needed

to run a TV for 6 hours. Recycling one glass bottle saves as much

electricity as to power a 100-watts bulb for 4 hours, so calculate the

amount of energy one would save by using an energy saving bulb.

So now, lets vouch together to make this Earth a

better and clean place to live. The above mentioned

points are those that affect common households, its

something all around you. Just look carefully and you

will certainly find these tips useful at home.

Shilpy Goel AgarwalA management graduate from Sym-

biosis. Having been brought up in thebeautiful valley of Doon, which holds a

special place in my heart.

EXPRESSIONS 2010


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AUGUST 2010 28

iNTHENEWs

Green warr iorDolly Dhillon Gujral believes in involving masses in her tree plantation drive

Monsoon ki masti lo, choo na sake patjhar aisa lo

ashirwadare the lines out of a poem that, as ablessing, Dolly Dhillon Gujral ties to each sapling

she plants. This dedicated environmentalist re-

cently got an appreciation award for planting as

many as 1,800 trees during the last monsoon. We

use trees from the beginning of our life till our last

rites. Each human being in a lifespan consumes

close to 100 trees, be it for the purpose of fruits,

medicines or wood. Isnt it our duty to give back to

nature? she questions.

As for her, she is giving back for sure. From road-sides to schools, mosques, gurdwaras, mandirs,

gaushala, parking places and city markets, Dolly

has planted trees everywhere.

As a housewife I planted trees, say 10-12 a sea-

son. It was only last year that it took form of pas-

sion, she shares the journey. So, Dolly along with

one of her housemaids went wherever they found

a spot, dug a pit and planted a sapling. But the job

was not done with just planting. Wherever I plant,

I make sure to take a pledge from whosoever stays

nearby to look after the plant like a baby, she

says. And she herself makes sure to check out how

they are doing.

No wonder, of the 1800 saplings, near about all

have survived a year and in fact doing pretty well.

When I plant in schools, I generally give responsi-

bility of tending a plant to students because I feel

its children and youth who need to be sensitised,

she says.

Her enthusiasm is certainly matched by young,

bubbly kids who have named their young plantswith much love-Ayushman, Drishti and Sukhman.

Having so many babies (literally) has kept Dolly

on her toes the year around. When I planed at

the sides of roads, officials did tell me maintaining

them is going to be difficult but I had faith in my-

self, she shares. It did turn to be difficult to water

roadside plants. I took cans in our car to water the

plants, she says beaming with pride.

Her religious streak finds place as she chants

Gayatri Mantra and Mul Mantra from Jap Ji Sahibbefore planting each sapling and with love ties her

poem Jeevant Paudhe as a mark of blessing.

And, she makes sure to check on how her tribe

is growing. Sometimes I have this desire to see

some tree planted somewhere, I just pick up the

car and go to see, she shares.

Inspired? Well, the lady who has green fingers has

a message for you, Just tell me what plant you

want to have, I will get it and plant wherever you

want. I turn, just promise me take care of it and a

permission to check on it from time to time.

Source

Mona Singh

TRIBUNE - Dehradun Plus


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AUGUST 2010 29

Dehradun, 2nd August

Team iCARE as part of its month long Plant for the Future campaign, celebrated Van Mahotsav with

students of TOUCHWOOD SCHOOL, in their premises here today.

Plant for the Future campaign is an ambitious project undertaken by iCARE which is basically a pro-gram wherein our members will reach out to various schools, colleges, private institutions, govt. of-fices in and around Doon valley. So far in the first leg of our campaign we have already visited SunriseAcademy, Apollo International school, Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV Bhel) Haridwar, Shemrock, Cherry Fieldand have successfully planted trees and conducted Green Conference with an objective of promotingnot only low carbon practice but also encompassing the community of the valley to inculcate the needfor preserving the environment. Our aim is to reach out to everyone and thereby create a network ofenthusiastic citizens who wish to make an effort in making our planet a better place to live.

Green Baton reaches Touchwood Schoo , Dehradun

Since its inception in 1986, TOUCHWOOD school has become a name synonymous with value based

education situated in the mystic ambience of lush green hills, it is a scholars paradise. Here the inher-

ent potential of children is recognized and empowered with personal and professional skills to become

dynamic individuals who are socially aware and environmentally conscious.

MEENAKSHI SAXENA (PRINCIPAL)

An encouraging eco-friendly drive not only initi-

ated well but also executed with utmost sincerity.

iCARE volunteers need our special appreciation for

their social awareness and love for our country,

India. I wish them success in all their endeavors.

AANCHAL TAMTA Class XIII always feel myself very close to the nature and todays tree plantation

event really made my day. It was undoubtedly a wonderful experience.

I am very thankful to iCARE for giving me an opportunity

to be a part of your event. I am highly obliged. And I wish you success

in your program.

ISHAN PANT Class XII

In my opinion this organization is doing a great jobas theyre bringing people together from various parts of our

city and have started an initiative to make our town DEHRADUN

greener. I would love to be a part of this organization.

The initiative to plant trees in schools by bringing

children together is a great idea towards sustainable development.

The Green Baton will soon be travelling across Dehradun in the month of August.

So you never know maybe youre next. Thank you all for your support.

iNTHENEWs


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AUGUST 2010 30

Contest QUestionNow wrack your brains and answer this in 100 - 150 words.

YOUTH ACTIVISM IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR because .....The best entry will not only win a prize but will also be featured in the September issue.

ECO SPACEHave a passion for drawing, painting, sketching, photography.....???This is your chance to be featured in EXPRESSIONS september issue, andyou stand to win a surPRIZE.

Theme - WILDLIFE

Send in your entries latest by 25th August, 2010

[email protected]

www.icarefordoon.org

follow us on log on to


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AUGUST 2010 31

CoNGrATuLATioNs

How Can Environmental StudiesBe Made More Enjoyable?

Environment is not just a subject to study and just a mere defi-

nition of The combination of external physical conditions thataffect and influence the growth, development, and survival of

organisms doesnt mean we know about environment or we

are studying environment. Studying environment doesnt mean

that we learn a few definitions and copy the in the exam paper

and get full marks. NO. That is not studying environment that is just reading it for the sake of exams.

A person whether it is an adult or a child cannot learn about the environment until and unless he sees it as

a living organism. Environment not only just problems like pollution, population, natural disasters, global

warming, ozone depletion, contamination etc like every child is taught these days but environment consists

of many small things, many small pleasures.Like watching a small tiny bird take its first flight, a caterpillar changing into a colorful butterfly, a tiny kit-

ten looking at you with its huge innocent eyes, a bee trying to get to a flowers nectar all of these makes

our environment but in our narrow mined perspective we forget all these pleasures and happiness that our

environment gives us and instead concentrate on burdening the innocent small mind of a child with the

problems and words which a child cannot even start to understand.

The best and the most enjoyable way to teach a child or any person the actual environment is by making

him interact with the actual living beings of this wonderful and exotic environment. Let the child observe

each and every thing and the bigger picture, the bigger problems will by itself fall into

place in its mind. Teaching is important about these subjects but e should start at the

basic ABC of the subject. First let the child observe, interact and absorb with the envi-

ronment. The main thing is interaction, if the child himself sees the dirt roads and plastic

bags everywhere and then the teacher tells the child what will happen if those plastic

bags will remain there only then will a child understand the problem along with its solu-

tion.

In the end I would only like to say

teach the child to interact and he will understand everything himself

Apoorva GoyalGraphic Era University Of Technology

ECO SPACE WINNERS

Abhinav KapruvanHilton School, Dehradun

We would like to congratulate you all. You cancollect your gift vouchers from our city office:

51-A Subhash Road, Dehradun.For any confusion feel free to call us at +919760614317

Keep the entries coming in. Lots of prizes to be won.

Urvashi RawatBeverly Hills, Dehradun


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Documents

Expressions - August, 2010