tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50682047467432603182024-03-01T14:00:59.769+05:30SUSTAINable LifeA blog from Samuchit Enviro TechSamuchit Enviro Techhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03303808246667866981noreply@blogger.comBlogger334125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-58444715498811031052023-12-20T11:05:00.000+05:302023-12-20T11:05:19.965+05:30MUSINGS from PRIYADARSHINI KARVE: Reflections on COP28 Outcome <p> (The original Marathi article was published in Maharashtra Times Sunday Supplement on 17 Dec 2023. This is the English translation.)</p><h2 style="text-align: left;"></h2><h1 style="text-align: left;">Outcome of COP28</h1><h4 style="text-align: left;">Priyadarshini Karve, Convener, Indian Network on Ethics and
Climate Change (INECC)</h4><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After the industrial revolution in the mid-19<sup>th</sup>
century in Europe, industrialization based on mineral coal and other fossil
fuels took off in Europe. Although political empires of European countries broke
down globally after the Second World War in the twentieth century,
globalization of industrialization based on fossil fuels continued. Due to the
increasing use of fossil fuels, the concentration of carbon dioxide and other
greenhouse gases in the environment has increased, leading to a rise in average
temperature, contributing to global warming, a phenomenon that became widely
recognized after the 1960s through scientific research. Since 1980s scientists
started warning that due to this temperature increase, the delicate balance of
local weather everywhere will be disrupted, leading to adverse effects on
people's livelihoods and economies in the coming century. Acknowledging this
threat, the establishment of the 'United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change' (UNFCCC) took place in the 1990s under the auspices of the
United Nations. In this field, the 'Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change'
(IPCC) was established during the same period to gather scientific knowledge
and to provide interpretations of the science for the policy makers across the
world. It is expected that based on the periodic and well-publicized reports of
the IPCC, the UNFCCC should formulate strategies to tackle global warming and
participating countries should implement and adhere to them.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To monitor the progress of these efforts, annual sessions
lasting two weeks are held in November-December. These gatherings are known as
the 'Conference of Parties' or 'COP.'</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 1997, a significant decision was made during the third
meeting of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
held in Kyoto, Japan, known as the 'Kyoto Protocol.' Recognizing that 37
developed countries have reaped the maximum benefit from the use of fossil
fuels until the 1990s, it was considered their responsibility to save the world
from the impending crisis. To reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, these
countries committed to concerted efforts, and the new concept of carbon market
emerged from this.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, the developed countries did not fulfill their
responsibilities under the agreement. By 2010, it was obvious that the Kyoto
Protocol had totally failed. Nevertheless, the information about the issues
related to global warming reached citizens and stakeholders in developed
countries, leading to increased awareness. This lead to a few responsible
industries taking action, but the efforts made were quite inadequate.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">From the industrial revolution until the 2010s, there was a
noticeable increase in the average temperature of the earth. This temperature
rise had diverse consequences, affecting different parts of the world. There
was a reduction in snow cover at the poles, an increase in the sea level,
disruptions in rain cycle, and an increase in natural disasters like cyclones.
The awareness of this global crisis reached ordinary people worldwide.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Scientists had indicated that if the unrestricted use of
fossil fuels continued, the Earth could warm by more than 5-6 degrees Celsius
by 2100. This warming had the potential to disrupt global socio-economic
systems, affecting the lives of people and the environment. Perhaps these
warnings gave an impetus to the negotiations and all the countries agreed on a
new approach to tackle climate change in the COP at Paris in 2015.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Paris Agreement in 2015 aimed to limit global warming to
well below 2 degrees Celsius, and strive to keep it below 1.5 degrees Celsius above
pre-industrial levels. Countries agreed to voluntary action plans and regular
reporting of progress. The agreement acknowledged that developed nations, which
had historically contributed more to greenhouse gas emissions and totally
failed to implement the Kyoto agreement, needed to support developing nations
in their efforts to address climate change. The Paris agreement was to be
operationalised from the start of 2021 but that was delayed due to COVID-19
pandemic. However by now more or less all the countries have worked according
to the agreement for a couple of years. New commitments are expected in 2025.
Recently COP28 concluded in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. To take stock of the
progress so far and to initiate formulation of the next set of commitments was
the main agenda for this meeting. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After 2010, significant advancements in renewable energy
technologies and some efforts under the Paris Agreement have led to a
collective result. As a result, the estimated increase in the Earth's average
temperature due to greenhouse gas emissions is now projected to stabilize
around 3-4 degrees Celsius by 2100. Although this goal is more challenging than
the target of limiting the increase to 1.5-2 degrees, if more ambitious
commitments are made by countries every 5 years and if the low carbon
technologies continue to develop rapidly, this target is still achievable.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Despite the progress, the global use of fossil fuels
continues to rise. The Earth's average temperature has already increased by 1.2
degrees Celsius. According to scientists, limiting the temperature increase to
1.5 degrees is difficult but not impossible. If beyond 2030, fossil fuel
consumption decreased globally and in the next two decades, it dropped to zero
the target can be achieved. However if the fossil fuel continued to rise beyond
2030 the temperature increase will go beyond 1.5 degrees by 2050 and the second
half of the 21<sup>st</sup> century will destroy the progress made by humans
over the last 11-12 thousand years. Science is clearly warning that this is not
a battle for some distant future but it is a battle for survival for you and me
and our children and grandchildren that are already here. The future will be
decided by what decisions are taken about the energy generation and use by us
in our personal and professional lives and by the governments on the policy and
implementation level. We are all creating the history of the future today.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The outcome of the COP28 that ended on 13 December should be
seen in this background. This year's conference was hosted by a country at the
forefront of providing fossil fuel to the world. The host country had chosen
the head of its leading petroleum company to lead the conference. Therefore
many people were afraid that the slow moving train of the Paris agreement might
be derailed in this meeting.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It is crucial to address the continued use of mineral fuels
to avoid reaching the 1.5-degree threshold and experiencing irreversible
consequences. The future will witness changes in how countries, individuals,
and businesses generate and utilize energy. The official implementation of the
Paris Agreement is expected to begin in 2021, emphasizing the urgency of global
cooperation. The Conference of Parties (COP 28) held in Dubai under the
leadership of the United Arab Emirates provided a platform for discussing and
advancing climate-related initiatives.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The beginning of the COP was marked by an important and satisfying
decision. In the past year, during the 'COP 27' held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt,
a significant decision was unanimously reached. To assist poorer countries
facing the most severe impacts of climate change, a new fund named 'Loss and
Damage' was proposed. Developed countries were urged to contribute. United Arab
Emirates, being a prosperous but developing country, declared its commitment on
the first day of 'COP 28' by contributing to this fund. This step put a moral
pressure on the developed countries and several of them announced their own
contributions. Unfortunately, the developed countries have yet to fulfil their
promised financial assistance for adaption to the developing countries. This
new fund has faced financial challenges, with only a few hundred thousand
dollars announced despite the urgent need for billions for 'Loss and Damage.'<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The last 2-3 days of extensive negotiations lead to a
declaration that pleasantly surprised many. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In global geopolitics, the fossil fuel producers have such a
strong grip on the world politics that in the past 27 years, the term 'fossil
fuels' has not even been mentioned in any unanimous declaration from UNFCCC.
Perhaps, for this reason, mineral fuel-producing countries needed to take
leadership roles! Due to the global temperature rise caused by coal and other
petroleum fuels, the world needs to transition away from fossil fuels, has been
mentioned in various contexts in this declaration. However, there is also
criticism that the wording is vague and can therefore create loopholes. However
many people believe that now that the issue has been stated the ambiguities can
be resolved over the years. Had this transition started from the start of the
century many communities worst affected by climate change could have been
saved. This regret has also been expressed by the few commentators.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYU92AG9ai0UIowApLgmkFCgUmmFEhHmy23tgYfsySiwDUeBC_Npq9a7yeAi-Y-mN8kWNUh4814vnqLL9vsTys6WrnRkHpQv5Tl7MT8MR5_7jWsrS9BvYgftThDI2Y5bBz9_SwVxbdOBplDrYAVX9RVBteIbCd7P0bJczAWD9Zgdt7Mx89CaXzUMoU5AFi/s4624/IMG20231205110513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2080" data-original-width="4624" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYU92AG9ai0UIowApLgmkFCgUmmFEhHmy23tgYfsySiwDUeBC_Npq9a7yeAi-Y-mN8kWNUh4814vnqLL9vsTys6WrnRkHpQv5Tl7MT8MR5_7jWsrS9BvYgftThDI2Y5bBz9_SwVxbdOBplDrYAVX9RVBteIbCd7P0bJczAWD9Zgdt7Mx89CaXzUMoU5AFi/w400-h180/IMG20231205110513.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;">Protestors at COP28 demanding that Africa must get technology and finance <br />to go in for renewable energy in a big way. </span></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lack of economic aid required for developing countries to move away
from mineral fuels was emphasized in this declaration. The developed countries
had managed to keep such a mention out of the declarations for years. 'COP 28'
has achieved success in this regard on the international stage. However, the
failure of developed countries in this regard has not been explicitly
mentioned. The declaration aspires to triple the renewable energy generation in
this decade, and this needs to be welcomed.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">These issues have been mentioned in the declaration. Now, these
need to reflect in the declarations to come in 2025 from each country. For
this, all wise and responsible citizens worldwide need to create public
pressure on their governments. Can common people go beyond their national
prides, to build bridges over the disagreements, debates, and wars of their
national and international interests to build a global unity for the sake of
the bright future of human society? This is the pertinent question.<o:p></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Priyadarshini Karvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09032722849305905797noreply@blogger.com0Pune, Maharashtra, India18.5204303 73.8567437-9.7898035361788445 38.700493699999996 46.830664136178846 109.0129937tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-29985912797994449382023-12-11T17:39:00.005+05:302023-12-11T17:45:33.080+05:30MUSINGS FROM PRIYADARSHINI KARVE: COP28 end of week 1<p>(The original Marathi article was published in Lokmat daily on 8 Dec 2023. This is the English translation.) </p><h2 style="text-align: left;">However much may the mercury rise, India says, coal must be burned!</h2><p><i>At the UNFCCC Conference COP 28, 'What India will not do' is what we are saying!</i></p><p>The first week of the twenty-eighth annual meeting on global warming concluded on December 6 in Dubai. In addition to government delegations, representatives of various groups from around the world act as observers, of which I was one. If global warming is not controlled, economic-social-political system will collapse in next two-three decades. So the role India is taking in the negotiations in this conference is directly related to your and my daily life.</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6v9vurcqHQScZODZTX15XJRraxXEvb-_0WtnOXtqmXgou6MAFy8qmPsj51uxDrBycvJD3f4eEzYKBlcnfQAbPLS11n_60jC7gfptJUs9IoYtD-m-GlsfSYNJ0CC90wDHRh1D44EI2cO7gp9vAzhmGiVxPMggxyCDNRWzS0XAkCHKli-rB6KbBq83iJ0NQ/s1600/IMG-20231130-WA0082.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="578" data-original-width="1600" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6v9vurcqHQScZODZTX15XJRraxXEvb-_0WtnOXtqmXgou6MAFy8qmPsj51uxDrBycvJD3f4eEzYKBlcnfQAbPLS11n_60jC7gfptJUs9IoYtD-m-GlsfSYNJ0CC90wDHRh1D44EI2cO7gp9vAzhmGiVxPMggxyCDNRWzS0XAkCHKli-rB6KbBq83iJ0NQ/s320/IMG-20231130-WA0082.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dr Priyadarshini Karve speaking at a Press Conference organising by IGSSS <br />to highlight the plight of cities in the developing world in the face of climate change</span></i><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>India's annual average contribution to global warming since 2000 is third/fourth in the world. From the beginning, India was criticized for setting very modest goals under the Paris Agreement. But since India's share of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the last two hundred years is barely 3-4 per cent, there is no reason to set ambitious targets, was India's stand. It is against this background that the announcement that we have achieved our target of increasing the share of renewable energy sources in electricity generation ahead of schedule should be seen.<p></p><p>Two years ago there was to be a resolution for 'phasing out' mineral coal. India intervened at the last minute and demanded that the wording should be changed either to phasing out all fossil fuels or phasing down coal. This forced a change in the resolution to 'phasing down'. This issue is back on the agenda at this conference held in a fossil fuel producing country.</p><p>All fuel producing countries, including the host, have taken a stand that use of fossil fuels will continue, focus will be on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from mining and refining fossil fuels. India has made it clear that it will continue to use coal. Scientists and observers agree that the use of all fossil fuels should be phased out. In fact, many studies suggest that India's entire energy system can be based on renewable energy by 2047. Yet it is apparent that the Indian government is only taking a stand on continuing coal consumption due to pressure from large coal producers. India did not sign the two declarations that came out of the conference in the first week itself also because of the same pressure to some extent. </p><p>On December 1, a manifesto was issued by 130 countries on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in food production systems. The use of mineral fuels has a major contribution in food production. Therefore, there is a need for technical and financial contribution to achieve food security while reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. India has reduced the use of diesel for irrigation by using solar pumps extensively. Instead of chemical fertilizers, organic fertilizers, natural farming, etc. Incentive schemes have also been implemented. But still India does not want to participate in this agreement. One reason may be that the goal of reducing methane emissions may be inconvenient due to the large livestock population, but there is also pressure from fossil fuel companies that produce chemical fertilizers.<br /></p><p>Covid-19 highlighted the link between warming and health crises. Health systems require uninterrupted and good quality power supply. Therefore, a declaration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while strengthening the world's health system was issued on December 3 by 124 countries.</p><p>India stayed away from with an official statement that the goals of this declaration were unrealistic. But there is an overall impression that India has taken this position as it has been prominently stated in the manifesto that power generation from coal should be reduced in order to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases from this sector. </p><p>On the very first day of the conference the host country announced that it would contribute to the Loss and Damage fund. Except for the cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the rest of the United Arab Emirates is backward, so this country is considered a developing country. So a developing country taking such a lead shamed developed countries like Germany, USA and others to also announce their contribution. There is indirect pressure on other capable developing countries like China, India, etc. Still no comment has been received from India in this regard.</p><p>In general, at least in the first week, what India will not do in terms of measures against the increase in temperature has been highlighted.</p><h4 style="text-align: left;">Priyadarshini Karve, Convener, Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC)</h4><p>Email: pkarve@samuchit.com</p>Priyadarshini Karvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09032722849305905797noreply@blogger.com0Pune, Maharashtra, India18.5204303 73.8567437-9.7898035361788445 38.700493699999996 46.830664136178846 109.0129937tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-44080246750586571392023-05-29T10:37:00.000+05:302023-05-29T10:37:35.928+05:30 माझं शहर माझी जबाबदारी - स्वच्छ, हिरव्या नद्या आणि बरंच काही हवं!!!!<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">प्रिय मित्रांनो, </span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAix2gUJsgDvpxtV4KI-jwbnJCDT_yqek1Y0JqmImRquYl63IpremITCWXqu9pNPZguDFry_Pf22d_guZw2MWvPjjXPKLawgMbeOBmTdfs-L1RjZdiWXLCz6qIvoBZapADnQh1TQqPdTg0rzAFFGPlqayRAT6i4MdzbHvUm_nziNyNx2RhGPjq1SIi" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="341" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAix2gUJsgDvpxtV4KI-jwbnJCDT_yqek1Y0JqmImRquYl63IpremITCWXqu9pNPZguDFry_Pf22d_guZw2MWvPjjXPKLawgMbeOBmTdfs-L1RjZdiWXLCz6qIvoBZapADnQh1TQqPdTg0rzAFFGPlqayRAT6i4MdzbHvUm_nziNyNx2RhGPjq1SIi" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>जागरूक नागरिकांसोबत सेल्फी!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span id="docs-internal-guid-407aa135-7fff-7bf5-bc64-da5ed89ecc9a"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">पुणे नदी पुनरुज्जीवन (पीआरआर) चळवळीचा भाग होणे हा एक आव्हानात्मक प्रवास आहे. पुणे महापालिकेने प्रस्तावित केलेली आपल्या नदीकिनाऱ्यांवरील तथाकथित 'पुनरुज्जीवन' योजना रद्द व्हावी आणि जीवितनदी संस्थेने सुचवलेला पर्यावरणपूरक पर्याय स्वीकारावा, यासाठी जीवितनदी या संस्थेच्या पुढाकाराने सुरू झालेल्या चळवळीत सहभागी नागरिक विविध प्रकारे प्रयत्न करत आहेत!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">नदीच्या ज्या भागात या प्रकल्पाअंतर्गत बेसुमार विनाशकारी काम सुरू करण्यात आले आहे, त्या भागात अधूनमधून फेरीचे आयोजन केले जाते. मी बंड गार्डनच्या परिसरातील अशाच एका फेरीत सहभागी झाले होते. तिथे मी ५०० मीटरपेक्षा कमी अंतरावर सुमारे ७००-१००० वृक्षांची बेकायदेशीर कत्तल पाहिली. आपण कल्पना करू शकता की या पट्ट्यालगतची झाडी किती घनदाट आहे. या ७००+ वृक्षांमध्ये चांगले वाढलेले, पन्नास वर्षे किंवा त्याहून जुने स्थानिक वृक्षही होते. या वृक्षांसोबत हजारो पक्षी, सस्तन प्राणी, कीटक आणि सूक्ष्मजीव (एक चांगली जैवविविधता) नांदत होते. यातील काही वृक्षांचे म्हणे पुनर्रोपण होणार आहे... पण इथे जे नष्ट होत आहे त्यात झुडपांपासून वृक्षांपर्यंत विविध स्तरांमध्ये वाढलेली वनश्री आहे. अगदी चांगल्या नैसर्गिक जंगलाची एक छोटी प्रतिकृतीच जणू.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcJYGilsHjpkvAyZXP-h5O7wGtQUflLW_5JbsV-Xk6IGgAKMHK63w-R_XTpmsR6nqkIjmryAAcAN5aH-kDPakdWOkdSWlrLZ7OK5dg6pY0_1LivXByODNbs1eWcJQeiS63euhchkh6bOfkwxkDXPGLbY0yc7UzztlWpPhH0_j-At0XTA7_4X283DJX" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="244" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcJYGilsHjpkvAyZXP-h5O7wGtQUflLW_5JbsV-Xk6IGgAKMHK63w-R_XTpmsR6nqkIjmryAAcAN5aH-kDPakdWOkdSWlrLZ7OK5dg6pY0_1LivXByODNbs1eWcJQeiS63euhchkh6bOfkwxkDXPGLbY0yc7UzztlWpPhH0_j-At0XTA7_4X283DJX=w216-h289" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>कापण्यासाठी चिन्हांकित केलेले परिपक्व झाड</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">मात्र, विकासाची प्रक्रिया जलद गतीने व्हावी, यासाठी या वनश्रीवर राडारोडा व दगड टाकून निर्दयीपणे हे जंगल नष्ट केले जात आहे. माझे सहकारी सत्या आणि उमा म्हणाले की, ते या झाडांना 'जिवंत समाधी' देत आहेत.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">हे ज्या पद्धतीने होत आहे ते निव्वळ अनाकलनीय आणि अतार्किक आहे, जुनी वाढलेली सध्याची झाडे आणि घनदाट वनश्री नष्ट करून त्या जागी हिरव्या गवताचे ठिपके, ठरावीक अंतरावर नियोजन करून लावलेली एकांडी झाडे आणि काँक्रीटच्या रचना उभ्या करण्यातून काय साध्य होते? आपले नदीकाठ शाश्वत करण्यासाठी नक्कीच वेगळे मार्ग काढावे लागतील.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjR_3uOTf_-NZtNVasNkhcTemCL5vbAwBvBTaVjRGuXC8qUqvjfVenjQmuzNWRzJgikcoF6QmWJuv1KOo8jXj5PVUq2oB7-SrBjVTELosQtNe07Qt-SwpQHd3ErUGnr-kvyL9zdEPB0nu0by7cELhxP-YcNHHXEefwf0x7tKa5dyoWwAR9SwMtZHKgw" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="324" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjR_3uOTf_-NZtNVasNkhcTemCL5vbAwBvBTaVjRGuXC8qUqvjfVenjQmuzNWRzJgikcoF6QmWJuv1KOo8jXj5PVUq2oB7-SrBjVTELosQtNe07Qt-SwpQHd3ErUGnr-kvyL9zdEPB0nu0by7cELhxP-YcNHHXEefwf0x7tKa5dyoWwAR9SwMtZHKgw" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>बांधकामाच्या ढिगाऱ्याखाली पडलेली झाडे आणि झुडपे</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">नदीपात्र कसे कार्य करते, त्याची वैशिष्ट्ये काय आहेत आणि नदी कोणत्या परिसंस्थिकीय सेवा पुरवते याच्या मूलभूत समजेचा अभाव येथे स्पष्टपणे दिसून येतो. नदीचे पाणी जलपर्णीने भरलेले (आपल्याला नको असलेली हिरवाई) आणि दुर्गंधीयुक्त आहे. हा भाग बोट क्लबचाही भाग असल्याने येथे नौकाविहाराची व्यवस्था करण्याची योजना आहे, मात्र जोपर्यंत नद्यांमध्ये सातत्याने स्वच्छ पाणी येत नाही, तोपर्यंत त्यात बोटी चालविणे किंवा नदीतले इतर कोणतेही उपक्रम राबवणे अशक्य आहे. नदी मेली आहे, तिचे पुनरुज्जीवन करायला हवे आहे! </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgD2N604XLxi_-6P4rLMV4KIwGxNWY2aily_c_Tgvgs-Grgmyv6NAwMkB2wHCm1rg8vf3pPVVRQ_GOGy4U3USCYm6qjW9GE2Ltz6afeGIHPbrMYR1FfGSa2_o1AbnVqWaRWTM2CNZA5ixgX8gjEAWuz4X7l6GnF8b1UQsC8bmepQJDfTdBw-oP7falz" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgD2N604XLxi_-6P4rLMV4KIwGxNWY2aily_c_Tgvgs-Grgmyv6NAwMkB2wHCm1rg8vf3pPVVRQ_GOGy4U3USCYm6qjW9GE2Ltz6afeGIHPbrMYR1FfGSa2_o1AbnVqWaRWTM2CNZA5ixgX8gjEAWuz4X7l6GnF8b1UQsC8bmepQJDfTdBw-oP7falz" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>नदीमध्ये जलपर्णी</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">नदीपात्रातल्या या विध्वंसाबरोबरच तिथे चालू असलेल्या कामावरील मजूरांच्या वसाहतीतील दृश्यही निराशाजनक होते. कामगार, त्यांचे कुटुंबीय आणि लहान मुले पत्र्याच्या तात्पुरत्या झोपड्यांमध्ये राहत असून उन्हाच्या तीव्र लाटेला सामोरे जात आहेत. मात्र या झोपड्यांना पूर्ण वाढलेल्या झाडांच्या सावलीचाच काय तो आधार आहे. काय विडंबन आहे पहा! </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidpzZ5K-e896q7VCzAjQB9AagBclrkHYph0xVtumxIFuoQG5SNnEu8f0KvEkXCJzLgkljceeN0w5jqTG6gRtB_Uz706E1lPgpBRP1qaqR9-2URmbrV82kFkWuVODDBM7YGhmKyHHpbg7Z3KA84yZnhroxKIMZe9J6eiCEjyOthdvLxMgBoVxCyNiEe" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="274" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidpzZ5K-e896q7VCzAjQB9AagBclrkHYph0xVtumxIFuoQG5SNnEu8f0KvEkXCJzLgkljceeN0w5jqTG6gRtB_Uz706E1lPgpBRP1qaqR9-2URmbrV82kFkWuVODDBM7YGhmKyHHpbg7Z3KA84yZnhroxKIMZe9J6eiCEjyOthdvLxMgBoVxCyNiEe=w264-h353" width="264" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />बांधकाम कामगारांची तात्पुरती वसाहत<br /><br /></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">कामगार व त्यांच्या कुटुंबियां अवस्था आणि नदीकाठावरील विध्वंसक काम पाहून नदीकाठ विकासाची ही सारी प्रक्रिया किती निष्काळजी आणि अज्ञानी आहे, याची जाणीव होते! नागरिकांचे जीवनमान उंचावणे हा या प्रकल्पाचा एक हेतू आहे, असे त्यांचे म्हणणे आहे, पण त्याचे प्रतिबिंब या प्रक्रियेतसुध्दा उमटलेले नाही! </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">असे म्हटले जाते की आम्ही पर्यावरणवादी किंवा कार्यकर्ते किंवा जे काही नाव ते आम्हाला नावे देतात ते आम्ही सर्व विकासाच्या विरोधात आहोत… तर होय, आम्ही आहोत या असल्या विकासाच्या विरोधात! कारण हे २०२३ आहे आणि आपण अजूनही १९८० च्या दशकात असल्यासारखे काम करत आहोत. त्या काळात आपल्याला 'शाश्वतता' हा शब्द माहीत होता पण त्याचा अर्थ पुरता आकळलेला नव्हता. आपण आपल्या आजूबाजूच्या आपल्याच लोकांना आणि आपल्या पर्यावरणाला कधीही महत्व दिले नाही, परंतु आता वेळ आली आहे की आपण स्वत: ला वाचविण्यासाठी शाश्वततेच्या आधुनिक निकषांचे पालन केले पाहिजे आणि आपल्या विकासाच्या कल्पनेला शाश्वत विकास लक्ष्यांशी जोडून घेतले पाहिजे. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">जागतिक वातावरण बदलाच्या संकटामुळे वाढता उकाडा आणि दिवसागणिक हवामानात अचानक होणारे बदल यांना आपण सामोरे जात आहोतच. त्यात ही निष्काळजी, बेफिकीरी, पैसा कमावण्याची हाव आपल्याला परवडणारी नाही. आपली अर्थव्यवस्था भरभराटीला यावी जरूर, पण आपले पर्यावरण आणि आपले लोक यांचीही भरभराट व्हायला हवी!!!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">शहरात होत असलेला हा तथाकथित विकास पाहिल्यानंतर एक जागरूक नागरिक म्हणून मला माझ्या प्रश्नाचे उत्तर हवे आहे - आपण कुठे जात आहोत???</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">कोणत्याही सुशोभीकरणाआधी आम्हाला मूलभूत सेवांची आवश्यकता आहे, त्यापैकी काहींची ही यादी.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">प्रदूषणमुक्त व सुरक्षित सुरक्षित सार्वजनिक जागा .</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">स्वच्छ नद्या.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">खड्डेमुक्त रस्ते .</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">योग्य सावली असलेले सुरक्षित वाहन तळ. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">वाहतुकीचे कार्यक्षम व्यवस्थापन.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">चालणे आणि सायकल चालविण्यासाठी सुरक्षित रस्ते.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">फक्त आवश्यक तिथेच उड्डाणपूल (आणि आपल्या टेकड्यांचा बळी देणारे उड्डाणपूल अजिबात नकोत).</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">कार्यक्षम कचरा व्यवस्थापन सेवा (अर्थातच वर्गीकरण केलेला कचरा कचरावेचकांना देण्याची जबाबदारी नागरिकांची!) 100% सेंद्रिय कचऱ्याचे जागेवरच व्यवस्थापन (कंपोस्ट / बायोगॅस / बायोचार अशी तंत्रे वापरून).</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">सांडपाण्यावर १०० टक्के प्रक्रिया करून या पाण्याचा बांधकामासाठी वापर करून स्थानिक गोड्या पाण्याच्या स्त्रोतांवरील भार कमी करणे. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">विजेचे कार्यक्षम, सातत्यपूर्ण आणि स्वच्छ स्त्रोत आणि शाश्वत पाणी पुरवठा. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">जेथे शक्य असेल तेथे (निवासी वसाहतींत शक्यतो १०० टक्के) पावसाचे पाणी साठवणे.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">असलेले भूजलवाहक, नैसर्गिक व सांस्कृतिक वारसा क्षेत्रे आणि आपल्या टेकड्या आणि नद्यांचे संवर्धन व संरक्षण. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">या यादीत आणखीही भर घातली जाऊ शकते.<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">या <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfJC5sg1L_AIgmcJectRVbnUIez-MJQvcQ74yTa3oo0XJ60wQ/viewform" target="_blank">गुगल फॉर्मद्वारे</a></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span>आपण आपल्या सूचना पाठवू शकता. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">जोपर्यंत हे सारे होत नाही, तोपर्यंत आपल्या नैसर्गिक परिसंस्थेची मोडतोड करणाऱ्या आणि गडद काळ्या भविष्याचे कृत्रिम हिरवे चित्र रंगवणाऱ्या कोणत्याही सुशोभित नदीकाठ प्रकल्पाची आपल्याला गरज नाही!</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">पौर्णिमा आगरकर.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>PS: Marathi translation by Dr Priyadarshini Karve .</i></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.samuchit.com/" style="color: #8c0b0b; text-decoration-line: none;">www.samuchit.com</a></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Like/Follow/Share us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SustainableCityPune" style="color: #8c0b0b; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sustainablepune/" style="color: #8c0b0b; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizensPune" style="color: #8c0b0b; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a> Citizens of Sustainable Pune</span></b></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>pournimahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17717035521101360729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-7211647516858969992023-05-20T16:01:00.000+05:302023-05-28T12:42:29.353+05:30My City My Responsibility - Need Clean, Green Rivers and much more!!!!<p> <i>Dear Friends, </i></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpzJk1h2xZxwJpfAR74DDwbkU5-bYEm3-1de5bsCzoGOXv6BG_J93PJ6BJGr0Fo0dPNGcxZ20AMZQqsqU86GfDTlMi4Qe-oJXBinQjJxIt78xdgmkw9PVIWtgghZo5uA0OXIQaOg3N0Eqe6BiuRIrbctpPTkJIu1sykQxsQJ7CKea_mg-CEdiJAbx/s1280/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-15%20at%2011.15.17.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpzJk1h2xZxwJpfAR74DDwbkU5-bYEm3-1de5bsCzoGOXv6BG_J93PJ6BJGr0Fo0dPNGcxZ20AMZQqsqU86GfDTlMi4Qe-oJXBinQjJxIt78xdgmkw9PVIWtgghZo5uA0OXIQaOg3N0Eqe6BiuRIrbctpPTkJIu1sykQxsQJ7CKea_mg-CEdiJAbx/w341-h256/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-15%20at%2011.15.17.jpeg" width="341" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Selfie with fellow concerned citizens!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Being part of the Pune River Revival (PRR) movement has been a challenging journey. Everyday a group of concerned citizens and members of Jeevitnadi, the organisation which is spearheading this movement are striving harder from all the spheres just to ensure that the so-called 'rejuvenation' plan on our RIVERFRONT proposed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) be SCRAPPED and the ecological ALTERNATIVE suggested by Jeevitnadi team be adopted! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTjt_WRX5rwtBrTK2Ygw8-GZEglql3lhZ8T3dXAyD9ss813T_Vjmb_4fsw-VC9QCn_31v-LbCt2IPmlIV7nUUkTeUDYr28HjKFOsX3uOGmsVTsSbBHhtxNNNyXLureuVKbbnRMr0gYO-TqxOLjPaoHADbq-tD5pfjseWHAO0Oh0-ExLdwhR2X3yaJ/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-15%20at%2022.52.49.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTjt_WRX5rwtBrTK2Ygw8-GZEglql3lhZ8T3dXAyD9ss813T_Vjmb_4fsw-VC9QCn_31v-LbCt2IPmlIV7nUUkTeUDYr28HjKFOsX3uOGmsVTsSbBHhtxNNNyXLureuVKbbnRMr0gYO-TqxOLjPaoHADbq-tD5pfjseWHAO0Oh0-ExLdwhR2X3yaJ/w245-h326/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-15%20at%2022.52.49.jpeg" width="245" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Mature tree marked to be cut</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;">Every now and then there's a walk on the stretches where the rampant devastating work has been initiated. I visited the stretch at the Bund Garden where I witnessed illegitimate cutting of almost 700-1000 trees in a stretch of less than 500 m. You can imagine how dense is the vegetation along the stretch. Among these 700+ trees there were several trees that were old grown mature heritage trees that housed thousands of birds, mammals, insects and microorganisms (a good biodiversity). There are a number of trees that are planted for transplanting blah blah...while a lot of them are shrubs forming a kind of layered vegetation, a mini version of forest setting that we generally see in a typical forest ecosystem. </div><p></p><p></p>However, this vegetation is being ruthlessly cleared either by cutting or simply dumping construction debris on it in order to ensure fast tracking the DEVELOPMENT process. My fellow citizens Satya and Uma said that they are giving LIVE samadhi to these trees in Marathi it is <i>'Jivant Samadhi'.</i><div><br /></div><div>The way this is taking place is simply mindless and illogical, because there's no point in clearing old grown existing trees and dense vegetation just to create newly grown green grass patches along with other manicured vegetation and concrete structures. Definitely there has to be a way out in order to make our riverfront sustainable! <div><br /></div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQdihahJs4e8dkZB1GcWPowyJ2j16xDcL4lGTkJUjsyivw4A98eBJoMI8c4M0wdR11UhDGEn-TlIchcbO9BYnxFNaQjxixv912uPS7dPZbSv9PmJco54CamQqNaqUj8j-n246H4pC5t9VL54iNYPn8C98yNLwXofiG8D9wFexACeQoNHdsTshAPiN/s1280/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-15%20at%2011.13.31.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGQdihahJs4e8dkZB1GcWPowyJ2j16xDcL4lGTkJUjsyivw4A98eBJoMI8c4M0wdR11UhDGEn-TlIchcbO9BYnxFNaQjxixv912uPS7dPZbSv9PmJco54CamQqNaqUj8j-n246H4pC5t9VL54iNYPn8C98yNLwXofiG8D9wFexACeQoNHdsTshAPiN/w325-h243/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-15%20at%2011.13.31.jpeg" width="325" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Trees and shrubs dumped under the debris</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><div style="text-align: justify;">The basic LACK of understanding in HOW the riverbed functions, WHAT are its features and WHAT ecosystem services it offers can be clearly seen here. The river water is full of water hyacinth (green that we don't want) and is smelly. Since this stretch is also part of the Boat club there's plan to have boating activity here, however unless we have consistent clean running water in the rivers, boat rides or any activity along the river is worthless. The river is dead, needs restoration! </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSN_TPDrdA3Diwwiph9BldiqtNLgVV2oJeMMVPtHVzKg8dYeziOsonoq_7IS2-Y-X68p7WV9OC4blp3KNWI8Nk0yqiPQA_SSrElO3qgq5ZiywFq5EfiY3uF6oBGjkP11gPQzjPJ6uuz5TsPrM5MBIoNl2guWZKufba6XDd0RAtHvJBKIgsHNkpLETk/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-15%20at%2022.52.48.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSN_TPDrdA3Diwwiph9BldiqtNLgVV2oJeMMVPtHVzKg8dYeziOsonoq_7IS2-Y-X68p7WV9OC4blp3KNWI8Nk0yqiPQA_SSrElO3qgq5ZiywFq5EfiY3uF6oBGjkP11gPQzjPJ6uuz5TsPrM5MBIoNl2guWZKufba6XDd0RAtHvJBKIgsHNkpLETk/w328-h247/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-15%20at%2022.52.48.jpeg" width="328" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Water hyacinth in the river</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Apart from this destruction, the scene at the construction labor colony, had been a disheartening scene too. The workers, their families and young ones are residing in tin sheet temporary hutments and facing the scorching heat waves. However these hutments are being sheltered by the full grown trees demarcated to be cleared. What an irony! </div><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyAN8vlXhTY-Y8LzbVAOFaKr5sKEmVjDZN0q-6i3zs077pOMemCDfaCvFKEUZr-7mkdIQ7GzM-x68f4vwxBWljytc3WaZIaYHxR4_2G4tsiNlE-7ZMwA94ed4alg81-nFN4rXoLMstqLs73dCfhV2JItZBOmbdr6jF-PEeXvyvZb7MrTJ38tIvaCo/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-19%20at%2018.33.47.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZyAN8vlXhTY-Y8LzbVAOFaKr5sKEmVjDZN0q-6i3zs077pOMemCDfaCvFKEUZr-7mkdIQ7GzM-x68f4vwxBWljytc3WaZIaYHxR4_2G4tsiNlE-7ZMwA94ed4alg81-nFN4rXoLMstqLs73dCfhV2JItZBOmbdr6jF-PEeXvyvZb7MrTJ38tIvaCo/w275-h366/WhatsApp%20Image%202023-05-19%20at%2018.33.47.jpeg" width="275" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Construction workers colony</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Seeing their condition and the destructive site work just gives one an understanding that how careless and ignorant is the overall process of riverfront development! They say project intends to give quality of life to the citizens but it does not reflect in the process! </div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">If then it is said that WE the environmentalist or activists or whatever names they call us are against development then YES, we are! Because this is 2023 and we are still functioning as if we are in the 1980's when we knew the word 'sustainability' without knowing its meaning. We never valued our people and our environment but now is the time we better adhere to the present norms and align ourselves to the Sustainable Development Goals in order to save ourselves. </p><p style="text-align: left;">With the rising heat and abrupt changes in day to day weather because of the Climate crisis that we all are in, we cannot afford this careless, mindless, money minting attitude. Lets ensure our economy thrives but so does our environment and our people!!!</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As a concerned citizen I want answers to all the so-called development happening in the city as to where are we heading???</p><p>We need our basic services in place, listing some of them below.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Pollution free spaces. </li><li>Clean rivers.</li><li>Safe public spaces.</li><li>Pothole free roads.</li><li>Appropriate shaded parking spaces. </li><li>Efficiently managed traffic.</li><li>Safe walking and cycling spaces.</li><li>Less or only required flyovers (and NO flyovers at the expense of our hills).</li><li>Efficient waste management services (segregation first by citizens of course!) with 100% organic waste managed at source (compost/biogas/biochar).</li><li>100% treatment of wastewater and using this water for construction activities reducing load on local fresh water sources. </li><li>Efficient, consistent and clean sources of electricity and sustainable water supply. </li><li>Rainwater harvesting wherever feasible and 100% for residential complexes.</li><li>Conservation of existing aquifers, green spaces, heritage areas and our hills and water bodies. </li></ul><p></p><p>More can be added to the list. Please share your opinion on this poll: <a href="https://forms.gle/WsXZZQJ8s3Tp7RFN8" target="_blank"><i>Click here</i></a></p><p>Unless we have these in place, we DON'T need any beautified riverfront that compromises our natural ecosystem services and paints artificial green picture having a dark black future!</p><p></p><p><i>Pournima Agarkar.</i></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.samuchit.com/" style="color: #8c0b0b; text-decoration-line: none;">www.samuchit.com</a></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Like/Follow/Share us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SustainableCityPune" style="color: #8c0b0b; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sustainablepune/" style="color: #8c0b0b; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizensPune" style="color: #8c0b0b; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a> Citizens of Sustainable Pune</span></b></p></div></div></div>pournimahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17717035521101360729noreply@blogger.com0Bund Garden, Sangamvadi, Pune, Maharashtra, India18.5420928 73.8816001-9.7681410361788465 38.7253501 46.852326636178844 109.0378501tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-84403552792156296602022-11-17T13:20:00.004+05:302022-11-17T13:46:48.360+05:30Firsthand experience at the COP27 Egypt <p><i>Hello people, </i></p><p class="MsoNormal">Being a local from Pune and working along with grassroot
initiatives gives me a feeling of immense pleasure and satisfaction. But when
you get a chance to talk about the initiatives with people at a global platform it’s the next
level feeling. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The 27<sup>th</sup> Conference of Parties (COP) is one of
the most expensive ones happening post covid. It is partly as a recovery from the
pandemic and partly because the host city is a resort city. One
may feel why organize such large scale meetings and consultations? Why to add
to the already increasing emissions pool? <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Trust me this global meeting is very much needed from
accountability perspective. It’s a platform where NGOs, Activists, Youth, Civil Society
Members like you and me get an opportunity to hold the Head of the States, Ministers and
Negotiators our leaders responsible for their actions at an international
level. This platform has a legal binding so if that is a fight it is to be
fought here. <o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzblpPioU_U4Ia7W4M-TYPhRJg8Nw4WCebftc1dxOqal_8oOzMWW-P6O3uTP8Vka71NAQ6l4OXwEVsvUlK-gM-lZlsCzBKkj10saL7JJaMM8Mfs74XSOC36lxFrrwOKgl82uN-GK050wHVjOdSvzdmAHhGtuLhQ_nIupjRN9ozEQdzewK3qZSJ7qVT/s1280/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2011.30.29.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzblpPioU_U4Ia7W4M-TYPhRJg8Nw4WCebftc1dxOqal_8oOzMWW-P6O3uTP8Vka71NAQ6l4OXwEVsvUlK-gM-lZlsCzBKkj10saL7JJaMM8Mfs74XSOC36lxFrrwOKgl82uN-GK050wHVjOdSvzdmAHhGtuLhQ_nIupjRN9ozEQdzewK3qZSJ7qVT/w400-h300/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2011.30.29.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Entrance banner</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">Now that all the carbon emissions happening due to the meeting
with all the flights coming in and with all the resources that are being pulled
in for this annual meeting are being optimized but there's still a lot of scope.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">So far, this year’s COP has been disappointing from Climate Finance
perspective since so far only a few million dollars have been poured in by the emitters
when what we need is billions of dollars for all the loss and damage that has
already been occurred. There are a lot of ‘Ifs and Buts’ on how to fund and
whom to fund...blah blah blah.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">But with whatever sessions I attended and with all the work
that we are doing at INECC, LAYA and Samuchit I am quite hopeful, and this COP
added value to my HOPE. The work that is happening at local level has immense
potential to take on the whole world without the petty finance from these
historic emitters or the so-called developed nations. Nevertheless, from
justice point of view it is their moral and legal responsibility to fund their
fellow people on this planet. That too in the form of absolute fund and not in debt, this point was raised very clearly in one of the sessions that I attended.
Climate crisis is indeed a human rights issue and it’s our right to ask for all
that is lost and damaged with or without the political will. Our environment
and surroundings are not dependent on us, we humans are dependent on them. Our world
leaders have to realize they are on a suicidal pathway. If they don't, it's time for us to change
our leaders who can turn the tide! That's where our work with engaging citizens and youth gets crucial. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsuDElnqBuil1aQGg3o6DchGFXBemH51GOVxjrUxP9AbMl97bf15YBXn5hSyNlhywowi7eUqPVKdvdQNH0r1BZLTePI2pmpeVJLQ4ihj2KPM5c1cvMDProjvNzbYS9LxmI32veIVauJwnE72SjV-cG5MSEsAYPI6qitvsZCpFbyFCAmfpqP-_bfez/s1098/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2011.38.00.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1098" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsuDElnqBuil1aQGg3o6DchGFXBemH51GOVxjrUxP9AbMl97bf15YBXn5hSyNlhywowi7eUqPVKdvdQNH0r1BZLTePI2pmpeVJLQ4ihj2KPM5c1cvMDProjvNzbYS9LxmI32veIVauJwnE72SjV-cG5MSEsAYPI6qitvsZCpFbyFCAmfpqP-_bfez/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2011.38.00.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Side event on Global Goal on Adaptation by CAN</i> </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Nevertheless, this COP also gives me HOPE, to see so many developing
countries, indigenous groups and even a war struck nation like Ukraine making a
point to come here on a global platform and put forth their perspective. Though
some are playing a victim card, but they are here to show that we need to be heard
and that is important. A lot of Adaptation and Climate Finance has already been
diverted towards pandemic and wars. Hence it is important now to create an
additional pool of resources for such uncertainties and fund the ones who are
part of the solution ensuring to make this world a better place to live in.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSi6Ek0FLoi90AXhNghvK3Wuli73C6k-fCvM8fYSCsaspNcnBScEqfQCzVGcJO7KxLA-9yVejKugVgYkRTVh8tLpqXds2t8RDK3BSF9A676AKhxnc-BPAOB_fz4pHm8f5Vo2QBzwBZlN4LBOVG3eYcxq4e11XjYdXOo1taw-VnhduSh1TbC9WLeTw/s960/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2011.58.22.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="562" data-original-width="960" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSi6Ek0FLoi90AXhNghvK3Wuli73C6k-fCvM8fYSCsaspNcnBScEqfQCzVGcJO7KxLA-9yVejKugVgYkRTVh8tLpqXds2t8RDK3BSF9A676AKhxnc-BPAOB_fz4pHm8f5Vo2QBzwBZlN4LBOVG3eYcxq4e11XjYdXOo1taw-VnhduSh1TbC9WLeTw/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2011.58.22.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ukraine Pavillion at the COP27</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfBugxN6MJVNyT7lbSDHoxAqIYw6Kf6lLyOjuzqlA-BaKspn0fzgPsHjHn18oAiZSinSxmAXpwBdbasdrl79FT9CX_efgmdkO8WtDQZVGaGuEvaRbZ-L0ur0LdFgk8DEnXytM8AtBD-SZ2Qqv5dbMEAssKg-K5BgW8HBmu5mqd_mv3ITgvvwZvL_F/s2048/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2012.00.45.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsfBugxN6MJVNyT7lbSDHoxAqIYw6Kf6lLyOjuzqlA-BaKspn0fzgPsHjHn18oAiZSinSxmAXpwBdbasdrl79FT9CX_efgmdkO8WtDQZVGaGuEvaRbZ-L0ur0LdFgk8DEnXytM8AtBD-SZ2Qqv5dbMEAssKg-K5BgW8HBmu5mqd_mv3ITgvvwZvL_F/w303-h228/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2012.00.45.jpeg" width="303" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Asia Pacific Youth group</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I was all excited and overwhelmed with everything happening
around in this meeting. Right from getting into the registration hall with all
the security therein. Then setting our booth space and meeting online friends from Asia Pacific Youth group and so on. It was so good to see all
group members face to face. Seeing the energy and enthusiasm of my young fellas
from Australia, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Indonesia and India gave a lot of HOPE for a better future!!!</div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">We also had our side event, for which I was nervous
for no reason. I was not on the panel, still with all the stalwarts on the
panel, our side event went quite well and well in time too. Hats off to my
colleagues on the panel Myron Mendes, Nakul Sharma and Martin Voss and our moderator
cum opener Dr Priyadarshini Karve for a great show. It gives me a feeling of
pride to be part of the team.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kOQpCgsFB7ovxPl7ZuzlaANL8-FAxsu_39Sy8qd33DWRB_eeJu2DZAjNWNWLlxx0Xrd4M_z5EgSa5bVUMvNAjWhWmT3RkADdyCaPBY0qz5OBmZhEKHFZIfkFjyM5-VO3rcnEHD3HKuMUy9vzb4fGNW460BZI9ec1VN32rEtlnTKjE5Zy_BGhnTyS/s1280/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2011.34.27.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kOQpCgsFB7ovxPl7ZuzlaANL8-FAxsu_39Sy8qd33DWRB_eeJu2DZAjNWNWLlxx0Xrd4M_z5EgSa5bVUMvNAjWhWmT3RkADdyCaPBY0qz5OBmZhEKHFZIfkFjyM5-VO3rcnEHD3HKuMUy9vzb4fGNW460BZI9ec1VN32rEtlnTKjE5Zy_BGhnTyS/w394-h240/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2011.34.27.jpeg" width="394" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our side event at the COP27 on the big screen<br /></i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">The best part this year’s COP events focused on local
solutions and actions on ground as well. INECC’s initiative on Locally
Developed Choices for Nationally determined Contributions (LDC for NDC) was first such side event to be showcased! I realized later that a lot of organizations are working
on local solutions and had the same opinion as us. Thus, we were all showing solidarity
in the work that is being done for making ourselves Climate resilient. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxUR3kqt5CVum5ViQK8yOOQmoTCVzO5GfRn9Qx4NoXryFnvzS_bK7YWJ7doOG1AsOwmmMphpC0HjM5uRfRl0V4Hw34bEHa_rb_UahZexFzm2-dn0tTtnM3QEYcc9cmTF_lD1CvsZulcSD_SaUIcEuwNZzXhHC0YvLl2Rie2Fg9Ek9E-p41sAdP8Mk/s1920/sideevet-COP.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="885" data-original-width="1920" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxUR3kqt5CVum5ViQK8yOOQmoTCVzO5GfRn9Qx4NoXryFnvzS_bK7YWJ7doOG1AsOwmmMphpC0HjM5uRfRl0V4Hw34bEHa_rb_UahZexFzm2-dn0tTtnM3QEYcc9cmTF_lD1CvsZulcSD_SaUIcEuwNZzXhHC0YvLl2Rie2Fg9Ek9E-p41sAdP8Mk/w517-h239/sideevet-COP.png" width="517" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>COP27 Side events schedule</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Being part of local campaigns and undertaking social media
campaigns is something that I feel is required, but the way it is done matters. I am glad that I could participate in one such campaign on asking
the emitter nations to ‘Pay Up 4 Loss and Damage’ at an international level
organized by Climate Action Network (CAN). The best part was when a pack
of Ministers passed by the whole campaign gained momentum and everyone there
looked upon them for paying up to the climate crisis. There were
around 500+ people there in all, young and old, supporting the campaign at that time. It was quite a scene! </span></div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEv9CI3WrkZxucrPPT4kVBwOZxw59vSSFR1JkXrMhwlsKwVTrWKiyIsXSD01F3DFYl4H8JEP91w3kN4dWoMIDoDzEZkKMRSjK1BUxnCodK5hywVtAtP5EV_DsM_XkdtWnDQvaS1wuii8o8P4NS39VEeV9EXcySmTJPTT-odpLL7OgeBFuaJSt7R6q/s1600/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2011.40.20.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEv9CI3WrkZxucrPPT4kVBwOZxw59vSSFR1JkXrMhwlsKwVTrWKiyIsXSD01F3DFYl4H8JEP91w3kN4dWoMIDoDzEZkKMRSjK1BUxnCodK5hywVtAtP5EV_DsM_XkdtWnDQvaS1wuii8o8P4NS39VEeV9EXcySmTJPTT-odpLL7OgeBFuaJSt7R6q/w183-h244/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2011.40.20.jpeg" width="183" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Me at the CAN campaign</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Another interesting campaign by CAN was on awarding the
Fossil of the Day award to entities that are doing their best at their worst like supporting fossil fuels. It’s all about holding these 'villains' responsible for their actions.
There were some other campaigns such as endorsing ‘Non-Proliferation of Fossil Fuel treaty’, conserving Oceans, saving vulnerable communities, etc. Apart from this there were many interesting
discussions and sessions happening at the same time in multiple pavilions, it was very difficult to decide which one to attend. How to get to that place was
another exercise altogether, the overall logistic arrangement in this COP was
horrible, from the chaotic shuttle service to the maps provided everywhere making no sense... but we still managed to get to places.</div> <o:p></o:p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTICn3hnLXLg1gkjhxGH557Y6TaQT93PBbJ20I2zWWhSsu8SW8MT3FR2iS4BhIrvLgIwFB6kkjbbUVcFGnZ5sNm-zUWOu-K4oDsonbJqOOGDqz_LbiXEgZu7OAzd43TbgHLraOKrSU6OPYrrqYfjKdpMwW-ObW_Qhfj8WbO7KW2NYSCTlNUfmBO7JK/s1280/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2011.38.48.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTICn3hnLXLg1gkjhxGH557Y6TaQT93PBbJ20I2zWWhSsu8SW8MT3FR2iS4BhIrvLgIwFB6kkjbbUVcFGnZ5sNm-zUWOu-K4oDsonbJqOOGDqz_LbiXEgZu7OAzd43TbgHLraOKrSU6OPYrrqYfjKdpMwW-ObW_Qhfj8WbO7KW2NYSCTlNUfmBO7JK/w286-h214/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2011.38.48.jpeg" width="286" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Campaign on Ending Fossil Fuel at COP27</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">With all the e-networking that I had been into since the past
couple of years, I happened to meet all these people here. I met my Bangladeshi
friend Zuhair from the Conference of Youth (COY) I attended in 2017,
one of the mentors from my Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) coursework Raji working in
Andhra Pradesh was happy to see me and know that I am working with LAYA that is
situated in Vizag. Also met fellow Climate Reality member Rituraj Phukan who's doing
great work on ground in Assam on Climate Education.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCQUGjgkod1aEi2yv3VcgBdqKPBqx6hjrrUR4FVGzGawyZ2L5cXko_Q8wKBdPtzXYstIOG-UN_dmwQL17zqfxqXE8JWfoF1lD3E_V4jEBZKUJws3FQ4ADi5aU7w6T2X_iBiZJIdvGindL91m-GGy5efkx9RsJQTnf1NP7qRUQGdXg2un-MyGIMdqG/s2000/Untitled%20design.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuCQUGjgkod1aEi2yv3VcgBdqKPBqx6hjrrUR4FVGzGawyZ2L5cXko_Q8wKBdPtzXYstIOG-UN_dmwQL17zqfxqXE8JWfoF1lD3E_V4jEBZKUJws3FQ4ADi5aU7w6T2X_iBiZJIdvGindL91m-GGy5efkx9RsJQTnf1NP7qRUQGdXg2un-MyGIMdqG/w447-h357/Untitled%20design.png" width="447" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Face to Face meetups at the COP27</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Also made new connects with groups working on similar
initiatives from other South Asian countries like Bangladesh and met people from INFORSE a very active network having a consortium of developed plus developing country organizations working on sustainable energy access. Attended a session by CEEW whose
work we follow at the SDG pavilion. We also met old friends of Nafisa and Dominic who have attended almost every COP and are still excited about COP and are still exploring ways to
participate in the campaigns. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69K5QAhmXWUw9GmCgAHj0sBRarSQYdDYi0-TaWAZ26qyaakC8O3t2vqi47zPk6VQ8eQ0mX_3yaLfoWcs0tZtRYfeD6O3QJYC7F4YpJQm9vnqFpuRrWM9oL_tBTv0A4LX-44q4wRMI2HwTjVYGhg6A1UfmoqxVLPOBuIy0hs3BpI2d7DDkt8wK5YqH/s1280/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2011.39.17.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh69K5QAhmXWUw9GmCgAHj0sBRarSQYdDYi0-TaWAZ26qyaakC8O3t2vqi47zPk6VQ8eQ0mX_3yaLfoWcs0tZtRYfeD6O3QJYC7F4YpJQm9vnqFpuRrWM9oL_tBTv0A4LX-44q4wRMI2HwTjVYGhg6A1UfmoqxVLPOBuIy0hs3BpI2d7DDkt8wK5YqH/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-17%20at%2011.39.17.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>INFORSE meet at their booth in COP27</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal">The one week at COP has been very enriching for me and I am
grateful for attending this one!!!</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Pournima Agarkar. </i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">You can connect with us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SustainableCityPune" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sustainablepune/" target="_blank">Instagram </a>and <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizensPune" target="_blank">Twitter </a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">OR message <a href="9823203073">here </a>to join our WA group. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">www.samuchit.com</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">https://inecc.net/</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">https://www.laya.org.in/</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />pournimahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17717035521101360729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-19215056036556737092022-11-14T12:53:00.003+05:302022-11-14T12:53:59.802+05:30Musings from Priyadarshini Karve: #COP27: Day 6<p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> #COP27: Day 6</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Saturday November 12 was our last day at COP27. The meeting also takes a break on Sunday and will continue for another week. But our stay here is over. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As I mentioned in one of the previous blogs, Egypt and Sherm al Sheikh have not done a great job with the logistics of the conference. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It was not clear till about two weeks before the start of the conference whether we would even be able to be here. The hotels all over the city were arbitrarily hiking prices and refusing to confirm reservations. We managed to sort out our stay arrangements and were able to absorb the escalated cost, but many other people from NGO sector had to cancel their trips. Several people were blackmailed into paying more after arrival here. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">For almost half of the first week the prices of food and beverages inside the venue of the conference were exhorbitantly high. After a lot of protest from the observer organisations the food prices were slashed by half. It seems that the hotels with bookings for the second week of the conference have also been told to lower their prices and not demand extra money from the participants. But all in all, it appeared that the hosts tried their best to contain the civil society presence at the COP. However, those of us who did get here and those who will come in the second week in spite of all the hurdles have certainly made our presence felt. There has been some protest or other going on almost daily and drawing a lot of media attention from around the world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Some of the newslinks are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/12/climate/cop27-protests-egypt.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/11/12/hundreds-of-people-march-through-un-climate-conference-in-first-big-protest-at-cop27" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.outlookindia.com/international/activists-launch-kick-big-polluters-out-protests-at-cop27-climate-change-conference-photos-236613">here</a>.</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWMQzvDwpT-dzlmHyN6TkOd76FJm8E_Pr252vNfVgwVJUaax9846psc332EVyuz-643KSOhon6Sm8RANZGz1dXk_yC9ePdpHxCsThO_SoAZ6a35uqi8Nghj84szHBK94oIJtIMunz1pqiLsY9bf9n3BoczXYgLDP7-YXRfpoDlgKkMC6NxYG4p8V5bg/s1375/Pournima%20-%20Protest.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1375" data-original-width="798" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWMQzvDwpT-dzlmHyN6TkOd76FJm8E_Pr252vNfVgwVJUaax9846psc332EVyuz-643KSOhon6Sm8RANZGz1dXk_yC9ePdpHxCsThO_SoAZ6a35uqi8Nghj84szHBK94oIJtIMunz1pqiLsY9bf9n3BoczXYgLDP7-YXRfpoDlgKkMC6NxYG4p8V5bg/s320/Pournima%20-%20Protest.jpeg" width="186" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>INECC team member Pournima in the Climate Action Network (CAN) Protest</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">On my last day at COP27, I attended what was for me the best side event. It was organised by International Network for Sustainable Energy (INFORSE) and had speakers from Europe, Africa and South Asia. It was interesting to see that organisations in Denmark on one hand and several prominent countries in Africa on the other hand have come up with systematic plans to shift to 100% renewable energy with a clear timeline. The plans presented were very much grounded in practicality and focused on solar - wind - hydro and sustainable biomass energy with each country focusing on its own unique combination. The south Asian presenters were from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. They too presented how localised renewable energy solutions that are helping local communities to achieve climate adaptation as well as contribute to mitigation. This was exactly the pathway that we too are pushing for through our #LDCforNDC campaign. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Personally, it was heartening to see that in spite of the big push and bad mouthing of biomass fuelled cooking by LPG and electricity lobby, the grassroots level organisations in Africa and South Asia still see the importance of improved cook stoves and biogas plants based on waste biomass as the more realistic solutions for meeting cooking energy needs. They also had practical data on how these humble interventions support both adaptation and mitigation. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What I liked the most </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">about this side event</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">was that all the presentations were to the point, matter-of-fact showcasing of solutions without dwelling much on 'victim' status of the communities. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Another observation that was personally important to me - I saw on the stage several individuals and organisations that I had connected with at some point or other in the last 22 years of my professional career! I was really happy to see that all of us are still continuing to fight the 'good fight' in our own spheres of influence! I will surely be re-connecting with all of them in the near future and will explore what more we can do collectively. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">On this positive note I am now ending this series of blogs from COP27. Thank you all of those who read and encouraged me to keep this going! </span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowAH5S0qZf704icmE2P1Vp3318LdQxQyu6ZhnhoGe_0OoqBGw7E3zlTEmSSYP2zzlATtWNYbtTQNLPbWd8Q5cVcr-fw3TMuRPtJt4xFOLaD0k9nRB2IGCZ7H2gcNxrQfMhGmkQ8W3Beoe_2Ch-QebluDaOfdXoYMGQ2pcipu4Rn88p2tiIwZAFappRw/s1361/Priya%20-%20SDG%20Pavilion.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1361" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjowAH5S0qZf704icmE2P1Vp3318LdQxQyu6ZhnhoGe_0OoqBGw7E3zlTEmSSYP2zzlATtWNYbtTQNLPbWd8Q5cVcr-fw3TMuRPtJt4xFOLaD0k9nRB2IGCZ7H2gcNxrQfMhGmkQ8W3Beoe_2Ch-QebluDaOfdXoYMGQ2pcipu4Rn88p2tiIwZAFappRw/s320/Priya%20-%20SDG%20Pavilion.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Climate Action must go hand in hand with SDGs to achieve climate justice</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="http://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2022/11/COP27Day5.html?m=1" target="_blank">Day 5 Blog</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="http://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2022/11/COP27Day4.html?m=1" target="_blank">Day 4 Blog</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2022/11/COP27Day3.html" target="_blank">Day 3 Blog</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2022/11/COP27Day02.html" target="_blank">Day 2 Blog</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2022/11/COP27DAY01.html" target="_blank">Day 1 Blog</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Priyadarshini Karve<br />Director, Samuchit Enviro Tech<br />Convener, Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC)</span></i></div><div><br /></div>Samuchit Enviro Techhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03303808246667866981noreply@blogger.com2Sharm El-Sheikh, Qesm Sharm Ash Sheikh, South Sinai Governorate, Egypt27.9654198 34.3617769-0.3448140361788461 -0.7944730999999976 56.275653636178845 69.5180269tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-45651693554805413292022-11-12T13:43:00.003+05:302022-11-15T12:06:28.158+05:30Musings from Priyadarshini Karve: #COP27: Day 5<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b> #COP27: Day 5</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">11 November was the BIG high security day with the US President Joe Biden coming to the COP stage. Given USA's track record with the UNFCCC process, the US presence at COPs should be protested as much as the presence of fossil fuel industry at COP is protested! But unfortunately, politics trumps ethical considerations in this case. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If the Kyoto agreement had actually been delivered by the developed world, we would not be in the mess that we are currently in. The most important factor that weakened the Kyoto agreement was USA, the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, walking out of the treaty. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The successor to Kyoto agreement was to be structured by 2010 and should have been ready to be implemented by 2015 if not 2012 (the end date for Kyoto agreement). This process was stalled by President Obama. This delayed the formulation of Paris agreement to 2015 and then its implementation to 2022 - nearly 10 years delay during which the earth continued to heat up. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In 2016 President Donald Trump pulled USA out of the Paris Agreement and almost derailed the second and perhaps the last chance that humanity had to avoid or at least contain a civilizational collapse. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">President Biden brought USA back into the Paris Agreement as one of his first actions on getting elected. He has in the two years of his regime enacted certain measures that are likely to reduce USA's emissions by about 40%. But all this is too little too less. And the question remains - what happens if in 2024 USA gets a Republican president? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In spite of these uncertainties and past disappointments the world has no option but to continue hoping for more meaningful action from USA and applauding whatever little is thrown our way because of its political and economic clout across the world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I stayed away from all the hoopla around President Biden's visit and address at COP which I am sure has already been reported by the press. Instead, I attended a very relevant discussion organised in the SDG pavilion by Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and collaborators. This discussion was about accountability. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Big political leaders make lofty announcements at COP. Big businesses were racing against each other to announce carbon neutrality targets in last year's COP at Glasgow. Big Multilateral Development Banks make big promises of finance for low carbon and climate adaptive infrastructure in every COP. But there is no standard mechanism or process to check what is happening around these claims in an objective way. Where is the accountability? How do we build a structure that will infuse accountability in climate action? How to get reliable data that will allow third party assessment of the claims? That was the focus of this discussion. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">For private businesses the carbon accounting process is one concrete way by which fulfilment of promises of carbon neutrality can be checked. For me the most interesting slide was what I show in the photograph below. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHb7aGF9oRP7kQa-fUxHC4tdPe5j7wcBgrbhW4kM3c68JJJQpUecdiM2PrxKO4oSpiT_Rlry5Xo6A2q58GEuqf-b8qeAY36CjRzqA_HT_hpi_8GSu8ZENECwKGfIDQK-nN7QFR5nX9k7lVXHSLCb9UaoYPMNa8hRy4Ls94kAABnhaQ1DkJu1E_5-k5A/s682/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-11%20at%2017.13.04.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="682" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUHb7aGF9oRP7kQa-fUxHC4tdPe5j7wcBgrbhW4kM3c68JJJQpUecdiM2PrxKO4oSpiT_Rlry5Xo6A2q58GEuqf-b8qeAY36CjRzqA_HT_hpi_8GSu8ZENECwKGfIDQK-nN7QFR5nX9k7lVXHSLCb9UaoYPMNa8hRy4Ls94kAABnhaQ1DkJu1E_5-k5A/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-11%20at%2017.13.04.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Accountability of Carbon neutrality pledges by the private sector</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A carbon neutrality pledge is generally aimed at some future date like 2040 or 50 or beyond. This must be backed by an action plan with short term milestones that clearly show the path to be followed. Then standard protocols must be established for carbon accounting - not limited just to direct use of electricity and fossil fuels (what are called Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions) but also accounting for the indirect emissions from actions such as sourcing of raw materials, construction and maintenance of infrastructure, managing waste on a daily basis and at the end of life of products, contracted out services, etc. (all of these are collectively called Scope 3 emissions). Current carbon accounting standards do not insist on Scope 3 accounting in spite of the fact that for many private sector entities this is the biggest contributor to their carbon footprint. And finally transparent and honest disclosure of the data is also important. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">All of this resonated very well with me because I have been saying more or less the same things for a few years. After Paris Agreement and the 1.5 deg C report by UNFCCC I felt that beyond investing in renewable energy infrastructure etc., the governments will have to eventually demand lowering of emissions by the private sector and might start including such pledges in the NDC. In that case it might become mandatory for companies to report their carbon emissions periodically. To an extent this has started appearing in NDcs from Europe. India cannot be far behind. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I also felt that as more and more NGOs and institutions engage with the climate change issue, they should 'walk the talk' by going for low carbon operations and presenting the evidence to the world in a transparent way. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Converting this thinking into action, we conducted a carbon accounting exercise for the headquarters of Laya, the secretariat of INECC. We have also tried to estimate the carbon emissions of some of our meetings and have tried to keep these as low as practically feasible. A few years ago, we launched a participatory process for educational institutions to go for carbon neutrality as a joint project by students, teachers and management, with our role as that of a mentor rather than a consultant. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">However, I could also see that in India we don't have enough people with even a basic understanding of what carbon accounting is - let alone be qualified carbon accountants and auditors. We need to build this basic understanding if carbon accounting is going to be a mainstreamed process in industry, academia and civil society. So, I launched an online course with the limited aim of building 'literacy' about carbon accounting around 2016. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I in fact thought even beyond the accountability concerns that the panelists talked about. The IPCC Assessment Report 6 clearly stated that even stopping emissions is no longer going to be enough to meet the 1.5 deg C goal of the Paris Agreement. We have to also invest in removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Currently the only way to do that is to increase the land cover under natural ecosystems to sink the carbon into vegetation. Many of the carbon neutrality pledges are relying on creating carbon sinks. How does one account for that? I feel that the carbon accounting protocols need to include a component to estimate the 'sunk carbon' too. I have tried to include a flavour of that approach in my course. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We ran the carbon accounting course in a rather amateurish and low-key manner for the past 5-6 years and then COVID happened. It has certainly opened my eyes to the various tools available and possibilities around online education. The course is currently being revamped in collaboration with 'Climatora'. Stay connected with Samuchit Enviro Tech on social media to know more about this! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In the meanwhile, you can try our personal carbon footprint calculator in its new and revamped version made in collaboration with Climatora <a href="https://climatora.com/track/ " target="_blank">on this link</a>.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="http://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2022/11/COP27Day4.html?m=1" target="_blank">Day 4 Blog</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2022/11/COP27Day3.html" target="_blank">Day 3 Blog</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2022/11/COP27Day02.html" target="_blank">Day 2 Blog</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2022/11/COP27DAY01.html" target="_blank"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Day 1 Blog</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Priyadarshini Karve<br />Director, Samuchit Enviro Tech<br />Convener, Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change. </i></span></div>Samuchit Enviro Techhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03303808246667866981noreply@blogger.com0Sharm El-Sheikh, Qesm Sharm Ash Sheikh, South Sinai Governorate, Egypt27.9654198 34.3617769-2.002161986931668 -0.7944730999999905 57.933001586931667 69.5180269tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-18298164003205852722022-11-11T13:26:00.000+05:302022-11-11T13:26:15.468+05:30Musings from Priyadarshini Karve: #COP27: Day 4<p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> #COP27: Day 4</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Organising a COP is a huge undertaking for any city and the host country. Tens of thousands of people would be descending on the city over a period of two weeks. There are protocols that need to be followed for heads of states from across the world, as well as their ministers and negotiators. The NGOs and research organisations and businesses that send their delegates are also increasing day by day. Egypt and Sherm al Sheikh have not done a great job with the logistics of the conference unfortunately, but more about this in a later blog! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Typically, COP tends to take over a city and does not remain limited to the conference venue. There are a number of side events that happen at other venues across the city. There are also a few marches and processions that take the COP to the streets of the city. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We keep on getting notifications of events happening outside the COP venue but one of those drew our attention due to its unique venue and title. This event was organised by an organisation named 'SISU' and was called Ancient Futures. It was to be held at the Sherm al Sheikh Museum in the evening. So, we decided to look in on it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The museum is an imposing building, but we did not go inside it. The event was held on an open terrace outside. The seating arrangement had a few chairs and a few mattresses and pillows. There was some food and beverages on offer for the attendees. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The event was focused around listening to the voices of women from indigenous communities. We managed to catch the main component of the function which was going to go on for 4 hr. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The speakers were three indigenous women from South America and Africa. They spoke very eloquently about the relationship of the indigenous people with the earth and specifically about the role of women of the community - which used to be more decisive and equal than modern communities. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ukNxSrMMoQW0aEEI_vUtqY_JalGyxzzF4tuWHnewWBwiJpm1tRjYYZku-fsIlNE4qTAo_kOKnOliOZ3CXB4bfmIKvlh2zB4P4Cb950cgDS8IUUKqHzoSyommS1i8axt8mgoV6eim3hZIIHCiUeLGCtNEzztcNX3p11t8XwBrDvRtqzx0vu02HO9CXw/s3063/IMG20221110203723.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1331" data-original-width="3063" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5ukNxSrMMoQW0aEEI_vUtqY_JalGyxzzF4tuWHnewWBwiJpm1tRjYYZku-fsIlNE4qTAo_kOKnOliOZ3CXB4bfmIKvlh2zB4P4Cb950cgDS8IUUKqHzoSyommS1i8axt8mgoV6eim3hZIIHCiUeLGCtNEzztcNX3p11t8XwBrDvRtqzx0vu02HO9CXw/w400-h174/IMG20221110203723.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Ancient Futures Event</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The argument made by the 'King' (she called herself the king while everyone else referred to her as queen... If one thinks of 'king' as a gender-neutral word for the main leader, her usage of the word was correct - somewhat similar to 'Rashtrapati' in the Indian context.) of a tribe from Africa was interesting. Referring to the history of humanity she asked - aren't we all indigenous people of Africa? Why should we make this distinction between 'indigenous' peoples and others merely on the basis of differences in ways of life? </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The lady from Brazil was recently elected to the Parliament and was a supporter of the newly elected leftist president Lulla. She explained that this time the indigenous communities strategically participated in the elections and took a lot of efforts to get the indigenous people to come out and vote. As a result, the number of elected representatives from the indigenous communities has gone up in the new parliament and hopefully that will help in addressing some of the commercial threats faced by the tribes in the Amazon forests. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Apart from this the overall tone of the conversation was the usual spiel on how the earth is suffering because the women are suffering etc. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The issues of gender equality are indeed an important socio-politico-economic challenge. It is not limited to indigenous communities but is far more universal, but yes, the disenfranchisement of indigenous women is far graver and devastating than that of women in the so-called modern societies. Environmental challenges in general and climate change impacts in particular also add to gender inequality. But I fail to understand why people need to respond to these realities from a place of 'emotions' than a place of 'rationality'. I also visited a booth by a US based university, and they are doing a project with young people across the world to help them relate to climate change with their 'hearts'. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I have always felt that an accurate understanding of the science is a better way to get the heart involved in solving the large complex challenges that we face today. An understanding of the mitochondrial DNA that links all humans to a single ancestral woman that lived in Africa about 500,000 years ago is a more powerful argument for the kinship and therefore equality of all humans than any emotional appeal to the sense of justice and equality. Understanding the intricate feedback loops and connections between the earth's geological, climatic, and biological systems is essential to understanding the importance of maintaining these systems in their current forms for the survival of our species rather than calling the planet 'mother earth' and ourselves its 'protectors' and 'stewards'. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The solution to climate change will of course need a wide variety of people to be involved in the fight and different things may motivate different people. But it is concerning to me that modern science is often looked upon as a villain as it is perceived as the trigger for the industrial revolution that heralded climate change. But the same industrial revolution also heralded the communication systems that allow us to connect with all humans across the world. The same industrial revolution also helped us overcome many deadly diseases and increased the average life span of humans. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Solving climate change is not just about going back to the traditional ways of life because the climatic conditions that exist today have not been experienced by humans at all. The solution to climate change will come through a blending of traditional wisdom and modern scientific thinking. The proponents of both should respect and work with each other rather than looking down upon each other. </span></p><div><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2022/11/COP27Day3.html" target="_blank">Day 3 Blog</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2022/11/COP27Day02.html" target="_blank">Day 2 Blog</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2022/11/COP27DAY01.html" target="_blank">Day 1 Blog</a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Priyadarshini Karve</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Director, Samuchit Enviro Tech</i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Convener, Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC)</i></span></div><div><br /></div>Samuchit Enviro Techhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03303808246667866981noreply@blogger.com1Sharm El-Sheikh, Qesm Sharm Ash Sheikh, South Sinai Governorate, Egypt27.9654198 34.3617769-0.3448140361788461 -0.7944730999999976 56.275653636178845 69.5180269tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-8409056599920140482022-11-10T11:16:00.004+05:302022-11-10T11:16:51.881+05:30Musings from Priyadarshini Karve: #COP27: Day 3<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b> #COP27: Day 3</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">9 November 2022 was officially 'Finance Day'. The negotiators discussed finance for mitigation, adaptation and also for 'loss and damage'. The side events of the day were also focused on the theme of finance. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As we entered the venue we came across an interesting protest displaying a dinosaur and a Pokémon! A number of young activists were speaking on how climate change induced disasters are affecting their countries. The demand of this protest was 'Stop Funding Fossil Fuels'. </span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpUSIyQC2zozsW7ayak7vnI5VMrvQ3lzloz4x67_FL_tVmKbLIAwC1jWNVdm6ijckBaZ2vaUeflrpyMCu7r1w4c0v5uwGjXnZ2FUliROcImIUg-Q2o6QVZr6j5CzWvtcHfWEiesDRcVQzlmFwUe_WZ8N54fie4ZzsEMoaY2uIzYTKNix-AFtU6uHwtg/s4624/IMG20221109094204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpUSIyQC2zozsW7ayak7vnI5VMrvQ3lzloz4x67_FL_tVmKbLIAwC1jWNVdm6ijckBaZ2vaUeflrpyMCu7r1w4c0v5uwGjXnZ2FUliROcImIUg-Q2o6QVZr6j5CzWvtcHfWEiesDRcVQzlmFwUe_WZ8N54fie4ZzsEMoaY2uIzYTKNix-AFtU6uHwtg/s320/IMG20221109094204.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Stop Funding Fossil Fuels! </b></i></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I attended two side events - both organised by members of Climate Action Network (CAN) and focused on 'Adaptation' and 'Loss and Damage'. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I am going to digress a bit and try to explain these terms. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When it comes to climate action, the media and public discourse is generally focused on <b>'Mitigation'</b> - reducing greenhouse gas emissions going into the atmosphere. This is important for slowing down future warming of planet earth. This requires moving away from fossil fuel use and change our land use pattern. Most of the climate finance is currently focused on this aspect. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">However there is also <b>'Adaptation'</b>. The planet is already about 1.1 deg C warmer than the preindustrial era. This has changed the weather patterns and ecosystems around the world permanently. People now have to change their ways and means of life in order to deal with the changes. Some of the challenges may be solved by behavioural change (for example - change the timing of outdoor work to deal with excessively hot summers) but some require use of technology (for example - rainwater harvesting and storage for better water security in spite of the erratic rainfall). Financing for adaptation has been a contentious issue at COPs for a long time. Developed countries have promised big money but actually provided very little. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A third front on climate action now is <b>'Loss and Damage'</b>. As global average temperature has creeped up over the last few decades, many communities across the globe are facing an existential crisis (for example - the Maldives will be totally submerged in a decade or so even if all GHG emissions drop to zero today). As sea levels rise, coastal communities lose their lands and homes and therefore their way of life, culture and traditions. They are getting uprooted and displaced. As certain parts of the world are repeatedly hit by cyclones, people are losing lives and livelihoods. For a long time, the developed countries have tried to argue that dealing with such situations also should be considered 'Adaptation' (and therefore no separate funding is needed for this). But the developing countries have strongly argued that 'Loss and Damage' is happening because both 'Mitigation' and 'Adaptation' are failing. Some countries need urgent help while we strengthen the efforts on Mitigation and Adaptation. Finally, this year financing for 'Loss and Damage' is being discussed. The news is that the countries have agreed to put in place a mechanism for this 'no later than 2024'. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The first side event in the morning was by CANSA (CAN South Asia) of which INECC is a member. There were presentations from Nepal and Bangladesh talking about how localised and community-centric action with co-operation and collaboration of government is helping these two highly affected countries adapt better and thereby minimise loss and damage. This exactly resonated with our own 'LDC for NDC' concept. Both the presentations also strongly highlighted the importance of the support of government machinery from local to national for more effective adaptation at the local level. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The final speaker of the event was a Minister from Pakistan. Pakistan is proving to be the showcase of 'Loss and Damage' in this COP. As the minister said - the country suffered an extremely hot summer followed by unprecedented and devastating floods during the monsoon season, and now it is entering what is likely to be an extremely cold winter! Climate change is really hammering them hard from all sides! It is no wonder therefore that the Pakistan pavilion has a caption 'Lost and Damaged' prominently on display. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">One important point that was made in this side event was around the nature of finance. Even though it is a moral obligation of the developed world to help the developing world deal with climate change, 70% of the climate finance available (of all categories) is in the form of debt and that too at very high interest rates! Strong arguments are therefore being made on all fronts that existing debts be written off and future finance not have a 'debt' component. One slide that presented eye opening statistics in this context is what you can see below. </span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVdbi77WhDuEPwBJd4meELyPFaaSsWzZ9TvRvaL4UEFQWD_dzEkQLIxpI7d02CEi9fGKBHMqzuFcMQ0U83Uj-toehfZnZnxtK5nPynR2qHEBgb9Nj1CVkMZdbXcTaVBkZ-R-CYc-iAnZFGgqs9YHjcRaZNAGxQogBwOqDtLubX9aWGdr0IxNJyOiE_Q/s4624/IMG20221109123050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4624" data-original-width="3468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLVdbi77WhDuEPwBJd4meELyPFaaSsWzZ9TvRvaL4UEFQWD_dzEkQLIxpI7d02CEi9fGKBHMqzuFcMQ0U83Uj-toehfZnZnxtK5nPynR2qHEBgb9Nj1CVkMZdbXcTaVBkZ-R-CYc-iAnZFGgqs9YHjcRaZNAGxQogBwOqDtLubX9aWGdr0IxNJyOiE_Q/s320/IMG20221109123050.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>The Climate Debt Trap</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The second side event was organised by CAN and a few collaborators. Its focus was 'Loss and Damage'. It had presentations from Malawi in Africa and Bangladesh. There were also presentations about how women are more affected than men when it comes to loss and damage. All in all there were very moving presentations starkly highlighting the plight of the vulnerable communities. One important point made was that while a lot of funding pours in for disaster relief when a tragedy strikes, not much finance is available for preventive or preparatory measures. It is hoped that the 'Loss and Damage' funding will address this gap. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As my colleague Pournima pointed out - often in the discussion on loss and damage, the communities come across as helpless and clueless people doing nothing as disasters creep on them. But the ground reality is that communities can exhibit resilience and resourcefulness. They are not totally without any agency of their own! They of course need a helping hand - in the form of finance as well as in the form of knowledge and data. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The loss and damage finance facility needs to focus on</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> empowering communities to protect and rescue themselves in a sustainable way. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Our 'LDC for NDC' process is showcasing some of the success stories of this approach. </span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2022/11/COP27Day02.html" target="_blank">Day 2 Blog</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2022/11/COP27DAY01.html?m=1" target="_blank">Day 1 Blog</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Priyadarshini Karve<br />Director, Samuchit Enviro Tech<br />Convener, Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC)</i></span></div>Samuchit Enviro Techhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03303808246667866981noreply@blogger.com0Sharm El-Sheikh, Qesm Sharm Ash Sheikh, South Sinai Governorate, Egypt27.9654198 34.3617769-0.3448140361788461 -0.7944730999999976 56.275653636178845 69.5180269tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-6593517431838435152022-11-09T10:27:00.002+05:302022-11-09T13:35:12.449+05:30Musings from Priyadarshini Karve: #COP27: Day 2<p><b> <span style="font-family: helvetica;">#COP27: Day 2</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">8 November 2022, the second day of COP27, was an important day for our team. We were going to kick off the calendar of side events! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">While the UNFCCC COP is primarily about various government representatives negotiating the future of state-lead climate action across the world, the observer organisations attending the conference have their own calendar of events. In this COP we have been assigned a booth for 3 days and we were also allotted a slot for a side event. We had applied for a side event a few months ago, but we were waitlisted (many organisations are keen to have their say on the global platform, however there are space and time constraints). We were finally sanctioned a side event after we agreed to merge with another organisation. This happens a lot of the times and generally the collaborators try to present a single cohesive side event of 1.5 hr duration. Sometimes it does not work out that way - which was our case this time. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We thus had 45 min to say our piece. As the moderator of the session I am happy to say that everything worked smoothly, the speakers stayed on schedule, and we managed to hand over the stage to the next moderator on the 44th minute. I feel rather proud of our team work and planning that made this work in an effortless manner. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oCav6B8gN2geMxCE5yJcmjZlZPwJ9bEyDWZ3q053TEyAyb-_TXvBz7jlYf9TIzdSK3mg_Tx4cKUh8Lczh7sPIZ4Nhd1-MRnQEIGGlJy0st5KcaWqdjZ-4KgeRgd-Vc72O35W1tFagmXHdjuVZYuLqQjCDq3eR_oCK4VGHNx4ykgMJHT3fiiemrr-JA/s1327/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-09%20at%2000.04.35.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="1327" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1oCav6B8gN2geMxCE5yJcmjZlZPwJ9bEyDWZ3q053TEyAyb-_TXvBz7jlYf9TIzdSK3mg_Tx4cKUh8Lczh7sPIZ4Nhd1-MRnQEIGGlJy0st5KcaWqdjZ-4KgeRgd-Vc72O35W1tFagmXHdjuVZYuLqQjCDq3eR_oCK4VGHNx4ykgMJHT3fiiemrr-JA/s320/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-09%20at%2000.04.35.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Laya Side Event COP27: <br />From L to R: Nakul Sharma, Martin Voss, Myron Mendes, Priyadarshini Karve</span></b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So what was our side event about? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We talked on 'Locally Developed Choices' for 'Nationally Determined Contributions' - LDC for NDC. This is INECC's current theme of action and we wanted to talk about it with the global audience. The gist of our argument is this: </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Paris Agreement is not just about keeping the warming below 1.5 deg C, it also talks about helping the climate-affected populations for adaptation. However, this aspect has always been ignored by the UN negotiators. This year finally the COP is looking at 'Loss and Damage' (more about this in a latter blog!) but the developing countries really had to struggle hard to get the topic on the discussion agenda. If one looks at the NDCs (commitments by individual national governments under Paris Agreement) these too only talk about mitigation. As a result, when climate change impacts hit locally, communities have to fend for themselves. This is however leading to some innovative choices being developed locally (LDC) that can not only achieve adaptation but also contribute to mitigation. For the last couple of years INECC has been trying to document such LDC and trying to build an awareness raising as well as policy advocacy campaign around these initiatives. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZe_ne2bodGEiy4xIntC9Z7dMhRHFNV43plzlEltn_KKJ3qtGFgyUtykeB2Z9eddf_GEl9ynZvNFnyW5JKAm3Csl28mFDjoq5s9o8fsZb9hii17u9sk9fToXkc_QWQznW00qOYTMRlUnXrOg5pCPtmlGBb7yAFhukQr2Cq7mAjHNcp84RQmZo6MlQq8g/s734/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-09%20at%2000.04.36.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="734" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZe_ne2bodGEiy4xIntC9Z7dMhRHFNV43plzlEltn_KKJ3qtGFgyUtykeB2Z9eddf_GEl9ynZvNFnyW5JKAm3Csl28mFDjoq5s9o8fsZb9hii17u9sk9fToXkc_QWQznW00qOYTMRlUnXrOg5pCPtmlGBb7yAFhukQr2Cq7mAjHNcp84RQmZo6MlQq8g/w200-h164/WhatsApp%20Image%202022-11-09%20at%2000.04.36.jpeg" width="200" /></span></b></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Laya Side Event @ COP27: <br />Priyadarshini explaining '<br />LDC for NDC'</span></b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In the side event I explained the 'LDC for NDC' concept with the example of lacunae in India's NDC and also briefly described the work we have done so far on this theme. My colleague Myron Mendes presented the case study of Laya's work on resilience building among the indigenous communities in the Eastern Ghats through technology interventions in agriculture and basic services. Nakul Sharma of Climate Action Network South Asia (CANSA) presented a case study of local action for adaptation from Nepal which described a wonderful collaboration between local community groups and local government. The final speaker was Martin Voss of GermanWatch who talked about how the big multilateral banks can and should fund replication of such success stories... but unfortunately are still stuck in the conventional thinking of pouring money into big infrastructure projects. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Even though we had 4 speakers and only 45 minutes, we had structured the session in such a way as to keep 10 minutes for questions and comments from the floor. And this turned out to be a very good decision! We had an audience of about 20-30 people. A member of the organisation leading the local action in Nepal was present in the audience and gave some additional detail on the case study presented by Nakul. The theme of LDC for NDC seemed to have really resonated with people from Africa in the audience. A couple of them made very moving comments on personal experiences of how the local reality is being ignored by the state-driven 'climate action'. One audience member pointed out the importance of understanding local vulnerabilities to shape adaptation - basically that funding for adaptation and resilience building must be targeted at ecosystem community level rather than at country level. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">All in all, I can say that we managed to get our point across. We felt highly encouraged by the reactions from the audience and hope to build an international momentum behind LDC for NDC! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The side event was livestreamed and for those who are interested <a href="https://youtu.be/eCFyNGaI7dU" target="_blank">here is the link</a>. We are in the first 45 min. </span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2022/11/COP27DAY01.html" target="_blank">Day 1 Blog</a></span></p><p><br /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Priyadarshini Karve<br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Director, Samuchit Enviro Tech<br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Convener, Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC)</span></i></div>Samuchit Enviro Techhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03303808246667866981noreply@blogger.com0Sharm El-Sheikh, Qesm Sharm Ash Sheikh, South Sinai Governorate, Egypt27.9654198 34.3617769-0.3448140361788461 -0.7944730999999976 56.275653636178845 69.5180269tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-66986655513964578282022-11-08T09:09:00.000+05:302022-11-08T09:09:02.949+05:30Musings from Priyadarshini Karve: #COP27: Day 1<p> <span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>#COP27: Day 1</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">UNFCCC's annual conference of parties (COP) is held every year during November. While the main work of negotiating for global climate action goes on through diplomatic and ministerial meetings the Observer Organisations (mainly civil society and academic organisations as well as religious faith groups) have the opportunity to connect with like minded people across the world. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I am here at Sherm Al Sheikh in Egypt for the 27th edition of the COP and as a part of a delegation from 'Laya' the secretariat of Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">On Day 1 - 7 Nov 2022 - we primarily set up the exhibition booth which has been allotted to us for 3 days. In the photograph you see us at our stall. </span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rnUB1k4pxZbaCYf76H4dkfKy309StvAosdKOrLTeKL4vTEq6sBY5iDCNSjB7SEkc66AAd46fIvXlw5GdWiD8djAQOQeZoO5r1riuTZtKEKwol8ojQL_hnexwuZHkH4xgPFAAAHNj2X3VdYNDrtYD74tTrq8pRf9jY9weuqVBnKlHO8MHQuTj4JireA/s1600/IMG-20221107-WA0021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2rnUB1k4pxZbaCYf76H4dkfKy309StvAosdKOrLTeKL4vTEq6sBY5iDCNSjB7SEkc66AAd46fIvXlw5GdWiD8djAQOQeZoO5r1riuTZtKEKwol8ojQL_hnexwuZHkH4xgPFAAAHNj2X3VdYNDrtYD74tTrq8pRf9jY9weuqVBnKlHO8MHQuTj4JireA/s320/IMG-20221107-WA0021.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>From L to R: Durgesh of SayTrees, Pournima of Laya, INECC & Samuchit, Priyadarshini of INECC & Samuchit, Myron of INECC & Laya</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">A little bit of walking around the exhibition booths and various pavilions and soaking up the overall atmosphere and vibe is all I have done on Day 1. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It is always interesting to visit the various country pavilions. Typically, they follow two approaches. One approach is to create a lot of open space for people to sit and talk and listen to various events happening within the country pavilion. There is some information about the country's climate action but presented subtly through posters etc. Most of the developed country pavilions are in this format. The other approach is to flamboyantly display the past and present of the country and create a welcoming vibe to tempt people to drop in and have a chat. Some also offer souvenirs from the country. This is the format followed by the developing countries generally. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">India pavilion however does neither which is perhaps appropriate as we are always in this identity crisis of whether we are developed or developing! The pavilion is a very officious and high-tech display of central government schemes contributing to climate action. There are slogans everywhere about how India's climate action is 'people-centric' but there are hardly any 'people' in the overall display. There is a closed seating area at the back for interactions being held within the pavilion. It is a tiny space with just about 20 chairs... Not expecting a lot of audience for events in the pavilion perhaps? </span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_sWo8eAsDvIMqJtUHWh6FuSZX1J4sOogVlN2kIiNrd8-gTms7bMP9i8UIOSIabO58MpgUgKgzlrfX8anm5HWJcpqKRvG2Eib1PI9uEtXaD74levm70rExVsyLp5F32cUmxPAgMak9rpF-1ThRJLy_FgKmqsWUC2sZUvRDUd2ze6Hz36EPTJC608wyA/s4624/IMG20221106121121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3468" data-original-width="4624" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_sWo8eAsDvIMqJtUHWh6FuSZX1J4sOogVlN2kIiNrd8-gTms7bMP9i8UIOSIabO58MpgUgKgzlrfX8anm5HWJcpqKRvG2Eib1PI9uEtXaD74levm70rExVsyLp5F32cUmxPAgMak9rpF-1ThRJLy_FgKmqsWUC2sZUvRDUd2ze6Hz36EPTJC608wyA/s320/IMG20221106121121.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>A view of the India Pavilion at COP27</b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">We have an official side event coming up on Day 2. Based on the calendar put out by UNFCC this will be the first side event of this COP and we have been assigned a 150-seater room for this. If you have any friends or colleagues at COP27 please ask them to drop by! The event is open to all registered delegates. </span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvQXioBcVthQ72ffxavWeqOdiogbzDglTuY1w4BU_TIStUih71wBfcqqDRrZ3Z74EBwNA3HsWxUf3JKkRHX-ozXLM4egAgtjRAQadK6O0tdU-5Ax8NZIt6D2owaoinFfIXBmHZWvMofT3758IN253O3Rob4vmQhwP--iIIrdaLV9pl5g6vGid-uy0jA/s1200/IMG-20221107-WA0091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibvQXioBcVthQ72ffxavWeqOdiogbzDglTuY1w4BU_TIStUih71wBfcqqDRrZ3Z74EBwNA3HsWxUf3JKkRHX-ozXLM4egAgtjRAQadK6O0tdU-5Ax8NZIt6D2owaoinFfIXBmHZWvMofT3758IN253O3Rob4vmQhwP--iIIrdaLV9pl5g6vGid-uy0jA/s320/IMG-20221107-WA0091.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laya - INECC Side Event Invitation</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Priyadarshini Karve<br /></i></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Director, Samuchit Enviro Tech<br /></i></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Convener, Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC)</i></span></div>Samuchit Enviro Techhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03303808246667866981noreply@blogger.com3Sharm El-Sheikh, Qesm Sharm Ash Sheikh, South Sinai Governorate, Egypt27.9654198 34.3617769-0.3448140361788461 -0.7944730999999976 56.275653636178845 69.5180269tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-18598089297667714042022-06-25T11:28:00.001+05:302022-07-13T22:14:31.447+05:30My City My Responsibility - River Rejuvenation Campaign#3<p> <i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We at Samuchit Enviro Tech, Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC) and Jeevitnadi Living River Foundation are opposing the Riverfront Development plan being enforced by the Pune Municipal Corporation. Since the plan totally disregards river ecology and impacts of climate change we want the project to be cancelled and a genuinely nature-aligned river rejuvenation undertaken in a democratic and transparent manner. </span></span></i></p><p><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">समुचित एन्व्हायरो टेक, इंडियन नेटवर्क ऑन एथिक्स अॅंड क्लायमेट चेंज (आयनेक) आणि जीवितनदी लिव्हिंग रिव्हर फाउंडेशन या सर्व संस्था पुणे मनपा पुढे रेटू पहात असलेल्या नदीकाठ विकास प्रकल्पाला विरोध करत आहेत. या प्रकल्पात नदीची परिसंस्था व जागतिक वातावरण बदलाचे परिणाम यांच्याकडे पूर्णतः दुर्लक्ष केलेले असल्याने हा प्रकल्प रद्द करावा व लोकशाही पध्दतीने व पारदर्शकपणे सच्चे निसर्ग-पूरक असे नदी पुनरुज्जीवन हाती घ्यावे ही आमची मागणी आहे. </span></span></i></p><p><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></i></p><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkMaZ5eNnTNytZuFOkeHLtY0ywSXlhGT6W739j-kN1snUgr6ZbGRv1fRouuuY9kGpAOUaGSoNd1aGElkiTJ_dqR6sMhJqsZBWPbmJ6rxj8raf1nPTSXuF7p_lZNSs9G9rgtTR25Zsk5ez-37aEAP3q6DDbeR5sRBr14oFipxp_19LIVwkW4O6YYJF/s1080/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAkMaZ5eNnTNytZuFOkeHLtY0ywSXlhGT6W739j-kN1snUgr6ZbGRv1fRouuuY9kGpAOUaGSoNd1aGElkiTJ_dqR6sMhJqsZBWPbmJ6rxj8raf1nPTSXuF7p_lZNSs9G9rgtTR25Zsk5ez-37aEAP3q6DDbeR5sRBr14oFipxp_19LIVwkW4O6YYJF/w433-h433/3.png" width="433" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br />Image 3 - Natural Rejuvenation</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><i style="text-align: left;"></i></div><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></i><p></p><p><b style="color: red; font-family: Arial; font-size: xx-large; white-space: pre-wrap;">PMC or Rejuvenation?</b></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! A structured and manicured garden may look good for <br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">a while </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">but </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">will become boring soon. But the wilderness of a natural forest simply lifts your spirit! </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A beautiful array of built-embankments with artificially carved out spaces for human recreation makes </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">a pleasing image indeed. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">But then the natural beauty of a meandering free flowing river between naturally wild riverbanks too energizes us! So how do we say what is right and what is wrong?? <br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">The real question to ask is not what looks beautiful on paper today but which of these images is <br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">long lasting and sustainable say beyond a decade from now? <br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Constructed structures are always trying to hold back nature. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre;">They need constant service and<br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre;"> maintenance. As the city’s financial fortunes ebb and flow and political priorities swing between <br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre;">two extremes, the beautifully constructed structures are at a high risk of falling into disrepair in a <br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre;">decade or so. <br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Water made artificially still will stagnate and become polluted. Natural constructs on the other hand<br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">are by default aligned with the forces of nature. These ‘greenscapes’ will change too but in harmony<br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">with natural forces. The free-flowing river teeming with natural life will keep on self-cleaning itself. <br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">What the river needs is REMOVAL of human interference rather than excessive heavy-handed <br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">attempts to ‘tame’ it! A free river will endow the settlement on its banks with beauty and serenity, <br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">water and food security, protection from the impacts of climate change, and many more blessings! <br /></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">So think carefully! What is your choice? PMC’s plan or Ecological Rejuvenation?<br /></span><span style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">For more information and to participate in the movement against the PMC's riverfront development plan, please visit: </span><a href="https://puneriverrevival.com/" style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">https://puneriverrevival.com/</a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">पुणे</span></b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> महानगरपालिकेची योजना की नदी पुनरुज्जीवन?</b></span></span></span></p><p><b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre;">सौंदर्य बघणाऱ्याच्या नजरेत असते! भौमितिक रचनेतील आखीवरेखीव बाग काही काळ चांगली दिसेल पण कालांतराने </span></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;">कंटाळवाणी होईल. पण नैसर्गिक जंगलाचा मोकळेढाकळे पणा मनाला उभारी देतो! बांधकामाने उभारलेल्या कृत्रीम </div></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;">किनाऱ्यांची मालिका व मानवी करमणुकीसाठी त्यात केलेल्या नियोजनबध्द जागा ही डोळ्यांना सुखावणारी प्रतिमा आहे. </div></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;">पण नैसर्गिक हिरवाई असलेल्या नदीकाठांमधून वळणे घेत मुक्त वाहणाऱ्या नदीचे नैसर्गिक सौंदर्य आपल्याला ऊर्जा देते! </div></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;">मग काय योग्य आणि अयोग्य हे आपण कसे म्हणायचे?? </div></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;">खरा प्रश्न आज कागदावर काय सुंदर दिसत आहे हा नाही, तर यापैकी कोणती प्रतिमा दीर्घकाळ - किमान एक दशकभर - </div></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;">टिकणारी आणि शाश्वत आहे, हा आहे. </div></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;">माणसांनी बांधलेल्या रचना नेहमीच निसर्गाला रोखण्याचा प्रयत्न करत असतात. त्यांना सतत देखभाल आणि दुरुस्तीची गरज </div></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;">आहे. पुढच्या दशकभरात शहराचे अर्थकारण चढउतारांमधून जाईल आणि राजकीय प्राधान्यक्रम दोन टोकांमध्ये झुलत</div></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> राहतील. अशा परिस्थितीत सुंदर बांधलेल्या रचना दशकभरात दुर्लक्षित होऊन मोडून पडण्याचा धोका मोठा आहे. </div></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;">कृत्रिमरित्या स्थिर केलेले पाणीही या कालावधीत प्रदूषित होऊन जाईल. निसर्गाने केलेल्या रचना मुळातच निसर्गाच्या </div></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;">शक्तींशी जुळवून घेत तयार होत असतात. हे 'ग्रीनस्केप' देखील बदलतील पण हे बदल नैसर्गिक शक्तींशी सुसंगत असतील. </div></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;">समृध्द सजीवसृष्टीने परिपूर्ण असलेली मुक्त वाहणारी नदी स्वत:ची स्वच्छता करत राहील. आज नदीला गरज आहे ती तिला</div></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> 'काबूत' ठेवण्याच्या अवाजवी प्रयत्नांऐवजी मानवी हस्तक्षेप काढून टाकण्याची! एक मुक्त नदी तिच्या काठावरील वस्तीला </div></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;">सौंदर्य आणि शांतता, पाणी आणि अन्न सुरक्षितता, हवामान बदलाच्या प्रभावापासून संरक्षण आणि इतरही बरीच वरदाने देईल! </div></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;">तर मग नीट विचार करा! तुम्ही काय निवडाल? पुणे महानगरपालिकेची योजना की पर्यावरणाशी सुसंगत नदी पुनरुज्जीवन?</div></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; white-space: normal;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; white-space: normal;">अधिक माहितीसाठी आणि पुणे मनपाच्या नदीकाठ विकास प्रकल्पाच्या विरोधातील मोहिमेत सहभागी होण्यासाठी कृपया पहा - </span><a href="https://puneriverrevival.com/" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; white-space: normal;">https://puneriverrevival.com/</a></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.samuchit.com">www.samuchit.com</a></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Like/Follow/Share us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SustainableCityPune" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sustainablepune/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizensPune" target="_blank">Twitter</a> Citizens of Sustainable Pune</span></b></p>pournimahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17717035521101360729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-6409019292327077902022-06-24T12:02:00.006+05:302022-07-13T22:13:04.224+05:30My City My Responsibility - River Rejuvenation Campaign#2<p> <i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We at Samuchit Enviro Tech, Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC) and Jeevitnadi Living River Foundation are opposing the Riverfront Development plan being enforced by the Pune Municipal Corporation. Since the plan totally disregards river ecology and impacts of climate change we want the project to be cancelled and a genuinely nature-aligned river rejuvenation undertaken in a democratic and transparent manner. </span></span></i></p><p><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">समुचित एन्व्हायरो टेक, इंडियन नेटवर्क ऑन एथिक्स अॅंड क्लायमेट चेंज (आयनेक) आणि जीवितनदी लिव्हिंग रिव्हर फाउंडेशन या सर्व संस्था पुणे मनपा पुढे रेटू पहात असलेल्या नदीकाठ विकास प्रकल्पाला विरोध करत आहेत. या प्रकल्पात नदीची परिसंस्था व जागतिक वातावरण बदलाचे परिणाम यांच्याकडे पूर्णतः दुर्लक्ष केलेले असल्याने हा प्रकल्प रद्द करावा व लोकशाही पध्दतीने व पारदर्शकपणे सच्चे निसर्ग-पूरक असे नदी पुनरुज्जीवन हाती घ्यावे ही आमची मागणी आहे. </span></span></i></p><p><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></i></p><p><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></i></p><b style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLphTCAB_4aKD277HLpAG8xV9XlQAHdCe21CHgSGhro9s2_gk29jqxFcoSTyL0FX-u_rP8lu8tySEC2VRNRhVVfLVNqDeP0KCUwKBRsJrChTiiQx9pIc_Ctncn7FSGnDoH0_4niTiGQqzBBuIqHvOh0xpWvoCCOzrvUQx-8xsLj98DgKwITU6YB6Y/s1080/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYLphTCAB_4aKD277HLpAG8xV9XlQAHdCe21CHgSGhro9s2_gk29jqxFcoSTyL0FX-u_rP8lu8tySEC2VRNRhVVfLVNqDeP0KCUwKBRsJrChTiiQx9pIc_Ctncn7FSGnDoH0_4niTiGQqzBBuIqHvOh0xpWvoCCOzrvUQx-8xsLj98DgKwITU6YB6Y/w411-h411/2.png" width="411" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><u>Image 2 Concretization of rivers</u></i></td></tr></tbody></table>
<b style="text-align: left;"></b></div><br /></b><p><b style="font-family: Arial; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Concrete Intoxication</span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">Natural banks are not just a rock, soil , sand etc.. but also marshes, rocky outcrops, etc. ( under natural banks) held together by the root zones of a variety of vegetation – trees, shrubs, grasses and so on. A world of fishes, insects, birds, and many other animals thrive around this habitat. When the river floods the WATER overflows into the flood plains (which are also natural riparian that reduce temperature, increases soil moisture and reduce evaporation losses) and eventually recedes and in the process nurtures this ecosystem. The vegetation on the riverbanks also helps reduce the speed of the overflowing water during floods reducing damage and destruction. </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">But then… humans took over. Land covered by vegetation in the middle of a city? Such a waste</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> of space! Let’s concretise and commercialise! The natural river bank is replaced by a ‘concrete </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">retaining wall’ with some cosmetic vegetation to hide the concrete. But this fails to retain anything! </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">When it floods the water is now gushing faster! The ‘reclaimed’ land in the floodplains has rigid </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">concrete buildings replacing flexible firm-rooted vegetation. Submergence is now a bane rather </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">than a boon! </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">With climate change leading to INCREASE in rainfall per episode of rain, the flooding is now </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">UNPRECEDENTED year on year! What is actually needed is to strengthen the natural riverbanks</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> – to lessen the force of flooding waters. What is being done is ‘hardscape’ concrete banks and</span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> concrete structures - adding to the destructive power of floods! </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Are we paying taxes to PMC to destroy our beloved city?? Just think about it. </span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"></span></p><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span><span style="font-family: arial; white-space: pre-wrap;">For more information and to participate in the movement against the PMC's riverfront development plan, please visit: <a href="https://puneriverrevival.com/">https://puneriverrevival.com/</a></span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-466cf29b-7fff-ded9-1f07-1b31579c200f"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>काँक्रीटची नशा</b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">नदीचा नैसर्गिक काठ म्हणजे फक्त खडक, माती, वाळू इतकेच नाही, तर झाडे, झुडुपे, गवत इत्यादी विविध प्रकारच्या वनस्पतींच्या मुळांच्या जाळ्याद्वारे एकत्र ठेवलेले दलदल, खडक, इ. घटक असतात. या नैसर्गिक संरचनेभोवती मासे, कीटक, पक्षी आणि इतर अनेक प्राण्यांची दुनिया वसलेली आहे. जेव्हा नदीला पूर येतो तेव्हा पाणी नदीच्या पूरक्षेत्रात येते (नदीचे पूरक्षेत्र ही पण एक नैसर्गिक परिसंस्था आहे - हिच्यामुळे परिसराचे तापमान कमी होते, जमिनीतील ओलावा वाढतो आणि बाष्पीभवनाने होणारा पाण्याच ऱ्हास कमी होतो) आणि नंतर ओसंडते. या प्रक्रियेत या परिसंस्थेचे पोषण होते. नदीकाठावरील वनस्पती देखील पुराच्या वेळी ओसंडून वाहणाऱ्या पाण्याचा वेग कमी करून नुकसान आणि विनाश कमी करण्यास मदत करतात. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">पण कालांतराने… माणसांनी हे क्षेत्र ताब्यात घेतले. शहराच्या मध्यभागी हरित आच्छादित जमीन? जागेचा असा अपव्यय! चला कॉंक्रीटीकरण आणि व्यापारीकरण करूया! नैसर्गिक नदीकाठाच्या जागी आता आली 'काँक्रीटची संरक्षक भिंत' आणि हे कॉंक्रिट लपवण्यासाठी कृत्रीमपणे केलेली थोडी हिरवाईची लागवड. पण ही भिंत कशाचेही संरक्षण करण्यात अपयशी ठरते! पूर आला की पाणी आता अधिक वेगाने वाहते! नैसर्गिक पूरक्षेत्रात कृत्रिमरीत्या तयार केलेल्या जमिनीवर लवचिक घट्ट रुजलेल्या वनस्पतींच्या जागी आता काँक्रीटच्या अजिबात लवचिकता नसलेल्या इमारती आहेत. जमीन जलमय होणे आता वरदान न राहता शाप बनले आहे! </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">जागतिक वातावरण बदलामुळे प्रत्येक पाऊस पडण्याच्या प्रसंगी पावसाचे प्रमाण वाढत चालले आहे. त्यामुळे दरवर्षी पुराची तीव्रता अभूतपूर्व रित्या वाढते आहे! पुराच्या पाण्याचा जोर कमी करण्यासाठी प्रत्यक्षात नैसर्गिक नदीकाठ बळकट करणे आवश्यक आहे. पण जे केले जात आहे ते म्हणजे 'हार्डस्केप' काँक्रीटचे किनारे आणि काँक्रीटच्या इमारती - हे सारे पुराच्या विनाशकारी शक्तीमध्ये भर घालत आहेत! </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-aa6da574-7fff-6f29-c007-8e2f70e9ea17"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">आपले लाडके शहर उद्ध्वस्त करण्यासाठी आपण पुणे महानगरपालिकेला कर देत आहोत का? जरा विचार करा! </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">अधिक माहितीसाठी आणि पुणे मनपाच्या नदीकाठ विकास प्रकल्पाच्या विरोधातील मोहिमेत सहभागी होण्यासाठी कृपया पहा - <a href="https://puneriverrevival.com/">https://puneriverrevival.com/</a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.samuchit.com">www.samuchit.com</a></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Like/Follow/Share us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SustainableCityPune" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sustainablepune/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizensPune" target="_blank">Twitter</a> Citizens of Sustainable Pune</span></b></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></div>pournimahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17717035521101360729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-16526149657910053772022-06-23T14:39:00.001+05:302022-07-13T22:12:08.941+05:30My City My Responsibility - River Rejuvenation Campaign#1<p><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We at Samuchit Enviro Tech, Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC) and Jeevitnadi Living River Foundation are opposing the Riverfront Development plan being enforced by the Pune Municipal Corporation. Since the plan totally disregards river ecology and impacts of climate change we want the project to be cancelled and a genuinely nature-aligned river rejuvenation undertaken in a democratic and transparent manner. </span></span></i></p><p><i><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: arial;">समुचित एन्व्हायरो टेक, इंडियन नेटवर्क ऑन एथिक्स अॅंड क्लायमेट चेंज (आयनेक) आणि जीवितनदी लिव्हिंग रिव्हर फाउंडेशन या सर्व संस्था पुणे मनपा पुढे रेटू पहात असलेल्या नदीकाठ विकास प्रकल्पाला विरोध करत आहेत. या प्रकल्पात नदीची परिसंस्था व जागतिक वातावरण बदलाचे परिणाम यांच्याकडे पूर्णतः दुर्लक्ष केलेले असल्याने हा प्रकल्प रद्द करावा व लोकशाही पध्दतीने व पारदर्शकपणे सच्चे निसर्ग-पूरक असे नदी पुनरुज्जीवन हाती घ्यावे ही आमची मागणी आहे. </span></span></i></p><p><i style="font-family: Arial;"></i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCCV2qtXvFo6kpG54dxzcYO0-oG2Se74PZUStb66zeLYqRpuPv-9XpZ0BHz9sDPHS_pL5nLy_bBEc8avN4S78S1RGV9CBajfA11Ya5kXfWQiSewhxFCe5y5xZvf2f6nuF6OzFirpEo8p6eLEAvQJm4hpccCw-EOwFG1cncdPGEXdAjH705CNcLQym/s1080/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMCCV2qtXvFo6kpG54dxzcYO0-oG2Se74PZUStb66zeLYqRpuPv-9XpZ0BHz9sDPHS_pL5nLy_bBEc8avN4S78S1RGV9CBajfA11Ya5kXfWQiSewhxFCe5y5xZvf2f6nuF6OzFirpEo8p6eLEAvQJm4hpccCw-EOwFG1cncdPGEXdAjH705CNcLQym/w417-h417/1.png" width="417" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br />Image: I want to break Free!</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-e0a4ba83-7fff-aa4d-a3bc-b49dfcb423e9"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>I want to break free</b></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Rivers have been flowing through and shaping landscapes for billions of years. Humans appeared on the scene about 2.5 hundred thousand years ago. We are infants in front of these ancient planetary miracles! </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">About 12 thousand years ago, as the last ice age ended and the water started receding from land, humans started settling near the water sources – rivers and lakes. Population increased, empires grew, businesses thrived… human settlements grew… and grew and grew! Our houses and places of worship and other constructs started spilling into the flood plains of the river. To control the flooding, we built dams and embankments and tried to move the river ‘out of the way of our progress’. </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The river is ancient. She has immense patience. But our haphazard and mindless ‘progress’ has no limits which is also impacting changes in the climatic conditions locally and globally. The river is losing its patience with us now. She is getting restless. She wants to break free… and we are making even more grand plans to further constrain and chain her! </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">We have to realise… we are no match for the planetary forces. The river WILL break free… and sweep away all our ‘progress’.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">For more information and to participate in the movement against the PMC's riverfront development plan, please visit: <a href="https://puneriverrevival.com/">https://puneriverrevival.com/</a></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">मला मुक्त व्हायचे आहे</span></b>
कोट्यवधी वर्षांपासून नद्या वाहत आहेत आणि भूपृष्ठाला आकार देत आहेत. सुमारे 2.5 लाख वर्षांपूर्वी मानव उदयाला आला. या प्राचीन ग्रहाच्या विस्मयकारी आविष्कारांपुढे आपण अर्भक आहोत!
<br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">सुमारे 12 हजार वर्षांपूर्वी, शेवटचे हिमयुग संपल्यानंतर आणि जमिनीवरून पाणी ओसरू लागल्याने, मानव जलस्रोतांजवळ - नद्या आणि तलावांजवळ - स्थायिक होऊ लागला. लोकसंख्या वाढली, साम्राज्ये वाढली, उद्योगधंदे वाढले… मानवी वसाहती वाढल्या… आणि वाढल्या आणि वाढल्या! आपली घरे, प्रार्थनास्थळे आणि इतर बांधकामे नदीच्या पुराच्या मैदानात हात-पाय पसरायला लागली. मग पूर आटोक्यात ठेवण्यासाठी आपण धरणे आणि बंधारे बांधले आणि नदीला ‘आपल्या प्रगतीच्या मार्गामधून दूर’ करण्याचा प्रयत्न केला.
<br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">नदी प्राचीन आहे. तिच्याकडे अपार संयम आहे. पण आपल्या अव्यवस्थित आणि बेफिकीर ‘प्रगती’ला मर्यादा नाही. यामुळे स्थानिक आणि जागतिक पातळीवरील हवामानातही बदल होत आहेत. नदी आता आपला संयम गमावत आहे. ती अस्वस्थ होत आहे. तिला मोकळे व्हायचे आहे… आणि आपण तिला आणखी रोखण्यासाठी आणि साखळबंदांत अडकवण्यासाठी आणखी भव्य योजना आखत आहोत!
<br /></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">आपल्याला हे समजले पाहिजे ... पृथ्वीच्या नैसर्गिक शक्तींपुढे आपण कःपदार्थ आहोत. नदी मोकळी होईल… आणि आपली सर्व ‘प्रगती’ वाहून जाईल.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">अधिक माहितीसाठी आणि पुणे मनपाच्या नदीकाठ विकास प्रकल्पाच्या विरोधातील मोहिमेत सहभागी होण्यासाठी कृपया पहा - <a href="https://puneriverrevival.com/">https://puneriverrevival.com/</a></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.samuchit.com">www.samuchit.com</a></i></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue;">Like/Follow/Share us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SustainableCityPune" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sustainablepune/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizensPune" target="_blank">Twitter</a> Citizens of Sustainable Pune</span></b></p></span>pournimahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17717035521101360729noreply@blogger.com0Pune, Maharashtra, India18.5204303 73.8567437-9.7898035361788445 38.700493699999996 46.830664136178846 109.0129937tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-43936182867103103942021-11-26T13:38:00.000+05:302021-11-26T13:38:00.443+05:30Chatusutra_Loksatta_04: On the occasion of Earth Day…<p> <i style="font-family: helvetica;">Since January 2021, I am writing on Environment and Science in the 'Chatusutra' weekly column of Loksatta, a Marathi language newspaper. This weekly series contains four different themes being written by four different authors in a four-week cycle. My first article was published on the second Wednesday of the year, and thereafter my articles are coming every four weeks. One of the request from the readers has been to provide English translations for those who are not able to read Marathi. <b>Meera Rotti</b> took on the task to do this, and therefore I am launching this monthly mini-series. Periodically, I will post the English translation of one article in the same chronological order that the Marathi articles have been published in Loksatta. </i></p><p><i style="font-family: helvetica;">Links to previous posts: </i></p><p><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2021/06/chatusutraloksatta01-is-human-virus.html">SUSTAINable Life: Chatusutra_Loksatta_01: Is Human A Virus? (samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com)</a></p><p><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2021/08/chatusutraloksatta02-battle-of-indias.html">SUSTAINable Life: Chatusutra_Loksatta_02: Battle of India's Survival (samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com)</a></p><p><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2021/09/chatusutraloksatta03-conquest-of-mars.html">SUSTAINable Life: Chatusutra_Loksatta_03: Conquest of Mars? (samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com)</a></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>04. On the Occasion of Earth Day...</b></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><i><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">The original Marathi article published on 07 April 2021 can be found <a href="https://www.loksatta.com/sampadkiya/chatusutra/article-on-resolution-for-earth-day-abn-97-2438301/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </span></b></i></span></p><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">April
22 is celebrated across the world as the Earth Day. The first Earth Day was celebrated on April
22, 1970 in the USA. This celebration was inspired by two movements. In 1962,
Rachel Carson’s book, ‘Silent Spring’ was first published. The book intensely
recounted negative impacts of overuse of pesticides on the natural world. It
was translated into many languages across the world. This book gave an impetus
to debates and scrutiny of increasing interference of humans in the Earth’s environment
not only in the USA but also in other industrialized nations, and those aspiring
for industrialization.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">This
movement got further thrust by an astounding photograph. On 24th December 1968,
the astronauts aboard the USA’s spacecraft Apollo 8 - Frank Borman, James
Lovell and William Anders - became the first humans to orbit the Moon. It was
an important milestone in the mission to the Moon. This spacecraft orbited the
Moon ten times. In the fourth round, when they were getting into the illuminated
side of the Moon from the darker side, a beautiful site from a window of the
spacecraft captured their attention - the view of the rising of the Earth over
the lunar horizon. William Anders had the official responsibility of
photography on this mission. He quickly grabbed his camera to capture this
fascinating view. The camera had a black and white film at that moment. By the
time the film was changed to</span><span lang="EN-GB"> colour</span><span lang="EN-US"> film the Earth had disappeared from
that window of the spacecraft. But a few seconds on, it was visible again, from
another window. Anders was able to successfully capture some </span><span lang="EN-GB">colour</span><span lang="EN-US"> photographs. The spacecraft returned
safely back on the Earth on December 27, and a few days later the photographs
were shared across the world.</span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14zI52HcjmvLdEibf1OC2VxhvDv-J6BqE34VU_zxHuuES_wje4raGSAp1C8hLTRak-ybI4VgMMxxPd32zhZpJLVEqDbXKnQIY048570GNNS06_oq8ony2MX9MBO8Kj-zgZG6GadwJVpQU/s2048/NASA-Apollo8-Dec24-Earthrise.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh14zI52HcjmvLdEibf1OC2VxhvDv-J6BqE34VU_zxHuuES_wje4raGSAp1C8hLTRak-ybI4VgMMxxPd32zhZpJLVEqDbXKnQIY048570GNNS06_oq8ony2MX9MBO8Kj-zgZG6GadwJVpQU/w400-h400/NASA-Apollo8-Dec24-Earthrise.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Earthrise</b></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The last
few years of the 1960s were quite turbulent. Reverberations of the cold war
between the USA and Soviet Union could be felt all over the world. Both these
nuclear sovereign superpowers were locking horns with each other on different
fronts pushing the world to the brink of a third world war. Around the same
time, use of fossil fuels, and other different types of chemicals were making
big inroads in diverse fields. There were no checks on air and water pollution
in the developed world. And the ill effects of this on the natural ecosystems
and human health had also started to unravel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Amidst
such times, these black and white and colour photographs of ‘Earthrise’ reached
millions of people through American media, and later across the world through
other media. The Moon’s lifeless gray surface and the distant, enchanting,
lonely blue-white Earth against the backdrop of a pitch-black infinite universe
- even today ‘Earthrise’ evokes a feeling of divine revelation in the viewers.
We can only imagine the state of the mind of those who saw the Earth from the
space for the first time.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In one
obscure corner of this boundless universe lies our solar system, and within
that is our home - the blue Earth. For as far as we can see, with our technological
evolution, into the limitless space, this is the only place where life is
thriving. Billions of years have taken for this miracle to happen. Our social
status, our political notions, our economical dominance counts nothing compared
to this. Our transient tussles are endangering the existence of not only our
own species but that of this rare entity in the universe - such were the thoughts
that began to take roots far and wide in people’s minds due to this photograph.
It is no coincidence that movements of world peace as well as environmental protection
started to shape up in the 1970s.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">22
April 2021 will be celebrated across the world as the 51st Earth Day. The theme
for this year is - Restore the Earth. This evokes many questions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Are
we trying to say that, long ago the Earth had the most ideal environment, and
we have to go back to that state? Should we go right back to the age of the dinosaurs,
or just up to an age of ideal conditions for humans? Of course, it is a no
brainer… however, what is exactly the ideal state from human perspective? Since
the evolutions of the modern humans, the natural conditions of the Earth have
been undergoing varied changes in different places, and in the process of
adapting to these changes our biological and social evolution has taken place.
The Ice Age was the longest of such periods. It was in this period that the
human species wandered out of Africa, and spread across other parts of the
Earth. This Ice Age ended just ten-twelve thousand years back. In the resulting
conditions, our hunter gatherer ancestors transitioned, and subsequently settled,
to agrarian lifestyle. Humans in different regions of the Earth adapted to the
local weather, geographical conditions in different ways. It has been not even
two hundred years since the advent of fossil fuels, and the subsequent
transformation of our lifestyle into an industrialized one. It is now proven
that the alterations in climatic conditions of the Earth in the past ten
thousand years have more to do with human interference than other natural
causes. However, we must not forget that we too have been adapting quite well
to most of these changes. Therefore, which exactly of these states should be
taken as an ideal for humans? The one right after the Ice Age? If yes, then
what is the lifestyle perfectly in tune with it? Today, there is tremendous
diversity in the ways humans across the globe live their lives, and also in ways
they are connected with other entities in the nature. So, by who all and where all
is this so-called ‘restoration’ supposed to take place?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Hunter
gatherer humans create the least (though not zero) interference in the natural
systems. Their primary needs are exclusively met by the resources easily
available in their surroundings. Researchers establish that to support such a
nature-based lifestyle, per capita 10 sq. km space should be available. Taking
into account the Earth’s total land area, and assuming that entire part of it,
even the tip of Mt. Everest, is habitable and rich in resources, the Earth can
support a population of only 15 million hunter-gatherers. When our ancestors
settled down into the agrarian lifestyle, they increased the productivity of
the land in their control by bringing in resources from other places. This
enabled a 1 sq. km piece of land to support fifty people instead of just one.
However, this was possible due to significant interventions done by us in the
natural systems of the Earth. Nevertheless, such a lifestyle, too can support
population of maximum 750 million. Today, the world population stands at 7.5
billion, and is likely to stabilize at 10 billion in the coming few years. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In a sense,
humans have gained control over their evolution using their intellect. Our
existence makes the change in Earth’s climate inevitable. It is not the first
time that a living species is causing permanent changes on the Earth, and also,
not all changes are adverse in nature. We have the capability to think and understand
whether the changes taking place due to our actions are under our control, and
also whether these very changes are jeopardizing the future of our species.
Learning from the past mistakes, and avoiding them in the future, ways of
creating a better and eco-friendly life for ten billion people, and also how to
preserve the cosmic wonder called Earth and the biological wonder called human
over the long-term future - if such topics are explored on account of the Earth
Day, it would be more appropriate and relevant.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthrise#/media/File:NASA-Apollo8-Dec24-Earthrise.jpg"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Earthrise photo link</span></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><b><span style="color: #990000;">Author: Priyadarshini Karve</span></b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><b><span style="color: #990000;">English Translation: Meera Rotti</span></b></i></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p>Samuchit Enviro Techhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03303808246667866981noreply@blogger.com0Pune, Maharashtra, India18.5204303 73.8567437-9.7882506718853222 38.702526814433284 46.829111271885324 109.01096058556671tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-40411235797624320282021-10-06T14:06:00.000+05:302021-10-06T14:06:33.708+05:30My City My Responsibility - Harvesting rainwater for the Dry days!<p> <i>Dear All, </i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWa2tFqsjFqkhlBhnLgpoEgEwJDGmzu97C3I9apmMtGROHuFJrU89-xN6tDDWi7SMRlatfxSwNVoPXYL3k68rcbp1dJ_jj4b3WqcpREBn14LvwV56KjGI-oYhcOB4sF6hN6k-etuGs-b4/s1986/Grouppic_rwh.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1132" data-original-width="1986" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWa2tFqsjFqkhlBhnLgpoEgEwJDGmzu97C3I9apmMtGROHuFJrU89-xN6tDDWi7SMRlatfxSwNVoPXYL3k68rcbp1dJ_jj4b3WqcpREBn14LvwV56KjGI-oYhcOB4sF6hN6k-etuGs-b4/w536-h306/Grouppic_rwh.png" width="536" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Collage of some of the photos</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Being a part of the Climate Reality Project, I happened to connect with Shivam Singh, a young enthusiast working on tree plantation and the founder of a startup <a href="https://exploreit.in/" target="_blank">ExploreiT</a>, working for youth empowerment and environmental activism. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Currently he is also assisting Col. Shashikant Dalvi, a retired army officer, working tirelessly for incorporating rainwater harvesting in housing societies of Pune and the founder of <a href="http://www.parjanyarwh.com/" target="_blank">Parjanya Rainwater Harvesting Consultancy</a>. He is currently focused on making the rural areas around Pune water resilient, through his association with the Climate Reality Project. One such initiative lead to installation of rainwater harvesting systems in four villages namely Kurvandi, Thugaon, Bavadi, Karegaon on Pune Nashik road. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I got an opportunity to visit these villages, and was accompanied by Dr Prassana Jogdeo, Co-founder of <a href="https://www.lemnion.com/" target="_blank">Lemnion Green Solutions</a>, Radhika Dhingra, Director of <a href="https://badlaavsrfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Badlaav Social Reform Foundation.</a> and her colleague Munira. Mr. Anirudh Todkar, CEO, <a href="https://www.mapsindustries.net/about-2/" target="_blank">MAPS Industries Pune</a>, a dynamic personality responsible for implementation of the RWH System also accompanied us. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The first village we visited was Karegaon, where we met the Sarpanch Mrs. Suvarna Gevade. She was very happy to greet us. Radhika spoke to her about Sustainable Menstruation practices and she seemed very approachable. Since a lot of young women in the villages use sanitary napkins. The disposal of used sanitary napkins is creating a menace in cities, in spite of the waste management systems being in place. In villages, this is creating a bigger disaster, with a potential to contaminate water sources. Hence, Radhika briefed the Sarpanch on cloth pads as well as menstrual cup and its usage. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBr3oG8nJXeKqXJ5DzdoXsw968k3BlNgL1ULY7R4X5ZP3CCm1rllZPlypJi36qy64_f6401owBfRGbp4HjBmrPjeQ__Ydk_KV2y2n6XmyQC1aell9QJ0DXxRELuvRO3UZ9nqWbij7BbJ0/s1600/WhatsApp+Image+2021-09-30+at+18.34.23+%25281%2529.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBr3oG8nJXeKqXJ5DzdoXsw968k3BlNgL1ULY7R4X5ZP3CCm1rllZPlypJi36qy64_f6401owBfRGbp4HjBmrPjeQ__Ydk_KV2y2n6XmyQC1aell9QJ0DXxRELuvRO3UZ9nqWbij7BbJ0/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-09-30+at+18.34.23+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Potatoes left to dry</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Another thing observed was though the villagers have good access to LPG supply, every house had a traditional Chulha working on fuelwood. Here I briefly spoke about Samuchit's smokeless cookstoves. The Sarpanch was quite keen on this. The village women seemed open to change their day to day practices for betterment of their quality of life. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I was fascinated to know that the villages were self sustaining from livelihood perspective due to the interventions by PepsiCo under the Contract Farming Agreement for growing potatoes. All the villagers were involved in this market driven agricultural practice. Though this looks like a win win situation, growing the same crop every year, in order to cater to the urban luxury market needs (and thereby neglecting local food security) may have several adverse consequences. It may cause soil quality degradation and environmental impacts due to lack of diversification in crops in the long run. Also in the face of climate change, the lack of local food security may increase vulnerability of the communities. As the monsoon pattern is totally being affected by climate change, agriculture across India is greatly affected. This may lead to larger fluctuations in food prices going ahead. Growing sufficient food for own consumption is therefore a better strategy for a farming community. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOre5jR1xmoN1IkiAeEAit0L3b4V_8s11ggGiZgUSHOFUOFYO0oV17Y9uilk8lIVgCg3KCQMVSGGry10cAwnz3cRh0D_bvWSKKbatnrFhO_kIF9DR1qJs_aIZpRvFpxCnxL6MiRlIX9s/s1600/WhatsApp+Image+2021-09-30+at+19.25.37+%25283%2529.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbOre5jR1xmoN1IkiAeEAit0L3b4V_8s11ggGiZgUSHOFUOFYO0oV17Y9uilk8lIVgCg3KCQMVSGGry10cAwnz3cRh0D_bvWSKKbatnrFhO_kIF9DR1qJs_aIZpRvFpxCnxL6MiRlIX9s/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-09-30+at+19.25.37+%25283%2529.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Discussion on Sustainable Menstruation</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>However, the villagers seemed to be very happy for their improved standard of living, and seemed less bothered about the cost of INR 3,000,000/- every month from January to June/July to tanker in water for domestic use. Currently the local government is bearing the cost, but this is an unsustainable practice. Here the setup of Rooftop rainwater harvesting systems installed through the inputs of Col. Dalvi and Mr. Todkar play a crucial role. The rooftop rainwater harvesting systems were set such that they recharged the existing borewells, which would help recharge the aquifer and raise the groundwater level. It is expected that this will at least partially if not fully fulfill the water requirements of the villagers during the next summer season. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div style="text-align: justify;">I felt that corporates like PepsiCo come to such villages with attractive proposals without giving any consideration to the prevailing ecological and social conditions in the village. Such villages turn to be neither a village nor a city, but get stuck somewhere in between. </div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfX7o6CN_raZr7bBCAB30fhE4s05NwxK8p8C15R9NBjJCyQ7X5TiBjDraxw9FLEmZFulNH7SIyIB-hT9xSbR6meXkl_gXOREJRGGVKHcwOTHKSLOUfDjRxDlbSjxW4lFeXSaSxbMp2JM/s1280/WhatsApp+Image+2021-10-06+at+13.57.17.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpfX7o6CN_raZr7bBCAB30fhE4s05NwxK8p8C15R9NBjJCyQ7X5TiBjDraxw9FLEmZFulNH7SIyIB-hT9xSbR6meXkl_gXOREJRGGVKHcwOTHKSLOUfDjRxDlbSjxW4lFeXSaSxbMp2JM/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-10-06+at+13.57.17.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Traditional fuelwood cookstoves</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Col. Dalvi believes that rain water harvesting is just a beginning. We can slowly support these villages into becoming self sustaining, socially, ecologically and economically. Since the villagers are open to new ideas and are ready to make the shift, I felt its worthwhile to undertake a few sessions on specific topics with the villagers. Another woman Sarpanch Mrs Manisha Totre also met her along with local ASHA workers and members of women's SHGs. They are also keen to host us for a session on Sustainable menstruation and smokeless cooking stoves soon. </div><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOPy5tDALn7a5073_f8n9MNuS1Ilp7VzMHbL4lQMqeN1R9LHzExV-d0hkG23HFbtk2cPaqhACtLhi1FVBfJcZYcwOFNLU5QyzlJ06pL7Utq6SmpZAa7ks_JNjEy4X4RqV6_LmBDhYw3Q/s1600/WhatsApp+Image+2021-09-30+at+18.34.23.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixOPy5tDALn7a5073_f8n9MNuS1Ilp7VzMHbL4lQMqeN1R9LHzExV-d0hkG23HFbtk2cPaqhACtLhi1FVBfJcZYcwOFNLU5QyzlJ06pL7Utq6SmpZAa7ks_JNjEy4X4RqV6_LmBDhYw3Q/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-09-30+at+18.34.23.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Discussion on smokeless cookstoves</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;">Overall it was great visit, the weather was in our favour - it was pleasant and did not rain. Five of us had interesting discussions on overall environmental issues related to w</div><div style="text-align: justify;">aste management and political outlook. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I am thankful to Shivam for organizing this visit and Col. Dalvi for his enthusiasm in explaining to us the overall system and my fellow colleagues for interesting discussions. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Pournima Agarkar.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.samuchit.com">www.samuchit.com</a></i></p></div>pournimahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17717035521101360729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-48652445964994235982021-09-13T13:24:00.004+05:302021-11-26T13:20:54.573+05:30Chatusutra_Loksatta_03: Conquest of Mars?<p> <i style="font-family: helvetica;">Since January 2021, I am writing on Environment and Science in the 'Chatusutra' weekly column of Loksatta, a Marathi language newspaper. This weekly series contains four different themes being written by four different authors in a four-week cycle. My first article was published on the second Wednesday of the year, and thereafter my articles are coming every four weeks. One of the request from the readers has been to provide English translations for those who are not able to read Marathi. <b>Meera Rotti</b> took on the task to do this, and therefore I am launching this monthly mini-series. Periodically, I will post the English translation of one article in the same chronological order that the Marathi articles have been published in Loksatta. </i></p><p><i style="font-family: helvetica;">Links to previous post: </i></p><p><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2021/06/chatusutraloksatta01-is-human-virus.html">SUSTAINable Life: Chatusutra_Loksatta_01: Is Human A Virus? (samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com)</a></p><p><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2021/08/chatusutraloksatta02-battle-of-indias.html">SUSTAINable Life: Chatusutra_Loksatta_02: Battle of India's Survival (samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com)</a></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>03. Conquest of Mars?</b></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><i><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">The original Marathi article published on 10 March 2021 can be found <a href="https://www.loksatta.com/chatusutra-news/article-on-invasion-on-mars-abn-97-2417233/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </span></b></i></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span><span lang="EN-US">World-renowned</span> innovator<span lang="EN-US"> Elon Musk is dead set on
colonizing the Mars in the coming few years. Recent successful landing of
NASA’s Perseverance Rover on the Mars has led to a steady inflow of images and
other information about the surface of our</span> neighbouring
<span lang="EN-US">planet. This is rapidly fueling the debates around human
colonization of Mars. For Musk’s supporters, settling on other planets is the
obvious next milestone on the path of technological progress for humans. Before
we think about colonizing Mars, lets first understand the foundations of human
settlements on the earth.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span><span lang="EN-US">Current human civilization on the earth is based on the history of about 4.5 billion
years. The last ten to twelve thousand years have seen a significant interference
by humans in the natural system of the earth. In 2009, a Swedish researcher Johan
Rockstrom put forth an important concept. He demonstrated that, to sustain
human life on the earth, humans have to stay within the limits of nine natural
systems of the earth. This clearly implies that these nine systems, or their
alternatives, are also required to be established on the Mars to support life
there. Let’s take a look at some of these systems, and the possibility of their
existence on this</span><span lang="EN-GB"> neighbouring</span><span lang="EN-US"> planet.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ofXtcaJAN6dFiOPpziyrcPFn4amejpS7SenNf0dxUhruN-GhKj7QuMD5B0kkCtIzQ1zOhcYrduIyC1ecAZO0lepWLnf0V8aoXpXJW3qkR1NnjzXpMQ6O17p-oARBOJdgoBYtJeV4qNID/s1802/Planetary_Boundaries.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1802" data-original-width="1747" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ofXtcaJAN6dFiOPpziyrcPFn4amejpS7SenNf0dxUhruN-GhKj7QuMD5B0kkCtIzQ1zOhcYrduIyC1ecAZO0lepWLnf0V8aoXpXJW3qkR1NnjzXpMQ6O17p-oARBOJdgoBYtJeV4qNID/w388-h400/Planetary_Boundaries.png" width="388" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><b>Humans must respect these planetary boundaries in order to sustain themselves on Earth. However at least three of the boundaries have already been crossed. </b></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: helvetica;">The bio-diversity
of the earth not only helps us in meeting our basic survival needs, but is also
crucial in supporting some of our metabolic activities. For example, our
intestines are home to many living micro-organisms. They play a vital role in
converting food into nutrients. They are one of the first</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: helvetica;">single</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: helvetica;">-cell organisms that evolved on
the earth, whereas we humans are one of latest additions to the living beings
of the earth. Can the planet, which could not enable evolution of any form of
life, sustain human life without any support from other living beings? In case
we succeed in creating an alternative ecosystem, will it be possible for us to
maintain its equilibrium?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span><span lang="EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US"><span>Another key
system that supports our life here on the Earth is the atmosphere of the Earth.
For long sustained existence of humans on it, it is important that the three
factors remain intact – the delicate equilibrium of mixture of atmospheric
gases, layer of ozone in the topmost part of the atmosphere, and quality of air
in the lowermost part of it where we reside.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US"><span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US"><span>In the
past 4.5 billion years, earth’s atmosphere has undergone multiple transformations.
The oxygen that was extremely low in the beginning of the evolution of life
rose up to 21% thanks to the evolution of photosynthetic bacteria, and also
lead to ozone layer formation in the outer layer of the atmosphere. The current
state of the atmosphere is conducive for the entire living world on the Earth,
and the equilibrium of this living world has been regulating the chemical
equilibrium of the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, which is just a few hundred
parts per million of the atmosphere, maintains an adequate temperature on the
earth to support life, and also enables production of food for us through the carbon-cycle.
Moisture in the air is important to drive the hydrological cycle that provides
us the water. And then there is oxygen gas without which we cannot breathe.
Effects of imbalance in the atmosphere are now visible to us, the
manifestations of which range from local air-pollution to global warming. If
humans are going to be the only living specie in the artificial environment of
the Mars, then to maintain its correct chemical balance, tremendous amount of
energy will have to be expended.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US"><span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US"><span>The
ozone layer present in the stratosphere protects us by blocking the harmful
ultra-violet radiations of the sun. Mars does not even have any atmosphere, and
hence these radiations reach its surface, totally unhindered. There is no atmosphere
around Mars because it does not have its own magnetic field. Earth’s magnetic
field not only protects its atmosphere from being blown away, but also from the
cosmic radiations by deflecting them. Hence, humans on Mars will also have to
work towards creating a system to protect themselves from the sun’s UV
radiations as well as the cosmic radiations. Needless to say, we need to expend
more energy to maintain such a system.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US"><span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US"><span>Well,
one more aspect is worth mentioning in this context. We have evolved under the atmospheric
pressure on the earth. The weight of the atmosphere we literally carry over our
shoulders is also a key factor in maintaining our health. The absence of this
very weight causes loss of bone density, loss of muscle strength in the astronauts
who spend long time in space. Settlers of Mars will have to face this issue as
well.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US"><span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US"><span>There
are two more issues closely related to the water which support human life on
the Earth.<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US"><span>Water
first appeared on the earth during its nascent stage as a result of asteroids bombarding
the Earth. About 70% of earth’s surface is covered by oceans. Even if the biosphere
evolved from this very salt water, only fresh water can sustain humans. Most of
the fresh water on the Earth is in the frozen form. We can directly use water
available only from rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, wells etc. Water in these
sources gets replenished through the water cycle. Water does not exist on Mars,
so this too needs to be generated through chemical processes expending energy,
and will therefore warrant extremely cautious consumption.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US"><span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US"><span>Increasing
levels of nitrogen and phosphorous in our oceans, and resulting increased
acidity is not only disrupting the equilibrium of the marine life, but is also
indirectly affecting the earth’s weather cycle. The main cause of this
pollution is the excessive use of nitrogenous and phosphorous fertilizers used
in our food production. These chemicals enter the waterways and end up in the
oceans. We have not yet succeeded in producing enough food for all without
polluting the natural systems. Farming on Mars, and consistently produce food
there is going to be even more challenging and energy-intensive task.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US"><span>Natural
ecosystems that are free from human interference play a vital role in
sustaining our existence. As they shrink up making way for farming,
animal-rearing, mining, industries, urbanization etc., we lose on the
free-of-cost ecosystem services that we get from the them. For example, if
there is a flowing river in the vicinity of a human settlement, domestic sewage
water let into it after rudimentary treatment will not cause any harm. In fact,
some organic matter from this water provides food for the organisms in it.
However, if on one hand the density of population goes on increasing, and on
the other hand, construction of dams causes the reduction in the flow of water
in rivers, then separate systems need to be set up for processing of waste
water. Many of the substances created by us (e.g., plastics) are spreading as
waste in the nature. This too has long-term effects on the natural ecosystems,
and lead to many challenges. Waste-water processing and recycling of waste materials
will also be crucial on Mars, and also prove to be highly energy-intensive.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US"><span><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span lang="EN-US"><span>Mars-dwellers
will have the Sun as the only source of energy. Technological development on
the Earth was largely fueled by coal and petroleum. Dead biomass got buried
under the surface of the land, and transformed into extremely energy-dense
mineral fuels. Since Mars has not sustained any form of life, there are no
fossil fuels underground on Mars.</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In
short, origin and survival of human life is dependent on every aspect of this
prolific, fertile planet. We still have not completely realized the complex
interrelationship between us and the various natural systems on the Earth. If we
are not able to control the climate change and degradation of bio-diversity
now, sustaining life right here on the Earth will also become an increasingly challenging
task. Establishing and sustaining life on a planet devoid of any natural system
that supports life; is going to be an even more challenging a task. </span></span></span></p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: verdana; line-height: 16.8667px; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><b><span style="color: #990000;">Author: Priyadarshini Karve</span></b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><b><span style="color: #990000;">English Translation: Meera Rotti</span></b></i></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p>Samuchit Enviro Techhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03303808246667866981noreply@blogger.com0Pune, Maharashtra, India18.5204303 73.8567437-9.7882506718853222 38.702526814433284 46.829111271885324 109.01096058556671tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-90603601663173219682021-08-18T12:09:00.000+05:302021-08-18T12:09:27.027+05:30MUSINGS FROM PRIYADARSHINI KARVE : संकट हवामान बदलाचे<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">आयपीसीसी – इंटरगर्व्हमेंटल पॅनल ऑन क्लायमेट चेंज - यांचा जागतिक वातावरण
बदलाबाबतचा सहावा अहवाल प्रसिध्द झाला आहे. आयपीसीसीचे अहवाल जेव्हा जेव्हा
प्रसिध्द होतात तेव्हा त्यावेळी वातावरण बदलाच्या विविध पैलूंबाबत आत्तापर्यंतचे
संशोधन काय सांगते याचे एक एकत्रित चित्र पुढे येतं. म्हणजे गेल्या आठवड्यात
प्रसिध्द झालेला अहवाल वातावरण बदलाबाबत आजची स्थिती आणि भविष्यातली संभाव्य
स्थिती याबाबत आज जागतिक पातळीवर काय वैज्ञानिक एकमत आहे ते दाखवतो आहे. आपण हेही
लक्षात घ्यायला हवं की हे अहवाल संयुक्त राष्ट्रसंघाच्या छत्राखाली प्रसिध्द होतात
आणि अहवाल लिहणाऱ्या गटात जगभरातील वैज्ञानिकांबरोबरच जगभरातील देशांचे
प्रतिनिधीही सहभागी असतात. त्यामुळे जे मुद्दे काही देशांच्या शासनांना गैरसोयीचे
वाटत असतील ते या अहवालात सौम्यपणे मांडले जातात किंवा काही उल्लेख गाळलेही जातात.
तेव्हा हे अहवाल एक सौम्य चित्र मांडत असतात, प्रत्यक्षातली स्थिती याहून अधिक
आव्हानात्मक असू शकते हे लक्षात घेणे आवश्यक आहे. आत्तापर्यंतच्या पाचही
अहवालांच्या बाबतीत अनुभव हाच आहे, की अहवाल प्रसिध्द झाल्यावर बऱ्याच लोकांना तो
फार घाबरवून टाकणारा वाटला, त्यावर तशी टीकाही झाली. पण पुढे जाऊन अहवालात
वर्तवलेले अंदाज प्रत्यक्षात उतरताना अधिक जलद आणि अधिक तीव्र होऊन आले. आत्ताही
हे घडू शकते हे लक्षात ठेऊन या अहवालाकडे पहायला हवे.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="MR" style="line-height: 115%;">या अहवालात तीन महत्त्वाच्या गोष्टी मांडलेल्या आहेत. </span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: MR; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="MR" style="line-height: 115%;">एक म्हणजे जागतिक वातावरण बदलाची आजची जी स्थिती आहे ती मानवी कृत्यांमुळेच
उद्भवलेली आहे असे हा अहवाल ठामपणे म्हणतो. यापूर्वीच्या अहवालामध्ये याबद्दल दाट
शक्यता आहे असे म्हटले गेले होते, पण आता मानवी जगातील घडामोडी आणि वातावरणात
उष्णता धरून ठेवणाऱ्या हरितगृह वायूंचे वाढते प्रमाण यांच्यातील संबंध वैज्ञानिक
पध्दतीने निर्विवाद सिध्द झालेला आहे. मानवी कृत्यांमुळे काय घडले आहे – तर
औद्योगीकरणापूर्वीच्या तुलनेत वातावरणातील हरितगृह वायूंचे प्रमाण जवळजवळ दीडपटीने
वाढले आहे आणि त्यामुळे पृथ्वीचे सरासरी तापमानही १ अंश सेल्सिअसपेक्षा जास्त
वाढलेले आहे. </span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: MR; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="MR" style="line-height: 115%;">अहवालातला दुसरा महत्त्वाचा निष्कर्ष म्हणजे अगदी उद्यापासून जरी आपण हरितगृह
वायूंचे उत्सर्जन थांबवले तरी आत्तापर्यंत झालेल्या बदलांमुळे २०५० पर्यंत
पृथ्वीचे सरासरी तापमान १.५ अंश सेल्सिअसला पोहचेल असे दिसते. २०१५ साली जगभरातील
सर्व देशांनी एकत्र येऊन पॅरीस करार केला. त्यात २१०० सालापर्यंत पृथ्वीचे तापमान
२ अंशाच्या खाली आणि शक्यतो १.५ अंशापर्यंत मर्यादित ठेऊ असे अभिवचन सर्व
देशांच्या शासनकर्त्यांनी जगाला दिले होते. पण तापमानवाढीचा वेग इतका मंदावणे आता अशक्य
नसले तरी प्रचंड आव्हानात्मक होऊन बसले आहे हे यावरून लक्षात येते. </span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: MR; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="MR" style="line-height: 115%;">अहवालातला तिसरा निष्कर्ष आपण पुढे काय करायला हवे हे खूप स्पष्टपणे सांगतो.
पुढच्या पाच ते सहा वर्षांमध्ये दर वर्षी होणाऱ्या हरितगृह वायूंच्या उत्सर्जनात
घट करायलाच हवी. हे नाही केले तर कदाचित पुढच्या दहाबारा वर्षांतच १.५ अंश
सेल्सिअसची पातळी ओलांडली जाईल. आता हातात वेळ फार कमी उरलेला आहे त्यामुळे
सामोपचाराने सर्वांच्या कलाकलाने अर्थव्यवस्थांमधील बड्या धेंडांना आंजारत गोंजारत
छोटे छोटे बदल वगैरे करण्याची वेळ निघून गेली आहे.</span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: MR; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfjIudvkh1De2puUG8Be15K5hzcvC8FGjUKn9l6K8TY0615mEXeyeVgfvm_nLayStyDupy7KVtI4st9ld45L3twwAQJJTjCPL3vNc5eaRa5AFoIHWiNzDAxOeMrMCWTwuGXpcm5SXhDiE/s640/GSTA_1850-2019.png" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSfjIudvkh1De2puUG8Be15K5hzcvC8FGjUKn9l6K8TY0615mEXeyeVgfvm_nLayStyDupy7KVtI4st9ld45L3twwAQJJTjCPL3vNc5eaRa5AFoIHWiNzDAxOeMrMCWTwuGXpcm5SXhDiE/s320/GSTA_1850-2019.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>औद्योगीकरणापूर्वीच्या पृथ्वीच्या सरासरी तापमानाच्या (निळी रेघ) तुलनेत <br />तापमानात आजपर्यंत होत गेलेली वाढ (स्रोत - विकीपिडिया) </b></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="MR" style="line-height: 115%;">१.५ अंश सेल्सिअस हा काय जादूई आकडा आहे, असा काहींना प्रश्न पडू शकतो.
पृथ्वीच्या सरासरी तापमानात साधारण १ अंश सेल्सिअसची वाढ झाल्यापासूनच ठिकठिकाणी
वातावरण बदलाचे परिणाम प्रकर्षाने जाणवू लागले. दुष्काळ अधिक तीव्र होणे, पावसाचे
चक्र बिनसून अगदी कमी कालावधीत अतिवृष्टी किंवा अतिहिमवर्षाव होणे, उन्हाळ्यात
उष्णतेच्या तर हिवाळ्यात कडाक्याच्या थंडीच्या लाटा येणे, वणवे लागणे व ते झपाट्याने
पसरणे, ध्रुवीय प्रदेशांत बर्फ कमी कमी होणे, हिमनद्या वितळणे, महासागरांची पातळी
वाढून किनारपट्ट्यांचे भूस्खलन होणे, चक्रीवादळांची तीव्रता आणि वारंवारता वाढणे,
टोळधाडींचे तसेच स्थानिक पातळीवर येणाऱ्या साथीच्या रोगांचे प्रमाण व व्याप्ती
वाढणे, अशा अनेक घटना या शतकाच्या सुरुवातीपासून अधिकाधिक होत गेल्या आहेत. अशा
प्रत्येक घटनेमुळे जीवितहानी होते तसेच आर्थिक नुकसानही होते. एका विशिष्ट
पातळीपर्यंतची नुकसानी व्यक्तिगत रित्या काही लोकांना उध्वस्त करून टाकणारी असली
तरी त्यामुळे सर्व मानवी समाज कोलमडून पडणार नाही. पण नुकसानीची ही पातळी ओलांडली
गेली, खूप मोठ्या संख्येने लोकांचे व्यक्तिगत मोठे नुकसान झाले, तर मात्र स्थानिक
पातळीवरील सामाजिक, आर्थिक, राजकीय, इ. सर्व यंत्रणा पूर्णतः कोलमडून पडतील. १.५
अंश सेल्सिअस इतकी सरासरी तापमानवाढ ही जागतिक दृष्ट्या या पातळीशी जोडलेली आहे.
पृथ्वी यापेक्षा जास्त तापली तर जगभर होणारे आघात इतके मोठे असतील की संपूर्ण
जगाच्या पातळीवर मानवी समाजव्यवस्थाच कोलमडून पडेल आणि अब्जावधी माणसांचे जीव
जातील. काही वैज्ञानिकांच्या मते या घटनांमुळे या शतकातच संपूर्ण मानव प्रजाती विनाशाच्या
उंबरठ्यावर येऊन पोहचेल. म्हणून तापमानवाढ या मर्यादेच्या आत रोखणे अत्यावश्यक
बनले आहे.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="MR" style="line-height: 115%;">हा अहवाल सर्वांना पटेल अशा सौम्य भाषेत लिहिला जात असूनही त्यात वातावरण
बदलावर नियंत्रण ठेवण्यासाठी झपाट्याने आणि मोठे बदल करण्याची गरज व्यक्त केली
गेली आहे हे लक्षात घ्यायला हवे. कोणत्याही राज्यकर्त्यांना अशा बदलांचे वावडे
असते पण तरीही अहवालातील ही शब्दरचना मान्य केली गेली आहे. कारण आता खरोखरच पुढची
पाच-सहा वर्षेच आपल्या हातात आहेत. म्हणजेच आज जे लोक जगभरातील राजकारणात सक्रीय
आहेत त्यांना त्यांच्या कारकिर्दीतच या साऱ्याबाबत निर्णय घ्यायचे आहेत आणि त्या
निर्णयांची जबाबदारीही घ्यावी लागणार आहे. त्यामुळे आता मोठे बदल करायची वेळ आलेली
असताना हे आम्ही स्वतःहून करत नाही तर आयपीसीसी म्हणते आहे म्हणून करतो आहोत हे
म्हणण्याची पळवाट स्वतःसाठी निर्माण करणे त्यांना आवश्यक वाटले असावे. यावरून
परिस्थितीची गांभीर्य आपण समजून घ्यायला हवे. </span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: MR; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="MR" style="line-height: 115%;">अहवालाच्या सौम्य भाषेमुळे झाकल्या गेलेल्या दोन महत्त्वाच्या गोष्टीही आपण
समजून घेणे आवश्यक आहे. </span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: MR; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="MR" style="line-height: 115%;">एक म्हणजे अहवालात म्हटलेली मानवी कृत्ये म्हणजे नेमके काय. वातावरण बदलाच्या
समस्येचे अपराधी जगभरातील सर्व माणसे नाहीत तर काही मूठभर लोकांचे हे पाप आहे.
हरितगृह वायूंचे वाढते उत्सर्जन हे औद्योगीकरण आणि खनिज इंधनांचा वापर यांच्याशी
जोडलेले आहे. त्यामुळे गेल्या तीनेकशे वर्षांमध्ये औद्योगीकरणात व खनिज इंधनांच्या
निर्मिती व वापरात आघाडीवर असलेल्यांनी ही जागतिक समस्या निर्माण केली आहे. ढोबळ
मानाने म्हणायचे तर जगातील विकसित देशांवर याची जबाबदारी जास्त आहे पण व्यापक
दृष्टीने पाहिले तर विकसनशील देशांमधीलही औद्योगीकरणाच्या आधाराने सधन आणि सबळ
झालेला वर्गही यासाठी जबाबदार आहे. त्यामुळे इतिहास व वर्तमानातल्या काही
मानवांच्या कृत्यांचे परिणाम वर्तमान व भविष्यातील सर्व माणसांना भोगायला लागणार
आहेत असे म्हणणे जास्त सयुक्तिक ठरेल. त्याचबरोबर वातावरण बदलाच्या परिणामांचा
फटका ज्यांचे या समस्येत काहीच योगदान नाही त्यांनाच सर्वात जास्त बसतो आहे हीही
वस्तुस्थिती ठळकपणे अधोरेखित करायला हवी. त्यामुळे जागतिक पातळीवरील सर्व सधन व
सुखवस्तू समूहांनी आपण निर्माण केलेल्या या संकटाच्या निवारणासाठीही पुढाकार घेणे
आवश्यक आहे. दुर्दैवाने गेल्या कित्येक दशकांपासून ही वस्तुस्थिती माहीत असूनही
धनदांडग्यांनी सर्वसाधारणतः आपल्या जबाबदारीपासून पळ तरी काढलेला आहे किंवा
जबाबदारी मान्य करूनही पुरेशा उपाययोजना करण्याचे टाळलेले आहे. म्हणूनच आजची
आणीबाणी निर्माण झाली आहे. </span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: MR; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="MR" style="line-height: 115%;">या अहवालातून पुढे येणारी आणखी एक महत्त्वाची बाब म्हणजे तुम्ही आणि मी घरातले
जुने दिवे बदलून एलइडी दिवे वापरणे आणि आपल्या दैनंदिन सवयींमध्ये बदल करणे आवश्यक
असले तरी आता तेवढे पुरेसे नाही. जागतिक तापमानवाढीचा उधळलेला वारू रोखायचा असेल
तर जागतिक पातळीवर अर्थकारण, उद्योगधंद्यांचे स्वरूप, ऊर्जाप्रणाली, मूलभूत
संसाधनांचा वापर, इ सर्व यंत्रणांमध्ये आमूलाग्र बदल व्हायला हवेत आणि हे बदल
करायला आता फक्त पाच-सहा वर्षेच हातात आहेत. हे बदल करत असताना आधीच संकटांच्या
ओझ्याखाली दबलेल्या समाजातील अविकसित घटकांवर आणखी अन्याय होणार नाही याचीही काळजी
घ्यावी लागेल. ज्ञानाचे जागतिकीकरण आणि संसाधनांच्या वापराचे स्थानिकीकरण या ढोबळ
दिशेने आपण गेलो तर वातावरण बदल आटोक्यात तर ठेवता येईलच पण मानवी समाजात आज निर्माण
झालेली पराकोटीची विषमता कमी करण्याच्या दृष्टीनेही वाटचाल करता येईल आणि आता
अपरिहार्य असलेल्या तापमानवाढीचे जे काही परिणाम होणार आहेत त्यांची दुर्बल
घटकांना लागणारी झळही कमी होईल. जागतिक समाजातील राजकीय व आर्थिक ताकद ज्यांच्या
हातात एकवटलेली आहे त्यांना यासाठी आपली मानसिकता व कामाची पध्दत पूर्णतः बदलावी
लागेल.</span><span style="line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-language: MR; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="MR" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">जगभरात या विषयावर उभ्या राहिलेल्या तरूणांच्या चळवळींना आयपीसीसीच्या या
अहवालामुळे वैज्ञानिक पाठिंबा मिळालेला आहे. तरूणांनी रस्त्यावर उतरू नये,
शाळा-कॉलेजचे शिक्षण घ्यावे इ. उपदेशाचे डोस पाजणाऱ्यांनी हे लक्षात घ्यायला हवे.
पुढच्या दहा वर्षांत जर तापमानवाढ धोक्याची पातळी ओलांडणार असेल तर आज
शाळा-कॉलेजात जाऊन मिळवलेल्या पुस्तकी ज्ञानाची किंमत कवडीमोल असणार आहे. आज
रस्त्यावर उतरून आवश्यक बदलांसाठी झगडणे ही या तरूणांची अस्तित्वाची लढाई आहे.
सर्व वयोगटातल्या आणि सर्व जगातल्या सूज्ञ माणसांनी हे आवश्यक बदल घडवून
आणण्यासाठी सक्रीय पुढाकार घेतला तर तरूणांना रस्त्यावर यावे लागणार नाही. तेव्हा
आपण आपली स्वतःची जीवनशैली तर बदलूयाच पण आपल्या व्यवसायाच्या ठिकाणी तसेच आपल्या
स्थानिक प्रशासनांकडे पर्यावरणपूरक बदलांसाठी आग्रह धरूया. एकजुटीने धोरणात्मक
बदलांच्या मागण्या सर्व पातळ्यांवर लावून धरूया. व्यापक व दूरगामी धोरणात्मक
बदलांसाठी लढणाऱ्या व्यक्ती आणि संस्थांच्या खच्चीकरणाचे प्रयत्न हाणून
पाडूया. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="MR" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">प्रियदर्शिनी कर्वे</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><div style="text-align: right;">संचालक</div></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif"><div style="text-align: right;">समुचित एन्व्हायरो टेक</div></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span><p></p><p style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>#BeModernBeResponsibleBeRespectful</b></span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><b style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: right;"><br /></b></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><b style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: right;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ_9Bn6kwhXujq_eNcF6kHRQddVgw3aB5kEUNxNbfknpURFe2rr3gjlXxoj7D0c5IZC1YbPPIzS8bSof-CKrxm_bj4I6M6CcVukG7L-tKUlc6QoRvXuP5ReSEM-siFduhcK59CQbo04I9h/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-03-16+at+2.04.06+pm.png" style="border-color: rgb(232, 232, 232); border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; border-image: none 100% / 1 / 0 stretch; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.098) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px;" /> <br /></b></span></span><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><b style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Samuchit Enviro Tech. samuchit@samuchit.com <a href="http://www.samuchit.com">www.samuchit.com</a></span> </b></span><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span></span><span></span><span></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: justify;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><span face="verdana, sans-serif" style="font-family: verdana; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-align: left;"><b style="color: #cc0000; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: right;"><span></span><span style="background-color: transparent;"></span></b></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /></div>Samuchit Enviro Techhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03303808246667866981noreply@blogger.com0Pune, Maharashtra, India18.5204303 73.8567437-9.7898014875552377 38.70049638220901 46.83066208755524 109.01299101779098tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-85093114402173221882021-08-11T10:28:00.001+05:302021-08-13T05:56:33.989+05:30Chatusutra_Loksatta_02: Battle of India's Survival<p> <i style="font-family: helvetica;">Since January 2021, I am writing on Environment and Science in the 'Chatusutra' weekly column of Loksatta, a Marathi language newspaper. This weekly series contains four different themes being written by four different authors in a four-week cycle. My first article was published on the second Wednesday of the year, and thereafter my articles are coming every four weeks. One of the request from the readers has been to provide English translations for those who are not able to read Marathi. <b>Meera Rotti</b> took on the task to do this, and therefore I am launching this monthly mini-series. Every month, I will post the English translation of one article in the same chronological order that the Marathi articles have been published in Loksatta. </i></p><p><i style="font-family: helvetica;">Link to previous post: </i><a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2021/06/chatusutraloksatta01-is-human-virus.html">SUSTAINable Life: Chatusutra_Loksatta_01: Is Human A Virus? (samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com)</a></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>02. Battle of India's Survival</b></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><i><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">The original Marathi article published on 10 Feb 2021 can be found <a href="https://www.loksatta.com/chatusutra-news/article-on-battle-for-existence-for-india-abn-97-2397501/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </span></b></i></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">On 20th January, 2021 Joseph Biden took
charge as President of the USA, and on his very first day of work he initiated
the process of bringing the USA back into Paris Agreement. The treaty adopted
by 196 parties in the global conference on climate change that was convened by
the UN in Paris in 2015 is known as the “Paris Agreement”. The USA, under the
leadership of Barack Obama and Joe Biden, had played an instrumental role in
negotiating the terms of this treaty. Obama's successor Donald Trump, whose win in
2016 was quite unexpected, was part of the climate denier community in the USA,
and soon withdrew the USA from the pact. The new president Joe Biden has taken
a number of strategically important policy decisions for climate change
mitigation within first 10 days of assuming the office. This clearly indicates that
bringing the USA back into Paris agreement is not just a token move in global
politics.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Although the Paris agreement was
signed in 2015, it officially comes into force from this year. Participation of
the USA in this treaty is crucial for achieving the targets agreed in the pact.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Climate Change Crisis emerged over the
course of industrialization driven by fossil fuels. Developed countries that have
utilized the fossil fuels without any restraint over the last 150 years, and
the countries which mine these fuels bear the maximum responsibility for creation
of the global crisis. Though the industrial revolution originated in Europe,
the USA accelerated its pace to the peak in the 20th century, and is also
amongst the key producers of petroleum and coal. Though today it has been
outpaced by China in industrialization, it still remains the second highest
contributor to climate change. If the European union along with UK is
considered as a single entity, then they are the 3rd and India is the 4th
highest contributor to this crisis at present.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">If the key problem creators are not
involved in the process of resolving a problem, the chances of resolution fade
away. This is exactly what happened in the case of the Kyoto Protocol of 1997.
This Protocol obligated 37 developed countries to reduce their contribution to
climate change to safeguard the world from an impending crisis. However, when
it came to actual adoption of this protocol the USA revoked their decision of
commitment, and subsequently none of the parties delivered on their agreed
terms. Failure of this deal necessitated another pact.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The global crisis that seemed as a
lurking problem in the late 1990s has now struck us with conspicuous signs. If
the annual volume of fossil fuels, which continues its trajectory upwards, does
not start to decline over the next 10 years, we will have to face catastrophic
climatic changes at the end of this century. This precarious situation compels
all the nations - whether among the primary contributors to climate change, or
not - to be party to the Paris agreement.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">China, EU and India showed a positive
attitude towards the Paris Agreement; however, the sudden withdrawal of the USA
had left them in the lurch. In that sense, existence of the entire human
civilization was at stake in the 2020 presidential elections of the USA. Defeat
of Trump has made wise people all over the world heave a sigh of relief. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">These events are indeed positive from
India’s perspective, and at the same time add to our responsibility. While
India is one of the top 5 current contributors to climate change, it also ranks amongst
the first 10 countries most vulnerable to the crisis. No other country faces this
kind of a conundrum. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As a part of enforcement of the Paris
agreement, India has been mainly focused on increasing the share of renewable
energy in electricity generation. The efforts are on track towards the set target;
however, according to some experts, the target itself is set considerably below
the capacity and scope. Expanding the forest cover is also one of the commitments
by India under the Paris Agreement. Misleading calculations by including agroforestry and fruit orchards under forest cover are being used to create an
impression of the target being reached. However, in reality this is not going
to achieve the desired end result as long as encroachment and destruction of
natural habitats continues relentlessly leading to shrinkage of the true forest
cover.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">India has a vast coastal belt which is
home to nearly 40% of its population. Sea-level rise induced by global warming
is going to affect this population. The northern perennial rivers, which have enabled
our food security, originate in the Himalayas. Global warming is causing
melting of the glaciers, which are the origin of these rivers. Due to this, by the
time the much-touted river-linking project is completed, the rivers in the
North India will run dry, rather than having excess water to transfer to the
southern drought-prone river basins. Climate change has led to an increase in the intensity as well as frequency of disasters like hurricanes, locust-attacks,
forest fires etc. Weather-cycle too has altered. Excessive rainfall events are
happening more often, and the dry spell between them is also increasing.
Adverse effects of these are seen on agricultural and industrial activities as
well as on cities and towns. Intensity of such events is only going to increase
in the upcoming years which can severely damage the economic, social and
political systems of India.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The wrath of the climate change
impacts will have to be faced primarily by farmers, fishermen, tribals, daily
wagers as well as the disabled, women, elderly, and children across all sections of the society. The situation experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic
will be repeated during such circumstances. Those who created the problem - the
urban rich (international travelers in the context of COVID, people with fossil
energy driven lifestyle in the context of climate change) - will be able to
protect themselves from such blows; however, those who had nothing to do with the
problem will be the most vulnerable to a series of catastrophic impacts. This
will result in a surge of helpless refugees. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What can we do today to avert this
destructive future? Urban privileged citizens should introspect about their energy
consumption. It is crucial to limit and optimize the use of energy, and also to
use renewable energy as much as possible. The same principle applies to use of all
resources and services as well. Furthermore, anticipating possible effects on
the local ecosystem, and designing and implementing appropriate community-level emergency response systems can prove extremely beneficial. Nevertheless, only
individual and community efforts cannot mitigate climate change crisis. These
must be actively supplemented by science based and prudent policies.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Unfortunately, government policies are
not shaped by recommendations from scientists. They are largely influenced by voters’
aspirations, or extreme pressure from either big business interests or
international community. India’s climate action policies are largely shaped by the
pressure of international politics. Safeguarding weaker sections of
the society from the adverse impacts of climate change has never been high up
on the global political agenda, and so is the case with India’s climate agenda.
Most of the Indians are not even aware of the intensity and scope of the
problems arising from Climate Change coming our way. As a result, they are also
not vocal about it.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Shifting away from destructive policies chasing delusional
developmental dreams cannot be expected from a political system that is at the
mercy of oil, coal, and construction businesses. Public pressure is indeed
crucial in bringing about the change. From this perspective, creating awareness
among the adult citizens - the voters of today - is extremely necessary. Those
who understand the gravity of the problems should persistently follow up with
the representatives from local to national government bodies for changes in
policy-making. This is the true battle we need to fight for India’s survival.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Book Antiqua",serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Mangal; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><b><span style="color: #990000;">Author: Priyadarshini Karve</span></b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><b><span style="color: #990000;">English Translation: Meera Rotti</span></b></i></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p>Samuchit Enviro Techhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03303808246667866981noreply@blogger.com0Pune, Maharashtra, India18.5204303 73.8567437-9.7898014875552377 38.70049638220901 46.83066208755524 109.01299101779098tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-37228888437388707242021-08-04T13:31:00.001+05:302021-08-04T13:31:25.594+05:30Internship Encounters - Carbon Neutral Freshers' Party<p> <i>Dear All, </i></p><p><i>Last time I shared an incident from one of our interns during her internship survey. You can check out the blog <a href="https://samuchitenvirotech.blogspot.com/2021/07/internship-encounters-memories-from_0341573135.html" target="_blank">here.</a> The same intern Tejaswini Datar writes again to talk about one of her interesting encounters like having a Carbon Neutral Freshers' Party. </i></p><p><i>Check it out, how aiming at Carbon Neutral helps a long way in making conscious decisions in everything that we do in a way to make the world a better place to live. </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsyYSKVkhUgX61yWpm1f-bZ8sUhAQQdsG4AAcGSLuRCOPCUkRXEXb5VCTn-SF0eYfXsRoOPvqW1uaVkWRopgJ8VJqp8Trkwmtmts9zgpRuWm2ERwnMKp_emaoRxMoKRuR_qX7iHvjAPU/s1280/WhatsApp+Image+2021-08-03+at+19.27.41.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVsyYSKVkhUgX61yWpm1f-bZ8sUhAQQdsG4AAcGSLuRCOPCUkRXEXb5VCTn-SF0eYfXsRoOPvqW1uaVkWRopgJ8VJqp8Trkwmtmts9zgpRuWm2ERwnMKp_emaoRxMoKRuR_qX7iHvjAPU/w515-h387/WhatsApp+Image+2021-08-03+at+19.27.41.jpeg" title="Freshers'Party decoration" width="515" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br />Freshers' Party Decoration</i></td></tr></tbody></table><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Our class once had a lecture by Dr. Priyadarshani Karve ma'am. The lecture was so inspiring that at the end of it our perspective changed drastically. We casually started throwing words like primary, secondary, tertiary scopes of carbon footprint. We started carpooling more. Hangout places were changed. Everyone double checked the light, fan switches leaving any room. We started consuming less electricity, started thinking about how to reduce the waste we generate. The whole class decided to start being more careful about our next steps to reduce carbon footprint. (get it?!) That change was subconscious. I remember buying something and contemplating my options over material, origin of the product, manufacturing, lifespan and decomposition period. It was just a T-shirt! </p><div dir="auto" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: justify;">Amidst of all this, someone suggested we throw our freshers a party, a zero-carbon party! We considered everything. Including invitations, preparation, decoration, catering, transport, entertainment, party favours, wrapping paper, bags, energy consumption, utilization of resources, end result, decomposition, wastage etc. What could be considered? What comes under which scope? We wanted to ensure zero carbon emission. It was an ambitious plan which didn’t work out exactly, but we figured if not a zero carbon party, we would settle for a carbon neutral party. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: justify;">(Need help to simplify definitions)</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Zero carbon</b> means that no carbon emissions are being produced from a product or service. This may be ensured by using totally renewable resources and energy through the lifecycle of the product or the service.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Carbon neutral</b> means that while some emissions are being generated by a building or a process, these emissions are balanced by being offset somewhere else, making the net emissions zero.</div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: justify;"><b>Carbon offsetting</b> is basically a process where organisations and individuals ‘balance’ out their carbon footprints by financing emission reductions elsewhere, which can ‘offset’ their own activities and emissions. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: justify;">After A LOT of planning and organizing our game plan was ready. We wanted an environment friendly party but not a shoddy, tawdry affair. Because, izzat ka sawal tha! We opted for locally sourced goods, local caterer (walking distance), reusable, washable utensils. People were instructed not to waste food. It was subtly monitored. Leftover food was carefully collected and donated to needy people. No wastage there! Waste paper was reused for planning, invitations, coupons, gift wrapping, decoration, etc. Every paper used in the party was reused. Reminders were sent digitally. Electricity consumption was minutely observed. Carpooling with nearby colleagues reduced the number of cars thus reducing GHG emission. A happy accident happened as a result because people mingled with new people and not just their usual group. Entertainment, games were either propless or organised with reused materials. Gift favours were a small tulsi plant. </div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div dir="auto" style="text-align: justify;">We had a blast! It was a great party! When we started out, we aimed for zero carbon, settled for carbon neutral, and ended up with a low carbon party. We had a great time, but our attempt was not totally successful. We genuinely worked so hard and at the end, we were faced with harsh reality. This was the result after a lot of planning and hard work. We realised that doing all these couldn’t achieve zero carbon, what would have happened if we hadn't even taken these measures?! What happens when we don’t apply some thought in our everyday chores? The realization was horrifying. We are failing by not taking preventive measures. We are already late to the party, soon, it would be too late to do anything about it. So, come on, let’s do this together. Let’s make our world better! Offer our future generation to inherit a better environment to survive, to grow and to party!!</div><p><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"></span><span class="im" style="color: #500050;"><span style="color: #888888;"></span></span></p><div dir="auto"><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-2530262194165413788" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 570px;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 13.992px; margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: left;"><i><b><span style="color: #cc0000;"> Author: Tejaswini Datar</span></b></i></p></div></div>pournimahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17717035521101360729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-25302621941654137882021-07-14T14:24:00.000+05:302021-07-14T14:24:12.897+05:30Internship Encounters - Memories from Before Covid Times! <p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><i><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNkSfpRk6hJvQzT-TWRIQqTTB-m8ImmiZDUkLbMViyZMksbcZS4ahtjY0If-Ctn0wHcS128McaGU-DLkGv16hW_vMbBamCnhnXyaLXHx2htBckChM49SHIk4Gw5Nz8_w0RGHM7UEetqc/s1280/IMG-20160614-WA0055.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNkSfpRk6hJvQzT-TWRIQqTTB-m8ImmiZDUkLbMViyZMksbcZS4ahtjY0If-Ctn0wHcS128McaGU-DLkGv16hW_vMbBamCnhnXyaLXHx2htBckChM49SHIk4Gw5Nz8_w0RGHM7UEetqc/w388-h291/IMG-20160614-WA0055.jpg" width="388" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Internship work is fun... most of the time!</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> Dear All, </i><p></p><p>Sharing an incident by Architect <i>Tejaswini Datar</i> while she was interning with us. She along with other fellow interns conducted a socio economic survey for our Sustainably Smart Pune project. She narrates one of her experiences during the survey. </p><p>Here it goes...</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8pt;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This
is the story of a day of my internship I would never forget. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
was doing an internship under the guidance of Dr. Priyadarshini Karve ma'am as
a part of my post-graduation in environmental architecture. We learned so much
from Dr. Karve ma'am for which we are forever grateful. Our mentor taught us not
just about the carbon auditing, self-sustaining lifestyle and practical application
of such environmental concepts, but also how to see the big picture. We were
part of a study that sought to define Sustainably smart city. </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">To make such a
proposal, we needed to understand 'people'. We were tasked to conduct surveys
to understand the choices people make based on their perception, necessities,
priorities, convenience and routine. For example: Someone driving a petrol
fuelled four-wheeler for an hour and half to drive their young kid to primary
school, taking a big detour on the way to their office, seems very bad at the
outset. But their choice may be based on - 1. Desirable schools are just that
far away. 2. Travelling by bus in rush hour is tedious. 3. Not comfortable
about safety and hygiene a school bus offers. 4. Convenience of leaving at your
own time. 5. Four-wheeler is just more comfortable for driving that far. 6.
Comforts of air conditioned, non-polluted air. 7. Extra time with family. 8. We
don't want to get tired before even reaching our destination. 9. We do a lot of
other stuff to protect the environment, so let this one vice slide.... These are some
of the reasons which are absolutely valid or at least understandable. Many of
the choices we make have a negative impact on the environment. We exist, we
consume, we hurt mother nature. We have to take steps to reduce that impact and
make more positive outcomes. To study and understand such issues, to figure out
what civic systems will encourage more eco-friendly behaviour, we conducted a
survey of around 500 families, from different parts of Pune.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So,
there we were, out in the world, to make some sense of the current situation.
We were prepared. We went through our questionnaire, made it easier, simpler,
to the point of better understanding. We interviewed each other to understand
how people will react, what would be their questions? We practiced explaining
why certain questions were asked. We were ready. We went in a group (safety
first), always at the door, never went in, always after morning rush or after the
1 O'clock nap time (we were in Pune, we knew better than to disturb them
between 1-4 PM). Our smile and patience would put the stewardess to shame. But
nothing would have prepared me for what came next. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nearing
the end of our assignment, I was allocated an affluent area, which consists
mainly of Army families. Army families are by default more concerned about
their responsibility towards society in general. I hit a JACKPOT! Most of the
families welcomed us with open arms, asked if we would like some water, where
are we from, what is the project about, what more they can do to help, what
they can do on their level, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One
person I interviewed was a little tricky. We met at her doorstep. I introduced
myself and explained the purpose of our survey. Showed my ID card, verification
contact numbers, etc. She was busy and asked us to leave the form and to come
the next day to collect it. So far, many people entertained us, some agreed to
take a survey, some rudely declined, some declined politely, some offered water
and listened to us, some were even more welcoming but that's not always the
case. So, when she said she was busy but would like to take the survey, even
offered to write down the details herself, I was ecstatic. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
next day was a different story. The next day, I went to her place to collect
the form. She opened the door and grabbed me inside. I was there with my two
friends and was the only one pulled inside, and the door was closed leaving my
two friends dumbfounded. I politely asked to let me out or at least keep the door
open. She was having none of it and started interrogating me. I consider myself
to be brave when needed and I have no shame admitting that at that point I was
on the verge of panic. I tried calmly to ask her what the issue was. She was apparently
suspicious about our motives.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
assured her that none of the information would be disclosed. “If you are still
not comfortable, ask us why such and such question. If you don't feel comfortable don't
give specifics, like name and address and income, just don't mention it on the
form. We would like to understand how much income plays a part in your choices.
We will just mention Mr. ABC, living at XYZ chooses this..... - (Not based on
income, little/more influenced by income). Usually we fill out the forms, if
you would like to see what we have noted down, we are happy to oblige. If you
would like to verify our details, here are numbers of our teacher, college
office and internship office. If you are still not convinced about our
intentions, we would answer any other query you have. If you still don't
believe us, well then, that’s still okay, we will move on, you have yourself a
good day!” Nope! Nothing worked! <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At
that point I was in flight or fight mode. I left the form and our internship
details in her hand (we were meant to provide those if asked), said my thanks
and dashed towards the door. I made it to the door before she could catch up.
Found my friends, on their phone, ready to call for help. Fortunately, we all
left unscathed. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDVjgL4rDB7AwJViHobr9vFkefdQ_cDJ7sVFYKHGz_eoejgxgwVENtNQw8jbMPt008nwLSH8M45LWWrvlYtO6QqdcjVWeZG3FYFFL2ffCm6RVvWg71q3qIun_mx9Ix7r9bF1Fkr94Nyc/s1280/IMG-20160614-WA0025.jpg" style="clear: left; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlDVjgL4rDB7AwJViHobr9vFkefdQ_cDJ7sVFYKHGz_eoejgxgwVENtNQw8jbMPt008nwLSH8M45LWWrvlYtO6QqdcjVWeZG3FYFFL2ffCm6RVvWg71q3qIun_mx9Ix7r9bF1Fkr94Nyc/w288-h384/IMG-20160614-WA0025.jpg" width="288" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><i>Party after the work was done!</i></b></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite
this traumatic event, I was not about to lose hope. We had our target, omitting
that area wouldn't have given us an accurate conclusion. There was no way
around it. So, we pulled ourselves and went ahead. Unfortunately, the lady had called
ahead and warned a few of her neighbours to not entertain us. Our request was
shot down multiple times. Doors were shut even seeing us approaching. We were
discouraged but our spirits were lifted by a very kind, old home owner. </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He
understood my position, offered me some water and advice. He said that army
families are known for their service to the community but also for their vigilance.
She may be right at her place to question my intentions. I totally agreed with
him. Although I would have much appreciated if the conversation happened in
front of my team and out in the open. I would have been more relaxed about her
intentions too and would have tried to explain even longer. We both laughed and
moved on.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Turns
out this interviewee was a proud ex-army grandfather, whose two sons, a
daughter and a daughter in law were in the army. He eagerly showed us all the
systems he installed to make his home more sustainable. His family was aiming
to become a self-sustainable and carbon neutral family. He was researching solar electricity generators. The problem was the required space as
it was already crowded with a solar water heater system in his new home,
constructed with sustainable materials and methods. He was also looking for a
natural air purification method to go with his viticulture garden. His
motivation behind all this is just so he could contribute more to his country. He
was asking what more he could do to help (!!!). He insisted on keeping a few
forms with him, so he could help spread the word. He put a good word about me
to some of his neighbours. His enthusiasm was endearing and energizing. We all
could learn from him. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="line-height: 106%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It
is not enough to say that we do some of the eco-friendly things. It is high
time we do ALL the things and then some more.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 106%; margin-bottom: 8pt; text-align: right;"><i><b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Author: Tejaswini Datar</span></b></i></p>pournimahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17717035521101360729noreply@blogger.com0Pune, Maharashtra, India18.5204303 73.8567437-9.7898014875552377 38.70049638220901 46.83066208755524 109.01299101779098tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-60365207652189448092021-06-14T06:51:00.000+05:302021-06-14T06:51:23.523+05:30Chatusutra_Loksatta_01: Is Human A Virus?<p><span style="background-color: #fff2cc; font-family: helvetica;"><i>Since January 2021, I am writing on Environment and Science in the 'Chatusutra' weekly column of Loksatta, a Marathi language newspaper. This weekly series contains four different themes being written by four different authors in a four-week cycle. My first article was published on the second Wednesday of the year, and thereafter my articles are coming every four weeks. One of the request from the readers has been to provide English translations for those who are not able to read Marathi. <b>Meera Rotti</b> took on the task to do this, and therefore I am launching this monthly mini-series. Every month, I will post the English translation of one article in the same chronological order that the Marathi articles have been published in Loksatta. </i></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>01. Is Human A Virus?</b></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><i><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">The original Marathi article published on 13 Jan 2021 can be found <a href="https://www.loksatta.com/chatusutra-news/lockdown-make-people-more-conscious-about-environment-zws-70-2378402/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </span></b></i></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">The year 2020 compelled the urban upper
middleclass Indians take cognizance of two invisible forces driving their
lives. One is the urban </span><span lang="EN-GB">labour</span><span lang="EN-US">
force. Most of the urban Indians realized during the lockdown that this is the
key driver of their daily lives in and out of their homes. One visible outcome
of this realization can be seen in advertisements. Scenes of masters behaving
courteously with their servants, who in turn are ecstatic with gratitude are
being depicted in advertisements of a lot of products. Of course, the target
audience of such advertisements is certainly not the labour class but their
masters who have not lost their wealth even during this economic slowdown. In
reality the interrelation between people from across the socio-economic strata
is much more complex than this current oversimplified depiction. Social
scientists can certainly evaluate this phenomenon better than me; however, what
I contemplate long and hard about is the realization of the second force by the
urban upper middle class.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A few weeks into the lockdown, and people
suddenly started noticing different birds, animals, insects etc., in their
vicinity. They sensed a drop in air pollution levels, and also observed water
in rivers and lakes to be cleaner. In that initial period, practically the
entire world was under lockdown. Reports of noticeable reduction in greenhouse
gas emissions, as claimed by many scientists, were rife in media. Such news
reports too have influenced the mindset of the Indian upper middle class. Along
with the awakening of our sense of social interconnectedness, sensitivity to
our relationship with the natural surroundings has also heightened as a result
of all of this. Environment, climate change etc., are more mainstream topics
now, and more people are now voluntarily asking what they can and should do to conserve
the environment. Though this is indeed a welcome change, there is nothing substantial
to be found if you scratch the surface.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">It has taken nearly 4.5 billion years for
the Earth to attain its current geographical and atmospheric state. The most
extraordinary event in our solar system has been the emergence and evolution of
life and in turn the emergence and evolution of humans on the Earth. Even the living
world in its current form is a result of 4.5 billion years of complex interconnected
processes. Based on available evidence, our species, homo sapiens, has existed
for two hundred thousand years. We are a part of what we call as environment,
and at the same time we are quite separate from it. The relationship between
our species and the earth is a very old and complex phenomenon. However, just as
the advertisers have oversimplified the newly awakened social sensitivity of the
urban rich, the new-found interest in environment of this same class, which
also happens to be financially as well as politically powerful, is also being oversimplified.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Half knowledge is worse than ignorance. This
newly awakened community is seeking to become a quick savior of the world
without diving deep into understanding the interrelationships. As a result,
tokenism is flourishing faster now. Those who benefit from rampant degradation
of environment may well flaunt decorative pieces made from recycled plastic in
their homes, but this does not contribute to the conservation of the
environment. However, what is even more worrisome is that this new-found bond
with nature is not only superficial but also insensitive.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><span lang="EN-US">‘Human’ is a virus infecting the</span></i><i><span lang="EN-US"> </span></i><i><span lang="EN-GB">earth</span></i><i><span lang="EN-US">, Covid-19 pandemic is a lesson
nature has taught to the savage ‘humans’</span></i><span lang="EN-US">, these and many such statements have been
made by many in the past year. Some of those who expressed themselves in this
fashion have a good name in the field of environmental conservation. I have
only one question for all of them - What exactly do you understand by ‘Human’?
Is human a homogeneous species?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Between a tribal woman living in a shanty in
the poorest country running her home using resources available within her
walking distance and a business tycoon living in a grand villa in one of the
wealthiest cities of the world spreads the nearly 8 billion human population of
the earth. This is just the socio-economic diversity. Apart from this, there is
also a socio-cultural diversity among human beings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The spread of the virus was significantly higher
among the people in low-income settlements of our cities. The extreme measure
of imposing a harsh lockdown to curb the spread of the virus dealt a blow to the
livelihoods of millions of migrant workers. On the contrary, secured income
sources never dried up for those who could work from home. They even got plenty
of time to shower virtual hearts, kisses and thumbs-ups on phony social media messages
dripping with love for the environment. There were many who could have been
knocked over by the pandemic but managed to survive by leveraging their own courage,
ingenuity coupled with some luck. We saw many of those who could have stayed
secure inside their houses, getting down to ground zero to help the distressed.
But these were exceptions rather than the norm. Then who is this virus in human
form and who is being punished? Cannot we see how ironical as well as
insensitive it is that those secured inside their cocoons built by consuming
more than their fair share of natural resources are scorning the hardships of the
destitute as a fitting punishment?<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">On this background, an event that took place
in the world of science in 2020 deserves a mention.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Geologists use a system of dating that
describes the geologic history of the Earth. This system labels every
transition period of the earth with a specific name. Since the last Ice Age
ended about eleven and a half thousand years ago, the climate of the earth has
mostly remained stable. This epoch is known as Holocene. Due to</span><span lang="EN-GB">
favourable</span><span lang="EN-US"> and
stable climate many human groups transitioned from hunter gatherer lifestyle to
agrarian</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">lifestyle, which</span><span lang="EN-US">
in turn gave rise to various human civilizations. Interactions of these
civilizations over hundreds of years has led to today’s multi-faceted and yet
homogeneous global social-economic-political system.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">However, in the last few decades, Earth’s
atmosphere, that has so far been in an</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-US">equilibrium</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-GB">favourable</span><span lang="EN-US"> for us, is rapidly changing.
This has led to a rise in the global mean temperature, and has in turn
disrupted the weather cycle. Key reason for such a disruption is the frenetic
pace of industrialization under a global economy driven by fossil fuels. Along
with climate change, our agricultural, construction and mining activities are
also altering the geological systems above and below the surface of the land.
Consequently, natural balance in the living world is also getting disturbed leading
to extinction of many species. Even our own species faces the same threat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-US">Towards end of the 20th century, it was
proposed that Holocene epoch had ended and a time in which humans are directly impacting
the environment - called</span><span lang="EN-GB"> Anthropocene</span><span lang="EN-US"> - has started. To decide whether to accept this proposition or
not, a committee of geologists was formed which has arrived at a conclusion
which is likely to be announced in 2021.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This is not just a scientific curiosity.
This thought has echoes in various other fields. While formally accepting the
nomenclature for the present times as Anthropocene, it must not be forgotten
that the diverse human groups on the earth do not have the same ecological impacts.
Studies conducted from various perspectives have shown that the actions of past
and present rich and upper middleclass people are more responsible for the
blows delivered to the balance of nature. To maintain the environment in a
condition to support human life, we now need a total reconstruction of all our
economic, social and political paradigms. Will the environmental consciousness
awakened among the urban upper middle class of India during the Covid-19
pandemic break free from tokenism and pursue this path?</span><span style="font-family: Mangal, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><b><span style="color: #990000;">Author: Priyadarshini Karve</span></b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i><b><span style="color: #990000;">English Translation: Meera Rotti</span></b></i></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><br /></p>Priyadarshini Karvehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09032722849305905797noreply@blogger.com0Pune, Maharashtra, India18.5204303 73.8567437-9.7898035361788445 38.700493699999996 46.830664136178846 109.0129937tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-87569614241348789622021-05-10T12:17:00.002+05:302021-05-10T12:17:53.544+05:30My City My Responsibility - Earth Week Summit 2021<p><i>Dear All,</i></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieA9HHrGxGDoWCyaja3ZM63fbT3hvy0vARx9_Q9Eh-VmnUbd2aJbFnvaaxHOh5Ryp28d_NuKSQ4V-BmyJh96woG1yxKacnTB1EnZgsu8Xe6mghtdcBwJzHllcAnZdYfBGGR9RlqqLcr3A/s1836/earthweekcollage_2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1289" data-original-width="1836" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieA9HHrGxGDoWCyaja3ZM63fbT3hvy0vARx9_Q9Eh-VmnUbd2aJbFnvaaxHOh5Ryp28d_NuKSQ4V-BmyJh96woG1yxKacnTB1EnZgsu8Xe6mghtdcBwJzHllcAnZdYfBGGR9RlqqLcr3A/w640-h450/earthweekcollage_2.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Collage of screenshots taken during the webinar</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Happy to update you all, in case if you missed our week long Earth Summit on keeping the Earth day momentum going. We at Samuchit Enviro Tech, Laya Resource Centre and the Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC) , undertook this week long initiative to elaborate on creating environmental consciousness and action as we believe every day is Earth day. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Some organizations who have been working closely with us, partnered with us for this week long summit. Our partners and collaborators were <a href="https://www.climatecollectivepune.org/" target="_blank">Climate Collective Pune(CCP)</a>, <a href="https://orjabox.com/" target="_blank">OrjaBox</a>, <a href="https://vaayu-mitra.com/" target="_blank">VaayuMitra</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rrbcea/" target="_blank">Rupa Rahul Bajaj Centre for Environment and Arts (RRBCEA)</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Zillionth-Bistro-105021694310105/" target="_blank">Zillionth Bistro</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/projectblackgold" target="_blank">Black Gold</a>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The week long summit started on the 19th April and went on till 24th of April, 2021. Each day we organized some activity on specific topics to promote thinking consciously about sustainable options as a solution to the current environmental crises. We all are well aware of the dreadful impacts happening on Earth due to our actions, we know the problem and the causes. Its time we start taking the right actions for the right cause and make our planet sustainably habitable for all. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">I introduced all, with a warm welcome (as the temperatures are rising :P) and a video showing what all progress humans have made in the last 50 years, since the first Earth day (22nd April, 1970). Dr Priyadarshini Karve, opened the summit week with her crisp and clear presentation on Earth Friendly Economy. The current economic model is driven by the pursuit of exploitative growth with the least consideration for the people and the planet. Hence there is a need to shift to a model of growth that is sustainable for all. Aditi Kale from CCP moderated the question-answer component and concluded the session. To access the recording of this session <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRtlBd_NKbQ&list=PLO9IWBWSV1ajVuN2n4Dw1YO-xlTOuLd41&index=2" target="_blank">click here.</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The second day was focused on Renewable Energy (RE) and its applications within the home. A young entrepreneur from CCP Siddarth Bhagwat opened the session with a video showing off his new e-bike the <i>Ather 450x</i>. You can watch the video<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNA9JDFNjyI" target="_blank"> here</a>. Siddarth then introduced the speakers:Vishakha Chandhere from OrjaBox, who showcased how solar cookers can be effectively used for cooking and how all of us can contribute to using clean cooking options, Priyadarshan Sahasrabuddhe from VaayuMitra, who spoke about his model on using kitchen waste for generating biogas, another clean cooking fuel alternative, and Isha Vyawahare from Black gold who presented the making of Biochar (new black gold) from dried leaves (biomass) using Samuchit's Trashflasher kiln. We had some interesting questions and answers post presentations! It looked like a lot of people would like to adopt these practices in their day to day life in order to lead a sustainable lifestyle. Kedar Champhekar from RRBCEA concluded the session. To access the recording of this session <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcWDmar36xE&list=PLO9IWBWSV1ajVuN2n4Dw1YO-xlTOuLd41&index=4&t=16s" target="_blank">click here.</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The third day of the summit was focused on Sustainable Water management. Saili Jahagirdar Mirikar of Zillionth Bistro (the cafe with an upcylced decor) welcomed the crowd and spoke about her café where you can see upcycling in practice. Here's the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA9QtnY6Jxw" target="_blank">link </a>to check out her café! She introduced Col. Shashikant Dalvi, an ex-armyman who set up rainwater harvesting system in his society and made the society water tanker free. He shared his experience and also explained how tapping rainwater is the need of the day. Then Priyadarshan Sahasrabuddhe of VaayuMitra spoke about managing household sewage water through the biogas technology. Both these ways of managing water are climate friendly as well. Isha Vyawahare of Black Gold concluded the session. To access the recording of this session <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTxhuOzM11I&list=PLO9IWBWSV1ajVuN2n4Dw1YO-xlTOuLd41&index=1&t=13s" target="_blank">click here. </a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Before the start of the Earth Week Summit, we had requested people to send us 1 min action videos showcasing sustainable practices in their daily lives. We received overwhelming response from the kids of Bal Bharti School, Dwarka, Delhi and a few citizens. A few of the good quality videos with a clear messaging were compiled together in a single video. We acknowledge everyone's effort in contributing towards the Earth Week Summit Action video activity. On the fourth day of the summit, which also happened to be the Earth Day itself, we premiered the video compilation. To watch the movie. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLxPGr2pUgc&list=PLO9IWBWSV1ajVuN2n4Dw1YO-xlTOuLd41&index=3" target="_blank">Click here.</a> </p><p style="text-align: justify;">On the fifth day, we participated in the final webinar in a series of three webinars on Climate Resilient Architecture organized in association with Dr Bhanuben Nanavati College of Architecture (BNCA). This consisted of a panel discussion on building sustainable cities. You can watch the live streaming on INECC's Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/inecc1996/videos/280078847101124" target="_blank">Click here.</a></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The sixth and the last day of the Summit was all about basking in nature's glory through literary reads. Date with Nature is a part of our monthly activities. This time's theme was focused on the Desert ecosystem and this included short stories, articles and poems on how this ecosystem reflects resilience and unique beauty that can kindle love in spite of its harsh and empty appearance. This online meeting is not recorded, due to copyright issues. However if you are keen on participating in this monthly event, please contact us at <a href="mailto:pournima@samuchit.com">pournima@samuchit.com</a>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Every month we conduct 3 to 4 activities that are focused on creating awareness among the general public about science based and thought provoking information related to sustainability. We do keep posting educational information as daily posts as well. You can connect with us on our FB, Twitter and Instagram handles as Citizens of Sustainable City for more information on our activities.</p><p><i>Pournima Agarkar.</i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.samuchit.com">www.samuchit.com</a></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: blue;">Like/Follow/Share us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SustainableCityPune" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sustainablepune/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizensPune" target="_blank">Twitter</a> Citizens of Sustainable Pune</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: blue;"><br /></span></b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: blue;">Additional links: </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><span style="color: blue;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rertO9hvNGA&list=PLO9IWBWSV1ah7dPoVwc5T0xXxyDZwPpgw&index=8" target="_blank">Samuchit Trasflasher Kiln</a></span></b></p>pournimahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17717035521101360729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-61551523839000769182021-04-10T15:32:00.003+05:302021-04-10T16:19:35.015+05:30Practicing Sustainable living in Bangaluru!<p> Life came another full circle this year, albeit a little
earlier – On Holi Pournima instead of Akshay Tritiya.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I was finally able to put my long-cherished desire of
celebrating Holi Pournima in a science-based manner into reality. Samuchit Enviro
Tech sent me their yet another compact tool called Sampada Gasifier Stove which
turns dry garden/agri/horticulture waste into the Black Gold – the Biochar. As
the shackles of micro containment zone were being tightened on our complex, I quickly
barged into a dear south Indian friend’s house where I knew I would always find
a bagful of coconut shells as fuel for the stove. And it worked, a smokeless
fire – Holi/Holika burnt in Sampada, right in my balcony. In less than an
hour’s time, I had the chunks of Black Gold in my possession. <o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfOy6RIlYpV5CR00vscnrKZGlCXFRKSULJ-nNcIxTD627c9nDFEDblA78dnusG-yVNmRyfVMKqimxJ_-YXLCTp4QX9CrU0iGYbW0Dej-Oau8UNE8DDCA0pznqyytIB0uvk3B3TPszF70Y/s1280/WhatsApp+Image+2021-03-29+at+12.37.55.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="369" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfOy6RIlYpV5CR00vscnrKZGlCXFRKSULJ-nNcIxTD627c9nDFEDblA78dnusG-yVNmRyfVMKqimxJ_-YXLCTp4QX9CrU0iGYbW0Dej-Oau8UNE8DDCA0pznqyytIB0uvk3B3TPszF70Y/w369-h369/WhatsApp+Image+2021-03-29+at+12.37.55.jpeg" width="369" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">PC: Meera Rotti and Samuchit Sampada Gasifier Stove</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Back in 2002, when Dr. Priyadarshini Karve was teaching
Physics in engineering undergrad class, I was fortunate to be in the class she
had organized post college hours to demonstrate the use of Biochar fired Sarai
cooker, an invention that had won an international award that was popularly known as the 'Green Oscar'. I vividly remember the
moment of fascination; however, little did I know that it would take me 13 long
years to become a regular and content user of that.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">By 2013, the winds of sustainable living had started blowing
in Metropolis of Bengaluru and I was finding it difficult to not sail in that
direction despite knowing that my boat is indeed small. The only person I had
known to be working in the field of sustainability – rather sustainability in
as simple as your own house – was Dr Priyadarshini Karve. I started reading
each and every piece of writing featuring on Samuchit Enviro Tech’s webpage. 11
years after its first demo, Sarai Cooker touched my heart deeper and I was
longing to own it. The opportunity came in 2015 when Sarai was on exhibit as a
part of a seminar by Dr. Priyadarshini Karve in Bengaluru. I bought it right there, carried it home on my
scooter with great excitement. Next day, I looked up on India Mart for
suppliers of coconut shell charcoal to fire the cooker. I chose the nearest
one – 150 km away, and got my 40kg bag of renewable charcoal within a week’s
time. And in a week’s time, on the Akshay Tritiya of 2015, I cooked a humble
meal of dal, rice and snake gourd subji in the Sarai Cooker. The taste and texture of
dal and rice experienced on that day has kept me in love with this cooker till
the date. <o:p></o:p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1w_VG8nlML0-O7-wrnm_YmUfyB91zLoQiSOzXt9tfHdKNUG1pedKiurqy38jYEiBcuanwK6GoVtDxbMpWqKdklJdmjS1qhxpf6WYimSdE_b1a4tpAhuGucN6lf3ULj0Oob22YYdfo2N8/s1794/Mira_collage2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="472" data-original-width="1794" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1w_VG8nlML0-O7-wrnm_YmUfyB91zLoQiSOzXt9tfHdKNUG1pedKiurqy38jYEiBcuanwK6GoVtDxbMpWqKdklJdmjS1qhxpf6WYimSdE_b1a4tpAhuGucN6lf3ULj0Oob22YYdfo2N8/w594-h155/Mira_collage2.png" width="594" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sarai Cooker (Samuchit Steam Cooker)</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal">Post the entry of Sarai Cooker in my life in 2015, my outlook for
dry garden waste changed completely. Also, I had started feeling the need to
source the fuel with shorter carbon miles. It wasn’t a surprise
that Samuchit’s Charring Kiln caught my fancy now. 2016 Spring-summer was unusually
hot and dry and fueling my desire to possess the Kiln. I simply ordered it and
it arrived a day before Akshay tritiya of 2016. And the next day, needless to
say, I created the Black Gold by easily assembling the kiln with help from my supportive
husband and my 3 year old daughter. Management Committee members of our complex
graced the occasion by their presence and by providing the dry twigs for the
demo. It was indeed exciting to sail with these winds. That Summer and the next
two, gardeners of our complex and I were able to turn quite a lot of
twigs, coconut shells and coconut and areca branches into biochar and put into
our garden soil.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2nql2qELUkFyOd7uXDlamBi3rRvAQE1F-5QmFQQsPdGKp0zNPhia0ZBEgbKazM11AppfYHj5AgM2nhdp98SdkJDa-Yi9HhDCyNpmUnJsOaJ7DCjSt0EOlVsZ6vZ57Rb86llgDYefncY/s1262/Mira_collage.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="594" data-original-width="1262" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih2nql2qELUkFyOd7uXDlamBi3rRvAQE1F-5QmFQQsPdGKp0zNPhia0ZBEgbKazM11AppfYHj5AgM2nhdp98SdkJDa-Yi9HhDCyNpmUnJsOaJ7DCjSt0EOlVsZ6vZ57Rb86llgDYefncY/w455-h215/Mira_collage.png" width="455" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Samuchit Trashflasher Kiln</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="MsoNormal">A week before 2018’s Akshay Tritiya, I had the privilege of
hosting Dr Priyadarshini Karve at my place and serve her the great
Dal-rice-cooked-in-Sarai. It would have been the perfect occasion had I been
able to make the biochar briquettes myself using the kiln. Well, that remains a
dream till today, for lack of my concerted efforts.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Untimely heavy rains of Spring-Summer of 2019 and 2020
robbed us the opportunity of using the kiln to full potential. Our gardeners
and I are still learning to use the kiln for best results from varied items of
garden waste like coconut branches, leaves of varying thickness etc. Dr Priyadarshini Karve
always provides the quick troubleshooting tips. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">This year’s advancement was with the portable version of the
charring Kiln – Sampada Gasifier stove. I wanted to have it so that I could
organize its demonstration within my circle without having to spend on
transporting the heavy Kiln. Bengaluru’s mid-summer showers are round the
corner limiting my engagement with the kiln. However, the mini-kiln, the Sampada
and the ubiquitous coconut shells should keep me sailing despite the rains
which are much needed now.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The simplicity of design of these three, and the purpose
they serve in the humongous picture of Climate Change continues to fascinate
me. I hope witnessing a demonstration of these technologies in your vicinity would turn you into yet
another ardent user sooner or later. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>By Meera Rotti, </i><i>Bangaluru</i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://www.samuchit.com/" target="_blank">www. samuchit.com</a></i></p><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Like/Follow/Share us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SustainableCityPune" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sustainablepune/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizensPune" target="_blank">Twitter</a> Citizens of Sustainable Pune</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: left;"><b><span><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: left;"><b><span>PS: Samuchit has discontinued Sarai Cooker and is now offering Samuchit Steam Cooker, that works on the same principle but is more efficient with better fire containment. </span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: left;"><b><span><br /></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: left;"><b>Links to Videos of the devices mentioned: </b></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryfZjjbWY8I&list=PLO9IWBWSV1ah7dPoVwc5T0xXxyDZwPpgw&index=2&t=4s" target="_blank">Samuchit Steam Cooker Stove </a></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEtqBiUvK1c&list=PLO9IWBWSV1ah7dPoVwc5T0xXxyDZwPpgw&index=8&t=5s" target="_blank">Sampada Gasifier Stove </a></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rertO9hvNGA&list=PLO9IWBWSV1ah7dPoVwc5T0xXxyDZwPpgw&index=7" target="_blank">Samuchit Trashflasher Kiln </a></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></div>pournimahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17717035521101360729noreply@blogger.com0Bengaluru, Karnataka, India12.9715987 77.5945627-15.338633087555239 42.438315382209012 41.28183048755524 112.75081001779098tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5068204746743260318.post-37442037668114240042021-03-12T10:52:00.002+05:302021-03-12T11:32:11.202+05:30My City My Responsibility - Revenge of the Bisons!!!<p><i>Dear All, </i></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7I8Ro-a_MPFwwci9QQubISk7mm-JHfJBwJC34CvH8osMqMB-DwXiicY-hQ4B7INVBtZF7A9eSur8K8NcMxLSm8EFTU-xJDLQwuUgz_m44OH7ywZQxDNr3-CHVOrB21NwV-XXDo8_apsk/s2000/Samuchit+Poster2.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="2000" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7I8Ro-a_MPFwwci9QQubISk7mm-JHfJBwJC34CvH8osMqMB-DwXiicY-hQ4B7INVBtZF7A9eSur8K8NcMxLSm8EFTU-xJDLQwuUgz_m44OH7ywZQxDNr3-CHVOrB21NwV-XXDo8_apsk/w367-h294/Samuchit+Poster2.png" width="367" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Poster of the event</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLouhtx9qXUTkF7Dg8aULZo-_45glUgyRRZBp_bUoxIaXxBXkd6_swzUzxntSAKY_Wu03shgwwH7C-vYW9czBI55D54MZzGi7LlLAiLTZNy2VdKEf9979ZP0VvkQUz6KBNzqf6wl_SHrA/s1280/WhatsApp+Image+2021-03-07+at+11.29.27+%25282%2529.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLouhtx9qXUTkF7Dg8aULZo-_45glUgyRRZBp_bUoxIaXxBXkd6_swzUzxntSAKY_Wu03shgwwH7C-vYW9czBI55D54MZzGi7LlLAiLTZNy2VdKEf9979ZP0VvkQUz6KBNzqf6wl_SHrA/s320/WhatsApp+Image+2021-03-07+at+11.29.27+%25282%2529.jpeg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">At the Bistro</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On 6th of March, after almost a year we could undertake our <i>#ChallengingThanos </i>monthly activity where we relax in a Cafe or a restaurant and share knowledge over a trending issue in the city. The whole idea is to engage more and more people and connect them to the existential crisis of our times - Climate Change - over a cup of coffee. </div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">This time we tried a new approach, our innovator Dr Priyadarshini Karve came up with this idea. We thought of having the event in a blended format, where we are online as well as available in a face-to-face (offline) mode in a cafe. Our neighborhood place <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA9QtnY6Jxw&t=16s" target="_blank">Zillionth Bistro</a> (ZB), </i>which is committed to sustainability,<i> </i>happens to be the right venue for such kind of events. We thought of taking up a topic that has hit everyone in the city and is afresh in the minds of the people, <i>Saili Jahagirdar owner of ZB </i>suggested to talk with <i>Nikhil Dandekar</i> a city based wildlife expert. This was prompted by how we recently witnessed the dreadful death of an Indian Gaur on the streets of Kothrud. We thought as responsible citizens we should know how to react to such situations where we face a wild animal right in the city and <i>Nikhil Dandekar</i> was keen to throw some light over this situation.</div><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jknoTlu5qWGcd1cFOxQaiAI3KqulfR69OpFbf1mECsth1Uq4AnhJXtpn5-sgnplI5HY1D-xhMJG8rsCwmFhnN9CXc6-NR84YlGJjbmulhOy8j1Qr6p5u_rn7Hbgu8Dartwf5wg8FxmI/s1280/WhatsApp+Image+2021-03-07+at+11.44.14+%25281%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="1280" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3jknoTlu5qWGcd1cFOxQaiAI3KqulfR69OpFbf1mECsth1Uq4AnhJXtpn5-sgnplI5HY1D-xhMJG8rsCwmFhnN9CXc6-NR84YlGJjbmulhOy8j1Qr6p5u_rn7Hbgu8Dartwf5wg8FxmI/w549-h226/WhatsApp+Image+2021-03-07+at+11.44.14+%25281%2529.jpeg" width="549" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Online meet over Google Meet</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Our event went quite well, there were some technical glitches, but we will fix those before the next event. Overall it was a great show both online as well as offline. Here are some of the key take away's that <i>Nikhil </i>shared with us. Do follow these guidelines in case you encounter any wild animal on our streets.<p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Try and stay indoors or remain calm wherever you are. </li><li>Avoid sharing information or any kind of forward on social media that will create unnecessary excitement or scare among the masses. </li><li>Need not pass on any expert comments over how the rescuers are handling the situation or how people should act or react. </li><li>Avoid clicking selfies or getting overwhelmed by seeing the animal, we need to understand that the animal is already stressed since its in an unfamiliar territory. </li><li>Need to show some empathy so that the animal can easily pass the area to a another safer zone. Not interfering helps much more than any kind interference in such cases. </li><li>Inform the concerned authorities/local NGOs or officials if you are aware or else remain calm. </li><li>In Pune, reach out to RESQ Trust - For injured or trapped animal Rescues (pets, snakes, birds or any other animal) contact number: 098909 99111 OR <br /></li><li>Vanabhavan Office of Deputy Conservator of Forest (Wildlife), Pune contact number: +91 20 2566 0370. In case you want to inform Gaur or leopard type emergency in the city. </li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_F49DoVzthVwvkFSnzWvDfqbIu5ZGW4H7o1cQlz6VR2bzHDCF9a8UUyOo1Flpf58qEvAZ7zG7iXFuf6II9wKpjiRUv9Js5ZN0SzoAGdzFQxsmN9e3BhnJygJlavqHec6IR1uVSP5BvtM/s1280/WhatsApp+Image+2021-03-07+at+11.47.05.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_F49DoVzthVwvkFSnzWvDfqbIu5ZGW4H7o1cQlz6VR2bzHDCF9a8UUyOo1Flpf58qEvAZ7zG7iXFuf6II9wKpjiRUv9Js5ZN0SzoAGdzFQxsmN9e3BhnJygJlavqHec6IR1uVSP5BvtM/w204-h272/WhatsApp+Image+2021-03-07+at+11.47.05.jpeg" width="204" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Face-to-face session</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Further discussions revealed that there is NO platform or website which consists of case studies or information about such city based human wildlife encounters. There's a need to map areas that are likely to have wild animals like leopards or snakes etc. in and around the city. So that such areas can be avoided by general public or can have sign boards that will make people aware about the steps that need to be taken while passing through such areas. However its also in a way risky to have information on wildlife in open domain because that will expose this information to poachers and wildlife traders. So need to be cautious while putting up this information. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">The least we can do is to have a basic awareness or trainings on such wildlife encounters. There is a lot of scope for wildlife enthusiasts/experts to work in urban areas for creating such awareness among general public with more and more wildlife coming in the cities now. There are a lot of linkages between biodiversity (wildlife) and climate change, however we couldn't really talk about these due to lack of time but yes the changing climate is in a way threatening the wildlife around us and we need to take a stance for them. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In my opinion, this is the NEW norm in the city where seeing wildlife will be common. Let's understand that they are NOT coming for us or want to HARM us but, these encounters should remind us that we have been encroaching their lands for long now!!! And therefore we must adjust and learn to live with them side by side, giving them space and respect that they deserve! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">Pournima Agarkar.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.samuchit.com/" style="color: #757575; text-decoration-line: none;">www.samuchit.com</a></i></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: left;" /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: blue;">Like/Follow/Share us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SustainableCityPune" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sustainablepune/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizensPune" target="_blank">Twitter</a> Citizens of Sustainable Pune</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 13.2px; text-align: justify;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="color: blue;"><b> </b></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: justify;"><b>Additional links:</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">Check out the video of upcycling focused cafe <i>Zillionth Bistro </i>owned by <i>Saili Jahagirdar. </i></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA9QtnY6Jxw&t=16s</div></div>pournimahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17717035521101360729noreply@blogger.com0