The Ultimate Sophistication!

For the past several years, many people are interestingly being attentive to stories of people returning to the simple life, of people moving back to the countryside or growing their own food or building their own home and so on. This phenomenon appears to be of deep social significance. It is the way of life whose time seems to be arriving; or more precisely, returning. However our present era of relative abundance contrasts sharply with the material poverty of the past.

Just give it a thought - We take birth, have education, do a job which we hate or do a business where we blame colleagues for failures; find a life partner cause everybody is getting married, have a family, have a disease or two, and finally die! Rarely, some fine day, we realize: We were running a rat-race simply because everybody else around us was doing the same and we just did not have the time to live!

Well, I agree that we all need money or few materialistic things to get the fair share of easiness in our life. So we have to work for it. Unfortunately, this can be a double-edged sword. The more we work, the more we earn; the more we earn, the more we spend. That requires us to work more, and the vicious cycle is hard to break. Outwardly we may have the appearance of having it all and being successful, but inside we may feel a void and an unsettled, hard-to-fill emptiness. Perhaps one needs to get out of the rat race and instead get to the top where the ‘top’ is defined by self, not by society or your boss. But this journey is not that simple as it seems.

Duane Elgin, writer of the famous book Voluntary Simplicity believes this journey is Toward a Way of Life That Is Outwardly Simple, Inwardly Rich. The driving forces behind Voluntary Simplicity range from personal concerns to critical national problems. In my last article, we have discussed that - We all have to abandon our destructive system of exploiting our natural resources and find sustainable ways to inhabit the planet. But how?

Voluntary simplicity or simple living is subjective - it is different for each person or family. Some may envision simple living as moving to the countryside and live with the basics, while others may picture a small dwelling in the middle of a city. For some it may be enhancing relationships and finding inner peace. For others it may be a major life change. The particular expression of simplicity is a personal matter. Every one of us knows where our lives are unnecessarily complicated. We are all painfully aware of the clutter and pretense that weigh upon us and make our passage through the world more cumbersome and awkward. Hence a one-size-fits-all do not apply to Voluntary Simplicity. 

Voluntary simplicity is not about living in poverty; it is about living with balance. To live more simply is to unburden ourselves. Sometimes this approach to life involves providing for material needs as simply and directly as possible, minimizing expenditure on consumer goods & services and needless distractions; and directing progressively more time and energy towards pursuing non-materialistic sources of satisfaction and meaning. Simplicity is to establish a more direct, modest, unshowy, and suffocation-free relationship with all aspects of our lives: the things that we consume, the work that we do, our relationships with others, and our connections with nature. This generally means accepting a lower level of consumption, in exchange for more time and freedom to pursue other life goals, such as community or social engagements, more time with family, artistic or intellectual projects, more fulfilling employment, social participation, sustainable living, spiritual exploration, reading, contemplation, relaxation, pleasure-seeking, love, and so on - none of which need to rely on money, or much money. 

I have met people who do not have time for friends, kids & family, exercise or even for themselves. They will spend the whole week sloughing at the workplace and to release that stress they will fly to some dense forest to exploit it further in the name of hobby. I wonder what they are running after or what they are running from..?

By cutting out the things we don’t absolutely need and by ceasing to do the things that we don’t absolutely need to do, we can increase the amount of free time we have. We can use this free time to improve our intellectual and spiritual lives and to increase the quality of our relationships. Voluntary Simplicity means that we keep our eye on what really matters in life. It means letting go of anything that interferes with your view of a high quality of life and meeting life face-to-face as it is - straight and unadulterated.

At present the concept of Voluntary Simplicity gains an additional importance because limiting consumption becomes a point of special interest in these times of global pandemic and economic recession. The recession not only forces consumption reduction but also stimulates deeper deliberation about the necessary shifts in individuals’ values system. Thus crisis may work as an ‘alarm clock’ or ‘teacher’ that motivates consumers to simplify their lives.

The idea of simple lifestyle is nothing new to Indians. In the Yoga Sūtras, great Indian sage Patanjali listed Aparigraha as the fifth of the Yamas (the don’ts) or code of self-restraint. The majority of pre-industrial societies also used to live in a very simple way. The philosophy of minimised consumption, an antidote to greed-driven economic growth, is part of the Indian worldview.

Living simply is more about the journey than the destination. Most people do not wake up one day and make a simple life. It is a slow process, an evolution that occurs over time. I, personally, have slowly evolved through conscious decisions to simplify. There is no concrete prescription for achieving a simple life, and each of us will take our own unique path. You can start by growing your own Fenugreek at your place or composting the kitchen waste, by decreasing the use processed foods or simply by decreasing the electricity usage consciously.

Choosing a simple life requires time and energy to rediscover what is most important to you, what brings you happiness, and what you really want. It requires you to slow down and focus on your path. Once you find your bliss, then your focus shifts to achieving, and life becomes more joyful and less stressful. The simple life of voluntary simplicity is about discovering the freedom and contentment that comes with knowing how much consumption is truly ‘enough’!!!

This Environment day, let us begin our journey slowly towards the simpler and meaningful life..!

अपरिग्रहस्थैर्ये जन्मकथंतासंबोधः ॥३९॥

Meaning : With constancy of aparigraha, a spiritual illumination of the how and why of motives and birth emerges. (39)
                                                             - Sage Patanjali, Yoga Sūtra.

Teacher of the Year!

Once upon a time, there was a young and successful officer going to his village. He was driving a bit faster in his new BMW. He saw a boy calling for help on a turn. He thought he saw something but didn’t stop. Right then a brick hit his car. Angrily, the officer applied breaks, went back to grab the boy and started scolding him for the damages of his car. The boy pleaded, “I am really sorry sir! Please forgive me!! But I have to use that brick as no one was stopping. My brother fell from his wheelchair. He is hurt and I can not lift him by myself”. The officer went speechless, and was shocked to see his handicapped brother. He helped the boy. The boy thanked the officer with teary eyes and said,”May God bless you sir!” Yes, that brick may have caused some damages to his BMW; but also taught him a lesson - DO NOT GO very fast through life, otherwise just to draw your attention, someone will have to hit you with a brick!

Can You relate to the story?!

Well, we are just similar to that officer. We... Human beings often forget that we are largely dependent on Nature or Mother Earth and become ignorant towards her. We have been so reluctant and negligent to the preservation of natural resources and sustainable living that we had already forgotten about the dynamic equilibrium of Nature. The time has come when we are facing the increasing incidents of droughts, sun-strokes, cloud-bursts, floods, land-slides, pandemics and number of deaths associated with it.

Ecological Integrity refers to the ability of an ecosystem to support and maintain ecological processes and a diverse community of organisms. In simple language, ecosystems have integrity when they have their native components intact. So this ecosystem integrity underlines human health and development. It can help regulate diseases by supporting a diversity of species so that it is more difficult for one pathogen to spill over, amplify or dominate. Human-induced environmental changes modify wildlife population structure and reduce biodiversity, resulting in new environmental conditions that favour particular hosts, vectors and/or pathogens. The loss of habitat and biodiversity creates conditions for lethal new viruses and diseases to spill into human communities. And if we continue to destroy our lands, we also deplete our resources and damage our agricultural systems.

The WHO has declared the COVID-19 outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The outbreak has resulted in the untimely death of tens of thousands worldwide, a global economic recession and the collapse of health-care systems among many of the hardest-hit countries. To be clear, the pandemic is a tragedy and has affected human life very badly, overloaded hospitals, unemployment, economic disaster and it has caused depression in millions of people and many countries around the world have lockdown & quarantined its citizens to slow down the spread of the virus. While the origin of the outbreak and its transmission pathway are yet to be discovered, there are few important points worth reviewing...

Outbreaks that emerged or re-emerged recently are Ebola, bird flu, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), the Nipah virus, Rift Valley fever, Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), West Nile virus, Zika virus disease, and now, the Corona virus. They are all linked to human activity. 

According to www.worldenvironmentday.global, the Ebola outbreak in West Africa was the result of forest losses leading to closer contacts between wildlife and human settlements; the emergence of avian influenza was linked to intensive poultry farming; the Nipah virus was linked to the intensification of pig farming and fruit production in Malaysia and emergence of bat-associated viruses was due to the loss of bat habitat from deforestation and agricultural expansion.

The Covid-19 lockdown imposed throughout the world has struck a chord in every one of us and it has made us thinking how nature is so important for our day to day living. It gave us the time to stop, analyse our deeds and  introspect. It has made us see that our actions can very well impact the Earth’s sustainability.

Traffic-free roads, plane-free skies and widespread brick-and-mortar closings have made the planet a beneficiary of the coronavirus pandemic - but only in the short term. Amid the destruction, the pandemic has brought forth wins for a world that leaves room for humans and animals to coexist happily.

From breathing pure air to greener trees, spotting various wildlife into the urban settlements; there are some important environmental changes that we have seen for this lockdown in India, which are improvement in air quality, reduction in air pollution and water of Ganga became fit for drinking in Haridwar. Animals have more room to roam due to decreased pollution and human interference. Dolphins are spotted near Kolkata ghats, increased numbers of flamingos in Mumbai and Arrival of endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles ashore along the coast of Odisha to dig their nests & lay eggs; are some of the examples.

It’s safe to say that no one would have wanted for emissions to be lowered this way. COVID-19 has taken a grim global toll on lives, health services, jobs and mental health. But, if anything, it has also shown the difference that communities can make when they look out for each other - and that’s one lesson that could be invaluable in dealing with climate change.

May this COVID-19 pandemic will end soon. But what we learn out of it will decide our future. Are we going to repeat all those mistakes we used to do before or we going to change our detrimental actions? We all know, digging up fossil fuels, cutting down forests and sacrificing the planet’s health for profit, convenience & consumption is driving catastrophic climate change. It’s time to abandon this destructive system and find sustainable ways to inhabit our planet. This lockdown have made us realize that Life goes on even in the reduced speed of development...or rather, its more pleasant too! So why not to lead a simpler life voluntarily; rather than waiting for some tiny virus to force us to do the same?!

It is impossible to predict where the next outbreak will come from or when it will be. Growing evidence suggests that outbreaks or epidemic diseases may become more frequent as climate continues to change. By embracing a simpler way of life characterized by a compassionate & ecological consciousness, frugal consumption and inner development; people can change their lives and, in the process, move the world toward sustainable prosperity. The novel corona virus has taught us so many things. 

The question is – Are we ready to learn?!

Today is 10th anniversary of Gifting Trees... Let us join hands for embracing Voluntary Simplicity..!

Don't waste the Waste..!

Well… we all have heard, talked or read about the three R's - Reduce, Reuse and Recycling. There is nothing new about them, isn’t it?! But we hardly implement them in our day-to-day life. And that may be because we don’t know or understand the necessity to implement them and about their outcomes. What the R’s are for..?

Nashik is fast growing city. And like any other developing city, our municipal corporation is facing countless challenges due to increase in urban populations such as crowding, transportation, traffic, slums, water supply, power shortages, drainage, and above all, pollution. Pollution is the result of many variables. While air pollution and water quality get maximum share of attention, one pollution source that is largely ignored, though it often stares us in the face is Solid Waste.

Solid waste is defined as non-liquid material that no longer has any value to the person disposing it. Commonly known as garbage, rubbish or trash. Solid Waste Management (SWM) is usually the largest budget item for cities, especially in developing countries. Uncollected solid waste is often the leading contributor to local flooding, air & water pollution and can have an enormous impact on health, local environment as well as on the economy. As cities become larger, consumption of goods and services increases leading to more & more waste. Nashik generates about 450 tons/day of waste. That will be roughly around 165 Metric tons/year. Guess what will be the waste generation of whole world. We need to look at SWM quite seriously now onwards.

This is Garbage Dumping yard of Nashik located near 'Pandavleni'. Everyday, whatever Garbage Vans pick up, is dumped over here. Forget the sight, but it generates terrible smell which one can not stand even for few minutes. To add fuel to the fire, corporation started burning the garbage to create more space for more ‘garbage’, thus making it one of the most polluted area! Basically, Burning or Incineration of waste is not a solution at all! 'Worsening the waste' is what I call it! Burning releases very poisonous & harmful invisible gases Dioxins which are dangerous to human as well as birds & animals. In simple words, burning your waste will result in Landfills in the Sky. With all these, the residential area is not very far from the place. Almost all nearby societies complain about the smoke and smell from the site. The picture speaks for itself. There are people working in this horrible condition for management of this huge amount of garbage, which is increasing day by day. And most of all, the waste management is taking away huge amount of taxpayer's money.

Dumping or Land-filling is the most commonly used method for waste control in developing countries, with many of the dumps in the developing world being open dumps and unsanitary landfills, polluting nearby aquifers, water bodies and human settlements.

How much amount of garbage must be here? Guess... My camera couldn't cover every corner even in it's wide angle. Please see the following image full screen. And just try to compare the height of a human standing in blue outfit near the rising smoke with the height of the garbage mountain...

With no proper planning for waste disposal in place, there is no surprise that our precious but easy resources are over exploited and garbage mountains are being increasingly seen everywhere and the residents are slow-poisoned by the emissions of the burning.

Keeping our cities clean begins with each one of us. When we walk down the streets in our cities we see litter all around us - sometimes garbage bins have more litter around them than inside them. It is so easy to blame the litter and accuse paper, plastics, tin foil and food waste for making our environment dirty and unhealthy. But does paper, plastics, tin, foil and food waste appear magically on our streets and in our neighbourhoods? No, it’s thrown away and disposed of irresponsibly by each one of us!

Waste management in our cities continues to be a problem due to our littering habits and inadequate waste management systems. If we as responsible citizens use and dispose of waste correctly, we can contribute to protecting our environment, conserving natural resources and keeping our cities clean. A waste reduction strategy must be incorporated by each of us whether at home or at work by following the 4R's principle. Yes! Lets add one more R before rest of them.

REFUSE : I think, this is more important principle than the rest 3R. Refuse the single use or disposable products. Items with unnecessary complex packaging can also be refused and to see what can be deleted from our shopping list!

REDUCE : The best way to manage waste is to not produce it. This can be done by shopping carefully and being aware of our choices. Ex. at work, one can cut down on paper use. At home you can begin by purchasing things with lesser packaging, more durable & refillable items, carry your own shopping bag, avoid disposable items and reduce the use of plastics. 

REUSE : It makes economic and environmental sense to reuse products. Sometimes it takes creativity. You can reuse old bottles, jars as storage bins and buy reusable items rather than disposable ones.

RECYCLE : It is a series of steps that takes a used material & processes, re-manufactures and sells it as a new product. Segregate your waste for better disposal and purchase recycled/green products. A ton of paper from recycled material conserves about 7,000 gallons of water, 17-31 trees, 60 lb of air pollutants and 4,000 KWh of electricity. 

The four R's - all help not only to cut down on the amount of waste we throw away, but they also conserve natural resources, landfill space & energy.
Plus, the these R's save the soil or land and money used for landfills.

How?

We can sell unwanted newspapers, glass bottles, old electronic items to the raddiwallas and kabadiwallas (waste traders) - because there is a value in them. There is value too in the waste we dispose of everyday. We can unleash this value only if each household separates its waste into wet and dry. Then may be, we'll all come to know : Waste is actually a resource!

Wet Waste: Food, vegetable peels, egg shells and other organic materials. These are easily biodegradable and can break down and become compost or soil within a short period. Therefore, this waste should go into a compost pit. You can build your own vermi-compost pit in your colony/home and convert all wet waste into useful compost. This would reduce the pressure on our landfills also.

Dry Waste: Paper, plastics, tin, foil, glass, cloth and other materials that do not biodegrade. These materials can be recycled and made into useful products.

Better administration and public infra-structure are an immediate necessity in lower income countries. Most importantly, public attitude needs to be changed as soon as possible. And the change should start from oneself. Unless there is a shift towards a more responsible attitude, no enduring solution is possible. Public education that informs people of options to reduce waste, increase recycling and composting are a good starting point. There is also a need for the design of longer-lasting and reusable products. Municipalities can encourage people to form groups, segregate waste and process it at their end. Repairing, donating, selling and reusing products when possible, especially in the case of e-waste, is also essential. For example, only 5% of India’s electronic waste gets recycled due to absence of proper infrastructure and legislation. And last but not least, each & everyone of us should make an sincere effort to Refuse, Reduce, Reuse And Recycle..!

Today is 5th Anniversary of Gifting Trees. Let us join hands to reduce the load on dumping yard. We all must have a goal of reducing the amount of waste going into landfills by 40 percent. Everyone can help meet this goal and save natural resources, energy and money by following the four R's. Reducing waste also means conserving our limited resources. 

Plastic : A Boon or Bane?

Whether you are aware of it or not, plastics play a big part in our day-to-day life. Plastic is used in everything from cell phone parts to doll parts and from soft drink bottles to the refrigerators they are stored in. More clothing is made out of polyester and nylon, both plastics, than cotton or wool. It’s used in food packaging, as building materials and most of our electronic devices. We wrap stuff in it and even eat or cook in it. From medical devices that keep blood flowing, joints moving and heart beating to impact-resistant vehicle parts, plastic saves lives every day. From the vehicle you ride to the television you watch; plastics are everywhere around us… quite literally!

Very few inventions in modern history have been as successful as plastic. It has resistance to corrosion & chemicals, low electrical & thermal conductivity, high strength-to-weight ratio, colours available in a wide variety, transparent, resistance to shock, good durability, low cost, easy to manufacture, resistant to water and so on. Due to which, the uses of plastic have grown exponentially huge in growing range of applications, especially over the past couple of decades. 

Plastic is everywhere not because it was better than the natural counterparts it replaced, but because it was lighter and cheaper; so much cheaper, in fact, that it was easier to justify throwing it away after use. Customers found this single-use or disposable plastic convenient, and businesses were happy to sell them a new plastic container for every beverage or sandwich they bought. Starting from a biscuit to chips to grocery, each & every eatable comes wrapped in plastic. People often leave stores with dozens of plastic bags that just get thrown away. 

But what happens to that beverage bottle or food container or shopping bag after we are done? It is disposed of as garbage, which eventually ends up in landfills or oceans or burnt. There it remains indefinitely.

The accumulation of plastic material in the Earth's environment is known as Plastic pollution. Plastic has toxic pollutants that damage the environment and cause land, water, and air pollution; adversely affecting wildlife, wildlife habitat and humans too!

Households generate maximum plastic waste, of which water & soft drink bottles form a large number. Very less of the total plastic waste is being recycled. Some plastics have fibres which shorten with every time it is recycled. Thus, a plastic can be recycled only few times before it is no longer recyclable. Such plastic ultimately finds their way to landfills or dumping yards.

Overuse of plastic is the main cause of plastic pollution. But it doesn’t decompose, and it releases an incredible amount of toxins into the air & water if they’re burned. It can take hundreds or even thousands of years for plastic to break down, so the damage to the environment is long-lasting.

But, does plastic ever break down?

No one exactly knows how long plastic takes to break down, but it is believed to take hundreds or even thousands of years.

Most plastic items never fully disappear; they just get smaller and smaller (Microplastics). According to a recent report, plastic fragments have been found in the digestive tracts of animals in Mariana trench, the deepest part of the oceans. It is not just the accumulation of plastics that harms the environment - it is also the fragments and toxins released during decomposition that pollute our soil and water. Many of these tiny plastic particles are swallowed by farm animals or fish who mistake them for food. Surprisingly, plastic have also found their way onto our dinner plates. They’ve also been found in a majority of the world’s tap water. The findings illustrate how incredibly wide humanity’s impact on the planet has become. We are almost trapped in plastics. 

The seas near Mumbai and Kerala are among the worst polluted in the world. Plastic debris affects at least 267 species worldwide, including 86% of all sea turtle species, 44% of all seabird species, and 43% of all marine mammal species. If current trends continue, our oceans could contain more plastic than fish by 2050.

By clogging sewers and providing breeding grounds for mosquitoes and pests, plastic waste - especially plastic bags - can increase the transmission of vector-borne diseases like malaria or dengue.

In addition to harming plants, animals, and people, it costs billions of rupees every year for cleanup of areas exposed to plastic toxins. Many regions have seen a decrease in tourism because of the amount of pollution in their environment, which can have a serious impact on local economies.

Our Earth is drowning in plastic pollution. While plastic has many valuable uses, we have become addicted to single-use or disposable plastic - which have severe environmental consequences.

Are there any Solutions to the Plastic Pollution?

Unfortunately, we can’t remove or ban plastic completely. But we can definitely reduce the disposable plastic use. We, consumers can help fix the problem by making an effort to reduce plastic waste by using reusable bags while shopping. We have to change how we source our food (like buying more at local markets and from farmers), and to make retailers change their food sourcing practices (without plastic packaging). Likewise, drinking from a reusable water bottle instead of a disposable one, avoiding to-go containers like coffee-shops cups, straws and restaurants containers, avoiding to buy household products packed in plastic etc are great ways. After reducing plastic use as much as possible, one can send plastic to recycle. Jars, milk jugs, bottles, broken plastic housewares and even items like ink cartridges can be recycled. The waste-traders will be happy to do that and you will be delighted to make some money.

Even small changes in your day-to-day life can add up and greatly reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment.

Plastic pollution has a big impact on the environment, but plastic waste isn’t unavoidable. Every time you make the choice to avoid or recycle plastic products, you lower the risk of environmental damage. Be conscious of your choices, and encourage those around you to think twice before they throw away plastic or buy unnecessary plastic items.

Waste is everybody's responsibility. A waste reduction strategy can be incorporated by each of us whether at home or at work by following the Reduce - Reuse - Recycle principle. This will not only reduce the amount of solid waste going to landfill, but turn waste into a resource & also save our fast depleting natural resources.

We need to slow the flow of plastic at its source, but we also need to improve the way we manufacture, use, recycle and how we manage our plastic waste to minimize its impact on our environment. Because right now, a lot of it ends up in the environment.

Remember, Plastic is the symptom. Our littering habits and irresponsible attitude towards waste generation is the disease. Plastics do not litter, We do!

We and Trees : Our Experiences with Plantation

Well, this post is meant to share our experiences while tree plantations with our readers. Hope it will encourage more & more people to plant Native Trees and to care for our environment.

When we shifted to our new house, there was an Open Space adjacent to it, which was allotted by Municipal Corporation for gardening. But practically, it was being used as a dump yard by people. On top of that, it was thickly covered by weeds like Carrot grass (Parthenium Hysterophorus). So Initially we started with cleaning and de-weeding the place.

After that we planted few saplings there. We also arranged drip-irrigation system for watering. Still many of the saplings died during six months as the ground was thoroughly wiped out of nutrients by the weeds. Then we started dumping our kitchen waste near the planted saplings. We also got some dung fertilizer to impregnate the Earth. And trust me it worked well. The saplings began to grow vigorously..obviously with due care. First two years were tiresome.

But there was a mistake with those plantations. We have got few sapling from the Municipal Corporation unaware of the fact that they were introduced species. In that initial period, we carelessly planted whatever we got to plant. Its after two years that we hit by the fact. But by that time those varieties were competing with the Native species for space, Sun-light, nutrients & water. Now we can't even cut them nor they are useful to birds & insects. These introduced species eventually decrease the space available for habitat of our native species of birds, insects and trees as well and hence they have very detrimental effect. It is the reason why we always emphasize on plantation of Native species. We have learnt from our mistakes.

Then we never ever planted a introduced or non-native varieties. Yes, there were many times when neighbours and friends had advised us to plant introduced varieties as they thought those are more beautiful. Obviously no one ever turned up to contribute or volunteer.

As time passed by, we witnessed creation of a beautiful landscape. Amazingly in just 4 years, small saplings planted on bare land is developed into a thriving woodland complete with sturdy trees big enough for you to walk under, with few fresh fruits for you to eat, rich ground flora and a host of wildlife. The trees also kept the weeds under control. :)

These trees and flowering plants now attract lots of bees, butterflies and lots of birds. We also witnessed first flight of young birds from their nests in our garden. And yes, it is frequently visited by reptiles & mongooses as well. It is a habitat or home for them in the midst of concrete jungles.

So after that, we began to plant trees in other spaces allocated by Municipal Corporation. But this time, we can't say no one helped us. The space had one naturally grown Babool tree...a very good agroforestry tree. We just set a tree-guard around the tree, as it is a common tree felled by urbanites. The tree which can grow fast while fighting with thick cover of weeds must be saved!

And after six months, one fine morning I saw a sapling growing under that Babool tree. That's too of Semal tree! So Mother Nature lend us a helping hand. Semal being a tall tree, we kept both of them as they were.

Right now, we are working on two open spaces near our residential area. In our upcoming posts, we will share their progress with You. :-)

Let us join hands...

Ever thought, why everyone is talking about Global Warming? What are these Greenhouse gases? Why there is so much rise in Tree Plantation Campaigns? Why Green has become the catchy & coolest colour around the world? If not, I am sure you must have thought about the increasing incidents of droughts, sun-strokes, cloud-bursts, floods, land-slides and number of deaths associated with it.

After just three years from Al Gore's documentary film An Inconvenient Truth was released, we are facing the unstable and extreme climatic conditions. In recent years, we have seen record temperatures on every continent. Animals and insects are changing their migratory patterns. Invasive species and insects such as malaria-carrying mosquitoes are spreading into new territories. Glaciers in the arctic regions, on Mount Everest in Asia, on Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya, Mount Fuji in Japan and throughout Europe & Americas, are melting, causing the world’s oceans to rise. People in small island nations in the Pacific Ocean have already been forced to abandon their homes. The death toll from floods and mudslides rises every year.

The worst thing is as ocean temperatures increase, coral reefs die, hurricanes increase in frequency and strength and weather patterns change. Droughts and floods are more common than ever before. Global surface temperature has increased by about 0.74 °C (1.33 °F) during the 20th century. This much of increase of temperature in the lower troposphere is resulting in unstable climate we are facing nowadays. Imagine, how much this condition will worsen if we continue to destroy & pollute our nature. If the temperature continues to rise, the impact will be significant..

Here is a anticipated statistic.. If temperature increases by -
2°C: Coral reefs will become extinct,
+3°C: Rainforests will turn to desert,
+4°C: Melting ice caps will displace billions of people
+5°C: Sea levels will rise by five to nine metres.
And then a day will come when it will be impossible for us to breathe also; forget about food & water!

Deforestation and Climate Change are intimately connected. Globally, deforestation releases nearly 2 billion tons of Carbon dioxide per year and is responsible for nearly 25% of man-made CO2 emissions. The destruction of the world's forests not only harms the wildlife and communities that depend on them, but increasingly affects us all. As lands are cleared, releasing carbon into the atmosphere - more carbon but less trees to remove it. Introducing all this formerly-stored carbon into the atmosphere, with no corresponding mechanism to take it back out, has also contributed to the current high levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. And these are not my imaginary thoughts! Search web.. Internet is loaded with such information.

We, the Indians, also are not behind. In our hunger for wood, more then 44 million hectares of forests have been felled since Independence, making this country a land with one of the lowest areas under forest cover as compared to total land available.

Every year, the equivalent of 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide enters the global atmosphere, the result of the ever increasing use of fossil fuel. This increase in atmospheric carbon, in combination with the loss of forests has made global climate change worse. Global food security is declining, as is the world's supply of safe drinking water. Unfortunately air pollution does not respect international boundaries! So soon or later, we all are going to suffer.

'Who cares?'
'In no way, we are related to this!' Some might think. Then just have a look at these statistics..
Since the year 1997, according to Government figures, over 150000 farmers have committed suicide and even more have left farming in India, due to unstable monsoon & droughts as one of the main reason. Maharashtra alone accounts for 20% of the total number of the deaths. It is estimated that, on average, one Indian farmer committed suicide every 32 minutes between 1997 and 2005. Think.. The producer is suffering today; tomorrow We, being the consumer, certainly will..!

Droughts and land degradation are not purely natural calamities. They are proven to be the result of a process of systematic neglect of the rain-fed lands and people depending on them. The continued erosion of the productive capacity of the natural resources in the rain-fed regions has made these sections of the population much more vulnerable to the vagarious climate.

I need not tell you about the cutting & killing of trees occurring in Nashik. And this is occurring all around the planet at an alarming rate. Trees are markedly decreasing in numbers and are replaced by concrete jungle. How many trees, do you think, are cut around the world? Believe it or not, but between three to six billion per year! And for what purpose? To make up for the world demand of wood, paper, furniture and other wooden products! Trust me, this is just one aspect out of number of others which are causing detrimental and disastrous effects on our environment.

Everyone loves to talk about the climate crisis. But talking alone is not going to stop lands from degrading, glaciers from melting, sea-levels from rising or the rain-forests from disappearing. We have to do something to stop it. For starters, let us plant native trees and decrease the use/demand of wooden products. It's the simple, only effective way to reduce & offset the carbon emission caused by us! It's a permanent way to impregnate the soil of the degraded land!!!

Because a large tree inhales 20.3 kg of CO2 in a year and exhales enough oxygen for a family of four for a year. If the native trees are planted, nurtured in urban areas and our forests are not cut, there is a ray of hope for ALL OF US :-)

Remember, when there is a war raging, it is impossible to stay out of it.
One day the war will get to You...

Do some trees really harm our environment?!

Well, unfortunately on a long term basis.. Yes!

The tree to be selected for plantation in a locality must be able to adapt to the area's climate, soil, topography and plant & animal life. But there are number of species of trees around us. Every species has its own way of performing various activities like getting their nutrition & water, growing, rooting, pollinating, multiplying, competing with other species & surviving..

There are trees which are useful to us. Some also have unique medicinal properties. Some trees are also preferred in farmlands as they are beneficial to the crops. On the other hand, there are trees which are troublesome, weedy or poisonous too.. That's the variety of Nature!! So which one should be selected for plantation and which one must be avoided?

And when we search the web for useful & multipurpose trees, we get more than 70% of trees that are not native to India. All of these claiming to be very useful even in Agroforestry in foreign countries. But this doesn't mean that we can also use & apply them in India while expecting the same returns. The foreign authors of the agroforestry articles/presentations are right at their place because they are studying and using their native trees. But for us, the case is different. Don't we have our own native agroforestry trees? Of course We do.. Remember, India has the second largest tree treasuries in the world. We just need to know about them :)

But before knowing what to plant, let us know what not to plant and why?!

One has to keep in mind that the introduced trees do not support our ecosystem. According to experts, these trees are driving away our wildlife. As these trees do not host birds or insects, they can not participate effectively in the food chain. Food chains or Food webs are the representatives of the relationships of living organisms in nature and are very essential for the balance of nature. Imagine, if we keep planting these non-native trees, our food chain is definitely going to disturb, so as our balance of nature. And if there will be no or very less native trees, where our birds, butterflies, insects will go then?

Its ridiculous to know that many of our native trees are much more high priced in nurseries than the non-native ones. And its not a proud thing at all. It simply suggests that in our region, the non-native & introduced trees are much more common than our own trees! Biggest misfortune is what I call it!!

Some also argue that we need these non-native trees to fight the ever-increasing global warming as they are fast growing and if we plant our native slow growing trees, then it will be difficult for us to fight back. Few days back, I met this interesting fellow who has spent his entire life serving the Forest Department. He also dared to compare Gulmohar & Banyan tree saying that after 5 years, which one will be big? After listening to him, I just asked, "And after 25 years, which one will be more useful to humans as well as wildlife?" My question was enough for him to change the topic! People tend to cuddle the immediate benefits and simply ignore the huge future loss..

Here are some trees which must not be included in tree planting campaigns..

Royal Poinciana or Gulmohar (Delonix Regia/गुलमोहर) is very common everywhere in India. You will not have any problem if you want to see the tree. It is native of Madagascar & Zambia.

It is a tree as good as plastic for wildlife. It has superficial roots and competes successfully with neighbouring plants. It is the tree which tend to fall easily during storms.

Copperpod (Peltophorum Pterocarpum/सोनमोहर) is not different from Royal Poinciana. It is native of Sri Lanka, Malesia & Australia. It is also native to Andaman islands of India. Thats the reason it is introduced to you as if its native to India. But actually, the atmosphere and flora & fauna of Andaman is quite different from India.

It has densely spreading canopy which retards the growth of other neighbouring plants.

Leucaena or White Babool (Leucaena Leucocephala/सुबाभूळ) is native of Mexico and Central America. Though it was introduced in India as a fodder & afforesting species, now it is considered unsuitable for urban plantation because of its tendency to get uprooted in rain & wind. Its foliage contains mimosine, toxic to ruminants if consumed in excessive amounts.

The tree has the potential to become a pest or rather, it has become one in India. It is considered one of the 100 worst invasive species Invasive Species Specialist Group of IUCN Species Survival Commission. Though locally known as Subabhul (Good Babool) due to no thorns, its actually a Kubabhul (Worst Babool).

Eucalyptus group or Gum trees (Eucalyptus spp./निलगिरी) are native of Australia. It is a widespread invasive water-sucker.

Many communities in India, Asia, Central America, the Caribbean and Africa are suffering from the long term damage caused by massive eucalyptus plantings. At first, most communities were content with having a tree. But the root system, barely under the surface of the soil, continued to widen into fields where farmers once grew crops. Farmers quickly discovered that eucalyptus trees are causing problems with their roots, taking all available water and nutrients from neighboring trees and crops. And their leaves are blanketing the ground inhibiting new growth. Eucalyptus trees inhibit the growth of other vegetation exposing soils to erosion, and cause lakes & ground water to disappear.

African Tulip (Spathodea Campanulata/रगतुरा) is native to Africa. It has the potential to become invasive.

It is not useful for avian-wildlife in India, nor is browsed by domestic animals. I have seen mass plantation of this tree even in a tourist place like Lonavala, as if we don't have our native ornamental trees. Or do we want our foreign tourists to know that We have bravely planted the trees which are not preferred for plantation near residential societies in its native countries also. It is said that African hunters make use of its nuts by boiling the centres and thus obtaining a poisonous liquid.

Silky Oak or Silver Oak (Grevillea Robusta/सिल्वर ओक) is native of eastern coastal Australia.

It is not resistant to persistent strong winds. This tree can become weedy or invasive according to the authoritative source USDI Geological survey. It is reported to become a pest in several countries. Its leaves produce an allelopathic substance which inhibits the establishment and development of other species. Also is a 'plastic tree' for birds.

Mexican Lilac or Gliricidia (Gliricidia Sepium/उंदीरमार) is one of the easily toppled species in strong wind. It is native to Mexico and Central America.

The tree is reported to lower the ground water level markedly. It also inhibit the new growth due to a thick cover of its leaves on the ground. The roots, bark & seeds are proven to be poisonous.

Rain Tree (Samanea Saman/पर्जन्य वृक्ष, गुलाबी सरस) is native to South and Central America.

It has umbrella-like wide spreading canopy and massive branching. It, therefore, inhibits development and growth of neighbouring plants. It has an extensive surface root system, which may interfere with agricultural activities or landscape maintenance. The seeds have been found to contain a toxic alkaloid, which may account for the occasional deaths of cattle which graze near the tree.

Blue Jacaranda (Jacaranda Mimosifolia/नीलमोहर) is same as Royal Poinciana. It is native of South America.

It is considered as an invasive species in many countries. It too acts as a plastic tree for Indian avi-fauna.

Australian wattle (Acacia Auriculiformis), as the name suggests, is native of Australia.

It is very weak tree as strong wind easily breaks its branches. It is considered as a threat to indigenous flora. Its fallen leaves make a thick carpet on the ground preventing development of other species. 

Sausage Tree (Kigelia Africana) is native of Africa.

This tree has a rather invasive root system. It has a big fruit and the falling fruit can cause serious injury to people and damage vehicles parked under the trees.

Finally, one has to accept that No tree is perfect. So decision is yours now. If you plant and grow trees, its a good thing! But planting Native Indigenous trees is bestest!!!  The tree species that has been living in India from many centuries and endowing benefits not only to humans but also to wildlife & our ecosystem deserves the priority.

We do have many of beautiful, fast-growing, unique & multi-purpose trees that can be used in plantation campaigns.

Get ready to be acquainted with them...