Happy Diwali 2015

2015 has been declared the Year of Light by the UN (#IYL2015):

“The International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies, 2015 (IYL 2015) is a United Nations observance that aims to raise awareness of the achievements of light science and its applications, and its importance to humankind. IYL 2015 opening ceremonies was held on 19–20 January 2015 in Paris.”

It’s also to be noted that the 2014 Physics Nobel went to three scientists from the Land of the Rising Sun (Japan) for "for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving white light sources."
Thus after a long break I thought it best to have a revive the blog on Diwali: the Festival of Lights and a celebration that is also like many others of the victory of Good over Evil but with the heart of it being the power of light on a dark night. People celebrate together and brave cold, windy and (in the case of South India…) rainy nights and dawn to put on awesome light displays through crackers as well as lighting lamps around the house on this New Moon Day.
The festival also includes the Dhanteras festival which celebrates the birth of the Goddess of Wealth – Lakshmi and the God of Wealth Dhanwantri churned out of the Great Ocean by the Gods and Demons working together. Health and Wealth became intrinsically linked right from our ancient texts. 

There have been some great life lessons and inspiring words that have come my way over this period:

(1)   The first is about the Fight of Good and Evil over the eons (Yugs) to when the greatest good and the greatest evil is the psyche and human nature where this never-ending war takes place. Now more than ever we need more victories of Good over Evil in our thoughts, deeds, actions and beliefs.

This has been beautifully put elaborated upon in the following Facebook post:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153817115749905&set=a.10150174911164905.304159.610589904&type=3&theater

(2)   Second is a realization I came to after nearly 14 hours without electricity during this Diwali season due to rain wrecked power lines and flooding across the city.  

It’s at times like these we realize how much we take for granted. If the power was not restored in time we would have had to celebrate the festival of lights without electric lights and all the labour saving devices that run on electricity.
At times like these one hopes to do better for those without access to dependable electricity supply.
While many parts of India welcome the rains – the fact of the matter is that our infrastructure is ill-equipped to deal with flooding just after a few hours of rain. It’s ironic that in many water starved regions face a lot of flooding related problems. Better rain-water harvesting and un-clogged storm water drains are as much the responsibility of people as it is the government, for so much of our clogged storm drains are a result of irresponsible behaviour such as littering on a massive scale, and irresponsible disposal of plastic.

(3)   Third, is a beautiful interpretation of Ramayan that I came across in the Dushera Greetings. Considering one of the first celebrations of Diwali is mentioned to be the celebration in Ayodya to celebrate the return of the victorious Ram, Sita and Lakshman I thought I’d share this too:

“Ram is your soul. Sita is your heart. Ravan is your mind that steals your heart from your soul. Lakshman is your consciousness, always with you and active on your behalf. Hanuman is your intuition and courage that helps retrieve your heart to re-animate your soul."

May there be peace, prosperity, health and happiness always in you lives 

DREAMING GREEN #WED2015

Today June 5, 2015 is World Environment Day.
The theme for this year according to the UN Environment Programme is  

“7 Billion Dreams…One Planet. Consume with Care.” 

With Hollywood star Leo Dicaprio leading the so-called Dream Team (#7BillionDreams) in pledges to envisage a greener tomorrow.

See the pledges at:
http://www.unep.org/wed/wedchallenge/In-support-of-WED-2015.asp
The galaxy of stars raises many concerns from overconsumption and food waste to the plastic menace. Many others took the time to pledge their dream …

Mine is a green planet with prosperity and plenty through sustainable livelihoods.

Closer home is the Chennai Coastal Cleanup this Sunday – June 7, 2015 between 6am and 9am between Marina (Asia’s longest beach) and Injambakkam. You can do your bit to clean up the coast (hunt the deadliest ocean predator – plastic) and make living near the ocean that much more heavenly.

https://www.facebook.com/chennaicoastalcleanup5/info?tab=page_info
 
A lot of the problems we face as humanity are linked to a poor environment.
Access to natural resources, management of resources, the basics “Roti, Kapda, Makhan” (Food, Clothing, Shelter) all have environmental implications.
Pollutions, overconsumption and waste are causing inequities that in turn lead to disease and even social unrest.
It’s all connected.

The problems of our planet seem to be saying “All for One and One for All” thus the solution should be arrived at keeping the same mantra in mind.
A clean environment, peace, empowering women, tackling hunger, poverty, unemployment, illiteracy all have to have a Sustainable Solution. And they all have to start within and imbue our every action.  
Respect for the planet translates into respect to our fellow human being, the flora and fauna and the entire human condition can improve when we are mindful of our actions and their immediate and long-term consequences.
What seems expensive today will provide unimaginable ROIs in health bonuses, quality of life and much more.
We are our environment … isn’t it time to put it right.
The life force in nature can make or break us. Carrot or Stick … you choose a reason to Go Green!
http://www.storypick.com/dooms-day-approacheth/
The solutions are just a step away:

• Plant that sapling, tree, …garden, Green up your environment – it can change your life:

Read the article: “Inside Delhi's Greenest Building That Manufactures Its Own Air” http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2015/04/23/paharpur-business-centre_n_6991690.html

• Reduce your ecological footprint.

• Manage the soil right to trap carbon

• Organic farming and food for a healthy and wealthy population

• Switch to LED

• Opt for the Plastic and Petroleum free option

• Switch to renewables: RE-invest! <20150219_214830>

And of course remember to
REDUCE

REUSE

RECYCLE

My Top Ten Takeaways from the CII-UNICEF CSR Conference

Chief Guest – TN Governor Dr. K. Rosaiah

Closing session chaired by Mr. Gagandeep Singh Bedi, IAS – Secretary to Govt., Dept. of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj

#1 – Need for Behavioural Modification Communication not just building/providing infrastructure for a sustainably “Swachh Bharat.” Investing in communicating and incentivising good hygiene behaviour modification programmes to make it a habit. The intangible is as essential to a CSR programme’s success and social impact as is the tangibles.
#2 The present CII Southern Region Chairperson is a dynamic lady – Ms. Rajshree Pathy, Chairman and MD of Rajshree Sugar and Chemicals Ltd.
#3 Poor representation of women as experts in a platform/institutions (CII, UNICEF) that prides itself on its work to eliminate gender gap: Of the 21 speakers in the 4 sessions (inaugural+3) only 2 were women. Both dynamic speakers, the aforementioned Ms. Rajshree Pathy at the inaugural and Dr. Aditi Mishal of Symbiosis Institute of Operations Management in the 2^nd session (Technological Solutions for WASH) where she spoke of the planned pilot (@ Nasik’s Kumbhmela) to use DRDE technology Mobile Bio-digester toilets with anaerobic bacteria where 5 BOD water and methane are the byproducts & the latter is trapped to make CNG!!!
#4 The CII’s CSR Gateway as well as the BSE’s CSR Exchange that seek to connect CSR funds with developmental NGOs and projects on the state and national levels; and good to hear about BSE’s annual NGO Week at the erstwhile BSE Trading Hall.

#5 Most dynamic speaker – Environmentalist Foundation of India’s Arun Krishnamurthy – When told by the session chairman that he would need to cut short his speech because the previous speaker overshot his time-limit, pat came the reply yes the environment always looses out to other priorities. He then made short and passionate plea to extend the Swacche Bharat efforts and CSR funding to cleaning up our environment/natural reserves – forests and water-bodies to leave behind better resources for future generations! 

Most Interesting Stalls:

#6 Stone India Ltd.’s ENBIOLET – offering a basic model bio-loo with aerobic microbes producing only water as byproduct starting at Rs. 50,000 with upgrade and additional features making it a good “green” solution for mass events and for providing instant solutions in Rural Households.
#7 IIT-Madras’ RuTAG (Rural Technology Action Group) stall showcased some viable rural products, what caught my eye was the microwavable claypots. 

Most Interesting Presentations/Speeches

#8 Job Zachariah, Chief – State Office – TN & Kerala, UNICEF India, on open defecation was very effective. His magic wand for all social ills the use of toilets, He blew one away with statistics – 1g of faeces has 1 crore bacteria, each human excretes 300g and 3.5 crore open defecators in TN!!! And open defecation caused a loss of 6.4% of the GDP (~Rs. 8,00,000 crores in TN); although I take issue with his claim that Chennai district is open defecation free, all one has to do is visit a beach in the morning to see contradictions to this claim!
#9 GREAT SHOWCASES – Mr. Ashoke Joshi of TVS’ Srinivasan Services Trust’s behaviour change success stories in the villages they support; Mr. Bharadwaj Thirunellai of WaterHealth India’s examples of involving children in community boards to build accountability in adopting good hygiene habits; Mr. Khurram Naayaab of Cairn India on their CSR success stories from Rajasthan’s Barmer district which include Any Time Water (ATW) and doorstep delivery of water in one of India’s driest and hottest (50 degrees Celsius) districts, mason-training to women to help them construct toilets and the mobile health van! Mr. Elango Rangasamy, Scientist and former panchayat president on the many successes in Kuthambakkam Pachayat including the prefabricated toilet and other instances of the road of moving the region from a black spot to a model and Kuthambakkam functioning as a panchayat academy an agent of change to inspire other villages to become models!
#10 Great Networking! Many instances of the hand of fate matching delegates with problems and funds to those without funds but with ideas and solutions in the field of social development.

Call for Papers and Online Law Symposium: “Avoiding the Climate Change Tipping Point – The Future of Environmental Law and Policy Anticipating the SDGs”

 

 

 

Online Law Symposium 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The A38 Foundation of International Law (www.athirtyeight.com) and Sunshine Millennium (www.sunshine-millennium.blogspot.in) will be hosting a joint online legal symposium in June 2015, titled, 

“Avoiding the Climate Change Tipping Point – The Future of Environmental Law and Policy Anticipating the Sustainable Development Goals”.

As the world delves deeper into the realms of technological advancements, the consequential environmental changes pose new challenges to international law. As predicted in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change synthesis report[1] the average temperature of the air and the sea, pollution and other symptoms of a changing climate will likely lead to a rise of the sea level, desertification, deforestation, extreme storms and  earthquakes.[2] There are an estimated 25 million environmental refugees today and the numbers are likely to grow even faster in future. With so many threats to the environment, there is a distinct possibility of even more destruction. Later this year the United Nations will be adopting the Sustainable Development Goals to replace the Millennium Development Goals as the roadmap to a better twenty-first century placing environmental issues front and centre. The UN and its umbrella organs are championing the cause of Climate Change but depending on member-states to set parameters and do regular self-assessment.

How can law and policy address these issues more effectively? What are some of the biggest challenges on the way?  

Submission Details:

Authors are to submit a short bio and their articles by May 20, 2015.  

Articles which are under 2,500 words (including footnotes) or less should be submitted to Sunshine Millennium at sunshinemillennium1@gmail.com with the subject line “Symposium.” 

Articles which are above 2,500 words (including footnotes) should be submitted to A38 Online Law Journal at submissions@athirtyeight.com with subject line “Symposium.”

Eight papers will be selected (four in each group) for a live online presentation via Google+ Hangouts. The event will be held on June 5, 2015. 

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[1] Intergovennemental Panel on Climate Change: Synthesis Report: http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/index.htm

[2] Derek R. Bell, “Environmental Refugees: What Rights?  Which Duties?”, Res Publica 10 (2004) : 135.

INDIAN FARMER WOES THIS SEASON

Today is celebrated as the Tamil New Year (a.k.a. Chitrai Thirunal), Baisakhi (Punjab), Bihu (Assam) and Vishu (Kerala). It is also 124th birth anniversary of the “principal architect” of the Indian Constitution - Dr. B.R. Amedhkar a.k.a. ‘Babasahib’. Many reasons to celebrate, yet the celebration will be muted across many states of India due to the damages done by unseasonal rains in March-April 2015 to the Rabi crop (sown after the monsoons and harvested in April/May) harvest.

March 2015 has been the “Wettest March in 100 years in north, central India” according to the Indian Meteorological Department. It is estimated that the rains over the last few weeks have damaged anywhere in anywhere between 163 and 181 lakh hectares of land across 13 states as of the beginning of March. Andhra joined the affected states with rains over the past few days causing serious “agricultural and horticultural damage” in another 1 lakh acres (that is approximately 40,469 hectares, according to the state Agriculture Minister, “horticultural crops in about 1,600 hectares were damaged in Anantapur, Kadapa and Kurnool districts according to preliminary estimates.”)

Thus this spring almost 30 percent of the Rabi crop (if you consider that the total cultivable area in the current Rabi season is 600 lakh hectare) has been decimated by unseasonal cloudbursts, rain, hailstorm, and strong winds. Crops affected include wheat, mustard, jeera and coriander. Vegetables such as cauliflower, tomato have also been affected. With a disturbed mango flowering season in Gujarat and Maharashtra the royal fruit’s projected production has also been drastically reduced.

Add this to the list of triggers of farmer suicide and you have a very destructive season emerging. Despite compensations being announced, both in the centre and the state, it remains to be seen whether farmers across India can escape being trapped in further debt. 

After watching the India Matters episode “Fields of Despair” on NDTV to the plight of potato farmer in West Bengal and the agriculture sector seems scary and depressing as hell:

 Suicides as a result of debt in the face of poor prices for the bumper crops of potato is leading to the poorest of the farmers – sharecroppers who have almost no safeguards and only debt and risks circling like vultures – to commit suicide. The rate offered is lower than Rs. 2 per kilogram and as unsold, stockpiled potatoes languish potato farmers seem to be reeling under unimaginable burdens. Caste, politics, drinking, gambling, moneylenders and landlords, not to mention family struggle combine to brew a toxic miasma that leads many hopeless farmers to opt to consume pesticide and leave behind the debt and a dependent and devastated family.

What is hard to see in the two situations – one natural the other manmade - is the pattern of hopelessness. Is it right that when there is so much innovative thinking on offer – and such success in online retaining – can there not be a solution that saves the devastated. 

Middle men, landowners and moneylenders seem to be seeing all the profit. And there is a drastic change is prices from those offered to farmers and consumers. A lot of potatoes and other crops rot as farmers stockpile waiting for better prices. Is the grip of cartels so strong that outsider cooperatives can’t purchase the produce at better prices from the debt-ridden sharecroppers. Isn’t some refinancing and debt relief possible? Can a solution be worked out without it being trapped in the vicious circle of politics and caste?

Here’s hoping there is better seasons in store for India’s farmer both weather-wise and price-wise. In the meantime it is hoped that empowerment through education and community support can help the survivors get out of the debt traps. Babasahib’s initiatives have influenced various spheres of life and transformed the way India today looks at socio-economic policies, education and affirmative action through socio-economic and legal incentives. At a time when poor farmers are stuck in vicious debt traps at the mercy of the weather, addictions, and moneylenders it is to be hoped that there are success stories who have taken a leaf out of Babasahib’s teaching and embraced educations and implemented innovations through better information.

The continued success and support of farming and farmers is a backbone to food security and the fight against hunger. When people are poor, ill, or/and hungry they can rarely think beyond the immediate crisis and innovate to achieve progress. The nation can progress steadily only if the sector that employs the most is secure. Farmer security is proportional to future food security.

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/india-matters-fields-of-despair-753975

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Hyderabad/rain-claims-six-lives-in-andhra-pradesh/article7100166.ece

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Ill-timed-rain-damages-crops-in-1-8cr-hectares-across-13-states/articleshow/46681689.cms

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/unseasonal-rains-damage-standing-crops-in-rajasthan-government-announces-compensation-747128