Research Reinforcement Vol. 4, Issue 1 May 2016 - Oct. 2016 81 Introduction
Indian civilisation made use of nature even as they took efforts to replenish it. Some of the natural bounty was completely reserved as in case of sacred groves. A traditional means of biodiversity
Abstract
It would be perfectly alright to say that the environment protection, personal responsibility and survival of the society are all intertwined. Every society is dependent on natural resources for its very survival.
Thus not only protection of environment but also its thriving should be the sine qua non. Our surrounding
environment or the nature doesn’t have unlimited strength to suffer the encroachment of the human
society. Before 1950 no one on Earth had lived through a doubling of the human population but now some people have experienced a tripling in their lifetime. So many people now inhabit the planet with
so much impact that scientists have coined a new word to describe our time, the Anthropocene Epoch.
Unlike previous epochs, where various natural regimes of geological processes defined the time periods, the Anthropocene is named for escalating human influence on the environment. The release of CO2 into the atmosphere is beginning to alter the global climate. Species are going extinct at a rate 100 to 1000
times above the natural rate. The scale of human appropriation of the products of photosynthesis—the
most fundamental process of the biosphere—has reached around one-quarter to one-third of all global Net Primary Production (We have become a major “global geophysical force1”. The clamour for ever
greater production and resultantly the ever greater craving to consume is the root cause of the ills from which our environment is suffering. Every government around the world is perpetually fascinated by ever rising industrial indices alone; every government around the world only seems talking about
the GDP figures and how to ever prop it up. Is it really possible that we will ever be able to meet our
environmental obligations just by addressing the ill effects of climate change, global warming and by
overlooking the root cause of the issue in our hearts and minds?It is quite clear that resource utilization
has to be prudential and traditional Indian knowledge and practices can show a direction to the world. The valorous example of Amrita Devi Bishnoi, the legacy talked all over India of Chipko Movement and Appiko movement, the love and reverence for all animate and inanimate things in Indian spirituality is unparalleled in the world only exception being secluded and small tribal societies. Indians have been reverencing their water bodies, their trees, their mountains, rocks, pets, pebbles and wildlife since
eternity. With the exception of modern era or prior to the gross exploitation unleashed by industrial
revolution, Indians had always utilized their natural resources in a sensible manner.
Keywords: Climate Change, Ethical, Society, Preservation, Responsible, Leadership
conservation, these groves can be considered the ancient equivalent of natural sanctuaries where all forms of living creatures are given protection by a deity. No one is permitted to cut any tree or plant, kill animals and birds, or harm any form
Environment Protection and the
Personal Responsibility
Harish Kumar
Research Scholar
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of life in this area. Ancient Indian texts have many references to sacred groves, for example, Kalidaasa’s Vikramorvawsiyam3. It should be clear to all the stakeholders that the issue of environment, personal responsibility and human society are congenitally joined. Rather they are congenital twins. If there were to be any human society in future then each and every human being irrespective of her caste, class, region, creed, language or nationality should behave responsibly and thus ethically towards nature and its bounty. How, how much, when and why we utilize our environmental resources will go a long way in tackling the major issues related to our earth and its link with human society. Gauging of our carbon footprint constantly is the key. The content analysis of the secondary data has been done.
The Indian fascination and reverence for all things nature that is all animate and inanimate objects have no parallel around the world. However, the issues of global warming and climate change and resultantly the degradation of global environment and various other ills related to it have affected Indians as much as it has any other nation if not more. Indians have been aggressors and victims at the same time just like everybody else. The question is where have we gone wrong? Traditional Indian values especially the spiritual Indian heritage have always seen man hand in hand with nature. So much and so that traditional Jain philosophy forbids even agriculture lest there be loss of insects and weeds. All major events related to Buddh took place in the lap of nature; his birth in a garden at Lumbini, his attainment of Boddhi under
a peepal tree, his first sermon again in a garden and
Mahaparinirvan between two Saal trees in a grove. No wonder Buddh instructed all not to harm any living being. His choice of all pathbreaking events in his life led him to nature. Similarly, all the Rigved Dev are related to natural phenomena, Indra, Agni, Marut, Varun, Usha4 and so on.
The thing is there is leadership void. When all the governments around the world only seem concerned about ever rising GDP, the environment is bound to be affected adversely. Because ever
increasing GDP figures require ever increasing
production and consumption. Another question arises can’t there be ever increasing production without affecting the environment adversely? It is a big research question. However, common
sense would say the way artificial demands or
tastes are created by marketing and branding
experts, the benefits of clean technology would
be negligible. As there is no free lunch in nature or elsewhere. If there is a cause, there is bound to be some impact.
In Delhi, it was believed that after Metro roll out, congestion and pollution would decrease but there hasn’t been remarkable positive change on these aspects. In spite of the fact that roads are constantly being widened in Delhi. People have continued to ply their private vehicles. The in thing is being American, live like an American and consume like an American. One has iphone 6s but one is still tempted to go for iphone 7plus. All human progress is being measured on the fact whether we have the better, the bigger, more expansive products than before or not
irrespective of the utility, cost benefit analysis and
more importantly its impact on the environment The concern is not whether it adds up to a good life or good society where citizens are aware of their actions and its impact on environment. That is nobody’s business. Heads of the government around the world talk of lofty, noble ideas related to climate catastrophe but on the other hand, in the same breath, adopt policies which will go to create problems for the environment in domestic sphere. Here the traditional Indian way of life where human society and nature have always been two sides of the same coin, where both have sustained and nourished each other can come handy. Here three notable cases are being cited.
First is the sacrifice of Amrita Devi Bishnoi who
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to fell green Khejri trees to burn lime for the construction of his new palace. Since there was a lot of greenery in the Bishnoi villages even in the middle of Thar Desert, the king ordered his men to get the woods from Khejri trees. Almost
every part of tree is edible and full of benefits to
Rajasthani community. Amrita Devi protested against King›s men attempting to fell green trees as it was prohibited in Bishnoi religion. The malevolent feudal party told her that if she wanted the trees to be spared, she should bribe them. She turned down this demand and told them that she would consider it as an act of ignominy and insult to her religious faith. She said that she would rather give away her life to save the green trees. It is at that stage she spoke
these words: «Sar sāntey rūkh rahe to bhī sasto
jān” that is if a tree is saved even at the cost of
one›s head, it›s worth it. Saying these words, she offered her head! The axes, which were brought to cut the trees, severed her head. Her three daughters Asu, Ratni and Bhagu were not daunted and were similarly slain by the sepoys of the raja. This was the exemplary courage and
sacrifice of an Indian woman way back in 18th
century. It is said 363 people sacrificed their lives in this first chipko movement probably in the
world to save the tree! It has no parallel.
Today there is Amrita Devi Bishnoi award for protecting wildlife and showing exemplary
courage. This award is given for significant contribution in the field of wildlife protection,
which is recognised as having shown exemplary courage or having done exemplary work for the protection of wildlife. Chipko movement in Uttarakhand in 1970s and Appiko movement in Western Ghats in North Karnataka in 1980s were also campaign to save trees by hugging them. These ushered in environmental agitation and activism in modern India in 20th century.
Sociocultural values of India have put nature and its bounty that is all living beings at the heart of human compassion. Jainism forbids even practice of agriculture lest insects, weeds or rodents be killed. All major events related with life of Buddh had natural setting that is where he was born
and where he attained mahaparinirvan. All Vedic gods symbolized natural phenomena or forces for instance Indra is the god of rain and thunder and Varun that of water and Agni. All Rigvedic hyms relate to their worship. Indians have been worshipping their rivers, oceans, forests, rocks, mountains, serpents, planets, trees, pebbles and plants since eternity. So Indians have it in them. The issue of climate change, global warming and environmental degradation can’t be resolved unless each and every individual keeps a check on her consumption and behaves responsibly and thus ethically. The issue of carbon footprint
needs to be popularized. The way artificial needs,
tastes, preferences and demands are created by branding and marketing experts should be made aware to public.
This requires an understanding of the target consumer and what we call a “branded propos-ition” that offered not only functional but also emotional value. Over time, the emotional value would create a buffer against functional parity. As long as the brand was perceived to offer superior value to its competitors, the company offering the brand could charge a little more for its products. If this brand “bonus” was bigger than the cost of building a brand (the additional staff and often advertising costs), the company came out ahead5. Thus, the actual differences in
quality of products vis-a-vis other products or price differentials are not substantial. In other words, there are no earthshaking functional differences in brands which we pursue and try to acquire, for instance the craze for apple products. Traditional Indian wisdom would say something like this:
Thoughts become words6
Words become actions
Actions become habits Habits become character Character becomes destiny
However for the advertising, marketing and branding juggernauts the mantra today could be:
Thoughts become words
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Actions become behaviourBehaviour becomes culture Culture becomes brand
How companies peddle their products and brand them is important factor in demand creation. And crucially it is linked to environmental degradation. The usual props used by branding experts are emotions, family, family values, happy times, recognition, exclusiveness, love, crafted especially for you, holier than thou approach, relations between the product and you, better than the best quality, trust, all other products or brands are merely thugs, who have no genuine concern for you except interest in your money and so on and so forth. Awareness about such props or gimmicks is not known to general public and it should be the duty of the government to expose branding, marketing or any other strategy employed by the big companies to create ever more demand or taste for their wares. The point is whether consumption we indulge in is the real need or demand or craving created by marketing and branding experts. Conspicuous consumption has become norm it is no longer an elite phenomenon. Everybody does it or at least tries to do. Time has come to ask ourselves whether we are willing to act ethically, responsibly towards environment or not. How the community of research scholars reaches a seminar hall for instance whether through public transport mode say metro or through their private cars goes a long in proving whether we are serious about sustainable development or not. It is regardless of the fact whether the theme of the seminar is related to global warming, climate change or sustainable development or not. Ethical environmental consciousness should now be permanently etched in our mind. And we must act responsibly all the time and keep asking whether we are acting ethically towards the mother earth. Shouldn’t our stomach wrench when we see a single person driving a gas guzzling big SUV? Modi government did a good thing by bringing in market determined petroleum prices.
Earlier the rich drove their private vehicles on subsidized petroleum. It was a grave travesty of justice.
It is our sense of discrimination alone when it comes to serious environmental issues and how and what natural resources and in which quantity, volume or frequency we use them that alone can save the situation for us humans. For instance if someone’s house is naturally well lit and has good ventilation, then, one can afford not to use electric light and fans as much as the person whose house is not similarly well built. Another change in behavior could be for a radius of up to say one or two km, one decides not to use any fossil fuel powered vehicle. Of course use of renewable sources like solar water solar heaters, lights and so on are welcome but their installation burns a hole in one’s pockets. They are still not affordable for many. Cheaper or recycled alternatives should be made available. Three Rs are a must that is reducing, recyclying and reusing. The concept of common but differentiated responsibility when it comes to saving the environment at global level, insisted upon by Modi7 government should be adhered to by all countries. Here Gandhi ji’s words which are cliché but still ring true should be able to sum up this paper, there is enough for everybody’s needs but not for anybody’s greed.
References
1. http://na.unep.net/geas/archive/pdfs/geas_ jun_12_carrying_capacity.pdf
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khejarli
3. http://edugreen.teri.res.in/explore/forestry/ groves.htm
4. http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/hmvp/ hmvp06.htm
5. http://www.theatlantic.com/business/ar- chive/2011/10/how-brands-were-born-a-brief-history-of-modern-marketing/246012/ 6. h t t p s : / / n e i l c r o f t s . w o r d p r e s s .
com/2012/03/05/how-brands-are-created/ 7.
