Ready to play the GOOD GAME?

Last November, the IPCC established that human-induced climate change is fast attaining irreversibility – ocean warming, sea level rise and temperature rise.

Introspect on the above statement for a minute.

What does it convey?

Nature, in its pristine form has always adopted a self-sustaining mutually co-existing mechanism, which undoubtedly, is a remarkable success, for us to take note of and understand.

To understand nature, is to think beyond the present system, which is anti-self-sustenance and anti-coexistence. And for us, who have been born, brought-up and moulded into the system, thinking outside its boundaries is many a time impossible, leave alone understanding aspects beyond its regime. Therefore, fundamentally, most of us do not attempt to, nor wish to, understand the basic principle of Nature.

Humans - the most enterprising species of planet Earth, have for long taken Nature for granted and have evolved a system completely against that followed by Nature. Therefore, we aren’t bothered about our neighbour’s well water being polluted, or give a damn about the trees being felled in our cities in the guise of development, nor raise eyebrows towards atrocities committed against our fellow beings…. this list goes on. Today we have become machines, who do not understand self-sustenance; and as against coexistence, are mono-existent.  We simply want to win the race, score the highest, accumulate the maximum, become the richest and above all, earn stature and status. But friends, Nature just doesn’t work that way! Hence the mess!

The only possible solution to the sufferings that we and more importantly our children are going to endure is that proposed by Jesus, Buddha and of late Karl Marx, the same system adapted by the Jews in their Kibbutz - the system of equality and equitability. But, with big corporations and financial powerhouses ‘controlling’ those controlling the system, any proposal towards a change would be quelled and binned without even considering it.

While it is clear that the present system doesn’t offer even a single serious solution towards mitigating and surviving climate change, and because it will not allow any change in its regime, the only possible way out for ordinary folks like you and me, is a solution within the system, that in no way will adversely hurt the system and incur its wrath.

The solution is simply christened the ‘Good Game’

Is the world full of evil? Definitely no!

Human beings, however one with the system, are ‘good’ individually. Therefore, we find around us philanthropy and aid programmes, which work in their individual capacities to prevent the system from destroying the world. But even after nearly half a century of serious anti-poverty campaigns, why do we find, a majority of the world’s people, poor? And even though we until now have consistently produced enough food to feed 2 Earths, we are failing miserably to feed the people of just 1 Earth! This observation raises a serious question – what is the sum total of all the work done against poverty and against climate change? What are the results?

The work – mammoth but the results – paltry. Why so?

I could think of 2 possible answers – (1) Lack of coordination between various organizations working towards different causes, or at times the same cause, resulting is wastage of resources from multiple players aiming to achieve the same end result at the same location; and (2) Lack of participation by, and the lack of opportunities to, ordinary people to be a part of such ‘good’ activities.

Therefore, in order to bring about coordination and understanding between various ‘good’ organisations, to prevent wastage of the limited available resources towards ‘good’ causes, and to involve even ordinary folk into such ‘good’ work, we propose the ‘Good Game’ – a live, real internet based gamified platform, wherein people from across the globe help each other selflessly in their own capacities, all while working to build an equal and equitable society. To be continued….

8 ways to reduce your carbon footprint

Ever calculated your carbon footprint?

Is it too large?

Confused how to reduce it?

Well, below are 10 ways of reducing your carbon emissions while living a luxurious and a comfortable life!

Buy old / vintage:

It may be an old jacket or a set of old chairs, buying vintage is always nature friendly as it eliminates the carbon emissions that go with the production of a new similar item. Please note: Avoid buying old electronic goods though, as they end up consuming more electricity – which means more emissions.

Buy locally grown / sourced food:

Buying locally grown vegetables helps the local farmer grow better and may even improve the local economy. Sourcing food a location involves transportation. The commercial transportation industry is one the largest polluters in the world. Yes, by eating locally we would harm their business, but look at the bright side – You are indirectly helping the world go green!

Have a green wedding!

Am I going a bit too far?

Did you know an average wedding creates 16 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions?

Relax, I am not advising you to go for Tofurkey canapés or vegan wedding shoes! Instead register for energy certified gifts, or make your invitation card from old recycled wool or cotton. You might end up saving a lot as well!

Simple living

Are you living alone in a six bedroom mansion in a suburban area? Do you drive all the way to an office that’s inside the city?  Consider simplifying your life.

Shit to a smaller house near your office (might end up being expensive) and use public transport. Large houses use far more carbon to light it up / keep it warm than smaller condos. Using the public transport has widely known benefits that I need not elaborate on.

Wear a Cashmere sweater

Did you know 12% the world’s sulfur dioxide emissions and 1 billion metric tons of carbon emissions come from home heating systems?

This winter, buy a cashmere sweater and turn down the heating a bit. Say you keep the thermostat at 70 degrees, make it 65. This way you reduce your carbon emissions and end up reducing your heating bill by 10%

Buy carbon offsets

Well, this one’s only for those super rich folks who can afford a private / chartered jet!

Yes, all your rich folks, please buy carbon offsets before making those trips on luxurious trips. The money you pay for buying carbon offsets go into planting trees, developing greener solutions, starting clean energy harnessing stations etc. In this way you are not guilty of all the bad gasses that shoot out of your jet’s engines!

Drive an electric / hybrid

Now, I still vouch for public transportation – it’s the greenest.

But if you still have to use a car everyday – buy a hybrid or even better an electric.

And please – CAR POOL!

Switch off the lights

Its human nature to preserve what is ours and show lacksidal interest in what is not ours. We are always careful to switch off the lights in our homes – because we pay the bills.

But what are we that conscious about the lights at our office or at public places.

‘Switch off as you go’ should be our motto. It’s not about paying bills, but about reducing the carbon emissions that go into producing the electricity that lights up these buildings.

Ready to make a difference?

All set to go green?

All the best! 

Plundering the polar ice caps - a blunder in making!

Oil in the Antarctic!

Diamonds in the Arctic!

The whole world (read the business community) leaped in joy. The excitement was palpable. The search for a cheaper alternate energy source suddenly seemed not necessary. The OIL magazine – an energy industry quarterly dedicated its whole March 2013 issue to celebrate the great discovery.  Gianni di Giovanni its editor in chief remarked that the new frontier in energy procurement runs along the Arctic Circle.

Russia officially became the first country to start drilling the ice caps. And it went a step further by demonstrating its stern commitment to its efforts by labelling and convicting Greenpeace activists with piracy. And with Russia’s bold move came similar responses from other nations, who too suddenly jumped the bandwagon to claim their share of the pie. Many nations since then have even formulated a military strategy for the poles.

It’s an accepted fact that the industrial revolution has made us energy hungry. Fossil fuels are the cheapest, most economical source of this energy – another undeniable fact. The last decade has been particularly tricky with the need to find a balance between sourcing cheap energy and rejuvenating the badly damaged ecology. The various conferences and treaties signed since the Kyoto protocol seemed to be the right step forward. But then a few months back, the Russian move suddenly made all these treaties mere words writing on a worthless piece of paper.

Drilling in the remote and harsh but pristine environment of the poles poses two distinct risks:

• Risks to human life working at the rigs
• Environmental risks

The year 2012 was supposed to be a big year for Royal Dutch Shell. The company announced its plans to drill for oil off the coast of Alaska. The coup de grace came on New Year’s even when their rig ran aground near Kodiak. This blunder required the efforts of around 500 personnel and the coast guard working day in and out in the harsh climate to secure the rig. Soon Shell struggled to meet most of the US government’s safety requirements. And in 2013 – they abandoned the project. An independent audit later confirmed that the company did not have the equipment nor the capability to drill in such harsh climatic conditions.

The environmental risks posed by polar drilling are – (1) releasing trapped methane from the caps (2) oil spills and (3) tampering with the pristine ecology.

It is estimated that around 1700 billion tons of methane is trapped in the polar ice caps. Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and has the capacity to accelerate global warming at an exponential rate. This factor is never accounted for in the calculations that lead the big energy houses and governments to initiate the idea of polar drilling. In the event of a methane leak from the poles, the effects of climate change such as sea level rise, unpredictable climate etc. would be experienced at a much larger scale than otherwise predicted.

The next major concern from polar drilling is an oil spill. We have already seen the impacts of oil spills on marine lives and coastal communities. Today we do have technology that can be used to mitigate the effects of such spills. But as Shell’s blunder rightly pointed out – we lack the expertise and the technology to counter such an event at the poles. It would simply be catastrophic.

And finally our biggest concern is destroying the last remaining pristine ecology on earth. We in our quest for energy, power and money have plundered the entire world, messed with the ecology and experimented with the balance of nature. Through all these years of mismanagement and stupidity we have learnt the lesson and hence there now exists the need to go green. But the whole drama surrounding the oil exploration exercises at the poles suggests that we as human beings cannot change our originality, but simply put a cloak of pretentiousness.

And now we hear there is abundant coal and diamond reserves as well!

Wake up Earthizen!

Wake up Mangalore... or be damned! - Book launch

Royston Fernandes, author of “Shall We Save the Earth” unveiled his second book on climate change - adaptation and mitigation. The book is written exclusively for the people of Mangalore with a global perspective. Royston speaks of the struggles that ordinary Mangaloreans would endure due to climate change in the next few years.

 

The book was released by Ms. Vidya Dinkar an eminent environmentalist and social activist who reminded the gathering about the irony of the situation wherein on one end of Mangalore a book that speaks of conservation and preservation is unveiled at the other end the government representatives are inaugurating a petrochemical project that would gradually turn Mangalore into a petrochemical export hub. This would not only destroy the surrounding ecology but also leave the thriving ‘Mogaveera’ community of Mangalore who are predominantly fishermen, into a perilous situation.

Mr. Eric Ozario – social and cultural activist from Mangalore was also present at the event as a patron. He remembered Nelson Mandela and quoted Malcom Muggeridge saying “Never forget that only dead fish swim with the stream” to encourage and inspire Royston on his journey which he described as a “way of the cross.”

The book was unveiled in an unusual manner. The guests were treated to a sight of a jar (buyao/bharani) on the podium. The event’s compere Mr. Eric Ozario explained that the jar was a symbol of preservation as it is quite common for Mangaloreans to prepare for the rainy season with jars filled with pickle stashed away in the attic. He said since the book speaks about preservation this is perhaps the most fitting welcome it deserves. Ms. Vidya Dinkar then unveiled the book and presented it to the audience.

The book has been published by Notionpress Chennai and is available for sale online at Flipkart, Bookadda, Amazon and on the publisher website. All proceeds from the book would be used to fund activities aimed at educating the common man about climate change.

Written by – J.Marian.D’Souza

Tree Credits - an idea that can save the world!

In my previous article, I put forth before you ‘Scenario 2030’ – a target date for us to adhere to. We discussed how food shortages would plague our land and decided to act immediately on this.  In another one of my article ‘What if you were paid money for every tree you plant?’ – I introduced a new concept of paying royalties to individuals who would plant and nurture trees. This was more on the lines of our obligation to save mother earth.

A lot of interested earthizens came back to me after reading these articles. A few explained their inability to find adequate land around their apartment complexes to plant a tree. A few more praised the novel idea of encouraging plantations through the payment of royalties. In this article, I will combine both these concepts into one single idea – ‘Tree Credits’.

Climate change has reached an inflection point today. It cannot be reversed, but can be reduced. The primary reason for global warming (which is causing climate change) is greenhouse gas emissions mainly from electricity generation, industries and automobile emissions. The main carbon sink to reduce the percentage of carbon di oxide (the main greenhouse gas) are the forests of the earth. Unfortunately this strategic tree cover is decreasing by the day.

The basic idea and the driving force behind ‘Tree Credits’ is to create more food, employment and simultaneously increase the green cover of the earth. This idea was conceptualized in 2009 by Ferdinand Swart, a Dutch designer and environmentalist. His intention was to extend a smaller more practical version of carbon credits to every Earthizen. Ferdinand even initiated a pilot project in India in the year 2011 in association with PSA, an NGO based out of Trichi.

Tree Credits is a unique idea that gives every Earthizen a chance to give back to nature – may be through direct planting of trees or may be through funding the project. It offers us all a great opportunity to reduce our carbon footprint and help resuscitate our ailing mother earth. Before going into the specific details of this idea, let me first brief present before you the advantages of this concept.

• ·         Increase local food production – by practicing agroforestry.
• ·         Increase local source of fodder.
• ·         Improve soil fertility -decrease reliability on chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
• ·         Create employment opportunities – particularly amongst rural women.
• ·         Create an additional source of income in the form of royalties.
• ·        Create a good investment which can be used as a guarantee against micro-finance loans.
• ·         Increase density of green cover and thus avail the associated benefits.

The ultimate goal of Tree Credits is to double the tree cover and exponentially increase food production throughout the world (taking 2015 as the base year for estimation) by 2050.

My next article would detail the implementation plan of the tree credit idea. But, before we go ahead and do that – I would like to assess your support for the same. If you would in the near future come forward to participate (through monetary support or volunteering) please do leave a comment below.

The next big idea to change the world is here!

Scenario 2030 - investing in a safe future.

The year 2030 – let’s call it the target year.

The target – to adequately adapt to a changing climate and a changing landscape.

Why 2030?

By then the world’s sea levels are expected to rise by about 1.37 meters. Today around 100 million people around the world live within 1 meter of the sea levels. This is number will only increase in the next couple of years.

The rising seas will pose a variety of problems both at the micro as well as the macro level.  Resettlement of the displaced population, ensuring and maintaining adequate security, law and order, disaster control etc. would challenge every government on the face of the earth. But the one problem that would most likely suffocate these governments into giving up is food security. You can read more about this in my book ‘Wake up Mangalore… or be damned!’

I was raised in a small coastal city surrounded by lush green paddy fields and coconut plantations. But today, I can hardly see this greenery.  This is the case in most countries – wherein the lucrative real estate rates are persuading farmers into selling their fertile agricultural land. The advent of technology however has kept the demand and supply gap more or less within controllable limits. But with an unpredictable weather looming large, soil patterns constantly changing and water availability fast decreasing – keeping this gap small is a challenge.

But we need not panic, as we have plenty of solutions at hand. The only thing that needs to change is our proactiveness in implementing them.

One such solution is agroforestry.

Agroforestry can be defined as the integration of crops and livestock systems with trees. If implemented scientifically it has the potential to allow the farmer to increase the efficiency of land use, boost yields and also help in increasing the ever decreasing carbon sink.

For a farmer – agroforestry has tremendous benefits. On farm trees (the right kind) help replenish nutrient deficient soil. This eliminates the necessity to use chemical fertilizers. These trees may also bear fruit that can be used locally and sold – adding to the farmer’s revenue. These trees may also provide fodder for the livestock reducing fodder costs. In total it is a win-win situation for a farmer.

Sadly, I have no agricultural land except for a small back yard. What much can I do?

Don’t get disheartened and give up! There is a lot we can do!

To begin with, plant a few indigenous fruit trees in your yard. Consider this as an investment you are making for your children. You could also invest in agroforestry schemes and contribute to NGOs undertaking such missions. Remember the biggest challenge our children will face is finding adequate quantity of nutritious food. And we have a golden opportunity here. Let’s not let this one pass!

Let’s begin today….

The Fifth Assesment report of the IPCC is here

What if you get paid for every tree you plant?

At a time when global warming seems irreversible; at a time when an ever changing climate threatens the well-being of the most intelligent species on this planet; at a time when we increasingly notice the callous attitude of our leaders towards this issue (as in Warsaw) and at a time when the future looks grim and options few – we are confronted with a question: “What can we do?”

Plant a tree!

In India year after year we celebrate a unique festival called Vanamahotsava. Famously acclaimed as the festival of life – the intent behind it is to encourage natural conservation amongst the next generation. Schools all over the country celebrate this by planting saplings, donating saplings to students, holding awareness campaigns and drives, taking up causes etc. Indeed a remarkable imitative in its inception. Similar festivals and events are organized by various charities and NGOs around the world. TV channels, newspapers and websites cover these events; foundations and governments award prizes in recognition to the leaders and a lot of public support rallies behind them. A novel cause indeed.

Statistics indicate that the tree cover on this earth is exponentially decreasing. A simple conclusion from the previous statement – the rate of tree felling is much higher compared to the rate of replanting. Every country has legislation regarding felling of trees and afforestation. Most of these are sadly not implemented. Lack of interest? Lack of motivation? Lack of fear? After all they are trees – why should I care? Even if I give a damn, what do I get in return?

The rate of deforestation is only going to move up the vertical spiral in the years to come. Can it be stopped? I guess not. But can we undo the damage? Of course we can!

The Vanamahotsava, NGO and foundations planting trees, the afforestation programs on a small scale are all wonderful initiatives that unfortunately aren't enough.  So here’s the plan – we take this movement to a whole new level. We take it to every village, town and city on the face of this earth. But wait a minute – what will motivate people to sign up, especially in villages (most of which are ridden with poverty and illiteracy)?

What if I say – we will pay you royalty for every sapling you plant right from day one?

To be continued…………

Weather - breaking all records since 2012!

In the last one month we have witnessed a total of three extremely disturbing events – (1) typhoon Haiyan that wreaked havoc through the Philippines, (2) The sudden flooding of Riyadh and (3) the tornado that struck Illinois.

As I sat staring at the partially filled lake outside my balcony, I began to wonder as to how all this is connected. All the three places were of special significance to me as my cousin brother lives with his wife in Illinois, another cousin sister lives with her family in Manila and in Riyadh I have a host of family and friends. Typhoons aren't a new phenomenon in the Philippines this time of the year – but a typhoon of this magnitude scares me! A cloud burst in Riyadh makes me laugh – I couldn't believe it the very first time I read it (and thought it was faking news!). Tornadoes aren't new to Illinois – but this one was remarkably different.

The best way to understand the behavior of weather systems around the world is to look at the record breaking temperatures that were seen this year alone. First let’s examine the extreme lows that temperatures have hit!

1. An extreme cold weather alert was issued in Toronto, Canada on February 16 and 17.
2. The US witnessed an unusual cold wave that brought the Arctic cold front to their door steps with temperatures falling rapids and winds gushing at around 56 to 80 kmph! (35 to 50mph)
3. In the Czech Republic the falling temperatures delayed the arrival of migratory birds that usually spend their summers here. In Pribram the temperature of -9.4 Celsius observed on March 24^th broke the 1883 record by being 1.8 degrees lower!
4. In Finland, this year’s usually warm March was replaced by an extremely cold month. It was also the coldest March in history!
5. Northern France was hit by heavy snow beginning on March 11, with Meteo France warning of "dangerous weather of an exceptional intensity"
6. On March 22^nd Budapest came to a standstill when it recorded the heaviest snow in about 400 years! At other locations Hungary deployed tanks to rescue stranded tourists and citizens.
7. Spain witnessed heavy snowing in the month of April!
8. In Ukraine, the Kiev State Administration declared a state of emergency in the city on March 23 due to the deterioration of weather conditions causes by heavy snowfall, blizzards and snow-banks.
9. Last month the United Kingdom braced the worst storm in years, with most of the country coming to a standstill.
10. In China, the average January temperature became the lowest recorded in the last 28 years. About a thousand ships were stuck in ice in Laizhou Bay, while 10,500 square miles of ice reportedly covered the surface of the Bohai Sea. China also reported 180,000 cattle deaths due to extreme temperatures by January 10^th.
11. New Delhi recorded the lowest January temperatures in 44 years, while in the state of Uttar Pradesh schools remained closed till January 12^th.
12. Seoul the capital of South Korea recorded -16.5 degree Celsius on January 3^rd, the lowest in 27 years.

Now let’s examine the record highs that temperatures have reached!

1. In June this year a heat wave struck South Western United States with Southern California experiencing a record high 50°C. This temperature is the highest ever recorded on Earth in the month of June!
2. In July, Portugal experienced a week long heat wave with average temperatures touching 40°C and the peak temperature at 45°C.
3. The UK recorded its highest ever temperature of 34.1°C on August 1^st. Scientists and doctors claim that the record high temperatures over a period of weeks could have led at least 650 premature deaths!
4. Shanghai recorded the highest temperatures in 140 years at 40°C
5. Australia recorded the longest heat wave in history lasting a whopping 90 days!

The World’s weather pattern seems to be fast changing. These changing weather systems will have a tremendous influence on our lives - the agriculture on which we depend and the infrastructure that supports us.  Are we prepared to brace these fast changes around us?

As you are reading this, two heartbreaking events occurred at two different corners of the world. The government of Bangladesh (the country to be most vulnerable to climate change) unveiled its new plan of building 8 new coal powered power plants. The second blunder we witnessed was the banning of peaceful protests against oil drilling by the United States!

Shocked?

You better be! 

Climate change and its impacts on a religious epicenter!

The Ganges – the magnificent symbol of culture, fertility, prosperity and civilization, on whose banks has much of India grown, developed and prospered. This 2500 kilometer long river has the water that is considered sacred by the nearly 800 million Hindus that live around the world. Its origins: the largest glacier in the Himalayas – the gangothri.

The Gangothri glacier in the form of the Ganges forms the lifeline of Nepal, much of North India and entire Bangladesh. This mammoth river apart from being the lifeline of this region is an important constituent of India’s rich mythological history and culture. Now it’s a well-known and a much ignored fact that the Ganges today is polluted beyond repair. Let’s not get into that. But what we will discuss is the much bigger problem that may eventually shut down the entire Ganges! Can you imagine such a scenario? Scary isn't it?

The ever increasing global temperatures due to global warming have begun to take a toll on this holy glacier. Scientists from around the world first started studying this glacier and its behavior in the mid nineteenth century. Around the year 1960 it was observed that the glacier was shrinking at an alarming rate of 26 meters a year! But what shocked the scientific community is what came next – by the year 2006, the shrinkage rate was 800 meters a year!

Throughout the Himalayas more such glaciers are continuously melting. While this may have some short term benefits like an increase in the fresh water flow in the rivers, the long term impacts are often disastrous. For example, the continuous melting of the Himalayan glaciers has resulted in the formation of numerous small lakes. We are aware of the fact that climate change is increasing the global precipitation rates. Imagine a cloud burst on these small lakes.  Would we be seeing at an Uttarakhand part two?

The Himalayan glaciers and the Ganges are important religious and cultural centers of India. The Amaranth Yaatra which nearly 700,000 pilgrims undertake to witness and pray to Lord Shiva in the form of an Ice Shivalinga speaks marvels of the importance attached to these holy mountains and their ice.  However, the as per the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report 2007, Himalayan glaciers are at risk of disappearing by the year 2035 if the Earth continues to warm at its current rate!

Imagine these glaciers disappear by 2035? Will there be an Amaranth Yaatra left? What about the Ganges and the fertile plains that it nourished all these years? What about the billion people depended on this water?

Wake up earthizen. Time is running out! Lord Shiva may have come down from the heavens to save us then! But why would he? We destroyed and ruined the very place where he explained the meaning of eternity? And that very place would cause our doom! What an irony!

True isn't it?

Save the last boulevard of Mangalore - The story

Once upon a time, not too long ago, Mangalore boasted of many a stretch of roads lined with trees, which not only contributed immensely to its beauty, but also provided clean air for the citizens to breathe, shade for them to enjoy, apart from keeping the temperature under control.  Of course, many a times, due to the sheer callousness of the corporation authorities, the roads themselves, like all other roads under its jurisdiction, were decorated with potholes, making the lives of the motorists quite miserable.

This misery continued for long.  The good, decent citizens of Mangalore suffered quietly and hardly complained.  But due to the efforts of a few individuals and organizations, and their constant efforts, the authorities were forced to act.

To their good fortune, the present Government in the state provided `100 crore to concretize and widen Mangalore roads.  It’s a well-known fact that the builders’ lobby had a great role to play in drawing up a map to identify the roads to be concretized / widened.  Needless to say that in all this, the builders’ interests were always the priority and the citizens’ interests and the ecological fall out was never a consideration.

Sick and tired of unmotorable potholed roads, the idea of concrete roads came as a relief to the harassed citizens and they thought that the felling of trees, many a times indiscriminately was the price they had to pay for progress.  But when felling of trees became evidently unnecessary and rampant, and when they began to realize that the price they were paying for progress was disproportionate to its benefits; they began to raise their voices in protest.

It was also realized that in most cases, the authorities were acting arbitrarily, disregarding norms and procedures, bypassing legal preconditions laid down; and especially with regard to the felling of trees, the rule of obtaining permission from the ‘Tree Officer’, Forest Dept. (which is  a must), was flouted more often than not.

On the Lady Hill – Mannagudda stretch, because people protested, trees were saved and the authorities were even forced to transplant a full grown tree.  In front of Infosys and in Shedigugdda, because people protested, the roads were constructed around the trees.  In front of Saibeen Complex, when people protested, the authorities assured them that 4 trees would be planted in the vicinity behind every tree felled.  This assurance has not been honoured.  The trees in the Kadri Park area, next to the former Snake Park were saved thanks to people’s protest.  Rev. Fr. Leo D’souza is credited with the saving of many trees alongside the court road.

As huge financial benefits are at stake, despite people’s resistance, at the behest of the stakeholders, the authorities continued to bulldoze trees standing in their way.  That someone made millions felling these trees and selling the timber is also a point to be noted.

Then it was the turn of the trees on the last boulevard standing – to be axed……

THE STORY OF THE STRUGGLE TO SAVE THE LAST BOULEVARD OF MANGALORE.

● On Aug. 29, 2009, - the people of Mangalore woke up to see concrete median stumps planted all along the road starting from Fr. Muller’s (Kankanady) right up to the Nandigudda circle.  Together, they also saw that trees, numbering 45 were boldly marked.  The median stumps zigzagged on the existing road.  It was evident that the trees were marked for felling.  As the citizens were not informed and as there were no boards announcing what  the authorities intended to do,  (which is a must, legally), alarm bells rang and people spontaneously gathered at Valencia circle, to make sense of what was happening.  In their opinion – the existing road was one of the broadest in Mangalore (apart from being one of the most beautiful, because of the trees), and certainly broad enough to ensure a smooth flow of traffic and felling of trees just to concretize this road was not only uncalled for, but criminal.  So, they decided that they would invite the D.C. (the overseer of the ‘100 Crore Project’) and the Corporation authorities (the project holders), to the spot, to explain.

● On Sun., Aug. 30 – people in large numbers once again gathered at the Valencia Circle, at 9 in the morning and waited for the D.C. and the Corporation authorities to arrive.  After a while, the D.C. accompanied by the Mangalore City Corporation Development Consultant (who, we learnt is actually representing the Builders’ lobby and who in effect was dictating the course of the implementation to serve the builders’ interests), arrived.

The D.C. was polite, and in his polished manner was trying to explain the need to broaden the existing road keeping in mind future development.  People assured him that they were not against progress, but voiced their concerns.  ‘Progress at what cost?’ they asked.  They also pointed out that the existing road (without having to cut trees) was as broad, if not broader than the Kankanady-Highland-Falnir-Hampankatta road, on which the traffic was 10 times more, and hence what was the need to broaden the road further?  The people also questioned the wisdom of the authorities in causing long-term and permanent environmental damage by cutting trees (which would never be replaced despite solemn promises), by enticing people with the short term benefits.  The D.C. seemed to see the point and even suggested that the plan could be redrawn to save the trees.

At that point the MCC Dev. Consultant went on the offensive and even challenged the people as to what they could do, because, he said - money power, political power and Government machinery was on their side.  A verbal confrontation ensued, at the end of which, the arrogant MCC Dev. Consultant had to beat a hasty retreat in the face stiff opposition, and the D.C. conceded to the demand of the gathering that they had a right to know and he directed the Dev. Consultant to explain the plan in detail.  As a result, a meeting was fixed.

● On Sept. 1, 2009 - Around 300 people gathered at the Roshini Nilaya auditorium, to learn about the plan from the authorities and also to chalk-out the future course of action.  The meeting was chaired by Dr. Olinda Pereira, the respected social worker of Mangalore.

Shri Dharmaraj, the Development Consultant of MCC (who, that day looked very much subdued), explained the plan.  However he failed to convince the gathering as to the need to cut trees.  He also ultimately conceded that the plan could be redesigned to save trees.  Accordingly, the gathering deputed Shri Venkatesh Pai, an architect, to discuss the issue with Shri Dharmaraj, redraw the plan and report back.

In the meantime, a call was given for everyone to gather the next evening in front of Fr. Muller’s, to remove the concrete stumps planted as median marking all along the road, for 2 good reasons -

1. many motorists, specially 2 wheelers had banged against these and met with accidents, suffering injuries – as these were hardly visible in the dark, because they were neither painted nor any board was put-up warning the motorists of their existence; and –
2. They were redundant anyway, as the road plan would be redrawn.

The gathering also decided to hold a ‘Press Conference’ to make their view public, and also to invite the general public to join the novel attempt to save trees, namely, ‘Vraksha Bandhan’ (bonding with trees).

● On Sept. 2, 2009 - As decided the previous day, people gathered at 6 in the evening in front of Fr. Muller’s, and marched towards Nandigudda knocking off all the concrete median stumps planted in the middle of the Road.  The anger of the people was quite evident in the vehemence with which the stumps were knocked off – using crowbars, stones, pickaxes and even mere hands and legs.  The police who were alerted by the authorities, walked along watching helplessly.  In half an hour all the stumps were gone and those who participated in this protest went home with the satisfaction of having won a round in the fight.  They also resolved to make ‘Vraksha Bandhan’ (our unique symbolic gesture of bonding with trees), a success.

● On Sept. 3, 2009 - At 10.30 a.m., the leaders of the movement led by Ms Vidya Dinker, Mr Eric Ozario and Mr Manoj Saldanha, addressed a ‘Press Conference’ at the Press Club, Mangalore.

The press and the electronic media, which was present in large numbers, was briefed about the cause and the course of the struggle and specially about ‘Vraksha Bandhan’ that would be held on Sept.5.

The press and the media, after clarifying a few issues, voiced their support, and as a result, maximum publicity was given to the struggle ‘to save the last boulevard of Mangalore’.

● On Sept.4 & 5, 2009 -  4 teams of students and activists, numbering around 20, went round in a door-to-door campaign, distributing hand bills which explained -  1) why trees must be saved; 2) why the price we are paying is disproportionate  to the gains of progress; 3) how the builders’ lobby is utilizing govt. resources (money, political power) to serve their ends with scant regard for laws, norms and people’s needs; 4) instances of the promises that the authorities have made of planting 4 trees (at times even 10) for every tree felled, which were never honoured.

The handbill also called on people to join ‘Vraksha Bandhan’ – to express their love for trees and also to warn the power-drunk authorities to stay away from them.

● On Sept. 5, 2009: ‘Vraksha Bandan’

‘Vraksha Bandhan’ seems to have caught the imagination of the people.  They gathered in large numbers in front of Fr. Muller’s gate – the appointed place, at the appointed time, 6 p.m.

Eric Ozario explained the innovative concept, the objectives and the procedure.

First – A small banner, with ‘Save Me’ painted on it would be tied, at a height, to the tree. This would symbolize the ‘plea’ of the mute, voiceless, helpless tree – to the people to save it.

 As step 2 – colourful ribbons would be tied around the tree in a gesture symbolising that we value the tree and therefore decorate it with a protective band.

People would then embrace that tree and spend a personal moment with the tree, promising and reassuring the tree – ‘I am there for you.  I shall fight and shout for you and see that they don’t kill you’. 

‘Vraksha Bandhan’ was indeed an emotional experience.  People bonded with every tree on the last boulevard of Mangalore. 

Let us pause for a moment to reflect.  Just because a tree does not react, struggle, fight-back or scream – as all other beings do – man dares to cut trees without any qualms or guilt.  Imagine, if only the tree could cry-out in pain!  For the sake of imagination take the scream of a pig while being slaughtered, multiply that by at least a 1000 times and then imagine the volume of the sound the tree would produce!  Would man have dared to cut even a branch, leave alone a tree?  Thank God they cannot strangle a tree or hang it, to kill it.   Yes, the authorities have taken recourse to the heinous method of poisoning trees, in the dead of the night, in order to avoid resistance while cutting them - elsewhere in Mangalore.

Just a thought….. May be ‘Vraksha Bandhan’ should be conducted every year….. Maybe people around the world should bond with the trees around them by doing ‘Vraksha Bandhan’……just a thought.

The Authorities hit back:

The growing momentum of the ‘Save the Last Boulevard of Mangalore’ agitation seemed to have rattled the authorities who until then had never encountered such consistent resistance.  The Mangalore public has long been considered ‘passive’ and ‘harmless’ by them and therefore the authorities always had their way, going about ‘developing’ Mangalore at the behest of the builders’ lobby, with scant regard for people’s opinion or involvement, many a times bulldozing rules, norms and regulations and in the bargain, causing long term damage for the short term gains of a handful.

The mayor went on the offensive.  He convened a Press Conference and declared that there were no plans to broaden the existing road and hence there was no danger to the trees.  He said that a few ‘anti-progressive’, ‘anti-development’ and ‘anti-social’ elements were trying to whip-up opposition to the grand plans for progress of the city that the authorities were trying to implement, speedily.  He threatened to arrest and imprison the leaders of this movement.

At the same time, a band of young men, appointed for the purpose, went round the vicinity distributing handbills calling for people to support the authorities and defeat those who were trying to protect trees.  They argued that trees were a small price to pay for the benefits that will accrue out of the plans that the authorities had for development.  The handbills went to the ridiculous extent of saying that the trees were a hazard to human lives as they could fall at any time and kill them and therefore pleaded to ‘save humans from the trees’!

And then a procession was staged, apparently by the mayor’s party, in which people from outside the area were mobilized in a show of strength.  Loud speakers blaring, drums beating, people walking and also in cars, proceeded from Fr. Muller’s gate towards the Nandigudda Circle where the mayor waited to receive their memorandum.  The memorandum pleaded with the authorities not be cowed down by the ‘regressive trouble makers’ and assured the authorities that they have their permission to cut all trees for the sake of road broadening and concretization.  The Mayor thanked them for their support, pledged to continue the good work of development come what may, and also promised action against the ‘trouble makers’.

  

The Legal Battle:

Realising that time was running out for the hapless trees, as the authorities were on the offensive and hell-bent, that honouring the promise made to the trees at the ‘Vraksha Bandhan’, Shri Eric Ozario, Ms Vidya Dinker and Shri Manoj Saldanha, through an efficient, young advocate Smt. Suma R. Nayak (herself an animal rights activist), filed a suit in the court of the Civil Judge (Jr. Dn), Mangalore, D.K. – seeking ‘a permanent prohibitory injunction’ restraing the defendants No.1 and 2, their agents, servants, officers or any person claiming through them, from felling/cutting/trimming any of the 45 trees standing along the side of the road, without following the due process/procedure of law, provided under ‘Karnataka Preservation Trees Act’.  The defendants in the suit were –

1. The commissioner, Mangalore city
2. The Executive Engineer, Corporation,
3. The tree officer, Karnataka Forest Dept.,
4. The state Govt. of Karnataka.

On 08-09-2009, the honourable court was kind enough to register the suit, issue notices to the defendants and also order the defendants to maintain status quo until further orders.

The court order came as great relief to the movement and a well-deserved reprieve to the innocent trees.  The court proceedings are still on and the restraining order still in place.

‘Friends of the Earth’, the organization spearheading this movement to ‘Save The Last Boulevard of Mangalore’, is ever indebted to Smt. Suma R. Nayak – for filing the suit, for fighting it so efficiently and above all, not charging a paisa for her professional services.  An ardent environmentalist, advocate Shri Guruprasad, will take-up the legal battle on our behalf, from here onwards.

On Sept.9, 2009: A public meeting was organized at the Roshini Nilaya auditorium, at 6 in the evening.  From the jam-packed gathering it was evident that public interest and support was growing by the day, for the cause.

The meeting was called, for 2 good reasons –

1. to inform the general public about the temporary legal victory (which was received with great joy and abandon), and
2. To present the re-drawn plan and options, the result of the lengthy discussions our representative, Architect Shri Venkatesh Pai had with the MCC Dev. Consultant.

What transpired at the public meeting and the decisions arrived at, are all contained in a letter dated 10-09-2009 addressed to the deputy commissioner by the residents of Kankanady, Valencia and Jeppu – which was sent under direction from the gathering

At our meeting of the evening of 09-09-2009, Mr Venkatesh Pai presented his report consequent to his detailed discussions and consideration of options with the City Corporation’s consultants.  We deliberated and arrived at the decision that we have no objections if the MCC is working on making of a 2 lane road for the present.  We however expect the authorities to involve us, the citizens, in the entire scope of the project, and come back to us before embarking on even the planning of the proposed 4 and 6 laning of the same road as mentioned to us by Mr Dharmaraj. 

We wish to formally bring to your notice the following issues discussed and the decisions taken at the meeting of 09-09-09:

1. After discussions with Mr Dharmaraj, Mr V Pai has presented the various options to us (4 in no.) which we have discussed at length after which we have arrived at the following conclusions-
2. We have all agreed to the 2-lane concretization plan – on the existing bitumen road, so that it does not affect any of the trees by the side.
3. We would like the MCC or its consultant body for infrastructure works to undertake marking of the centre line of the proposed 2-lane road on site, so the marking and its implication for the trees can be explained to us so we can assure ourselves that no trees are to be cut.  We request the fixing of a joint meeting at the site where our committee will be present to check the marking.
4. We would like the time schedule to be worked out for this project, announced/shared with the citizens of Mangalore.  This schedule should be strictly adhered to.  This will minimize the extreme hardship being faced by citizens wherever road projects are in progress in Mangalore today.
5. Citizen’s safety and convenience should be given top priority.  It has been observed that MCC’s contractors do not observe the necessary and mandatory standard safety procedures required for such projects.  MCC engineers unfortunately are indifferent and blind to these deliberate and serious lapses in common safety measures.  This is the cause of the numerous mishaps and accidents involving pedestrians and motorists that have happened on every road project in Mangalore.  We have brought this up with you during your site inspection of 30-09-09 since we do not want the same to repeat in this project or in other future projects.
6. In view of the above mentioned issues, we request that a signboard be put up at the site in a prominent and visible location displaying vital information about the project as mentioned below.  This is a standard practice in all projects and may be followed here too.

•  §  The name of the project.
• §  The name, address and contact numbers of the contractor of the project.
• §  The name and contact numbers of the supervising engineer of the MCC. 
• §  The start date and completion date of the project. 
• §  Estimated cost of the project. 

This will help both the MCC and the public, ensure awareness and accountability, encourage quality and will be beneficial to the project.  (After we brought this up with MCC consultants, we are happy to note that a couple of boards and safety tapes have now come up on the Valencia road site but we expect the boards to carry all the above details, not just the name of the contractor firm.)

1. We have now been told that phase 2, i.e. widening of the 2 lane to make the 4 lane road will take place within the next 3-5 years and phase 3, i.e. widening of the 4 lane to make the 6 lane road will take place in about 20 years.  We demand that meetings be called at location at the time of planning and executing these proposed phase of works and issues be put before the stakeholders/citizens residing in the area for discussion and feedback.
2. Mr Dharmaraj informed us that the roads under construction today are said to be as per the road hierarchy plan of the Mangalore Urban Development Authority (MUDA).  This is an important document about which most citizens of Mangalore are unaware, since it has not been presented to them by the planning authority.  We suggest that this plan be made available to the public at the very least through the MCC/MUDA/DC DK websites in the interest of transparency and to aid public response to such plans of great import to Mangaloreans.

Immediately thereafter, the leaders of ‘Friends of the Earth’ organized 2 meetings of the land owners owning properties on both sides of the boulevard and placed before them the 3 phase road widening plan of the Corporation.  All of them were gratified to note that in the First Phase (2 lane); only 2 or 3 trees need to go.  But they were alarmed to realize that if the 2nd phase of 4 laning is implemented as per the plan, all the trees would be removed and if the 3rd phase of 6 laning was executed, then 10 to 15 feet of private property, specially of Catholic institutions along the boulevard, such as - Roshini Nilaya,  Retreat House, Gerosa School, Seminary, St. Joseph’s workshop, Infant Mary’s School, St. Anthony’s Ashram etc., would be encroached upon and that 2 schools, Gerosa and Infant Mary’s, would be demolished .  Many saw saffron in these plans.

Everyone pledged their support in the fight to save the trees and also promised to do everything possible to protect their interests.

In the meantime, the work of the First Phase (2 lane concretization) began.

And even when the restraining order of the court was in effect, on 12-12-2009, on a Saturday afternoon, people got a clue that preparations were afoot to cut the trees.  The presence of Police in large numbers confirmed their worst fears.

What is to be noted here is that most illegal activities are undertaken on late Saturday afternoons, so that, by the time the aggrieved approach the court of law, earliest by 11a.m on Monday, the damage is done.

‘The Friends of the Earth’ immediately got into action.  They filed a complaint at the Pandeshwar Police Station, attaching a copy of the court order, and also went and met the Superintend of Police.  By evening, the police force was withdrawn and nobody ventured to cut the trees that day.

Later on it was learnt that the Corporation had sought the permission of the Tree Officer to cut 5 trees, which was granted.  However, as they had not got the permission of the court, in the face of timely resistance, they had to refrain.

On 15-12-2009, Eric Ozario, Vidya Dinker and Manoj Saldanha, once again filed an application in the court, requesting it to stay the permission granted by the Tree Officer without giving the appellants an opportunity to be heard.  The court however rejected this appeal and permitted the cutting of 5 trees.  The Corporation, subsequently, cut 6 trees – one more than permitted (the 6th totally unnecessary) and also chopped off many braches of many other trees, without permission.  The court has been informed of this high-handedness.

Now the 2 lane concretizing work is complete.   There are no signs that pavements will ever be done. Nor the drains. Nor the difference in levels between the approach roads and the concrete road be ever addressed.  At the very beginning of the first monsoons, the shoddy, shabby, hurriedly-done- concretization is manifesting itself in pits and cracks.  The citizens remain as harassed, except where concretization is proper, motorists experience a smooth drive.  The greatest, consolation is that, thanks to people’s resistance, most of the trees are still standing.

  

The fight is not over yet.  It is feared that as soon as the court lifts the restraining order, the authorities will go about the business of massacring trees.  We wonder what we would need to do then, to save these trees.   We will not give-up this fight.  However, we rely on your support to win it.

The story of the trees along the Last Boulevard of Mangalore is no different from that of any tree, anywhere in the world.  More and more trees are sacrificed at the altar of ‘progress’. The life-giving tree is in danger!  Our lives are in danger!   Let us save ourselves before it’s too late!

As narrated to me by Mr Eric Ozario and Ms Vidya Dinker, the leaders of this movement. You can support this cause by signing a petition ment to save the trees.To sign the petition click here