passing th8s....

i just happened to discover .. but it was already there......

About 350 movement and more...

Recently at my organisation we had come up with an event to celebrate Earth Day that went by on 22nd of April at Sanjay Gandhi National Park. It was a mega event where we sought almost more than 1200 associates. Various events like check dam building, cleanliness drive, 350 formation, petition drive, wall of support, audio visuals on environment etc were observed.

The importance of Park, its flaura and fauna, how human activity of encroachment, cutting trees etc is affecting the ecosystem which inturn will affect us one day was explained. How we could help save the environment and do our bit to save the Earth , how we could sensitize ourselves towards this cause and motivate others to join our movement was the motive behind this event. The success of this event was not the number of participants but beyond that. We got mails by a few post the event saying how this event sensitized them and how they have thought consciously to leave the unwanted luxuries they have had so far and lead a life by example for protecting the environment.

The event called for associates, his/her family and friends. Three important activities that happened were check dam building, cleanliness drive and 350 formation.

Check dams are small man made reservoirs made with big/small boulders to store the rain water during monsoons. It acts as water holes for animals to drink water and also helps recharge the water table. This activity is normally carried out by forest department before monsoon. Our participants helped the forest department by building 5 checkdams.

Participants also participated into cleanliness drive and collected 20 big gunny bags of plastic and other waste from the Park!! See the damage we are creating to environment. With this pace we may not even leave a clean earth for our future generation.

Another big activity was 350 formation.

350 is a symbolic number. It indicates the safer upper limit of CO2 ( carbon dioxide - the most dangerous green house gas) in Parts per million in our atmosphere.

The present carbon dioxide concentration in our atmosphere is 385 ppm. This is appalling, considering the fact that it was under 275 ppm since the past 6,00,000 years! This increase in Co2 level is largely due to man-made factors and is without doubt coinciding with the industrial revolution era which sparked off since last 200 years.

Snippets from the 350 website:

"350.org was founded by U.S. author Bill McKibben. Its an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis--the solutions that justice demand.

Our focus is on the number 350--as in parts per million, the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere. But 350 is more than a number--it's a symbol of where we need to head as a planet.

common call to action: cutting carbon 80% by 2050."

Click on 350 for more information.

Lets do out bit the keep a Clean and Green Earth. !! Let us Live and Let Live.!!

the dance of democracy...

the voting saga for the world's largest democracy is about to get over..i did do my duty - to cast a vote- travelling about 800 km just to cast a vote ;) (30th was declared holiday, 1st labour day and maharastra/gujarat day, saturday- sunday as usual business holidays every weekend ). So the elongated weekend made me travel the distance. I had to choose to visit my brother and stay at his place or to go home and cast vote.. i chose latter .. not sure if it will help in any way for bringing better governance....

With this time's contestants for the prime ministerial candidature..difficult to pick and say who is the better one out..it may end up again in a coalition government...

..inspite of all the advertisement in various channels, through various media forms , the voting numbers didnt soar. Shouldn't there be an easier system in place to vote and choose your government from any place...? How else can the displaced youngsters (because of their work profile and opportunity) be easily encouraged of doing their duty ?