Column In Black & White Interview Article Facets NGO Vignettes Open Window Organisations Media Analysis Compiled & Edited by: Alka Tomar and Anand A Jha Designed by: Zia ul Arfin October–December 2013 Quarterly Newsletter Newsletter on Environment & Media IN THIS ISSUE CMS ENVIS CMS ENVIS 3 4 7 8 13 14 15 18 22 Supported by: Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, New Delhi Conceptionalised, researched and published by Initiative of Theme Environment and Youth ABOUT THE THEME Environment and Youth www.cmsindia.org Youth are the leaders of the future. Today they must be our partners protecting and restoring the health of our environment. Youth are interested in addressing environmental concerns and issues – they are eager to help protect our natural resources. It is important to provide educational opportunities for youth to learn about environmental conservation, pollution prevention, natural resources and stewardship. These learning opportunities should develop leadership, decision-making and critical thinking skills and help young people identify environmental concerns. Youth have the power to make a difference in their communities and adults can support young people who want to take action.
Transcript
Column
In Black & White
Interview
Article
Facets
NGO Vignettes
Open Window
Organisations
Media Analysis
Compiled & Edited by: Alka Tomar and Anand A Jha
Designed by: Zia ul Arfin
October–December 2013
Quarterly Newsletter
Newsletter on
Environment& Media
IN thIs IssuE
CMSENVISCMS
ENVIS
3
4
7
8
13
14
15
18
22 supported by: Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, New Delhi
Conceptionalised, researched and published by Initiative of
theme
Environmentand Youth
ABOut thE thEMEEnvironment and Youth
www.cmsindia.org
Youth are the leaders of the future. Today they must be our partners protecting and restoring the health of our environment. Youth are interested in addressing environmental concerns and issues – they are eager to help protect our natural resources. It is important to provide educational opportunities for youth to learn about environmental conservation, pollution prevention, natural resources and stewardship. These learning opportunities should develop leadership, decision-making and critical thinking skills and help young people identify environmental concerns. Youth have the power to make a difference in their communities and adults can support young people who want to take action.
Environment calendarJanuary
4- Oil Conservation Week
15 – Oil Conservation Fortnight
30- National Cleanliness Day
February
2- World Wetlands Day
28- National Science Day
March
2-4 World Sustainable Day
21- World Forestry Day
22 - World Water Day
23 -World Meteorological Day
April
5- National Maritime Day
7- World Health Day
22- World Earth Day
30- No Tobacco Day
May
11- International Migratory Day
22 - International Biodiversity Day
31 - World No Tobacco Day
June
5 - World Environment Day
8 - World Ocean Day
17 - World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought
July
11 – World Population Day
28- World Nature Conservation Day
August
6- Hiroshima Day
9 – Nagasaki Day
9 – International Day of the World Indigenous people
September
16- World Ozone Day
28 - Green Consumer Day
October
2-8 Wild Life Week
4 - World Animal welfare Day
5 - World Habitat Day
10 – International Day for Natural Reduction
16 – World Food Day
November
6- International Day for preventing the Exploitation
of the Environment in War and Arm Conflict
10 – World science Day
21 – World Television Day
December
2– Bhopal Tragedy Day/ National Pollution Day
11- International Mountain Day
14 National Energy Conservation Day
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Green Voice3A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
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Green Voice4 A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
In Black and White
This Wildlife Week, youths to get lessons in catching snakesOctober 01, 2013, The Times of India, Niyati Sauriyal
INDORE: With an aim to create awareness about snakes, Indore civic body and Kamla Nehru Zoological Park authorities are organizing a slew of events at the zoo for school children from October 1.
Being organized under Wildlife Week with the theme ‘future of blue aquariums and wildlife,’ various animals including snakes would be showcased during the week. “Red snakes with black strips, black cobras, common sand boas, pythons and popular pet snakes would be shown to students,” said zoo in charge, Uttam Yadav.
Yadav said that the objective of the events is to remove fear of the reptiles from the minds of the youths. “We will make them realize importance of the reptiles for biodiversity,” he said. The students will also get lessons in catching snakes alive.
The zoo officials have invited students of around 100 schools to participate in the event. A painting competition will also be organized. “It’s a good opportunity for students who love wildlife to paint any of the zoo locations,” said Yadav.
A photo exhibition will also be organized wherein students can win cash prize of up to Rs 18,000, Yadav said.
“It’s a great initiative by the zoo to connect the event with art and will help students to learn about wildlife. The students of primary section are participating in the competitions,” said principal, Advanced Academy, Manoj Kumar Bajpai.
1000 students assemble with a single mission - save water bodiesOctober 03, 2013, The Times of India
MADURAI: On early Wednesday morning, curious onlookers at Anna Bus Stand initially thought that it was a bunch of students who had gathered to leave for a picnic to make most the ‘holiday’ - Gandhi Jayanthi. But as the clock struck 7, they were in for a huge surprise as scores and scores of students started descending at the spot. The onlookers -- traders at the bus stand, motorists and public -- were left with even more curiosity. If the sheer number of the students was surprising, what left them with even more pleasant surprise was the objective behind their gathering.
Students from various city colleges had come together to take out a rally to spread awareness on protection of water bodies in Madurai. Tagged “Citizens responsibility towards safeguarding water bodies”, the rally organised by Madurai Youth Brigade of I Lead India, an activist programme by Times of India, intended to mobilise people in general and youth in particular to achieve its target of restoring Sellur tank.
Initial apprehensions among the members of Madurai Youth Brigade - R Annamalai, Arun Prakash, Viswanathan, Jaysri Thangam and Lakshmi Preethi - that the rally might get delayed proved unnecessary as nearly 1000 students from 15 colleges had assembled at the venue by 7.10 am. Armed with placards and banners that urged the need to protect water and the dangers of neglecting water bodies, they were all geared up to commence the march to Gandhi Museum.
The buzz among the students went silent for a moment only to rise in applause as a white car stopped at the spot and an officer in khaki stepped out at 7.15 am sharp. It was none other Madurai rural SP V Balakrishnan. “He was one of our great inspirations,’’ a Youth Brigade member recalled later.
Not just the Youth Brigade, but all the college students who had gathered for the rally, environmentalists and public who stopped by to watch the events had got the message of the day from Balakrishnan who gave a pep talk before flagging off the rally.
As Balakrishnan waved the green flag, the students led by YB members took the first step - to use a cliche - to achieve a great leap. Enthusiastic students, NCC cadets in their uniforms, marched towards Milan’em Mall, Wakf Board College, Anna Nagar police station, Raja Muthiah Manram to reach Gandhi Museum in the next 40 minutes.
By the time the rally reached the Gandhi Museum, district forest officer A S Marimuthu, an ardent advocate of environmental protection, had arrived. Assistant executive engineer Ilango from public works department was also there.
Since it was Gandhi Jayanthi, a large number of elderly people were seen garlanding the Gandhi statue at the museum. As they got down, DFO Marimuthu and Ilango paid floral tributes to the Mahatma. Later, the YB members too garlanded the statue.
The events then shifted its venue to the ground at the Museum, where Marimuthu addressed the students applauding them for their effort. In a positive gesture, K Thilagar, president of Sellur tank protection movement and Tamil Dasan, functionary of Vandiyur tank protection movement had also arrived there.
Curtains came down with the students taking five pledges which were to restore Sellur tank, protect water bodies in Madurai, not to litter on streets and ensure a better Madurai for coming generations.
What the SP said;Surface water has dried up and sub - surface water has depleted at an alarming rate. We need to take remedial measures immediately to save water sources, said Madurai rural SP V Balakrishnan. “You have taken the right decision at the right time to restore Sellur tank,’’ Balakrishnan told the students at the rally. Besides restoring the tank and recharging the aquifers, he stressed on the need for sustained protection of the tank. “After you have successfully restored the tank, it should not be the end of the task. What is imperative is sustained protection and maintenance of the tank. You should come up with some plan to ensure its periodical maintenance,’’ he said.
What the DFO said:Time and again, it has been proved that youth can achieve any objective if they put in their heart and soul. “I am glad that the youth
Green Voice5A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
have joined together for a noble cause like restoration of water bodies. I am sure you will be successful in your venture,’’ he wished them. “Indiscriminate garbage dumping and littering has turned out to be a grave concern threatening environment. You should bring a change in your houses for proper waste disposal. Segregate degradable and non - degradable waste. If you can convince your parents to get your motorbikes and then money for petrol for your bikes, then you can also convince them to follow proper garbage disposal,’’ he urged the youth.
Indian climate change activist wins Commonwealth youth awardOctober 19, 2013, The Times of India
LONDON: An Indian climate change activist who works with local communities and governments for environmental change has been awarded the Commonwealth youth award.
Priti Rajagopalan, 23, received a 5,000-pound grant towards her work at a ceremony held at the Commonwealth secretariat headquarters in London, the Commonwealth said on October 19.
“This award inspires me to move forward and to take a lot more people with me, with the same spirit, into the development sphere,” Rajagopalan said.
She plans to use the grant to start an urban organic farming project to produce food for the local area and to invest in a solar powered farm in India.
The Commonwealth Youth Awards for excellence in development work recognize the contribution of young people in achieving development goals. Rajagopalan received the award for the pan-Commonwealth and Asia region.
At the age of 18, Rajagopalan started a waste management programme in India with some friends, training students across 200 schools and more than 40 universities in separating waste and composting.
The compost was sold cheaply to farmers. The Indian government now funds the project in more than 40 cities.
Rajagopalan has also trained women and children in rural India to make and maintain their own solar powered goods and water purifiers, and to sterilize equipment for midwives.
An engineer by training, Rajagopalan matches her grassroots sustainability projects with policy work for governments and international organisations, and helping researchers and colleges exchange ideas.
At the ceremony, Rajagopalan was joined by the regional winners for Africa and Europe, the Caribbean including Canada and the Pacific, who each won a 3,000 pounds grant: Ghanaian Gilbert Addah; Christaneisha Soleyn from Barbados and New Zealander Ariel Chuang.
Commonwealth deputy secretary-general Mmasekgoa Masire-Mwamba said: “These young people are to be applauded for their accomplishments to better the lives of their peers, communities and future generations.
“They are an inspiration to us all and demonstrate the importance of listening to and learning from young people on development issues. The Commonwealth takes great pride in working with its member states to develop the extraordinary potential of young people and partner with them in shaping our collective futures.”
450 volunteers register for tiger census in DecemberOctober 22, 2013, The Times of India
MYSORE: Contrary to the reports of poor response from the volunteers to take up tiger census in the tiger reserves and reserved forest areas in the state, 450 youths have registered to assist the wildlife department in census work.
The tiger census that was scheduled in the last week of October, will now take place in December. Officials of the wildlife and tiger sanctuaries in the state who met on Monday under the chairmanship of GS Prabhu decided to complete the census in six days.
“Dates of census will be announced by the chief wildlife warden on Tuesday in Bangalore,” an official source disclosed. Usually youths show keen interest in the task as they get an opportunity to watch the animals in their natural habitat from close quarters. But the
dos and don’ts imposed by the department reportedly prevent them from enrolling themselves for the task.
The department has strictly banned the volunteers from carrying cameras, cellphones and cellphones with cameras as the officials felt that the animals would be disturbed if photographed from a close angle.
Sources in the department told TOI that of the 450 volunteers who have registered, 200 are with the Bandipur park authorities and 250 with the Jungle Lodges. “Of the 450, more than 350 volunteers are required for Bandipur and Nagarahole parks,” a source in the wildlife department said pointing out one volunteer is needed for each transect line (path of a tiger movement).
This year, the census will be carried out for six days and during this period, the volunteers will be provided with lodging and boarding facilities by the department.
Expert tips on urban forestry for Youth BrigadeOctober 25, 2013, The Times of India
KOLKATA: Merely creating an urban forest is not enough. Unless people go there and associate themselves with it, the forest would turn into a wasteland. Garbage will start accumulating, weed will overgrow and nefarious activities will take place if the forest is not maintained properly. Trees will also be axed for firewood.
The Kolkata Youth Brigade’s Mission Clean and Green Maidan campaign reached a point of confusion - how to sustain the efforts after the project to create an urban forest opposite the East Bengal club, used to be called ‘Sena Van’, gets over.
At this juncture, what the youth brigade required the most was an expert advice. The brigade invited H S Debnath, head of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Botanic Garden, the biggest and oldest botanic garden in Asia, to mentor on how to make the forest more people-friendly.
“If people come to the forest, maintenance will be auto-run. At least, the local authorities will at least care to maintain it,” said Debnath.
Green Voice6 A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
Apart from a tree census, the area needs careful plantation. “There are empty patches all over with overgrown weeds. So, weeding is the need of the hour. But, before that, certain things need to be kept in mind. Some weeds attract butterflies. On the western side of the forest area, there should be avenue plantation as the ‘dirt-track’ continues till St George’s Gate Road,” he said, adding that people must feel the healing power of nature here.
According to him, there can also be a long graveled pathway with two intertwining pathways. “Let visitors learn about the tree he or she is standing under. Let them know the fruits it bears, the utility of the tree, its medicinal value or its sacred association. Only then the visitors will take care of the forest. Some weeds must be removed to unravel the beauty of the trees like this one,” Debnath said pointing towards an old banyan tree.
Debnath also said the nomenclature plate should be tied to a tree with an elastic band so that its growth is not restricted.
“As advised by Debnath, the Bengali names, scientific names, categories of trees, their medicinal value and sacred group will be printed on each plate. This way, even a kid will take interest in it,” said Sarika of Nature Mate, an NGO associated with the Kolkata Youth Brigade. It has already facilitated the tree census.
“Since it would largely be a landscape forest, bring in some colourful parasites that can grow on host trees without much hassle. Hoya - a weed - can change the beauty of the place, besides increasing the bio-diversity of the forest,” said Debnath. He also mentioned the names of trees which would bear fruits and would thus, attract birds.
ht tp : / / t imesof ind ia . ind ia t imes .com/c i ty /ko lkata /Expert-t ips-on-urban-forestry-for-Youth-Brigade/articleshow/24686041.cms
Youngsters lead drive for change, to save planetNovember 14, 2013, The Times of India
CHENNAI: At 18, Riddhima Yadav from Delhi was the youngest of the 10 speakers at the 4th edition of ‘TEDxYouth@Chennai’. But she was among the most vociferous on a burning issue that she said has had her worried since she was eight.
“Why are people procrastinating when we need action to save the future of our planet?” the
environment activist asked at the conference held in IIT-Madras on Sunday.
Riddhima, a member of the Indian Youth Climate Network, said youngsters are important stakeholders in environmental issues because her generation may not inherit the planet as it once was. Environmental issues are interlinked to development problems, she said getting the audience to interact with her as she described how even a quick Google search could harm the environment.
Riddhima left the audience astonished with interesting facts and analogies. Drawing experiences from her talks and travels in the country and abroad, she said one hears only empty rhetoric international climate change conferences. “There is a huge gap between what is being spoken about and what is being done. We need to focus on local responses to environmental problems,” she said.
Malvika Iyer, 24, a doctoral student in Chennai, is studying the self-image of the disabled. She lost both her arms in a bomb blast in Rajasthan when she was 13. After being bedridden for a year, she was left with four months to prepare for the Class 10 board exams. She eventually aced the examination with 97%.
“I was physically and emotionally traumatised at the time. But the fact that I could succeed in academics at that time is something that I look back at for inspiration. It motivates me,” Malvika said.
Echoing Malvika’s thoughts on the need to make society more inclusive for the disabled, Khairani Barokka, an Indonesian performer and artiste, said she suffers an acute neurological condition that paralyses one side of her body.
“Happiness and pain can co-exist,” she said, breaking down after a powerful reading of poetry.
The Times of India was the lead sponsor for the independently organised event.
http : / / t imesof ind ia . ind ia t imes .com/c i ty /chenna i /Youngsters- lead-drive-for-change-to-save-planet/articleshow/25572420.cms
Youths rescue six innocent ‘evils’ from Vasai bungalowNovember 14, 2013, DNA, Imran Fazal
Six newborn owls evaded “certain death” after they were rescued by three youngsters from
Vasai late Tuesday evening. Abandoned by their mother atop a bungalow, the owner of the house wanted to kill the babies as he believed that “presence of owls is a bad omen”.
One of the rescuers, Vishal Kolekar, 27, said he and his friends were stumped at the belief that owls are harbingers of impending trouble. “We requested him not to kill the babies and brought them home,” said Kolekar who teamed up with Atish Utare, 32, and Nikhil Kolekar, 20, to save the babies.
Now, the owlets are at their home in Papdi village, Vasai (West), nibbling on tomatoes, rats and insects.
“They seem to be a friendly bunch... One of them is quite a brat who refuses to let his siblings eat food,” said Utare, adding that the babies have been given filmy names. While the big bully has been named SRK, the tiniest of the lot is called KRK, he said.
“Another one who pecked at my right finger has been named Sunny due to his aggressive behaviour,” said Utare.
Kolekar said that once the owlets are able to manage independently, they will be released in the Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. “If not, they could be attacked and killed by stray dogs,” he said.
Youngsters urged to preserve environmentNovember 30, 2013, The Times of India
VARANASI: Time has come to check irrational and unscientific plans and schemes in the name of environment protection. Considering the zeal shown by youth in protection and conservation of environment, the time is appropriate to channelise the youth’s energy by providing them right direction and guidance. Sankat Mochan Foundation chairman Vishwambhar Nath Mishra stated this on the concluding day of the two-day ‘Youth Leading India Congress’ at Tulsighat on Friday.Talking about the alarmingly decreasing level of Ganga, Mallikarjun Joshi of the geology department, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), said that the prevailing perception of narrowing of glaciers or construction of dams being responsible for the decreasing water level of the river is not true. “In fact, it is over exploitation of the
Green Voice7A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
underground water, that is causing the depletion of the level,” observed Joshi. The youth should come forward in ensuring that the exploitation of the underground water is checked.
Another speaker Vibha Tripathi of the department of history and archaeology, BHU, said that the environment friendly and preserving activities were inherent in the ancient Indian culture. “But at present, we all are following the development models that are strictly city-based and the environment is bound to suffer. To mitigate the ill-effects of the model, we can take clues from our ancient culture,” she said.
On the second day of ‘Youth Leading Congress’, hundreds of schoolchildren depicted the environmental situation after 20 years through drawings and pictures. Some messages to protect and preserve the environment were also given by the children through posters and drawings.
Clean beaches: Youth groups take up awareness drive December 30, 2013, The Times of India
VISAKHAPATNAM: The Youth Hostel Association of India (YHAI) and Young India jointly organised a beach cleaning programme in the Port City on Sunday.The programme organised on the theme ‘Sea, not dustbin’ grabbed the attention of a large number of people gathered at the beach.“We organised the programme to improve awareness among people about the need to keep our beaches clean. During the programme, a large number of people also joined us voluntarily to help us in our mission,” YHAI secretary N Nageswara Rao told TOI. A kabbadi match was held on the beach as part of the campaign, after the cleaning programme.“I came to spend time with family on the beach. So when these people were cleaning the beach, I joined in because it is our city and it is our responsibility to keep it clean,” said Suma K R, a resident of Maharanipeta. “This is part of our campaign to ensure that our city remains environment friendly. Next month we plan to take up a campaign against noise pollution. The focus will be on reducing the use of loudspeakers,” said Rao.
Environment, forests not a priority for youths: Pandurang HegdeSeptember 23, 2013, The Times of India
MANGALORE: Appiko, the southern version of Chipko (hug the trees) movement, is three decades old. Started by Pandurang Hegde in September 1983 at Salkani, the movement had a ripple effect not only in the state but also in parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Looking back, Hegde rues that the opening of the economy
and globalization have made people more individualistic. “I feel alienation of people from nature has widened. For action to happen like before, you need community feeling and combined action,’’ he adds. Excerpts from an interview:
Looking back, do you feel Appiko movement has been successful in achieving its objective?I feel we have achieved quite a lot. Basically, changes in the forest policy came in 1989, in the early phase of the movement. Also the movement resonated all over the state and beyond. A case in point is the 2001 agitation by students who hugged trees to show their protest against the government’s move to hand over 100 acres of land in the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, for setting up a biotechnology park. In this backdrop, I’d say there is a lot of awareness and the subject is part of textbooks. But there is a problem. I feel that alienation of people from nature has widened. There is awareness but no action. That is the greatest tragedy.
What are the problem areas?It is more of a structural problem. Though awareness is there at the local level, it hasn’t percolated upwards. We started Appiko in 1983 and it spread to Kodagu, Waynad in Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu. But these days, that kind of mass action is very difficult, even when the media is so active. I believe that opening up of the economy and globalization have made people more individualistic. For action to happen like before, you need community feeling and combined action. In today’s context, that kind of sustained combined action is very difficult.
Are communication and generation gap part of the problem? Have you not been able to speak the language of the youth?You have to put all movements in the larger socio-economic framework. We have to address issues and speak the language of the youth. I think we haven’t been able to effectively involve them. We have attempted this at the Feel Sahyadri campaign initiated at Kuvempu’s birthplace. But it stops there. The distraction factor for youth is quite a lot. For them, environment and forests have not become a priority.
Does it mean that you have won the battle and lost the war?What I feel is when you kind of restrict the movement to environment and forests, it loses the youth connect. We have attempted to communicate to them but may not have found the right kind of ‘communication’.
What is the way forward to save the Western Ghats?The Gadgil committee has given many recommendations. Even if half of them are implemented, it will go a long way in saving what is left.
Will the heritage tag help in saving Western Ghats?As of now, only 10% of the Western Ghats is intact. And that too is under threat due to mini-hydel and other development work. The tag can surely help as it gives a lot of weightage. Karnataka is the only state which decided against it. The fears of those who oppose are that their vested interests will not be allowed to flourish.
Green Voice8 A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
Youth and the EnvironmentMr richard Dryzek, University of Melbourne, Australia
IntroductionYouth have both special concerns and special responsibilities in relation to the environment. A number of environmental risks and hazards disproportionately affect young people, who have to live for an extended period with the deteriorating environment bequeathed to them by earlier generations. Young people will be compelled to engage in new forms of action and activism that will generate effective responses to ecological challenges.
Before investigating the role youth can play in addressing environmental issues, it is important to provide some background and establish a clear context by identifying the current state of the environment. The nature, extent and severity of environmental problems vary tremendously from one part of the world to another. It is perhaps most logical to begin with an overview of the state of the global environment, providing a snapshot of its present condition, as well as a more detailed and revealing assessment of past trends and likely future developments. This level of analysis is justified because certain issues—most notably global warming and ozone layer depletion—are intrinsically global problems and therefore of concern to everyone in the world.
Global indicators are additionally important because national and regional indicators can sometimes be misleading. For example, a country may show a downward trend in industrial pollutant levels, but this may be because the more polluting sectors of its manufacturing industry have moved to countries with more relaxed pollution standards. A region such as Western Europe may do an excellent job of conserving its remaining forests but depend heavily on unsustainable logging in old-growth forests elsewhere in the world.1 Clearly, global indicators are not all that matter, but they do provide a point of reference and help control for these types of effects.
Global indicators fall into two categories, namely, measures of human wellbeing and
assessments of the condition of the world’s ecosystems on which all life depends. These two kinds of indicators give very different impressions about the nature—or even the existence—of a global ecological crisis.
Measures of human well-being indicate that global trends over recent decades have almost all been positive. Life expectancy has risen, infant mortality has fallen, and the proportion of the world’s population with access to clean drinking water has increased. The real price of most natural resources including oil, coal, gas and metals (but not timber) is declining with time. Economists maintain that price is a measure of scarcity, the indication being here that most resources are becoming less scarce with time. Such statements about trends in well-being are controversial. Bjørn Lomborg’s book The Skeptical Environmentalist2 offers the best publicized recent positive interpretation of these trends (similar views from past decades can be found elsewhere).3 The most unremittingly negative interpretations can be found in the annual State of the World reports published by the Worldwatch Institute. Both sides are guilty of selective and sometimes misleading presentation of data in support of their positions. Lomborg exposes such selectivity on the part of Worldwatch, but is less forthcoming in exposing his own errors on this score. For example, Lomborg cites FAO data indicating that, contrary to popular perceptions and the claims of doomsayers, total global forest cover rose by 0.85 per cent from 1950 to 1994.4 However, an increase in temperate forest cover does not compensate for the decline in tropical forests; Lomborg himself admits the latter are shrinking at a rate of 0.46 per cent annually.
Overall, those on the positive side are probably right about trends in global indicators of human well-being over recent decades, but this does nothing to defuse any meaningful rendition of ecological crisis. Part of the reason for improvements in the past few decades is the strenuous effort of environmentalists and others in pushing for pollution control, nature conservation and the like. Another reason to resist complacency is that past trends in well-being cannot necessarily be projected into the future. Positive projections make sense only if one has unlimited faith in human ingenuity to provide solutions to any problems that arise from this point forward. As Thomas Homer-Dixon points out, the supply of ingenuity and the social capacity to mobilize it may be
reduced by environmental degradation in poor societies, especially if scarcity induces conflict rather than cooperation between people.5
Unlimited faith in the supply of ingenuity is consistent with a Promethean world view on environmental issues, which underpins the optimistic prognoses of Julian Simon and Bjørn Lomborg.6 The more pessimistic outlook of doomsayers such as the Worldwatch Institute is backed by a Malthusian world view that acknowledges only ecological limits on human population and economic growth. Prometheans are often economists (Lomborg is exceptional in that he is a political scientist) with great faith in the capacity of the market to provide solutions to problems of resource scarcity. Malthusians are more likely to have a background in the biological sciences. Their basic proposition is that continued exponential growth in the economy and/or population7—and the consequent stress on natural systems—cannot go on forever in a finite system such as the global ecosystem. The Malthusian Limits to Growth global modellers of the 1970s8 made the mistake of attaching a fairly short time scale to their predictions of doom as limits were approached. The complexity and uncertainty associated with global environmental affairs make it impossible to determine exactly where the relevant ecological limits lie. The Malthusians say they must surely lie somewhere: in the capacity of the Earth’s ecosystems to assimilate ever-growing quantities of wastes, in the ability of cropland to feed ever-growing numbers of people, or in the general capacity of the global ecosystem to accommodate stress.
The clarity of the dispute is obscured by the fact that Malthusians often choose to fight on the chosen ground of the Prometheans, arguing that indicators of human well-being have already worsened at the aggregate level, not that they will in the future. The defining moment occurred with a famous bet made between leading Malthusian Paul Ehrlich and prominent Promethean Julian Simon in 1980. Simon wagered that the real price of any natural resource Ehrlich selected would be lower at any point in the future than in 1980. Ehrlich responded by choosing 1990 as the target year, and copper, chrome, nickel, tin and tungsten as the resources. In 1990, the price of each of these resources was between 8 and 78 per cent lower than in 1980, and Ehrlich paid Simon $1,000. The history of false alarms generated by the Malthusians—going back to the Limits to Growth forecasts of the early 1970s and
ArTIClE
Green Voice9A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
predictions of severe global cooling made at the same time—does them little credit.
The Malthusians are on much more solid ground, however, in their focus on the well-being of natural systems as opposed to that of human systems. Malthusians can point to indicators such as declining biodiversity, declining yields from ocean fisheries, topsoil erosion in relation to the regenerative capacity of land, increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, and falling quantities of proven energy reserves in relation to levels of resource use.
It has been argued that a focus on the global environment is important because it helps to control for displacement across place. However, global aggregates obscure important local variations, which are substantial. Both environmental wellbeing and environmental stress are distributed unequally across the globe, meaning that issues of distributive justice intersect with environmental concerns.
“Environmental justice” is the focus of an emerging global debate.9 The inequalities are reinforcing in that those with the greatest environmental well-being often impose the greatest stress (in terms of resource use and pollution) on the global ecosystem. It is high-consumption societies that place significant pressure on the environment through, for example, per capita fossil fuel consumption many times that of poorer societies. The picture is a bit different with regard to stress imposed on the local ecosystems, because poorer societies often lack management capacity or the financial resources to invest in abatement technology. Still, when it comes to transitions to sustainability, it is high-consumption societies that ought to lead the way, since they impose a higher degree of stress and have a greater capacity to relieve that stress.
The Role of Youth in Creating Environmental AwarenessYoung people constitute a large part of the world’s population. Many, especially young children, are particularly vulnerable to environmental risks associated with, for example, access to clean and safe drinking water. In addition, young people will have to live longer with the consequences of current environmental decisions than will their elders. Future generations will also be affected by these decisions and the extent to which they have addressed concerns such as the depletion of
resources, the loss of biodiversity, and long-lived radioactive wastes. Representing the concerns of future generations is difficult in the context of policy-making in the present. However, the objective is not to expand time horizons many years into the future; moving beyond the current very-short-term focus of much decision-making would be sufficient. In markets, the focus is often on short-term profits; discount rates in capital markets mean that the longer into the future an effect occurs, the more it will be downweighted. Politicians in liberal democratic political systems rarely look much further than the next election. Authoritarian leaders (even if they do have concerns beyond their own enrichment and aggrandizement) often have even shorter time horizons, because they must worry continuously about being overthrown. In politics, youth can help by making their influence felt as a constituency for the long term, calling political leaders to account for the long-range environmental consequences of their decisions.
It is much harder to exercise influence in markets on behalf of the long term, given the inbuilt logic of interest rates and discount rates that drive investment decisions. Nonetheless, there are actions that can be taken. Young people are often the target of commercials, not just because of any disposable income they may possess, but because corporations promoting goods and services have a vested interest in establishing high-consumption patterns that will last a lifetime. The most nefarious example is tobacco advertising directed at young people to encourage early use and lifelong addiction, but the logic applies to consumer goods more generally. This kind of targeted advertising can be resisted, especially if its consequence is to draw youth into a lifestyle characterized by excessive consumption. Environmental education is one way of equipping young people with the necessary cognitive skills to recognize and withstand the pressures of advertising. However, the kind of education required involves not only providing information about how the world’s ecosystems are under stress, but also guidance on how to draw links between an advertiser’s product and its ecological consequences. The cognitive demands are very high. Advertisers are extremely skilled—not least at disseminating messages suggesting that their products and activities are environmentally sound or beneficial. This process is known as “greenwashing”. It occurs when an automobile company markets “green” sports utility vehicles, and when a lumber firm,
logging in old-growth forests, styles itself “the tree-growing corporation”.
As well as turning one’s back on advertising, there are ways of calling corporations to account.10
Consumer boycotts can be effective, and protests eventually cause polluting companies to rethink their entire corporate strategy.
Aside from having a greater stake in the more distant future, young people are especially well-placed to promote environmental awareness simply because they often have better access to information about the environment than do their elders. In part this is a matter of having being exposed to more environmental education in schools, at least in the developed world and perhaps more sporadically elsewhere (environmental education is explored in more detail below). Aside from exposure in formal education, youth have lived all their lives in an era in which environmental issues have loomed large. Established anti-ecological ways of thinking and behaving are not ingrained in young people, and they can introduce fresh ideas and outlooks to issues.
Because youth have a stronger awareness of the issues and a greater stake in long-term sustainability, the environment is one area in which they ought to take the lead. In many countries, a generation that came of age politically in the 1970s organized and established environmental movements and green parties. To combat “the greying of the greens”, a new generation needs to come to the fore. They will face challenges as pressures are brought to bear in the opposite direction. The commercialization of every area of life affects young people too. In addition, technologies that increasingly distance people from the environmental effects of their consumption decisions are growing with globalization, acting as an impediment to environmental awareness.
Strengthening Participation of Youth in Environmental ProtectionThe participation of youth in environmental protection can be sought at levels and locations ranging from grass-roots activism and participation in conservation projects to policy-making bodies and NGOs.
The role of youth can be institutionalized in policy-making through advisory bodies such as youth councils. Many national Governments have ministries or departments with “youth affairs” as
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part of their portfolio, though such offices tend to view youth as a population to be addressed by public policy (often “youth affairs” is part of the education ministry), rather than a resource to be tapped for participation in policy- making in a variety of areas, including the environment.
Currently, the participation of youth appears to be formalized more extensively in international governmental organisations than at the national level. For example, UNEP has a Youth Advisory Council that plays a supportive role. UNDP sponsors training for young environmental leaders in the former communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe.11 Chapter 25 of Agenda 21, adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, reads as follows:
“It is imperative that youth from all parts of the world participate actively in all relevant levels of decision-making processes because it affects their lives today and has implications for their futures. In addition to their intellectual contribution and their ability to mobilize support, they bring unique perspectives that need to be taken into account.”12
In a similar spirit, paragraph 153 of the Plan of Implementation adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg in 2002, indicates the need to “promote and support youth participation in programmes and activities relating to sustainable development through, for example, supporting local youth councils or their equivalent, and by encouraging their establishment where they do not exist.”
An International Youth Summit was held in Mogwase, South Africa, prior to the World Summit. Youth Summit delegates established the Youth Caucus, which was active in the PrepComm meetings leading up to the World Summit. The presence of the Caucus members induced some countries to include youth representatives in their delegations. Relatively few national delegations showed such initiative, however, and among those that did, many were unable to progress beyond token representation. Only 6 of the 100 national delegations at the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Summit in February 2002 had a youth representative. Four of those representatives drafted a letter urging each delegation to include a youth representative at subsequent meetings; at the fourth session later in the year,
however, only eight delegations had done so. In Johannesburg, around 40 youth representatives had government passes allowing them entry to the “official” proceedings of the Summit.
Global gatherings such as the Summit are also attended by NGOs, and youth can play a role in these organisations as well. The Youth Caucus in Johannesburg included NGO activists as well as members of government delegations. At UNCED in 1992, thousands of NGO representatives participated in the Global Forum, a sideline event in which debate was more lively and creative than in the official Conference proceedings. The role of NGOs has become increasingly institutionalized, so the Johannesburg Summit had a Civil Society Secretariat independent from the United Nations Secretariat, and around 45,000 people participated in the Civil Society Global Forum. Any institutionalization may compromise and blunt the radicalism of NGOs that have a “social movement” component (a concept explored further below). Protests constitute a standard feature of international conferences, however, and youth tend to be highly represented in them. For example, at a preparatory meeting for the World Summit in Johannesburg, youth delegates organized a backward march through a conference session to dramatize the fact that no progress was being made on key sustainable development issues, and that matters indeed seemed to be moving backward. At the Summit itself, around 100 youth representatives staged a “round in circles” march up and down the escalators in the conference centre (though demonstrations inside the centre were banned, the protesters were not removed).
NGOs operate at all levels, from local to global. In Australia, the Youth Environment Society declares that its aim is “to inform, inspire and empower Australian youth to make positive change regarding environmental issues”.13 Youth and Environment Europe acts as coordinating organisation for 40 national and regional environmental and youth organisations.14 Aside from facilitating the exchange of information and experiences, this organisation brings together young people from different countries to work on conservation projects at camps and promotes environmental awareness, notably through publications such as its Youth and Environment magazine.
Outside youth-specific NGOs, young people can play various roles in environmental groups
more generally. Some groups are better than others at encouraging youth participation. For example, the San Francisco-based Earth Island Institute annually presents Brower Youth Awards to exemplary young environmental activists, who do not have to be Institute members. Recipients in 2001 included a 16-year-old from New York who organized a project to turn a desolate urban space into a garden, and an 18-year-old from North Carolina, who succeeded in persuading an office products retailer to stock recycled paper.15
Youth participation through governmental and non-governmental organisations is important, but there is a place for other kinds of youth action and activism as well. Environmentalism has many roots—in scientific concern for the well-being of resources and ecosystems, in philosophical reflections about nature, in concerns about public health, and in clubs involved initially in providing outdoor recreation opportunities. One particularly important root is the social movement. Along with feminism, environmentalism is the best example of the “new social movements” that gathered momentum in the 1970s and 1980s. New social movements are distinguished from their predecessors by the fact that they do not focus on issues of material distribution across social classes. Nor do they organize (at least initially) with the intention of gaining a share of government power, but instead feature a self-limiting radicalism. They care a great deal about identity (what it means to be an environmentalist) as well as strategy (how environmental goals are to be achieved). Their organisational form is often fluid, non-hierarchical and participatory.16 The political venue they emphasize is the public sphere rather than the State, and they are engaged in political association, action and discussion about public affairs that is not formally part of government. Within the public sphere, social movements rely on the media (whose potential role is addressed below) as well as informal networks of activists, information sharing, protests, demonstrations, boycotts, and events geared to attract media publicity (examples include activists digging up a square in London to plant flowers or jumping over a fence to instal solar panels on the roof of the Australian prime minister’s residence).
New social movements are no longer new. Many of their activists have taken the “long march through the institutions”—in some cases, as with the German Green Party, eventually becoming government ministers.17 According
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to Claus Offe, this is the natural life cycle of any social movement, which typically begins in disorganized protest and activism, eventually coalesces into formal organisations, becomes more moderate with time, and then joins the formal political system.18 Offe’s analysis does not capture everything that has happened in the environmental movement, and many activists have resisted the moderation of the movement and its closer relationship with the Government. Nonetheless, the fact remains that as movements and their activists age there is always need for renewal from the grass roots, or even for the creation of alternative movement forms and foci. As an example, in the early 1990s the established environmental groups in the United Kingdom developed a closer relationship with the Government but had no impact at all in weakening the Government’s commitment to massive new road networks. The result was the emergence of new kinds of young activist groups. In the cities, a group called Reclaim the Streets sponsored events (often organized at the last minute to foil the police) to bring car traffic to a Stands till and effectively shut down the streets.
In the countryside, individuals associated with groups such as Earth First! and the Dongas Tribe blockaded road construction sites, often taking up residence in tunnels to stop the bulldozers. These groups lacked formal organisation, in part so their assets could not be seized by the Government through court action. These examples illustrate how a new generation of young people identified the need for a response and invented new forms of activism. A narrow evaluation of that activism would indicate that no road projects were prevented by the protests. However, the movement was successful in both raising public awareness and adding substantially to the costs of building roads (because of the need for enhanced security, police presence and construction delays). A change in government transportation policy that de-emphasized road building followed. The battles may have been lost, but the war was won.
More recently, protests such as those that erupted in Seattle at the 1999 WTO meetings and elsewhere have featured new kinds of youth activism. Unlike many previous movements, the WTO protestors had no semblance of a common programme. Some of their concerns related to the environmental effects of uncontrolled marketization, some to unfair
labour practices (involving sweatshops and child workers), and so me to the rejection of capitalist principles. The movement is sometimes called “anti-globalization”, but that is just journalistic shorthand. The global establishment and its media mouthpieces ridiculed the protestors for their alleged lack of ideological sophistication. However, this establishment also sat up and took notice, and at least began to talk about moderating global market liberalism.
The diversity of the “movement” in terms of the issues, goals and backgrounds of the participants may itself herald a new kind of political form: the transnational network that does not seek unity, but instead operates on the principle of respect for diversity. The general point here is that each generation has the capacity to invent new political forms, and it is always youth who take the lead because they are not subject to the established routines and stereotypes of their elders.
One aspect of innovation is the extent to which contemporary social movements are now transnational in character; they organize networks that span the globe. For example, the network against biopiracy brings activists in the developed world together with communities in developing countries exploited by transnational corporations, and universities taking advantage of indigenous knowledge about local plants and animals then turning this knowledge into products they seek to patent without adequate compensation to the communities.
Aside from political action, there are possibilities for youth participation in practical environmental projects. Examples of restoration projects include Landcare groups working to reverse land degradation in overgrazed watersheds in Australia and community-organized tree planting in rural India. Helping restore one’s own local environment is instructive, but participating in projects in other countries is especially educational in that these experiences impart a sense of the variety of problems in the world’s social and ecological systems.
Camps such as those organized under the auspices of Youth and Environment Europe can play an important role in this respect. Even one’s everyday life—and particularly the consumption decisions made in it—can become an “environmental project”. In the early 1990s, sustainable consumption became a key part
of the Norwegian Government’s sustainable development agenda. To support this initiative, the Environmental Home Guard was established in consultation with established environmental organisations. The Home Guard is not a conventional environmentalist group; it has no members, but rather “supporters” who promise to behave in environmentally responsible ways. It also provides information and education, and offers one model for involving youth (and others) in environmental protection.
Strengthening the participation of youth in environmental protection is partly a matter of increasing opportunities in governmental organisations, established NGOs and restoration projects; partly a matter of youth themselves devising new forms of action, as the preceding examples of innovative activism make clear; and partly a question of more effective environmental education and media presentation of environmental issues.
Summary and ConclusionsYoung people have important environmental concerns and responsibilities. Because of their longer life expectancy, they will have to live for quite some time with the consequences of a deteriorating environment left to them by their parents. Fortunately, youth have a special talent for invention and the development of new forms of action and activism and can generate more effective responses to environmental issues. Addressing the concerns of future generations is difficult in the context of present policy-making; ultimately, however, it is enough to expand time horizons not necessarily many years into the future, but simply beyond the generally short-term focus of current decision-making.
Environmental issues present some of the most profound and complex challenges requiring attention today and in the coming decades. One foundation-building step in enhancing local, regional, national and global capacities to respond to those challenges is increasing environmental awareness. Here the role of youth is central, for it is in the rising generations that heightened awareness can most easily be achieved. As this chapter indicates, there is much work to be done in terms of reforming and extending both formal and informal environmental education and inducing the media to play a more effective role in facilitating social learning about the environment.
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Political activism on environmental issues is also crucial; again, youth are well-placed to develop new forms of activism and bring new energies and perspectives to environmental affairs.
Through their participation in the World Summit on Sustainable Development, young people recently demonstrated that they could inject social values and notions of equity into debate. Young people understand perhaps better than most that humankind is not living in a zero-sum, environment-versus-economy world. One way to equip young people to deal with environmental concerns is through more effective environmental education. Much of the information young people receive about environmental issues comes from the media. Therefore, environmental educators and the media should make greater and more concerted efforts to promote a larger process of social learning for sustainable development.
Reference
The transfer of pollution activities and 1. resource depletion across borders constitutes one aspect of a more general process that clouds the meaning of particular indicators and makes resolving environmental problems difficult. This process is referred to as problem displacement (see J.S. Dryzek, Rational Ecology: Environment and Political Economy [New York, Basil Blackwell, 1987], pp. 16-20). Displacement can occur across space (from one location to another) and/or across time (from now to the distant future). Displacement across media is also possible. For example, suspended particulates may be removed from smoke emitted by coal-burning power stations using electrostatic precipitators, but this process makes the emissions more acidic, thus increasing the severity of acid rain resulting from the sulphur dioxide in the emissions combining with water vapour in the atmosphere. There is also a problem of how to dispose of the solid waste that accumulates. As Albert Weale points out, there is a need to “control pollution in the round” (see A. Weale, The New Politics of Pollution [Manchester, Manchester University Press, 1992]). Sometimes this is called “integrated pollution control”. The ideal is to achieve integrated pollution control at the global level. So far, however, it has only been realized, if at all, at the local level, especially in some Northern
European countries. In many countries it is obstructed by single-medium laws for pollution control (such as clean air acts), which means that anti-pollution government agencies are actually organized in ways that prevent integrated pollution control.
B. Lomborg, The Skeptical 2. Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World (Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2001).
J. Simon, The State of Humanity (Oxford, 3. Basil Blackwell, 1995); J. Simon and H. Kahn, eds., The Resourceful Earth (New York, Basil Blackwell, 1984); and G. Easterbrook, A Moment on Earth (Harmondsworth, Penguin, 1995).
Lomborg, op. cit., p. 111.4.
T. Homer-Dixon, Environment, Scarcity, 5. and Violence (Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2000).
For a sketch of this world view see 6. J.S. Dryzek, The Politics of the Earth: Environmental Discourses (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1997), pp. 45-60.
Exponential growth is growth at a constant 7. percentage rate, such that the absolute quantity added to the total increases by a greater amount every year.
See especially D.H. Meadows and others, 8. The Limits to Growth (New York, Universe Books, 1972).
N. Low, ed., Global Ethics and 9. Environment (London, Routledge, 1999).
N. Klein, No Logo: Taking Aim at the 10. Brand Bullies (London, Flamingo, 2000).
Available at http://www.undp.bg/en/11. homepage_files/young_environmental_leaders. html.
For a history of youth involvement in 12. the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, see the Youth Sourcebook on Sustainable Development (Winnipeg, International Institute for Sustainable Development, 1995), available online at http://iisd.ca/youth/ysbk088.htm.
Available at 13. http://www.yesworld.org.au/execsumm.html.
Available at 14. http://www.ecn.cz/yee/.
Available at http://www.enn.com/15. news/enn-stories/2001/10/10302001/young_45320. asp.
For a review of the features of new social 16. movements, see J. Cohen, “Strategy or identity? New theoretical paradigms and contemporary social movements”, Social Research, vol. 52 (1985), pp. 663-716; C. Offe, “New social movements: challenging the boundaries of institutional politics”, Social Research, vol. 52 (1985), pp. 817-868; and A. Melucci, “The symbolic challenge of contemporary movements”, Social Research, vol. 52 (1985), pp. 789-816.
Die Grünen joined the governing coalition 17. at the federal level in 1998.
C. Offe, “Reflections on the institutional 18. self-transformation of movement politics: a tentative stage
model”, in Challenging the Political 19. Order: New Social Movements in Western Democracies, R.J. Dalton and M. Kuechler, eds. (Cambridge, Polity Press, 1990), pp. 232-250.
Additional References
G.C. Bryner, “The United States: ‘Sorry—1. not our problem’”, in Implementing Sustainable Development: Strategies and Initiatives in High Consumption Societies, W.M. Lafferty and J. Meadowcroft, eds. (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2000), pp. 273-302.
P. Christoff, “Ecological modernization, 2. ecological modernities”, Environmental Politics, vol. 5 (1996), pp. 476-500.
W.M. Lafferty and J. Meadowcroft, eds., 3. Implementing Sustainable Development: Strategies and Initiatives in High Consumption Societies (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2000).
A.P.J. Mol and D.A. Sonnenfeld, eds., 4. Ecological Modernization Around the World: Perspectives and Critical Debates (London and Portland, Frank Cass, 2000).
M. Paterson, “Risky business: insurance 5. companies in global warming politics”, Global Environmental Politics, vol. 1, No. 4 (2001), pp. 18-42.
D. Schlosberg and J.S. Dryzek, “Political 6. strategies of American environmentalism”, Society and Natural Resources (2002).
World Commission on Environment and 7. Development, Our Common Future (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1987).
19-year-old Param Jaggi believes green technologies hold the answer to most of the world’s problems.
Age is a just a number, believes 19-year-old Param Jaggi, founder and CEO of Ecoviate, a company whose ultimate goal is to “create technologies that never have to be plugged to the wall.” The young American of Indian origin was one of the INK speakers in the city at the recently concluded INK 2013 conference.
Back to his roots Happy to be in India, from where his parents hail, Param wishes to bring his inventions here sooner than later. “I will expand here first,” says the focussed teenager, whose creations have received awards and honours. “I have this constant competitiveness. I am always looking for the next best step to improve, to make new technologies,” says Param about his restless bent of mind.
Param’s scientific temper was clear when as a young boy he began dismantling toys and piecing them together. He did so with his first computer. This was noticed by his parents who encouraged him in pursuing science in school. Working “hands on” and converting his room into lab space came naturally to him.
“I was curious about things. I realised that a lot of research will answer my curiosity,” he says. Param began pursuing projects related to environment and world problems created by human behaviour, things that interested him.
Green technologies held a special fascination for his young mind. His first experiment with bio-fuel was as a 13-year-old. At 14 he designed an algae-based bio-reactor that reduces pollutants using household materials. At 15 he was exploring alternative energy sources and the following year he began working in a lab at the University of Texas, Dallas. Here he ventured into electronics and circuitry that helped him in his endeavour.
Simultaneously he began working in a patent law office and gathered practical know-how on marketing a product, sure that he would be filing for patents for his products soon. “It was important that I get exposed to all areas of business development,” says the self-assured youngster who has a clear-cut business strategy for his future projects.
In the beginning, Param never understood the impact his invention could have till his professors at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee pointed it out. “Along with my parents, they showed me that what I was working on was bigger than what I thought,” he says modestly.
The underlying philosophy at Ecoviate is to invent inexpensive and efficient solutions to the problems faced by the world, “to create products that people use everyday.”
Untapped potential Hence Param’s one invention is a device that fits on the tail pipe of a car and reduces carbon-dioxide emissions. He is also working on a smart watch that is powered by human body heat. “There is a lot of wasted energy in the environment. I am working on tapping that,” he says disclosing about an online platform which will empower the youth to pursue crazy science and technology ideas. “We are giving the youth the power to create. So if a child has a crazy idea he can send it to us and we will develop it,” he says adding that the young will be motivated more by other youngsters, like him.
His future projects are on solar energy, water treatment and waste management. Like any other youngster, away from serious preoccupations, Param enjoys playing basket ball and practising martial arts. He appreciates music and art but says: “If I sing people will leave the room. My designs for my products are the closest I come to art.”
Put the energy of youth to work for the environment
Youth can make a big difference by becoming environmental stewards in their own communities. They have an inborn curiosity about science and nature. And most young people are eager to help protect natural resources. Sometimes all it takes to unleash their ideas and energy to preserve and improve the environment is a little encouragement from adults around them.
That’s the message of a national environmental education project launched at the University of Wisconsin-Extension, with support from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Serve and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It’s called “CES YES”, which stands for Cooperative Extension Supports Youth Environmental Stewardship. A set of short publications and a website are packed with ideas for environmental actions that youth can do. These activities include a lot of hands-on learning and opportunities for service to the community and the environment.
“There are already many wonderful Wisconsin youth stewardship initiatives sponsored by 4-H, Scouts and others,” said Elaine Andrews, an environmental education specialist at the UW-Extension Environmental Resources Center. “We began the CES YES initiative because youth educators were asking the Environmental Resources Center for more information and resources. The CES YES website is our response. Experts and partners helped us to organize information to make it easier for leaders to find activities, ideas, and potential partners for environmental stewardship activities for youth.”
What kinds of things can youth do? The CES YES people list many options.For example:
Go on a field trip to study habitats and •ecosystemsVisit a landfill•Get involved in wetlands restoration•Collect bugs to check water quality in a local •streamClean up a local park•Plant a tree•Make a butterfly garden•
CES YES can help 4-H leaders, educators, and other adults who work with youth, develop educational and effective projects to get kids involved in environmental stewardship. The website links to a wealth of materials and resources from 4-H, Cooperative Extension, federal agencies and environmental organisations.
Green Voice14 A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN)http://iycn.in/
The Indian Youth Climate Network was founded in 2008 as a coalition of young people and youth-oriented organisations to take action on climate change. IYCN considers its biggest achievement to be the personal transformation of each individual who participates in the network’s activities as well as its contribution in bringing the climate debate to the mainstream.
The idea to start something new, something bold came about on noticing the lack of representation of Indian youth in the UNFCCC COP international climate negotiations in Bali, 2007. A country as large as India with one of the highest youth populations in the world was missing from the world forum of one of the most pressing issues of 21st century.
Starting with a youth summit on climate change and a people’s survey of Delhi’s BRT Corridor with CSE, IYCN sent its first ever youth delegation of 8 members to COP in Poznan, Poland. Since then, more than 35 members of IYCN have participated and contributed in key policy deliberations at COPs.
IYCN’s outreach hit it big when 12 members of the network went on a Climate Solutions Road Tour for 40 days in January 2009 from Chennai
to Delhi meeting 300,000 college and school students on the way. The Climate Leadership Trainings, Solar Punch music concerts, and documentation of climate solutions found on the way were the highlights of the tour. The team also met the then Hon’ble President of India, Ms Pratibha Patil.
The network was registered as a not-for-profit national society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 in 2009. Today, IYCN has chapters in different states with outreach to thousands of youth in colleges, schools, corporations and institutions in India.
Since then, IYCN members from various chapters have been meeting at the beginning of every year for Planning Weekend and giving their voluntary time for various activities at the city, village & national level. IYCN encourages young people from different parts of the country and various backgrounds to join the network, meet more young people, form friendships and work together to spread awareness and implement solutions.
As a growing youth network also seeking to learn from other’s experiences, IYCN has partnered for campaigns and projects with various entities such as the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, UNDP, UN Habitat, EDF, 350.org, WWF, CSE, CEE and FCIK J&K
The network’s aim is to knowledge-enable Indian youth as well as encourage countrywide bonding for collective action on
matters of climate, ecology and environment. It is also to bring the voice of Indian youth on the global platform as South Asia is one of the most vulnerable regions affected by potentially catastrophic climate change and environment issues.
Source: http://iycn.in/
NGO VIGNETTES
Green Voice15A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
Youth Advocacy Training Institute (YATI)http://www.youthadvocacy.ca/
The Youth Advocacy Training Institute (YATI) is a program of the Ontario Lung Association. YATI supports youth and youth-serving organizations in Ontario. We do so by providing exciting and interactive learning experiences that equip youth, young adults, and adults working with youth with the knowledge and skills necessary to prevent and reduce tobacco use, promote health and advocate for positive change in their communities through youth engagement.
Position on Youth DevelopmentSince the inception of the Youth Advocacy Training Institute (YATI) program in 2004, the Ontario Lung Association (OLA) has adopted and promoted youth development as a theoretical foundation and approach to working with youth in terms of health. OLA commits to continue to champion youth development amongst partner and government agencies.
Definition of Youth DevelopmentYATI recognizes that “youth development” can be defined in many ways and understands it as a process of natural growth from being in an environment that offers opportunities that allow them to reach their developmental potential.
YATI supported factors that influence youth development and related work:1. belief in the worth of all youth and in their possession of innate capacities;2. commitment to enabling all youth to fulfill their potential;3. recognition of the developmental power of parents;4. recognition of the developmental power of adults outside the family;5. recognition of the developmental power of peers;
6. dedication to identifying and responding to problems faced by youth;7. maintenance of a positive, strengths-based, asset-oriented approach;8. application of a holistic perspective of assets and needs;9. insistence on understanding, educating, and engaging youth in productive activities;10. respect for adolescents’ autonomy and right to exercise control over
their own lives;11. appreciation of the need for youth to be challenged, take risks, and broaden their horizons;12. appreciation that youth can benefit from a measure of stability and continuity;13. understanding of development as a process, rather than an event;14. awareness that no one group has the responsibility or ability to meet all youth’s needs; and,15. awareness that youth need to receive and also to give back. (Hannant, 2009)
Youth Engagement as an approachYouth engagement is the meaningful and sustained involvement of a young person in an activity focusing outside the self. Full engagement consists of a cognitive component, an affective component, and a behavioral component - Head, Heart, Feet. (Centre of Excellence in Youth Engagement, 2009)
Youth Development as an approachYouth development is the meaningful and sustained
involvement of a young person in an activity that focuses outside the self while providing opportunities that enable personal growth. Opportunities for growth are self-initiated and may support cognitive, social and/or emotional development. OLA youth development as an approach will be realized through effective youth-adult partnerships.
Source: http://www.youthadvocacy.ca/
Green Voice16 A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
Center for Youth and Social Developmenthttp://www.cysd.org/
Star Youth Associationhttp://www.staryouth.org/20.html
Nature and Youthhttp://www.anped.org/index.php?part=271
Green Commandoshttp://www.greencommandos.youthforseva.org/
Green Voice18 A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
Indian Committee of Youth Organisations (ICYO), established in 1982, made humble beginnings in networking amongs these scattered youth organisations; youth groups and youth interest organisations throughout the country.
The ICYO Info-Network working hard for capacity building by providing the free follow of information to members. Here is the list of member of ICYO Network:
1. Andhra Pradesh1. Action for Rural Development(ARD), Andhra Pradesh2. Affus Women Welfare Association (AWWA), Andhra Pradesh3. Ambedkar Youth Association, Andhra Pradesh4. Armoor Taluk Youth Club Association, Andhra Pradesh5. Association for Social and Humanize Action (ASHA), Andhra Pradesh6. Bapatla Unesco Club, Andhra Pradesh7. Community Rural Org for Social Service (Cross), Andhra Pradesh8. Indian National Dalit Integreted Association, Andhra Pradesh9. Kakatiya Youth Project, Andhra Pradesh10. Kiran Yuva Sena Welfare Association, Andhra Pradesh11. Lal Bahadoor Youth Organisation, Andhra Pradesh12. Manavuru Charitable Organisation, Andhra Pradesh13. Matherteresa Amelioration Service Society (MASS), Andhra Pradesh14. National Youth Club, Andhra Pradesh15. National Youth Project Nizamabad Unit, Andhra Prdesh16. Navodaya Youth Welfare Society, Andhra Pradesh17. Needs Serving Society, Andhra Pradesh 18. Nehru Youth Club, Andhra Pradesh19. Nritanyanjali Acamademy, Andhra Pradesh20. Patelnagar Youth Association, Andhra Pradesh21. Prakriti Environmental Society, Andhra Pradesh22. PSS Educational Development Society, Andhra Pradesh23. Rural Awerness Integreted Development Society, Andhra Pradesh24. Sabrang Youth Welfare Association, Andhra Pradesh25. SERVDS – Sai Educational Rural & Urban Development Society, Andhra Pradesh26. Sangha Mitra, Andhra Pradesh 27. Society for Awareness through Learning & Training Andhra Pradesh28. Society for Empowering the Vlunerable Artisans (Seva), Andhra Pradesh29. Society for Peace Rural Education & Awareness Dev,Andhra Pradesh30. Star Youth Association, Andhra Pradesh31. Voctory (Victory India Charitable Tent of Rescue), Andhra Pradesh32. Youth Action for Rural Development, Andhra Pradesh33. Yuva Kranthi Youth Association, Andhra Pradesh
3. Assam36. Association of Voluntary Agencies for Rural Devlopment, Assam37. Gram Lok Seva Sangh, Assam38. Jyoti Puthibharal & Yuvak Sangha, Assam 39. Khorapathar Sanmilita Yuvak Samaj, Assam40. North-East Environment Protection Guild, Assam41. Parijat Academy, Assam42. Rural Volunteers Centre (RVC), Assam43. Saraighata Jana Gana Yuvak Sangha, Assam
4. Bihar 44. Ambedkar Alpsankhyak Mahila Club, Bihar45. Berojgar Sangh, Bihar46. Community Development Center, Bihar47. District Council for Child Welfare,Bihar
48. Ekta Yuva Sangathan, Bihar49. Fulparas Prakand Sarvodaya Vikas Sansthan, Bihar 50. Jawahar Jyoti Bal Vikas Kendra, Bihar51. Jyoti Seva Sadan, Bihar52. Kartvaya Welfare Organisation, Bihar53. Lok Prerna, Bihar54. Mahila Bal Yuva Kendra, Bihar55. National Development & Social Welfare Council, Bihar56. National Youth Project, Bihar Unit, Bihar57. Paroo Prakhand Samagra Vikas Pariyojana (Ppsvp), Bihar 58. Samaj Seva Kendra, Bihar 59. Samar, Bihar60. Seva Bharati, Bihar 61. Shramabharati, Bihar62. Youth and Family Welfare Programme Council, Bihar63. Youth Group Hemophili Society Patna Chapter, Bihar
6. Delhi 67. Aasra for Community Trasformation (Act India), Delhi68. Adhaar, Delhi69. All India Seva Sangh, Delhi70. Ashray, New Delhi71. Association for Stimulating Know-How (Ask), New Delhi72. Center for Human Progress (CHP), New Delhi73. Double S’ Youth Club, Delhi74. HridaY, New Delhi 75. Jagriti Samaj, New Delhi76. National Youth Project, New Delhi77. Prayatn, New Delhi78. Samaj Kalyan Youth Club, Delhi 79. Ship for World Youth Alumni Association-India (Swyaa-India), Delhi80. Sneh Bandhan Society, New Delhi 81. Society for the Promotion of Youth & Masses (SPYM), New Delhi82. Stop (Stop Trafficking & Oppression Of Children & Women), New Delhi83. Sutradhar, Delhi84. Udisa A Society for Education Employment & Sustainable Develoment, New Delhi85. Youth & FAmily Planning Programme Council, New Delhi86. Youth Unite for Voluntary Action (Yuva), Delhi87. Yuva Chetna Club, Delhi
7. Goa 88. Navnirman Abhiyan Goa, Goa
8. Gujarat 89. Chetna, Gujarat90. Gramin Yuva Sangathan, Gujarat91. International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development – Iceed, Gujarat92. Mahiti Rural Development Centre, Gujarat93. People Association for National Integration (PANI), Gujarat94. Recreation Youth Club, Gujarat95. Young Experimental Group, Gujarat96. Yuva Unstoppable, Gujarat97. Yuva, Gujarat
9. Haryana 98. All India Common Weal Organisation, Haryana99. Bhartiya Gram Sudhar Sabha, Haryana100. Centre for Youth and Social Work, Haryana101. Chaubisi Vikas Sangha, Haryana102. Haryana Nav Yuvak Kala Sangam, Haryana103. Social Research and Education Service Association, Haryana
Youth Centric Organisations in India
Green Voice19A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
104. Youth Action for Rural Development, Haryana 105. Yuva Club Sirsa, Haryana106. Yuva Pargati Mandal, Haryana107. Yuva Parishad, Haryana
11. Jammu & Kashmir 112. Progressive Youthsociety (Regd), Jammu & Kashmir 113. Speak India Environmental Foundation, Jammu & Kashmir114. Universal House of Unity, Jammu & Kashmir
12. Jharkhand 115. Chetna, Jharkhand116. Diya Seva Sansthan, Jharkhand117. Krityanand Unesco Club Jharkhand118. National Young Cadets Society, Jharkhand119. Sahiya, Jharkhand120. Chetna, Jharkhand121. Diya Seva Sansthan, Jharkhand122. Sahiya, Jharkhand
13. Karnataka123. Chaithnya Institute for Youth & Rural Development, Karnataka124. Hosabelaku – Sunrise,Karnataka125. Institute for Youth And Development, Karnataka126. Kalpana Chawla International Group, Karnataka127. Nopasna, Karnataka128. Panpagam Social Sevices Organisation, Karnataka 129. Peoples Charity Association, Karnataka130. Rural Education and Health Development Organisation, Karnataka131. Spiritus International Trust, Karnataka132. World Alliance for Youth Development, Karnataka
14. Kerala 133. Adarsha Education and Charitable Society, Kerala134. Discovery Boys Arts Sports & Cultural Club, Kerala135. Educational and Socio-Economic Action Council, Kerala136. Folk Land, Kerala 137. Friends of The Birds of The Air (FBA), Kerala138. Indian Youth Association (IYA), Kerala139. Karayil Yuva Jana Kala Samiti, Kerala140. Mamooddu Brother Sports Club, Kerala141. National Women’s Welfare Centre, Kerala142. Payyanur Spartaks, Kerala143. Phoenix Recreations, Kerala144. Priya Darshini Cultural Center,Kerala145. Rajiv Gandhi Cultural Study Centre, Kerala146. Remya Fine Arts Society, Kerala147. Vayali Folkore Group, Kerala148. Warriors,Kerala
15. Madhya Pradesh 149. Anjali, Madhya Pradesh150. Bread for Tribal Village, Madhya Pradesh151. Creative Village Development Soceity, Madhya Pradesh152. Ekta Parishad, Madhya Pradesh153. Gramya Vikas Mandal, Madhya Pradesh154. Gwalior Mahila Samiti, Madhya Pradesh155. Mahatma Gandhi Seva Ashram, Madhya Pradesh156. Parikrama Environmental Education Institute, Madhya Pradesh157. Shourya Social Welfare & Development Society, Madhya Pradesh158. Synergy Sansthan, Madhya Pradesh159. Village Sustainable Development Organisation, Madhya Pradesh
16. Maharastra 160. Acha Resource Centre for Women and Girls, Maharastra161. Arogya – Prabodhini, Maharastra162. Association of Youth for Better India, Maharastra163. Friend’s Society, Maharastra164. Human Touch, Maharastra165. Indian Health Organisation, Maharastra166. Indian Institute of Youth Welfare, Maharastra167. Lokdeep Mutual Benefil Trust, Maharastra168. Mahatma Gandhi Youth Associaton, Maharastra169. Navbharat Yuva Andolan, Maharastra170. Nehru Yuva Mandal, Maharastra171. Sanjeevani Yoga Kendra, Maharastra 172. Save Foundation, Maharastra173. Shree Amrutvahini Gramvikas Mandal, Maharashtra174. Social Empowerment and Voluntary Association, Maharastra175. Somani Pratishthan (Yuva Hit), Maharastra 176. Sri Ganesh Shikshan Prasarak Mandal, Maharastra177. The Youth Welfare Association, Maharastra178. Yearala Projects Society, Maharastra179. Youth for Unity and Volutary Action: Yuva, Maharastra 180. Youth League Recreation Club, Maharastra 181. Yuva Ekata Association, Maharastra182. Yuvak Biradari (Bharat), Maharastra183. Yuwak Pragati Sahayog, Maharastra
17. Manipur 184. Council of Youth Development and Co-Operation, Manipur 185. Social Youths Progressive Association, Manipur186. Tanghul Mayar Ngala Long Tanghul Youth Council, Manipur187. Youth Voluntary Oganisation, Manipur
20. Odisha 191. Action Group for Empowerment of the Poor, Odisha192. Ahinsa Yubak Sangha, Odisha193. Akhandalamani Yubak Sangh, Odisha194. Aldrin’s Education & Cultural Charitable Trust, Odisha195. Aloka (Youth Organisation Network), Odisha196. Alternative for Rural Movement, Odisha197. Anchalik Juba Parishad, Orissa198. Anchalika Kunjeswary Sanskrutika Sansad (Akss), Orissa199. Ankuran, Orissa200. Anshuman Yubak Sangha, Orissa201. Association for Integrated Rural & Backward Area Devevelopment, Orissa202. Association for Rural Upliftment & National Allegiance, Orissa203. Association for The Undeveloped Beneficiaries of India, Orissa204. Association for Women And Rural Enrichment (Aware), Orissa205. Aurobindo Club, Orissa 206. Azad Hind Yuva Sansad (Ahys), Orissa207. BAlmikeswar Yuvak Sangh, Orissa208. Bapuji Yubak Sangha, Orissa 209. Bapuji Yuvaka Sanga Orissa, Orissa210. Bhagabati Yubak Sangha, Orissa211. Bikramananda Institute For Rural Development, Orissa 212. Bilasini Mahila Samiti, Orissa 213. Binapani Jubak Sangh, Orissa 214. Borsad Taluka Yuvak Sangh, Orissa 215. Brajeswar Yuba Kala Parisada (BYKP), Orissa 216. Centre for Awakening of Rural Environment (CARE), Orissa 217. Centre for Awareness Research & Training (CART), Orissa
Green Voice20 A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
218. Centre for Human ActIon & Resource Management (CHARM), Orissa 219. Centre for Public Health & Environment Education, Orissa220. Centre for Social Justice & Development (CSJD), Orissa221. Centre for Youth & Social Development (CYSD), Orissa222. Champakeswar Natya Sangha Club, Orissa223. Champion Friendship Club, Orissa224. Chetana Shramik Sangha, Orissa225. Chitmishra Taruna Yubak Sangha, Orissa 226. Council for Rural Development Society (CRDS), Orissa227. CREFTDA (Cen for Reg Edu Forest & Tourism Dev Agency). Orissa228. Daridra Narayan Seva Sansthan (DNSS), Orissa229. Deshpremi Organisation, Orissa230. Development Initiative, Orissa231. Gana Chetna, Orissa232. Giria Yubak Sangha, Orissa233. Gopabandhu Pathagara, Orissa234. Gopal Krishna Yuvak Sangha, Orissa235. Gopinath Juba Sangha, Orissa236. Gopinath Jubak Sangha, Orissa237. Gram Seva Sangathan, Orissa238. Gram Yayuva Seva Kendra, Odissa239. Gramonnati Yubak Sangha, Orissa240. Gram-Utthan, Orissa 241. Gramya Yuva Seva Kendra, Odissa242. Guru Mahima JubAka Sangh, Orissa243. Hungry & Oppressed’s Participation For Emancipation, Orissa244. India Development Project, Orissa 245. Indian Development Foundation, Orissa246. indian Institute of Youth and Development (Iiyd), Orissa247. Indian Media Centre, Orissa248. Institute for Youth & Social Action in Rural Area (IYSARA), Orissa249. International Yogabasisth Gurukul Ashram, Orissa 250. Jagannath Club, Orissa 251. Jagat Jyoti Yubak Sangha, Orissa 252. Jana Kalyan Yubak Sangha (Jkys),Orissa253. Jana Seva Parishad Abhya Bhavan, Orissa254. Janakalyan Youth Club Narasinghpur Project, Orissa255. Janakalyan Yubak Sangha, Orissa256. Jay Jogeswar Baba Club, Orissa257. Jayanti Pathagar, Orissa258. Jeewan Jyoti Society, Orissa259. Jugajyoti Yubak Sangha, Orissa 260. Jyoti Yubak Sangha, Orissa261. Kasturi, Orissa262. Khaliposhi Nehru Yuvak Club, Orissa 263. Khilamunda Jubak Sangha, Orissa264. Khuntia Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), Orissa 265. LEAD (Liberation-Education & Action for Development), Orissa266. Life Voluntary Organisation, Orissa267. Mahapatra, Orissa268. Mahatab Pathagar, Orissa 269. Mahila Unnayan Parisad, Orissa270. Maitree Samaj, Orissa271. Maitree Yuva Sansada, Orissa272. Milton Charitable Foundation for the Visually Handicapped, Orissa273. Miraben Ladies Mission, Orissa274. Mukti, Orissa275. Nageswaradeb Jubak Sangh, Orissa276. National Equity Trust (NET), Orissa277. National Institute for Community & Child Development, Orissa278. National Institute of Law & Human Rights, Orissa279. National Unemployed Rehabilitation Society for Youth, Orissa280. Netajee Club, Orissa281. Netajee Youth Club, Orissa 282. Netaji Jubak Sangha, Orissa283. Netaji Yuvak Sangha, Orissa284. Nilachakra Youth Cultural Association, Orissa285. North Orissa School of Social Work, Orissa286. NT Noblework Dev & Investigation Association,Orissa
287. Nuga Youth Forum, Orissa288. Nysasdri, Orissa289. Organisation for Health and Social Action (OHSA), Orissa290. Orissa Environmental Society, Orissa 291. Palli Chetana, Orissa 292. Palli Sanskruti Kala Parishad, Orissa293. Pallishree Jubak Sangha, Orissa294. Palli Vikash, Odisha295. Panigarhi, Orissa296. Parala Youth Club, Orissa 297. Parda, Orissa 298. Parivartan, Orissa299. People’s Ins for Participatory Action Research,Orissa300. People’s Institute for Development and Action, Orissa 301. Pragati, Orissa 302. Proctology Society, Orissa 303. Rahasa Bihari Adivasi Club, Orissa304. Rajiv Gandhi Youth Club, Orissa 305. Ramjee Yubak SaNgha, Orissa 306. Regional Orissa Maitri Agency (Roma), Orissa307. Rural Women Development Service Centre, Orissa308. Sampur Jubak Sangha, Orissa 309. Sangram Youth Club, Orissa 310. Sangrami Youth Federation, Orissa311. Sarada Youth Association, Orissa 312. Seba Smruti Yubak Sangha, Orissa313. Sidhaanta, Orissa 314. Singha Bahini Youth Club (SBYC), Orissa 315. Social Development Society, Orissa 316. Society for Community Organisation & Training, Orissa317. Society for Development Action ‘Soda’, Orissa 318. Society Reconstructionfoundation of India, Orissa319. Tarun Shanti Seva Club, Orissa 320. The ‘So Circular’ Voluntary Organisation, Orissa 321. Utkal Sevak Samaj, Orissa322. Utkal Youth Association for Social Development (UYASD), Orissa323. Vikash Sadan (Org for Development Cooperation), Orissa324. Village Eye, Orissa 325. Vishwa Yuva Kendra, Orissa 326. Vision, Orissa 327. Vivekananda Memorial Club and Library, Orissa 328. Voluntary Institute for Rural Development (VIRD), Orissa329. Volunteer Association for Rural and Tribal Awarenes, Orissa 330. Women Action for Social Service (WASS), Orissa331. Women Association for Rural Development (WARD), Orissa332. Women’s Association for Rural Development (WARD), Orissa333. Young India, Orissa 334. Young Utkal Project, Orissa335. Youth Association for Rural Reconstruction, Orissa336. Youth Council for Develoment Alternet, Orissa337. Youth Development Project, Orissa338. Youth for Unity Building Agency, Orissa339. Youth Service Centre, Orissa 340. Yuba Jyoti Club (YJC), Orissa 341. Yuba Jyoti, Orissa 342. Yuva Bharati Seva Sangathan (Yuvass), Orissa
21. Pondicherry 343. Tamizhosai Radio Youth and Science Forum (TRYSF), Pondicherry
22. Punjab 344. Bhagat Dhanna Youth Club, Punjab345. Dist Youth Clubs Coordination Committee, Punjab346. Green Express Youth Association, Punjab347. Human Socialist Republican Orgnization (HSRO India), Punjab348. Jaygee Sports and Cultural Club, Punjab349. National Youth Club (Regd), Punjab350. Progressive Youth Forum, Punjab351. Youth Culb (Regd),Punjab
Green Voice21A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
352. Youth Services Club (Regd), Punjab353. Youth Welfare Club, Punjab
23. Rajasthan354. Aravali Volunters Society, Rajasthan355. Ekta Sansthan, Rajasthan356. Gramin Manav Kalyan Shikshan Sansthan, Rajasthan357. Kalpana Chawla Vaigyanik Sansthan,Rajasthan358. Krityanand Unesco Club, Rajasthan359. Radha Bal Mandir Vidhyalaya Academy, Rajasthan360. Rajputana Society of Natural History, Rajasthan361. Rural Development and Youth Training Institute, Rajasthan362. Seemant Kisan Shayog Sasthan, Rajasthan363. Spectra, Rajasthan364. Urmul Setu Sansthan, Rajasthan365. Youth United Welfare Association (Yuwa), Rajasthan
24. Tamil Nadu366. Adopt, Tamilnadu367. Antar Bharati, Tamilnadu368. Anthodaya (Youth Women And Child Dev Project,Tamilnadu369. Asian Youth Centre, Tamilnadu370. Aspiration Society Of Youngsters, Tamilnadu371. Association For Handicapped’s Development,Tamilnadu372. Association For Rural Women’s Progress,Tamilnadu 373. Association for Women Education and Rural Development,Tamilnadu374. Bharat Youth Association, Tamilnadu375. Bharathamatha Family Welfare Foundation, Tamilnadu376. Bharathy Youth and Social Welfare Association (Byaswa),Tamilnadu377. Centre for Social Service and Research, Tamilnadu378. Dalit’s Youth Action for Nascent Association, Tamilnadu379. Deepalaya (Dev Centre for Rural Youth Woment & Child), Tamilnadu380. Dr Ambedkar Youth Front (AAIM), Tamilnadu381. Dr Peter Charitable Trust, Tamilnadu382. Education Communication & Development Trust (Educatr), Tamilnadu383. Gandhiji Narpani Syakkam, Tamilnadu384. Health and Aids Awareness Trust (HAAT), Tamilnadu385. ICF North Colony Youth Association, Tamilnadu386. Indian Development Organisation Trust, Tamilnadu387. Matha Pitha Public Welfare Charitable Trust, Tamilnadu388. Medal-Movement for Economic Development & Literacy, Tamilnadu389. Mothi Foundation, Tamilnadu390. National Mother and Child Welfare Organisation (MANCO), Tamilnadu391. Nivtethan, Tamilnadu392. Org for Action and Social Integration Servies (Oasis), Tamilnadu393. Resource Foundation, Tamilnadu394. Rural Care and Research Centre (RCRC), Tamilnadu 395. Rural Community Trust, Tamilnadu 396. Rural Multy Purpose of Social Service Society, Tamilnadu397. Social Awareness for Liberation Trust (SALT), Tamilnadu398. Social Research and Education Service Association, Tamilnadu399. Society for Community Org Rual Develoment, Tamilnadu400. Society for Integrated Programmes, Tamilnadu401. SocieTy for Integrated Rural Education (SIRE), Tamilnadu 402. Solidarty Action for People, Tamilnadu403. Sustainable Health and Manpower Development (SUHAM), Tamilnadu404. Swami Vivekananda Sevashram Youth Development Centre, Tamilnadu405. Tamilaga Ilatchiya Kudumban, Tamil Nadu406. Tap, Tamilnadu407. Universal Social Service Society, Tamilnadu408. Victory Youth Association, Tamilnadu409. Village Improvement Service Association (VISA), Tamilnadu410. VOC Rural Development Centre, Tamilnadu411. Weaker Section Welfare Association (WESWA Trust), Tamilnadu412. Womens Organisation for Rural Development, Tamilnadu413. Yard (Research & Training & Socail Development Center), Tamilnadu414. Youth and Rural Development Centre ‘YRDC’, Tamilnadu415. Youth Council Service Union, Tamilnadu
25. Uttaranchal418. Bal Kalyan Samiti, Uttarachal419. Doon Ghati Vikas Samiti, Uttarachal420. Himalaya Institute for Rural Development, Uttarachal421. Indian Institute of Community Development, Uttarachal422. St May’s School, Uttarachal
26. Uttar Pradesh423. Ankur Yuva Chetna Shivir, Uttar Pradesh 424. Bal Shramil Kalyan Sansthan, Uttar Pradesh425. Gautam Buddha Jagriti Society, Uttar Pradesh426. Govind Vallabh Pant Shiksha Paritoshik Samkay, Uttar Pradesh427. Gram Vikas Sewa Sansthan, Uttar Pradesh 428. Grama Seva Grameen Vikas Samiti, Uttar Pradesh429. Gyan Bharati Mahila Avam Bal Vikas Parishad, Uttar Pradesh430. Hope Old Age Home, Uttar Pradesh431. Kustha Sewa Kendra, Uttar Pradesh432. Narayan Krishna Sewa Sansthan, Uttar Pradesh433. People For Peace Service Society, Uttar Pradesh434. Peoples Action For National Integration, Uttar Pradesh 435. Prayas, Uttar Pradesh436. Rahi Foundation, Uttar Pradesh437. Raja Chet Singh Shiksha Sansthan, Uttar Pradesh438. Rajrani Manaw Kalyan Sansthan, Uttar Pradesh439. Safe Society, Uttar Pradesh440. Saghan Kshetra Vikas Samiti, Uttar Pradesh 441. Shohratgarh Environmental Society, Uttar Pradesh442. Subhash Children Society, Uttar Pradesh443. Udaan Society, Uttar Pradesh444. Vikas Evam Arthik Chetna Sansthan, Uttar Pradesh445. Young Friends’ Association, Uttar Pradesh446. Young India, Uttar Pradesh 447. Yuva Club Karahari, Uttar Pradesh448. Yuva Vikas Sansthan, Uttar Pradesh
27. West Bengal449. Accord, West Bengal450. Amra Tarun Sangha, West Bengal451. Ananda Bhavan, West Bengal452. Aniya Pallimongal Samiti, West Bengal453. Ashurali Vivekananda SmritI Sangha, West Bengal454. Atepur Parshi Club, West Bengal455. Balitikuri Bikash Bhaban, West Bengal456. Centre for Communication and Development, West Bengal457. Centre for Social and Environmental Studies, West Bengal458. Chhayarasia Yuba Chakra Sangstha (CYS), West Bengal459. Child In Need Institute –CINI, West Bengal460. Durganagar Sabuj Sangha, West Bengal461. Eso Kajkari, West Bengal462. Ichapur Jankalyan Parisad,West Bengal463. Indian Council of Rural Youth, West Bengal464. Jadavpur Women IN Need Organisation (WIN), West Bengal465. Jatiya Jana Kalyan Seva Samiti, West Bengal466. Nadia Seva Sangha, West Bengal467. New Light Club, West Bengal468. Prantakatha, West Bengal 469. Sabuj Sangha, West Bengal470. Sishu and Nari Kalyan Samity, West Bengal471. Social Welfare & Relief Society, West Bengal472. United Nations Initiative Technology for Youth, West Bengal473. Vivekananda Adibasi Kalyan Samiti, West Bengal474. Voice of People, West Bengal475. We are The Common People, West Bengal
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Green Voice22 A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
Environment being an extremely gravitious and sensitive aspect, its adequate coverage becomes all the more mandatory. It is almost the backbone of our survival and consistent maintenance on earth. Electronic media needs to lend the required space and structure to the environment that it rightly holds. Its only then that a mature and palpable interaction will be made possible.
Undoubtedly society and electronic media are congenially intertwined. They have very symbiotic relationship and have extraneous influence on each other. However the need is to accommodate environment effectively so that the validity of its essence is comprehended and widespread understanding is generated.
CMS ENVIS Centre has been collating and analysing the prominent news channels coverage on environment and wildlife issues in the month of October – December 2013.
MethodologyOver the years CMS Media Lab has acted as a source for the CMS ENVIS Centre because it has undertaken significant experimentation to develop a robust and rigorous methodology as given below. The content analysis broadly covers qualitative and quantitative aspects.
Prime time band: The prime time programming is the industry benchmark in News television for all significant events and issues that are prominently covered on a particular day.Six mainstream news channels: Aaj Tak, DD News, ABP News, Zee News, CNN-IBN and NDTV 24X7.
Recording: The recorded tapes were then previewed and the news stories listed under various classifications and categories to generate quantitative data.
Logging: The news content on the above mentioned channels were listed and documented in the log sheets.
Coding: The stories were classified and separately coded (e.g. politics, business, sports, environmental news etc.).
Environment related stories: The theme specific stories were separately reviewed and analysed.
Time frame: The timeline taken for this particular study was October – December 2013.
Table 1: Coverage of Environment and Wildlife Stories by News Channels from Oct -Dec 2013
News Channels (Total Time Spent in Minutes)
MonthAaj
Tak
DD
News
ABP
News
Zee
News
CNN-
IBN
NDTV
24X7Total
October 0 41 0 2 0 22 65
November 1 0 0 1 22 5 29
December 0 1 0 0 2 11 14
Source: CMS Media Lab
Fig 1: Coverage of Environment and Wildlife Stories by News Channels (in minutes)
0
41
02
0
22
1 0 0 1
22
5
0 1 0 02
11
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Aaj Tak DD News ABP News Zee News CNN- IBN NDTV 24X7
Time(in
%)
Channels Name
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
Source: CMS Media Lab
In the month of October, DD News topped the chart for coverage on Environment & Wildlife by giving maximum time (41 minutes), followed by NDTV (22 minutes), Zee News (2 minutes), CNN-IBN, ABP News and Aaj Tak channel did not cover a single story on environment & wildlife during this time period.
November, the total time spent on covering environment & wildlife stories was (29 minutes) which included 22 minutes of coverage by CNN-IBN, 05 minutes of coverage on NDTV 24X7 and 01 minutes each by Aaj Tak and Zee while DD News intrestingly ABP news had no any coverage.
The month of December reflected tremendous drop in environmental stories coverage. Only NDTV 24X7 spent 11 minutes on environment & wildlife followed by CNN-IBN had given 02 minutes and DD News spent only one minute on the green issues by news channels overall.
Primetime coverage of stories (in minutes)
ISSUESOctober November December
In minutes
% of Time
In minutes
% of Time
In minutes
% of Time
International Affairs
2117 18.07 757 6.84 1830 14.97
National Politics
5707 48.72 4064 36.70 6599 53.97
Environment & Wildlife
64 0.55 29 0.26 14 0.11
Film & Entertainment
1745 14.90 2820 25.47 2044 16.72
Crime 2082 17.77 3403 30.73 1741 14.24
Total 11715 100.00 11073 100.00 12228 100.00
Source: CMS Media Lab
The month wise analysis of primetime coverage of stories reveals that as usual the National Politics dominated news channels in all the three months taking the 49%, 37% & 53% of the total primetime in months of October, November and December respectively. In October, international affairs stories hold the second position with 18% of the total primetime coverage which is closely followed by Crime 18% and Film & Entertainment infotainment 15%.
The environment and wildlife stories occupied the almost negilable coverage with just 0.55% of the total primetime telecast in October, 0.26% in November and almost nil in September with (0.11%).
MEDIA ANAlYSIS
Green Voice23A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
School of Environmental Sciences, Mahatama Gandhi University, •Kottayam , KeralaSchool of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New •Delhi, DelhiSchool of Environmental Sciences, University of Kerala, •Thiruvananthapuram , KeralaDepartment of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Guru Nanak Dev •University, Amritsar, PunjabDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Sri Venkateswara University, •College of Science, Tirupati, Andhra PradeshDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal •University, Jaunpur, Uttar PradeshThe School of Human and Environmental Sciences, North-Eastern Hill •University, Surat, GujaratDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna •Garhwal University, Pauri, UttarakhandSchool of Environmental and Earth Sciences, North Maharashtra •University, Jalgaon, MaharashtraDepartment of Biotechnology, Instrumentation & Environmental •Sciences, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalya, Kolkata, West BengalDepartment of Environmental Sciences, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh •University, Faizabad, Uttar PradeshBabasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University - School for Environmental •Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar PradeshInstitute of Environmental Science, Bundelkhand University , Jhansi, •Uttar PradeshDepartment of Environmental Management, School of Environmental •Studies, Bharathidasan University, Trichy, Tamil NaduSchool of Energy & Environmental Studies, Devi Ahilya Universit• y, Indore, Madhya PradeshDepartment of Energy and Environmental Science, Chaudhary Devi Lal •University, Sirsa, HaryanaDepartment of Studies and Research in Environmental Science, •Kuvempu University, Karnataka School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Central University of •Himachal Pradesh, Kangra, Himachal PradeshDepartment of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Chaudhary Sarwan •Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur, Himachal PradeshSchool of Life Sciences, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Universit• y, Kanpur, Uttar PradeshDepartment Of Environment Sciences, University of Jamm• u, Jammu, Jammu & KashmirRajagiri College of Management And Applied Science• s, Kochi, KeralaSchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Madurai Kamaraj University, •Madurai, Tamil NaduSchool of Planning and Architectur• e, Bhopal, Madhya PradeshFaculty of Bio-Pharma Sciences, Gharua• n, PunjabSchool of Engineering & Sciences, BPS Mahila Vishwavidyalay• a, Sonepat, HaryanaAmity Institute of Environmental Scienc• e, Nioda, Uttar PradeshTIFAC - CORE in Environmental Engineering, SCE• T, Surat, GujaratIndira Gandhi National Open University, School of Sciences, New Delhi•School of Earth Sciences, Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada •University, Nanded, MaharashtraInstitute of Environmental Studies, Kurukshetra Universit• y, Kurukshetra, HaryanaWomens College of Environmental Studies & Research Academy• , Nagpur, MaharashtraDepartment of Environmental Science, Yogi Vemana Universit• y, Andhra PradeshDepartment of Environmental Science, University of Kashmi• r, Shrinagar, Jammu & KashmirDepartment of Environmental Science, Pune Universit• y, Pune, MaharashtraSchool of Environmental Studies, University of Delh• i, New Delhi
Acharya Nagarjuna University, Department Environmental Scienc• e, Guntur, Andhra PradeshDepartment of Environmental Science, Shivaji Universit• y, Kolhapur, MaharashtraSchool of Studies in Environmental Chemistry, Jiwaji Universit• y, Gwalior, Madhya PradeshDepartment of Environmental Science, University of Burdma• n, Burdman, West BengalCentre for Pollution Control and Environmental Engineerin• g, Kalapet, Puducherry, PondicherrySchool of Environmental Studies, Jadavpur Universit• y, Kolkata, West BengalDepartment of Environmental Science, Sambalpur Universit• y, Sambalpur, OrissaDepartment of Environmental Science, University of Mysor• e, Mysore, KarnatakaDepartment of Environmental Biotechnology, Bharathidasan Universit• y, Tirchy, Tamil NaduDepartment of Environmental Science, The University of Burdwa• n, Burdwan, West BengalDepartment of Environmental Science, Fakir Mohan University• , OrissaDepartment of Environmental Science, University of Kalyan• i, Kalyani, West BengalDepartment of Environmental Science, Manonmaniam Sundaranar •University, Tamil NaduDepartment of Environmental Science, Gauhati Universit• y, Gauhati, AssamDirectorate of Quality Management, School of Environmental Scienc• e, New DelhiDepartment of Environment Sciences,Bangalore Universit• y, Bangalore, KarnatakaDepartment of Environment Science, School of Science, Gujarat •University, Ahmedabad, GujaratDepartment of Environmental Science, Indira Gandhi National Tribal •University, Amarkantak, Madhya PradeshNavrachana University, School of Environmental Design and •Architecture, Vadodara, GujaratDepartment of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian School of •Mines University, Dhanbad, JharkhandDepartment of Environmental Biology, Awadhesh Pratap Singh •University, Rewa, Madhya PradeshDepartment of Environmental Studies, Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati •University, Ajmer, RajasthanDepartment of Pharmacology and Environmental Toxicology, University •of Madras, Chennai, Tamil NaduDepartment Environmental Health Engineering, Sri Ramachandra •University, Chennai, Tamil NaduSchool of Environmental Studies, Cochin University of Science and •Technology, Kochi, KeralaDepartment of Environmental Science, Tezpur Universit• y, Tezpur, AssamIndira Gandhi Academy of Environmental Education Research and •Ecoplanning, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, Madhya PradeshDepartment of Environmental Science College of Forestry, Dr. Y. S. Parmar •University of Horticulture & Forestry , Solan, Himachal PradeshDepartment of Post Graduate Studies and Research in Environmental •Science, Gulbarga University, Gulbarga, KarnatakaDepartment of Environmental Science and Engineering Group, Birla •Institute of Technology, Ranchi, JharkhandDepartment of Botany, University of Mysor• e, Mysore, KarnatakaFaculty of Science and Environment, Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot •Gramoday Vishwavidyalay, Chitrakoot, Satna, Madhya PradeshDepartment of Biotechnology, Fakir Mohan Universit• y, Balasore, OrissaArvindbhai Patel Institute of Environmental Desig• n, Vidyanagar, Gujarat
Green Voice24 A Newsletter from CMs ENVIs CENtRE on Environment and Youth
For more information: Anand A Jha, Co-ordinatorCMS ENVIS Centre, RESEARCH HOUSESaket Community Centre, New Delhi 110 017P: 91-11-2684 4020, 2685 1660, F: 91-11-2696 8282 [email protected]
CMS ENVIS Parent organisation: P N Vasanti, Director, [email protected]
www.cmsindia.org
EnvironmentPromoting Responsibility
Established in 1991, CMS has carved out a niche for itself as a research based think tank committed to rigorous and objective analysis to support improved
policymaking.
CMS Environment, the team behind all the environmental endeavours of CMS, has been involved multifariously in policy research and programme evaluation aimed at creating sustainable solutions for environment protection. CMS Environment Team has also been consistently undertaken capacity building and enhancing initiatives with range of stakeholders to orient on contemporary environment issues like climate change, sustainable transport, conservation, etc.
CMS ENVIS CENTrE Established in 2000, CMS ENVIS is a premiere centre designated by Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India to facilitate information dissemination and further the cause of environment awareness and sensitisation. A separate space in its campus has been allocated to house documentary films, spots/ public service messages, info-mercials, quiz programmes, jingles etc. on environmental and wildlife issues. www.cmsenvis.nic
Green Films resource Centre Established in 2007, the Audio Visual Resource Centre (AVRC) is a state-of-the-art archive of documentaries, films and audio spots on environment and development issues.
