Environmentalism in India
Deepti Kalsi on Indian environmentalism | Well, I would say yes I do consider myself an aspiring environmentalist, but I have many areas in which I think I could stand to improve.
As for India, it has been two years since I went back and whenever I go I tend to visit the same 2 or 3 places. I always go to New Delhi. I think based on Delhi alone I would say I have seen a strange dichotomy. On the one hand, Delhi has planted a lot of trees in recent years in an attempt to counteract the increasing air pollution.
In fact, a few years ago there were boards all over the city promoting “Keep Delhi Green.” They also have created a Metro rail system that runs within Delhi as well as to some outlying areas. From my experience traveling on it as well as accounts of friends and relatives who used it recently, it is fast, efficient, and clean. It’s hard to find anything that actually stays clean in Delhi!
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On the flip side of these environmentally-friendly strides, you have the introduction of a ridiculous amount of cars on to the already crammed roads of this congested city. I’m sure you read about the Tata Motors Nano.
Automobile-generated pollution aside, I would have to commend India on at least emphasizing “reuse” more than I see here in the US. In the US, it is far more expensive to go have something repaired if it has been damaged. Thus, most people just go out and purchase a new product. Helps GDP. However, this mentality generates a lot of waste. I recently caught myself swept up in this mentality as well since it is all around us. This is a simple example: in India, if you have a damaged shoe you can find a repairman sitting out on the street or even if you take it to a shop it will not cost you a lot to fix up the shoe. In the US, shoe repair is so expensive most times you’re better off just going out and buying a new pair of shoes even if it is just one shoe that is damaged.
Deepti currently lives in California, the United States of America, where she works as a credit analyst
Interesting example there…with the ’shoe’. Come to think of it, it’s indeed so much true…the comparison of a life cycle assessment (LCA) of a product in the US and back here in Delhi, will indeed reveal striking variations.
At the same time, even though New Delhi is one of the greenest cities in the world, the existing revamping of the city..owing to the upcoming Commonwealth Games, and the ever increasing urban sprawl has put a lot of pressure on the greens of Delhi.
Regards
Govind
govind@delhigreens.org
“in India, if you have a damaged shoe you can find a repairman sitting out on the street or even if you take it to a shop it will not cost you a lot to fix up the shoe. In the US, shoe repair is so expensive most times you’re better off just going out and buying a new pair of shoes even if it is just one show that is damaged”
I think this is a fantastic observation that deserves further exploration. Here’s my tuppence worth:
There is an issue of pride at stake here. Very few people in the UK (and I’m guessing the US) would be proud to be a shoe repairer. We often tend to think that these jobs are somehow “above” us - because we all deserve to be rock stars, and society should provide that for us instead of us giving hard work back to other people.
This was not necessarily always the case. Buck 65’s “Craftsmanship” is worth a read and a listen if you can where you are:
“And that’s it, you treat each shoe like it’s special
Care about your work, and be a professional
…
It ain’t about the dollar or trying to go fast
Unless you take pride in what you’re doing, it won’t last”
I don’t think this is universally true of Westerners, but I do think there is a pervasive nastiness about aspects of society that goes hand-in-hand with conerns over the environment.
When I said “above”, I meant below…! :S
“There is an issue of pride at stake here. Very few people in the UK (and I’m guessing the US) would be proud to be a shoe repairer. We often tend to think that these jobs are somehow “above” us - because we all deserve to be rock stars, and society should provide that for us instead of us giving hard work back to other people.”
I think that Mr. Simmons raises a good point here.