It’s not easy to write in the popular construct like ‘5 ways to save the Earth’. mainly because given the state of the world today one can’t think of many ways to save it. Yet there seems to be one way. The SDG way.
Let me explain why I believe that this is the way to save the planet. For long, the only dimension for development has been hijacked by economic development. In the last century alone industrial output went up 40 times and global economy improved 14 times, but 16 times more energy and 9 times more water & fertilizer were consumed, while CO2 emission went up 17 times. Meanwhile social equity languished; forests, lakes, and biodiversity languished and the climate today is changing almost like Delhi weather once did. (source UNDP)
It is time therefore to put the spotlight on other dimensions of ‘development’ too – social inclusion and environmental impact.
In his film ‘An inconvenient truth’, Al Gore tried to caution us of the environmental catastrophe we were headed for. The film and his persistent effort won him an Oscar in 2006, and the Nobel Peace Prize next year in 2007, but no one was listening.
Closer home, the ancients taught us to revere nature and respect every person (kan kan mein bhagwan). While many may have forgotten these teachings, fortunately some did continue to walk the path. Baba Amte for instance. His ‘Anandvanan Ashram’, is run by lepers and it works for the rehabilitation of the underprivileged and people with disabilities. Another notable effort is, Sundar lal Bahuguna’s ‘Chipko movement’ that became a global case study for environmental protection. Yet another is the Bishnoi community, driven by a strong religious belief which is ferociously protective of the endangered black buck.
There are some more examples, but sadly because not many have walked the path often enough, the path has fallen out of popular favour. A wise one laments – Is it the fault of the path when a traveler loses his way? There is wisdom in our old ways, but we must relearn to live by them again.
The SDG way mirrors this path. It aims for us to be goal oriented towards working for the planet and all its inhabitants. But more of that in ‘The Sustainable Development Goal Chakravyuh #3’.
(Cover image from Google Doodle. Illustration by Svabhu Kohli and Viplov Singh)
