Nature Conservation in India News & Discussion

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 27 Sep 2010 08:58

Elephant Governance Plan:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/New-eleph ... 04951.aspx

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 28 Sep 2010 01:40

^ IMVHO specific plans for elephants, tigers etc will not be effective.

India has to come up with a comprehensive eco-friendly system where renewable forests are developed for its economic use while 20-30% of land is reserved for national forests.

All these national forests have to be interconnected in such a way that it supports migration patterns.

Any human infrastructure that needs to go thru these national forests must be elevated or done thru underground-tunnels.

If properly done this can bring great value in terms of
- Renewable water resources
- Renewable forest/energy products
- Eco-ESZs for tribal communities
- Eco-tourism

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 30 Sep 2010 12:18

Going to BR Hills next week, I hope some of the striped cats put in an appearence, meawhile good news from the neighbouring Satyamangalam reserve.

Veerappan lair now a tiger den

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 655313.cms

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 03 Nov 2010 12:46

Land scrapes

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 09 Nov 2010 21:31

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11718648

The illegal trade in tiger parts has led to more than 1,000 wild tigers being killed over the past decade, a report suggests.

Traffic International, a wildlife trade monitoring network, found that skins, bones and claws were among the most common items seized by officials.

The trade continues unabated despite efforts to protect the cats, it warns

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 12 Nov 2010 20:38

http://outlookindia.com/article.aspx?267764

The authorities, to be fair, have gone to great lengths to save the elephant— from driving a mobile X-ray machine and a generator deep into the forest to allow them to work at nights to commandeering an earth mover to help the pachyderm stand. Medicines—vast supplies of antibiotics, herbal disinfectant sprays, ayurvedic balms, painkillers and lifesaving fluids—have been brought in and special needles purchased after extensive searches in nearby towns. Elephant experts from Assam and Kerala are being consulted and no one is calculating the costs yet. “We have already spent Rs 40,000 just on medicines and this is what I have to get today,” says forest ranger Pandey brandishing a long list. “We’ll spend whatever it takes to save this elephant. This Diwali, this’ll be our way of worshipping Ganesha.”

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 13 Nov 2010 04:21

The snow leopard skin was seized from the possession of Mohammad Afzal Sheikh, son of Abdul Ahad Sheikh, a resident of Kishtwar in the Jammu region of J&K state. The smuggler was arrested along with the skin of the wild animal at Palmar.

Daily Excelsior

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 13 Nov 2010 05:49

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-11746586

Fearing Maoists attacks, Indian forest officials have moved 22 sloth bears from West Bengal to the south.

It took four days for the 12 male and ten female bears to be brought from Purulia to the Bennerghatta national park, near Bangalore, some 2000km away.

Forest officials decided to rescue the animals because they felt they were under threat, the zoo's director said.

Vasu · Post by **Vasu** » 13 Nov 2010 09:13

8 more tiger reserves likely

“The new reserves would include one in the Satyamangalam forests in Tamil Nadu, besides Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa.”

The national tiger census report should also be available in within the next 15 days, he said speaking at a function held at WWF-India here, ahead of the International Tiger Forum, which is being hosted by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at St. Petersburg from November 21 to 24.

In another news, it was reported that worldwide, the instance of illegal logging from the world's rain forests has come down in the last decade. Its still being done on a grand scale, but that scale has become smaller. I think a part of the reason is the new-found confidence of the latin American nations in handling their own resources, which for far too long were ravaged by the 'developed' world's consumption.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 15 Nov 2010 20:28

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 929301.cms

KAZIRANGA: Two suspected poachers were killed in an encounter with forest guards inside Kaziranga National Park on Monday, KNP authorities said.

The two were killed during an exchange of fire between KNP forest guards and four poachers at Agratoli range at around 5 am, Park director Surajit Kumar Dutta said, adding, the other two managed to escape.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 15 Nov 2010 23:16

vasu - one of the biggest culprits was the japanese construction industry which insisted on using fresh tropical hardwood for throwaway construction tasks where others would use renewable softwoods or plys/composites. hopefully they no longer do this, or have reduced their usage...

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 15 Nov 2010 23:25

Airavat wrote:

The snow leopard skin was seized from the possession of Mohammad Afzal Sheikh, son of Abdul Ahad Sheikh, a resident of Kishtwar in the Jammu region of J&K state. The smuggler was arrested along with the skin of the wild animal at Palmar.

Daily Excelsior

Looks like a baby

Vasu · Post by **Vasu** » 16 Nov 2010 18:24

Lalmohan wrote:vasu - one of the biggest culprits was the japanese construction industry which insisted on using fresh tropical hardwood for throwaway construction tasks where others would use renewable softwoods or plys/composites. hopefully they no longer do this, or have reduced their usage...

ah, didn't know this. Thanks. Still a high percentage of these countries' timber imports comprise illegal wood, but its coming down apparently. Eliminating it completely would require a shift in lifestyle/consumption habits in these countries as well, just like Japan facing flak for all the whale hunting it does.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 16 Nov 2010 19:01

we also need major reeducation about the use of animal parts in medicines, particularly tiger parts and ivory (for ornamental purposes)

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 16 Nov 2010 19:34

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-11760991

A new species of squid has been discovered by scientists during a research cruise in the southern Indian ocean.

The 70cm-long specimen is a large member of the chiroteuthid family.

Squid from this group are long and slender with light-producing organs, which act as lures to attract prey.

It was found during analysis of 7,000 samples gathered during last year's Seamounts cruise led by the conservation group IUCN.

The project started a year ago when marine experts embarked on a six-week research expedition in the Indian Ocean.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 23 Nov 2010 22:49

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1lrambH34I

Excellent synopsis on the Tiger in India.

thayilv · Post by **thayilv** » 24 Nov 2010 08:03

Tiger Summit considering $130M in funding, DiCaprio pledges $1M

Top politicians from 13 countries, such as India, China and Indonesia, gathered in St Petersburg, Russia, hosted by PM Vladimir Putin. The goal is to reverse the declining rate, and to double the population by 2022, under the Global Tiger Initiative. A purposed $330 million to be spent over the next five years to fund equipment and people.

the Chinese use tiger body parts as medicine and an aphrodiasic. This year is the Chinese Year of the Tiger, with the next one being not until 2022, ironically the same year that tigers are expected to go exinct.

The Chinese demand for archaic medicines based on tiger body parts is putting Indian efforts to conserve the animal in real danger. As if rampant destruction of their own environment is not enough, they seem intent to destroy ours as well.

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 24 Nov 2010 11:32

firmly believe that desi original lifestyle is one of the best sustainable lifestyles in the world.

desi folks (barring urban folks) :

generate less garbage (almost nil, whatever garbage genrated by rural desi folks is 100% bio-degradable)
use less water, waste lesser
pollute less water
pollute less air
generate less noise compared to urban population
use resources optimally typical yindoo baniya style
reuse many products/paper/plastic to the extent possible

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 24 Nov 2010 11:39

Over 100 Crocodiles, Fish Found Dead on Ganga Banks
Ghaziabad | Nov 23, 2010

More than 100 carcasses of crocodiles, fish and other aquatic species were found near the banks of river Ganga in Balwapur village, about 80 km from here, under Garhmukteshwar tehsil, officials said today.

Villagers informed the police and the Wildlife Department yesterday about the incident following which the carcasses were removed from the spot, they said.

The reason behind the death of the animals could not be ascertained

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 24 Nov 2010 16:54

bizzarelly the chinese have started tiger farms to breed and then use them for body parts...

RoyG · Post by **RoyG** » 24 Nov 2010 18:17

^^I think tiger farms are a good idea. If done on a large enough scale, it could alleviate some of the pressure on tigers in the wild. I know that India turned down China's offer in the past to take part in a tiger farming program, but I feel that with the tiger population in steady decline it may be worthwhile to look into it.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=6546127

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 24 Nov 2010 18:36

RoyG wrote:^^I think tiger farms are a good idea. If done on a large enough scale, it could alleviate some of the pressure on tigers in the wild. I know that India turned down China's offer in the past to take part in a tiger farming program, but I feel that with the tiger population in steady decline it may be worthwhile to look into it.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=6546127

I disagree completely with this line of thought. It has been discussed in earlier pages of this thread.

The larger question is - what is the purpose of the Tiger farms? Is it to repopulate the wild tiger? Or is for commercial purposes, like the large scale corporate beef industry in the US?

Who besides the Chinese use tiger parts for medicinal purposes? To my knowledge, NONE!

Let the Chinese do what's best for them? The Chinese have Tiger farms for their own selfish reasons, not for the betterment of the Tiger populations in the wild.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 24 Nov 2010 18:46

breeding programme different to farming
perhaps we will need breeding programmes, as there are with teh cheetah

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 24 Nov 2010 19:09

Lalmohan wrote:breeding programme different to farming
perhaps we will need breeding programmes, as there are with teh cheetah

India will need a Tiger breeding program only when the tiger population crashes to the level of the Asiatic Cheetah in Iran.

Remember, the Asiatic Lion was almost completely decimated in the Gir forests. There were no breeding programs implemented for their spectacular recovery. The necessary ingredients were a very strict protection regime for the remaining population, a local population that had a stake in their survival.

It is not too late of the Tiger in India. What is needed is a will to do the right thing. Strict protection, exemplary and quick punishment to the poachers, top down punishment for the managers of national parks such as Sariska and Panna where the Tiger has been poached to local extinction & the involvement of the local population in their ultimate survival.

As i have mentioned before - an excellent template can be had from Nepal, in the way they have managed the Chitawan National Park there.

thayilv · Post by **thayilv** » 24 Nov 2010 20:13

Pranay wrote:Let the Chinese do what's best for them? The Chinese have Tiger farms for their own selfish reasons, not for the betterment of the Tiger populations in the wild.

Also, in the long run, breeding tigers in farms will not in my opinion reduce pressure on the wild population. There will always be those perverts who want the *real wild thing* and what we will see in the end is captive tigers being killed along with their wild cousins.

The Chinese need to understand that the tiger is not their father's property that they can use and abuse as they like.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 24 Nov 2010 20:27

so far they are breeding siberian tigers, but no doubt they'll be after the royal bengal too

more interestingly, bbc ran a series on a potential tiger habitat corridoor across the himalaya and terai - where bhutan was the missing link. they were able to confirm wild tigers in the high bhutan himalaya - which links up tiger habitats from jammu & kashmir through to the burmese hills. if this can be maintained as a mega national park then there is hope for the tiger to survive

in the rest of india, tiger populations are down to penny packets... perhaps in the future we might see connected national parks in the south too... across the kerela/karnataka mountains and across into TN

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 27 Nov 2010 09:32

International Tiger Conservation Forum in St. Petersburg

Hosted by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, governments capped a year-long political process with about US$127 million in new funding to support the plan, known as the Global Tiger Recovery Programme. In addition, the World Bank has offered a US$100 million loan package to three tiger range countries for conservation work, and the Global Environment Facility offered to provide up to US$50 million in grant funding for tiger habitat conservation.

Radhika Lokesh, India's Consul General in St. Petersburg, announced on behalf of Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh, that India has allocated a budget of 10 million rubles for the Global Tiger Forum, and pledges to allocate US$1 billion for village relocation away from tiger habitat. "With a long tradition of tiger conservation, India currently has 39 tiger reserves, and plans to add eight more," said Lokesh. "The government is now committed to securing inviolate areas for tigers and possible expansion of areas on a priority basis."

The 13 tiger range countries (India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, China and Vietnam) will meet during the next six months to secure additional funding for the recovery plan, and will finalize the long-term financing of the plan in July. They will meet again in December 2011 to monitor how well the 12-year plan to save tigers is working.

Tigers playing in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, Uttar Pradesh, India (Photo by Samaj Kalyan Evam Vikas Adhyayan Kendra)

joshvajohn · Post by **joshvajohn** » 02 Dec 2010 12:38

Lavasa links may put Sharad Pawar in dock
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20101128/main5.htm

All you wanted to know about the Lavasa project
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main48.asp ... Lavasa.asp

Pawar takes on Ramesh over Lavasa
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Pawar-tak ... 32902.aspx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5THssydb ... r_embedded

India in 2050 will become a country where only Sharad Pawar and his family can live with 55 degrees if he continues to destroy and encourage corporates to destroy our enviromnent for short time investment income and money. At least let the remaining forest remain. For making money let us not destroy the country and make it a dessert where no one can live in! I am wondering why Maharashtra people still vote for him though he has not done much for the state and failed to be elected as chief minister but now only with Congress help he can have his own as deputy. But at least leave the mother nature alone from your money making destructive business.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 02 Dec 2010 19:34

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Pawar-tak ... 32902.aspx

The alleged green violations in Lake City Project of Lavasa Corporation has pitted two cabinet ministers — Jairam Ramesh and Sharad Pawar — against each other. "I can't understand the notice to Lavasa," said agriculture minister Pawar, who had conceived the project near Pune. The NCP chief also said his ministry's opinion should have been taken before issuing the notice .

I fail to understand why Pawar's ministry would be involved?

Pawar had expressed concern on the environment ministry's stop work order saying the project has started and 1,600 houses have been sold. "What will happen to the labourers working there?" he asked. Ramesh refused to comment.

Amazing brazenness...

The environment ministry officials, however, said all issues raised in Lavasa's reply would be answered in Bombay High Court, where the show cause notice has been challenged.

Pawar came out in defence of the corporate world, cautioning the government over "excessive use" of the CBI against business houses. He was apparently referring to a probe into the loan bribery scam and the phone tapping controversy.

He also wanted the government to take serious note of Rata Tata's comment that India risked turning into a banana republic over alleged witch hunt against the corporate world.

The Congress reacted by saying that the law was above everyone and that is the fundamental dictum, which must apply to all corporates without fear or favour.

There is more to this story than is apparent. It seems that Pawar is hitting back at Jairam Ramesh for rightly standing up and putting a moratorium on BT Brinjal, where Pawar has already signed off on it. It was very apparent then that Pawar and his ministry had not done their due diligence on BT Brinjal and that he was acting as the cat's paw in furthering Monsanto's interests in India.

If Pawar's primary responsibilities lie with the Agricultural Ministry (and BCCI - of course), why is he butting his nose in the working of other ministries? His lack of leadership in his own ministry is pretty obvious!!

Why has not Pawar been told publicly to mind his own ministry?

It is pretty clear that he uses his party's political backing to the Congress government in Maharashtra to further his and his family's interests only.

Such outright lobbying for the builders in the Lavasa case and batting for the Businesses in the loan scam shows Pawar in his true light, a man without vision and a "cat's paw" for corporate interests, who is allowed to vitiate the functioning of other ministries in the government.

Thankfully, Minister for Environment - Jairam Ramesh has the vision and the strength of his convictions to stand up to people such as Pawar.

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 02 Dec 2010 23:44

http://asiatic-lion.blogspot.com/2010/1 ... panel.html

The Planning Commission has approved Rs 262.36 crore to expand the home of the Asiatic lion in Gir, which is its only habitat in the world. The project, 'Greater Gir', was envisaged by Gujarat government for conservation of the Asiatic lion.

The project was for Rs 236.17 crore. Ramesh said the forest ministry has requested the Planning Commission to provide additional funds under IDWH, which had been approved in principle.

This project will cover building of a protected lion corridor, tagging of lions, GPS mapping and creating sanctuaries in Palitana (Bhavnagar) and Barda Dungar (Porbandar), outside the 1400 sq km of Gir National Park, from where lions were seen moving out. The lion population now stands at 411.

Under the IDWH scheme, the Centre has provided assistance worth Rs 1.2 crore over the past two years. To another question, Ramesh said the relocation of 376 families and three forest villages from Gir Lion Reserve has been initiated. This is also part of the Rs 236.17-crore project.

joshvajohn · Post by **joshvajohn** » 06 Dec 2010 04:20

Detect “hidden interests” to tackle corruption
http://www.dnaindia.com/blogs/post.php?postid=317

How appropriate is it for a top politician like Sharad Pawar to promote the development of a massive lake city project for the sake of tourism development in Maharashtra and then state matter-of-factly that his daughter and son-in-law were shareholders in the company behind the project? Since there were no public disclosures in early 2000 when the shares were held, does it not smack of "conflict of interest" between Pawar's public obligations and the private interests of his family?

Approval to Lavasa: Maharashtra govt orders judicial probe
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story ... probe.html

Lavasa links may put Sharad Pawar in dock
Shiv Kumar/TNS
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20101128/main5.htm

Lavasa project controversy: Sharad Pawar forces Jairam Ramesh on back foot
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_la ... ot_1474746

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 13 Dec 2010 06:34

The hangul deer and its home were both looked after. They respected and treated the whole forest as a precious living thing. Maharaja Hari Singh used to travel all over India and whenever he saw some unique forest facility, or a good management idea, he would tell my father, "We must do this for Dachigam." In the early days shooting was done only with the Maharaja's permission. The forest used to be protected totally.

Dachigam National Park

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 20 Dec 2010 19:08

http://asiatic-lion.blogspot.com/2010/1 ... es-to.html

Now an infusion of Blackbucks into Kuno Palpur...

With a huge rise in endangered blackbuck population in Madhya Pradesh, the state forest department wants to translocate 1000 Indian antelopes to Palpur Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary, where its chief predator Cheetah is proposed to be re-introduced in India.

"We have sent a proposal to the Centre seeking permission and funds to translocate 1000 blackbucks in Palpur Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary spread over an area of 300 sq km in Sheopur district where the Cheetahs are going to be re-introduced in India," Madhya Pradesh Forest Minister Sartaj Singh told a news agency.

He said the first pack of Cheetah from South Africa will reach Palpur Kuno in the next winter.

Singh said Cheetahs were being brought from South Africa and Zimbabwe to three places in the country, including two in Madhya Pradesh's Palpur and Naurodehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Sagar district.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 20 Dec 2010 20:13

a thought... [herbs]
with the increasing urbanisation of India, will marginal land come under less pressure from human encroachment?
if so, can forests and wild grasslands be regenerated with only limited numbers of people living in them and using their resources (sustainably)?
therefore, can endangered species benefit?
[/herbs]

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 25 Dec 2010 09:22

Although Madhya Pradesh is popularly known as a tiger state, it has lost as many as ten striped animals including cubs this year

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 25 Dec 2010 22:10

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/ ... dden-tiger

A well researched & well thought out article...

On 9 September 2010, the Jabalpur High Court asked the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Madhya Pradesh forest department to respond to a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an immediate stay on tourism in core forest areas. Chief Wildlife Warden HS Pabla, the top custodian of wildlife in Madhya Pradesh, was on a tour, but he promptly swung into action. A few minutes before the midnight of 14 September, he emailed some of the state’s top tourism players, warning them of the PIL and urging them to join hands ‘to protect’ their interests.

Open has a copy of this tell-tale email sent out by Pabla. It reads:

‘This is to let you know that a PIL (WP no. 12352/2010 – Ajay Dube Vs NTCA and Others) has been filed in the high court of MP Jabalpur, which, among other things, seeks a ban on tourism in the core zones of tiger reserves. The applicant has also preyed (sic) for an iimmediate (sic) stay. Although the government of MP will oppose this application, lodge owners, travel operators, guides etc may also like to implead themselves as affected parties if you want to be sure that this PIL doesn’t succeed. As the case may have serious consequences for you people, kindly take whatever steps you think will be appropriate to protect your interests. As I am travelling and do not have the mail IDs of all of you, kindly inform others who will be affected by this case.’
Not surprising, then, that when the PIL subsequently came up for court hearing last week, around a dozen interventions were submitted. Among the interveners were a slew of hotel associations from Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Pench, and a few NGOs.

While the NTCA told the court that core critical forest areas were “required to be kept as inviolate for the purpose of tiger conservation, without affecting the rights of Scheduled Tribes or such forest dwellers”, in his reply, Pabla claimed that he (as chief wildlife warden) was the supreme authority on such decisions in the state, and that tourism aided the protection of forests and wildlife. The next hearing is scheduled on 6 December.

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 27 Dec 2010 12:25

This magazine is running a poll "Whether PM of India is Serious About Protecting the Tiger?"

The poll results can be easily predicted. 100% says NO

http://www.sanctuaryasia.com/index.php

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 27 Dec 2010 12:28

Also from the sanctuary asia mag site

Meet Madhav Rajaram Subrahmanyam

October 2010: He is just 13 years old, but Madhav has known Bittu Sahgal, who spoke to him in Mumbai, since he was six years old. He came into the conservation fold through Kids for Tigers, the Sanctuary Tiger Programme.

As a child he polished shoes, delivered packages and even demanded a toll from all visitors to his home so he could raise money to save the tiger. Before he was 10 years old, this amounted to Rs. 1.65 lakhs! All the money was handed over to Kishor Rithe of the Satpuda Foundation with a request: “Kishor Uncle, use this to directly protect tigers.” His mission is on-going.

What got you interested in wildlife conservation and the tiger?

I saw my first tiger when I was two. As she turned to face our jeep, my mother tells me that the moon rose quietly behind her and in that moment I fell in love with the tiger. A few years later I learnt that the tiger was an endangered species and I was sad that perhaps my younger brother would never get to see one. That got me thinking about what I could do to save the tiger.

The tiger. The polar bear. The blue whale. The giant panda. All very popular animals. Has the strategy of focusing on the charismatic failed?

The strategy has not failed. It has been poorly executed. It has to reach the point where every child in every corner of the world knows that these are symbols of a changing, dying world. Many kids when they see ‘WWF’ think ‘wrestling’ not ‘wildlife’. Why is this? This is what we need to change.

What do you feel India’s Prime minister should be doing about climate change?

The Prime Minister needs to be more vocal about climate change and by this I mean speaking up for the environment in small ways and not only in big ways. For example, when the BMC proposed to widen Napean Sea Road in Mumbai by cutting down trees, many concerned citizens tried to propose a compromise to save the trees. Our voices were not heard. Even though it was just one street, I wish the Prime Minister had been able to speak for us then. I realise he is busy but he needs to make time for a few small issues, which he can use to draw attention to environment problems. Just like he reacts when farmers commit suicide or people die, he must react strongly when trees are cut down or an animal is poached. Climate change can only be combated if we take both big and small steps.

If you could control their actions, what would you have adults do in terms of planet management in the next 10 years?

This would be my plan for adults: Consume less, waste less, educate more and help in every way because every little step counts. To quote Mother Teresa: “We feel that what we do is only a drop in the ocean but without it the ocean would be one drop less.”

Describe your most moving nature experience?

I cannot choose any one. I have been moved by the magic of nature many times. My first sighting of a tiger in Kabini (heart stopping), the serenity of the Athirapally Vazhachal forest in the afternoon (calming), watching three lionesses hunt for wildebeest in the Masai Mara (thrilling), my first rainbow at the gushing Victoria Falls in Zambia (amazing)…

What do you feel that young people can do to slow down or prevent the ecological catastrophes being foisted on you by my generation?

The most important thing is for us to speak up and make ourselves heard by your generation. Our priority is to make you understand that the world you are changing, for better or worse, is the one that we will inherit. My generation needs to be more educated, less apathetic and less passive.

Do you think that your generation will grow up just as irresponsible as mine, or will they collectively wake to threats, such as climate change and biodiversity loss, that loom large?

My generation will not have the luxury to be irresponsible. For us climate change and biodiversity loss will not be theories, they will be our reality. They already are.

What is written into your personal future in terms of your life goals?

I want to make an impact on the world’s carbon footprint by working actively to reduce it. I want to do this by making changes in my own life and using my voice to help others make the change too.

I want to be a director and use film as a way of exploring and communicating my thoughts and ideas.

Do you have hope for the future?

Yes I do. I see world governments, activists and the media trying more and more to involve us and educate us. This has to be the key to effective action. I think it’s a future worth fighting for.

Link

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 28 Dec 2010 09:29

Houbara bustards give Little Rann a miss this winter:

The border areas of Nadabet and Modabet are otherwise echoing with the chirping of thousands of migratory winged guests this season too. However, houbara bustard is conspicuous because of its absence, which is a cause for concern for bird lovers and state forest department.

joshvajohn · Post by **joshvajohn** » 29 Dec 2010 06:13

‘India, Brazil could lead the way in the bioindustries model'
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/intervi ... 944059.ece

Sterlite Industries accused of unlawful deforestation in Chhattisgarh
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/New ... 122162.cms

Indian Biodiversity Congress begins in Kerala
http://www.newsonair.com/news.asp?cat=state&id=ST4665