Vandana Shiva- Who pollutes: The rich or the poor?

[Chandra Kishore]

There is a very interesting article by Vandana Shiva.

 

On June 29, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with editors of a few newspapers. When asked about whether he had been putting pressure on the Environment Ministry to approve environmentally destructive projects, he said "yes", and justified that by quoting Indira Gandhi: "Poverty is the biggest polluter, we need to have a balance".

Indira Gandhi said this in Stockholm, 1972 at the first Environmental Conference. She also read a quote from the Atharvaveda: "Whatever, I dig of you, O Earth, May that grow quickly upon you, O Pure One, may my thrust never pierce thy Vital points, thy heart".

The Prime Minister has conveniently ignored the more significant quote.

 

 

Check the link http://aje.me/n8LeYG to read more.

 

Who according to you is the biggest polluter?

[GOPI KANTA GHOSH]

Pollution as part of plan...Government plans future disaster...pathetic..shame...sad

[Vinodh Valluri]

“A materialistic desire (separate from God) is explained as a desire to enjoy the material world to its fullest extent. In modern language, this is called economic development.” The term is itself an oxymoron, because the world is only degraded in these selfish attempts at hollow happiness. We are already seeing how greed, and the lustful pursuit of power are wreaking havoc on even the so-called 'developed' nations like USA and Greece, who are cringing in fear now. What the rich have succeeded in doing is but a legalized form of theft and murder, e.g., Monsanto's GM seeds being the underlying cause of thousands of destitute farmers committing suicide in my home state Andhra Pradesh.. The answer is clear - pollution of the outer world roots from the pollution in our own hearts - greed, lust, pride, anger, envy and jealousy. There is no greater scientific realization than one which can help solve the problem from inside out.. for cutting the branches of this weed will only provoke it more.. Environmental pollution has to be uprooted from the deepest roots - the human roots.. Even as the most spiritually advanced nation of this world, if India fails to reckon and register action in this path, it would be a sordid affair, indeed...

[Dr. Krishna Kumari Challa]

Yes, I read the article in a news paper recently. She is right to some extent. There should be a balance between Growth and development and ecological health of a nation. The Indian PM has removed Jairam Ramesh for following this religiously. The problem is our PM is an economist not an ecologist! So he doesn't understand ecology as well as he understands economy!

[Rima Biswas]

I fully agree to your views  Mr. Vinodh Valluri. Have we ever wondered why suddenly there is so much of hue and cry on saving environment, saving earth, green house effect, etc..?? Why these problems were not there in our ancient times?? Infact, our history shows that we were much richer and affluent than we are now. Our forefathers were more knowledgeable than we are now. Every thing is written in scriptures..how to lead life, how to derive wealth, how to cure ailments, how to extract metals, how to deal in business, how to do astronomy, astrology, surgeries etc..and what not.  But we dont follow and understand what is already written. We simply and blindly follow western world..see what they see, do what they do..wear what they wear and eat what they eat.... If they discover antibiotics, we start using them irrationally. If they manufacture pesticides, we start using them blindly. Now they are only shouting at the top of their lungs..about the ill effects of pesticides and antibiotics..So we also start educating people on the ill effects of those chemicals. we teach our children to follow whatever they are finding. Why?? Only because, their country is glamorous and rich. We, like beggars, cannot control our lust and desires and are following them. One blind person following another blind person and leading to pitfall.

Examples are not limited to antibiotics or pesticides..there are ennumerous examples.. even in our daily life styles..

Even the rich nations are polluting the environment and creating rules like 'carbon credits' where so called developing nations are selling are clean air for them to pollute. They are dumping their toxic hazardous scraps to our country. We are paving way for big multinational companies for making investments in our country..giving them land, labour and markets in cheap rates. Why..so that our people can earn jobs in those companies and Indian employees can proudly flash the their icards of those MNCs.

 

Mr PM has said it aptly..'Poverty is the biggest polluter'....because poverty leads to sorrow, lust, desires and destruction. What we need is knowledge..enlightenment..and not economic reform through massive destructive projects.

Vinodh Valluri said:

“A materialistic desire (separate from God) is explained as a desire to enjoy the material world to its fullest extent. In modern language, this is called economic development.” The term is itself an oxymoron, because the world is only degraded in these selfish attempts at hollow happiness. We are already seeing how greed, and the lustful pursuit of power are wreaking havoc on even the so-called 'developed' nations like USA and Greece, who are cringing in fear now. What the rich have succeeded in doing is but a legalized form of theft and murder, e.g., Monsanto's GM seeds being the underlying cause of thousands of destitute farmers committing suicide in my home state Andhra Pradesh.. The answer is clear - pollution of the outer world roots from the pollution in our own hearts - greed, lust, pride, anger, envy and jealousy. There is no greater scientific realization than one which can help solve the problem from inside out.. for cutting the branches of this weed will only provoke it more.. Environmental pollution has to be uprooted from the deepest roots - the human roots.. Even as the most spiritually advanced nation of this world, if India fails to reckon and register action in this path, it would be a sordid affair, indeed...

[MAMTA TOMAR]

It's very easy to blame the people who even don't know the meaning of environment because there is no drive in our beloved country to educate the people. If someone does it then they criticize that its just show off from some intellectuals. I was shocked to hear from one of our Hon'rable Ministers when he explained the Standard of Cleanliness followed in India during Recent Common Wealth Games in India when International Community criticised the arrangements done by CWG Oranizing Committee.

These politicians should understand, as long as the corruption in Authorities will exist no one can change the face of India, our rivers will keep on stinking and poor public will be threatened by various dieases.