Meet 3 Indian environmentalists fighting to save the planet
Riya Yadav, INN/Gwalior, @infodeaofficial
These were the people with a head start, driven by a cause, compelled by spirit. From animal welfare to fighting climate change, these environmentalists took the first steps of dreaming of a new future.
Dr. Vandana Shiva
Having grown up in the Himalayan forests played a key role in Vandana Shiva’s ecological Awareness. “I grew up drinking water from streams so I refuse to accept the pollution of our rivers as inevitable or natural.” She says.
But it was participating in the Chipko movement that taught her thinking about knowledge and expertise.” The women of the movement were ordinary peasants in Garhwal and yet were biodiversity. Experts in their own right. There was no place for sexism, patriarchy, racism, and castism there.” She adds.
She feels that the need of the hour is to shed illusions that development is the conquest of nature.
Karuna Singh
After a 24 year with the US State Department’s Consulate, Karuna Singh joined Earth Day Network (EDN) taking on the stupendous challenge of beginning its intuitive stupendous challenge of beginning its initiatives in India in 2010.
EDN now engages with over 75,000 organizations in some 190 countries to take the environmental movement forward. ”The biggest challenge for us was India’s diversity. There’s no cookie-cutter solution,” says Singh.
Explaining melting glaciers to the coastal population and rising ocean currents to those living in mountainous regions becomes difficult because each place has its sensitivities, she explains.
Sunita Narain
Sunita Narain’s curiosity for environmental issues started while she was still in school, inspired by her mother who was an avid gardener. However, her first brush with a real movement was the Chipko movement.
The Padma Shri awardee now plays an active role in policy formulation on issues of environment and development and has been listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in the Chipko Time Magazine.
“As an environmentalist, we strive to ensure human being in tune with nature. To create a resilient economy that is nature friendly but benefits the poorest.” She says.
