A range of books that can map a path through the ecological crisis

A range of books that can map a path through the ecological crisis
Tue Jun 5, 2012 10:46 pm (PDT)
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main52.asp?filename=Ne090612READING.asp
From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 9, Issue 23, Dated 09 June 2012
CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOKS
Reading The Crisis
A range of books, each with a distinct line of enquiry, can map a path through the ecological crisis, says Nagraj Adve
WHEN SPEAKING to college students about global warming, one question invariably comes up: "What are the possible ways forward?" In climate change literature, the answers to that question falls under three broad heads: technological and/or mainstream market solutions; decentralised models and grassroots initiatives, for both a bottom-up and top-down approach; and radical transformation, usually advocated by Marxist ecologists who view the crisis as rooted in capitalism.
A delightful example in the 'tech' category is Risto Isomäki's 64 Ways to Absorb Carbon and Improve the Earth's Reflectivity (Into Publishing, 2009). Those ways include storing carbon in anthills, or in sea water, and using magnesium cement instead of the energy- intensive cement currently produced! This lucid book has feasible suggestions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and yet obviously reflects a capacity to think out of the box. One work that adamantly refuses to budge boxed boundaries is the influential The Economics of Climate Change: The Stern Review (Cambridge, 2007). It presents a number of taxation, pricing and technology policy measures for mitigation, adaptation and international collective action in arguing that "reducing emissions to avoid the worst impacts of climate change is feasible" and what's more, its costs "can be limited to around 1% of global GDP each year".
James Hansen, among the world's most respected climate scientists, says (Storms of My Grandchildren, Bloomsbury, 2009) there's no way to solve the problem without phasing out coal emissions. He pushes for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and a rising tax on carbon-based fuels, as does scientist-activist Vandana Shiva who thinks a carbon tax - on corporations - is the way forward (Soil Not Oil, Women Unlimited, 2009). Hansen also, to the dismay of many environmentalists, advocates nuclear power, specifically fast breeder reactors. His science is brilliant, politics not quite, and he's silent on equity. But to be fair, he's stuck his neck out on coal and shale.
Unlike Hansen, Praful Bidwai (The Politics of Climate Change and the Global Crisis, Orient BlackSwan, 2012) is vehemently anti-nuclear, and sees hope and change in the 'renewables revolution', particularly grid-connected solar photovoltaic and wind. He discusses local initiatives on solar power and also presents decentralised models that include varied sources of energy, looking at their "local availability, costs, ecological impacts and local communities' access to and control over them". Bill McKibben's The End of Nature (Penguin, 1990) touches on local initiatives (in the US) and ends by advocating 'deep ecology', a need to "change the way we think", emphasising that the human species doesn't belong at the top in every way, but is one species among many.
The criticism that technological solutions or mainstream economics' approaches to the deepening and varied ecological crises ignore what Jonathan Neale calls "the underlying problem - capitalism" (Stop Global Warming, Bookmarks, 2008) is valid. Not only should we cover the world with wind turbines and solar power, "ordinary people have to take control of the economy" and break the power of profit; produce for need instead. Rather than despair about whether and when this will happen, John Bellamy Foster, a prolific Marxist ecologist argues (The Ecological Revolution, Cornerstone Publications, 2009) that "the struggle for ecological revolution is firmly rooted in the principle of hope".
Ecological crises are so complex and urgent that we need to work at all levels, simultaneously. Push for clean technologies, not just grid-connected but also in decentralised forms, by which there is greater scope for people's control over their use. Strengthen grassroots initiatives, for they contain not just seeds of hope for the future, but also are a barrier against a right-wing backlash fuelled by environmental crises and resource constraints. And deepen the ongoing struggles, for equity and against capitalism, with an ecological worldview.
Adve is a climate change activist.

A Calendar Too Crowded By Sagarika Chakraborty

A Calendar Too Crowded By Sagarika Chakraborty
About The book:
A Calendar too Crowded is a collection of 25 short stories and poems, where the concept revolves around the celebratory days on the calendar we follow, where a large number of important days are dedicated to women or life in general where women play a major role. The attempt is not to highlight how in January, there’s a day in India dedicated to girl children, or how April has come to be officially declared as a month against sexual abuse throughout the world. The attempt is to delve deeper and analyze whether it is merely enough to rely on statistics and be complacent in the knowledge that the numbers indicate a better society in the making, or whether there is an urgent need to look beneath the covers and realize that despite all such dedicated days, there are 300 odd days when there is nothing special that life has to offer. Where each day is still an unending drudgery, where womanhood is cursed and trampled upon.
It is also an attempt to look into houses where everything looks picture perfect on the surface, but there are blatant cases of domestic violence and gender inequality that have been swept under the carpet for fear of tainting the family name and image. The attempt is to bring forth the bruises hidden beneath each lavishly draped body that need to be highlighted even on days which are not dedicated to campaigns against domestic violence. All the voices that have found expression in this book through their stories are nameless, because no name would justify a voice which represents millions. They transgress all boundaries of geography, religion, age and caste to become one voice— the voice of womanhood. Each and every voice in these stories can be connected to any woman you see around you and they seek to say that all women deserve to be happy every day of the year, because every day in the calendar of every woman’s life is precious, just like yours.
Highlights of the book: • The book revolves about the central theme of womanhood and is the first of its kind where the entire lay out has been based on the theme of a calendar. • The stories are spun around the days attributed to women and children – Mother’s Day, Women’s Day, National Day for Girl Child • The book at ISB Hyderabad was launched by Ashwin Sanghi – Ashwin while lauding the efforts that has gone into making of the book also felt that he related to the theme of the book. He emphasized that “Both my two novels revolve around the theme of Shakti/Nari and somehow thus the very fact that here too women on the whole is the centre and the effort is to showcase the drudgery they go through, yet the strength they retain, makes me feel connected to it”. • The book was jointly launched at ISB, Hyderabad on January 11th 2012 by Ashwin Sanghi and Dean , Ajit Rangnekar • The book is also set for a special mention at the upcoming Hyderabad Literary Festival, 2012 (January 17, 2012)

Release Type: Print, Soft Cover Price: Rs. 295 Binding: Soft Cover Imprint: 1st Edition Genre: Fiction Page Extent: 189 pages Pub Date: January 2012 (Niyogi Books, New Delhi) Territory: Indian

QUOTES FROM EMINENT READERS:
ASHWIN SANGHI : "Sagarika's writing is gut-wrenching. It reaches deep within and makes you wonder why deep-rooted gender biases persist. A Calendar Too Crowded is not for the fainthearted but is certainly a work that needs to be read, particularly by someone like me who has personally experienced the power of Shakti and the sacred feminine." VINAY PATHAK : Actor Vinay Pathak, when told that the story “Sisters by Choice” had drawn inspiration from his struggle of adoption picked up the book and gave reviews on two stories. Sisters by Choice: “Got my book in mail today. And the first story I read was sisters by choice. I can't begin to tell u the emotional journey it took me onto. Needless to say very well written. The emotional quotient u arrived at was very poignant n touching. Naked: The prose has a poetic and a poignant mystique that gives the reader a whole lot to ponder....
DILEEP JHAVERI “Inspite of witnessing all that we have failed to acknowledge, is observed in detail by Sagarika. She has read fears hidden behind, apparently placid security of middle class mind. But, she transcends time and class with changing narrative styles, sharpness of statements, satire, surprises, sensuality and sense of history and mythology. As a woman she confronts life and as a human being conquers death!”
ALAKNANDA ROY “We all wanted to just come and see if Sagarika is really 27 after reading the book. It gave us shivers and yet we couldn’t put it down. The way she connects the life of a woman from pre natal stages to death is not only wonderful but gives us the solace that young writers like her are there who shall guide the society.”

About the Author: Sagarika Chakraborty, born in Kolkata, studied law at National Law University, Jodhpur and is currently studying management at Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. Her projects and numerous articles on diverse subjects—corporate governance principles with special emphasis on emerging and transition economies, globalization, ethics, monetary economics, religion—have been published in Indian and international publications. She has presented papers on E-Governance, corporate law principles, sexual harassment, asset pricing models at international conferences and global forums in Sydney, Glasgow, Korea, Wellington and Washington D.C. Her paper on E-Governance in India, has been appreciated in the ‘Working Paper series’ of the World Bank and she has also won the ‘Best Economic Crisis—Paper Award’ at the World Summit on Economic Financial Crisis and International Business, 2009, held at Washington D.C. Looking into her contribution in the domain of policy work she was recently awarded Fellowship by the Royal Society of Arts, UK. Apart from delving into serious research work, she has also written light fiction/poetry for various online and print media, and is an avid salsa enthusiast. This is her first book.

Tales from the Wild by Dr. Raza H. Tehsin and Arefa Tehsin

Book Review: Tales from the Wild by Dr. Raza H. Tehsin and Arefa Tehsin
Tales from the Wild is a children’s book full of fascinating animal adventures, written by award-winning Naturalist and Wildlife expert Dr. Raza H. Tehsin along with his daughter Arefa Tehsin. The short stories are reminiscent of the Panchatantra genre with a similar allure to young ones and the useful addition of factual information and snippets of interesting data about various species. Each story is more than just a sequence of actions. It is a treasure of knowledge, gleaned from years of research, and presented in a fun way along with illustrations for children to absorb easily. From what makes a firefly glow to why bears and leopards avoid each other, the stories intertwine fact and mythology in an enticing manner. Although generously interspersed with humour and easy to read, the stories still retain an element of poignancy. A message runs through many of the stories, repeated at the end for easy recall. It could be asking children to be thoughtful, aware of their environment, brave, curious, appreciative of the delicate balance in nature and wildlife conservation.

We caught up with Arefa Tehsin, co-author of the book, to answer a few questions for us: TBI: Can you give us your background and what led to this book? Arefa: Playing with snakes, exploring jungle caves or treading alone in the jungles at night has always delighted me as much as penning down words. Being the daughter of Naturalist Raza H. Tehsin, fondly known as the Vasco de Gama of Mewar jungles, and granddaughter of T. H. Tehsin, one of the earliest big game hunters turned conservationists of India, I grew with a deep love for the forests. My family always encouraged me to write since my school days. My father’s idea, which he has had for quite a few years, of educating and bringing children close to Nature through stories, led me to write this book with him. TBI: The book has very interesting characters. Any particular reasons for choosing these over others? Arefa: I think the characters chose us. They chose to come to our mind while we were writing these stories. TBI: What recognition has the book received so far? Arefa: Nobel Laureate Dr. R. K.Pachauri read Tales from the Wild and found it to be “quite fascinating & an excellent attempt to connect children with Nature through stories.” It is being received well in Sri Lanka where schools like the LPF Academy want to take it up as an Environment Study Book for the curriculum. The book has received excellent reviews, more than what we’d expected. But my biggest reward was when at a school in Colombo, after a book reading session, all the teachers and students sang “What a Wonderful World” for me, something to remember them by. They told me to take the song in my heart for my father, the co-author. TBI: Where can one order/buy the book? Arefa: One can order the book on Flipkart. Or buy the e-book on Amazon. It is available in some bookstores in Mumbai, Delhi and Udaipur (Pages) and hopefully it should be available more widely soon. TBI: Do you intend to follow it up with other titles in the future? Arefa: We are writing a series of such wildlife/Nature books for children, which educate and entertain. The second book of the series is almost complete. Other than that Dr. Raza and I co-authored another book called “Steed of Jungle God”, which is a collection of short stories about my father’s 60 years of jungle experiences, his encounters with the unknown phenomena and his quest for rational explanations behind them. I’ve written another book called Iora and the Quest of Five, the first novel of a children’s fantasy series based in a rainforest. Both these books are scheduled to be published in 2011-12. Dr. Raza H Tehsin Arefa Tehsin The 12 stories are bound to fire children’s imagination and make them better appreciate nature and the animal life all around them (and fast disappearing). Pick up a copy and discover your wild side!

The Art of racing in the Rain, Garth Stein

Book: The Art of Racing in the Rain
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Racing_in_the_Rain
The Art of Racing in the Rain
The Art of Racing in the Rain is a 2008 novel by American author and film producer Garth Stein - told from a dog's point of view. The novel became a New York Times bestseller, remaining on the list for more than 40 weeks.
Synopsis
The novel follows the story of Denny Swift, a race car driver living in Seattle, and his dog Enzo, who believes in the Mongolian legend that a dog who is prepared will be reincarnated in his next life as a human. Enzo sets out to prepare, with The Seattle Times calling his journey "a struggle to hone his humanness, to make sense of the good, the bad and the unthinkable."
Enzo spends his days watching and learning from television, gleaning what he can about his owner's greatest passion, race car driving - and relating it to life. Enzo eventually plays a key role in Denny's child-custody battle with his in-laws, and distills his observations of the human condition in the mantra "that which you manifest is before you."