Category Archives: Environment
Anathoo at Desi Cotton Workshop
Recently, Upasana held a Desi Cotton workshop that explored the ethical and ecological damage that commercial fashion ventures can do. In this recording, Anathoo, an activist, talks of the cotton value chain, and the exploitation vulnerable groups on that chain face at the hands of Big Business.
Water Crisis
Few days back working groups announced the water crisis, and pleaded the community to be careful in usage of our water. This morning we hosted Tom and Ing-Marie from Water group with updates, and currents situation on water . Tom in details explains where do we get our water from, and what would be the steps in extreme situation or crisis, in which we are headed if there would be no rainfall in near future. Ing-Maries shares some tips on how to save water, with emphasis that those, and more, are available on the web page of Water Group. The group sees future of our water in rain harvesting. Still, situation is severe, and it will take an awareness, and committed acts of each of us to face water crisis.
What is the Low-Tech Lab?
What is the Low-Tech Lab? Is it another business brand using trends such as sustainable and environment friendly to sell a product, or is this an innovative movement that wants to change the approach to global development?
Considering key words such as do it yourself, local manufacturing, low environmental impact, economic, repairable, and for all, how sustainable and environment friendly are some innovative inventions such as solar panels?
While working on technical solutions, how much do we ease our impact on the environment? Has Low-Tech Lab considered focusing on educating people to be more in tunes with nature?
A brief interview with Clement and Camille from Low-Tech Lab, and Mitia from Joy of Impermanence (Auroville).
http://lowtechlab.org/en
LFA2017 Trashion Show
This year campaign of Litter Free Auroville was to bring the community together , to look at our trash. And we might not have done it in big scale past few weeks, but surely Trashion Show brought most of us into Visitor's Centre. We were dazzled, amazed by creation , a transformation of material which in other circumstances might be considered as a trash, yet we saw wonderful "high cotoure" design of individuals and units. Auroville has witnessed this kind of transformation 7 years back, and after intensive work of Wastelss, Upcycling Studio and Eco Service....was about time to be reminded again that the attitude we have to our trash matters. On the stage we saw many models of all ages, some even designers of the dress that was worn. Before the beginning of Trahsion Show Unicorn Collective shared a dance of a giant couple(puppets), and recycling rap group tuned us into the show. For uplifted spirit of the event we can also thank unstoppable Jesse as MC , and Matthia in charge of sound.
Mr. Anathoo speaking on SAFE FOOD
An interactive session with Mr. Anathoo at Sustainable Livelihood Institute (SLI)
- An activist with deep commitment towards sustainability and involved in setting up several amazing ventures related to organic farming including ReStore (www.restore.org.in),OFM (www.ofmtn.in) and Tula (tula.org.in), an orgnaic cotton initiative. He has also been recently involved with the anti-GM Mustard campaign as well as the force behind organising the National Seed Savers & Diversity Festival at Anna University, Chennai.
Mr. Anathoo clearly states how commercialization of the agriculture industry is literally poisoning our food and our lives. In his talk in SLI, he presented with some serious facts and figures clearly pointing out the trend the agriculture industry in adopting by allowing practices like genetically modifies seeds which is a great fraud to our nutritional needs but also encourages the culture of heavy fertilizer and pesticide use. He stresses on the urgency on the consumers to become aware and start demanding for standardized and organic produce which is not only healthy to human but also keep the natural cycle of cultivation in check which supports the entire biosphere connected to producing and harvesting crops.
Shooting Angles- Pondy Art-
Photographer Karthik Subramaniam discusses the politics of photographing politics followed by Arun Vijay Mathavan at an event in Pondicherry's Pondy Art Venue on Rue Suffren. A short question and answer session is also presented.
Dr. Kumar ‘Vet On Wheels’
Meet Dr. Kumar, in Auroville since 1995, and became Aurovillian since 2008. He is a genius voluntary veterinary doctor in Auroville. So what is the difference between an ordinary doctor and Dr. Kumar, his passion to reach the animal, "not to bring the animal to the clinic, it is stressful for the animal, I like to reach the animal" - Dr Kumar. He is designing a unique veterinary services with a 'Mobile Clininc' and terms himself as "Vet on Wheels". Dr. Kumar has performed thousands of neuter surgery on dogs in Auroville and Within the bio-region, for the strays in the villages on a cost-to-cost basis. He has invented and mastered a new technique for this surgery, which involves least incision, only 1 injection process, 3 layers of skin stitching and helps the animal revive and be normal within the same day, unlike the general practice which immobilse the animal to intensive care for 3-4 days atleast. Auroville is natural catalyst for pioneering and innovative minds which carries with itself also the spirit to serve, meeting Dr. Kumar gives the same feeling. Every project or proposal requires support and encouragement from the society on the whole, Dr. Kumar wants to realize the dream of providing best animal care in Auroville and is looking for resources and understanding from the community. To contact Dr. Kumar you can call on mobile no. - +919443203092. More we share, More we care.
Sustainable Living in Auroville
Yesterday, at the Sustainable Living Institute in Kottakarai was a workshop conducted as a part of a Reasearch program between Heriot Watt Univeristy, Findhorn Foundation College, Scene Connect, CSR, Buddha Garden and Auroville Consultancy. The workshop was meant to learn from the local farmers about the challenges and opportunities in the Tamil Nadu farming community.
This interview is with Micheal and Andrew who are visiting academics from Findhorn Foundation College and Herriot-Watt university. They are developing sustainable agriculture and energy conserving practices . They talk about the technology being tested here could potentially be implemented at a mass scale, and help drastically reduce the unbridled consumption of natural resources. The irrigation systems being developed could result in a 60% reduction in water consumption of irrigation, reduction in compost input, increase in yield and increase in nutrient content of the harvest.
The Low-Tech Lab meets Auroville
The Low-Tech Lab, an initiative of young ingenious inventors working together to meet basic needs of humanity in a creative sustainable and environmental friendly approach.
One of the main focuses of Low-Tech Lab is working on a global collaborative research program and open-source documentation.
Their next step is to locate a suitable common ground for these inventors and engineers to gather and work together. Could this common space be offered by Auroville?
http://lowtechlab.org/en
Trashion Show 2017 Backstage
The second Auroville Trashion Show took place the 1st of April but it wasn't an April fool at all...
Andrea jumped on the backstage to get some short interviews with Marc, Pragnya, Arlette, Chandra and Mukhta.
The Auroville Trashion Show 2017 in 41 shots (pics by Piero Cefaloni)
https://www.facebook.com/auroville.radio/posts/1029793613818915
The whole recorded event
http://www.aurovilleradio.org/lfa2017-trashion-show
The Auroville Trashion Show 2010
http://www.aurovilleradio.org/trashion-show
Impressions from The Trashion Show 2010
http://www.aurovilleradio.org/impressions-from-the-trashionshow