Today, Environment Support Group, which is working in many ways for the commons of Bangalore and Karnataka, organized a lecture on ‘Rethinking the Indian city, reclaiming its Commons” by Professor Michael Goldman.

Here’s the background about Prof. Goldman that ESG gave in their invitation mail:

“Prof. Michael Goldman is a McKnight Presidential Fellow and professor of Sociology and Global Studies at the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, USA. He is the editor of Privatizing Nature: Political Struggle for the Global Commons (Rutgers University Press and Pluto Press), and the author of Imperial Nature: The World Bank and Struggles for Social Justice in the Age of Globalization (Yale University Press 2005; Orient Longman India 2006; Kyoto University Press [in Japanese] 2008), based on a decade-long ethnography of the World Bank. He is currently conducting research in Bangalore on the project,“Bangalore: The Making of a World City,”focusing on the transformations of land, government,and citizenship taking place under liberalization.”

Here’s Leo Saldanha of ESG, introducing Professor Goldman:

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Here’s a message from a friend, about a meeting I consider it important to attend:

There will be a meeting at Environment Support Group (ESG) at 3.30 pm tomorrow (Sat. 5th), to discuss and strategise on two very important issues concerning the city.

1)The BBMP has touted a road-widening program on 91 roads ( to be extended to 123) of Bangalore. Since the announcement of the scheme, ESG and Hasiru Usiru have been opposing the project, as it is irrational and against all basic principles of design and planning.

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I was in Jayanagar yesterday and saw this signboard, put up by Smt G Sharada Ramaswamy, a senior citizen:

I was very impressed that the lady cared enough about her city to have this sign up, exhorting her fellow-citizens to keep this city (”this is your own”) clean and green.

If each one of us could just follow this advice….what a benefit all of us would get in return!

Here’s Bannerghatta Road, at the Jayadeva flyover; four years ago, all the trees that had been planted on this road were cut down and the road widened, and the flyover built.

Can you see even a blade of grass in the picture?

What has the effect of the tree-felling, road-widening, and flyover-building been on traffic?

The traffic is as choked as ever, and all that has happened is that we have lost a lot of greenery and tree cover; the area has become much more polluted and noisy.

Can we stop further unnecessary felling of trees and widening of roads, which result in the same traffic congestion + lack of trees, just a few years down the line, and think of more long-term and people-friendly solutions to our traffic problems?

Clean and Green is a group of volunteers who are trying to actively manage plastic waste and ensure that it gets collected and well-used, at at least one tourist location near Bangalore.

Read my article about them

click here

A simple agenda for improving our environment…I am very impressed with the way Clean and Green functions.

We often bemoan the apathy that rules our city. But sometimes, even when efforts are made to prevent some really bad practices, the determination of the average citizen to spoil his own environs defeats the initiative.

Here, near NIMHANS, is a picture of the symbols of various religions, with an unambiguous message. The hope is that no one would think of urinating over holy symbols:

But our Average Citizen..he wants to GO. Right now, right here. And he converts the message by hiding the “Do not”….

And what’s the rate at which we like to foul up our pavements? Here it is….!

When are our attitudes going to change? As long as we have no sense of pride in our city, don’t think of it as our own home, this will continue to happen….

We are having a Car-Free Week initiative this whole week, where each of us tries, on one day, at least, not to use a car, but a cycle, or public transport, instead….

The SMS should be to: 99801 53695

The week’s efforts culminates in a Cycling Rally on April 27th.

For registering, go to

http://www.gocycle.in/Join-Car-free-day.html

bhisheka Krishnagopal wrote:
Date: Tue, 22 AApr 2008 11:42:00 +0530
From: “Abhisheka Krishnagopal”
To: prashanth178@yahoo.co.in
Subject: Training Programme on Bio-Resources’

Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE), Bangalore chapter is organizing a free ‘Vacation Training Programme on Bio-Resources’ from May 6th to May 26th 2008.

Funded by Department of Bio-Technology, Government of India, this program consists of lectures and interactive sessions with eminent scientists and experts in the field of biology and bio-resources, visits to research institutes, orientation to skills required for field-biology and out-door camps.

Students who have appeared Class X examination in 2008 from recognized schools in Karnataka are eligible to apply.

For application forms and other details visit http://atree.org/vpbr_0508.html or contact 98806 12474.

Last date to receive completed applications is 28th April 2008.

You may also contact:

Abhisheka Krishnagopal for any clarifications

This is the Airtel office on Bannerghatta Road, near the Jayadeva flyover. True to the “modern” trend in architecture, the facade of the building is all glass; but look at the effect on the inside.

Since one entire wall is glass, the afternoon/evening sun pours in through it.

This is all very well for cities in cold countries where sunshine is a rare commodity, and buildings need to be heated. But here, where the mercury yesterday was at 34 degrees Celsius, it meant a huge volume of space where things were very uncomfortable.

Here are the staff, who have to sit facing the hot and intense sunlight throughout the afternoon:

The customers also have to sit in the sun, but at least they have their backs to it..and they are there for far less time.

The Airtel office is air-conditioned; I can also guess at the amount of energy and electricity it must be taking to cool down the space heated by the glass design of the building.

The architect who designed Jal Bhavan (it’s the building in the dead centre of that map, next to that “pleated” building) has said that glass is a bad material for architecture in India; it heats up the inside of the buildings, which then have to be cooled down at enormous cost in terms of electricity/energy.

Having been in the Airtel office, I would tend to agree.

Crisis in Bangalore: Traffic is destroying this city

Do any of these frustrate you on a daily basis?
* Being stuck in a traffic jam for hours on end
* Seeing Bangalore being destroyed day by day
* Lack of respect for pedestrian movement
* High air pollution levels
* Huge, beautiful trees being hacked down

So far we have been waiting for SOMEONE, SOMEWHERE to do SOMETHING about the crisis. Nobody is doing anything about it.

We are trying to form a city-wide group of people with skills, time and passion who are willing to do something about this crisis.
Be the change you want to see. Come and join Hasiru Usiru, and the Environment Support Group, in making Bangalore a better place to live.

Date : Sunday, April 6
Time : 3 pm.

Agenda:
We will have a talk detailing the crisis, and describe possible solutions. We’ll then have a discussion on how we can go about implementing them.

Venue: Environment Support Group
105, East End ‘B’ Main Road
Jayanagar 9th Block East
Bangalore - 560069.

Directions:

Map: http://www.esgindia.org/contact/contact.html
(From East End Circle in Jayanagar, go towards Jayadeva Hospital.
Turn left just before the Reebok showroom. ESG is on the right, behind the Reebok showroom).