| Crossroads and Tigers I am a
12th class student in Ahmedabad and I have a keen interest in environmental education
activities. I was wondering if you could help me choose a career which is closest to
ecological conservation as I am not aware about any undergraduate courses in India, and
courses abroad would become very expensive without scolarships. I regularly take part in
conservation activities through small nature clubs in Ahmedabad and recently we conducted
a signature campaign for saving tigers at the NSTR in Andhra Pradesh and I have despatched
a copy to Gobar Times by post.
GT replies: Please take a look at the career section in our
website. The URL is: http://www.cseindia.org/html/eyou/envedu/ecocareer.htm
Remember, you can be an environmentalist no matter what career you choose. Also, GT
congratulates you on your efforts to save the tiger. Though we always remind our readers
that environmental concerns have to go beyond beautiful tigers or pretty trees. It is not
as simple as it looks.
Meera Bhat
Via email |
School children are being involved all over the country in
environment management. In many schools, children are motivated and involved in cleaning
of garbage, lifting waste and collecting poly bags. It is suggested that through your
editorial, especially in Gobar Times, teachers and children be warned to be careful
for their own safety during garbage cleaning drives by using gloves (or poly bags as
gloves) and by washing hands with carbolic soap after doing so. Similarly in drives to
remove Congress Grass, children should be provided safety from dirt/pollen inhalation. In
fact teachers should get more careful. For all such works simple innovative approaches are
best - home made mask or a hanky over the mouth and nose.
R. K. Bhatnagar,
Former Principal Scientist, I.A.R.I.
Via email
 I am a student of M Sc (Final) Environmental Science at MDS
University, Ajmer. Although I was the university topper last year yet I am still devoid of
that inner satisfaction. As an individual, I have done many little things like not using
plastic bags and reusing the ones I already have. I don't burn crackers on Diwali, I feed
food waste to all my colony dogs and many other things that I can do as an individual. My
little share makes a difference I believe. But a few days ago I read in the newspaper that
trees were being cut to make the Jaipur-Delhi highway. The authorities say that they have
done the Environmental Impact Assessment of the highway project but my inner voice keeps
telling me that probably they could have opted for an alternative. I was not able to do
anything!
Both Down To Earth and Gobar Times connect me
to the outside world and it really gives me a satisfaction that people are thinking about
the environment.
Smita Sharma
Ajmer, Rajasthan
Down To Earth is an excellent storehouse of
environment related issues. Gobar Times is even better. I do wish though to suggest
the following:
1. The content in GT is a little too heavy for below-12 kids. I think that 10 - 12 is
the age at which you should catch them and therefore make GT more 'down to earth' to their
level.
2. There are at least two of our relatives, who will have no time to read DTE but their
kids are extremely keen to get Gobar Times. Why don't you make it an independent
subscription for kids? I'm sure it'll sell at least twice and these kids will probably
grow to become DTE subscribers.
Tejinder Pal Singh,
Saket, New Delhi
 GT replies:
Thank you for your suggestions. We have in fact been considering separate subscription for
GT for quite some time now, but haven't been able to do so because of economic and certain
legal reasons. We are trying to work on it and hopefully be in a position to produce it
indepedently.
As for the content, in its present form it is targeted for 12 plus people as it deals
with quite complex and difficult issues. As you have correctly observed, for a younger age
group the style and approach will have to be different, as it is a completely different
target audience. GT for an eight-year-old?...hmmm...now that’s a communication
challenge! |
