Accepting Difference: India’s Nomadic Van Gujjar Community
“I can’t stay in one place for a long time, that’s why I work with nomads,” Praveen Kaushal Manto says smiling as he stands, pacing the room, while I sit. Manto reads eight newspapers a day, five in English and three in Hindi. As one of the founders and current director of the Society for Promotion of Himalayan Indigenous Activities (SOPHIA), Manto’s eight newspapers is in stark contrast to the under fifty percent literacy rate of the community... Read More
Ancient Wisdom from the Women Farmers of the Mandakini Valley
The following are two profiles of women farmers from the Mandakini Valley in the Garhwal Himalayas, India. “Everything comes from the earth. We sow one, and thousands come.” - Ganeshi Devi, Bhattwari village Surrounded by her harvest, Ganeshi Devi’s short frame sits comfortably amidst the dal laid out to dry, “the dal is my chair,” she says smiling. Ganeshi Devi’s favorite crop is black dal. After saying this, she immediately bursts into... Read More
Of Gender and Farming: India’s Mandakini Valley
Saroj Devi in the doorway of her home (Photo: Lakshmi Eassey) “What was her village before she was married?” I asked. “kyu? [Why?]” I heard a voice from the kitchen question in return. I thought it was a straightforward question, but I soon learned that it didn’t matter where you were born. What defines a woman more is her husband’s place, or village. This was something my California-Feminist-raised mind couldn’t completely comprehend... Read More
Harvest: An Ode to Food and its Seasons – Seattle and Erie
Still hungry? The next segment in the Harvest series is here! This week we are straddling both coasts with photo submissions from Seattle, Washingon, and Erie, Pennsylvania. Who is setting the table this week? Seattle: Mr. Larsen calls Seattle home these days. Plenty of moisture in that part of the world, probably explains the exemplary fungi. As some may have suspected, S. also provided us fish photos, but I believe that will be another segment. Erie:... Read More
Harvest: An Ode to Food and its Seasons – Davis, CA
What does the Harvest yield look like? Show us! Everyone eats, so we can all appreciate what good food means to us. Right? If you are anything like me, some of the best moments and memories are defined by the food that shapes the occasion. Over the coming weeks, we will be featuring food from farmers markets across the country – food from the Harvest. What better place to start than with my own hometown, and one of the country’s top farmers... Read More
Biodiversity conservation can reduce poverty, study finds
Shameless self-promotion: The knowledge review I had been working on for The Nature Conservancy has been published. Does Conserving Biodiversity Work to Reduce Poverty: A State of Knowledge Review can be downloaded from ConserveOnline. Read More
Haiti Regeneration Initiative
A video from the Earth Institute discussing ecological restoration efforts in Haiti, and how the work has adjusted to new realities on the ground as a result of the January 12, 2010 earthquake. A Future for Haiti: Science and Solutions for a Beleaguered Nation from Earth Institute on Vimeo. Read More
Weekly gRound-Up: 11/28/09
This week the gRound-up is a bit shorter due to the holiday break. We hope everyone had a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving! East Antarctic Ice Sheet Losing Mass Quickly Of all of the major ice sheets, the East Antarctic has been thought to be the most stable – until now. New satellite data from NASA is showing that this sheet has been shedding mass the past three years. The scientists are quick to point out that the cause of this sudden mass loss... Read More
Weekly gRound-Up: 11/21/09
The US and China Unveil Clean Energy Collaboration During President Obama’s visit to China, the two countries presented a comprehensive strategy for collaborative efforts focused on clean energy and low carbon technologies. Read some analysis by Julian Wong at Climate Progress and at his blog, the Green Leap Forward. South Korea Pledges Aggressive Emission Cuts South Korea laid out voluntary plans to reduce greenhouse gases 30% of current levels... Read More
