Mat McDermott, our Advisor based in New York, recently spoke with Satish about what people can do to set a green example and where environmental movement is heading. Below is an excerpt from the interview. You can read the full interview on treehugger.com.

TREEHUGGER: You’ve mentioned speed as being a curse of Western civilization, but at this point speed has spread across the world. You go to India, Southeast Asia, China there’s the same fascination with speed. How do we convince these rising powers, upon whom the future of the environment really depends, to take a different route?

SATISH KUMAR: The pace of industrialized civilization, materialism, has been set by the Western countries.

When, after the Second World War, President Truman stood up and said the world is divided into two parts, the developed world and the under-developed world, the developed world is defined by industrialization, urbanization, high technology and the under-developed world is the world of agriculture, people living by crafts, handiwork, living in villages.

In this way we created propaganda, a brainwashing. All our education is brainwashing children in India, in China, in South Africa, in Brazil. They are brainwashing them to think that if you live by the land, if you live by the sun, if you live by water, if you live by nature, you are backwards, you are under-developed. If you live by fossil fuel, if you live by cars and airplanes and computers, then you are advanced and developed.

This brainwashing has come from the United States, from Europe, from Japan. This is now spreading, like a cancer, to China, to India, to Africa, to South America.

If you want to change this, to say that you don’t want this industrial mindset, you want to respect nature, you want to have a dignity in growing food, then we have change that in the United States, in Europe.

You can’t ask China not to do what we are doing. How do you change China’s economy, and India’s economy, unless you change the US economy? Our work is not in China or India; our work is Japan, in America, and in Europe. This is why I am from India, living here, producing Resurgence magazine, to change our consciousness and mindset.

We want to say you have to give dignity to work, to growing food. In England now you can have 2000 acres and not make a living. But if you work in a bank you get millions of pounds. If you work on the land you get a hundred pounds a day. If you work in a bank you get ten thousand pounds a day. Why is growing food, working on the land, so lowly paid, but working in a bank is so highly paid? Our values have to change. This has to change in America, in Europe, before we can expect this to change in India, in China, in Africa.

TREEHUGGER: How do you think we get past the utilitarian outlook that much of the modern environmental movement has taken? For example, emphasizing the financial value of ecosystem services rather than the inherent worth of, say, a forest.

SATISH KUMAR: By putting value of nature and natural services, ecosystem services, we are putting money above nature. We are measuring nature in terms of money. So your value and priorities become money, saying we have to protect nature because it has monetary value. That is, in a way, degradation, a step backwards.

I would not like to have that kind of consciousness. I want to see nature as seen as beyond monetary value. Ecosystems are life systems. You cannot put monetary value of life systems. How can you put a money value on something like air? How many millions? But if you don’t have air you will die. Without water you cannot live; without soil you cannot live. Nature is essential for our existence and our survival.

TREEHUGGER: You’ve said that, in today’s food economy, baking bread is political act. Can you explain that a bit?

SATISH KUMAR: Baking bread is a political act because you are saying that mass-produced bread, which is a kind of symbol of the global economy, is make-believe bread. It’s illusory bread, not real bread. You are eating something that is essential for life, but has no freshness, no involvement, no engagement. You have not touched it with your hands.

So when you are baking bread, you are making a political statement that you are going to slow down, not think about money. Instead you are going to think about living.

Everybody is calling to me to go look at the computer, telling me emails are important, surfing on the internet is important. I’m going to say I’m not going to do those things; I’m going to see the dough rise, knead it, put it in the oven, and wait for the bread to come out. That kind of slowing down, in this age of speed, in this age of fast lane, is a great political statement.

If we can slow down and we can say no to this speedy technological lifestyle, I think we will change the world, we will protect nature, we will conserve nature, we will celebrate nature, we will celebrate life. We will celebrate handiwork. Because now hands are too often used just for keyboards or mobile phones or computers.

If we touch earth, we say the hands are dirty, but dirt is not dirty. Without earth, without dirt, without soil, there is no food, there is no bread. Therefore touching the earth and getting your hands dirty in the earth, and kneading the dough, that is a great political statement. It is a protest against fast culture.

Prof. Martin Haigh

Martin Haigh is a professor of Geography at Oxford Brookes University and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK.  Among many roles, he was formerly co-editor of the Journal of Geography in Higher Education and President / Vice President of the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation.  In 2010, he was Visiting Professor at the Centre for Natural Resource Data Management Systems at Kumaun University, Almora,  Uttarakhand, India. He has been working on landslide mitigation in the Himalayan region since 1978 and more generally on sustainable development and environmental education.  In 2010, he won the Royal Geographical Society’s international “Taylor & Francis Award’ for contributions to Higher Education.

Mat McDermott

Mat is Business and Energy Editor at treehugger.com. He is also a contributor to Hinduism Today, and works closely with Hindu and yoga communities in New York City, where he currently lives. Mat is working with us on a number of initiatives and oversees our weekly e-bulletins and social media strategy.

Alysia Radder

Alysia Radder is studying Religion & Nature as a graduate student at the University of Florida. As the former Director of the Bhakti Academy in Gainesville, FL, she continues to educate religious communities, including her own, about the benefits of ecological awareness and environmentalism as a means of strengthening religious commitments and personal relationships. Alysia is an academic advisor for the Bhumi Project and is working on organizing an upcoming academic conference to further promote scholarship in the field of Hinduism & Ecology.

In the months that followed the Bhumi Project and the Hindu Council discussed options for working together. On the suggestion of ARC, and inline with other faith communities ARC is working with in Africa, it was decided that the Hindu Council would draw up a long-term plan for environmental action. A small team was established in Nairobi comprising of young Hindus already working in the environmental field. Using the 9 Year Plan developed by the Bhumi Project in 2009, this African team is adapting the Plan to incorporate African needs, interests and concerns.

In early December the Bhumi Project flew to Nairobi to meet with the Bhumi Africa team and review the first draft of their 9 Year Plan.

Gopal Patel, Project Manager for the Bhumi Project, noted “This is great work. What is very impressive is that they are looking closely into the environmental concerns for Africa and how the Hindu community can help address them. They are not just working for their own Hindu communities, but the the wider African communities. An example to be celebrated and shared with others.”

Anita Hirani, part of the Bhumi Africa team commented “For many years Hindus in Africa have been working to address environmental concerns. This is a great opportunity for us to work collectively and be connected to a growing international Hindu environmental movement.”

The Bhumi Africa 9 Year Plan will now be further developed in consultation with a wider range of African Hindu leaders. It will be launched in mid-2012 along with the long-term environmental plans for other faith groups in Africa.

Gopal Patel (left), with Anita Hirani and Deepali Gohil of the Bhumi Africa team.

UPDATED: 16.00 EST August 1st, 2011

Hindu Project launches green initiative at White House

WASHINGTON DC. The Hindu Bhumi Project’s Green Temple campaign was launched this past weekend at the White House, Washington DC.

The programme, which is an international initiative to encourage Hindu temples around the world to be greener, stems from the Hindu Nine Year Plan on the Environment.

The launch took place during a briefing at the White House, cohosted by the Hindu American Seva Charities (HASC). In attendance were Hindu leaders from North America, members of the US government, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Ten Hindu temples have been identified in America, which will act as pilot projects. The temples will look at issues concerning greening of puja (worship), energy sourcing, and the development of temple gardens. In twelve months time, the target is for one hundred temples from across the world to join the programme. HASC will be an important strategic partner in order to bring on board many temples from America.

“We are very happy to partner with the Bhumi Project for this important initiative.” said Anju Bhargava, Founder of HASC. “Our briefing at the White House was to encourage young Hindus to establish Seva [service] Centers across America where they can contribute to society through community action and with other faith groups. Our work with the Bhumi Project will be a significant step towards that.”

“Hindu temples were traditionally the standard-bearers for good practice in the community. By making our places of worship earth-friendly, we can send a clear message that care for the environment is central to Hindu life,” said Gopal Patel, Project Manager for the Bhumi Project, who was leading the launch at the White House.

“The Preamble of the UN Charter talks about ‘We the Peoples of the United Nations” said Jose Dallo, of the United Nations Development Programme. “Sometimes the United Nations has been concentrating on the Governments of the World. We recognised that achieving the international agreed goals will require development partnerships which reflect that civil society has an important role to play. Initiatives like the Hindu Green Temple Initiative are very much about the people, and what the people want to achieve.”

“This is part of a worldwide initiative by faiths to ask the question: “If our place of worship were a green place of worship what would it be like?” We are excited that the Hindu community is helping lead this movement,” said Victoria Finlay, communication director of the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) which is supporting the Hindu Plan and Bhumi Project.

“This is truly a historic moment; the first time this has happened in the White House,” President Obama’s Pastor-in-Chief and Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Joshua Dubois said of the Hindu White House briefing.

The Hindu Nine-Year-Plan and Bhumi Project were created by the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, in conjunction with ARC, and they were both launched in November 2009 at Windsor Castle, UK, in the presence of Prince Philip and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

“Hindu scriptures contain many references to Mother Earth, Bhumi, and how she should be cared for and respected. By using these teachings in modern-day contexts, we can help Hindu culture become more accessible.” said Shaunaka Rishi Das, Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.

Anju Bhargava (L) Founder of Hindu American Seva Charities and Gopal Patel (R) Project Manager for the Bhumi Project, launch the Bhumi Green Temple initiative at the White House on Friday 29th July, 2011. Click for higher resolution image.

EDITORS NOTES

The Bhumi Project Green Temple initiative asks Hindu temples to consider the following areas:

1. The development of temple gardens
2. Greening or worship practices
3. Increasing recycling initiatives
4. Greening festivals and gatherings
5. Encouraging green options for travel to and from temples

Further information on the Bhumi Green Temple initiative can be found here.

The Bhumi Project is an international Hindu response to climate change launched at Windsor Castle in November 2009 with HRH Prince Philip and HE Ban Ki-moon. Using Hindu perspectives, teachings, and ancient culture, they work with temples and organisations to help encourage the Hindu community take a more active role in the care and protection of the planet.

The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies is a Recognised Independent Centre of the University of Oxford. The principal aim of the Centre is the study of Hindu culture, religion, languages, literature, philosophy, history, arts and society, in all periods and in all parts of the world. All Hindu traditions are included.

The Alliance of Religions and Conservation is a secular body that helps the major religions of the world to develop their own environmental programmes, based on their own core teachings, beliefs and practices. They help the religions link with key environmental organisations in creating powerful alliances between faith communities and conservation groups. ARC was founded in 1995 by HRH Prince Philip. They now work with 11 major faiths through the key traditions within each faith.

Hindu American Seva Charities is a progressive American organization advancing seva (community service), interfaith collaboration, pluralism, social justice and sustainable civic engagement to ignite grassroots social change and build healthy communities.

CONTACT DETAILS

For more information from the Bhumi Project contact Gopal Patel, Project Manager:

gopal@bhumiproject.org

+1 781-530-0127

+44 7958 807 506

For more information from the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies contact Shaunaka Rishi Das, Director of the OCHS:

shaunaka@ochs.org.uk

+44 1865 304 303

For more information from ARC, please contact Victoria Finlay:

victoriaf@arcworld.org

+44 1225 758 004

For more information on the Bhumi Project, visit www.bhumiproject.org

For more information on the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, visit www.ochs.org.uk

For more information on the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), visit www.arcworld.org

For more information on the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), visit www.undp.org

In New York we will be meeting with HAF to discuss ways to further implement and share our Compassionate Living initiative in America. HAF have already developed a range of resources for the initiative.

From there we will travel to Washington, DC, for the international launch of our Green Temple initiative in partnership with HASC. Over a two-day summit organised by HASC, we will be examining existing methodologies and approaches to greening of temples through case studies and then review and discuss how the initiative will be replicated in Hindu temples across the United States. The summit begins first with a White House briefing followed by policy sessions at Georgetown University.

Updates of our visit to America can be found on our blog.

All positions will remain open until filled. Take a look, and see how you can get involved.

The Green Temple
Central to Hindu life is worship at home and in the temple. How can we make such offerings as green as possible? We’ve identified five simple steps that all can follow.
Click here to learn more about the Green Temple initiative.

Compassionate Living
Ahimsa is a principal Hindu teaching. We present five simple steps on how can we lead an Ahimsa-centred life whilst reducing our impact on the planet.
Click here to learn more about the Compassionate Living initiative.

INDIA

From late December 2010, into early January 2011, the Bhumi Project visited India. Our trip had two main aims:

1. To learn and see first-hand of some of the environmental challenges facing India
2. Meet Hindu organisations who are working on environmental issues, and discuss how Bhumi can support their work.

We met some exceptional people and organisations. From putting pressure on the Government to reduce genetically modified produce grown in India, to the cleaning of the River Yamuna, we found example after example of great environmental work. Some of the organisations we met were:

• Art of Living Foundation
• Braj Foundation
• Food For Life Vrindavana
• ISKCON
• Krishnaswamy, from the office His Holiness Chinna Jeer Swamy
• Patanjali Yog Peeth
• Sree Narayan Global Mission

From these meetings some excellent partnerships and agreements were made for future long-term collaboration.

During our visit we also attended the ARC Faith in Food conference. Host by WWF at their Delhi headquarters, it brought together faith leaders from across India to discuss issues surrounding food production from a faith and environmental perspective. Guest speaker Dr Vandana Shiva spoke about the serious issues surrounding food production in India and abroad. A follow-up conference is now being planned for later this year.

AFRICA

In March of this year we visited Kenya to attend an all-Africa Christian-Muslim environmental conference. Organised by ARC, and at the All African Conference of Churches in Nairobi, it brought together Christian and Muslim leaders from across Africa. They were there to share what their faith communities are doing to protect the planet, and what further work they can do. We were invited to help encourage and support the African Hindu community in environmental work and hopefully connect them to the Bhumi Project.

The President of the Hindu Council of Africa attended the conference, along with another member from the Council. We were able to learn from them some of the great environmental work they are doing, particularly in Kenya, where they are headquartered. Following the conference we were able to meet more members of the Hindu community in Nairobi, and had the opportunity to make presentations to them.

By the end of the visit we had agreed to work together in order to establish a Bhumi Working Party for Africa. Based in Nairobi, this team will draw on their current environmental work and our Nine Year Plan. Through research and consultations, they will draw up their own Nine Year Plan for Africa. In two years time it is hoped that their Plan will be finalised and work started to implement it.