India to ratify Paris climate pact on Gandhi Jayanti

India will ratify its U.N. climate commitments on Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary on October 2, 2016. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a public gathering. The PM emphasized that he had chosen the date as Mahatma Gandhi's life was an example of minimum carbon footprint, a reference to the sustainable lifestyle advocated by the father of the nation. 

​These commitments are to cut the carbon emissions by 33-35 percent by the year 2030. For a country like India that is just beginning to make economic growth its mantra to deal with poverty it is a BIG ask to make good on these commitments. But it is not impossible. For thousands of years people of the sub-continent have lived in harmony with nature. Every festival and every celebration was to honor mother nature and it was not in their ethos to exploit mother nature. A hundred years ago when the world was going gaga over mass production systems, Mahatma Gandhi chose to live a very simple life. He knew then that the high energy industrial lifestyle was not sustainable. It is time we listen and follow the footsteps of the father of the nation.

Application of technology for the betterment of humans is not a bad thing by itself, but it should not come at a cost of destroying the very environment we live in. We need to apply technology in a judicious manner such that it can be in motion for eternity. We need to ask a simple question whether our technology or actions can be repeated for generations to come. If the answer is 'No' then we should refrain from such actions. If the answer is 'Yes' then it is most likely to sustain without destroying the system in which it exists or hitting the limits. 

Some of the things highlighted to achieve these commitments are:

• Promote a healthy and sustainable way of living
• Adopt a climate-friendly path for economic development

Now what do these mean for a common man? The answer lies in our time tested culture and ethos. Anywhere in the world the one thing everyone seeks is lasting happiness and for thousands of years our ancient masters have always been telling us that happiness is a state of our mind. It is the contentment within and not something that can be found in external objects. So, why not we live that in spirit. We should adopt a lifestyle that is need based and not greed based that which is caused in comparison with others. A phone is a communication device and it is a great invention. But making people believe in buying a new phone every so often is PURE EVIL. This is a fundamental fallacy of our current economic growth model. We need to find a way out of this insanity or it will destroy us. We need to create awareness in people and especially the younger generation to think differently. 

Do I have solutions for all the problems? Probably not all, but I have some things in motion at the farm. I would be happy to share with interested folks during a visit to the farm.