A survey conducted by National Geographic Society and the international polling firm GlobeScan has placed Indians on top with regard to environmentally sustainable behaviour. Released in May 2009, the survey suggests that Indian's are the most eco friendly people, due to their frugal lifestyle which places less burden on the environment as opposed to the consumerism driven lifestyles of the West.
Edelman, the international communication firm through a study found that taking environmental-friendly actions was a high priority for the Indian consumers. Eighty-eight percent of Indian consumers are prepared to pay more for goods that are environmental friendly against 82 percent in China. Even if Indian's do not think environment is in crisis, they prefer to pay more for eco-friendly products in spite of the economic slowdown.
So where did this come from? The answer is: Indian culture and tradition. It's not about wearing sarees and shunning western clothes. It is not about watching Indian movies and rejecting Hollywood. Indian culture is beyond the superficial components we tend to see. It is the subtle things of that has actually sustained it for millions of years.
From the religion, Hinduism of Nature worship (whether pagan or not is an argument for another day), we learnt that man's dependence on nature is undeniable. Apart from the fact that others sciences (Ayurveda for instance) and schools of thought derives from this basic belief; Indian Culture is inherently based on protection of the source that sustains our life and in turn becomes larger than life.
It is simple practices of everyday life that makes India an effectively eco-friendly nation, be it the Surya Namaskar to the guilt that eat us from the inside when we waste food. From taking grandma's tips for skin care to the deeply rooted value of differentiating from what 'need' from what we 'want'.
It doesn't stop there, we have eco friendly trends like Jute bags, our coporates have gone eco friendly, we have eco-friendly diwali, ending only at eco-friendly funeral pyres!
World Environment Day
So before you run around beating up girls in pubs and call it an effort to save the culture, stop and think if you ever took out time to water the multi-purpose hibiscus plant that your mom loves the most in your garden.
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