Home A movie expounding macro solutions
The screening of the movie Homeat Jamshed Bhaba Theatre, NCPA on 1st December, 2009 to launch Bonjour India festival of France in Mumbai was possibly the most apt event for this city.
The Citizens of Mumbai fear the monsoon ever since the deluge of 26/7. Every person in Mumbai knows that the climate has changed and has become more unpredictable and violent. Many awareness campaigns have been launched to make them aware of living sustainable and environment friendly life styles. Yet the difference on a scale required will not happen. Why?
The greatest offenders are the Governments as they cause disruptions and unsustainable growth on a macro scale. The ambition of Dubai in creating islands in the sea to become the services and entertainment hub of Asia or The ambition of China in creating Special Economic Zones to become the manufacturing hub of the World, to name only a couple even as almost all Governments vie with each other to increase their prosperity rankings.
The movie is beautifully made and the love and effort of Yann Arthus-Bertrand towards our common home, planet Earth clearly shows. The narrative and camera work captures your attention and you sit awe-struck at the beauty called Earth. You gaze in wonder at the scenes of the regions across the world and realize that no man-made article can ever match the majesty and scale of that produced by Mother Nature.
Is there a solution to stop the madness affecting mankind which is hell-bent on racing towards its own destruction. Can we keep educating the children on the need to conserve to maintain a balance with our environment and expect that there will be a happy ending.
Sadly it will not and Projects of the Government of Dubai and China like those named above will have tilted the balance against mankind to an extent that it can never be remedied. The movie ends with highlighting macro solutions like the Wind Turbines off a coast, Selective lumbering in a forest rich state, Harnessing wave energy at sea or geo thermal energy from the hot spring/geysers in another country. This then is the solution: Good Governance, which reflects the concern and values of the society to roll back the bad policies of the past and bring in accountability to the present.
AGNI (www.agnimimbai.org) realizes that 90 percent of the problems and 100 percent of the solutions stems from Governance. It therefore seeks to bring in Accountability and Transparency of Governance by evaluating the results through its vigilant network of volunteers and friends across the city.
It was therefore a pleasure to watch this movie in the magnificent theatre as an Agni associate and learn to value our common home called Earth.
- Austin Nazareth