ISHA GREEN HANDS - WONDERFUL INITIATIVE FROM SATGURUJI

An inspiring ecological initiative of Isha Foundation, Project GreenHands seeks to prevent and reverse environmental degradation and enable sustainable living. The project aims to create 10% additional green cover in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. Drawing extensively on people's participation, 114 million trees will be planted state-wide.

As a first step, a mass tree planting marathon was held on October 17, 2006. It resulted in 852,587 saplings being planted in 6284 locations across 27 districts in the state, by over 256,289 volunteers in just one day, setting a Guinness World Record. Since, 2007 and 2008 tree planting campaigns have led to the plantation of 7.1 million of trees and the introduction of an agro-forestry model among the farming communities. Further campaigns aim at involving more local educational institutions, NGOs, corporate and individuals to produce saplings and plant trees at large scale. To that aim, PGH seeks international agencies and MNCs’ financial help to support the effort of the Tamil population in a sustainable way.

This large-scale tree planting project will enhance biodiversity, protect the soil, restore ecological balance and provide livelihood opportunities for thousands across the state. Mass awareness campaigns are planned to establish a culture of care for the environment. Starting from the geographical land area of Tamil Nadu, Project GreenHands seeks to inspire people around the world to keep this planet habitable for future generations.

This compelling plan reestablishes the power of individual action for large-scale change. The project is a massive effort in community building, encouraging supportive relationships between urban and rural societies, government and industry to shape the course of the world.

Key Components Include: 

• Increase Tamil Nadu green cover by 10%
• Mass tree planting with people participation
• Holistic approach to environmental restoration
• Promote strategies for sustainable use and management of the land
• Rooted in the rural culture, environment and socio-economic sustainability

for more visit:
www.ProjectGreenHands.org

INDEPENDENCE FROM FILTH?

வெள்ளையனிடமிருந்து சுதந்திரம் வாங்கி 65 ஆண்டுகள் ஆனாலும்
ஓங்கி மலைபோல் எழும் குப்பைமேடுகளும்,
தேங்கி நாற்றம் எடுக்கும் சாக்கடைகளும், உடல்
வீங்க வீங்க கடிக்கும் கொசுக்களும் இருக்கும் வரை
நாம் அனைவரும் இன்னும் அடிமைகள்தான்.
புறப்படுங்கள் இரண்டாம் சுதந்திர போருக்கு.....
-- எக்ஸ்னோரா வாசு 

ExNoRa GREEN RIBBON AWARENESS

 ‘ExNoRa PLATINUM’
Green School AWARD

FIVE BROAD PRINCIPLES OF MAKING A GREEN SCHOOL

1.     MAKE IT A ZERO GARBAGE UNIT - RE-USE & RECYCLE

2.     USE THE RESOURCES SUSTAINABLY- REDUCE

3.     CREATE GREEN LANDSCAPE – CONDUCIVE FOR LEARNING

4.     MAKE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION A PART OF CURRICULUM

5.     DEVELOP HUMAN RESOURCES – CATCH THEM YOUNG

8 Steps towards a Greener School

1.  Conduct a ExNoRa green school survey

To find out how the daily activities in your school is impacting the environmental and find plausible solutions to minimize it.

2. Align with the Nature -Action Plan

Based on the above survey identify the grey areas and devise an align with the nature action plan setting time bound achievable goals. The ownership of the responsibility should be taken by the school while the fruits of achievements should be attributed to the students so that they feel proud.

3. Form an ExNoRa Eco-team

The ECO Team comprises of - students, teachers, managers, workers, parents and school board members. This team with other students guided by ExNoRa can organize and conduct exercises like‘clean the neighborhood’, ‘clean the beach,’ ‘tree walk’ etc., which shall be given wide publicity.

4. Prepare an Environmental slogan or Mother Earth Pledge

Each school can have its own vision statement; ExNoRa can help you to have one. The Environmental Vision Statement or Planet Pledge is displayed in various places within the school. ExNoRa’s Mother Earth pledge is "Mother Earth, We Salute you have been taking care of us. Now the time has come for us to take care of you. We pledge ourselves to do it"

5. Invest in Nature it will return in bounty

All environmentally related exercises envisioned here involve expenditure. But all these should be construed as investments on nature.  Nature will never let us down. Right from the birth of this planet nature has returned to mankind unbelievable return on investments which no one could even imagine.

6. Sustain momentum & Evaluate Progress

The Exnora Eco Team, can assist with monitoring and evaluating progress on the priorities in the action plan. This could involve conducting periodicall audit to monitor levels of waste, recycling, energy use, purchases of environmentally-preferable products, and financial savings and/or costs. This can be put up on notice board with tables and pie charts for the stake holders- the students to know which can give them tremendous motivation.

7. Add environmental education into the Curriculum

Greening activities can be integrated into existing curricula in science, art, humanities and civics. Dr. M.B.Nirmal our founder is already working on this in association with the Anna University.

8. Decide, delegate, recognize & celebrate

Decision making, finding the right team, recognizing achievements and communicating about achievements are critical components of a Green School! A communication and publicity program keeps the school and the community informed of progress through classroom displays, school assemblies, newsletters, or other press coverage. Communication is a key to spreading success and inspiring more actions. When done, ExNoRa will not only participate in all your celebrations but will also give you a prestigious ExNoRa ‘PLATINUM’ GREEN SCHOOL AWARD.

ExNoRa International

# 40, RAMS Apartments, Flat No. 2, II nd Floor, Vijayaraghava Road, T.Nagar, Chennai – 600 017.

( 2475 477, 281533 76, mob: 98400 34900.

email -  mbnirmal@gmail.com

ExNoRa Green Ribbon Club

This is a recognition given to corporates and work places. The objectivity of ExNoRa Green Ribbon Club in a factory/ organisation/ office is to enhance the employee’s knowledge and awareness about the deadly dangers awaiting mankind due to his indifferent attitude towards environment. It will also underline the importance of planting trees and how this one act will help him save this planet to a large extentfor more details contact : Dr. M.B.Nirmal, founder - ExNoRa International

mob : 98400 34900 or mail to mbnirmal@gmail.com

திம்மக்கா மூதாட்டிக்கு தலை வணங்குகிறேன்

எண்பது ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு வரை
பொட்டல்காடாக இருந்த கூதூர் கிராமத்தில்...
இன்று சாலை நெடுக இருபுறங்களிலும்
ஆயிரத்துக்கும் மேற்பட்ட ஆலமரங்கள்
சலசலக்கின்றன. தேசிய...

 நெடுஞ்சாலையிலிருந்து கூதூர்
வரை நீளும் சுமார் 20 கிலோ மீட்டர்
சாலை முழுக்க வரிசையாக (சாலுத)
நின்று, ஊருக்கே நிழலாற்றும்
அம்மரங்களை நட்டு வளர்த்த
திம்மக்கா பாட்டிக்கு இப்போது வயது...101!

நாம் ஆயிரம் மரம் வளர்க்க வேண்டாம்
குறைந்தது வீட்டுக்கு இரண்டு மரம்
வளர்ப்போம்...!!! அதுவே மிக பெரிய
பசுமை புரட்சியை உண்டாக்கும்.