Though challenged with many environmental problems, a huge population and an economy in which every rupee counts, India is increasingly adept at finding and scaling up with novel solutions.
Now, this just in from our Earth Day Network office in India. They've released Volume II of their new ebook Pathways to Green India, Innovative Ideas for Public Spaces and it's full of solutions that apply wherever you are in the world. Take a look and steal these ideas to innovate and green your life.
Some new ideas are surprisingly old. For example, lattice screens made of stone, once common in Western India, are being incorporated into the walls of modern structures. As architects explain, these not only provide privacy, but also act as thermal buffers, cool in hot weather and warm when it's cool. They're made from antibacterial limestone and painted with "chunna", a system that allows the walls to breathe
Across India edible urban landscapes and roof gardens are adding green space and improving human nutrition.Community workshops bring rooftop gardeners under one umbrella to exchange information on what works and what doesn't, which plants grow best and how to deal with pests. Gardening fairs feature just about anything related to gardening and people can take home everything they need to start a food garden. Children play a big part, too. Gardens are also set up in schools so that students get hands-on experience.
Students of the BM English School, for example, grow vegetables that are then sold to their teachers and parents. The concept of urban farming is gaining momentum providing food that is readily available, nutritious and chemical-free.
Minarets as wind scoops, "baghs" or gardens around factories to help conserve biodiversity and build the green cover, recycling "kabaad" or discarded items to set up new buildings—all these and more are described in this eBook.
Fresh from our India office, the new volume of Pathways to Green India. Please read it and steal these ideas!
No comments:
Post a Comment