Hindus in U.K. launch ‘Bhumi Project’ to tackle climate change

Britain’s Hindu leaders have launched “Bhumi Project” to fight climate change.The plan follows a conference of faith leaders organised by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation, a charity set up by the Duke of Edinburgh to help religious groups develop their own environmental programmes.The conference, held at Windsor Castle earlier in the week and attended by representatives of the world’s leading religions, was addressed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban-ki Moon.In a statement, the Oxford Centre of Hindu Studies, whose director Shaunaka Rishi Das was closely involved in formulating the project, said that over the next nine years the “Bhumi Project” would implement a series of initiatives aimed at involving Hindus in protecting the planet.“Specific proposals include educating members of their own communities on best environmental practice; developing a Hindu labelling scheme for a range of products and services; helping all Hindu places of worship employ the highest standards of environmental practice; and partnering with conservation projects in India, such as those involved in cleaning the Ganges river,” it said.

Mr. Das said the Hindu tradition and history were replete with stories and references to “bhumi.”“We want to help Hindus re-learn these sacred teachings and find new relevance for them in the modern world,” he said.Neal Raithatha of the U.K. National Hindu Students Forum said: “Because there are 900 million Hindus worldwide, the environmental choices we make will have a significant impact on our climate. We must work in India in particular to ensure that increasing urbanisation and affluence do not put undue strain on the country’s natural beauty and cultural heritage sites. We must make sure environmental destruction is not the price we pay for India’s economic growth.”
The Hindu, November 8th , 2009

Wayanad, hot spot of rare flora, shows up 3 new species
Wayanad district, a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, is a hot spot of rare flora in Kerala.
A study conducted by scientists of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) at Puthurvayal, near here, identified 2,034 flowering plants, including three new species — Miliusa wayanadica and Miliusa gokhalae, belonging to the Annonaceae family (custard apple family) and Oberonia swaminathanii of the orchid family.Two rare and endangered species, considered ‘possibly extinct,’ — Eugenia argentea and Hedyotis wyanadensis — were collected after 130 years. According to the study, 587 endemic species of plants and 175 orchids enriched the biodiversity of the district.

Ratheesh Narayanan, senior scientist, conducted the study under the direction of N. Anil Kumar, Director, MSSRF, and M. Sivadas, formerly Professor of Botany, Calicut University.Dr. Narayanan told The Hindu on Thursday that the study identified 2,034 flowering plants of the total 4,321 reported in the State. Wayanad district has the largest number of flowering plants in Kerala.Biodiversity, especially of orchids, was higher in Wayanad than in any other region of the State. As many as 108 species of orchids were identified in the Silent Valley region, he said.Oberonia swaminathanii is the new species belonging to the orchid family that was identified during the study. The plant was found in the Kurichiar Mala reserve forest area of the Kalpetta range.
The Hindu, November 8th , 2009