Ganesha, Water Pollution and Misplaced Priority.
This is a guest post by my friend SimhaNet
What a misplaced priority: The daughter of an English Professor eloped to get married without parental consent and left a note on the table "I am runing away with some guy". Both mother and father were upset, but for different reasons. The mother was naturally upset and crying that her daughter ran away with an unknown guy and was certainly worried about her while the professor father was upset and feeling shameful that an English Professor's daughter doesn't know the spelling of the word "running"
Similarly, While beef industry is the one the most polluting and leaving footprints of Green House Gases we are worried about Ganesh murties.
Global Warming: As per the National Academy of sciences Agriculture accounts for 29% of the total Antrhopogenic (pollution originating from human activity) Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. And 86% of this GHG is coming during the production of the food. And you know what? Its the Beef and Pork that are the major contributors of the GHGs.A whopping 375 grams of GHG carbon dioxide (and CH4 Methane even more dangerous) is produced for every 100gms of beef produced, and 100gms of GHGs for every 100gms of Pork. All with a heavy wastage of water,land and torturing,extreme suffering of millions of animals every year. Literally flowing rivers of blood of these mute helpless animals.
Elephant is the new Dinosaur: The greed and craze for ivory products by the new middle class and rich in Asia have shot up the demand in the black markets and hundreds of Elephants are right now being trapped, slaughtered by poachers for the sake of ivory tusks. At this rate our grand children might not see a real alive elephant. However a Hollywood movie 'Elephant Park' can be a blockbuster and we can watch in an iMax theater.
Ganesha festival is social unifier:
On the other hand the Ganesha festival apart from the devotion and festivity promotes love for the elephant, connecting with nature by offering 21 types of plant leaves, reminding of our social/community involvement during freedom struggle led by Bala Gangadhar Tilak, and of course supporting thousands of poor makers on the road side. If we go over-board and swallow the guilt fed by Red-Bindi English-speaking Anchors and Commie-Liberals about Hindu festivals polluting the environment then we are in a nice trap, feeling good about using a clay murti and saving the Earth or not celebrating at all. Yes, go with a clay murti but don't feel bad if you don't use clay murti. The spirit and essence is more precious and helps govern our world view in the long run. I this time got a "non-clay" murti and celebrated with no guilt at all.
While the house is on fire if we are more worried about the wall hanging in the living room then it is certainly a misplaced priority
Listen to this Ganesha Atharvasheersha if you find time
What a misplaced priority: The daughter of an English Professor eloped to get married without parental consent and left a note on the table "I am runing away with some guy". Both mother and father were upset, but for different reasons. The mother was naturally upset and crying that her daughter ran away with an unknown guy and was certainly worried about her while the professor father was upset and feeling shameful that an English Professor's daughter doesn't know the spelling of the word "running"
Similarly, While beef industry is the one the most polluting and leaving footprints of Green House Gases we are worried about Ganesh murties.
Global Warming: As per the National Academy of sciences Agriculture accounts for 29% of the total Antrhopogenic (pollution originating from human activity) Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. And 86% of this GHG is coming during the production of the food. And you know what? Its the Beef and Pork that are the major contributors of the GHGs.A whopping 375 grams of GHG carbon dioxide (and CH4 Methane even more dangerous) is produced for every 100gms of beef produced, and 100gms of GHGs for every 100gms of Pork. All with a heavy wastage of water,land and torturing,extreme suffering of millions of animals every year. Literally flowing rivers of blood of these mute helpless animals.
Elephant is the new Dinosaur: The greed and craze for ivory products by the new middle class and rich in Asia have shot up the demand in the black markets and hundreds of Elephants are right now being trapped, slaughtered by poachers for the sake of ivory tusks. At this rate our grand children might not see a real alive elephant. However a Hollywood movie 'Elephant Park' can be a blockbuster and we can watch in an iMax theater.
Ganesha festival is social unifier:
On the other hand the Ganesha festival apart from the devotion and festivity promotes love for the elephant, connecting with nature by offering 21 types of plant leaves, reminding of our social/community involvement during freedom struggle led by Bala Gangadhar Tilak, and of course supporting thousands of poor makers on the road side. If we go over-board and swallow the guilt fed by Red-Bindi English-speaking Anchors and Commie-Liberals about Hindu festivals polluting the environment then we are in a nice trap, feeling good about using a clay murti and saving the Earth or not celebrating at all. Yes, go with a clay murti but don't feel bad if you don't use clay murti. The spirit and essence is more precious and helps govern our world view in the long run. I this time got a "non-clay" murti and celebrated with no guilt at all.
While the house is on fire if we are more worried about the wall hanging in the living room then it is certainly a misplaced priority
Listen to this Ganesha Atharvasheersha if you find time
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