Everything I Need to Know I Learned in the Forest

Question 1.

Trace the childhood experiences that shaped the author’s interest in ecology.

Answer:

Vandana Shiva’s father was a conservator of forests in the Himalaya region.

This implies that she lived and was brought up in forest surroundings. Hence
she declares that whatever she knows about ecology was learned from the
Himalayan forests and eco-systems. Her mother was a farmer and she used
to compose songs and poems about trees, forests and India’s forest
civilizations. Thus, her parents and their profession undoubtedly shaped the
author’s interest in ecology.

Question 2.

How does the scarcity of water, fodder and fuel affect women?

Answer:

The ruthless cutting down of trees results in floods, landslides, scarcity of

water, fodder for cattle and fuel. This affects the womenfolk in particular
because they have to walk long distances for collecting water and firewood
which is quite burdensome.

Question 3.

What features of the ‘Chipko’ movement does the author highlight?

Answer:

The features of chipko movement are that it was a nonviolent response to

the large scale deforestation like doing padayatras, documenting the
deforestation, and the work of the – forest activists, hugging the trees to
prevent them from being cut down. One such Chipko action took place in the
Himalayan village of Adwani in 1977. A woman led the resistance against her
own husband, who had obtained a contract to cut trees. She protested with
lighted lanterns in bright daylight.

Question 4.

The real value of the forest for women was

a. Timber from dead trees

 b. Source of basic needs.
c. Springs and streams.

Answer:

(b, c) source of basic needs/springs and streams.

Question 5.

List the activities that Vandana undertook after her involvement with the
‘Chipko’movement’.

Answer:

• She spent every vacation doing padayatras, documenting the

deforestation, and the work of the forest activists.
• She spread the message of the Chipko movement and created
awareness in the people about the value of forests.
• She put emphasis on organic farming.
• She set up 100 community seed banks.

Question 6.

The conservation of biodiversity in agriculture leads to….

a. Increase in the quantity of food production.

b. A developing variety of food grains.
c. More quality food and higher nutrition.

Answer:

c. more quality food and higher nutrition.

Question 7.

Why is it important to change the fossil-fuel and chemical-based

monoculture?

Answer:

It is important to change the fossil-fuel and chemical-based monoculture

because it impoverishes nature and culture.

Question 8.

What prompted the UN to initiate a discussion on the rights of Mother Earth?

OR
Name one of the factors that prompted the U.N. to initiate a discussion on
the rights of Mother Earth.

Answer:

The Constitution of Ecuador in which were recorded the rights of nature and
the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth initiated by Bolivia
prompted the UN General Assembly to organize a conference so as to initiate
a discussion on the rights of Mother Earth.

Question 9.

The conference organized by the UN General Assembly aimed at

transforming the domination of

a. People over nature.

b. Men over women.
c. Rich over the poor.
d. All of the above.

Answer:

(d) All of the above.

Question 10.

What, according to the author, is eco-apartheid? Why is it necessary to end

this?

Answer:

According to the author, eco-apartheid means holding the illusion in our

minds and lives that humans are separate from nature. It is necessary to
remove such an illusion from our minds and lives because it leads to
disharmony with nature and finally to violence against nature and people. In
short, human beings start exploiting nature and perpetuate violence against
themselves.

Question 11.

Which event in human history marked the beginning of the separation of

humans from nature?

Answer:

The industrial revolution which was facilitated by the belief that Earth was
dead matter marked the beginning of the separation of humans from nature.
Question 12

How do Carolyn Merchant and Francis Bacon differ in their views?

Answer:

Francis Bacon the father of modern science believed that science and the
inventions that result do not “merely exert a gentle guidance over nature’s
course, they have the power to conquer and subdue her, to shake her to her
foundation. But, Carolyn Merchant points out that due to this over greed,
nature has been destroyed by man to suit his capitalism. But then, he
realised the importance of nature, and instead of destroying he slowly
started to think about nature and nurturing Earth by removing his blind
superstitious cultural beliefs. At last, she says “One does not readily slay a
mother, dig into her entrails for gold, or mutilate her body”.

Question 13.

What ideas of Tagore inspired Vandana Shiva to start Earth University?

Answer:

The author states that the Earth University located at Navdanya farm was
inspired by Rabindranath Tagore’s ideas expressed in his essay ‘Tapovan’
(Forest of Purity). Tagore says that India’s best ideas have come from the
forests where the man was in communion with trees and rivers and lakes,
away from the crowds. The peace of the forest has helped the intellectual
evolution of man and the culture of the forest has fueled the culture of Indian
society.

The culture that has arisen from the forest has been influenced by the
diverse processes of renewal of life, which are always at play in the forest,
varying from species to species, from season to season, in sight and sound
and smell. The unifying principle of life in diversity, of democratic pluralism,
thus became the principle of Indian civilization.

Question 14.

How are unity and diversity related to each other?

Answer:

Unity and diversity are related to each other. This unity in diversity that is
the basis of both ecological sustainability and democracy. Diversity without
unity becomes the source of conflict and contest. Unity without diversity
becomes the ground for external control. The forest is a unity in its diversity
and we are united with nature through our relationship with the forest.

Comprehension II

Question 1.

How did the women led by Bachni Devi put up resistance to the felling of
trees? Do you think it was effective?

Answer:

In 1977, in the Himalayan village of Adwani, a village woman named Bachni

Devi led the resistance against her own husband, who had obtained a
contract to cut trees. When officials arrived at the forest, the women held up
lighted lanterns in broad daylight. When the forester asked them to explain
their action, the women told him that they had come there to teach them
forestry.

When the forester retorted, calling them foolish women and asked them
whether they knew the real value of the forests and asked them whether
they knew what the forests bore, the women retorted and sang in chorus
saying that the forests bore soil, water, and pure air which sustain the Earth
and all she bears.

Their demonstration was very effective because, the menfolk including the
forester believed that the village women were naïve and ignorant, but on the
contrary, they proved that they were quite knowledgeable about the benefits
of forestry.

Question 2.

Why is it important to promote biodiversity-intensive farming? How did the

author achieve it?

Answer:

Bio-diversity promotes democratic pluralism where every species gets

opportunities to sustain itself in co-operation with others and no species in a
forest appropriates the share of another species. Since failure to understand
biodiversity and its many functions leads to an impoverishment of nature
and culture, it becomes imperative to practice bio-diversity-intensive
farming.

The author started Navdanya Farm in 1994 in the Doon Valley where she
practiced biodiversity-intensive farming. Initially, she started saving seeds
from farmers’ fields and today they are able to conserve and grow 630
varieties of rice, 150 varieties of wheat, and hundreds of other species. She
opines that bio-diversity-intensive farming produces more food and nutrition
per acre and hence bio-diversity is the answer to the food and nutrition
crisis.

Question 3.

‘Rights of Nature’ means

a. The right of people to use nature.

b. The duty of human beings to conserve nature.
c. Preserving nature for seif-protection.

Answer:

(b) and (c) the duty of human beings to conserve nature/ preserving nature
for self-protection.

Question 4.

What does the concept of the Earth University convey? How is this different
from that of the other universities?

OR

Write a note on Earth University mentioned in Vandana Shiva’s essay.

Answer:

The Earth University located at Navdanya, a biodiversity farm in the Doon

Valley of the Himalaya, teaches Earth Democracy. It means freedom for all
species to evolve within the web of life, and the freedom and responsibility of
humans, as members of the Earth family, to recognize, protect, and respect
the rights of other species. Earth University is different from other
universities because it is eco-centric, while the other universities are
anthropocentric

Eco-centrism refers to the system of thought where the focus is on

conserving the existing eco-systems that are needed to protect and sustain
the web of life on the Earth. On the contrary, the other universities are
anthropocentric. They focus on protecting and sustaining the life of human
beings only.

Comprehension III

Question 1.
“Tagore saw unity with nature as the highest stage of human evolution.” Do
you think consumerism and accumulation of wealth come in the way of
realizing Tagore’s vision of human evolution?

Answer:

Yes. Undoubtedly consumerism and accumulation of wealth come in the way

of realizing Tagore’s vision of human evolution. Tagore firmly believed that
Indian civilization found its source of regeneration – both material and
intellectual – in the forest. Tagore was convinced that India’s best ideas have
come from the place where the man was in communion with trees and rivers
and lakes, away from the crowds. The peace of the forest has helped the
intellectual evolution of man. The culture that has arisen from the forest has
been influenced by the diverse processes of renewal of life, which are always
at play in the forest, varying from species to species, from season to season,
in sight, sound and smell. Thus, the unifying principle of life in diversity, of
democratic pluralism, became the principle of Indian civilization. It is this
unity in diversity that supports ecological sustainability and democracy.

On the contrary, consumerism and accumulation work against the idea of

unity in diversity and ecological sustainability, because both consumerism
and accumulation of wealth are external manifestations of our vices like
gluttony, greed, avarice, self-indulgence, self-centeredness, domination and
exploitation. These vices ultimately lead to ruthless and barbaric exploitation
of nature and cause impoverishment of nature and culture.

Question 2.

“The conservation of biodiversity is the answer to the food and nutrition

crisis.” Do you agree?

OR

“Biodiversity-based intensive farming is the answer to the food and nutrition

crisis”. Discuss.

Answer:

Yes. The conservation of biodiversity is the right step to help the people
overcome the nutrition crisis because bio-diversity works on the paradigm of
Earth Democracy and democratic pluralism wherein there is freedom for all
species to evolve within the web of life. As members of the Earth family, it is
the freedom and responsibility of humans to recognize, protect and respect
the rights of other species. This way we bring into play the principle of
equity. No species in such an ecosystem appropriates the share of another
species and every species sustains itself in co-operation with others.

Secondly, bio-diversity sustains democratic pluralism because there are

diverse processes of renewal of life always at play in natural eco-systems
and they vary from species to species and from season to season in sight,
sound and smell. All the species live in perfect harmony. Thus bio-diversity
paves the way for enrichment of the web of life leading to abundance.

Question 3.

“Conservation of biodiversity is crucial for the sustenance of both nature and

human society.” Discuss.

OR

Conservation of biodiversity sustains both nature and culture. Discuss in the

light of Vandana Shiva’s essay

OR

Write a note on biodiversity.

Answer:

The Earth houses millions of eco-systems and nurtures bio-diversity. Bio-

diversity ensures abundance, freedom, co-operation and mutual giving.
Tagore argues that the forests have served as sources of material and
intellectual regeneration since time immemorial and the culture of the forest
has fueled the culture of Indian society. The culture that has arisen from the
forest is nurtured by the unifying principle of life in diversity and of
democratic pluralism. It is this unity in diversity that is the basis of both
ecological sustainability and democracy. This is true of both nature and
culture. We are united with nature through our relationship with the forest.
The forest teaches us union, compassion and enoughness.

No species In a forest appropriates the share of another species and every

species sustains itself in co-operation with others. This unity in diversity seen
in the forest should serve as a model for human society, otherwise, it will
lead to conflict, greed, exploitation and finally to the impoverishment of our
culture. Therefore, the conservation of diversity is crucial for the sustenance
of both nature and human society.

Question 4.
In light of this essay, how does one synthesize the wisdom of the past with
the modern knowledge systems?

Answer:

The essay ‘Everything I need to know 1 Learned in the Forest’, by Vandana

Shiva, highlights the importance of sustaining biodiversity in nature.
However, the author does not dismiss scientific inventions and discoveries
as useless. Scientific inventions and discoveries have proved successful in
controlling infant mortality, increasing longevity. But some of the discoveries
and inventions have resulted in damaging our eco-systems and are now
threatening to wipe out life on this earth. Secondly, some scientific practices
might create a crisis in the food chain itself.Under such circumstances, we
need to synthesize the wisdom of the past with modern knowledge systems.
This has several advantages. For example, traditional knowledge is vital for
the sustenance of natural resources including forests, water and agro eco-
systems across landscape continuum, spanning from households through
farms, village and wilderness.

An expert by name Caval Canti (2002) notes that a limitation of economic

development is that it is pursued without any considerations in practice as to
its implications on ecosystems. The prevailing economic theories treat the
economic process from a purely mechanistic standpoint. Different ways exist,
however, to deal with the choices that humans have to make with respect to
the allocation of resources, the distribution of the returns and the fulfilment
of purposes of material progress.

To understand how local people solve their economic problems in a

sustainable fashion is a serious challenge. A better grasp of this issue could
possibly be accomplished with the use of ethno economics or ethno
ecological economics. Application of scientific research and local knowledge
contributes both to the equity, opportunity, security, and empowerment of
local communities, as well as to the sustainability of the natural resources.
Local knowledge helps in scenario analysis, data collection, management
planning, designing of the adaptive strategies to learn, and get feedback and
institutional support to put policies into practice.

Science, on the other hand, provides new technologies or helps in the

improvement of the existing ones. It also provides tools for networking,
storing, visualizing, and analyzing information. Thus, by developing
sustainability science and ethno economics, we can synthesise the wisdom
of the past with modern knowledge systems.