Pitch
Collect fruit seeds with students help, grow fruit trees everywhere, distribute fruits free, request to save seeds & use next year
Description
Summary
Students to collect & store at home the seeds of all fruits eaten at home, bring & pool seeds together at schools at school opening time i.e. mansoon commencement in India, spread seeds on unused land &/or at places indicated by officials. Fruit trees will grow naturally and eventually begin to yield fruits.
These fruits be plucked & distributed free to everyone, at schools, with a request to save the seeds at home & send to school at next season for reuse.
Government’s revenue, agriculture, forest, horticulture & local bodies’ officials to help & facilitate the spreading of fruit-seeds & plucking and transport of fruits to schools for free distribution, involvement of voluntary organizations at every step. Activity be repeated annually & globally.
Using Fruit-Seeds (considered as waste) for most beneficial purposes for planet & mankind to grow fruit-trees would be one of the best steps towards circular economy. Parts of plants & fruits unused by mankind, except seeds which should be used to grow fruit-trees, can form good manure, fertilizer; easier than dealing with human &/or animal excreta, increase green cover with the seeds themselves, involve all age groups in collecting storing and distributing the seeds easily. So this is best initial step.
What actions do you propose?
Swami Vivekananda Fruit-trees Expansion Mission.
Year 2013-14 was celebrated the 150th birth-year of Swami Vivekananda, great warrior sage of India who kindled renaissance of glorious ancient thought of India and waged a relentless war against ignorance.
He declared, “Man is first to be saved; he must be given food, education and spirituality.” He strove relentlessly to uplift the poor of country to pinnacles of spirituality; but understood necessity of health, strength and knowledge required for the fulfillment of this great and daunting task. He enjoined everyone to “Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached. Arise, awake! Awake from this hypnotism of weakness.” He asserted, “None is really weak; the soul is infinite, omnipotent, and omniscient. Stand up, assert yourself, proclaim the God within you, do not deny Him.”
To gratefully acknowledge his yeoman contributions towards the building up a modern, strong yet spiritually vibrant India & world is our duty.
With this objective I request, following program plan, be declared as Swami Vivekananda Fruit-Trees Expansion Mission & adopted as an ongoing activity for years to come.
Program is about provision of nourishing food to deprived section of population and involves no separate infrastructure, funds or manpower; nor is it capital intensive but needs timely, temporary reorganization of a few resources.
It involves school-children in an ongoing manner into the task of providing quality eatables, specifically edible fruits to common people, intends to sensitize in a continuing way, not only actively participating school-children but entire society about ecology, environment, nutrition, health etc, while trying to utilize resources that presently find a destination of dumping grounds.
Each school may have a committee/group of inspired, interested teachers & students who will continually sensitize the new entrants & remind everyone to collect & store seeds.
School-children to collect, preserve at home seeds of all fruits consumed by their families throughout year.
At beginning of school, after summer vacations, children to bring, pool together seeds at class and school level.
Collected seeds be spread by them, after initial good rains of Mansoon (in India), onto soil at unused places &/or places indicated to them by local self-government authorities. The forest, agriculture, horticulture officials be involved in helping school-children in this task. Children should do this under supervision of their teachers and the officials; sites may be allocated to them annually at different locations, taking care not to repeat locations excessively.
Sites be empty spaces in towns, cities, villages; sides of the streets, highways, borders between the farms, sides of streams, rivulets, small and large rivers and depths and peripheries of forests, & barren hillocks, mountains, unused land. No fencing, placing the tree-guard erection need be conducted at least initially.
Let the mother earth take care of saplings seeds to be employed are ones which find abode in the dumping grounds for city waste.
Fruits when eventually they would appear be plucked and distributed free into neighboring area, in the schools participating.
When implemented diligently on annual basis this would help by
1)Utilizing precious natural resource, seeds, of fruits eaten by people, that go waste, reduce GHG emissions due to fruit seed decay.
2)Sensitizing generations of students, children, about plants bearing edible fruits, nutrition, health, environment, help build 'bounce forward' approach & embed ecological perspective into rural development efforts, help develop ecologically regenerative, disruption resistant ways cities can stably, sustainably add to stable, sustainable rural enrichment.
3)Increasing forest cover, green density of cities, towns and countryside, reducing pollution,
4)Making available free-from-pesticides naturally-grown fruits,
5)Inculcating caring, nurturing attitudes, antithetical to violence, in the participants,
6)Fostering a positive bond between distributing children, students and recipients, help overcome undesirable racial prejudices & encouraging, increasing spirit for collective action for social benefits.
7)In due course of this reverse horticulture activity hardier, sturdier species of fruit-bearing trees likely to emerge, increasing fruit-trees' biodiversity, combating desertification.
8)Peace & concern for wellbeing of others will help reduce expenditure on security related measures allowing use of resources for socially more relevant purposes.
9)Enhance "Ecocentrism", help ingrain attitudes & practices that favor climate protection, help emerge Climate Ambassadors.
10)Help develop a sustained ongoing massive social network for pro-climate action.
11)Offer " realistic 'action course' that is affordable and not difficult to use" that is in harmony with ethical, moral, social values and personal needs.
12)Help reduce soil erosion by 'slowing the flow'.
District collector, local bodies, education officer, agriculture officer, horticulture officer, and forest officer to coordinate and monitor program.
School-children and college students to be part of monitoring system as well. Voluntary organizations be involved to full extent in implementing this. State & Central agencies be actively involved.
Essence of theme is applicable globally, can be adopted with suitable changes.
In each country the name of local sage &/or social reformer be added to that of Swami Vivekananda, for example, in USA the name be "Lincoln, King/Carver, Vivekananda fruits-trees Expansion Mission."
In China it may be "Faxian, Xuanzang, Vivekananda fruit-trees expansion mission."
Names of great leaders, social reformers, sages are very inspiring in initiating and sustaining such activities and a tribute to those noble souls; moreover, integrating different communities would be easier with inspiration from them, hence this suggestion.
Mankind presently is prisoner of its own history & struggling. It should act to create history afresh. History, the interpretive chronicler of perceived major events &/or events perceived as major in the eternal journey of mankind, can provide us with explanations & at best the reasons for mankind's present predicament. It will not offer solutions as solution lies in uncovering basic goodness in human beings and helping it blossom & bloom. Here this "Swami Vivekananda Fruit-Trees Expansion Mission" shall be of considerable help to all of us.
I request you all to help announce and commence this program as early as possible.
Brief Explanation— Our School Systems impart us knowledge of diverse aspects pertaining to sciences, economics, business, arts etc. However there is no systematic inclusive & participatory activity that would orient children, students, towards collective action for societal benefit in a broad sense without any selfish motive. Patience, perseverance and action-orientation towards common societal benefits are difficult to blossom & bloom in highly competitive environs. Sages & social reformers alike strove through their teachings & preaching to bring people towards efforts for common societal benefits with significant improvements in societies. A lot needs be done to further their efforts.
In sports notion is, “catch them young”; in promoting collective efforts towards common societal benefits similar efforts are needed. This can be helped by implementation of Swami Vivekananda Fruits-Trees Expansion Mission.
Mankind created no plant 'De Novo'. Trees bearing edible fruits existed since much before advent of mankind. Mankind modified just a few things trying to extract more benefits. We don’t find fruit-bearing trees in the wild because we grow them, harvest fruits and dump seeds onto garbage dumps where they just rot, do not get a chance to unfold their potential developing into a living tree.
Trees which do not produce edible fruits for mankind are so often found in wild precisely because humans do not interfere with natural process of their reproduction. In wild these trees grow, attain great height and continually reproduce creating forests of trees. Reproduction using fruit seeds is a highly conserved Evolutionary Means for Plants. Birds, animals never knew horticulture but spread fruit seeds unwittingly, aiding plant spread. This was the scenario before emergence of mankind as a Fruit-trees domesticating species.
Ayurved, the ancient Indian system of medicine which originated in pre-historical periods, contains detailed descriptions of medicinal plants. These plants can very well be identified even now in accordance with those descriptions.
By wasting fruit-seeds mankind harms its own interests as natural selection is not allowed to play a part in their growth, development, thereby thwarting development of hardier, sturdier species.
http://www.statista.com/statistics/264001/worldwide-production-of-fruit-by-varietysays World seeded fruit production is about 455 million metric tons, average seed wt.1/20th, 23 million metric tons seeds decay!
Average seed wt. 5gms, 4600 billion seeds! @10% tree formation we get 460 billion trees/year. A tree absorbs 48 pounds/21.8Kg of CO2/year, sequesters 1ton of CO2 by 40 years;
10 billion tons CO2/year sequestered. Get breathing space by sequestering 10 billion/year.
Monoclonal susceptible plants may be in danger of getting destroyed by pest attacks, so allowing fruit seeds grow in wild, naturally is a good option beneficial for horticulture, mankind & inexpensive too. For-profit-horticulturists need not fear this mission. They may continue to & increase exports, simultaneously spread seeds of perennial varieties of legumes like pigeon pea & enrich soil further.
The asexual propagation of cultivars reduces biodiversity. This mission would help increase fruit-trees' biodiversity which may be fully used by horticulturists, thus enriching horticulture. Most cultivars developed by selecting altering & propagating natural finds so are in the final analysis the nature's gifts.
http://biblehub.com/genesis/1-11.htm New Living Translation
Then God said, "Let the land sprout with vegetation--every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. These seeds will then produce the kinds of plants and trees from which they came." And that is what happened.
Only minimum suggested, people most welcome to do more, like growing saplings, planting, grafting( special method followed by horticulturists, not needed initially, difficult to implement in a mass program at least initially), pruning etc. but distributing fruits free to everyone & requesting seeds be preserved for future utilization. Distribution of fruits be wide & free, in the schools participating. Older students may be involved in plucking activity as well.
Mass scale implementation for best results, adopted universally it may be biggest ever fruit seeds dispersal program by mankind & help collective wisdom of mankind manifest & unfold itself.
Science, technology have progressed to stage where almost all basic needs of people can be fulfilled by directed efforts; how to change mindset of people to orient towards this objective is critical. Here this would help considerably.
Instead of Nuclear M.A.D. doctrine, we should strive for Social M.A.D. (Mutually Assured Development) doctrine
Together can we all make this earth a better & better place for everyone to live upon.
Who will take these actions?
School-Students to collect & store at home the seeds of fruits eaten by their families throughout the year, bring & pool together those seeds at schools, spread those seeds on unused land everywhere, globally.
Government officials to issue permissions, indicate places, help & facilitate spreading of seeds by providing transportation, manpower of revenue, agriculture, forest, horticulture departments, keep record of seed-spread & growth of fruit-trees; help pluck & transport fruits to schools for free distribution. Cities will not be able to use all seeds collected within its limits & countryside will not be able to generate all seeds it may use. So seeds will have to be moved from cities to countryside.
Voluntary organizations be involved at every step, industries & businesses may participate as voluntary activist partners.
Fruits be distributed free to any/everyone, with a request to store the seeds at home for next year’s/season’s spreading activity, with a request to get involved in this activity in an ongoing manner. Thus entire society will be involved in this activity.
People or groups of people can commence activity for implementation at their level or region. Any school, college, institution desiring to implement can do so on its own.
Anyone or everyone can begin with this implementation at their level.
Anyone may add to this theme with the purpose of giving greater benefits to common people.
International Institutes like UNEP, UNDP, FAO may spread idea & help National Governments adopt this mission.
Where will these actions be taken?
Globally in each and every country, in an ongoing manner this activity be initiated & continually implemented.
Scale is important; greater the number of seeds being spread over greater the land area, greater would be benefits. Greater the number of people participating, greater would be benefits. Mass scale implementation would give massive benefits.
"wide portfolio of reduction measures would be needed to achieve such emission pathways in a cost-effective way" http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg3/en/ch3s3-3-5-1.html
Mankind, inspired by farmers, saving & using fruit-seeds currently wasted to grow more & more bio-diverse fruit-trees, can save the climate, planet and its own self.
How much will emissions be reduced or sequestered vs. business as usual levels?
"The Whole is More than the Sum of its Parts".
GHG emissions from fruit seeds decay to be prevented.
http://www.statista.com/statistics/264001/worldwide-production-of-fruit-by-varietysays World seeded fruit production is about 455 million metric tons, average seed wt.1/20th, 23 million metric tons seeds decay!
Average seed wt. 5gms, 4600 billion seeds! @10% tree formation we get 460 billion trees/year. A tree absorbs 48 pounds/21.8Kg of CO2/year, sequesters 1ton of CO2 by 40 years;
10 billion tons CO2/year sequestered. Get breathing space by sequestering 10 billion/year.
Save & Spread Fruit Seeds ! More the better ! Act Sooner !
Mission will enhance "Eco-centrism" by help build attitudes & practices favoring climate protection, a sustained ongoing huge social network for affordable, easy, realistic action course in harmony with ethical, moral, social values and personal needs.
What are other key benefits?
1)Utilizing precious natural resource, fruit-seeds that go waste,
2)Sensitizing generations of students, children, about plants, edible fruits, nutrition, health, environment,
3)Increasing green density of both our cities, towns and countryside, reducing pollution,
4)Making available free-from-pesticides naturally-grown Organic fruits,
5)Inculcating caring nurturing attitudes antithetical to violence, in society,
6)Fostering a positive bond between distributing participants & recipients help overcome undesirable racial prejudices & encouraging, increasing the spirit for collective action for societal benefits.
7)In reverse horticulture activity hardier sturdier species of fruit-bearing trees will emerge helping horticulture, combating desert formation & enriching rural economy.
8)Peace & concern for wellbeing of others will help reduce security related expenditure freeing resources for socially more relevant purposes.
What are the proposal’s costs?
Not much money is required for collecting & storing seeds at home and bringing those seeds to schools & pooling together the seeds. Bags be temporarily provided for mass transport, by voluntary agencies, businesses & government departments.
Mass transport facilities be used to take seeds to different locations. Cities will not be able to use all seeds collected in cities and countryside will not be able to collect all seeds needed to use the land available; hence the seeds will have to be moved from cities to countryside.
Revenue, agriculture, forest, horticulture departments may use their material, transport, manpower resources to help facilitate & coordinate this activity. Only temporary & purposeful reorganized deployment of available resources will be needed to implement this mission.
This activity would not be able to use seedless fruits.
This is an anthropocentric activity; however almost all activities of mankind are anthropocentric. But this activity will help herbivorous animals in the wild as well, by providing fruits in the wild as well, diminishing their excursions onto human habitats.
Wild plants may face at most some competition from fruit-trees; this is a minor side/negative effect of this activity.
For-profit horticulture-activity need not fear this activity, in long term the emergence of hardier, sturdier species of fruit trees will certainly benefit the horticulturists. They can continue & increase the export of their produce of fruits.
Time line
Short Term— Collecting & spreading the fruit seeds; after 7-8 years volunteer teams may undertake pruning if felt needed.
Medium Term— Short-Term + Plucking & distributing the fruits with request to get involved in this mission;
discovering & putting into practice other uses of fruit-seeds like isolating chemicals, raw material for medicines etc using biochemical, pharmaceutical methods, (research can be done in short term phase itself); processed fruit products for human consumption can be furthered.
Long Term—Harvesting benefits of both earlier phases and discovering & using newer ones.
Related proposals
Youth action on climate activities, climate change awareness programs, shifting behavior for climate change & other land use improvement programs can very well be integrated with this activity so also peace action activities. Energy efficiency activities and renewable energy utilization programs will reduce carbon emissions, hence can very well be integrated with this mission.
All initiatives for environment protection, healthy environment & population health can be combined with this activity.
Peace & concern for wellbeing of others will help reduce expenditure on security related measures allowing thereby use of more resources for socially more relevant purposes, so this theme is a natural friend, coworker, of all peace promotion efforts.
This theme is respectfully submitted for opinion,critical comments, support & initiation of implementation.
References
1) Swami Vivekananda’s Writings,
2) Tolstoy’s ‘How much land does a man need’,
3) Writings of Mahatma Gandhi & his disciple Vinoba Bhave
4) Professor Amartya Sen’s suggestion to Government to develop ways to utilize fruit seeds currently wasted, published (1999) in a Local Marathi language Newspaper.
5) My observation as a school-kid of the way in which my mother, Kusum Moreshwar Wagh, (she passed away recently on 12th Jan. 2015, the day Swami Vivekananda was borne) grew variety of vegetables in the backyard of my late (he passed away on November 5th 2013) father's house at Amraoti, Mah. State, India.
6) Personal conversation with Mr. Jagdish Suklikar, Director, Baljagat, Nagpur; during the course of conversation he expressed lament that, lack of a game/activity for children that promotes spirit of mutual help/cooperation & orientation towards society's wellbeing amongst them hampering his work is being very acutely felt by his team & needs solution.
7) Public talk by Dr. Shriramji Jyotishi, Shri Ayurved College Nagpur. In the context of Herbal Medicine, he commented that plants existed since much before the advent of mankind.
8)"Anatomy of Human Destructiveness" book by Eric Fromm, excellent in its exposition but remedies for mass action aren't much elaborated.
9) Comments by Ricardomachado & Olaniyan in comments section.
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