TS 10th Class English Guide Unit 6A Environment

Telangana SCERT TS 10th Class English Guide Pdf Unit 6A Environment Textbook Questions and Answers.

TS 10th Class English Guide Unit 6A Environment

Bio-Diversity:

Question 1.
What do you see in the first picture? Do you like it? If not, why not?
Answer:
In the first picture, there is a lot of garbage dumped on a river bank. The entire place looks very dirty, and it is not the usual river bank scene, one does expect. No, I do not like the place for the simple reason of the unhealthy atmosphere and the ugliness of the place.

Question 2.
How is the second picture different from the first? Do you feel good about it? Give reasons for your view.
Answer:
The second picture is of a beautiful countryside, with a lot of greenery and well designed houses. I do love it and would like to live there as well, just because of the beauty it holds. It is very healthy as well.

Oral Discourse:

Question.
Debate – “Human beings cannot live on this earth without causing threat to the nature.”
Answer:
The unity of man and nature. Human beings live in the realm of nature, they are constantly surrounded by it and interact with it. The most intimate part of nature in relation to man is the biosphere, the thin envelope embracing the earth, its soil cover, and everything else that is alive.

Our environment, although outside us, has within us not only its image, as something both actually and imaginatively reflected, but also its material energy and information channels and processes. This presence of nature in an ideal, materialised, energy and information form in man’s Self is so organic that when these external natural principles disappear, man himself disappears from life. If we lose nature’s image, we lose our life.

Everything, from each separate cell of a living organism to the organism as a whole, generates bioenergy. Just as the bioenergy of the separate cell goes beyond its boundaries, so the bioenergy of the organs and the organism as a whole extends beyond their boundaries, forming a luminous aura.

As the ancient acupuncture therapists intuitively established, bioenergy and bioinformation move along special channels (meridians) forming a complex structure, in which all the components of the living whole interact both with themselves and with the external world. Energy-information interactions are a vital dimension of any living system, including that of man as the highest stage in the hierarchy of the structures of existence known to science.

Man is constantly aware of the influence of nature in the form of the air he breathes, the water he drinks, the food he eats, and the flow of energy and information. And many of his troubles are a response to the natural processes and changes in the weather, intensified irradiation of cosmic energy, and the magnetic storms that rage around the earth. In short, we are connected with nature by “blood” ties and we cannot live outside nature. During their temporary departures from Earth spacemen take with them a bit of the biosphere.

Nowhere does nature affect humanity in exactly the same way. Its influence varies. Depending on where human beings happen to be on the earth’s surface, it assigns them varying quantities of light, warmth, water, precipitation, flora and fauna. Human history offers any number of examples of how environmental conditions and the relief of our planet have promoted or retarded human development.

Comprehension:

I. Answer the following questions:

Question 1.
How are people’s basic needs connected with the environment?
Answer:
People’s basic needs are clean drinking water, food, energy (which is mostly firewood), building material, fodder for the animals. And all these come from the environment. Hence we know that people’s basic needs are connected with environment.

Question 2.
Wangari Maathai has described the environment of her childhood in the interview. Is the environment of her childhood different from the environment you live in? If yes, in what ways?
Answer:
Yes, the childhood environment of Wangari Maathai is entirely different from the environment I live in at present. Her childhood environment was very pristine, very beautiful and very ’ green whereas my environment includes all the human made things and the natural things like plants and trees are scarcely found. Her environment is pollution free one with fresh air whereas mine is damaged because of comfortable means of living and indiscriminate destruction of forests.

Question 3.
According to Maathai, how are women responsible for the protection of the environment?
Answer:
Women are the people who have led the movement started by Maathai. They work in the farms, and they are the people who have taken the initiative to plant the trees. They are the people who have collected the seeds, planted them in the broken pots, grown them into saplings, taken care of them, planted them in the soil and protected them for the next few years, so that they do grow well. Thus women are responsible for the protection of the environment.

Question 4.
What is the specific message of Wangari Maathai?
Answer:
The specific message of Wangari Maathai is to plant a tree and take care of it. According to her, planting a sapling means planting a future for ourselves, for our children, birds, animals and so on. A tree planted is a symbol, something which is going to last long, even after our death.

Question 5.
List the transformations that Wangari Maathai was able to bring about over the years. Which one of them is the biggest in your opinion? .
Answer:
The ability of ordinary, illiterate women in planting trees and protecting the trees led to their financial and social independence. Having a sense of pride, a sense of dignity owing to their independence was an interesting transformation. Another transformation was that of the landscape. The places became dustfree. Another important transformation is the people were willing to fight for their rights. I think that every transformation is important. The first transformation is the biggest of all.

Question 6.
Maathai said, “When we plant a tree we plant hope.” What does she mean by this?
Answer:
She meant that a tree is a wonderful symbol for the environment and when we plant a tree, we plant the future for ourselves, for our children, for the birds. We plant something that will last, long after we are gone.

Question 7.
Wangari Maathai in her interview with NHK Radio often repeats phrases /sentences probably to emphasize her point.
For example: referring to women-groups she says:
They’re the ones who plant.
They’re the ones who cultivate.
They’re the ones who produce food.
Pick out from the text (of her Interview) such repetitions and write them down and
find out what she is emphasizing in each context
Answer:
What is happening in Somalia’?
‘What is happening in the Sudan’?
‘What ¡s happening in West Africa’?
The above repetitions emphasize Wangari Maathai’s hope in creating a peaceful
environ ment.
‘We plant a tree, we plant a hope.’
‘We plant the future for ourselves, for our children, for the birds.’
‘We plant something that will last, long after we are gone.’
The above repetitions emphasize Wangari Maathai’s message to people insisting the
importance of rehabilitation of a peaceful environment.

II. Pick out the correct choice in each of the following:

Question 1.
We have allowed some people, especially those in power, to acquire a lot at the expense of the majority.
The underlined phrase means:
a) with a loss or damage to the majority
b) by spending money on the majority
Answer:
a) with a loss or damage to the majority.

Question 2.
What was the implication of the growth of exotic trees, such as the pines and the eucalyptus for the environment?
a) It increases timber business.
b) Forests were not able to contain water.
Answer:
b) Forests were not able to contain water.

Question 3.
When women started working with Maathai, they learnt___________________ .
a) to become very competent foresters.
b) to grow and transplant seedlings.
Answer:
a) to become very competent foresters.

Question 4.
Maathal’s efforts will inspire the people
a) to stop wasting their resources.
b) to use their resources miserly.
Answer:
a) to stop wasting their resources.

Vocabulary:

I. Replace the underlined words in the following sentences with the words from the box that have the same meaning.

Question 1.
The government is trying to bring back normalcy in the riot-hit areas of the city.
Answer:
The government is trying to restore normalcy in the riot-hit areas of the city.

Question 2.
Wangari Maathai fought for the same privileges for men and women in Africa.
Answer:
Wangari Maathai fought for the equal rights for men and women in Africa.

Question 3.
I cannot hold my attention on any subject for a long time.
Answer:
I cannot sustain my attention on any subject for a long time.

Question 4.
The poster is offensive and disrespects women.
Answer:
The poster is offensive and degrades women.

Question 5.
Some people argue that the wealth in this world should be distributed fairly and reasonably among all.
Answer:
Some people argue that the wealth in this world should be distributed equitably among all.

Question 6.
After certain amount of growth the seedlings have to be taken out and shifted elsewhere for further growth.
Answer:
After certain amount of growth the seedlings have to be taken out and transplanted elsewhere for further growth.

Question 7.
She travels to all kinds of exciting locations all over the world.
Answer:
She travels to all kinds of exotic locations all over the world.

Question 8.
The Tirumala hills are covered by lush green plants.
Answer:
The Tirumala hills are covered by lush green vegetation.

Question 9.
The judge advised the disputing parties to settle through discussion.
Answer:
The judge advised the disputing parties to settle through negotiation.

Question 10.
The alcohol addict has to be put in a recovery centre for becoming a normal person.
Answer:
The alcohol addict has to be put in a rehabilitation centre for becoming a normal person.

II. Read the following sentence and notice the underlined words. What are the following persons called?

Wangari Maathai is an environmentalist and has a lot of interest in ecology.

In the above sentence ‘environmentalist’ stands for’a person who is concerned about the natural environment and wants to improve and protect it’. ‘Ecology’ stands for ‘the study of relation of animals and plants to their surroundings. ‘Both the words stand for many words. So they are called ‘one-word substitutes’.

What are the following persons called?

Question 1.
A person who studies the human race, especially of its origins.
Answer:
Anthropologist

Question 2.
A person who studies the remains of buildings and objects found in the ground.
Answer:
Archaeologist

Question 3.
A person who studies birds scientifically.
Answer:
Ornithologist

Question 4.
A doctor who studies and treats heart diseases.
Answer:
Cardiologist

Question 5.
A scientist who studies the mind of a person.
Answer:
Psychologist

Question 6.
A person who studies languages.
Answer:
Linguist

III. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the underlined words.

Question 1.
It is everyone’s duty to keep the environs clean, with the co-operation of the citizens the government can protect the _________.
Answer:
environment

Question 2.
The government of the day should show its capability by providing good _________ to people.
Answer:
governance

Question 3.
Wangari Maathai was successful in transforming women of Africa and the _________ made her happy.
Answer:
transformation

Question 4.
We must restore our environment and always try to ensure its _________.
Answer:
restoration

Question 5.
Natural resources in this world can be sustained if only there is _________ management of them.
Answer:
sustainable

Question 6.
Wangari Maathai is an environment activist. Her _________ led her to win Nobel Peace Prize.
Answer:
activities

Question 7.
We were trying to respond to the basic needs of the people in the rural areas. Our _________ was well received by them.
Answer:
response

Question 8.
In a developed country, the _________ is balanced.
Answer:
development

IV. Tick (✓) the meaning of the word underlined as suggested in the context.

Question 1.
‘For me, my greatest activity is to plant a tree/ said Wangari Maathai.
a) a living thing with stem, roots, branches and leaves
b) put seeds in the ground to grow
Answer:
b) put seeds in the ground to grow

Question 2.
My uncle wants to build a chemical plant in Hyderabad.
a) a product
b) a factory
Answer:
b) a factory

Question 3.
Applicants must have a clean driving licence.
a) complete
b) never done anything wrong
Answer:
b) never done anything wrong

Question 4.
He thinks that he should either resign or come clean.
a) free from dirt
b) as not corrupt
Answer:
b) as not corrupt

Question 5.
Rest your hand on my shoulder.
a) the remaining part
b) support
Answer:
b) support

Question 6.
All our hopes rest on you.
a) support
b) depend
Answer:
b) depend

Question 7.
A publisher’s note says: all rights reserved.
a) authority
b) interests
Answer:
a) authority

Question 8.
I want this parcel to be sent right away.
a) immediately
b) completely
Answer:
a) immediately

Question 9.
He knew this was his last hope of winning.
a) final
b) most recent
Answer:
a) final

Question 10.
The last thing she needed was more and more work.
a) the only remaining part
b) most recent
Answer:
a) the only remaining part

Grammar:

I. Non-finite clauses
Read the following sentences and notice the underlined words.
1. Nightingale is a European singing bird.
2. The degraded environment is causing a lot of havoc.

Here, singing and degraded are non-finite verbs (participle form) and they are used as adjectives.
When you add -ing/-ed/-en to a verb and if it functions as an adjective then, it is a non- finite verb.

Read the following sentences and notice the underlined words.
I asked the foresters to come and teach them.
Non-finite verbs that use ‘to’ before them are called ‘infinitives’.

Non -finite clauses:-
Non -finite clauses are simply dependent clauses that use non- finite verbs. They don’t contain a finite verb. In these clauses the verb is in a participle or infinite form.

A. Underline the non-finite clauses in the following sentences.

Question 1.
Born in London, he became the citizen of U.K.
Answer:
Born in London

Question 2.
Having done his homework, he went out to play.
Answer:
Having done his homework

Question 3.
Recognized by his boss, he got an appreciation letter.
Answer:
Recognized by his boss

Question 4.
Encouraged by his father, Ravi got distinction in his final examination.
Answer:
Encouraged by his father

Question 5.
With the tree grown tall, we get more shade.
Answer:
With the tree grown tall

Question 6.
We left the room and went home to search for the books.
Answer:
to search for the books

Question 7.
Do we have the money to buy that car?
Answer:
to buy that car

Question 8.
We were not able to get away until now.
Answer:
to get away until now.

Question 9.
Having read the book, I returned it to the Library.
Answer:
Having read the book

Question 10.
Jumping on his horse, the farmer rode to the market.
Answer:
Jumping on his horse

B. Observe how the following sentences have been rewritten to include nonfinite clauses.

1. Vincent Van Gogh, who was born in Holland in 1853, is one of the world’s most famous painters.
Born in Holland in 1853, Vincent Van Gogh is one of the world’s famous painters.

2. Although his talent was unrecognized throughout his life, it was much appreciated after his death.
Although unrecognized throughout his life, his talent was much appreciated after his death.

3. After he had failed in every career he had attempted, Van Gogh first turned to art to express his strong religious feelings.
Having failed in every career he had attempted, Van Gogh first turned to art to express his strong feelings.

Rewrite the following sentences to include non-finite clauses.

Question 1.
After he had decided to become a painter, in about 1880, he started to paint studies of peasants and miners.
Answer:
Having decided to become a painter, in about i880, he started to paint studies of peasants and miners.

Question 2.
During the next few years, which are known as his ‘Dutch period’, he produced paintings with rather dark greenish-brown colours.
Answer:
The next few years, known as his ‘Dutch period’, he produced paintings with rather dark greenish-brown colours.

Question 3.
In 1886, when he went to Paris to visit his brother Theo, he was immediately attracted to the Impressionist work he saw there. He decided to stay in Paris and continued his painting there.
Answer:
In 1886, after going to Paris to visit his brother Theo, after seeing and immediately getting attracted to the Impressionist work there, he decided to stay in Paris and continued his painting there.

Question 4.
He was encouraged by Pissaro to use more colour in his pictures and his subsequent paintings were bright and immensely colourful.
Answer:
Encouraged by Pissaro to use more colour in his pictures, his subsequent paintings were bright and immensely colourful.

Question 5.
After Van Gogh had moved to Arles in the south of France, in 1888, he worked frantically.
Answer:
Having moved to Arles in the south of France in 1888, Van Gogh worked frantically.

Question 6.
This frenzied activity, which was interrupted by bouts of deep depression and despair, produced the majority of his most famous paintings.
Answer:
Interrupted by bouts of deep depression and despair, this frenzied activity produced the majority of his most famous paintings.

Question 7.
One of these, which is called Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear, showing Van Gogh. He was wearing a bandage after cutting off his ear, committed suicide a year later in 1890.
Answer:
One of these called a Self Portrait with Bandaged Ear, shows Van Gogh, wearing a bandage after he had cut off his ear. A year later, in 1890, he committed suicide.

Question 8.
A lot is known about Van Gogh’s life and his feelings because of the hundreds of letters, ‘ which were written by him to his brother Theo and others.
Answer:
A lot is known about Van Gogh’s life and his feelings because of the hundreds of letters, written by him to his brother Theo and others.

Question 9.
His brother always encouraged him in his work because he believed in Van Gogh’s genius. He was the person closest to Van Gogh.
Answer:
Believing (believed) in Van Gogh’s genius, his brother, the closest person to Van Gogh always encouraged him in his work.

II. Reported speech

Apart from the ground rules that are laid down for reporting in traditional grammar ‘ books, there are certain other principles that are to be followed to make the speech appealing.

Suppose you want to tell somebody what Ram said. There are two ways of doing this:

You can repeat Ram’s words (direct speech).
Ram said,’I am feeling ill.

Or you can use reported speech:
Ram said that he was feeling ill.

It is not always necessary to change the verb in reported speech. If you report something and the situation hasn’t changed, you need not change the verb to the past:
Direct : Neelima said, ‘My new job is.very interesting.
Reported : Neelima said that her new job is very interesting.
(The situation hasn’t changed. Her job is still interesting.)

Direct : Ravi said, ‘I want to go to New York next year.
Reported : Ravi told me that he wants to go to New York next year.
(Ravi still wants to go to New York next year.)

You can also change the verb to the past:
Neelima said that her new job was very interesting.
Ravi told me that he wanted to go to New York the following year.

The past simple (did/saw/knew etc.) can usually stay the same in reported speech, or you can change to past perfect (had done/had seen/had known etc.):

Direct : Ravi said:’I woke up feeling.ill, so I didn’t go to work.”
Reported : Ravi said (that) he woke up feeling ill, so he didn’t go to work, or Ravi said (that) he had woken up feeling ill, so he hadn’t gone to work.

Look at the following conversation and notice how it is reported.

NHK Radio : How is peace connected to a good environment?
Wangari Maathai : Many wars that are fought in the world are fought over natural resources. Some wars are fought because the environment is so degraded that it is not able to support communities and so they fight over the little that is left. Others are fought because some people want to take a lot of the resources, to control them, and to keep many other people out.

Reported speech of the above conversation:
NHK Radio asked Wangari Maathai how peace was connected to a good environment.

She answered that many wars that were fought in the world were fought over natural resources. Some wars were fought because the environment was so degraded that it was not able to support communities and so they fought over the little that was left. Others were fought because some people wanted to take a lot of the resources, to control them, and to keep many other people out.

A. Write the following in Reported Speech:
NHK Radio : What is the one thing we can do ?
Wangari Maathai : For me, my greatest activity is to plant a tree. I think that a tree is a wonderful symbol for the environment and when we plant a tree we plant hope. We plant the future for ourselves, for our children, for the birds. We plant something that will last, long after we are gone.

Answer:
NHK Radio asked Wangari Maathai what was the one thing that they could do. She answered that the greatest activity was to plant a tree for her. She thought that tree was a wonderful symbol for the environment and when they planted a tree they planted hope. They planted the future for themselves, for their children, for the birds. They planted something that would last, long after they were gone.

B. Report the following dialogue:
Man : I’m doing a survey on shopping habits.
Woman : OK. As long as it doesn’t take long.
Man : How often do you eat hamburgers?
Woman : Never. I’m a vegetarian. I don’t eat any animal products.
Man : Right! Can I just ask you a personal question? Are you wearing leather shoes?
Woman : Yes, lam.
Man : Don’t you think that’s rather hypocritical?
Woman : No, not really.
Man : Oh, that’s amusing.

Answer:
The man said that he was doing a survey on shopping habits. Acknowledging it the woman said that she would answer the questions if they didn’t take much time. The man asked her how often she ate hamburgers. The woman replied that she never ate as she was a vegetarian and she didn’t eat any animal products. Then, the man sought her to permit to ask personal question and enquires if she was wearing leather shoes. The woman said that she was. The man asked her if she didn’t think that was rather hypocritical. The woman said she really didn’t. Finally the man said that her statement was only amusing.

Writing:

You have read the interview with Wangari Maathai. You know how and what type of questions have been asked by the interviewer. Imagine that you have decided to interview someone concerned with environment. You may include the following:
1. issues relating to the environment
2. the causes
3. actions that could be taken to save the environment
Answer.
Mr. Gogoi is one of the famous environmental activists. He wants to protect the ecosystem. He mainly concentrates on anti-dam campaign. He uses the RTI act as an instrument for social mobilization. He also starts the anti-corruption movement. He resists the massive eviction drive throughout Assam. Given below is my interview with Mr. Gogoi.

I. Why are you protesting against the construction of large dams in northeastern India?
Answer:
Mr.Gogoi:
The rivers have been flowing down since the hills from the ancient times to give us life and livelihood. Our farmers are hugely dependent on the rivers. Dams will destroy this strong bond between the river and the people. The ecology of Assam is part of the ecology ofArunachal Pradesh. Assam bears the cost of developmental projects in Arunachal Pradesh. One big dam is enough for all the people in the Northeast.

But the dams in Arunachal Pradesh are not being built to supply power for local people. They are being constructed to supply power to corporations. This is corporatization of water. Water should be a community resource. Before constructing a big dam, we should have a very proper, genuine scientific study on the river and the ecosystem. No such study was conducted.

I. Your anti-dam campaign has largely focused on the 2,000 megawatt Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Project on the border of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, which is now roughly 50 percent completed. In 2011, you led a protest movement to block the turbines from reaching the construction site. How did you do that?
Answer:
Mr.Gogoi:
KMSS, along with other organizations, succeeded in mobilizing the farmers and middle classes on the dam question. Hundreds of thousands of people had involved in the process. We chopped down huge trees on the road. We dug a trench. We blocked roads with electric poles. All the roads were blocked. The government accused us of being Maoists, Naxalites, and carrying on an armed struggle. But we are not. Ours is a ferocious resistance and we have put all our energy against this dam.

I. How do you use Right to Information requests to fight corruption and why is this method so important to your movement?
Answer:
Mr.Gogoi:
First we get all the information we need for using the RTI and then we start to fight.
The base of our popularity comes from the use of the RTI Act as an instrument for social mobilization and our anti-corruption movement. The anti-corruption movement made KMSS possible. This is why the middle class has accepted us.

I. Last year, KMSS opened “fair price” vegetable stalls in Guwahati, the capital of Assam. What does this achieve?
Answer:
Mr.Gogoi:
We tried to address two questions. The price of vegetables is high for consumers, but the farmers get very little for their crops. A farmer gets only get 1.5 rupees per kilogram of tomatoes but the consumer has to buy it for 30 to 40 rupees. The profit goes to the brokers, not to the producers. We wanted to establish a market that directly connects producers and consumers. We understand that this is a temporary experiment. But it shows that price control as well as profits to the producers can be provided by sincere state effort.

I. You recently announced plans to start a political party in 2015. Will you be contesting in the elections?
Answer:
Mr.Gogoi:
In the next elections we are going to form a party, but not fight for parliamentary elections. The issue has been continuously debated within the organization. The party is for social and democratic reform and revolution. Till now, KMSS is a mass organization, and no mass organization can bring about serious change. Only a strong political party can achieve this.

I. The movement you led in 2002 against the forest department’s eviction drive launched you as an activist beyond student politics. What happened?
Answer:
Mr.Gogoi:
There was a massive eviction drive by the Forest Department throughout Assam. I was one of the five students from Guwahati University, who went to Tengani area in Nambar Reserve Forest in Golaghat district. We found many houses burned and others demolished by the Forest Department’s elephants. We held a meeting and formed an organization to resist the eviction drive and my real movement was started.

On Aug. 7, 2002, we led a protest from Tengani to the district headquarters – in Golaghat 40 kilometers away. We went on foot, 10,000 to 15,000 people, starting at 4 a.m. In Golaghat town we fought against the police. After quarreling for an hour, the deputy commissioner came and he gave an assurance that no eviction drive would happen in Tengani area before discussing it with the people. It was the first time I spoke about land rights.

I. How was KMSS formed and what issues does it care about the most?
Answer:
Mr.Gogoi:
After two years in Tengani, we had an intense confrontation with the government.
The police and the ruling Congress party were strongly opposing us. We could not resist the government in such a small area, so we decided that we must spread the democratic mass movement all across Assam. On June 28, 2005, we began a bicycle procession with 200 people, split into two teams.

One went to lower Assam, and the other to upper Assam. We met many flood-affected people and people living in the forests in every district of Assam. This was a big source of learning for us, and we connected with many local organizations and NGOs throughout the state. After one month, we gathered in Tezpur town and formed the KMSS.

We demand land reforms in Assam. Land must be distributed to peasants and farmers. Our second demand is for community rights over natural resources. And third is to find a solution to problems of flooding and erosion. Also, we want 100 percent irrigation in paddy fields.
(This interview has been slightly edited and condensed.)

Environment Summary in English

(Wangari Muta Maathai (1 April 1940 – 25 September 2011) was a Kenyan , environmental and political activist In the 1970s, Maathai founded the Green Belt Movement, an environmental non-governmental organization focused on the planting of trees, environmental conservation, and women’s rights. In 1986, she was awarded the Right Livelihood Award, and in 2004, she became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for “her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace”. The given lesson is an excerpt from her interview with NHK Radio (Japan).

Wangari Maathai says that the efforts of the Green Belt Movement were to respond to the basic needs of the people in the rural areas. She says that Kenya had undergone severe environmental degradation due to the attitude of the colonial rulers. Kenya, which was colonialised by the British had a lot of indigenous forests in the forested mountains which worked as water to wers.

These forests were cleared for establishing commercial plantations of exotic species of trees like the Pines and Eucalyptus. Though these movements have had its say in the commercial timber industry, it happened at the cost of the local biological diversity. These trees, which grew faster extracted water from the soils and precipitated that back to the atmosphere. The result was severe water shortage, drying up of underground water resources, severe changes in the rain patterns and the greater loss of local bio-diversity.

This was well reflected in the very first United Nations Conference for Women in Mexico in 1975, many of the women were saying, “We need food, we need water, we need clean drinking water, we need fodder for our animals.” This was the turning point from where Wangari Maathai started her movement.

Her first attempt was to make the people plant and take care of the indigenous plants and trees, by growing the seeds and then transplanting them. Even that had some troubles as the women were not trained for that. As the training attempt with the help of the foresters failed, she inspired the ladies to use the common sense, and grow plants in pots and all. These trees can grow and meet the needs, as the trees grow faster in the tropical regions. People need trees for fire wood and building purposes.

Wangari Maathai is of the opinion that the people of the nation do ask for the basic needs of people in the rural areas; and people are asking for clean drinking water, for food, for energy (which is mostly firewood), for building material, for fodder for the animals. All these need to come from the nature. Once it gets degraded then the life of common people gets into trouble. She also feels that planting trees is not just the solution, for there are some other things to be done as well.

For this, the government needs to organize programmes and take care of them. Though there were movements or wars, they were for the sake of their supremacy or the control over it, but not for the sake of the environment. According to her, the theme is like an African stool, with three legs and the basin on which you sit. The three legs: one leg is peace, the other leg is good governance, and the third leg is sustainable management of resources. When you have those three legs, you can put the basin, which is development. And if you try to balance that stool without those three, it won’t happen.

What she had understood from the given scenario was that the best way to protect the environment is by organizing the illiterate and ordinary women, who could plant trees, grow them, meet the needs and even sell them. The women are now proud of what they have achieved. The landscape also has got changes. The dust filled land now has green lush growing and are even inhabited by birds and animals. The third change is that of the people, who now come willingly forward, to be a part of the movement. She becomes more humble, to accept that the efforts she had started which has become an inspiration for a lot many such struggling communities around the world.

Glossary:

Green Belt Movement (n) = a movement to protect environment,
Nobel Peace Prize = The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes created by the Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel
respond (v) = to say or do something as a reaction to something that has been said or done
discontent (n) = a feeling of wanting better treatment or an improved situation
fodder (n) = food for farm animals
forested (adj) = covered with forests
pristine (adj) = fresh or clean
indigenous (adj) = native
biological diversity (n) = the variety of plants and animals in a particular place
exotic species (n) = unusual plants
commercial plantations (n) = a long, artificially-established mini forest, farm or estate, which is grown for commercial purposes.
flora (n) = all the plants of a particular place
fauna (n) = all the animals of a given region
downstream (adj) = with or in the direction of the current of a stream,
illiterate (n) = the person who is unable to read or write,
germinate (v) = to develop into a plant or individual, as a seed, spore,
seedlings (n) = a plant or tree grown from a seed.
rehabilitate (v) = to restore to a condition of good health, ability to work, or the like.
landscape (n) = a section or expanse of rural scenery, usually extensive, that can be seen from a single viewpoint.
profound (adj) = penetrating or entering deeply into subjects of thought or knowledge
ensure (v) = to make sure or certain
negotiations (n) = mutual discussion and arrangement of the terms of a transaction or agreement
conflict (v) = to come into collision or disagreement.