ECO ECO
The ECO-ECO Mindset – Both Ecologically and Economically balanced
ETHOS OF THE INDIGENOUS ECO-ECO MINDSET OF INDIA
For starters, you will see that the priority of viability and friendliness
have been interchanged from
“Economically Viable and Ecologically Friendly”
to
“Ecologically Viable and Economically Friendly”.
ECONOMICALLY VIABLE ECOLOGICALLY FRIENDLY
One uses the term “Economically viable” today inorder to measure the ROI Return on Investment after pumping in monies for
•Producing chemical or artificial produce
•From chemical or artificial inputs
•Using artificially generated power
•With automated machinery and processes
•In artificially maintained environs
•To be sold electronically
•For consumption in other artificial products or usage and
•For disposing in such a manner so as to not affect Nature.
Today’s Ecologically Friendly Mindset after ensuring Economic Viability.
Nature comes at the very end, after all the economic ROI. Hence it is also called “Environment Friendly” after ensuring the “Economic Viability”:
ECOLOGICALLY VIABLE, ECONOMICALLY FRIENDLY
Whereas in the traditional “Make The Indian Way”, “Ecological Viability” was the measure of the Return on Investment made by Nature, in the process of:
*Producing Natural Products
*From Natural raw materials
*Grown naturally using Sun, Rain, Earth and Intelligent Sustainable Techniques of farming
*Leveraging Manual Workforce and skills suitably instead of displacing it
*Encouraging travel and physical contact in trade to enable global cross pollination of thoughts, values and practices
*For natural uses and
*For disposal by Nature herself.
Ancient India’s Ecologically Viable Mindset along with Economic Profitability
Whereas in the traditional “Make The Indian Way”, “Ecological Viability” was the measure of the Return on Investment made by Nature, in the process of:
It was more than “Ecologically Viable” for they allowing Nature to do her job and in the bargain were gaining health and wealth. Infact, the returns were therefore a lot more than just being “Economically Friendly” like for instance:
*Continuous green cover on land due to sustained cultivation of raw materials.
*All round development of villages as centres of manufacturing of the natural produce.
*All round physical health of the populace as they were kept fit with all the manual labour in Natural habitat, vis-à-vis just standing and monitoring machines in polluting and harmful factories.
*Positive benefits of a sustained green cover such as more rains, more water, cooler climate, more moisture, more flora, more fauna, more oxygen, less pollution, less Ozone depletion and the likes.
*Good cultural exchanges due to trade with far and near lands.
It seems to have been sustainable for the ecology, economy as well as every entity in the economic and cultural chain.
What “viable” really stands for?
In modern times, we find that the word “viability” has a connotation of more than “feasibility” or “practicality”.
It has an additional association with “profitability”. In that, it denotes the returns obtained, over and above what has gone in. So, when one says “Economically viable”, what one is actually wanting to convey is that, one expects more than what one has ploughed in.
Economic viability actually goes many steps further. Not only does it connote a notion of profitability, viability is also driven by an underlying ethos of multiplicity wherein, the measure of profitability has to be atleast many times more than what has gone in.
What “friendly” really stands for?
Likewise, the term “friendly”, functions more as an antonym of “enemy” than as a synonym of “gracious” or “benevolent”.
In that, the term “friendly” is used to convey that one is trying one’s best to prevent or do as much less harm as possible in one’s pursuit of enriching oneself. It does not necessarily mean that one is really being benevolent or acting in other’s interest.
Given all these hidden implications, how does one decide which Eco should be treated as viable and which Eco to treat as friendly?
WHY NOT BOTH, ECONOMICALLY AND ECOLOGICALLY VIABLE?
We have seen a gradual transition from the ancient ethos of Ecologically Viable and Economically Friendly to Economically Viable and Ecologically Friendly ethos of the Post Renaissance world.
What we, especially Indians, at the crossroads of time, technology and tradition should venture to fashion, is a Mindset that is both Ecologically and Economically Viable. Economically and Ecologically Viable – Both balanced equally
This can evolve only when we dare to adapt our practices to suit our environs and culture.
This can then become a paradigm for each land to adopt and adapt according to their own environs and culture using their own ingenuity and innovativeness.
It is all about working with the belief that sustaining Ecology will automatically keep Economy sustained too.
It is all about flipping the jargon
“Economically Viable and Ecologically friendly”
to
“Ecologically Viable and Economically friendly”,
in the philosophy that a sustained Ecology will keep Economy sustained and thereby prosperity.
For, prosperity is not only about economic wealth and comfort alone.
It is to do with the physical, mental, financial, cultural and spiritual wellbeing of the people and their environs too.
It is to do with arriving at the right balance between Economy and Ecology.
It is to do with arriving at the right balance between mankind and Nature, of which man is also a part.
