Mahatma Gandhi and the Environment Analysing Gandhian Environmental Thought

• Author: T.N. Khoshoo

About the Book

• Delves into the environmental philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi and its applicability to contemporary issues such as climate change and resources depletion.
• Brings out the balance between nature, sustainability and moral responsibility in the thoughts of Gandhi.

Major Ideas on Environmental Gandhian.

• Simplicity & Minimalism: The proponents are promoting the need to minimize wants and live in terms of their needs.
• Famous Quation: The earth does not lack anything to satisfy the need of all but it lacks enough to satisfy the greed of all.
• Respect of Nature: Nature should be treated as the person and not the object of exploitation.
• Sustainable Resource Use: This is focused on resource conservation as part of the future generation.
• Village-Centric Development: Promotes the self-sustaining rural economies to the detriment of industrialisation.
• Vitriol of Western Industrialism: Warns of consumerism and ecocide.

Contemporary Relevance

• Promotes simple lifestyles to minimize carbon footprints.
• Favours the decentralised economy (such as Hind Swaraj) as a strong local society.
• Promotes ethics development based on ecological and social justice.

Social Integration

Connects environmental ethics to gender equality, Dalit empowerment and conflict resolution in an ecologically balanced environment.