Catherine Gilon
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Articles by Catherine Gilon
Little Changemakers Who Could
Yet, young people refuse to be passive. Global surveys suggest that a large percentage of youth are taking action, and movements such as Fridays for Future — through which students around the world organize climate strikes — have demonstrated their power. Schools are now serving as incubators for change, not just through environmental education but also by providing opportunities for direct action in this warming world.
In her dying moments, a stranger changed my life
Maverick's story It was a cold November morning, and I had travelled with my family to our ancestral temple in a village in Tamil Nadu. My sister's 11-month-old baby was to be tonsured for the first time - a religious head-shaving that in Hinduism is a way of discarding the evil eye and removing any negativity from past lives; a new start. My wife drove, but asked me to park the car while she went inside with our son and her parents.
In her dying moments, a stranger changed my life
Trump’s New US Visa Rule Shocks India Again: If You Have THESE Health Problems, You Can’t Enter America New US Visa Rule: If you are a foreign national planning to enter the United States and have a disease categorised by the US as chronic, you may be …
How India’s Chennai mints world-beating chess champions, one move at a time
6 best places to visit in India this December Cultural festivals, scuba diving in the Andamans, and rare wildlife sightings—here are the best places to visit in India in December. As the year …
How the Indian city mints world-beating chess champions
Chennai, India - Giant banners of a smiling teen beamed down on hundreds of students gathered at the school campus of Velammal Nexus to receive the young champion. It was August 10, 2024, and the school was ready to put on a show unlike any it had witnessed before: 220 drones projected the teenage hero's face into the sky as students held placards wishing him luck. In a country that reserves this kind of adulation for movie actors and cricketers, a new and unlikely star had been born - in chess.
No money for meat, so we eat rats: The Indian snake catcher
A snake catcher earns a steady income for only half the year, but his small abode always has room for one more. What's your money worth? A series from the front lines of the cost of living crisis, in which people who have been hit hard share their monthly expenses Name: Kali C Age: 43 Occupation: snake catcher Lives with: his wife, Alamelu (38), a dog, four rabbits and a rescue mongoose. Their two daughters, Sindhu (22) and Sandya (21), stay with them during holidays.
A village nurtures traditional food systems in response to climate change
The once-predominant reliance on traditional crops such as white corn and millets in the Tamil Nadu village of Kuralkuttai underwent a significant shift during the Green Revolution, altering the village’s agricultural landscape. A village youth organisation, Eegai Kuzhu, works with the community to revive disappearing crops, document ancestral food habits and promote sustainable farming practices.
The planet’s burning. Can the Global South save it?
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With hardly anything to catch, Indian fisherman takes on odd jobs
What's your money worth? A series from the front line of the cost of living crisis, where people who have been hit hard share their monthly expenses.
Are storms getting more powerful and dangerous?
It started off innocuously, like any other tropical storm. But Cyclone Freddy, born off the northwest coast of Australia in early February, was anything but ordinary. It intensified, then headed west and crossed the Southern Indian Ocean, travelling more than 8,000km (4,971 miles) to reach Southeast Africa. By the time it eventually dissipated after making two landfalls in mid-March, it had become the longest-lasting tropical cyclone in recorded history.
400 love letters and a play: How two Indian prisoners found love
You rely on Al Jazeera for truth and transparency We understand that your online privacy is very important and consenting to our collection of some personal information takes great trust. We ask for this consent because it allows Al Jazeera to provide an experience that truly gives a voice to the voiceless.
Why the creation of a slender loris sanctuary in Tamil Nadu has left forest communities worried
Tucked amidst lush green hills, Panchanthangi, a hamlet in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu, is remote, and nearly inaccessible. For four generations, Kanagaraj and his neighbours have lived a quiet life, uninterrupted by the humdrum of the modern world. “Our families have lived here for close to 200 years,” says the 40-year-old. He recalls going on honey-hunting trips to the neighbouring hills with his grandfather at the age of five.
What protecting the slender loris could mean for forest communities in Tamil Nadu
With the recent notification of a slender loris sanctuary near Panchanthangi in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu, there are questions over what the restrictions of this now-declared Protected Area mean for local livelihoods. Slender loris populations have been declining in this region for years owing to accidental poisoning from chemical-based agriculture, deforestation, poaching and droughts.
As the climate crisis deepens, Indian scientists call for the conservation of caves
Cave ecosystems are understudied in India. A group of scientists started the Speleological Association of India, last September, to further the understanding and conservation of caves, which hold data for understanding climate change and its impacts. Caves have a microclimate of their own. The cave-dwelling fauna could be more sensitive to minor changes and climate change could exacerbate local extinctions, according to scientists.
Where Shepherds Save Wolves - Thanks to Buddhism
Wildlife conservationists have struck upon a unique new tool — spiritualism — to turn communities that fear predators into their saviors. For centuries, the rugged terrain of the Ladakh and Trans-Himalaya region along the India-China border has witnessed pitched battles between yak herders and predatory wolves and snow leopards.
Indigo: The story of India’s ‘blue gold’
It is 6am in the small village of Kongarapattu in South India and the cloudy October sky is threatening to burst. In the factory, a foreman scuttles around anxiously, checking for absent labourers; two sari-clad neighbours whisper to one another while combing their long hair; and stray dogs run amok, sensing the anticipation in the air. For four generations indigo has been grown, harvested and made into dye on this family-owned plot in Tamil Nadu.
In Jammu and Kashmir, citizens are getting together to protect disappearing wetlands
Oct 13, 2020 · 07:30 pm Catherine Gilon Share Tweet Email Reddit Print Share Tweet Email Reddit Print It was a cigarette butt that turned Tariq’s life around. Tariq A Patloo remembers the moment like it were yesterday. “I was taking a German tourist through one of our canals,” Patloo said. “He had a smoke but did not throw the cigarette out. ‘It will poison the water’ he remarked and kept it with him.” That incident was the turning point for Patloo.
A Citizens' Movement to Protect Wetlands Emerges in Jammu and Kashmir
Featured image: (L to R) Tariq A. Patloo, Jannat and Nadeem Qadri from Kashmir are trying to protect the state’s wetlands and inspire others to join the movement. Illustration by Ghazal Qadri for Mongabay. It was a cigarette butt that turned Tariq’s life around. Tariq A. Patloo remembers the moment like it were yesterday. “I was taking a German tourist through one of our canals. He had a smoke but did not throw the cigarette out.
How a Wasteland Shrub Is Becoming the Next Big Thing in Fashion
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE Because this common shrub can pave a sustainable future. Fashion entrepreneur Gowri Shankar is harnessing the calotropis gigantea shrub, common around his southern India home, to create vegan wool. With growing interest in Europe amid a sustainable fashion boom, Shankar’s Weganool looks like it has wide appeal. The sunbirds beat Gowri Shankar to the punch.
In Tamil Nadu, NGOs and volunteers pave way for migrant workers as govt machinery struggles to cope with COVID-19 crisis
While Tamil Nadu has been struggling to cope up with the mounting coronavirus cases (17,728 as on 27 May, 8 am), a parallel humanitarian crisis has been emerging on the street due to the COVID-19-induced lockdown. Migrant workers in cities across the state have hit the streets, many taking an arduous journey of over thousand kilometres on foot to reach their homes in their native states.
How sustainable methods adopted by tribal honey hunters could conserve bee population, improve food security
By Catherine Gilon Even as modern science grapples with the rapidly declining bee population, we could look back and take a lesson on sustainability from the ancient culture of the adivasis (the first people) of the Nilgiris. Covering over three states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is home to over eighteen ethnic groups. Of them, Kattunaickens, Kurumbas, Sholigas and Irulas are known to be the primary honey hunter tribes.
Wisdom of Niligiri’s traditional honey hunters hold lessons for bee conservation
37 minutes ago Catherine Gilon Share Tweet Email Reddit Print Comments Share Tweet Email Reddit Print Comments Even as modern science grapples with the rapidly declining bee population, we could look back and take a lesson on sustainability from the ancient culture of the Adivasis of the Nilgiris. Covering the three states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is home to over 18 ethnic groups.
Why India needs its fishers to save the vanishing dugongs and their habitat
Seagrass habitats can combat climate change by acting as massive carbon sinks by capturing carbon from the atmosphere. They also protect vulnerable coastlines from rising tides. Meanwhile, the currently vulnerable dugongs or sea cows graze about 40 kg of seagrass/day and this constant trimming results in regenerating a healthier sea grass ecosystem.
Japan's Fatal Forest Mistake, and the Force to Fix It
Mention Japan and it conjures up images of bullet trains, crazy vending machines and towering buildings. But the country’s far from completely urbanized: Two-thirds of Japanese land is covered by forests. With traditional houses built from wood and prevalent use of fuel wood, forest management in Japan began as early as the Edo Era (1603–1868) when a feudal system was in place.
Calicut based architect learns natural methods of making mud homes
Caclicut based architect Amarnath Duleep Social media today has ascertained that few except Donald Trump are immune to the environmental devastation humans have wrought on this earth. Yet all it elicits is a shrug. But not from Amarnath Duleep. This Calicut-based architect who experimented with ‘green living’, has learned the natural methods of making mud homes at Thannal in Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, at an organisation which teaches sustainable building techniques.
Coastal farmers harvest riches with hardy vetiver
With the backdrop of salty breeze and sound of waves lies Chandrasekar’s farm, just 50m from the Bay of Bengal coast. Chandrasekar (60) of Naramai village in Puducherry has been farming here for more than two decades. He grew casuarina and coconut trees earlier. “Casuarina trees give us yield every six or seven years and is a common sight in this coastal stretch. But in 2011, when Cyclone Thane struck us, it destroyed the entire plantation. We were left with nothing,” said Chandrasekar.
Coastal Farmers Harvest Riches With Hardy Vetiver
With the backdrop of salty breeze and sound of waves lies Chandrasekar’s farm, just 50m from the Bay of Bengal coast. Chandrasekar (60) of Naramai village in Puducherry has been farming here for more than two decades. He grew casuarina and coconut trees earlier. “Casuarina trees give us yield every six or seven years and is a common sight in this coastal stretch. But in 2011, when Cyclone Thane struck us, it destroyed the entire plantation. We were left with nothing,” said Chandrasekar.
How an IAS Aspirant Brought Home a Toilet Revolution to This Tamil Nadu Village
Every single day, Vanmathi had to wake up at 4:30 am and walk for an hour to relieve herself. The 19-year-old engineering student is now happy that she gets a few extra hours to sleep before college. Yes, they finally have a toilet in her house at Vanjivakkam in Thiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu. There are Vanmathi’s aplenty in this village, which is a mere 50 km from the cosmopolitan city of Chennai.
India Reverts to Building Mud Homes to Fight Climate Change
The first time I saw Rajesh sloshing in the mud, his face was lit up with joy. He was building his future home at Sristi, in Thazhuthali village in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A few months later, the 160-square-foot handcrafted house was ready, built completely by the men at Sristi — anonprofit organization that helps intellectually challenged people lead self-reliant lives — using local materials.
Farmers repurpose bore wells for rainwater harvesting
Tamil Nadu was glued to the television this Diwali, watching the rescue of two-year-old Sujith Wilson, who had fallen into an abandoned bore well near his house in Tiruchirapalli district. Unfortunately, he could not be saved, despite 82 hours of rescue efforts. The toddler’s death was a wakeup call on the need to regulate abandoned bore wells in Tamil Nadu. In the past 15 years, at least 10 children have lost their lives in the southern state after getting trapped in unused bore wells.
Farmers Repurpose Borewells For Rainwater Harvesting
Tamil Nadu was glued to the television this Diwali, watching the rescue of two-year-old Sujith Wilson, who had fallen into an abandoned borewell near his house in Tiruchirapalli district. Unfortunately, he could not be saved, despite 82 hours of rescue efforts. The toddler’s death was a wakeup call on the need to regulate abandoned borewells in Tamil Nadu. In the past 15 years, at least 10 children have lost their lives in the southern state after getting trapped in unused borewells.
India Reverts to Building Mud Homes to Fight Climate Change
The first time I saw Rajesh sloshing in the mud, his face was lit up with joy. He was building his future home at Sristi, in Thazhuthali village in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A few months later, the 160-square-foot handcrafted house was ready, built completely by the men at Sristi — anonprofit organization that helps intellectually challenged people lead self-reliant lives — using local materials.
Farmers revert to traditional bio-fences for multiple benefits
Trees and thorny cacti that served as fences protecting crops from cattle, as wind breakers conserving soil moisture, besides providing fertiliser and fodder, are making a comeback in Tamil Nadu. By Catherine Gilon Crops in the 4-acre land of 61-year-old farmer Muthu Murugan are hardly visible from outside. His farm at Thondamuthur village in Coimbatore district has uyir veli – Tamil for living fence – of tall and thorny cactus plants, jatropha and other wild trees.
Farmers revert to traditional bio-fences for multiple benefits
Farmers revert to traditional bio-fences for multiple benefits Thorny cactus plants and wild trees help farmers like Muthu Murugan have a protective fence around their farms and derive multiple uses out of them (Photo courtesy Muthu Murugan) Crops in the 4-acre land of 61-year-old farmer Muthu Murugan are hardly visible from outside. His farm at Thondamuthur village in Coimbatore district has uyir veli – Tamil for living fence – of tall and thorny cactus plants, jatropha and other wild trees.
Farmers revert to traditional bio-fences for multiple benefits
Crops in the 4-acre land of 61-year-old farmer Muthu Murugan are hardly visible from outside. His farm at Thondamuthur village in Coimbatore district has uyir veli – Tamil for living fence – of tall and thorny cactus plants, jatropha and other wild trees. “I have heard that traditionally forests would act as fences between villages; when men cleared forests for agricultural purpose, they would leave some trees in between, to demarcate the farms,” said Muthu Murugan.
Cattle farmers revive traditional herbal remedies
For Sakthivel M. (34) of Karkoodalpatty village in Namakkal district, who has been rearing cows for the past six years, it was nothing short of a miracle to see his cow that had been sick for two-and-half years to start lactating again. “It was while looking for an alternative medicine to tend to one of my cows that I read about herbal medicines in a Tamil magazine.
India's Innovators Bet the Farm to Eliminate $30 Billion Agri-Waste Danger
For 37-year-old yoga teacher Vidya Paramel, it wasn’t an easy decision to leave her home in New Delhi. But she couldn’t see her 4-year-old boy suffocate, and she refused to hide him away indoors from the smog that engulfed India’s capital every winter. So she moved to Pune in western India. It’s a dilemma millions of New Delhi residents face each year as haze intensifies from the burning of agricultural waste in the neighboring states of Punjab and Haryana and descends on the city.
The Elephant That Turned From Serial Killer to Local Hero
Murthy had killed 28 people when the Kerala government issued an order that he could be shot on sight. Within a week, the serial killer whoâd been terrorizing the South Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu fled into deep forests nearby. When the forest department tracked him down that summer of 1998, they chose to spare his life ⦠and convinced him to join the police force.
How a Dreaded Serial Killer Became a Local Hero in South India
Murthy had killed 28 people when the Kerala government issued an order that he could be shot on sight. Within a week, the serial killer who’d been terrorizing the South Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu fled into deep forests nearby. When the forest department tracked him down that summer of 1998, they chose to spare his life … and convinced him to join the police force.
Indian Farmers Are Building Food Forests to Fight Climate Change, Agrarian Crisis
Villupuram, Tamil Nadu: While Amazon rainforests remain the world’s largest intact forest, according to recent research, the seemingly untouched forests were in fact manmade food forests. For thousands of years, humans were dependent on forests for food. In time, villages and farms replaced forests. However, unprecedented climate change is causing a rethink on the way we grow our food.
Food Forests Offer Better Profits to Farmers
Food Forests Offer Better Profits to Farmers SHARE, SAVE, COMMENT A food forest in the development phase, where farmer Thangavelu has been able to harvest a better yield from ground crops. (Photo Courtesy: Village Square/Balasubramaniam N) While Amazon rainforests remain the world’s largest intact forest, according to recent research, seemingly untouched forests were in fact manmade food forests. For thousands of years, humans were dependent on forests for food.
Jallikattu row, two years on: How the many who came to protest found a platform to tackle wider social issues
India Catherine Gilon Jan 13, 2019 09:53:40 IST It was a cloudy day when we started out for Sivakumar’s farm in Koodapakkam, Puducherry. After a 30 minute drive, we see a friendly face wave at us from a jam-packed car. Parvatha gets down along with five others and shows us the way. As we walk along the rain-kissed paddy fields waiting for the harvest, the sun begins to shine through. Like us, all of these youngsters had been total strangers until a movement swept them all.
Tamil Nadu Farmers Innovate to Overcome Fodder Shortage
The treasure of a house is a cow and the treasure of a garden is Moringa, goes a well-known Tamil proverb. Like the rest of India, cows are revered in rural Tamil Nadu. There’s even a separate festival called Maatu Pongal that celebrates their contribution to agriculture and mankind. But with over 99.95 lakh cattle in Tamil Nadu, feeding them has become a practical challenge. Currently, India has only 4% of its cropping area under fodder cultivation.
As Tamil Nadu’s palm trees dwindle, climbers hope awareness of their benefits will help conservation
It was almost six’o clock in the evening at Narasinganur village of Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu. With a thick belt encircling his hip and a palmyra tree, and a contraption that held his tools, 38-year-old Pandian Thevasagayam quickly climbed up the palm, Tamil Nadu’s state tree. He was climbing to tap the tip of the palmyra’s inflorescence into his pot one last time. He needs to slice off the tip at least thrice a day to prevent the sap from drying.
Future looks up for palmyra tree climbers of Tamil Nadu
Increasing awareness on the goodness of palm products and sustainable living associated with it has brought hope to Tamil Nadu’s palm climbers, despite dwindling numbers of the state tree. It was almost 6’o clock in the evening at Narasinganur village of Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu. With a thick belt encircling his hip and a palmyra tree, and a contraption that held his tools, 38-year-old Pandian Thevasagayam quickly climbed up the palm, Tamil Nadu’s state tree.
Future Looks Up for Tamil Nadu's Palm Tree Climbers
It was almost 6’o clock in the evening at Narasinganur village of Villupuram district in Tamil Nadu. With a thick belt encircling his hip and a palmyra tree, and a contraption that held his tools, 38-year-old Pandian Thevasagayam quickly climbed up the palm, Tamil Nadu’s state tree. He was climbing to tap the tip of the palmyra’s inflorescence into his pot one last time. He needs to slice off the tip at least thrice a day to prevent the sap from drying.
Protecting Farmlands in Neduvasal Is About Accountable Governance
After jallikattu, Tamil Nadu is witnessing another massive protest in Neduvasal village of Tamil Nadu’s Pudukottai district. Thousands of farmers, students, environmentalists and activists are in attendance against a proposed hydrocarbon extraction project in active farm lands in and around the village.
As Jallikattu Protest Rages on in Chennai, These Volunteers Make Sure It's 'Clean'
Chennai: As the country stands divided in a historical ‘tradition vs animal rights’ debate over the Jallikattu ban in Tamil Nadu, there is another quiet revolution brewing, initiated by volunteers in Chennai and across the state. As the protest at Marina beach runs into its third day, we see students and volunteers picking up garbage strewn across the beach. They collected it in bags and put them together for the municipality personnel.
The Noteworthy Paperworkers
Do you remember your last day at school? It usually ended with children tearing up last year’s notebooks. Under their Kora Kagaz (blank paper), a bunch of former students of Chinmaya Vidyalaya Chennai are collecting blank pages from used notebooks to reduce the carbon footprint of schools while supporting the less fortunate. Gaurav Khemka reminisces the beginning of their journey. “Kora Kagaz as an idea came about as a part of a Teen of the Year competition in 2010.
These Fathers Are Silently Building A Caste-Less India, One Child At A Time
They don’t hold flags nor shout slogans. They are not the heroes movies will celebrate. These three men are just like you and me, working hard to keep their family happy, especially the little ones in their lives. But by simply choosing not to fill a small box in the admission form, these doting fathers have chosen to free their children from the century-old caste system.
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