Chapter 4 - Earth Democracy in Action (Group Page)

The last few lines of Shiva's introduction to Earth Democracy in Action were unbelievably inspiring. "It is our giving that counts - not our success. But in selfless giving, we have victories. And through everyday actions we reweave the web of life." (pg 145) Within this she gives real world examples of events and patents that coincide with how earth democracy is working globally. Shiva focuses on seed, food, and water, in other words our means of survival. Reading this really makes you more aware of things that occur within these elements. I honestly had no idea that there were laws and patents on which seed certain farmers were allowed to grow.

“Water is the basis of life; it is the gift of nature, it belongs to all living beings on earth. Water is not private property. It is a common resource for the sustenance of all.” (pg 170) Now, if this isn’t obvious to anyone then you must be living under a rock. However, Shiva then states, “Water is a fundamental human right. It has to be conserved, protected, and managed. It is our fundamental obligation prevent water scarcity and pollution and to preserve it for generations.” I never thought about it in that sense. It’s our world, it’s our hydrosphere, so then we must all be responsible for protecting it. For instance, a Coca-Cola plant was shut down in Kerala, around the southern area of the Indian Peninsula. This plant was illegally taking 1.5 million liters of clean water per day. The level of the water started to drop anywhere from 150 to 500 feet below the earth’s surface (pg 168).  Because everything had run dry, the women in Kerala had to walk miles in order to obtain water for their families to drink. Did they just sit back and let this happen to them? Of course not. They began a movement by joining together people to sit in front of the gates to the Coca-Cola plant. Under the pressure, the Kerala chief minister sent out an order for the plant to be closed. This was on February 17, 2004 (pg 170). This is just one of the many examples the Shiva describes how Earth Democracy really is in action.

 (Lauren Dow- clearly not finished, but it's a start) 

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