Man vs nature

A man trudges through flood waters in Ernakulam, Kerala. Pic/AFP

When you think of global warming, how often do you associate it with the violence inside the human mind, or that before candlelight marches came up against the felling of trees, there were songs by bonded labourers on the quest for their place in nature? The conference, State of Nature in India, aims to bring to light these oft-ignored aspects of negotiating the ecological crisis by creating adialogue among artists, filmmakers, poets, scientists, members of the judiciary and policy makers.

Dr Martin Walde

"The idea is to raise crucial questions about politics, the crisis of capitalism. Man needs nature. But does nature need man?" says Dr Martin Wälde, director of Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, Mumbai, which is organising the conference. He adds, "We have seen what happened in Kerala. It's necessary to bring together people of different backgrounds to share knowledge."

"Hopefully, a think tank will emerge from this conference, and we can continue this process of collaboration among people who usually don't meet," says Dr Wälde.

Eco matters
Inaugurated last evening, the conference features two days packed with interesting sessions. Here are the best picks: