The Power of We: Red Tape Movement

My name is Prabhat Misra; I am in government job as an officer in the district Etawah [U.P., India]. I am also running a peaceful and non-violent movement to save trees and bio-diversity, named "RED TAPE MOVEMENT", in Etawah. This movement was started by me on 5th June, 2008. Under this movement, especially on a holiday, we choose a village and go to this village and do plantation and then tie red tapes on existing trees trunks, with the help of villagers and there, we give them message that to cut the trees is lethal for our future and generations to come. I started this movement with the help of a local N.G.O. named “Swami Vivekanand Sewa Sansthan”, Etawah. Initially, we faced the problem of co-operation at grass root level. Later, with continuous awareness campaign, regarding the importance of trees and bio-diversity and dangers of Climate Change, at grass root level, especially with villagers, positively changed the co-operation. Till now, we have tied Red Tapes on about 10,000 trees trunks with the help of villagers. Red Tape Movement has now taken a big shape, from few peoples to many peoples co-operation, in the form of “Peoples Participation Movement”. Red Tape Movement has also been the part of several actions such as Earth Day, Earth Hour, 350.org’s Connect the Dots and many more days of action. Such people’s participation movements are the need of the hour to save our biodiversity and nature. 

My experience about this movement is very positive and energetic. We are living in a world which is under “transition and transformation phase” of energy and facing the problem of Climate Change. So, we must develop a better and natural “GHG Sink system” to achieve 350 ppm CO2 level in the atmosphere. Trees are “Best Natural Sinks” of CO2 and will be helpful to tackle with Climate Change. World Community should keep one fundamental rule, while making any planning, that, “United We” can save earth from Climate Change, through such peoples participatory grass root level awareness movements. This is MUST to save our beautiful Earth from Climate Change for our future generations to come. Red Tape movement is now spreading fast at grass root level and peoples are supporting our move to protect and save trees and bio-diversity.