Caring for the environment
Switch on, an NGO, is trying to bring about a change in attitude of people about environment, conservation. Ameya Nagarajan talks to the members of the initiative

Switch ON was started in early 2008 by Vinay Jaju, Piyush Jaju and Ekta Kothari. Before coming together to start the NGO, the three used to work in very different fields. Vinay was with GE Australia and became involved in the climate movement in Sydney; Piyush had moved from Hong Kong to the Mumbai office of Generali Asia, and Ekta worked as environmental documentary filmmaker. They were extremely passionate about the environment, and thus, got together to create a platform from which they could share their concerns and search for solutions. Switch ON was started as a non-profit organisation, deeply committed to sustainability, equity and working towards generating climate awareness and advocacy. Excerpts from the interview:

What inspired the start-up?
We were very inspired by the climate movement that was building across the world, especially India. Dr James Hansen, Al Gore and George Mobion’s work paved the way for young advocates like us, and movies like The Inconvenient Truth and 11th Hour just added to our resolve to do something about the environmental crisis. India is a young country and we felt strongly that if the youth could be mobilised, they would drive the change bottom up.

What is the mission and vision of the organisation?
We are committed to sustainability, equity and working towards generating climate awareness and advocacy. We work in synergy with ONergy to create links between energy, income generation and community development.

What is the modus operandi of the organisation? Who does it benefit and how?
Switch ON aims to generate awareness about climate change creatively and effectively, using art forms like film, music, theatre and painting. In 2008, we partnered with BanglaNatak.Com, a unique collaboration, where we used the folk art forms of Pattachitra and Gambhira to make Kolkatans aware of the urgency of climate change and their rich cultural heritage, side by side.

In 2009 we organised a three-day Climate Urgency Fair in partnership with the WWF, Concern for Calcutta and Times Newspaper In Education (NIE), where we conducted workshops on the environment, equipping the youth with leadership skills, using theatre, photography and film making skills to address the climate crisis, and thus empowering over 1000 school and college students. In 2010, we organised the first Kolkata Sustainability Summit, and through discussions and interactions between experts and the youth, outlined a path for the city’s sustainable development. The solution seemed clear: We need to start looking at alternative means of energy or renewable energy for our development. To address the energy needs of people at the bottom of the pyramid (BoP), we created a spinoff, ONergy (P.E. Pvt Ltd), a renewable energy venture that provides complete energy solutions to the BoP across rural India.

Do you think our government is doing enough towards sustainability?
The government is taking small steps in the right direction through environment education in schools, kick-starting the solar mission, and so on – but there is a lack of initiative when it comes to setting up sustainable infrastructure for rural and urban areas, such that they could develop to be self-sustaining, while addressing environmental concerns. Transport, energy, agriculture, water, etc. need a much more committed and result oriented approach.

What kind of resistance do you encounter from people?
In 2009 we started a campaign on Indian’s energy security, and put together a case – Why New Coal – questioning India’s excessive reliance on fossil fuels, highlighting alternatives for its sustainable and equitable development, and took it with us across India. We met with grassroot activists, experts, policy makers and people directly affected by the environmental and social problems associated with coal. While they all understood the case, it was challenging, almost impossible, to convince the experts and policymakers that the answer to energy crisis is not in coal but decentralised renewable alternatives.

There is also always resistance when people realise that the solution lies not just in conserving resources or avoiding wastage, but also in questioning what you really need and what you think you need. It requires a paradigm shift in attitude and lifestyle, which is always very tough.

What are your resource centres?
The resources we have built around climate awareness and advocacy are: the Climate Leadership Kit, environmental videos, our case and documentary film Why New Coal, folk theatre on environment, and the smaller organisations or initiatives that have spun off from Switch ON including ONergy, the Kolkata Cycling Club, the Environment Press and the Switch ON Cyclery.

What challenges have you faced till date and how did you cope up with them?
Reaching out to young people in a way that was effective, inspiring and impactful was a real challenge. Being young ourselves, we realised we’d have to disseminate the information in a way that was fun, interactive and action oriented. We used arts – short videos, paintings, folk theatre, music, puppet shows etc. – and organised cycle rides and other activities to spread awareness.

We filmed a documentary on the Climate Ride 2009 (to promote our campaign Why New Coal), where Vinay and Huub Dekkers, a university student from the Netherlands, cycled from Kolkata to Delhi, through the coal belt, with city rides and press events in the various towns through which they passed. This really raised awareness around the issue, and got people interested and involved, helping us to reach out, with our case, to hundreds of people across India.

How do you plan to traverse the road ahead?
The solution is clear, we need to start looking at alternative means of energy or renewable energy for our development. Solar solutions technologies have been around in rural India for over two decades now, yet they haven’t been able to reach out and gain popularity because of the lack of consumer awareness, a strong servicing infrastructure, and the fact that we have always taken a grant/subsidy approach to it instead of a market driven approach. Switch ON is working toward bridging this gap between technology and the end consumer by providing extensive training and working closely with rural micro entrepreneurs and self-help groups to create a strong servicing infrastructure for sustainable access to clean energy. We are also working to generate awareness among rural households about the economic, health and environmental benefits of renewable energy solutions to create a market for clean energy products, and ensure the optimal use of these systems through end user training.

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