Years ago, when I graduated from journalism college, I enthusiastically declared that I wanted to be a wildlife documentary maker or a reporter working exclusively on stories about the environment. Even though didn’t happen (my friends had laughed and said I wouldn’t last a day in the jungle :P), I didn’t completely break that promise I had made to myself.
Even today, environment is one among the few topics that really makes me want to write, to use whatever skill I have with words to draw attention to the disastrous path we are on. Over the years, the global spotlight has been forced to turn towards climate change and related topics such as natural disasters, human-wildlife conflict, exclusive and unsustainable development and depletion of resources. I too wrote about similar themes frequently.
Someone correctly predicted that the next wars will be fought over water and rightly so. Every summer, Bengaluru faces water shortage of an alarming proportion that only seems to be growing with each passing year (https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/metrolife-your-bond-with-bengaluru/alarm-over-water-shortage-795225.html). To impress upon our readers the gravity of the situation, we wrote such articles frequently (https://www.deccanherald.com/content/597900/when-every-drop-counts.html). We also asked them to follow simple tips to preserve water (https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/home-tricks-conserve-water-715540.html) reminding them not to take the resource for granted just because it was supplied to us at very low rates (https://www.deccanherald.com/content/660192/how-much-does-sip-cost.html).
The nationwide outrage over the senseless shooting of the tigress Avni (https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/metrolife-your-bond-with-bengaluru/wildlife-lovers-cry-foul-over-shooting-of-avni-702080.html), the dangers of exacerbated human-wildlife conflict (https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/metrolife-your-bond-with-bengaluru/alarm-in-forest-as-tiger-chases-passing-bikers-744339.html) and the pitiful condition of animals caught in the Kodagu floods of 2018 (https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/metrolife-move/animals-too-affected-floods-691045.html) were covered in our paper. We also thought about how pictures could be used to amass support for climate concern (https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/metrolife-lifestyle/photos-humanise-climate-crisis-773060.html); similarly, haunting visuals had a similar impact (https://www.deccanherald.com/metrolife/metrolife-on-the-move/our-planet-shows-ghastly-results-of-climate-change-731662.html).
It isn’t all gloom and doom though. From the cosmetic industry giving up animal testing (https://www.deccanherald.com/content/552312/for-better-world.html) to wilderness tourism and conservation gaining currency in Karnataka (https://www.deccanherald.com/content/591965/embracing-wild-side.html), there were bright spots for us to highlight. We also wrote about people engaged in the noble but tiring task of helping our four-legged counterparts; from the ones running shelters and rescue centres (https://www.deccanherald.com/content/547052/art-empathy.html) to the Bedi brothers who became the youngest Asians to win the Green Oscars (https://www.deccanherald.com/content/618418/wooing-wild.html).
The Opinionated Mallu 