Green Festivals Initiative a collective based in chennai recently released a report on the increasing degradation of youth culture in colleges. the report titled "Trash Culture – A Study of Garbage and Youth Culture audits of waste generated, material used, water availability and sponsorship culture at IIT Madras' Saarang 2005, one of India's most popular youth festivals. The study found that Saarang raised more than Rs. 50 lakhs in sponsorship and generated more than 3.5 tonnes (3500 kg) of trash for 5 days of fun.
Youth Initiative to Make College Fests Ecofriendly, Socially Responsible August 12, 2005. CHENNAI: Increasing corporatisation of college cultural festivals and the associated increase in the use and disposal of unsustainable material such as plastics is threatening both the environment and youth culture as we know it, concludes Green Festivals Initiative's report "Trash Culture – A Study of Garbage and Youth Culture." The report is based on an audit of waste generated, material used, water availability and sponsorship culture at IIT Madras' Saarang 2005, one of India's most popular youth festivals. The study found that Saarang raised more than Rs. 50 lakhs in sponsorship and generated more than 3.5 tonnes (3500 kg) of trash for 5 days of fun. Pepsi and Nestle were the two most visible corporate names in Saarang's trash, with more than 63,000 branded disposable cups in five days. Saarang's own identity was also found to have been drowned by the banners of sponsors. According to the material and sponsorship culture audit, just three companies – Hutch, Sunsilk and Nokia – accounted for more than 14,400 square feet or 88 percent of total banner space occupied by 23 organisations. In contrast, IIT's Saarang only occupied 133 square feet of space. Moreover, 96 percent of the banner or more than 15,800 square feet of banner material was PVC or vinyl, a poison plastic whose manufacture, use and disposal is associated with the release of deadly toxins like phthalates and dioxins. "The new culture legitimizes the trashing of the environment in the name of fun, and teaches nothing to young people about their responsibility towards the environment or society," according to Green Festivals Initiative. The report on IIT's Saarang is the first of a series of reports auditing the corporatisation and resource use-efficiency of college festivals in Chennai. Similar audits on other popular city festivals will be conducted this year, with the aim of evolving roadmaps to progressively green the festivals and make them socially responsible. Green Saarang, a student's initiative to make Saarang more socially and environmentally responsible, is concerned that the reliance on corporate sponsors goes hand in hand with replacing youth culture with corporate culture, and with the devil-may-care attitude of using disposable food and beverage packaging. A water kiosk promoted by Green Saarang and Saarang organizers, and run by a women's group sold 3000 litres of water at Re.1/glass and earned more than Rs. 4200 and displaced 3000 PET water bottles. Some members of Green Saarang feel that high-profile corporate sponsors have no role to play in a youth festival being held inside an educational institution. Moreover, the report argues for a screening of sponsors to ensure that sponsors are not violators of environment and human rights norms. For more information, contact: Green Festivals Initiative (Dharmesh): 9444416546 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Want to help those still suffering from the world's worst industrial tragedy? Join the Bhopal Campaign! www.studentsforbhopal.org _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ ___ ___ | \ / | Ryan Bodanyi | \ / | Student Coordinator, | \/ | International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB) | |\ /| | Email : [EMAIL PROTECTED] | | \/ | | Phone : (401) 829-6192 | | | | www.studentsforbhopal.org ----- ---- www.bhopal.net -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
