Isha Foundation responds to ESG's open letter to Leonardo DiCaprio

Isha Foundation has issued a response to environmental group ESG ( Environment Support Group) which claimed that plantation of trees in Cauvery belt will do more harm than good. ESG wrote an open letter to actor Leonardo Di Caprio asked him to withdraw his support from ‘Cauvery Calling’ campaign. 

Isha Foundation responds to letter

Isha Foundation responded to letter in an open statement on its website "An open letter recently written to actor Leonardo DiCaprio attempts to gain publicity by attacking a high visibility cause supported by a prominent celebrity... letter is a baseless opinion that contains blatant untruths and loose comments with backing in facts," said statement.

Isha Foundation releases a point to point response to letter

Isha Foundation has released a point-to-point response to letter. letter says:

“ letter (ESG’s letter to Leonardo Di Caprio) is a baseless opinion that contains blatant untruths and loose comments with backing in facts. main argument is that Cauvery Calling movement is proposing simplistic solutions, such as planting mocultures of trees on riverbanks. That is factually incorrect: Cauvery Calling campaign is a comprehensive plan to plant trees on a portion of private farmland in Cauvery basin districts. fundamental principles of Cauvery Calling have been supported by both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu governments.” letter furr explains what Isha Foundation is trying to do at Cauvery. 

Isha Foundation’s response to allegations 

open letter also responds to ESG’s allegations of ‘mindlessly planting trees’ in Cauvery basin.

response says “We have listed appropriate species to be planted in each segment of entire basin stretch – we have compiled this list with advice from Karnataka Forest Department,  Institute of Agricultural Techlogists, Institute of Agroforestry Farmers  & Techlogists, Forest College and Research Institute, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, academics, and Ministry of Environment, Govt of India, individual experts who have decades of experience in agroforestry and trees in Cauvery basin before Cauvery Calling plan was developed. Along with this, Project GreenHands of Isha Foundation which is recipient of country’s highest environmental award, Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar, has experience of agroforestry in Tamil Nadu for over 18 years. re are successful cases of agroforestry practised by farmers in many districts of Tamil Nadu, including Cauvery basin districts.”  “Cauvery Calling is an ecomic solution for ecological problems to be implemented by farmers in ir private agricultural lands through promotion of agroforestry with local species ” letter adds.

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ESG writes an open letter to Leonardo Di Caprio

letter written to DiCaprio by ESG states that “ tree planting promoted by Isha Foundation, by inviting people to donate money to plant 2,420,000,000 trees, may appear incredibly attractive. But on deeper investigation, it comes across as a method that promotes a moculture paradigm of landscape restoration which people of India have rejected long ago. Besides, such a programme could create unintended and unforeseen social and ecological consequences, as planting trees in certain regions (grasslands and floodplains for instance) could result in drying up of streams and rivulets, and destruction of wildlife habitats. Furr, it can also lead to encroachments of floodplains and riverbeds, as has happened at numerous places.” letter furr says that Isha foundation has low credibility in conforming with Indian laws protecting human rights and environment. 

READ | Leonardo DiCaprio lends support to 'Cauvery Calling' initiative

DiCaprio supports Sadhguru’s campaign

Leonardo DiCaprio on September 21 supported Sadhguru’s campaign in a Facebook post. "India's rivers are severely endangered with many of its smaller rivers vanishing. Join Sadhguru and Isha Foundation in ir fight to preserve Cauvery River..." said Facebook post. Cauvery basin has depleted over 40 per cent in last 70 years. Isha foundation says that at least 87 per cent of basin's original tree cover has been lost. 

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