In June, I.M.O.W. focuses on women's efforts to protect the environment as part of the Women, Power and Politics exhibition.

I am glad that I.M.O.W. will join the movement for the safety of life and the sustainable development of civilization on Earth. We will reach our goal only if we are able to continue environmental education in all nations while holding all cultures and genders in esteem and promoting tolerance, peace and international human rights.

Reversing climate change will be our biggest achievement. How do you think we can better protect our environment?

I think there are tons of examples of women protecting the environment throughout history that we can look to.

In India, where my ancestors come from, women of the Chipko movement were "tree-huggers" who fought against deforestation.

Indian women have also been saving seeds and passing them down through the generations to maintain biodiversity. Saving the environment, in my mind, is about living conscientiously and watching our footprints today so that the earth is in good shape for future generations.

I feel so incredibly close to nature, it breaks my heart to see it used and abused. We have a daunting task in front of us to reverse what we've done.

I think women are aware of these issues. We see the larger picture, we think about the future generations. Call it nature, call it nurture...if there were more women in charge of business, governments and nonprofits, our environment would benefit.

Wow, Hasna! It worries me that we are beginning to ask the question about whether we should reconsider having children because the earth that they will inherit will be in peril - but I understand your concern.

In spite of the worries, though, women are and have been doing amazing things to protect the environment. In June, the Women, Power and Politics exhibition featured some of these examples.

What do others think? Are we headed down a path of irreversible destruction?

Women protect the enviroment as there is a green products everywhere. At the winter craft and hobby association trade show in the USA, many companies offered green products. Ten percent of Americans are seeking out the green products.

It was found to be very profitable to market exclusively to women after it was discovered that women decide or influence over 85 percent of all purchases. So they market green products exclusively to women. Eco friendly products have more audience to women's craft.

I am excited to hear that people have recognized the importance of women upholding powerful political positions. I believe that women offer a particular insight from a nurturing perspective that is not as easily recognized by men, therefore men of power tend to prioritize economic profitability over environmental sustainability. We have seen this in the past and recently, with the major example being our disregard for the planet's climate change problem.

Climate Change would affect the future of women but I think it could be balanced given the right policies.

The increase in human population across the Globe is not sustainable, considering that places with higher population growth have a slower than average economic growth. Higher birth rates are a necessity in countries in Africa, South East Asia, Latin America, in rural areas, where children are an important part of the domestic workforce, and not only. Plus, infant and child mortality is so high for so many reasons that biologicaly and socialy speaking, parents need to insure "family survival" by giving birth to more offsprings and to insure they have caregivers later in life. I know it sounds cruel but there is a vicious cycle that could be broken eventualy (see China's enforced "one child policy"). I would not say that solving the problem would be "best" achieved by women education, but by educating the society as a whole organism on the role of women. Women are social beings and we cannot exclude the opposite sex from their social life, no matter the relationships. When women get more and more educated, and men fail to keep up with that willingly or not, the social and family systems fail to work. That's why statisticaly we have higher divorce rates in countries where women have higher education, and became more independent (but lower birth rates too, to the point where population is aging and decreasing and they look outside their borders for workforce). The problem is not that women are educated, but that this change did not involve simultaneously an education of the whole society on the matter; that is where the big lag is originating, and that is why women always have to "fight" for rights and the rights do not come organicaly with the social change. We need to get more and more men involved in women's rights movementand increase awarness among them about women rights, and that should start at an early age, and in the family, where father has a very important place too.

I believe, I and each of us are responsible on a day to day basis to protect the air we breathe in and ground we walk on. I don;t think it is an exclusive responsibility of Woman or Man.

Yes education is very important and may be in some developing countries, it is imperative that people living in small towns and villages are educated as to how they can protect and save the environment they live in. But even in big cities education and awareness needs to be created. In fact to institute this as part of one's education curriculum would help each of our societies especially in Asia.

I came across this very interesting link that I thought is worthwhile including in this forum

http://www.mercycorps.org/topics/environment/?source=1000/&gclid=CN-LlbyR_5cCFREXewodgHO3DQ

To summarize we can protect our environment by Education, being conscious and creating consciousness as to how we use our resources viz. water, air (not polluting the air- use of less motor vehicles or how can one offset carbon emissions, use of solar power etc). is imperative.

Recycling is a theme that is gaining more support in Asia but should be more widespread. This I believe can only be done by campaigns, education and creating awareness by way of media.

Population control and importance of this needs to be made aware in many of the developing countries. This again can be done by each citizen who realizes the importance of this as well as by internet, education in schools and colleges, using social workers and media. TV as a form of media is very powerful and is underutilized for these kind of social issues.