Conflicts of Interest: My Journey through India’s Green Movement

by Sunita Narain

India's foremost environmentalist Sunita Narain gives a personal account of her battles as part of the country's green movement. While outlining the enormous environmental challenges that India faces today, Narain talks about how corporate lobbies and political interests often scuttle their effective resolution. She recounts some widely reported controversies triggered by research undertaken by her along with her team at the Centre for Science and Environment, such as a report on pesticides in colas, and a study on air pollution in Delhi, and includes a ringside view of global climate change negotiations.
Confl icts of Interest also includes an "environmental manifesto", a blueprint for the direction India must take if it is to deal with the exigencies of climate change and environmental degradation.

Genres: Environment, Nonfiction, Science

240 pages, Hardcover

Published December 4, 2017

About the author

Sunita Narain is an environmentalist and writer, and presently serves as the Director-General of Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and Editor of the fortnightly magazine, Down to Earth. Dr Narain plays an active role in policy formulation on issues of environment and development in India and globally. She has co-authored influential publications on India’s environment, conducted in-depth research on the governance and management of the country’s environment and directed campaigns on air pollution control, community water management, sustainable industrialisation and food and toxins, among others. In 2016, she was featured in Time magazine’s list of 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Reviews

[Chaitanya Sethi · Rating 3 out of 5]

'Conflicts of Interest' is a collection of 7 essays on the environmental movement in India and the challenges that Ms. Narain faced as someone at the forefront of environmental journalism in India for over 30 years now. My introduction to Ms. Narain's work was through Down To Earth, the fortnightly magazine that CSE(Centre for Science and Environment) publishes on environmental, social, and developmental issues in India.

What's great about these collection of essays is the level of experience and concern that Ms. Narain brings to the table. She was involved herself in every single of these issues - Air quality of Delhi, Endosulfan contamination in Kasargod, Kerala, Pesticide traces in Coca-Cola and Pepsi, Climate Negotiations at the global level, Tiger Endangerment, Water Management, and finally a plan for the coming future. Major running themes across these issues were, well, the conflicts of interest between the government/corporations/local population&NGOs, the idea that policies and laws can substitute implementation, that development and environmentalism are contrasting ideas, and that local population can't be integrated into the solution. Ms. Narain has the right amount of authority to comment and explain the intricacies of all of them.

That's where the book falters for me too, for all of these issues are standalone books and 30 pages per essay do not do their granularity any justice. As much as Ms. Narain tries to get into details, some major aspect, like the solutions end up being generalized and that makes some of the essays dare I say, boring. I understand it must have been an editorial call to limit the length but it came at the cost of detail. I would love to read Ms. Narain's experiences in further detail because the adversarial position that she's put herself in, in order to stand up for the environment, is not an easy thing to do.

[Rishi Singhal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Climate change related thoughts never seriously bothered me until 2016. That's when the movie Before the Flood by Leo DiCaprio came out. Sunita Narain was interviewed for the movie and she scared me with some data about consumption patterns of Indians and Americans. In this book she puts into perspective a lot about Pollution, urbanization problems, government mismanagement, water woes, etc. She is able to do this because of her long experience in solving above problems. I believed some things portrayed by media, but Sunita ji has more to tell. Read this book since it's a primer for understanding plaguing issues. Read this book to feel bad about how capitalistic democracy failed mainly the poor. Maybe if you read this book you will know why humans are heading for a tougher future.

[Ashutosh SHUKLA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely Recommend as the best non-fiction read for the youngsters in India..
The book is so full things that everyone should know but have been oblivious to. It is more important than ABC for the us...the habitants of this planet first and that of India.
It ranges from Climate Change to wildlife protection and everything in between.
Few important pointers that I got to know from this -
1) Climate Change is the reality and the developed world is pushing onus on the developing countries to mitigate that.
2) We(city dwellers) flush loads of shit in the morning and then think why the rivers are getting polluted...it is getting polluted coz your shit is in it..
3) Saving the lions and tigers is as important as saving the communities living on the margins..What happens is that..illegal hotels spring up near the Sancturies and National Parks which further deteriorate the habitat of the lions and tigers
4) Our pre british system of irrigation was better suited and more advanced than what we have now..we need to focus on Rain water harvesting..and human excreta treatment..

[Suman Srivastava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunita Narain has done a great job of explaining the key environmental issues facing India. She has been on the forefront of many of these fights and therefore there is a certain bias, but that is acceptable in issues that create so much passion. She covers air pollution, pesticides in our food & water, water harvesting, tiger conservation, climate change and more. Worth reading even if you don’t agree with her on all these issues.

[Santosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

TLDR: a must read. I may write a longer review of this book but you don't need that. Just read it.

[Dhyani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conflicts of Interest has been quite eye-opening and took me a lot of time to read, digest, and get through. 


I consider myself as relatively well-read and aware of climate change and its implications. Yet, I moved through this book, chapter by chapter, I learnt that the consequences of climate change are present and are here to stay indefinitely—from daily transport leading to air pollution to conservation efforts that often isolate tribal people, the disregard for our traditional water conservation practices, as well as geopolitical tensions that hinder an alignment around climate on a global scale.



What has truly surprised me is how different intricate elements result in one of the most complex systems, revealing its wicked problems, some of the worst of human behaviours, from political manipulation to greed for power. The complexity is mind-boggling and has truly left me wondering what is truly a correct approach to tackle this.


It has been such a riveting read, to understand Sunita Narain’s fight and her unwavering commitment to do what is right for us—not only for our country but for humanity and the planet, is inspiring. It is a must-read for anyone who truly wishes to see the bigger picture and engage with the realities of climate change.

[T.R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear, hard-nosed, and incisive look into environmental issues and battles fought. This is a book anyone concerned with the environment in India or more broadly in relation to the developing world must read. Sunita Narain's is one of the most informed and compelling voices in the world and the work she and her organisation, the Centre for Science and Environment, have managed to do, against immense pressures and push-back, is remarkable. This books tells all in that same compelling voice, sharing her experiences that are eye-opening, sobering, and inspiring at once. My very minor quibble with this book is that I would have liked a separate chapter on forests (much of what is packed into the final 'Blueprint' chapter)... but maybe in her next book... I hope.

[Rajiv Chopra · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Conflict of Interest” by Sunita Narain is a passionate book. She covers a lot of ground in the book. She clearly does illustrate the conflicts that arise when problems of environment clash with business.

Sunita writes with passion. She has been in several battles, and has lived to recount the tale. Along the way, she has cast some reputations into the mud.

Sunita highlights several problems that plague India, and does recommend, in a broad sense, what should be done. Sadly, she does not offer any concrete advice.

I was a bit surprised that she was called to look at the topic of tigers. She did make some interesting suggestions.

On the whole, I recommend this publication to every Indian. Read it, and act. We are running out of time.

[Himanshu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunita Narain tackles major issues related to environmentalism in our country highlighting the struggles one has to go through to convince, combat and change narratives of big companies, governmental agencies and people with power. And how these powerful stakeholders tries to defend themselves just to keep making profits at the costs of human health and nature.
From air pollution, water scarcity, carbon footprints, tiger conservation, public health, tribal rights, waste management to many more important topics that deserves a lot of attention and have been covered in this well-written book.
This book is surely an eye-opener for the reader. Will definitely put it in 'must read non-fiction books' for Indian readers.

[Abbhilash M · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a wondering book on Sunita Narain's journey of Environmental Activism in India. You'll be shocked to know a lot of happenings and the kind of lawsuits you'll face from corporations if you go against them for social good. It has a lot of information on the environmental problems faced by India. Though I loved the book, the written could have been better. It lacks structure (there are a lot of points in the book, which you'll have a hard time connecting to its source). If you are an aspiring environmentalist you should definitely read this one

[Shuvam Dam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers a wide range of topics from air pollution to water problems, from Brexit to climate change deliberations and how it affects all of us. The style of writing is simple and the fact that it is a personal account differentiates it from evs lessons and makes it highly relatable. The solutions also have an interesting take. All in all the book is a must read.

[Venkataragavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

always have been a fan of down to earth and sunita narain maam. In this book she chronicles her journey tackling india's environment problem through cse. she provides solutions and emphasises on the most neglected aspect of india's environmental debate of development vs conservation, i.e the local communities .
a must read for anyone interested in india's environment journey

[Arun Thayalan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling read for people interested to know about the issues taken up by CSE and the environmental challenges ahead of the nation and the world.. Written in a lucid and precise style. Not a compendium or bible for all environmental issues. Worth your time.

[Bharti Singhla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book takes you into the reality of pollution in India and the world. It is not just a must-read for those who believe in the need to change, but also for those who do not - because it will open your eyes.

[Vishrut Garg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant book on CSE and Sunita Narain's journey of fighting for a forgotten cause: the environment and health of India. I have learnt so much from this book. I truly appreciate her efforts in a country where environment is never part of the discussion, unless its pollution is literally killing people.