Society of Pollution and Environmental Conservation Scientists is popularly known as SPECS. When someone utters the word SPECS, generally one hears it as SPECK or SPECS! Where “Speck” means a tiny dot, spot or particle, “Specs” refers to spectacles or eye-glasses.
Indeed, significantly and in many ways, both these words reflect the work and approach of the SPECS - that no environmental and ecological concern is small, and we do not ignore the smallest of grassroots work and pay attention to the tiniest details. And by seeing through spectacles, we take a closer and clearer view of the issue, and enlarge it to see its broader dimensions and implications.
Aptly, this is SPECS or the Society of Pollution and Environmental Conservation Scientists that is:
As is evident, since science was its forte, SPECS has from the very beginning remained clear that science and science-based investigations and activities would be the undercurrent of all its work. And, thereby, it would seek to develop a scientific temper among the children and an appreciation of science among the adults at large. This objective demanded adopting an approach to presenting science that was different to what was hitherto being taken routinely.
SPECS was pretty clear that the science it would pursue and communicate would be more a happy, smiling buddy to be hugged and locked in arms with rather than a well-meaning, admired but grim and imposing discipline respected from a distance. It would be a science that could be touched, felt, caressed, talked to and even laughed and joked in our daily lives. This is the science the founding members of SPECS had longed for, – a science that would ignite everyone with a sense of wonder and curiosity, urge to develop a spirit of enquiry and a sense of discovery, and lead through a series of right questions and help to take a logical path to unravel their doubts and find their answers and solutions.
SPECS believes, science must not seem to be a search for some abstract assumptions, but be understood as a systematic approach at discovering the wonder of things around us, and finding solutions to our most immediate questions and problems. Science also provides an opportunity to participate, learn and improve the quality of life.
This was considered even more necessary as our society was becoming more and more dependent on science and technology. With such a status, we cannot treat science as a dull, serious discipline but rather as an exciting adventure. After all, isn’t science evolutionary? Isn’t science the search for truth?
This primary clarity on its main theme has not only shaped SPECS’ work, approach and methodology but also helped it continuously evolve and reinvent itself to develop a vision for the future that remains firmly grounded in the present, day to day concerns of the people. Indeed, most, if not all, of SPECS’s research, innovations, campaigns, initiatives and advocacy have rarely been pre-determined, but emerged as felt-need of the people and community and were then taken up and developed in accordance with the basic tenets of its philosophy of work.
While the aim and direction were clear and right, needless to say, SPECS was not offered the space and work on the platter. Ideas and actions, when they rub against the current trend and short-term interests, are always a struggle to implement. It has taken over a decade of relentless scientific research and advocacy for SPECS to get some measure of true acceptance.
Appropriately, that is SPECS or the Society of Pollution and Environmental Conservation Scientists. It has now been around for a over two decades.
SPECS believes there is great need for small localized research, small, localized initiatives and actions to address local questions and problems. These would be essential to fill up the gaps that tend to exist between the theory of science and its practice at the popular, public level - gaps which develop like a festering disquiet between government policies and their implementation at the ground level. Science cannot remain locked in academic journals and laboratories, and discussed and understood only by a handful in scientific conferences. For science to become truly popular and reach grassroots, it must be unburdened from its technical intricacies and jargon, complicated theory and formulae to be appreciated and understood by and for it to become relevant at the ground level. Scientists must demystify science for it to be used as a tool by the people for their own day-to-day use and development.
There is a saying, “Give a hungry man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for life.” Taking inspiration from this saying and bringing it into the practice, SPECS does not simply advocate and gift or donate readymade tools or handouts to the people or target trainees, but rather trains them to make or assemble the tools. So that the trainees can make, use, repair or elaborate these for their livelihood or personal and social needs. This is a strong positive stand which differs from the strategies adopted by current donors and implementing agencies. Indeed, SPECS realizes it is intrinsically more essential to work towards making people self-reliant rather than making them alms-dependent. Of course, this does not mean that SPECS opposes philanthropy or giving direct assistance to the people – but it depends on the circumstances for e.g. during disaster or to the people in the disaster affected places, but preference is always to ‘teach’ along with ‘giving’ wherever possible. We strongly believe that ‘teaching’ is an ultimate philanthropy. The major thrust of SPECS’ philosophy of “Teach rather than give” also stands for “Produce or manufacture rather than buy”. The kits for testing food, water or soil could have easily been bought from the market or from other sources. Similarly, readymade LED or solar systems could have been searched for and taken. But no! The trainees are not shown readymade tools and then trained in assembling those – but they are involved in creation of original tools. The stress has always been on people understanding the science of these technologies and imbibing its principles and thereby learning to manufacture, produce or assemble these from the scratch, for their individual or collective livelihood option. This has called for inculcating a “sense of thinking science”, for encouraging people to “learn, think and discover”, to unravel the mysteries before the naked eye. There is as much a sense of joy as of satisfaction in discovering that, indeed, one can do these by oneself! There are individuals or small collectives who have adopted the offered technologies, particularly the LED options, for their livelihood, and also gone on to become Resource Persons in SPECS’ further trainings and initiatives. Awareness amongst the masses is quite low about the environmental issues and science in almost entire country which needs the attention of both government as well as non-governmental agencies working in the field. SPECS has created a network of organizations as well as individuals for awareness generation and has been success upto some extent. SPECS invites organizations, people and individuals to join hands for this noble cause of making people aware and empowering people so that they can take decisions of their life and become self-sufficient. SPECS time to time is also rewarded for its work. It has several awards to its name. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has recognised the Society of Pollution and Environmental Conservation Scientists (SPECS) as a Space Tutor. With this SPECS is authorized to publicize space science and conduct sensitization programmes linked to it in Uttarakhand and surrounding states.
Our VISION is of a society imbued with a scientific temper, which understands rather than fears or blindly worships science and which is thereby self-dependent in addressing its issues, concerns and problems. We believe –
Our MISSION is to demystify science by taking it away from fat textbooks, imperious, bespectacled teachers, complicated formulae and learning by rote; build people’s capacity to decipher facts from fiction and develop in people, understanding and approach to enrich their lives socially, culturally and economically.