Dear Jaya:

This is indeed a very sad article regarding the tearing down of single family homes with gardens to build apartments. So very sad. I can tell you that once apartments begin replacing single family homes in any neighborhood, the property value declines because apartments almost always bring crime and trash to the area.

Deforestation is also mentioned in this article, and many of us already know how that upsets the ecological balance of the entire planet. Some places receive less rainfall, while others suddenly receive too much. Right now, the U.S. receives too much. Tornadoes and hurricanes...

The last time that I heard of a country detonating an underground Nuclear Weapon was Pakistan, and they did so in return to India doing the same thing. Of course, the U.S., Russia and China have each done the same in the distant past. And surely, it couldn't have helped the planet.

U.S. major metropolitan areas also have huge, ugly structures, but many live within those confines for the jobs that are available. Those that can, move away from the cities for peace of mind. India is a pretty big country. I imagine that there are still left plenty of places for people to live away from the madness of the cities.

Just as you pledged to plant as much as your space allows, we are doing the same over here. During the summer, we save money by growing our own tomatoes, peppers, oranges and herbs. What we can't use, we either give away or trade with our neighbors for their produce. I wish everyone did the same. I have discovered that one average sized orange tree can produce enough oranges for at least four households all year long. I grew so many tomatoes last year that I still have at least a half dozen one pound containers in my freezer of chopped tomatoes. They keep very well, and can be thawed out for soups etc. All of my neighbors benefit from my tomatoes and herbs most of the year.

Thank you for sharing this very well written, but sad article. I strongly suggest that you keep gardening, grow all that you can, while you can.