India, with its massive and ever-growing population, is witnessing rapid economic growth. Large infrastructure and industrial projects, including highways, rural road network and SEZs, are obviously a necessity to accommodate this growth. However, they also raise threats to biodiversity, as cities and townships are expanding at the cost of agriculture, which in turn relies on tree cover.

Simultaneously, the changing lifestyles of Indians with rising incomes in both rural and urban areas place increasing demands on biodiversity. To find evidence of unsustainable lifestyles, we usually don't have to look any further than our immediate neighbourhoods - or even own homes.