MAN Vs ANIMALS : CONFLICTS UNENDING in pictures

Horrific: Four elephants were killed when a herd crossing railroad tracks in eastern India was hit by an express passenger train

Sad: Villagers attempted to join in the rescue effort but could not save the two adult female elephants and one calf which died at the scene. Another died later from its injuries

Packaging industry – the Enemy of the Earth

Packaging industry – the Enemy of the Earth

Today everything is packed. Packed vegetables, packed oil, packed powder, packed flakes, packed machinery, packed consumer & electronic goods. The list is endless. It is a big marketing strategy and it is a big industry in itself. Why the industry has to pack a 5gm pouch of shampoo or powder or paste. Man wants ultimate comforts. He walks to the shop with empty hands and returns with kilograms of goods and a few grams of polythene. The weight of the poly packs may be less but the burden on the mother earth is very heavy. The lazy man carries not a container to fetch oil or milk and hence they have to be packed. At times we find the handle bars of motor bikes become hangers or holders and the rider struggling to maneuver curves and some of them falling down leading to accidents. We are watching the traditional south Indian food is getting packed to our horror in umpteen numbers of pouches and covers. The reason for the glut of this devilish polythene is sheer laziness of man and nothing else.

If this is the story of an ordinary man the big industries are not far behind in polluting the earth as they come with very heavy packaging materials using polythene and thermo cool materials. These materials are attractive to see when they are keeping the goods in their place safe. But once thrown out in the open they float, fly and cause nuisance to our environment. The big players in the fast food ( junk food) industry are the worst sinners as they pack 10 or 15 grams pouches with flakes of potato or corn and fill this patient earth  with  millions of  tons of trash. As they are easy to carry and attract the youngsters and adult alike everyday billions of such pouches are thrown on waterbeds, hills and everywhere. They care not to tell the citizens in their advertisements how to dispose of the empty cover. In a similar manner the soft drinks industry with water suppliers compete in spoiling earth. These   liquids are available in 100 ml. poly packs and bottles of 200 grams to 5 liters. People after quenching their thirst make the earth burn in anger. If one goes on listing all these evil practices the article can’t be completed.

Let us think before going to a shop. Let us carry a bag of cloth or jute and containers for milk and oil. Let us minimize the use of this bane that is choking the earth. It is   the responsibility of everyone. Let us act this moment and at every moment. Save the earth to save our future.

  

            

The rich relishes food and the poor languishes for food.

Apart from  Shelter &  Dress,   Food  is a fundamental requirement for any one. At this moment millions are begging on the streets around the world for a morsel of food and scores die in the fights that rage for food. Though  Somalia is a classic example, the problems are in every society. Shortage, non-availability,  high costs, low in nutrition and  poverty  are a few causes that make people go to beds with empty stomachs.

In the late seventies I visited Tirupathi, a holy place for the Hindus and I was shocked to see people fighting for  the Sambar ( a  liquid food item prepared with grams) poured on the steps of a marriage hall and men fighting to collect and lick it.  Today India is a surplus nation in the production of foodgrains. The State supplies  highly subsidised rice and wheat and distributes to the people through its Public Distribution Networks. In the State of Tamilnadu the government gives 20 kilograms /30 kilograms of rice to close to 18 million families absolutely free of cost.  People may complain of the quality, but the rice is not from factories but from paddy fields.  I think this is a rarity. Also the State has started to provide subsidised food in its metros, where the cost is absolutely nothing. For a single Indian rupee an idli (steam cooked rice cake)  is available. The TN state is also successfully running NUTRITIOUS NOON MEAL SCHEME across the state in all its schools even today and millions of children go to schools without carrying lunch boxes.

The above examples are given just to highlight how nations are rendering a helping hand to the needy. But all nations and all peoples can't afford the same. Hence it is imperative on the people of this planet to start sharing what they have and start saving what they can. This  writer gratefully acknowledges the help rendered by the people of America and Canada who gave his state- Tamilnadu millions of tons food items-corn flour, edible oil and wheat free of cost under the UN's CARE programme. Crores of school going children relished it (two-three generations of kids) and the enrollment rate went up reducing the dropout rates. We Salute the good samaritans.

Though the global warming effects  are visible in the distribution of monsoon patterns and rainfall the problem is in availability and accessibility. The rich relishes food  but the poor languishes for food. Umpteen varieties of food  are pumped into by the rich. In big parties they waste more and eat less.The wasted food running to millions of tons reach the landfills whereas the poor cries for a morsel. It is a fashion today to serve 20 to 50 items on the dining table and even in imagination one can not eat the entire stuff served as any human stomach's capacity is a mere 2-4 litres only.  A simple estimate finds out only the one third of the food produced go to the mouths remaining wasted in transportation, handling  and mismanagement.

The stomach never demands;only the tongue. While we care for our tongue's needs let us care a little for our fellow brethren too.

Let us not fill the garbage bins with delicious food. They don't require. Let us fill the empty stomachs of men and women. You need not send to anyone the food you saved.  Buy not more and waste not a little. That is sufficient. It is not about your affordability but the availability.


THINK. EAT AND SAVE IS THE SLOGAN OF THE U.N .
 LET US REDUCE THE  WASTAGE  OF FOOD.

  

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY RESOLUTIONS

On the WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY -JUNE 5 let us sincerely resolve 

• Let us stop production of ARMS of any type.
• Let us stop recruiting men & women for armed forces
• Let us resolve our conflicts through dialogues
• Let us not give much importance to the imaginary lines drawn on our maps
• Let us share our wealth and knowledge with everyone who needs
• Let us return to the simpler ways of living known to all societies
• Let us care for this earth's health as we do for ourselves
• Let us respect every societies' sentiments and allow them to be on their own
• Let us realize by hating our fellow men we can never reach God
• Let us be aware every society has its own gods/goddesses whether they are the Zulus of Africa, the aborigines of Australia, the Eskimos of the Arctic or the Gonds of India. 
• Let us learn to live with less comforts- remember millions live in the Saharan sub-continent without even electricity
• Let us minimize the use of plastics and other non-biodegradable products 
• Let us not pollute the soil,air and  other natural resources (living & non-living)

NO NEED TO GO TO MARKET IF THEY ARE IN YOUR KIT

As tiny sprouts of our springtime flowers emerge for another chance at life, we were reminded to look at our kitchen scraps with the same attitude of renewal. Many fruit and vegetable scraps that are deemed inedible or compost-worthy can be directly re-grown into food that is edible, tasty, and nutritious. And the cycle of growing new food from scraps can be repeated over and over again – - allowing you to produce an unending supply of fruits and vegetables from food scraps that you ordinarily might have composted or thrown away.

What are the Benefits of Re-Growing Fruit and Vegetable Scraps?

There are dozens of reasons why re-growing food scraps is beneficial to both you and the environment. For example, regenerating fruit and vegetable scraps means less landfill waste, it supplements your food budget, and it also allows you to grow organic food that you know is healthy and nutritious. Additionally, spawning nourishing food from scraps is one of the most environmentally friendly methods of recycling and an excellent teaching activity to share with your kids.

What Will Grow?

There are dozens of fruits and vegetables that can be re-grown. Following is a list of some of the easiest:

• Avocado
• Beets
• Bok Choy
• Cabbage
• Carrots
• Celery
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Green Onions
• Herbs
• Leeks
• Lemon Grass
• Mushrooms
• Pineapple
• Potatoes
• Romaine Lettuce
• Rutabagas
• Scallions
• Turnips

(Greencycler)

NATURAL VS UNNATURAL

TRUTH VS FALSEHOOD
                      

                        

ROCK ON ITS CRADLE AND ROCKS ON THE LAP OF MAN

GROWTH OR DECAY

THEY POLLUTE NOT A LITTLE. DON'T LEAVE THE WIND BEHIND...

Our planet’s regenerative capacity is being greatly exceeded as the world’s population is now producing and consuming more resources than ever. In fact, in developed and developing countries, people are acquiring much more than what they actually need and therefore producing an enormous amount of waste.

Our growing population puts so much pressure on the environment that nowadays the natural resources are no longer as abundant as they used to be. How we use and dispose of non-renewable resources is radically altering our ecosystems and even the planet’s renewable resources (such as water, timber or fish) are rapidly being exhausted. We have now reached a tipping point where the quality of air and water needs to be improved, the level of production needs to be balanced and the amount of waste generated needs to be reduced.

Sustainable consumption is all about ‘doing more and better with less,’ through reducing resource use, degradation and pollution while increasing the quality of life for all.

The massive consumption of both renewable and non-renewable resources contributes to a massive loss of biodiversity – with current extinction rates of birds, mammals and amphibians estimated to be at least 100 times, but possibly over 1,000 times, higher than pre-industrial rates. The poorest population is most affected by such changes giving that they rely directly on natural resources — such as fishing, small-scale agriculture or forestry — for their livelihoods.

Pollution and over-exploitation of the world’s resources are increasingly compromising our own wellbeing and quality of life. The planet cannot afford to continue taking this path. A transition towards a more sustainable lifestyle is crucial to enable future generations to have access to their fair share of resources.

There are many possibilities as for how we can change our unsustainable consumption habits while also improving our quality of life. To do more with less is essential for us to live within the resources the planet has to offer. Changing our current living standards requires us to adopt innovative and creative solutions on the way we use and dispose the products and services we own and consume. This could enable a transition to more sustainable activities and lifestyles while also protecting the world’s natural resources.

So orient your action for World Environment Day this year to an  activity that promotes sustainable consumption and be the one to reshape our future! 

Renewable energy

Wind power

Windpower harnesses the energy generated by the movement of air in the earth’s atmosphere to drive electricity-generating turbines. Although humans have used wind power for hundreds of years, modern turbines reflect significant technological advances over early windmills and even over turbines from just ten or twenty years ago.

Wind resource potential varies significantly across the United States with substantial resources found in the Midwest and along the coasts.

Winds generally blow more consistently and at higher speeds at greater heights. As wind speed increases, the amount of available energy increases following a cubic function, so a 10 percent increase in speed corresponds to a 33 percent increase in the amount of available energy. Modern turbines continue to grow larger and more efficient--two important factors that allow a single turbine to produce more usable energy.  Improved materials and design have allowed for larger rotor blades and overall improvements in efficiency (measured as total energy production per unit of swept rotor area,given in kilowatt-hours per square meter) and greater gross generation.

Description

Wind technologies come in a variety of sizes (larger turbines can generally produce more electricity), and styles. Since wind is a variable and uncertain resource, wind turbines tend to have lower capacity factors than conventional power plants that provide most of the nation’s energy. A power plant’s “capacity factor” provides a measure of its productivity by comparing its actual power production over a given period of time with the amount of power the plant would have produced had it run at full capacity over that period. Conventional coal- and gas-fired power plants generally have capacity factors between 40% to 60%. Wind turbines generally have capacity factors that are closer to 25 to 40 percent.  Wind turbine capacity factors have improved over time with advances in technology and better siting, but capacity factors are fundamentally limited by how much the wind blows.

SOLAR

Solar power harnesses the sun’s energy to produce electricity as well as solar heating and cooling. Solar energy resources are massive and widespread, and they can be harnessed anywhere that receives sunlight. The amount of solar radiation, also known as insolation, reaching the earth's suface every hour is more than all the energy currently consumed by all human activities each year. A number of factors, including geographic location, time of day, and current weather conditions, all affect the amount of energy that can be harnessed for electricity production or heating purposes.

Solar energy can be captured for electricity production using solar photovoltaics and concentrating solar power. A solar or photovoltaic cell converts sunlight into electricity using the photoelectric effect.  Typically, photovoltaic is found on the roofs of residential and commercial buildings.  Concentrating solar power uses lenses or mirrors to concentrate sunlight into a narrow beam that heats a fluid, producing steam to drive a turbine which generates electricity. Concentrating solar power projects are larger-scale than residential or commercial PV and are often owned and operated by electric utilities.

Biomass

Biomass energy sources are used to generate electricity, provide direct heating and can be converted into biofuels as a direct substitute for fossil fuels used in transportation. Unlike intermittent wind and solar energy, biomass can be used continuously or according to a schedule. Biomass is derived  from wood, waste, landfill gas, crops and alcohol fuels. Traditional biomass, including waste wood, charcoal and manure has been a source of energy for domestic cooking and heating throughout human history. In rural areas of the developing world, it remains the dominant fuel source. 

water 

Water power captures the energy of flowing water in rivers, streams and waves to generate electricity. Conventional hydropower plants can be built in rivers with no water storage (known as “run-of-the-river” units) or in conjunction with reservoirs that store water, which can be used on an as-needed basis. As water travels downstream, it is channeled down through a pipe or other intake structure in a dam (penstock).  The flowing water turns the blades of a turbine, generating electricity in the powerhouse, located at the base of the dam.

Green Campaigns -Real or Reel

Green Campaigns -Real or Reel

It is a pity 'man'  refuses to accept that the earth we live in, is endangered. Earth is also a living,thriving biological being and hence the statement is right. He searches for water by digging deep into the earth and pockets it, bottles it and is selling it. A litre of petrol is Rupees seventy in India (1.2 dollars)  and a litre of quality water bottle is Rs.Twenty five. Days are fast approaching when water would become costlier than fossil fuels. 

He feels the sea water can be utilised for human consumption and it it is not untrue.But one has to see the cost behind such venture. Hardly 10% of our human population is living close to the  sea shores and all the nations are not in a position to establish and maintain desalination plants.

'It seems strange that water should be such a scarce resource when our planet is drenched in 326 million trillion gallons of the stuff. But it turns out that less than one-half of 1 percent of it is drinkable. Out of the rest, 98 percent is oceanic salt water and 1.5 percent remains locked up in icecaps and glaciers. The stark irony of Samuel Coleridge's immortal line "Water, water, everywhere / Nor any drop to drink" is manifest each year in coastal disasters around the world, like Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 Indonesian tsunami and the 2010 Haiti earthquake, as people within sight of entire oceans are threatened with dehydration."

Between droughts, natural disasters and the large-scale redistribution of moisture threatened by climate change, the need for new sources of potable water grows with each passing day. Each year, the global population swells by another 85 million people, but worldwide demand for freshwater increases at twice the rate of population growth, doubling every 20 years or so. Throughout the world, our most vital resource is under stress from pollution, dam construction, wetland and riparian ecosystem destruction, and depletion of groundwater aquifers, with poor and marginalized populations getting the worst of it.

So our people should not be misled by the sight of the mighty seas and the attractive glaciers. Today almost all the rivers in the world are dying. It is an undeniable fact. They are shrinking in size or already they are dead without the flow of water with the flow of gutter. The rains have become undependable and the fresh water lakes inside the plains are fast becoming  human habitations or industries. 

What to do now?

REALISE THERE IS A CRISIS.

START CONSERVING EVERY DROP OF WATER

GO FOR  DIGGING NEW PONDS, LAKES WITHOUT RESPITE

WASTE NOT WATER

MINIMISE YOUR USE

REDUCE THE HUMAN POPULATION  STRAIN ON EARTH 

GO FOR RECYCLING OF WATER

STOP ALL WATER INTENSIVE ACTIVITIES

GO FOR SIMPLE LIVING

DON'T BUILD 23 STOREYED BUNGALOW FOR A SINGLE FAMILY

THE HOUSE YOU LIVE IN IS NOT  GOING TO DECIDE YOUR STATUS BUT THE WAY YOU LIVE AND ACT

ALLOW THE RIVERS TO FLOW AND BLOCK NOT ANY BIOLOGICAL CHAIN

CARRYING WATER AND PURCHASING WATER IS  A SHAME ON THE HUMANITY .

WAKE UP TODAY FOR YOUR FUTURE.