the.world.we.live.in

KARMA YOGA: The meaning

2018-05-14T07:11:00.002+05:30

It is generally accepted now that the main purpose of Bhagavad Gita is to induce people to action. Sri Krishna urges all to do their duty sincerely, as per existing laws and without attachment or expectation of results. Here the stress is on KARMA YOGA as the suitable path for advancement of mankind.

What does Karma Yoga mean?

KARMA : The word originated from the root "KRU" meaning do, work, etc. Karma thus means action or work, and not the popular meaning of "fate". There are two types of Karma- 1) Niskama Karma- work without attachment, which produces no bondage, and 2) Sakama Karma-all work done for some end result, which leads to bondage for the doer. The work may be to maintain your body, meet your official obligations, to upkeep your family, prayers & other religious activities, service to society or many other things. In Gita, the word Karma is used to denote all human activities.

YOGA: This is a much more confusing word. Yoga is generally understood as the activity of breath control or taking different body postures, or the activities mentioned by Pathanjali. But in Gita this word has a much wider and somewhat different meaning.

The word yoga originated from the root "YUJ" meaning joining, timing together etc. This word is used in innumerable places in the Gita with meanings like appropriateness, joining, expertise, attainment etc. The essential meaning of yoga is explained by Sri Krishna himself as "yogah karmasu kausalam" (gita 2:50). Kausalam means a special talent, expertise or skill in doing something. So doing things with expertise is yoga.A yogi is one who does something with expert knowledge or skill.

So KARMA YOGA refers to all human activities performed with concentration, skill and finesse.

The way to liberation is to perform your duties without attachment. In Bhagavad Gita Sri Krishna instructs Arjuna (all of mankind) to do their work most sincerely & with expertise and skill they have masterd, and without any attachment or expectation of rewards.

Something to ponder...

2015-02-07T20:45:00.001+05:30

"You sit here for days saying this is strange business,
you are the strange business;
you have the energy of the sun in you, but you keep knotting it up at the base of your spine.
You are some weird kind of gold that wants to stay melted in the furnace, so you won't have to become coins.."
Isn't this what nearly most of us do.. try to limit ourselves.. not working to our true potential, both in professional & our personal life. Blaming others for the mess we see in our life, but how often do we actually care to calmly observe people around us or introspect for that matter. We blame the system for the mess in our society but how often we actually do something to rectify the so called mess (this mess in my opinion is nothing but our being over reliant on authorities to do everything there is to be done)
We just need to calm our lives a bit..look around us..feel moments and people around us that we often ignore in our pursuit of living a 'better life' , but all we do is run through it and never live it.

ALIQUEE, a beginning...

2015-01-23T15:04:00.002+05:30

Sit quietly & listen for a voice that will say, "be more silent'.
As that happens your soul starts to revive..

"We rush everyday to make our life, hence do not get time" i hear a lot, but do we really make our lives or just live in an illusion i ask..

in pursuit of this query, we take a step forward, look around us, go back to our roots & with friends, we will quench this thirst of revival of our spirits, revival of our soul.

'Aliquee' our way of finding answers ..our step to seek..

Lets hope Sh Modi shouldn't forget Fareed and millions like him

2014-05-17T04:37:00.000+05:30

The battle for 7RCR has ended in a much surprising way than expected. We have marveled at the sights and sounds of India's great election battle on our television screens. The image, most memorably etched in my mind is of a confident Muslim boy, Fareed, in a small town in Western UP. When the female interviewer asks his name, he retorts with a flirtatious smile, "Who wants to know?" He tells us proudly that the pucca street on which they are standing was a kaccha village road not long ago. As the camera pans, he points to three barber shops, two beauty parlours, an electronics store and an unfinished tower. "This is going to be our mall!" Fareed runs a small business delivering flowers to the big city nearby, but business has been rotten in the past two years; most of his friends have lost their jobs. "Do you think I'd be hanging around chatting... even to a beautiful woman?" She blushes. "That's why I plan to vote for Modi. Yes, I know, Muslim and Modi, but he promises jobs and growth."

It is because of Fareed and the million hopes of young Indians that majority endorsed Narendra Modi . Many a times during discussions about who will be winning (as this seems to be the flavor of the season so far) many of my intellectual friends were aghast hearing about my preference this time around- how could I have abandoned sacred secularism for profane growth? Since I had made enemies everywhere, I must have done something right. None of us wants to give up secularism but if growth continues to fumble, it is secularism which will be endangered. History shows that right-wing extremism thrives during unemployment and disaffection. Yes, it is a risk to vote for Modi but it is riskier not to vote for him as he is our best chance for jobs, growth and the demographic dividend.

Now as Modi is at the threshold; his first priority should be to reassure Muslims that he is the leader of all Indians and his government will not allow the events of 2002 to happen again (as they haven't in Gujarat); he is also duty bound to protect minorities against the daily acts of discrimination, especially by functionaries of the state.

The next priority should be to forge an alliance with chief ministers, making them partners in governing India and bring about genuine federalism. Having been chief minister for three terms this should be a natural. This alliance will allow well-managed states to implement reforms rapidly that would take too long to enact in a fractured central Parliament. Arun Shourie has recently explained that Article 254(2) of the Constitution allows a state law to prevail over a central law provided the President gives assent (which means, in effect, Modi's government has to be in favour of it.) Once a few states begin to implement the reform, others will see the benefits and follow suit. A partnership with chief ministers will motivate the more aspirational states to focus on raising India's Doing Business ranking, and as India becomes more competitive, investors who are presently fleeing China for Vietnam, Thailand and Bangladesh might well add India to their list.

Modi should begin each day by remembering why he was elected by Fareed and millions like him: to create jobs and skills. Expectations are running high and he must cool them down, explaining the lag between investment and growth. Attacking inflation is equally important and there is no better ally than Raghuram Rajan. Modi should follow the recipe which has brought No 1 rank to Gujarat in economic freedom - focus on infrastructure, bring in lots of talented persons, free up space for private initiative, empower the bureaucracy, and deliver public goods brilliantly (water, roads, electricity, education and health). Finally, don't subvert institutions; respect them but reform them.

Finding sense into the essence of marriage and its related rituals..

2013-11-15T05:54:00.002+05:30

since it seems to be the season of wedding (as most of people around me are getting married ;) ) i decided to post few things i have been reading recently related to it.. so here i have tried to explain as simply as i could..
In Ramayana...when Shri Ram and Sita were announced they will get married and Dashratha came to Mithila with his other sons..Janaka made a proposal to marry his other 3 daughters with his three sons and their family be united..
Dashratha accepted this proposal and along with Ram Sita..Laxman married Urmila, Bharata married Mandavi and Shatrugan married Shrutakirti.
Janaka gave his daughters to the son of Dashratha saying 'I give you Lakshmi,wealth, who will bring you pleasure and prosperity. Grant me Saraswati, wisdom Let me learn the joy of letting go'. This culture came to be known as kanya-daan. Unlike dakshina, where wealth is asked in exchange and bhiksha where power is asked in exchange. in daan only wisdom is sought.
The four couples took seven steps together in front of their elders. this meant they would share seven things for ever: a house, fire, water, income, children, pleasure and conversation. Placing their palms one below the other they made offering of ghee and grain to the fire so that the smoke carried them up to the realm above sky where devas could feast to their satisfaction. offerings were also made to the cow, dog, serpent, banana plant , banyan tree, to rocks to water, a reminder that humanity does not live in isolation.
Finally as the brides were about to leave, a fistful of rice was given to them. they threw it over their heads. that rice symbolized repayment of a daughter's debt to her parents. Sita, Urmila, Mandavi and Shrutakriti wanted to turn back but they knew that there is wisdom in letting go and moving on.
a huge caravan of horses ,elephants left with the brides. it contained fabrics ,jewels, pulses, vegetables, herbs. for when a bride enters the husband's house she brings with her not just the promise of a new generation but also a new culture and with that new thoughts that enrich her husband's household.
marriage since vedic times, is just not the union of man and a woman but an opportunity for two cultures to intermingle so that new customs and beliefs can enter an old household and revitalize it.

well hope this lends a new perspective to our thoughts on marriage and its related rituals..will keep posted as i unravel the beauty and wisdom of our puraans and mythologies.

What is a Brahman?

2012-05-29T15:02:00.000+05:30

Brahmaarpanam Brahma Havir
Brahmaagnau Brahmanaa Hutam
Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyam
Brahma Karma Samaadhinaha

Meaning:
The act of offering is Brahman.
The offering itself is Brahman.
The offering is done by Brahman in the sacred fire which is Brahman. He alone attains Brahman who, in all actions, is fully absorbed in Brahman.

this might clear the confusion of people who consider brahman to be a rigid system or birth right..instead it is a philosphy..those who follow the phillosphy and act accordingly are true brahmans..much like hinduism is a philosphy and to be a true hindu one doesnt have to keep fast or sing chants all day but follow the philosphy of hinduism and act accordingly.

Intellect and its different forms

2012-05-11T01:07:00.001+05:30

There are three types of intellect.

One is an intellect which is dormant or doesn’t function at all; sleepy, in slumber and only into negativity. This is Tamasic Intellect.

Then is Rajasic Intellect. Most people have a rajasic intellect. Everyone functions with a rajasic intellect.
Rajasic intellect means seeing everything as different – This person is different, that person is different, this person behaves that way, that lady behaves this way; dwelling on these differences. Thinking there are so many people, so many personalities, and seeing that as reality. Doing this sometimes you go very high and sometimes you go down. This is rajasic intellect.

Then there is Sattvic Intellect, which is the goal of evolution.
Sattvic intellect sees there is only one thing that is underlying all other differences. That is the reality.
There is one underlying truth. That one thing has come up in so many forms.

As an example take a case of a puppet show..
A rajasic intellect is seeing all the puppets as different characters. A sattvic intellect says, 'There is only one person who is making all these dolls dance.' Actually it is a Mono Act.
One person who is behind the curtain, is making with his ten fingers all these different stories happen on the screen and is making them dance.
They tie one thread to each of the ten fingers and they make all the puppets run around.

So a sattvic intellect is seeing that there is one thing, one truth, one reality, one consciousness that is underneath the whole creation. When this truth is well lodged in the mind though you see the differences, dwell in differences, you will be unshaken.
A house that has a very good foundation does not collapse in an earthquake. It has a shock absorber. A real shock absorber is deep inside knowing that all this is made up of one consciousness.
All of matter is one consciousness. I am that one consciousness and everything is that one consciousness.
One who knows this is free. It is called freedom. ‘I’m so free. Nothing bothers me.’

Paramhansa yogananda's explanation on the law of karma

2012-05-06T17:24:00.000+05:30

"A visitor: "The Bible says that evildoers shall be punished, and the good, rewarded. Do you subscribe to this teaching?"

Paramhansa Yogananda: "Certainly. If we accept the principle of cause and effect in Nature, and of action and reaction in physics, how can we not believe that this natural law extends also to human beings? Do not humans, too, belong to the natural order?

"This is the law of karma: As you sow, so shall you reap.18 If you sow evil, you will reap evil in the form of -suffering. And if you sow goodness, you will reap goodness in the form of inner joy."

The visitor: "How specific is the law? In physics, the law of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In Nature, effects are often very specifically, and not only vaguely, related to their causes. Yet we've been taught to view reward and punishment for human behavior in more general terms. If we're good, we've been told, we'll go to heaven, and if we're bad, we'll go to hell. But people don't think of themselves as reaping specific consequences for specific deeds."

Yogananda: "The karmic law is exact. There is, furthermore, no question of suffering in hell for eternity. (How could the misdeeds of a few years on earth deserve eternal punishment? Could a finite cause have an infinite effect?)

"To understand karma, you must realize that thoughts are things. The very universe, in the final analysis, is composed not of matter but of consciousness. Matter responds, far more than most people realize, to the power of thought. For will power directs energy, and energy in turn acts upon matter. Matter, indeed, is energy.

"The stronger the will, the greater the force of energy—and the greater, consequently, the energy's impact on material events. A strong will, especially if combined with awareness of the cosmic energy, can effect miracles. It can cure diseases, and make a person well. It can ensure success in any undertaking. The very seasons are obedient to the man of strong will power and of deep faith.

"Even unenlightened human beings shape their destinies, more than they themselves realize, according to the way they use their power of will. For no action is ever an isolated event. Always, it invites from the universe a reaction that corresponds exactly to the type and the force of energy behind the deed.

"Action originates in the will, which directs energy toward its desired end. This, then, is the definition of will power: desire plus energy, directed toward fulfillment.

"Energy, like electricity, generates a magnetic field. And that magnetic field attracts to itself the consequences of action.

"The binding force between human action and cosmic reaction is the ego. The consciousness of ego ensures that
a person's actions will have personal consequences for himself. These consequences may be delayed, if the will power engendering a thought or deed was not powerful enough to have immediate results, or if its thrust was thwarted by other, conflicting energies. Sooner or later, however, every action, whether of body, of thought, or of desire, must reap its final reaction. It is like a circle completing itself.

"Thus, man, made as he is in the image of God, becomes in his turn a creator.

"The results of good and bad deeds are not experienced only after death. Heaven and hell are realities even here on earth, where people reap the painful consequences of their folly, and the harmonious results of right action.

"People seldom think of their own actions as bad. Whatever they do seems, at least to them, well-intentioned. But if they create disharmony for others, and thus on deeper levels of their being for themselves, those waves of dishar-
mony will inevitably return to them in the form of disharmony.

"Every action, every thought, reaps its own corresponding rewards.

"Human suffering is not a sign of God's anger with
mankind. It is a sign, rather, of man's ignorance of the
divine law.

"The law is forever infallible in its workings.."

Golden rules for a satisfying life

2012-05-01T21:53:00.000+05:30

We hold on to so many things that cause us a great deal of pain, stress and suffering – and instead of letting them all go, instead of allowing ourselves to be stress free and happy – we cling on to them. Not anymore. Starting today we will give up on all those things that no longer serve us, and we will embrace change. Ready? Here we go:

1. Give up your need to always be right. There are so many of us who can’t stand the idea of being wrong – wanting to always be right – even at the risk of ending great relationships or causing a great deal of stress and pain, for us and for others. It’s just not worth it. Whenever you feel the ‘urgent’ need to jump into a fight over who is right and who is wrong, ask yourself this question: “Would I rather be right, or would I rather be kind?” Wayne Dyer. What difference will that make? Is your ego really that big?

2. Give up your need for control. Be willing to give up your need to always control everything that happens to you and around you – situations, events, people, etc. Whether they are loved ones, coworkers, or just strangers you meet on the street – just allow them to be. Allow everything and everyone to be just as they are and you will see how much better will that make you feel.
“By letting it go it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try. The world is beyond winning.” Lao Tzu

3. Give up on blame. Give up on your need to blame others for what you have or don’t have, for what you feel or don’t feel. Stop giving your powers away and start taking responsibility for your life.

4. Give up your self-defeating self-talk. Oh my. How many people are hurting themselves because of their negative, polluted and repetitive self-defeating mindset? Don’t believe everything that your mind is telling you – especially if it’s negative and self-defeating. You are better than that.
“The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle

5. Give up your limiting beliefs about what you can or cannot do, about what is possible or impossible. From now on, you are no longer going to allow your limiting beliefs to keep you stuck in the wrong place. Spread your wings and fly!
“A belief is not an idea held by the mind, it is an idea that holds the mind” Elly Roselle

6. Give up complaining. Give up your constant need to complain about those many, many, maaany things – people, situations, events that make you unhappy, sad and depressed. Nobody can make you unhappy, no situation can make you sad or miserable unless you allow it to. It’s not the situation that triggers those feelings in you, but how you choose to look at it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

7. Give up the luxury of criticism. Give up your need to criticize things, events or people that are different than you. We are all different, yet we are all the same. We all want to be happy, we all want to love and be loved and we all want to be understood. We all want something, and something is wished by us all.

8. Give up your need to impress others. Stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not just to make others like you. It doesn’t work this way. The moment you stop trying so hard to be something that you’re not, the moment you take of all your masks, the moment you accept and embrace the real you, you will find people will be drawn to you, effortlessly.

9. Give up your resistance to change. Change is good. Change will help you move from A to B. Change will help you make improvements in your life and also the lives of those around you. Follow your bliss, embrace change – don’t resist it.
“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell

10. Give up labels. Stop labeling those things, people or events that you don’t understand as being weird or different and try opening your mind, little by little. Minds only work when open. “The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.” Wayne Dyer

11. Give up on your fears. Fear is just an illusion, it doesn’t exist – you created it. It’s all in your mind. Correct the inside and the outside will fall into place.
“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt

12. Give up your excuses. Send them packing and tell them they’re fired. You no longer need them. A lot of times we limit ourselves because of the many excuses we use. Instead of growing and working on improving ourselves and our lives, we get stuck, lying to ourselves, using all kind of excuses – excuses that 99.9% of the time are not even real.

13. Give up the past. I know, I know. It’s hard. Especially when the past looks so much better than the present and the future looks so frightening, but you have to take into consideration the fact that the present moment is all you have and all you will ever have. The past you are now longing for – the past that you are now dreaming about – was ignored by you when it was present. Stop deluding yourself. Be present in everything you do and enjoy life. After all life is a journey not a destination. Have a clear vision for the future, prepare yourself, but always be present in the now.

14. Give up attachment. This is a concept that, for most of us is so hard to grasp and I have to tell you that it was for me too, (it still is) but it’s not something impossible. You get better and better at with time and practice. The moment you detach yourself from all things, (and that doesn’t mean you give up your love for them – because love and attachment have nothing to do with one another, attachment comes from a place of fear, while love… well, real love is pure, kind, and self less, where there is love there can’t be fear, and because of that, attachment and love cannot coexist) you become so peaceful, so tolerant, so kind, and so serene. You will get to a place where you will be able to understand all things without even trying. A state beyond words.

15. Give up living your life to other people’s expectations. Way too many people are living a life that is not theirs to live. They live their lives according to what others think is best for them, they live their lives according to what their parents think is best for them, to what their friends, their enemies and their teachers, their government and the media think is best for them. They ignore their inner voice, that inner calling. They are so busy with pleasing everybody, with living up to other people’s expectations, that they lose control over their lives. They forget what makes them happy, what they want, what they need….and eventually they forget about themselves. You have one life – this one right now – you must live it, own it, and especially don’t let other people’s opinions distract you from your path

Buddha's teaching

2012-04-24T22:30:00.000+05:30

Once Buddha was travelling with a few of his followers. While they were passing a lake, Buddha told one
of his disciples, "I am thirsty. Do get me some water from the lake."
The disciple walked up to the lake. At that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As a result, the water became very muddy and turbid. The disciple thought, "How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink?"

So he came back and told Buddha, "The water in there is very muddy. I don't think it is fit to drink."
After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back to the lake.
The disciple went back, and found that the water was still muddy. He returned and informed Buddha about the same.
After sometime, again Buddha asked the same disciple to go back.
This time, the disciple found the mud had settled down, and the water was clean and clear. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it to Buddha.
Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said," See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be, and the mud settled down on its own -- and you have clear water.
Your mind is like that too ! When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time. It will settle down on its own. You don't have to put in any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless.

the.world.we.live.in: Dalai Lama's 18 rules for living..

2012-04-18T15:30:00.001+05:30

the.world.we.live.in: Dalai Lama's 18 rules for living..

Dalai Lama's 18 rules for living..

2012-04-18T15:27:00.000+05:30

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs:
a. Respect for self
b. Respect for others
c. Responsibility for all your actions

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

An important lesson by an 8yr old vijay..

2012-04-09T11:29:00.000+05:30

A teacher asked Eight year old vijay, "If I give you one orange and one orange and one orange , how many oranges will you have?" Within a few seconds vijay replied confidently, "Five!"

She was disappointed. "Maybe the child did not listen properly," she thought. She repeated, "vijay, listen carefully. If I give you one orange and one orange and one orange , how many oranges will you have?"

Vijay had seen the disappointment on his teacher's face. He calculated again on his fingers. But within him he was also searching for the answer that will make the teacher happy. His search for the answer was not for the correct one, but the one that will make his teacher happy. This time hesitatingly he replied, "Five"

The disappointment stayed on the teacher's face. She remembered that vijay liked Grapes. She thought maybe he doesn't like oranges and that is making him loose focus. This time with an exaggerated excitement and twinkling in her eyes she asked, "If I give you one Grape and one Grape and one Grape, then how many you will have?"

Seeing the teacher happy, Vijay calculated on his fingers again. She wanted her new approach to succeed. With a hesitating smile young Vijay enquired, "Three?"

The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had finally succeeded. She wanted to congratulate herself. But one last thing remained. Once again she asked him, "Now if I give you one orange and one orange and one more orange how many will you have?"

Vijay answered, "Five"

The teacher was frustrated and disappointed and thinking vijay as an idiot. She asked "How Vijay, how?" in a little dominating and irritated voice.

In a low and hesitating voice Vijay replied, "Because I already have two oranges in my bag."

So in the End vijay did teach you a lesson.What is it?

"When someone gives you an answer different from expected. There maybe an angle or a reason that you have not understood at all. You will have to listen and understand, but never listen with a predetermined or expected answer ...."
Most of commit this mistake in life..

"Why we shout in anger?"

2012-04-01T17:22:00.000+05:30

A Hindu saint who was visiting river Ganges to take ba...th found a group of family members on the banks, shouting in anger at each other. He turned to his disciples smiled and asked.

'Why do people shout in anger shout at each other?'

Disciples thought for a while, one of them said, 'Because we lose our calm, we shout.'

'But, why should you shout when the other person is just next to you? You can as well tell him what you have to say in a soft manner.' asked the saint

Disciples gave some other answers but none satisfied the other disciples.
Finally the saint explained, .

'When two people are angry at each other, their hearts distance a lot. To cover that distance they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other to cover that great distance.

What happens when two people fall in love? They don't shout at each other but talk softly, Because their hearts are very close. The distance between them is either nonexistent or very small...'

The saint continued, 'When they love each other even more, what happens? They do not speak, only whisper and they get even closer to each other in their love. Finally they even need not whisper, they only look at each other and that's all. That is how close two people are when they love each other.'

He looked at his disciples and said.

'So when you argue do not let your hearts get distant, Do not say words that distance each other more, Or else there will come a day when the distance is so great that you will not find the path to return'

The Road Not Taken

2012-03-22T17:53:00.000+05:30

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

How Ready for Pensioners?

2011-06-25T22:48:00.000+05:30

THE WORLD is on the threshold of a stunning demographic transformation brought about by falling fertility and rising life expectancy.Global aging promises to affect every dimension of economic, social, and political life—from the shape of the family to the shape of the world order. Perhaps most fatefully, it could throw into question the ability of many countries to provide a decent standard of living for the old without imposing a crushing burden on the young.

Which countries are most prepared to meet the challenge? And which countries are least prepared? The Global Aging Preparedness (GAP) Index provides a new analytical tool for assessing the progress that countries worldwide are making in preparing for global aging, and particularly the old-age dependency dimension of the challenge as the number of elderly relative to the working-age population continues to grow.

The GAP Index finds that with a few exceptions the countries best prepared to meet the promises they have made to retirees are those that have promised them the least.

We first tabulate the results for individual indicators, ranked from 1 (best) to 20 (worst). We then transform the indicator results into index values, and combine the index values into category scores. Finally, we combine the category scores into overall scores and rankings for each of the two sub-indices.

A crucial lesson

The GAP Index contains some good news and some bad news.

The bad news is that very few countries score well on both dimensions of aging preparedness (see Table 1). Three of the seven highest-ranking countries on the fiscal sustainability index (Mexico, China, Russia) are among the seven lowest-ranking countries on the income adequacy index. Four of the seven highest-ranking countries on the income adequacy index (Netherlands, Brazil, Germany, United Kingdom) are among the seven lowest-ranking countries on the fiscal sustainability index. Not surprisingly, it is the developed countries, with their expansive welfare states, that tend to score better on income adequacy than on fiscal sustainability. In the emerging economies—Brazil being a notable exception—the trade-off is usually the reverse.

Two countries score near the bottom of both sub-indices: France and Italy. To rein in the rising cost of their pay-as-you-go old-age benefit promises, these countries have enacted pension reforms that drastically reduce the generosity of the public “deal” that future retirees can expect to receive.

The good news is that a few countries are successfully meeting the challenge. Australia, which combines means-tested public old-age income support with a large, mandatory, and fully funded private pension system, ranks well into the top half of both sub-indices. So does Chile, which has a similar mix of retirement policies.

Several other countries, moreover, are moving in the right direction. Like France and Italy, Germany and Sweden have scheduled deep reductions in the generosity of future government pension provision. But unlike France and Italy, they are on track to fill in the resulting gap in elderly income by increasing funded pension savings and extending work lives. Although their fiscal burdens remain high, they have been reduced to well beneath what they would have been without undermining the living standard of the elderly.

This contrast points to a crucial lesson. Most developed economies—as well as a few emerging economies, such as Brazil and Korea—must significantly reduce the generosity of their old-age benefit systems to stave off fiscal catastrophe. But unless reforms also provide for other sources of income support to fill in the resulting gap in elderly income, the reductions are unlikely to be socially and politically sustainable. This is especially true in Europe, where the level of elderly dependence on public benefits is very high. In France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, over 70 percent of the income of the typical elderly person comes in the form of a government check.

The GAP Index results also make clear that demography is not necessarily destiny. The aging trend in France, which has one of the highest fertility rates in Europe, is no more severe than in Australia or Canada, yet France ranks near the bottom of both sub-indices. Japan, despite its massive age wave, ranks in the middle of both sub-indices. That’s because it has relatively modest per capita government pension benefits, which helps minimize the fiscal burden on the young, and large percentages of elderly who are still working or who live in multigenerational households, which helps boost the income of the old.

In short, policy matters. The GAP Index includes a reform guide that assesses the urgency and potential payoff of seven key reform strategies in each country, from reducing government pension benefits and health care cost growth to extending work lives, increasing funded retirement savings, strengthening old-age poverty floors, and increasing fertility rates and immigration (see Table 2). Most of the data used to assess the relative importance of the seven strategies are generated by the GAP Index model.

Winds of change for Germany...

2011-06-12T20:31:00.002+05:30

Germany's cabinet approved a series of laws to make possible an exit from atomic energy by the end of 2022, including measures for a massive increase of onshore and offshore wind power, the accelerated expansion of the electricity grid, and more gas-fired generation capacity.

Despite being behind schedule on plans for wind parks off Germany's North and Baltic Sea coasts, the government is sticking to an ambitious offshore wind-energy target.

"We want to expand wind power at sea in the next 20 years, to a [generating] capacity of 25 gigawatts," Transport and Construction Minister Peter Ramsauer said at a press conference. "That is equivalent to the generating capacity of 18 to 20 nuclear power stations."

The cabinet agreed a gradual phase-out from nuclear power, with one of its 17 nuclear power stations each being switched off in 2015, 2017 and 2019, and three each in 2021 and 2022, Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen said.

Another seven reactors, which German Chancellor Angela Merkel ordered be temporarily shut in March following the disasters at the nuclear reactors in Fukushima, Japan, are to stay switched off. An eighth plant that had been off the grid for a review will also remain shut.

Ms. Merkel—under immense pressure from mass protests against nuclear power in Germany and an increasingly antinuclear electorate—has tried to reach a consensus on her nuclear-exit strategy with the opposition Social Democrats and Greens.

"We transform an issue of decades of fights in society to a consensus," Mr. Roettgen said Monday, adding that the strategy will make Germany more competitive and link economic growth to a "perspective for the future."

Wind is a key part of the equation as Germany targets to boost the share of its electricity consumption met by renewable power from 17% to 35% by 2020, 50% by 2030, and 80% by 2050.

To kick-start the construction of more offshore wind farms, Germany's KfW development bank will finance 10 wind farms with a combined €5 billion. The government also has decided to delay the start of an annual lowering of subsidies for offshore wind power to 2018 from 2015.

The government plans to facilitate the upgrading—or repowering as it is known—of existing wind farms with more potent and efficient turbines, Mr. Ramsauer said.

Another law seeks to accelerate the construction of more transmission lines to bring electricity from onshore and offshore wind farms in northern Germany to industrial centers in the south.

The government amended the planned annual rate of decrease in the size of subsidies for onshore wind power to 1.5% instead of 2%.

But Mr. Roettgen insisted that subsidies must be phased out eventually. "We want and will introduce renewable energy to the market," he said.

The government also decided to scrap further cuts in solar-energy subsidies that it had considered. Instead, it will maintain a system of reducing solar subsidies by a base rate of 9% each year, to be complemented by a variable percentage rate, depending on how much new generation capacity is installed each year.

Germany promotes photovoltaic solar energy facilities—mostly rooftop installations—through feed-in rates that guarantee minimum prices for the electricity they generate. Effectively, electricity consumers are paying for subsidizing renewable energies.

To avoid supply shortfalls, the government is banking on a faster expansion of renewable energies and new fossil-fueled power plants.

In particular, gas-fired power plants—which emit less carbon dioxide than coal-power plants and are cheaper to build—are supposed the fill the gap that the nuclear exit will leave.

The government plans to create incentives for the construction of new gas-fired power plants, but to promote competition and break the dominance of the four incumbent power producers— AG,AG, EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG and Vattenfall Europe—the support will be limited to utilities that own less than 5% of Germany's electricity-production capacity.

Economics Minister Philipp Roesler said Monday that around 10 gigawatts of new fossil-fueled generation capacity are under construction and due to begin service by 2013. He added, however, that another 10 gigawatts of coal and gas-fired power plants will be needed by 2020 to secure power supply.

Energy utilities, however, have said that power prices are too low to make the construction of such power plants economically viable.

The government also will allocate €1.5 billion a year to make buildings more energy-efficient.

Green Building Solutions

2011-06-07T14:19:00.000+05:30

Which is cheaper to build a house with, a spruce timber 2 by 4 or a steel stud? It might cost less to build a house using lumber, but is it cheaper in the long run? Especially when one considers the cost of greenhouse emissions and how they are affected by loss of trees. But steel must be refined and molded using plenty of energy.

Which of these uses more power and consequently causes a larger carbon footprint? It is difficult to say, but choice of build materials is a definite part of how we can change the way we build homes and other buildings so as to save money and energy. Choice of building materials is just one part of what is known as green building.

Green building can best be described as the birth to grave process of building. From choosing a site through architectural design, choice of materials, construction, occupancy and eventual demolish, every aspect of a building’s effect on the environment is considered. Paramount among these is energy efficiency as part of the dwelling use.

Energy efficiency can be taken much further of course. Taking a quick look at energy use in the home leads us to the conclusion that the majority of our power costs are placed in heating and air conditioning, hot water, lighting and cooking.

Green building techniques for inside climate control include air pipe ventilation, rooftop solar panels and geothermal heat exchangers. These can cool your home, make hot water and power your lights. Most importantly they drastically reduce your dependency on electricity as furnished by your power company and in this way they save you a great deal of money over the lifespan of your home.

Water conservation is a major aspect of green building. Simply by diverting gray water from your sewer to your lawn you achieve two goals. You protect diminishment of fresh water supplies while watering your lawn. Point of use water treatment saves money right from its inclusion in construction.

Of course, what you choose to build your house out of is as large a factor today as it was 1000 years ago when native peoples were digging caves into cliff walls. Obviously this was a wonderful example of materials efficiency. But one doesn’t need to live in a cave to be materials energy efficient. Building materials made from compacted earth and natural stone accomplish much the same effect. Using recycled materials such as our steel 2 by 4 reduce our home cost in terms of carbon, as do polyurethane blocks, planks and siding made from recycled plastic and demolition debris. There is no reason that any home has to be built at the cost of a hundred acres of trees.

Simple systems such as passive lighting (skylights) and air pipe ventilation can drastically improve the quality of life for occupants. Use of natural building materials almost guarantees fewer volatile particles and a higher indoor air quality. Most man-made materials release minute amounts of health damaging toxic gases. There is a reason why we call it “Fresh Air”.

Green building costs on average just 5% more than current standardized construction practices. That number would drop to the point of a direct savings if green building were to become the standard. As with almost every energy-saving vehicle, we can drastically reduce costs if we increase volume. Green building returns a savings of 50 to 70 percent on energy costs over the life time of a building. Yes, addition of items like solar panels and geothermal underground pipes is a supplemental cost. But the initial cost of these electricity bill lowering features has been proven to quickly pay for itself.

One doesn’t have to build a two hundred foot tall wind turbine in their front yard to save on energy costs. Simple procedures like proper site planning and choice of construction materials can cut a new home’s energy bill by 25% instantly. And while monetary savings are important, the true savings from green building is not measured in dollars. Rather it should be counted in overall improved quality of life in the home and office and overall improved health of the world we live in.

Primary effects of global warming

2011-06-05T21:36:00.000+05:30

The effects of global warming are in some ways less definable than the causes. It seems odd that such huge manifestations of change such as rising sea levels, glacier retreat, and Arctic shrinkage somehow manage to filter down so that when members of western civilization safely tucked away in homes and apartments look at the effects they are so remote as to become invisible. What we may well bear watching are the effects of the effects of global warming. These secondary results are so non-linear as to be a random harvest of environmental and economic dilemmas that, when fully formed and in place present a definitive short-term danger.

Still, let us once again follow a chain of events so as to be able to completely envision the scale and scope of the problem.

Rising sea levels

Rising sea levels are an easily measurable effect of global warming. As Polar ice melts down the water created obviously must go somewhere. Aside from that ice which joins inland fresh water reservoirs, the vast majority of melted ice joins the pool of the oceans. Most people misunderstand the effect of polar meltdown and consider that this addition to our oceans creates the overall rise in sea levels. This is hardly the case. The rise in sea levels due to global warming is primarily caused by thermal expansion. In short when you heat a liquid (such as sea water) it expands. Sea levels are currently on a pace to rise at a rate of approximately 1 inch every ten years. Such a small change seems as if it could never affect quality of life for people living in such distant from the oceans locations as Denver, Colorado.

Yet this is precisely the scenario by which we are all affected. Obviously people living in low laying areas such as coastal Florida and Louisiana will most directly be affected. A one hundred year model that allows for the current progression of global warming factors would result in millions of acres of land mass lost in these areas. Still we have set our viewpoint in the Rocky Mountains not Holland or the eastern coast of England, both of which are teetering at or below sea level.

Salt water intrusion

Our Denver citizen might enjoy bottled water from Zephyrhills, Florida or any of the hundreds of fresh water springs gushing forth in the sunshine state. Salt-water intrusion as a result of rising sea levels could easily destroy a huge percentage of the potable water available in this and other coastal states. Agricultural products of low-lying areas around the world will face shortfalls. Production of fruits and vegetables is dependent on a stable set of environmental conditions. Ever hear of the Indian River? Well most of America’s grapefruit is grown there along the Florida coast and should we follow the expected loss of coastline for all of the Southern US which is projected at a possible 2 mile inward loss of coastline over the next 75 years. Both the Indian River and Indian River Grapefruit will no longer exist. 50% of American produce is grown in our low laying areas. A major effect of global warming is that agricultural production will be decreased. Our planet will be unable to grow as much food.

Beach erosion

A major secondary effect of rising sea levels is massive beach erosion. Our Colorado vacationer will find the endless stretches of sandy beaches he enjoys on his winter vacation have withered away to a few hundred yards here and there. But a shortened tourist base is hardly a world catastrophe…is it? Tourism pumps over 50 Billion dollars a year into Florida’s economy. North Carolina and Louisiana earn 15 billion dollars each through tourism. In fact every US state and every nation on Earth with mild climate and a sandy shore depends upon financial gain from tourism to sustain its economy.

Lest we dwell only on financial impact consider that loss of coastal acreage will displace thousands of species of animal and plant life.

Extreme weather

Perhaps the most commonly conceived notion as to the effects of global warming is that of cataclysmic weather. In fervor to promote the cause, too often we see graphic depictions of raging floods, category 12 hurricanes and dozens of tornadoes sweeping the landscape. These same depictions seem to serve those who accept the threat of global warming and those who reject the possibility. One agenda hopes to frighten the world into an austere program of self-denial so as to instantly curb global warming causes. The other faction points out that currently there are no typhoons sweeping across Kansas so therefore global warming is a but a myth. As always when dealing with scientific anomalies the truth lies nicely hidden in between.

Category 4 and 5 hurricanes have risen in frequency from 20 to 35% over the last 30 years. Since the dawn of the industrial revolution, frequency of hurricanes overall has risen by almost 40% and the those hurricanes now making landfall deposit almost 10% more rainfall than their pre 1970 counterparts. As an effect of global warming hurricanes are stronger, wetter and more numerous. Hurricane Fay from 2007 created massive flooding over a dozen states. This increase in storm activity is directly related to a wider variance between warm and cold ocean waters. Consider that the measurement of temperature rise in ocean waters is based on an overall average. Storms are created by the extremes that create that average.

Global warming produces as byproducts, variance in the jet stream, wind sheer, greater quantity of cyclones, and drought.

Increased rainfall

If we increase the temperature of the air it is able to absorb more moisture in the form of water vapor. If we cool the air that vapor becomes liquid and falls to the earth as rain. The greater the amount of water vapor the atmosphere absorbs the greater the amount of rainfall we will receive during the normal process of reaching a dew point or other yard stick of precipitation. This increased rainfall results in drastically increased erosion. Areas such as Colorado’s Platte River long noted for the devastation following its hundred-year floods can in no way accommodate that same volume of water arriving every decade. Erosion is vulnerable tropical areas such as Africa results in native plant life dying off and a resultant desertification.

Evaporation, by definition is a cooling process. So why then is this increased evaporation not countering global warming? Because the water vapor that enters the atmosphere counters the cooling process while acting as a greenhouse gas. It should be pointed out that change in climate for targeted areas can often result in a plus side modification meaning that adding water to dry areas usually results in those areas being able to support vegetation.

Destabilization of local climates

The overall destabilization of local climates is a major effect of global warming. The Arctic is home to over 4 million people. Canada, Russia, and Alaska are dealing with a tremendous rise in bacterial growth as permafrost regions warm.

Glaciers in the northern hemisphere have decreased in size by 50% over the last 100 years. This particular meltdown has resulted in landslides; flash floods and lake overflow through out the Andes, Alps, Pyrenees, Himalayas, and Rocky Mountains. These seasonal meltdowns are followed by seasonal droughts. Global warming creates climate extremes. We may measure the average but we live with the outcome of the extremes. The slow steady melting of the Himalayas results in the steady flow of water of the Ganges River. The Ganges is the lifeblood of over 500 million people. To say this plainly, if we melt all of our fresh water too quickly and send it out to blend with the ocean billions of people, including our friend in Denver, Colorado will go thirsty.

Acidic Oceans

Our Oceans are the Earth’s largest sink for the absorption of CO2 from our atmosphere. As excess CO2 is dealt with, the oceans in an effort to balance the ecosystem have become saturated with CO2. This has resulted in production of mild carbonic acid and is known as ocean acidification. While this is an extremely slight change in the ph (acid to base) balance of the seas it does result in damage to corals. Coral reefs are home to the vast majority of undersea life.

Ocean acidification coincides with Oxygen depletion in our oceans. Heavier CO2 molecules are supplanting oxygen. Less oxygen equals less fish.

Drought

As temperature swings increase we are left with flooding in some areas and drought in others the drought creates correct conditions for forest fires. These fires, like our hurricanes, are suddenly emerging on a much grander scale. The 2009 fires raging through Australia and the 2002 fires in Florida serve as excellent examples. Massive fires release much more carbon as both particle and molecule than can readily be absorbed. Once again prevalent anti global warming as reality belief is that these fires can only be considered a natural effect of the ecosystem and as the forests are a naturally renewing resource should be discounted as an effect of global warming. However with global warming defined as a premise of additional stress on our environment we come to realize that it is not the existence of a naturally made fire but the scale of that event that matters.

Advancement in Solar Energy Technology

2011-06-03T13:18:00.000+05:30

The atmosphere, oceans and land mass of the Earth absorbs enough energy from the sun in one hour to power the entire planet for one year. Surely we are clever enough to capture some of this magnificent force and use it to fuel our environment.

Solar energy and its use can be divided into two areas. Those are static or passive solar energy collection and dynamic, or perhaps better termed, kinetic solar energy collection and use.

An example of passive solar energy collection would be building a house so that the windows face the morning sun in colder climates. An even more rudimentary example would be that of an alligator sunning himself on the edge of the water. In both cases the sun’s energy is simply absorbed for warmth. And the simplest use of solar energy is as the very daylight we walk about in. Our Earth automatically uses the power of the sun in millions of ways. Not the least of which is photosynthesis by plants for production of oxygen for our atmosphere. Ours is an inherently rechargeable renewable world, provided we use our resources such as solar energy wisely.

To that end, we must examine dynamic solar energy collection for the production of warmth and light.

When you walk though almost any shopping mall built in the last twenty years you will probably notice a flood of bright natural light all around you. Most large malls and department stores are built with double paned insulated windows that allow light to enter yet keep heating or cooling locked inside. But what happens when the sun follows its arc away from those windows? Active solar lighting can use mirrors that track with the sun’s movement and then reflect light into fiber optic cable that can carry that light into any part of our same department store.

We can create transfer warmth through various forms of solar thermal energy. Since the 1950s it has not been uncommon to see simple glass paned boxes filled with copper pipes used to help heat water for swimming pools and boilers. These low temperature collectors are fine for space heating but there are far more effective ways to heat water with the sun’s rays and put that water to work.

High temperature parabolic shaped mirrors can heat water to far greater temperatures than made possible by our simple rooftop hot boxes. In fact bowl and trough type mirrors can boil water to steam which in turn uses a turbine to generate electricity for heating, air conditioning and general power supply. When properly applied, this concentrated solar power can supply 50% of the power needs for a modern factory. Concentrated Solar Power is one half of our method for creating electricity from the sun’s radiant energy.

The most commonly thought of use and form of solar energy conversion is that of relying upon solar voltaic cells. These solar cells are also called photovoltaic. First developed in the 1880s, photovoltaic cells rely upon the electronic reaction of certain key elements to the Sun’s rays so as to produce a tapable flow of electrons that are in turned used to create current flow. In short photovoltaic cells turn sunlight into energy. And lest we think we are so clever for figuring out how to do this, consider that plants have been turning sunlight into energy for millions of years.

Advances in the development of photovoltaic cells have increased drastically since the oil shortages of the 1970s. This is primarily due to development of silicon technologies. Crystalline silicon cells when working in conjunction with CSP (concentrated solar power) as supplied by parabolic mirrors have improved output from Photovoltaic cells by a factor of 50 since their more basic development in 1954. Increases in demand and subsequent increases in production have lowered the price of solar cells to the point that they are now almost competitive with wind power technology and like their low emissions wind counterparts are far less costly than nuclear power.

Decarbonise electricity to fight climate change

2011-06-01T15:18:00.000+05:30

Decarbonisation of the electricity sector is a key challenge that must be overcome in order to fight the adverse consequences of climate change

Removal of Co2 (carbon dioxide) emissions from electricity generation in meeting climate change goals is imperative, because as the largest and fastest growing source of Co2, it holds many of the solutions to a more-efficient, less carbon-intensive economy.

Much of the solutions to rising Co2 emissions can be found in: Enhancing energy efficiency which sometimes requires using electricity of instead of other fuels, but also improving the efficiency of electricity usage (in lighting, heating and cooling, specific industrial uses and information technologies); Powering electricity with renewable resources of energy, nuclear and carbon capture and storage. CCS is a group of technologies used to reduce CO2 emissions from large Co2 sources such as fossil fuel or biomass power generation.

Using these carbon-free options can help meet 47 per cent of the emissions savings required by 2035 to limit the global increase in temperature to 2C (by bringing the concentration of Co2 in atmosphere to around 450 parts per million),

Demanding unprecedented transformation, the report said for decarbonisation of electricity inn future, in addition to rethinking in the electricity markets, it is necessary to integrate electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles into the electric grid.

Energy generation using wind turbines

2011-05-31T11:46:00.000+05:30

The key to understanding Wind farming technology is to break values of the power produced down using simple arithmetic. Indeed, all energy production is a numbers game with each source of power having its appropriate initial and ongoing cost. Factored with these costs must be the price we all pay in terms of CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions. Just as we universally share in the cost of health care due to cigarette smoking we similarly all pay for any damage done to the health of our planet.

At the present time, wind farms in the United States produce electricity at a rate of over 20 billion Kilowatts of power. This is enough to provide electricity for 4.9 million households. Not too bad is it? But this same total of power can be produced by just two nuclear plants or if you prefer 40 coal fired power plants.

In terms of hydroelectric power, the Hoover Dam produces just under 3 billion watts of power. 7 Hoover dams equals all the combined US wind power. So why not just build more giant hydroelectric dams or spread nuclear plants all around the earth?

Debate over safety from nuclear power plants is ongoing and intense. And the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from each of those 40 coal fired plants equals around 3 million tons a year. There are many conclusions we can draw from all of our wind farming arithmetic.

The first is that even though we have barely tapped into the viability of using wind power to heat, cool and light our homes, the progress thus far shows that the feasibility is proven. We have the land and we have the wind. If we had ten times as much wind power generation we could provide power to 50 million homes or if you prefer 150 million people. No, this doesn’t mean that our overall energy needs could be so easily met. Industry uses far more energy than housing. Cars, buses, trains, planes and those coal fired power plants themselves massively chew up power and spit out pollutants.

Nuclear power releases one fiftieth as much greenhouse gas into the atmosphere than does a coal fired plant. A hydroelectric dam just 10% of that and a wind farm half of the CO2 emissions of the dam. By comparison, greenhouse gas emissions from wind farming is minuscule.

But as long as we are doing some math, the accountants will have us calculating the cost of building our wind farm. This is pretty simple. It costs around 5 million dollars to make a one million watt producing wind turbine. This is a cost of five dollars per watt. Coal firedplants have initial costs of around $1.50 per watt. Solar power bounces between 3 and 7 dollars per watt and nuclear power comes in at a cost of a whopping 11 dollars per watt.

Now what makes wind turbine technology the most feasible of all of these is two things. The first is the already mentioned clean emissions standards from wind power. The second reason that wind farming is the future for power production worldwide is that once you produce a large enough wind farm the price per watt will plummet drastically. A 100 megawatt wind farm can be built for 100 million dollars, or… a dollar a watt.

Want to see proof of how strong an energy source wind power can be? Let’s take a look at the largest wind farm in the world. You won’t find it offshore in the ocean. Although there is a pretty nice wind farm off the coast of Copenhagen. And this working wind farmis not lost in the Australian Outback, even though there are several 200 megawatt windfarms in southern Australia.

Swiss to phase out nuclear power

2011-05-27T09:34:00.000+05:30

The Swiss government Wednesday decided to exit nuclear energy by phasing out the country's existing nuclear plants and seeking alternative energy sources, in a response to security concerns following Japan's nuclear disaster.

Switzerland is the second country in Europe, after Germany, to drop nuclear energy as an electricity source after protests flared up amid fears that the reactor meltdown at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant, which was hit by an earthquake and a tsunami in March, could be repeated elsewhere.

Switzerland generates roughly 40% of its energy from the country's five nuclear reactors. The rest comes mostly from the more than 1,000 hydropower plants located in the Alps and along Switzerland's rivers. Energy minister Ms. Leuthard said the government hasn't yet fixed a date for when the last nuclear-power station will go offline, but experts believe such a step could happen around 2040.

Resistance to the government's decision may be limited as the recent events in Japan have changed popular opinion, analysts said. However, before the government decision is finalized, the Swiss parliament will discuss the issue. Ms. Leuthard said a popular referendum on the issue also could be held.

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan told members of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development gathered in Paris that he was seeking a new energy policy that increased the share of green energy to 20% of total power supply by the early 2020s.

Mr. Kan said Japan aims to bring down the cost of solar-power generation to a third of its current level by 2020 and to a sixth by 2030.

Switzerland's decision to discontinue the country's nuclear-power plants comes as a shock to Swiss utilities. Leading power companies Axpo Holding AG and BKW FMB AG had planned to build two new plants, and pledged to invest some $10 billion. The companies had said new plants are needed if Switzerland wants to avoid being dependent on expensive energy imports. The companies also warned that Swiss industry would suffer from high energy costs.

"The government decision will become a problem as far as supply security is concerned," said Axpo Chief Executive Officer Heinz Karrer. He called for an in-depth analysis of the government decision and said that the Swiss population should vote on the issue.

Industry group Swissmem, which unites more than 1,000 companies in the Swiss machinery and electrical-engineering industry, said the government decision "is questionable as there is no viable alternative to nuclear energy." Swiss lobby group Economiesuisse said the decision could hit the economy and endanger jobs in the country.

The government's decision comes amid antinuclear demonstrations countrywide. Some 20,000 protested over the weekend against the use of nuclear energy, citing the Japan disaster but also the lack of a viable storage facility for used fuel rods.

Finland is in the process of finalizing the world's first permanent storage facility. Plans in Switzerland to create a similar facility have been repeatedly shelved.

The country's five existing reactors have operating licenses that expire between 2020 and 2040.

A brave and sensible step taken by the swiss government and we hope more countries would follow and help sustain our environment and safety of people.

Preventing polio...

2011-05-26T18:42:00.000+05:30

In countries like the United States, families live without the fear of polio, a crippling and sometimes deadly disease. But polio still exists in about a dozen countries today, causing lifelong pain and a tremendous economic burden. As long as polio exists anywhere, it's a threat everywhere. Eradication is the ultimate investment because it has tremendous economic benefits in addition to saving and improving lives.

the.world.we.live.in: Water facts..

2011-05-25T17:15:00.001+05:30

the.world.we.live.in: Water facts..