Environmental Extremist

The Death Knell Sounds…for Mother Earth

2010-11-19T18:27:00.000+05:30

The Arctic lies like a wounded and helpless animal waiting for her inevitable death. The protective ice cover covering the land mass is being constantly eroded by certain heinous activities from afar.

A group of hyenas is jostling around the area for the ultimate kill and dismemberment. Right now they are in no position to close in on the prey because of the frozen ice and dwindling icebergs. Their ships cannot traverse the intervening seas right now but they are patient and can wait for the prize is worth it. They can afford to bide their time. There is enough time too to sharpen their nails and canines to make the kill all the more smoother and enjoyable. None will stand in the way and if someone does God help the mariner.

The greenhouses gases are inexorably melting the polar ice. And once enough ice has been melted, the ships can plow their way to the kill. They are waiting for the ice to melt a little more and they won’t have to wait for long.

For there is liquid gold under the Arctic, there is oil. And once the icy obstruction is done away with they can go in, plunder and sell the booty in the open market and can be rich as they have never been rich in the whole of their history.

Once the oil rigs are in place with their supporting infrastructure and personnel out to make a fast buck, one can literally kiss the pristine Arctic goodbye.

And who are the villains of the piece, the hyenas closing in for the kill?

Russia, Canada, Denmark…

2010-09-11T17:25:00.000+05:30

!-- START OF ADDME LINK -->
Search Engine Submission - AddMe

Cause of Floods Around The World

2010-08-20T18:09:00.001+05:30

If carbon emission apologists in the USA and UK argue that the ugly phenomenon is a ‘crock of shit’, here is another nail on the coffin of their cheap and vain arguments. Bob Lutz must be gloating over the fact that the recent floods in the New England, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Kansas have been caused by his own particular brand of whatever ‘shit’ he might choose to call it.
In spite of the likes of the Lutzes and the Nicks of this world, the floods that have been making life a misery for millions of folk around the world are a reality. These villains of the piece can be proud of being the progenitors of such national calamities caused by the actions of infamous persons of their ilk. Jay Lawrimore, a climate analyst of repute from North Carolina states that the changing climate syndrome is caused by greenhouse gases. He opines that ‘extreme events are occurring with greater frequency and in many cases with greater intensity’. He lays the blame squarely on the excessive heat caused by increased amounts of greenhouse gases let out into the pristine air by greedy industrialists who are out to suffocate the whole of God’s creation with the horrid gases spewed out by their loathsome factories.
It is all right, if they see the writing on the wall and make an attempt – however small – to go for other kind of energies as much as they can, for ever a small drop in the volume of greenhouses gases means that much less heat in the air.
No, they keep on going down the same old route that helps them put their ill gotten money in their pockets at the expense of the world at large.

Modern Day Barbarians

2010-07-13T09:46:00.000+05:30

Great civilizations were destroyed by barbarians. America, the seat of modern technological civilization is being consistently undermined by minions of certain vested interests interested in the unbridled use of fossil fuels to gain their avaricious ends. What happens to our environment in the process is no concern to them. Now a diabolic campaign is being conducted by the same barbarians against climatologists who warn us of the impending danger of uncontrolled carbon emissions into the already dying atmosphere.

In the last blog, post EE touched on this subject. In UK this campaign is mostly limited to verbal and written criticism. And these scientists were exonerated from all blame by a committee headed by Sir Muir Russel. But in the good old US of A, climatologists are being threatened with death following the leak of climate leak emails reported in this blog some time ago. To add fuel to this, the police refrain from taking any action against these cowardly bullies. Some scientists are even thinking of carrying hand guns to protect themselves from these criminal elements. One eminent scientist opined that such people are mentally imbalanced. He even wonders whether he should put on a bullet proof vest. He has even unlisted his address and his house is equipped with extra alarms.

Scientists and their work are the foundation of any technological civilization to protect which the greedy elements out to destroy the Earth should be stopped at all costs. The US government should take all steps to protect these scientists so that America as a nation and the world at large can continue to exist.

Climate Scientists Exonerated!

2010-07-09T17:41:00.001+05:30

It was only recently that a group of anti-Earth activists termed as climate skeptics accused the scientists of East Anglia University, UK of manipulating as well as suppressing important climate data. Now the Independent Climate Change Email Review headed by Sir Muir Russel, a former British government official has dismissed the claims of these critics whose actions are motivated by pure greed and avariciousness. Sir Muir, after spending many months going through all the submissions of the praiseworthy scientists as well as the villains of the piece came to the happy conclusion that ‘their rigor and honesty as scientists are not in doubt’ which was the accusation leveled against the scientists whose only crime was revealing the real truth about the warming of the Earth. It seems that the only lapse from the part of these scientists was failing to maintain the right measure of openness.

The diabolic critics have concocted a pot-pourie of falsehoods, misunderstandings and conspiracy theories to undermine the noble efforts of the Climatic Research Unit of the university. Most of these scientists suffered untold agonies as a result of these machinations of the carbon emission apologists. Now it is only right that the exoneration should get the same publicity as the adverse propaganda so heinously set in motion by the climate skeptics. Legal measures also should be undertaken to compensate for all that mud-slinging, by taking the conspirators to court.
The whole thing began when henchmen of the climate skeptics hacked into the CRU computers. Then they went on to accuse CRU scientists of withholding temperature data from a host of weather stations and keeping secret the necessary algorithms to process such data. Sir Muir’s review found that all such allegations were unfounded. The whole dark episode was nothing but a vain effort to undermine last year’s Copenhagen summit.

Moral: Truth will ultimately prevail.

2010-04-13T09:33:00.001+05:30

Climate Scientists…Well Meaning But Foolish

2010-03-15T14:11:00.003+05:30

In their eagerness to warn the world of the dire consequences of environmental degradation, some scientists went a bit far, thereby creating a controversy that raged around the planet for some time. Scholars like Phil Jones, the British climate scientist were one of them. These scientists, by resorting to the dictum that the end justifies the means, did more harm than good to the holy cause of environment.
Now the whole climate science and those who practice them are considered to be liars, suppressors of alternate opinion, and manipulators of information. Consequently many think that things like carbon emissions are a hoax and as such they are playing right into the hands of Lutz in USA and Griffith in England, the notorious apologists for carbon emissions.

Scientists need not engage in such underhand practices to make folk believe what is happening right before their eyes only if they have eyes to see.
The destructive change in climatic patterns, the vanishing of the polar ice caps and the melting of glaciers in the Alps, the Himalayas and elsewhere are there for all to see.
As Gavin.A.Schmidt of the NASA aptly put it, “Climate scientists are paid to do climate science. Their job is not persuading the public.”
The harm these well meaning, but wrongheaded scientists have done is incalculable and unpardonable. Let’s hope that they will learn from this lesson and heed to Mr.Schmidt’s sane advice and stick to their jobs instead or resorting to being amateur PR executives.

Don’t Ignore The Writing on The Wall Mr.Indian PM

2010-02-10T10:45:00.001+05:30

The glaciers of the great Himalayas are shrinking fast. Monsoon is playing havoc. Carbon emissions are increasing by leaps and bounds with increased development and industrialization. The numbers of vehicles run by fossil fuels spew out of the assembly lines. The petroleum import costs keep steadily increasing. There is no end to the villain, coal fired power stations. Environmental restrictions remain on paper. Those who are entrusted with the keeping of them are either corrupt on don’t care less.

While progress for progress’ sake is progressing beyond anything, the powers that be are blissfully ignorant of the fact that the folk who suffer most are the downtrodden. Today’s governments are intent on making progress so that a handful of stinking rich can prosper at the cost of the downtrodden masses of India, living in filth and depravity.

EE is not against the rich getting richer as such. But when the haves get richer at the expense of the have-nots, there’s something basically wrong with the system.
It is at such a juncture that the Indian Prime Minister begins to make the appropriate noises. It is a well known fact that after China, India is the worst polluter of the environment in Asia.

Recently the Indian PM stated that, “A modest accord (on carbon emissions) that is fully implemented may be better than an ambitious one that falls seriously short of its targets.”

This shows that India is not ready for any substantial cuts in carbon emissions, but only “modest ones.” The PM hails from Punjab, meaning five rivers and all of which originate from the Himalayas. The state is primarily an agricultural one and when all the Himalayan glaciers melt and the ‘five rivers’ run dry and the Punjabi farmers cannot get enough water to sustain their wheat crops, God help the PM. Punjabis are the kind of folk who doesn’t take everything lying down.

In another context, China with a whopping 25% of world’s carbon emissions is sidling with India whose emissions are only 5%. It will be better for India not to join hands with the Chinese in any field of endeavor, let alone environment. China has annexed a lot of Indian Territory on its southern border and even has the audacity to claim an Indian state for its own. China attacked India at a time they were talking friendship with India. It was somewhat like what the Japanese did at Pearl Harbor.

The Hon’ble Indian PM will be acting wisely if he stops talking about ‘modest cuts’ in carbon emissions and be wary of aligning himself with the untrustworthy Chinese in their machinations to get the maximum concessions from the West in environmental meets. If he does, India won’t be a gainer but China would.

CONGRATULATIONS TO PAUL WATSON OF SEA SHEPHERD

2010-01-07T17:14:00.004+05:30

The cowardly Japanese whalers not only flagrantly violate an internationally accepted whale conservation moratorium to which they themselves are signatories to but also resort to highhanded policies on the high seas. BBC reports that they have wantonly rammed into Adi Gil - a vessel belonging to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society – and cleaved it into two. At the time of this heinous act the small vessel had six unarmed, defenseless people on board. The whole world was shocked by this mindless cruelty and as such a horrible act in the extreme. Surely this is an act of terrorism on a defenseless vessel trying to protest the illegal activities of the monsters aboard the Japanese vessels.
The gritty activists are fighting for the lives of the greatest fauna on earth, the majestic whales. And why do the Japanese hunt them? They do it in the name of research! Blah! And what is the topic of research! Is it to find out how chunks of meat of those poor hapless whales are processed in ‘the gutless’ bellies of those Japanese who are so inhuman as to consume it? And what original research the Japanese do anyway? They take the ideas of the Western scientists, brush up something here, something there and pass of it as their own by manufacturing it wholesale and dumping it on other countries? Now they can’t even do that, their duplicate economy is in shambles, the Chinese and the Koreans are beating them at their own game.

Saga of Nick the Nut

2009-12-14T16:19:00.001+05:30

The very presence of Nick Griffin, the British National Party leader is an insult to the spirit of Copenhagen. By choosing him as part of the EU delegation to the summit, the European Parliament has shown scant regard to the principles that guide the Copenhagen conference.

Politicians belong to various kinds of political orientation. There are rightists, centrists and leftists. That is understandable. There are world leaders who want to bring about a balance between controlling carbon emissions and their respective economies. This is also understandable.

But to call climate change campaigners ‘cranks’ is something that is unacceptable. Branding climate change as a ‘new theology’ is so much poppycock. He is using pseudo jargon to describe the process to make him seem like an intellectual bent on putting things right. If those who are conscientious and dedicated enough to save the earth are ‘cranks’, then Nick Griffin is a nut and EE christen him as Nick the Nut.

Thankfully, spokesmen for the British Government stated that Nick the Nut do not represent its views. After all he’s nothing but an English version of Bob Lutz of the ‘crock of shit’ notoriety.

Carbon Emissions, Future Promise.

2009-11-28T18:05:00.000+05:30

International Energy Agency or IEA has come out with a statement that makes lovers of the earth happy. In its 2008 forecast on the oil situation, IEA ‘fears’ that oil supplies are dwindling fast, in a way that seems very ironical to Environmental Extremist. Two important countries China and India needs increasing supplies of oil as their economies are growing rapidly. These countries are also guilty of massive carbon emissions into the already dying environment.

The new demand will create a gap between production and supply to the tune of 7 million barrels a day, according to IEA projections, incidentally bringing down a voluminous reduction in carbon emissions, a situation that is cause for celebration. The agency exhorts the countries of the world to shell out $450 billion annually to look for new sources of oil. Environmental Extremist believes that IEA is chasing chimeras by this act of wishful thinking.

IEA forecasts that oil production from all prevailing oil fields to drop by half – such a forecast is music to Environmental Extremist’s ears because the scaling down of the resultant carbon emissions will out to be a real boon for Mother Earth. The agency is of the opinion that the world will need a whopping 64 million barrels a day by 2030.

The hope of finding new oil strikes to keep up with this massive demand might be fulfilled but only by a small fraction of the hoped for by oil cartels. This scenario is highly appreciated by Environmental Extremist, because the less oil produced, the less carbon emissions into the air.

It is said that when a cat drinks milk on the sly, it closes its eyes. The politicians around the world closes their eyes to the fact that incredible volumes of carbon emission is filling the air every minute and by closing their eyes to it like the cat, they hope that the problem will disappear in that instant.

And this ostrich approach prevents them from pursuing all alternate energy sources on a war footing until that objective is achieved within as short a time frame as possible. Instead they are still hoping for the miracle of finding fresh oil fields in the hundreds so that their main sponsors the auto and oil barons are kept happy and satisfied.

Oh! World leaders who is going to Copenhagen, IT IS TIME TO SEE THE WRITING ON THE WALL AND TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION. If you keep on your present policy of kowtowing to the oil and auto barons, the future generations will curse you so that your progeny for a thousand generations will stay cursed.

Leaders of the world on the way to Copenhagen, only you can prevent Mother Earth from becoming a sewer for future generations – among them your own grand and great grand children – to wallow in like pigs. It is the humble request of Environmental Extremist and thousands like him to end all kind of pollution especially carbon emission. So ACT NOW WITH RESPONSIBILITY, FOREKNOWLEDGE, VISION AND WISDOM and make Copenhagen a resounding success.

The coming generations will forever be grateful to you if you save them from the inevitable catastrophe.

Action350

2009-11-03T18:35:00.001+05:30

To kick start The International Day of Climate Action, the true children of Mother Earth assembles in various parts of the world, holding placards in their hands with the inscription '350' which is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
They demonstrated before the Bourse in Paris, in front of the Circus Maximus in Rome, near the Opera House in Sydney. At the Red Fort in New Delhi, the Earthlings formed themselves in huge formations of the magic number and in the picturesque Dal Lake in Kashmir, India, small boats were used in similar formations.
To all these men and women, EE extends support and thru this blog pay tribute.
While such great things were going on around the word, Politicians who alone can do something against the evil tendency of carbon emissions is sparring and bickering. In a recent London meeting of the Major Economics Forum launched by President Obama, the emissaries of the concerned countries miserably failed to come to an agreement on the two points that matter. The developing countries, instead of working in a spirit of compromise want to make hay when the sun shines. They want the developed nations to underwrite the losses of bringing down atmospheric carbon emissions to a safe level, while the developed countries want to bring down the cuts in greenhouse gases as little as possible and push the onus down the throat of the developing nations.
ALL THIS POINTS TO ONE GRIM SCENARIO: The professional windbags will let out a lot of hot air at Copenhagen and no effective agreement will be signed.
Since it is the developed countries that began to violate Mother Earth in the first place with their Pittsburghs and Ruhrs, they have a moral responsibility of putting things in order first by substantially cutting down their carbon emissions RIGHTAWAY!

The Politicians Are Making The Right Noises

2009-10-02T17:54:00.000+05:30

The politicians are indeed making the right kind of noises ahead the Copenhagen Summit in December. All those who are responsible for the worse pollution in history like America, the EU, China and India are making positive noises. Let’s go thru what they said.
The credit of being the pioneers in atmospheric pollution, the founding father of carbon emission goes the United States. And what does the present president of America says. In recent high level climate summit convened by the inimitable Ban Ki-moon, President Obama declared that they would meet their responsibility to future generations. He said that his country is a serious partner in combating global warming and that he is determined to act. In burst of oratory he added that,” Our generation’s response to this challenge will be judged by history.” He continued that nations faced difficulties in the process “But difficulty is no excuse for complacency.” He concluded by stating that his country is ready to play the leading role but rapidly growing nations should do their part.

Now we turn to the worst polluter among the developing countries, the high faluting China. President HU Jintao at the same venue emphasized the need to conserve energy and improve energy efficiency. He’s ready to cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of China’s GDP by a notable margin by 2020 from the 2005 levels. He will go for alternate and nuclear energies by increasing the share of non-fossil fuels in basic consumption by15% by 2020. China will increase forest carbon sink by increasing forest coverage by 40 million hectares. He realizes “global climate change has a profound impact on the existence of mankind and is a major challenge facing all countries.

Let’s go to India the next in line in the matter of carbon emissions. Jairam Ramesh, minister for Environment and Forests righteously stated that “it is wrong to blame India for deadlock.” He called India a deal maker and a deal breaker. It must be remembered that at any such conferences India and China usually turn stumbling blocks, putting all the blame on the developed countries. The minister said that “the message that I am conveying is tat we have not caused the problem of global warming but we want to be part of the solution in Copenhagen.” He said, India’s national climate plan planned a voluntary mitigation measures by 2020. He concluded by exhorting the Americans to change their lifestyles to combat climate change. Judging by the way urban Indians following the ‘Americn style’ bandwagon, this statement is an understatement.
P.S. In a recent statement, the very same hon’ble minister made it clear that India will not accept any legally binding agreement on climate change at Copenhagen!
WE’LL SEE WHAT WE’LL SEE AT COPENHAGEN!!!

In praise of Senor Jose Manuel Barroso

2009-10-01T12:16:00.001+05:30

After showing EE’s appreciation and admiration for the present U.N.Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon, another world figure has come out with a dire warning at the outcome of carbon emissions i.e., global warming. He is no less a personage than Senor Jose Manuel Barroso, Hon’ble President of the European Union.

He has expressed his apprehensions concerning the forthcoming climate conference in Copenhagen. He is particularly concerned about the ‘business as usual attitude’ of those countries that looks on with folded hands as carbon emissions on a massive scale warms Mother Earth and bring about catastrophic climate change. Judging from past experience, the politicians at the summit will stick to their positions without an iota of change.
Senor Barroso rightly foresees a split between the developing and developed countries resulting from what he termed ‘acrimonious collapse.’ He exhorts the concerned countries to emulate the European example and to put ‘offers on the table, offers at the outer limits of our political constraints.’ He suggests that ‘all developed countries clarify their plans on mid term emissions reductions and show the necessary leadership, not least because of our responsibilities for past emissions.’

The present goal is an 80% reduction of carbon emissions by 2050. To achieve these, developed countries should limit such emissions of 20-40% on a collective basis by 2020. He assures us that E.U is willing to go from 20 to 30% if other countries make similar efforts. At the same time the developed countries ‘have to pay a significant part in helping to finance mitigation and adaptation action by developing countries.’ He goes on to state that the biggest share of this help ‘should come from the carbon market, if we have the courage to set up an ambitious global scheme.’

He is of the opinion that the advanced developed countries should finance part of these themselves. These countries should put forward their proposals as to how far they will go in mitigating carbon emissions. Senor Barroso is aware that these countries have already taken measures to limit the growth of their carbon emissions but these are not enough and ‘there is a need to step up such efforts, especially by the ‘most advanced developing countries.’

He considers ‘Copenhagen is a critical occasion to shift, collectively onto an emissions trajectory that keeps global warming below 2 degrees C.’ He concludes with the remark that ‘the fight back’ should begin at the G8 summit in New York.

Kw’s:

2009-09-29T09:43:00.000+05:30

Leave The Indian Elephants Alone You Japanese!

2009-09-14T18:12:00.000+05:30

In a previous post EE took exception to the Chinese practice of using parts of a tiger’s anatomy to produce medication according to ancient Chinese medicine. And to satisfy this despicable demand of a lousy, despicable medical system, the poor tigers of India have to pay the price. Hundreds of tigers are being slaughtered by poachers in India attracted by the high prices that tiger flesh brings. They seem to believe that their puny cocks will have better erection if a macho animal like a tiger’s innards are consumed. This is just a symbolic thing that belongs more to the realm of literature than to any system of medicine. When medications like Viagra and are Cialis freely available in the open market, what need is there for an unproved ancient medicine system? Let the poor Indian tiger be, the Chinese cannot borrow a tiger’s penis to use it as their own. Chase good goals, not chimeras brother Chinese.

The Chinese are not the only culprits that encourages poaching in India. A neighboring country is also involved shamelessly in the same. It is a country who takes great pride in its unique culture but is very hypocritical in a few ways. They wantonly slaughter the majestic whales in the name of ‘research’. They really kill them to stuff their bellies with whale flesh. EE has commented on this in a previous post.

Now I hear that the Japanese are guilty of a similar thing. No less an authority than the famed Discovery Channel reports that a lot of Indian ivory is being imported into Japan through another ‘Chinese’ country, Taiwan. Now Taiwan is pimping for Japan to get ivory. And what is the result? Hundreds of poor elephants are poached and mercilessly ‘murdered’ so that ivory carvings can add beauty to the interiors of the filthy Japanese who use it. Environmentally, Japan is guilty in many ways.

So Japan and China! I am an Indian. I love our tigers and our elephants. Please bring this cruel and hateful practice to an end. Elephants and tigers are an inalienable part of the Mother Earth. To me as an Indian, an environmentalist and a lover of all creation, the life of one tiger or elephant is equal to the lives of a million Japanese or Chinese.

Hats Off to Mr.Ban Ki-moon

2009-09-06T12:26:00.003+05:30

U.N.Secretary Generals come and go and soon forgotten. But the present Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is an exception. He will remain in the annals of history for a long time to come for he is the most environmentally conscious public figure ever.
In all international forums, his bold voice is heard protesting against the evils done to the MOTHER EARTH and exhorting the myopic world leaders to scale down any activity that directly or indirectly promote a worsening of the environmental situation. His words at the last session of the World Climate Conference are prophetic for its apocalyptic emphasis. And there is extreme irony in the metaphor he used to express it.
‘OUR FOOT IS STUCK ON THE ACCELATOR AND WE ARE HEADING TOWARDS AN ABYSS,’ Who pollutes the environment more than the guy sitting behind the steering wheel of a motor vehicle powered by the despicable internal combustion engine – oh, I know he has no choice.

Recently he visited Svalbard, an island situated in Norway. He watched in grief the death of another glacier, collapsed as a result of the personal greed of a group of industrialists and their colluding henchmen occupying the Olympian heights of politics.

The distant scenarios that the scientists have been predicting are happening now according to this wise and concerned international diplomat. He made a dig at those who claimed that there is no climatic change or if there is, it is necessary for economic growth. He said those who called scientists scaremongers are the real scaremongers for they are taking the whole world with all the people in it towards ultimate destruction, a veritable end of the world as prophesied in all religions.

This modern day great has made extensive visits around the world to the current ecological hot spots. He watched anxiously as the desert ate into Chad, the diminishing of the Amazonian forests in Brazil and the disappearance of the layers of ice in the Poles.
He warned, “change is altering the geopolitical landscape” itself. A whopping 130 million people will be affected. And the worst sufferers will be the poorest countries that have done no harm. The have to pay the price for the avariciousness of certain industrialists and the politicians kowtowing to them in the name of progress.
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT ARE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PEOPLE AND NOT TO MAKE HOMO SAPIENS ANOTHER EXTINCT SPECIE.

Hats off to the greatest modern-day-individual BAN KI-MOON.

PROGRESS: NOT FOR PROGRESS’ SAKE BUT FOR PEOPLE’S SAKE.

2009-08-21T15:23:00.000+05:30

We have heard of the saying ‘art for art’s sake.’ If you are not interested in art it doesn’t mean anything. But when you say development is for development’s sake, there is something wrong with the system that makes the statement.

Theoretically all development is for the benefit of the people in general. But if the very same development is harmful to the people how can we justify it? And if this happens in an extensive scale who is loser: the ordinary man without means, without influence.
Now the saying ‘development for development’s sake’ is getting to be true after all and none denies it.

The great M.K.Gandhi once said,
“There is enough for everybody’s need
And not for everybody’s greed.”

Precisely the latter is happening all over the world. But we can understand this greed that drives the industrialists and the colluding politicians to line their pockets at the expense of the Environment that sustains us and health of the ordinary hobo. Any capitalist economy is full of such things. But what about a Marxian economy? There nothing is done for personal greed but everything is done for the well being of the people. At least that is what we think?

Then what the devil is happening in China? Everything is centralized and all power is vested in the hands of a few. And they can work miracles IF they set their hands to it. But do they?

All manufacturing units in China are state-owned and there is just no room for personal greed. But in Shaanxi province, many villagers are tormented by the noxious fumes spewed out by a lead smelting plant. No less than 600 tiny tots are suffering the ill effects of lead poisoning. To worsen the scenario water and soil content of the region is mortally high.

It was not long ago in this very same socialistic country hundreds of thousands of kids suffered the ill effects of consuming milk powder containing melamine, a highly toxic industrial chemical. Mindless executives of the Sanlu, kept on doing this even after they knew that the evil chemical was a constituent of the milk powder. And innocent little children were made to suffer for consuming this devilish brew.
Citizens and groups are up against this villainy, but only after thousands of the little were made to pay for the price of this criminal outrage.

OH! GOVERNMENT OF CHINA WAKE UP TO THE SITUATION. PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT ARE FOR THE GOOD OF PEOPLE.

Pay Heed Leaders of India and China.

2009-08-11T16:58:00.002+05:30

India and China, some of the worst polluters of the Environment are making the right kind of noises these days. China is all set to distribute millions of energy saving lamps on a national scale at heavily subsidized prices.
India is planning to create solar power capacity on a massive scale. The Indian Prime Minister has asked the Council on Climate Change to initiate proceedings that would add 20,000 mw of power generation capacity by the year 2020 at a cost of billions of dollars.
Both India and China depend on coal based power generation equipment to a considerable extent. They release massive amounts of carbon into an atmosphere that is already reeling with greenhouse gases.
Many developed countries have stopped mining for coal. India is looking into abandoned coal mines with a view to reopen them. This is a very unwise step. China also is not making any efforts to bring down the consumption of coal to any extent.
While going about looking for alternate energy resources, these countries should scale down the use of fossil fuels in power generation as much as they can. Such fuels may be cheap in the short run, but the harm it does to the environment and the health hazards it poses to its own citizens should guide them into a whole rethink of their present power generation activities.
Energy saving lamps and solar power are okay. But they themselves will not bring down the levels of carbon emissions into the atmosphere substantially. A whole new mindset and a determination to change the order of things should be first and foremost in the minds of the leaders of India and China. Otherwise they will go down in history as villains worse than a Hitler or Idi Amin. Posterity will never forgive them.

Environmental Warriors: Animal Advocacy

2009-08-08T16:02:00.000+05:30

Environmental Warriors: Animal Advocacy

Thank You, Bianca Jagger, Arundhati Roy et al.,

2009-08-05T12:54:00.002+05:30

Ideally, a government stands for the welfare of the people it represents. But most governments are elitist in nature. In such a system the interests of the common man who is without education, social standing, influence or political clout is ignored with a smirk of contempt. Consequently, when the interests of the powerful Big Business and the common man come into conflict, the big business always win hands down, at least in my sacred Mother Land.

A mining company called of all names Vedanta Resources – EE knows for sure they don’t know what the word means, they are tainting the sacred word in the name of their selfish interests – is out to destroy the fragile ecosystem of the Niyamgiri Hills situated in the state economically backward state of Orissa in India. The hills are home to the Dongria Kondh tribe. The whole ecosystem of these sylvan hills sustains this ancient tribe. In a land which is steeped in religious tradition, these hills are holy to the tribe too.
EE has always maintained that the politicians are more to blame for the destruction of the environment than the industrialist. If the politicians refrain from giving licenses to the Big Business to ravage whole ecosystems in the name of progress and development, no harm will be done.

This poor tribe has no influence, financial or political clout like the stinking rich. So they have to be at the receiving end of things while the government looks the other way with a smirk of contempt.

But fortunately some great celebrity folk have come forward in support of the unfortunate tribe. Human rights champions like Bianca Jagger, Arundhati Roy of Booker fame etc., have come forward in defense of Kondhs. They demonstrated right in front of the offices of the company in London against the move. The protest was organized by the great human rights organization, Survival International.

Ms.Roy stated that “it will lead to the devastation of a whole ecosystem” and will destroy not only the entire tribe but “all those whose lives depend on that ecosystem.” Ms.Jagger was afraid that Kondh folk will lose all their economic and cultural rights. Stephen Corry, Survival International’s outspoken director reminded us that the companies just can’t acquire tribal lands with impunity as in the days of the British Raj. He said public opinion will turn against the company thereby ruining its reputation. This will outweigh whatever financial profits they will derive from the evil mines.

The London based company’s proposed mines are not only a Crime Against The Environment but a Crime Against Humanity as well.

WILL THEY EVER LEARN? LORD THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING, SO NEVER FORGIVE THEM.

Politicians and Environment

2009-07-30T13:23:00.000+05:30

A G8 meeting was convened some time ago in L’Aquilla, Italy. The G5 countries that comprise India, Brazil, China, South Africa and Mexico were also participated in the Summit.

The final declaration contains a statement on the limiting of the green gas emissions. It “recognized the scientific view that the increase in the global average temperature above pre-industrial levels ought not to exceed 2 degrees C.” the declaration envisages “a global goal of substantially reducing emissions by the year 2050.

The declaration calls for a global response and would very much like to attain “a 50 per cent reduction of global emissions by 2050. It expects global greenhouse gas emissions to reach its nadir in the near future and go down in scale afterwards.
All this look very optimistic and creates a rosy picture of Mother Earth with considerably less greenhouse gas emissions tainting the Environment. And the irony of the situation is that none of this is legally binding on the member nations. Still, they do look good on paper, don’t they?

But what is the real state of things? Can such reductions achievable? And if it is indeed proves to be so, then will that be sufficient?

Oh no sirree, not by a long shot!

The truth of the matter is that to set global warming to a 2 degree C limit, a 50 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases is quite insufficient. The 1977 report of the 4th Assessment Report of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Control (IPCC) categorically states that the 2 degree C limit can be achieved only if a whopping 85 per cent decrease in greenhouse gas emissions can be maintained.

Will the industrialized countries agree to such a draconian measure? Can the politicians who can’t see beyond their noses are capable of coming to such far reaching, far sighted decisions? Can they overcome their dilly dallying, procrastinating, ostrich-like nature and really do something about it?

Like the great Bob Dylan sang, “The answer is blowing in the wind.”

Implications of the Small Car Nano

2009-07-20T18:08:00.001+05:30

The cheapest car ever is here: The Nano, Tata’s brainchild, something many have been waiting for and will be waiting for some time to come for there is a queue light years long.
Now it won’t be long before the car is sold in the hundreds of thousands. It will fill the already narrow roads where ‘slumdog’ Indians will hurry along in this novel trinket with expressions that the nouveau riche sport on their vacuous visages while speeding in a Merecedes. Soon it will cross the borders and turn ubiquitous, plying along the highways of myriads of countries.
And what is the consequence of all this so called ‘progress’?
More automobiles, more oil imports, more carbon emissions, more pollution, more ailments, more human casualties…the list is endless.
Instead of doing research with the vast amount of resources at their disposal, to find out ways to manufacture autos sans the evil internal combustion engine, auto giants like the Tatas are giving birth to children that will increase and multiply exponentially all across the God’s green planet. So also will the deterioration of the environment.
The developing countries have an advantage that the developed ones never had. They don’t have to go commit the same mistakes that the Westerners did. They are in a position to move away from the well trodden paths that only led to gigantic greenhouses. Instead of breaking the glass and the flimsy framework, they are building more and yet more greenhouses.
Instead of learning from the mistakes of the developed countries, countries like India and China are hell bent on following the same western industrial practices, the bane of modern civilization.
And the prime example is the little handsome antagonist who will make living on this planet a lot more unbearable.

Down with the Nano.

The Plight of the Elephant!

2009-07-07T19:17:00.000+05:30

The Plight of the Elephant

As human population increases, so does a need for extra food. This in turn necessitates more land to be brought under cultivation. This is alright up to a point. But when the expansion of agriculture encroaches into animal habitats, something goes haywire.
There are two consequences to this action, both detrimental to the environment. The first one is the large scale decimation of forests as it happens in the rain forests of the Amazon region, Asia and Africa with its attendant consequences of global warming. The second one is the human encroachment into the natural habitats of wild animals.
Global warming is not only the product of this evil tendency. When huge tracts of forests are turned into cultivable lands, wild animals are naturally forced to stray into those areas into which agriculture has made deep inroads. This in turn creates a conflict of interest between man and animal. As a result there are casualties on both sides. But in the final analysis, it is the animal that suffers most and that through no fault of its own.
We find extensive areas of forest lands fast disappearing around the world. For one thing such forests are public property so fair game for any landgrabber. For another The powers that be is aware of this but do nothing to stop this criminal practice. And the villain of the piece is the unruly farmer.
To cite an example of the process, let us proceed to the Western Ghats (Mountains) situated along the western flank of peninsular India. This extensive mountain range is literally the 'lungs' of South India. Elephants herds roam freely along these ranges. To the Indians, these animals are not like other ones like tigers. The huge animals are venerated, worshipped and are held as important religious icons.
Bu all these sentiments go up in the air, the moment the holy animal makes forays (termed ‘elephant raids’) into lands under cultivation adjoining forest lands. Then the poor animal is no longer “Lord Ganesha” but Satan in disguise.
Inevitably African elephants also fall prey to this process not to mention thousands of other animals
To make matters worse, the soap-opera TV channels exaggerate such encounters out of all proportions, both verbally and graphically. Time after time they accuse the poor animals of criminal trespass and mayhem. They ignore the fact that much more folk die in automobile accidents than in elephant encounters.
One would think that the government of the realm would do something about it. Oh, they let out a lot of hot air on the subject but do not do anything to solve the problem.
This beautiful Mother Earth does not exist solely for the existence of the inhuman specie called Homo Sapiens to lord it over as he likes. Man is just a Johnny-come-lately on the face of the planet. Animals like the elephants predate man and have existed on this blue globe for hundreds of millions of years. Animals do have first claim in their own respective habitats. There man is a trespasser and like any trespasser a criminal. Also, man considers many fauna pests, but he does not realize that he is the worst pest of them all.
So what shall be done to mitigate this problem?
First of all, farmers living in close proximity to forests should not cultivate crops that are delicious to elephants plates. Orchards and sugar plantations attract the mammoths like nobody’s business. They should also stop the inhuman practice of placing sharp nail-studded steel plates in their plantations to prevent them from straying into their land. Poisoning the majestic animals is another heinous thing that the farmers often resort to. They should be made to end this criminal practice by legal means if necessary.
The government should wake up to the situation and take measures to stop people from encroaching into forest land and if anyone does, he/she should be considered criminals and dealt with accordingly. If they cannot do it they should at least compensate for the losses suffered by the farmers.

2009-07-06T15:35:00.000+05:30