Jan27

The World Did Not End But it is Threatening to

December 21, 2012 was anticipated to bring the end of the world but fortunately or unfortunately, the Mayan Calendar proved to be wrong.

The question remains where it is, though. Has the worse passed or is it fast approaching? Environmentalists have been yelling warnings from rooftops that if we don’t act fast, the world will indeed reach the end very soon.

But do we care? The answer is a single-syllabled ‘no’.

Most are under the impression that if a thousand year old prediction didn’t kill us, nothing else will. Oh, how shallow we are! Each and every one of us is writing the future of life and sadly, it is tenebrous. We are the cruelest creatures on Planet Earth and not only are we destroying the habitat of other animals and pushing them into extinction, we are also obliterating our own lives at a pretty fast pace.

The World Did Not End But it is Threatening to

Through pollution we are beckoning our end closer and because of us, poor animals have to suffer endlessly due to the fact that our doings [deforestation and pollution] are resulting in the end of their habitat and ultimately causing a lot of imbalance in the ecosystem. Globalization actually seems to have done more harm than good for us. It has led to acid rains, terrible air pollution, water pollution, ozone depletion, soil pollution, overpopulation, and the dreadful global warming.

Not many actually realize but every year, one in five people dies because of at least one of these environment issues. Most of these issues are a result of inappropriate use of resources and energy. Thankfully though, we can actually solve these issues. To begin with, we should dial down the consumption of natural resources and make sure we cut down pollution from its prime. It can indeed be done.

The solution to all these problems is recycling.

Know that a number of products can be recycled with ease. By recycling we can actually bring down the environmental strain that we are facing today. Besides paper and plastic, you can recycle cell phones and other electronic devices too. By doing so, you will also reduce the need to cut down trees.

Along with recycling, we should start reusing materials of plant origin so that the need to exploit natural resources goes down considerably.

We created the problem and we know the solution to it. All we have to do now is implement the solution and save ourselves before it is too late. [It already IS late by the way.]

Posted by kritikaponia in Blog

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Oct29

The Ozone Layer

Heard of it a million times, haven’t you? You must have also heard of how it protects you from the harmful ultra violet radiations emitted by the sun. Sadly though, the ozone layer is being depleted at a rate of 4% per decade. The chemicals responsible for this are known as ozone-depleting substances or ODS. Methyl chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, chlorofluorocarbons [CFCs], halons, and hydrochlorofluorocarbons [HCFCs] are some of the ODS.

The reason why they are popular is that these are stable and non-toxic as long as they are in the atmosphere. However, their stability causes them to rise and reach the stratosphere, where they are split into bromine and chlorine. These two substances are responsible for demolishing the ozone layer. Their stability also implies that they will stay in the stratosphere for many decades to come. This means that what is being emitted now will have a negative effect on the ozone layer for almost an entire century! Alarming, isn’t it?

How can you help, you must be wondering. Oh there are lots of ways. Do you know that refrigerators and air conditioners use CFCs? Don’t recharge them. This step will contribute to the environment. If you are buying a portable fire extinguisher, make sure it is free of halons. If you have an old vehicle, have it serviced. Old vehicles have CFCs while the newer models [1995 and later] are CFC free.

Why should you help, you must be wondering now. “Okay, so UV rays will penetrate through the layer into the atmosphere. I can see no harm yet. I can move out in the sun anytime without feeling a thing.” If this is your train of thought, CHANGE IT IMMEDIATELY. Sure you don’t feel a thing but every minute you spend exposed to the sun adds on. These minutes will cost you too much in the future because UV radiations are capable of causing not just rashes and itching sensation but deadly cancer. These radiations can also cause blindness, cataracts, and other eye problems. Wait there’s more, – they can also weaken your immune system.

Mind you, you aren’t the only one affected. UV radiations affect animals, marine creatures, and even materials such as wood, fabrics, rubber, and plastic.

On your part, you should make sure you follow the aforementioned steps and take precautions such as avoiding the sun from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., using sunscreen which protects from both UV A and UV B radiations, using sunscreen even during the winter season [honestly, just because it is cold, doesn’t mean the sun is not shining!], and saying no to tanning [there is nothing called ‘healthy’ tan] in order to steer clear of the harmful effects of the ultra violet radiations.

Be aware. Stay safe!

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Jun27

Go Green! NOW!

The Earth may be filled with miserable souls who don’t give a damn about the harm man is causing to the environment. But amidst them, there are a blessed few who actually ache seeing the current condition of Mother Earth.

I know many people who actually care but don’t know how to make a change or how to help the environment. If you are also someone who wants to help but doesn’t know how, you must read this. Here are a few very simple ways to go green. You only have to make minor changes in your lifestyle and you’ll be doing your bit for the environment.

  • Turn off the lights! I’d not be lying if I said that my father has spent all his life since my brother was born [he is older] to turn! The! Damn! Light! Off! When we leave the room. It used to annoy the hell out of me when I was a child but he managed to incorporate that habit in my family. While his yelling was purely for cutting the electricity bills down, you could follow the same and help the environment! And oh yes, lower electricity bills in the long run are always a delight!
  • Stop using paper towels! I have a friend who uses paper towels and paper napkins just because it is ‘cool’ and in her words, ‘everyone does it!’ Seriously, are you kidding me?! How is using paper towels and throwing them away in the bin even remotely cool?! Use cotton fiber towels instead. They are much better because they are absorbent and can be re-used. You will save a lot of money as well as numerous trees from being felled!
  • While zooming away in your car is very ‘trendy’, it is not really nice to drive even to a store that is located less than one kilometre away! Walk!! Puts your leg muscles to use for once and walk to the nearby places. Obesity and bad health is a huge problem today. You’ll knock off a few kilos, stay healthy, help the environment and guess what? Save a LOT of money! Petrol is not really ‘affordable’ today now, is it?
  • You hate standing in long queues to pay your bills, don’t you? You have an awesome reason to get away from that! Take full advantage of the facilities the internet has bestowed upon all of us and pay your bills online. Not only does it save paper, it saves your sanity! Double benefits, eh?
  • I am sure all of you are using cleaners loaded with chemicals to keep your house clean. Did you know that bottle that you rely on to kill germ could cause you and your family a truckload of problems? Oh yes, it can cause allergies and health issues! Simply replace it with organic cleaners free from all kinds of harmful chemicals. These are safer, more efficient and eco-friendly!

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May22

Why Some Gases Are Deadly Dangerous – Odours

Everyone knows the dangers to health and the environment of spitting, rubbish-throwing, urinating and defecating on our streets. What we don’t know is that apart from hygiene issues, it badly affects our olfactory (smell) and other systems.

Odours, not only from garbage but also from sewage, and industrial processes disturb concentration and diminish productivity as our disgust with our environment remains uppermost in our minds.

At the same time, we tend to stoically ignore and not complain about our symptoms of discomfort. Productivity in such an environment goes down considerably. Our ability to perform tasks may decrease as our dislike for particular odours increases. Work force populations vary in levels of discomfort from odours because of exposure history and habituation. But whether we may, or may not realize the possible risks of consistent bad odours, they affect human health and well being.

We have varied reactions like eye irritations and sore throats, coughs, drowsiness, asthma and even depression.

“Unless we realize the vital need for planned urban development India will become the largest slum in the world. And, sooner than we think.” A dire warning from Tavleen Singh, if ever there was one.

When our cities get overcrowded by migrants, the well-off get assimilated more easily and their adding to the burden on the city’s finite resources is less visible. What problems do the poor face and how do they affect the city’s resources? Their living quarters are crowded and cramped. They either have relations in our slums or they encroach on our footpaths. They have nowhere to carry out their daily ablutions. It has to be public places.

One of the most obvious outcomes of unplanned migration to our cities has been garbage. The poor have no place to throw their garbage so it collects on our roads or clogs our waters. Come to think of it, our kachrawalis might take away our garbage from our flats but who knows where she takes it? In December 2010, when I was in Mumbai, I saw at least five huge MOUNTAINS of garbage in just one suburb, which were definitely not there the last time I was there. Our municipality doesn’t clear it away.

A Possible Action Plan: Perhaps we should all inundate them with phone calls or emails to come and clear it away from outside our homes. Perhaps we should get together, plan, organise and act in unity to ensure it is done. Perhaps we should find out who’s in charge of taking away our garbage and publish this person’s contact details online.

Garbage dumps shouldn’t be on our doorsteps to start with, but in designated places far away from where most of us reside. The municipality should take away our garbage regularly to these designated dumps. But it doesn’t happen. The garbage piles get higher and more densely compacted with their own weight causing all the above symptoms in our health.  Methane – a greenhouse gas that captures heat and causes global warming is one of the end products of these dense piles of garbage. This might be an appropriate place to mention how, with the advance of science, this methane from garbage is being used to make new energy. A very worthwhile investment once it is made. Who knows, we might see the last of garbage clogging our city streets yet. Whether the government and business get together to exploit the benefits of garbage to create new energy or not, garbage from our city streets has to go or we have to keep paying megabucks to doctors for our health.

Want to get involved? Getting together with other like minded people and speaking with one voice is one effective way to get our point across to the government. After all, whose voice is more effective? A billion lone voices or a billion strong force?

This article is a part of the the main series: Life Giving Activities or the Environment – Do We Have To Make A Choice?

Also published on KM’s blog here: http://nevermindyaar.blogspot.com/2011/05/why-some-gases-are-deadly-dangerous-o3.html

Posted by khotymathur in Blog

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May17

Why Some Gases Are Deadly Dangerous – Ground Level Ozone

The last post asked what we’d do if we had to make a choice between the environment and some of our life giving activities. It is a tough choice to make. At a certain point in time will we have to make that choice? Not if we modify our activities to benefit both – us and the environment.

This article tells us why certain gases like ground level ozone are deadly dangerous for our health. It helps us understand why these gases shouldn’t be the end product of our activities.

Ground level ozone shouldn’t be confused with stratospheric ozone which is a protective layer of ozone. 

Stratospheric (or Protective) Ozone

Ozone or O3 is naturally present in the stratosphere – high above the earth. This ozone layer acts like a shield and prevents dangerous parts of UV light from the sun to reach the Earth. This ozone layer is highly desirable. It is the beneficial layer of ozone. Unfortunately, due to human activities, the ozone in our stratosphere is getting depleted.

In New Zealand, they inform us there is a hole in the ozone layer and we are advised daily that “burn time” is so many minutes (this number varies). This means that we should remain in the sun only for that many minutes, say seventeen minutes, and then move into the shade. We are constantly advised to slap on “sun block”, wear hats, thin long sleeves in summer and take precautions so that we aren’t exposed to the dangerous parts of UV light from the sun.

There is a high risk of skin cancer in places whose ozone layer has been depleted by human activity. The harmful UV rays could also give us cataract, impaired immune systems, destroy plants and plankton which is food for marine life and the most effective carbon absorber on planet Earth.

Which Human Activities cause ozone depletion in the Stratosphere?

Ozone-depleting agents are used in coolants, foaming agents, fire extinguishers, solvents, and aerosols. It sometimes takes these ozone-depleting chemicals years to reach the stratosphere. Substances released into the air today will contribute to ozone destruction well into the future. The main culprits are chlorine and bromine compounds.

One chlorine or bromine molecule can destroy 100,000 ozone molecules, so ozone is currently being destroyed much more quickly than nature can replace it.

Ground Level (or Dangerous) Ozone and Smog

Source: Google Images

The ozone that is dangerous to human health is ground level ozone. It is exactly the same chemical formula as stratospheric (or protective) ozone – O3. Yet, it is a major health hazard and a major constituent of photochemical smog.

Previously smog was a combination of just smoke and fog. Today smog is a chemical mixture of various gases and particulate matter (PM) that forms a brownish-yellow haze primarily over urban areas.

Nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons (except methane) react in the presence of heat and sunlight to form ozone. It is a white haze that can be seen over many modern cities, especially the ones with sunny, warm, dry climates and a large number of motor vehicles. Because it travels with the wind, it can affect sparsely populated areas as well. It is close to the Earth in the troposphere and is called tropospheric ozone. This ozone is one component of smog.

It reacts with other components like sulphur dioxide, VOCs etc in various ways to form the brownish yellow haze, the modern day smog, that we see over so many cities with a poorly controlled environment. As the smog levels build, polluted air can be trapped and re-circulated for days so that car exhaust fumes are found in our atmosphere even when we aren’t driving.

Ground level ozone becomes a threat to the functioning of all living things after it reaches 82 ppb (parts per billion).

What are the effects of ground level ozone on our environment and health? 

Human exposure to ozone can produce shortness of breath and, over time, permanent lung damage. Research shows that ozone may be harmful at levels even lower than the current federal air standard Excessive ground level ozone can cause breathing problems, irritation, congestion, coughing, chest pain and swelling in the lungs. It triggers asthma. Even healthy adults and children get affected.

It affects the immune system. Many of the chemicals that cause ground-level ozone also contribute to other health effects, including cancer, and tissue and organ damage. High ozone concentrations also cause damage to the leaves of plants, resulting in the loss of agricultural crop yields and forest ecosystems.

This article is a part of the the main series: Life Giving Activities or the Environment – Do We Have To Make A Choice?

Also published on KM’s blog here: http://nevermindyaar.blogspot.com/2011/05/why-some-gases-are-deadly-dangerous-o3.html

Posted by khotymathur in Blog

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Mar15

Why some Gases Are Deadly Dangerous – Carbon Dioxide

The last post asked what we’d do if we had to make a choice between the environment and some of our life giving activities. It is a tough choice to make. At a certain point in time will we have to make that choice? Not if we modify our activities to benefit both – us and the environment.

This article tells us why certain gases like Carbon Dioxide are deadly dangerous for our health. It helps us understand why these gases shouldn’t be the end product of our activities.

Courtesy: Google Images

Carbon Dioxide is beneficial to everything living. It is necessary for plant life and photosynthesis. It is necessary for humans too as without CO2, the Earth would be too cold for life. This is how it heats up our planet. Carbon dioxide is completely transparent to sunlight and lets it pass through and strike the earth’s surface. The sun’s light and warmth are partly absorbed by Earth but partly reflected back as infrared energy that radiates back into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is not transparent to infrared energy and it traps the heat on the surface of the planet like a blanket. The other gases that trap this infrared energy and warm our planet are nitrous oxide, water vapour and methane. Together with Carbon dioxide these gases are known as the greenhouse gases.

So if carbon dioxide does so much for us, why is it considered bad?

It isn’t carbon dioxide that is bad. It is just the excess carbon dioxide that has been released into our air due to human activity.

For millions of years living vegetation has provided the balance by mopping up the excess CO2 during photosynthesis. But in recent years the cutting down of our forests has drastically reduced vegetation and as a result, there aren’t enough plants to mop up the excess CO2 from our air.

Also, we use a lot of fossil fuels like coal and oil which have been buried deep into the Earth for millions of years. In the last few hundred years our level of dependence on these fossil fuels has increased exponentially. We bring up these fossil fuels from deep inside the Earth and burn them for our factories, as petroleum for our automobiles, as oil or coal to heat up our homes and to cook. The carbon that is trapped inside these fossil fuels reacts with oxygen from the air to produce the heat we need. One of the by-products is carbon dioxide which is released into our air.

The number of people breathing our air has increased a million fold too due to increases in population.

Now the problem is obvious – for the above reasons, too much carbon dioxide is thrown into our atmosphere but not enough carbon dioxide is being removed.

How excess Carbon Dioxide affects the Earth

  • With more and more infrared energy radiated back from our Earth trapped under the increased level of carbon dioxide, Earth is becoming warmer. This in turn causes changes in climate, currents, melting glaciers and ice caps. If enough ice melts, it could raise the sea level around the planet and low-lying coastal areas would become completely submerged.
  • It disrupts our ocean currents which are caused by warm and cold waters meeting and mixing. With glaciers heating up and melting due to excess CO2 in the air, the difference between the cold and warm waters is greatly reduced.
  • It increases the acidity of the oceans, which may interfere with the amount of oxygen that ocean life produces (the oceans are a far more important source of oxygen than all the plants on land).

By affecting the Earth, excess carbon dioxide harms everything living.

How excess CO2 directly affects humans

  • Increased levels of CO2 in the air causes nausea, dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, stiffness and a terrible odour. These reasons alone are worth human beings monitoring their activities to keep the level of CO2 in the atmosphere at the normal of 350 to 450 ppm. Right now it is too much more.

This article is a part of the the main series: Life Giving Activities or the Environment – Do We Have To Make A Choice?

Also published on KM’s blog here: http://nevermindyaar.blogspot.com/2011/05/why-some-gases-are-deadly-dangerous-co2.html

Posted by khotymathur in Blog

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Mar06

Life Giving Activities or the Environment – Do We Have To Make A Choice?

Some of our life-giving activities involve burning fossil fuels like coal and oil so we can cook, keep warm, travel and transport goods made in factories to our shops and ultimately, our homes. This is our way of life. Unfortunately, this wonderful way of life is under threat from the very activities that have made life easy so far.

Why are these activities adversely impacting our health and the environment?

Very often, it isn’t the activities per se. It is the by-products of our activities that are the culprits. To date what we’ve been doing is taking a resource, using it to make whatever is useful and ending the process there. We haven’t had to think about what by-product we’ve created. All too often this has been a pollutant – poisonous for our health and the environment.

Previously, it hasn’t made such a huge difference to the quality of our environment. In recent years, the volume of human activity has increased so much, it is releasing too many of these by-products (pollutants) into our environment. The World Health Organisation has set safety standards for these pollutants. According to WHO, these pollutants cannot exceed a certain level in our air, soil or water. Besides WHO, our government has set safety standards and maximum allowable limits too. But where enforcement and implementation are concerned, our government is extremely lax.

We obviously cannot stop our activities but what we can do is complete the cycle of taking a resource from the earth, the atmosphere and waters we live off by giving back a reusable resource, instead of poisonous ones as the end product of our activities.

To answer the question in the title to this post, “The Environment or Life Giving Activities?” it makes sense to say, BOTH.

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Let’s take resources from our soil, air and water as long as we give back re-usable resources. Giving back pollutants is not an option any more as eventually pollutants will choke the life out of everything living.
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Why, and to what extent are these pollutants dangerous for our health and well being?

The following series of articles is to help us understand why they are deadly dangerous for our health and how they are created by us humans. Click on each gas mentioned below to understand what human activities create so much of it and how it adversely affects us.

Also published on KM’s blog here: http://nevermindyaar.blogspot.in/2011/06/environment-or-life-giving-activities.html

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