The Golden 80s

In an interesting news story on the plight of the people affected by coastal erosion , I noticed how the word ' sea erosion ' has been used throughout the story.  In this Mongabay India story about the east coast of India, 'sea erosion' appears 16 times in the story! The story is basically an anthropocentric one about the plight of the villagers and fisher folks affected by coastal erosion.  Back to early 1990s. In the university library, there were thick hardcover textbooks of Geology that I used to refer to during my MSc studies. Of all the textbooks, Alan Strahler's Physical Geography was the best for me. His textbooks were beautifully illustrated and excellently written. One will fall in love with the subject of Geology just because of his textbooks.  Thirty years later I bought a copy of Strahler's textbook. It is top class as always with vivid descriptions of additional topics and meticulous organization.  The book does not mention 'sea erosion' at...

It’s is yet another World Environment Day and the world is in lockdown because of Covid-19. While all of us care about the environment, there are three issues that are worth pondering over today. Governance : Some say that the main beneficiary of Covid-19 pandemic has been the environment. During the period of complete lockdown in India, the air quality was better and the noise levels were less. Social media users posted pictures of how they could see faraway mountains from their terraces, as the thick brown haze disappeared from the skies. But still things are not that rosy. We are still unhappy that despite nearly 30 years after the famous Rio Summit, our rivers remain polluted, forests are being destroyed, wild animals are being killed, and life in cities and villages are becoming difficult. Why is this so? What we are missing is strong and scientific Environmental Governance. Just like the anti-corruption charade, environmental protection has now become annual one-day affair...

It is the hope of a better home that drives migration, said acclaimed poet and writer, Ruth Padel, in an evening session on Poetry, Nature and a Changing World , at the Bangalore International Centre, Bengaluru. It was such an enthralling evening when the poet, who is the great-great-grandchild of Charles Darwin, talked about poetry, migration, conservation, climate change, Darwin, and so on. She also read a few selected poems, old and new. And I manged to get a few books signed by the distinguished poet.  The evening started with the poet reading an excerpt from her book, Where the Serpent Lives , and then the conversation went to Tiger conservation. On her many trips to forests in India, the poet said, that in a forest, we see so many things like leaves, squirrels, otters; but they are all related to the Tiger in one way or the other. And the Tiger is the meaning or at the heart of a forest.  In a similar vein, whether it is a book or a poem, we see and r...

The India media's expertise is primarily on politics, cricket, entertainment, and business. Their forte is not on science, unlike other well-known publications like The Guardian or the New York Times. When I read the headline, Mandya's lake man to build 15th pond with award money , I was not all surprised. I was sure that normal readers may not find the words, Lake and Pond, that intriguing. A discerning reader or someone who have studied Ecology will notice that there is something wrong here. A lake and a pond are not the same thing strictly from an ecological science point of view. Of course, they are static water bodies of varying sizes. But there are obvious ecological differences. One is there are man-made lakes and there are lakes borne out of natural phenomenon such as volcanic eruptions, retreat of ice sheets and earthquakes. Technically, there are differences in the structure, energy flows, ecological stratification, flora and fauna, and so on. There is an intere...

Well known is the heavy metal Mercury's bioaccumulation in fishes and crabs. But a new study by University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, says that Mercury can affect the gene expression in algae found in aquatic ecosystems. The researchers studied the set of all RNA molecules that controls gene expression using molecular biology tools in a species of algae known as Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The study says: "...mercury disrupted the metabolism of algae, with numerous genes being deregulated, regardless of whether the concentrations were comparable with those set by European environmental standards." For more information, click here to read the study details.

Heavy rainfall in India not associated with global warming It is common nowadays to link spells of rainfall and the collateral damage they create to climate change. It is not the rains, but the urban mayhem and disaster bred by human incompetence, so characteristic of India, that is hyped by the breaking news hungry media. A report published in The Hindu newspaper says that "... extreme rainfall events over India do not have significant association with land surface air temperature over India and sea surface temperature over central Indian Ocean. .." The report, quoting a paper in Scientific Reports , says that the widely held belief that climate change is responsible over extreme rainfall patterns in the tropics does not seem to be true. The authors recommend that "...the changing patterns of extremes over the Indian subcontinent need a scientific re-evaluation, which is possible due to availability of the unique long-term in-situ data."

The environment ministry's existence requires an overhaul. It has so far functioned as another project clearance agency, a remnant of the old licence-permit raj dispensation. The principal activity of this department must be to safeguard the environment of India, and not the single-handed purpose of clearing projects. Instead, it has degenerated known for its controversial decisions, yes or no to high-profile projects, and lies created by a section of pro-free-market journalists First of all, the ministry must have an environmental philosophy that outlines what exactly it will achieve in the next few decades. The environment ministry's objectives should never be for the next five years or the period when the existing government is in power. The philosophy must be to safeguard the environment without landing in controversies involving delayed project clearances that subverts its primary mission and functional role. It requires a cadre of officials, professionals, political...

The question whether we are really "aware" in this information and smartphone age is a topic of a big debate. I use the word "aware" in the way it is defined in the Merriam Webster free online dictionary. Aware (adj): Knowing and understanding a lot about what is happening in the world or around you. Yes, there is knowing a "lot" about what is happening because we are all bombarded with messages of all sorts in various media unheard in the 80s and 90s. But do we really understand what is really happening around us? Let us check this tweet: While most of the people will focus on the person mentioned in the tweet, I have a problem with something else. That is, someone has built a forest in 30 years. If a forest can be "built" in such a short period , it is really wonderful. But as an Environmental Studies student, I very well need to dispute this fact. A forest is not a vast collection of trees in acres of land. A forest has a structur...

There is nothing new in the current fracas over conservation and protection of Western Ghats . Except in Kerala's print and electronic media, you will not see any discussion on conservation of pristine land. Because this issue is not about sex, sleaze, celebrities, or cricket, right? Except periodic reminders from the legal system in India, the state does not have a pragmatic"environmental policy". We all know all documented policies are meant to be bypassed. All the political parties and all the intellectuals in India have no such view on the environment. The reason why I stress this "environmental view" is, you will not have policies and measures tuned to it when you stare at a blank space. Now, environment is just another hurdle to that final sanction for a project. For India, development is antithetical to environment. Environmnetal protection is another hurdle to development. Human beings and the array of systems that inhabit India are "outside...

It is known that the GDP figures hyped by the media to credit or discredit political formations in India do not "account" the environmental damage caused by the so-called "Development." There were seminal papers published that questioned the entire economics paradigm that still stood united behind the GDP as the yardstick for growth. But, Indian economists and foreign-educated ultra-liberal growth pundits have no time to read about Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) that accounts or discounts the environmental damage caused by mindless growth. (Renaissance took place in Europe, right?). Advocates of GPI do not claim that it is perfect. But while our journalists pillory governments over GDP figures, let us be aware that there are other perspectives to look at how growth is contributing to human and environmental welfare. Check this link: http://rprogress.org/sustainability_indicators/genuine_progress_indicator.htm

The Environment was back in the news because of an oil spill at the Gulf of Mexico and the release of a report by US president Obama's cancer panel of the link between chemicals and cancer. Oil spills cause irreparable damage to fauna and flora, and people who depend on these resources for livelihood. The recurring episode shows that we have not yet learnt the right lessons from Exxon Waldez . The report prepared by Obama's cancer panel says that, "...Approximately 41 percent of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives, and about 21 percent will die from cancer...". The panel, in its 240-page report, suggests strengthening of research into environment chemicals and cancer. The chapter, Environmental Exposures Related to Modern Lifestyles, is a great read on how humans are being exposed to environmental carcinogens daily. After carbon footprint, the digital footprint is also affecting the environment or is going to affect the environment i...

The barbaric act of Hartal was enacted by Marxist-led political parties in my home state of Kerala , in the name of protest against high food prices. The Word MVPs site I frequent regularly has an interesting and long article on Conditional Cross-Reference Labels for Numbered Headings , while PowerPoint earned some flak from the US military. Alternet ran an excellent article on the deleterious impacts of industrial agriculture on the environment and Bangalore daily Deccan Herald published a dubious article supporting GE crops. It was refreshing to read about the rise of new generation of British poets (I am currently reading poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy's poems anyway) and an interview with well-known science fiction author Ray Bradbury , who has never been to college. Noted defence analyst K Subramanyam writes on Communication intelligence in the backdrop of the phone tapping allegations by opposition politicians in India.

Ben Goldacre , whose blog I like very much, points to an exciting link on how to "deal' with climate change scceptics. It is a "...a handy one-stop shop for all the material you should need to rebut the more common anti-global warming science arguments constantly echoed accross the internet..." Click How to Talk to a Climate Sceptic

A few interesting links on the Copenhagen Climate summit: It was a great gesture to see 16 newspapers publishing a common editorial on climate change. As expected, only The Hindu daily from India published the editorial. Common editorial on Copenhagen The Hindu link: http://www.hindu.com/2009/12/07/stories/2009120757400100.htm The Guardian link on Copenhagen: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2009/dec/04/copenhagen-climate-change-conference-liveblog Climate change through cycle http://rideplanetearth.org/

http://www.grain.org/front/ Friends of Earth International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI GeneWatch UK International Rivers Friends of River Narmada Terra Daily E Magazine Biodiversity Hotspots Save Bombay Committee Green Maven India Together environment International Geosphere Biosphere Program Greenpeace WWF International Institute for Sustainable Development Stockholm Environment Institute FAO Forestry Tropenbos Global Forest Watch Forest Protection Portal International Maritime Organization United Nations Atlas of the Oceans Coastal Management Rivernet Ramsar Wetlands International World Lakes Network Sustainable Cities World Meteorological Organization UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) IUCN Convention on Biological Diversity CITES Global Biodiversity Information Portal PlanetArk

It is interesting that the obituaries of Norman Borlaug contained barbs directed at environmentalists who have critcised his brand of intensive farming. While it is true that India benefitted from his "green revolution", the fact is that it was not just the lack of food that caused famines in India. It is for the historians to correct the notion in the western media that "famine and poverty" are always associated with the history of India. Somebody should correct the misinformation that India's progress is just a deceptive story, waiting to be dug out by western news and infotainment channels.   I found the Scientific American obituary a more balanced one, compared to others who portrayed Borlaug as an ardent supporter of GE crops and genetic engineering.    

As another World Environment Day arrives, we in India think about when can we live in a pollution-free city. Anil Agarwal , the late Editor of environment magazine Down to Earth, asked the right question, When will India be able to control pollution? Ten years down the line, there is no convincing answer. Our cities continue to rot and we have stopped to care about the environment . We continue to engage in meaningless marathons, ramp shows, and awareness drives. Because these are the most easiest things to do. In Bangalore, school students staged a drama on the Bishnois , bellwether IT company Infosys held an awareness drive (the most cliched sleaze act conducted in the name of environment by the government and others), and others decided to plant saplings (nobody knows which species) and so on. In the media, journalists wrote stories that still reflected the "doomsday" scenario cultivated following the Rio Summit in 1992. A few of these articles often contain dispara...

When did the word “green” came to be widely associated with the environmental movement? In Century of New Words, John Ayto cites examples from 1971. The adjective was used to refer to environmentalists, who were “green” in their approach. In the 1970s, the colour green was associated with the protests against nuclear power stations in Germany, says the author. It was in the early 90s that I came across this word. The Earth Summit at Rio in 1992 was the driving force. Words like “ hotspots ,”“sustainable development,” and “recycling” became the buzzwords of the decade. Other terms that become hits included global warming, greenhouse effect, nuclear winter, renewable energy, bioremediation , acid rain, pollution, smog, oil pollution, biodiversity, and extinction. Newspapers splashed several “green” stories and ran campaigns to caution people against the impending environmental doom. Green organisations and politicians brought green issues to the public arena by pitting development again...

If you believe that the IT industry is a 'clean' industry, it is time to be bitten by the reality. Read the following intro in a newspaper: "While millions of people tap into Google without considering the environment, a typical search generates about 7g of CO2. Boiling a kettle generates about 15g," says a Times report.To read the report, click here . While the Americans have started to think about car-pooling and green fuel, what are we doing here? We are ashamed to take the public transport. Is not it? "We are so used to our comfortable way of life. It is much easier for us to drive ourselves to work instead of tacking 10 minutes on to our commute by taking public transportation. It is much easier for us to do things on our own schedule, instead of offering to carpool with friends or co-workers and maybe being slightly inconvenienced by waiting for five minutes," says an article in The Republican .

Just sharing news about science and technology with my global friends.