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Sunday 13 November 2016

The Space for Childhood Is Far Away!


A simple question was asked, "Which is your favourite planet?" All the students except one answered, "The Earth". But Kavya said "lt's Jupiter." On asking her the reason she said, "Because the Earth is surrounded by poisonous gases and borderd by lethal weapons." Query continued, "Then why can't you prefer the Mars?" She answered in no time, "I have heard that the same destroyers are going to settle there!" Such a kind of phobia is frightening our tender little hearts to survive on our own planet!

As responsible parents we build castles in air for them. But, in fact majority of our children don't like our homes. The reason may be biophilia, ornithophilia, zoophilia or nature deficit disorder. That means children love to spend more time in green environment, enthusiastic to watch birds and happy to play with animals. Homes of parents are no longer homes of children! Why is it so? Because we are developing batophilia, that is love to live in or near tall buildings. Far away from environs where children actually want to live! Anyhow kids have neither a choice to fly away to a distant planet nor a chance to fulfil their desires on this planet. Always our concrete sense overdominates their common sense!

Architectural, engineering and market thrills never allow us to pulse the innate natural beats of our children. Spatial plans, structural designs and suggestive guidelines are always there to keep the neurons in our brains ever busy. So we never have to miss a modern facility or sophisticated furnishing to have a place in our homes. Only thing which doesn't find a place is kid's love towards nature. Our aims will be fulfilled if we can draw the attention of our friends and relatives to receive appreciation for our architectural master-pieces. But the bright colours of our buildings blind our senses to perceive the glow of instinctive desires burning in the genes of younger generations. Instead we wire kids to technological marvels like TVs,  PCs and tabs indoors in sohisticated concrete cages. Though this habit increases their body-mass index, we have no other choice. Let them grow in girth. The world's growing so. So let it go! We scarcely worry about negative effects of physical inactivity. Or we might have already pre-planned to face them. Medical field isn't dearth of research. Treatment is ever available in the market. Superspeciality hospitals are always there. Then why should we worry? Even malfunctioning of thyroids, lungs, liver, pancreas or kidneys doesn't matter.

The innocent childhood urges to sense soft sunrays in the early hours, to do green-exercise, to climb a tree, to play on grass, to view hues or smell fragrance in flowers, and also to watch agile butterflies, active birds and witty squirrels busy around in the home garden. But our rusty outdated minds are always there to flake off the instinct images imprinted on the young brains. Seldon we get time to take our kids to gardens of their choice. Even if possible that too in the evenings only! And we feel proud to show them the wonders like artificial  fountains and synthetic playing items in the light polluted evening gardens. Visiting and studying the lively beautiful gardens in sunny days may be a never-ending desire for our children.

We're great not only because we don't allow them to enjoy poorman's nature, but also because we stand as obstacles against the overall development of our children. Physical activities practically nil. Please think, how can children develop cognitive qualities like problem solving skills, focus and self-discipline, if they aren't let to come out of the four walls of homes,  classrooms and vehicles? How can they improve cooperation, flexibility, and self-awareness? Instead a flame of aggression and enmity engulf their minds. They may either become easy victims to culprits or culprits to prey easy victims.

If we really want to change the human world we should change the units of that world first. That's homes. The overall development of a child can't be expected without an ideal home. The ideal home is one which harldly has 1/3 of its space under concrete structure, 1/3 exposed to the sun and remaining 1/3 covered by tree shade.  (That's what 33.3% of world area under forests mean!) The house should be so small that kids should be forced to spend much of their time outdoors, in appreciating the wonders of nature - shining sun, gleaming moon, twinkling stars, hovering butterflies, flying birds and breezing trees. The kid should spend 1/3 time in schools, 1/3 time in natural environment playing and 1/3 time in sleep. Sound body leads to sound mind!

It's glad that a number of animal activists stand there to protest against destruction of wildlife habitats and also to protect their natural ecosystems. Lot of sympathy is being expressed towards the mute creatures worldwide. Our poor children also listen and learn much about the importance of balanced ecosystems for wildlife, hours together. But, oblivious of their own ecosystems! How many organizations are there to work for balanced human ecosystems? Or as individuals, at least, have we ever thought of the kind of habitats our children need? No, practically nil. Let's Think now! Or else the space for childhood is always far away!

CHILDREN ARE DEVELOPING WEAK BONES DUE TO LACK OF SUFFICIENT SUNLIGHT & PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES. METABOLIC ACTIVITIES GOING SLOW.


Monday 7 November 2016

Neem Stick to Control Toothbrush Crimes


A toothbrush is the last device to be used before going to bed and also the first one after waking up. It's not only beautiful and  colourful but also stylish in its form and bends. But it was a thing of craze in my past ignorant life. I used to be proud of using most stylish brushes in my family. Now such a thing of pride has become a criminal or sinner, at least in my view.

It's said that a plastic toothbrush commits crimes not only after its disposal but also before it get its shape and form in factories.  Primarily it's not a biodegradable material. Secondarily it's a product of fossil fuels. Fossil fuel means oil formed out of the crushed bodies of plants and animals millions of years back. It may consist of flesh and blood of a dinosaur or any other past animal. Anyhow that's not a big issue for non-vegs.

Tertiarily it emits cancer causing poisons like benzene before getting a cute form and style. As we know benzene may cause leukaemia or blood cancer. Besides this killer it would have emitted an another silent killer called carbon monoxide and other greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane in the oil refineries before getting its embryonic stage called naptha or after that!

The toothbrush which is meant for whitening human teeth might have once blackened the lungs of some workers or animals nearby the refineries or factories in its formative stages. The same story with respect to nylon bristles, after doing a lot of harm to somebody's life, now starts brushing the pearly teeth to shine.

Some say that the present toothbrushes are recyclable. That means they can be remoulded into new toothbrushes.  But anyhow the chemistry is seem to be very obnoxious both to humanity and other biodiversity. I don't know how many old toothbrushes will get a new avatar. But majority of used toothbrushes may be a source of a municipal waste nightmare, landfill waste and dangerous pollutant after photooxidation, causing harm once again to our living communities. Neither safe before manufacturing nor after disposal!

When the plastic brush causes indirect harm before its formation and after its disposal the toothpaste causes direct harm while drenching the sensitively thin  mouth linings and tasting the tongue buds inside. No doubt it's a mixture of a number of chemicals. Triclosan which is supposed to kill germs may kill the user by damaging his or her liver, kidney, lungs and endocrine systems in higher doses. Sometimes it may  cause cancer too.

While protecting enamel, fluorides discolour the teeth with a mosaic of dirty spots on it. Besides that they may damage gums and bones to become cancerous also. Likewise other poor mindless chemicals are there in toothpastes to torture the human body. They are there to cheat the innocent nostrils and hidden taste buds through their alluring flavours.

After raeading so much about toothbrushes and toothpastes I decided to go for my traditional chewstick gifted by my ever beneficial neem tree (Azadirachta indica). But this one never has such a criminal record. Instead it supplies oxygen, cools down surrounding temperatures, calls the hovering clouds to rain, hosts a number of beautiful birds, holds swings for our children to enjoy a day and gives shade to human beings and mute animals before presenting us a fresh chew stick.

Along with the job of cleaning and whitening our teeth neem stick releases safe organic substances that may kill harmful germs either in the mouth cavity or in the intestine. After disposal it gets mixed up into the soil without causing any harm to the environment. What a great gift from mother nature! Let's propagate neem trees all over so that neem sticks can control toothbrush crimes.

Sunday 6 November 2016

Green Energy at the Mercy of Red Energy

Just like any life with flesh, nerves and veins, modern economy is also so with minerals, electricity and fuels.  But the ancient form of muscle power, ATP energy and oxygenated blood can't be converted into money as effectively and quickly as that of the modern minerals, electricity and petroleum. Bioenergy, natural energy or internal energy is the actual green energy which is safe for the living world.   Natural energy may be good for nature but not for doing a very big business, earning huge profits or winning supremacy on the fast track of the economic field. People get fascinated if they find some non-living object moving rather a living object. So business can be done through artificial energy by showing movements and responses in artificial things.

The underdeveloped world is a poor one because it's run mostly by internal energy possessed by animals, human beings and vegetation which isn't strong and fast enough to multiply business. On the other hand the external energy creates a numer of business opportunities in the form of vehicles, plastics, paints, synthetics, cement, buildings, electrical appliances, electronic gadgets and heavy machines to increase the income of a person, a company or a nation. The secret force behind the developed world is the technology that efficiently harness energy from coal, natural gas, petroleum, radioactive substances, water dams, solar panels, wind mills, etc. and put to rule over the business. So without external energy no one can achieve supriority over the others. If you want business animate the inanimate things! That's how artificial energy is preferable to the natural energy in this ever bloating economic world.

The first question is how fast the artificial energy makes money at the cost of the wilderness?  Unlike that of manpower the electrical energy energises machines to become strong and fast enough to mine and extract a very huge quantity of minerals and metals from a very large area in a very short period of time. Besides that it's used to cut an innumerable number of trees to extract a very huge quantity of timber. A lot of wilderness is required to be cleared for energy projects too. But the pace and level of deforestation, spreading of pollution, displacement of animals, their indirect deaths and extinctions are the different questions to keep the green activists ever busy.

The second question is how fast the artificial energy makes money at the cost of the domestic animals? Unlike that of animal power the petroleum can make automobiles grow in numbers and technically fast enough to plough hectares of land; to replace cowdung with chemical fertilizers; to carry billions of tons of farm produce and processed food and industrial products; and to transport millions of people far and wide to every nook and corner of the world in a very short period of time. The two mighty powers, electricity and petroleum, can make possible selective rearing of a few animal breeds and mass production of diary and meat products in factory farms. But the silent killing of the thousands of breeds of mute domestic animals,   the alarming levels of air, water and noise pollution; and rapid spreading of unknown diseases to the succeptible world are the different questions to keep the philanthropic organizations and health departments ever busy.

The third question is how fast the artificial energy makes money at the cost of the human race? As long as electricity and carbon fuels are there no one can slow down the speed of multiplication of vehicles. Like wise as long as electricity is there no one can weaken the supply chain of electrical appliances and electronic gadgets. When electricity don't  allow our hands to work, petroleum fuels don't allow our legs to walk! When hands and legs go into rest the other external and internal organs of the body will also follow the suit. So there will be a lot of savings in internal energy to keep  human bodies bloating. That's how the growth in the weight of human bodies is taken place along with degenerative and infectious diseases. By habituating the total human body to take rest the power of electricity and fuels grow further powerful to suppress the total power of human race.

The first allied forces which have conquered over the entire animal, human and plant kingdoms are nothing but electricity and carbon fuels. These are the forces which have made human beings forget the skill of converting hidden potential energy into safe kinetic energy and instead make them dependent on apparatus, appliances, equipment, gadgets, machines and vehicles. That's where the market forces come to reap the benefits from money-crops with bumper profitable yields.

These are the forces which make both mass production of goods and production of weapons of mass destruction possible. Only the concept of "mass production" can keep "production by masses" at check. Electricity and carbon fuels help educate families so fast that they forget for ever the conventional methods, kill traditional skills, and make incapable to produce safe products at home anymore. They  keep off green energy generators like animals, human beings and vegetation at a bay. Now they can easily  break productive families into employees to work in factories, earn money and become consumers with strong purchasing power in markets. What a great red army of electricity and fuels the superior species of the animal kingdom has created to defeat its own kingdom of life! Now the green energy is surviving at the mercy of the red energy. 

Even the beautiful phosphorescent light emitting and other nocturnal creatures are blinded by the lights electrified by red energy sources. But one thing is clear that to keep living world ever flourish the economy should walk in consonance to the impulse of green energy streaming all over the biosphere. The economy shouldn't run with the speed of the red energy invented and misused by the ignorant mankind. Or else the another mass extinctions will be imminent.

Thursday 3 November 2016

Where to Start Environmental Campaigns?


A great untiring activity is going on all around the world. Millions of teachers, lecturers and professors in schools, colleges and universities are engaged in preparing pupils and students for development. Day and night thousands of scientists in laboratories are doing research for development. Thousands of economists and planners are involved in plotting graphs of economic growth to show a right direction for development. Billions of dollars are being taxed  and spent for development only.

A great human force is being employed,  hundreds of activities are being carried out, thousands of acres of forest land is being cleared,  millions of tons of minerals and metals are being extracted and refined for speedy development. A fantastic growth is being seen in a number of rigs and barrels of crude oil; the length of roads and railways; number and height of buildings; variety of vehicles; and machines, computers and robots. It can be shown to the public especially the shareholders to invest in and support for further growth and development.

Meanwhile human lives are also being seemingly improved. Majority of people are going hand in glove with the elite class to enjoy the fruits of development.  Every household is getting modern facilities. No need to put arms and legs to toil anymore. No need to draw and pour water into pots from wells. No need to cut and cook vegetables.  No need to squeeze and suck fruit juices. This is all due to the collective efforts of a number of scientists, inventors, innovators, industrialists, economists, politicians, bureaucrats, businessmen, employees and other workforce.

Inspite  of such a rapid pace in growth and development a long list of complaints are yet creeping in. Some say that forests are being degraded and so do campaigns to plant trees. Some say that wildlife is being endangered and so do campaigns to save animals.  Some say that water resources are under threat and so do campaigns to clean rivers. Some say that pollution is at alarming levels and so do campaigns to filter smoke and treat effluents. Some say that plastics are killing animals and so do campaigns to recycle the scrap. Some say that climate is changing and so do campaigns to reduce carbon emissions. Some say that human race itself is under peril due to physical inactivity and consequent degenerative diseases and so do campaigns to propagate the culture of exercises and yoga.

But campaigns have been remained as individual entities. As isolated forces in forests, on the coastal beaches, on river banks or in front of the pollution causing factories, campaigns aren't serving the purpose better. So all campaigns should be started together as a united combined force from homes. Consumers of the fruits of development should be convinced. Majority of consumers are the followers of the elite class especially famous celebrities. All educated and professional consumers are also following the suit. Changes in the habits of the celebrities and elite will certainly change the attitudes of the common masses. 

Most of the resources are being over-exploited, wasted and misused for luxurious homes, world class  furnishings, non-stop entertainment and enjoyment. If the rich class is convinced regarding the gravity of the problem a lot of destruction can be easily stopped. If wise people are convinced better they all may plan for small houses amidst bigger gardens rather than bigger houses in smaller namesake gardens.  As small sized buildings need less consumption of minerals, cement, steel, timber, plastics, synthetics, paints, electricity and water a lot of pressure on the planet can be reduced. Besides this a lot of trees come up around in place of concrete covered non-porous spaces.

So the mindset of the people should be changed if we want to change the world. If the elite and intellectual class do something the remaining class will think it as a good choice to follow and replicate. So it would be always better to start environmental campaigns at the point of consumption rather than at the point exploitation to get speedy and effective results. Simplest person is safest to both nature and humanity! 

Sunday 30 October 2016

How do plants do sex?

Most of the plants what we see around are called by botanists as angiosperms. That means the plants in which tiny baby plants or seeds are surrounded by soft and tasty fruit pulp and protective fruit coat. Whether these seeds are formed by themselves or any great mechanisms lies behind it, is the inquisitive question. Yes, that's through sexual reproduction.

We all know that production of babies resembling that of their parents is called reproduction. Could we call production of vehicles as reproduction. No, why because the structure of vehicles is different from that of the factory that produces them! Then what's meant by sex? This's another question!  Sex means being distinguished into male and female beings due to distinctive reproductive features. Just like human beings and other animals plants too exist as male plants and female plants,  or as a single plant with both male and female flowers, or as a single flower with male and female organs. Anyhow union of a male cell with a female cell is compulsory to be called as sexual reproduction.  

Animals and human beings can move from one place to the other to do mating with their opposite sex or to fulfil the need for perpetuation of their species. But plants have their own limitations. That means they can't move from one place to the other. But nature has the sense of "live and let live" principle.

To make possible the process of mating between plants or their beautiful flowers mediators like insects, snails, snakes, birds, bats and other animals and even  elephants are always there! These kind companions which have learnt the art of living are called pollinators. Another question is, "Why are these agents called pollinators?" The answer is due to their assistance in pollination. 

Then, what's meant by pollination? Pollination means transfer of pollen from anthers to stigma. It's just like introduction of sperms into the womb of the female in case of animals.  Here anthers are male parts of the plant that produce and release male cells packed inside a tightly packed micro balls called the pollen. At the time of maturiy the pollen from males has to reach the stigma of the females. This process is made possible by wind breeze, cool water or living creatures. Stigma is the reception counter of the female organ where male cells are let to go deep into the ovary to unite with their female counterparts. 

Wow! What the great mechanism in the plant world? So much process takes place without any song, music, dance, indecency and obscenity. No need of any video clip, sex ads or violence. That's why the nature is so beautiful, great, peaceful and ever appealing!

Saturday 29 October 2016

One More Independence Day, Please!

Swaraj was tenth passed but doing farming along with her wife Asha. He had a daughter named Bhavishya. He had some land sufficient enough to house a small mud shack and open space bordered by a number of trees like a curry-leaf tree, a drumstick tree, a guava tree, a jamun tree, a mango tree, a tamarind tree, a small patch of plantains and a plot for kitchen garden. The tree cover was a blessing not only for fowls, a pair of goats and a cow but also for his only girl-child to play and swing under. It was a self-sustainable home  with a plenty of paddy, millets, pulses, milk, eggs, chicken, fresh fruits and vegetables.  But no doubt a poor underdeveloped family.

One summer his brother Sevak came to the village  along with his family as usual. But this time with a great offer for Swaraj! Sevak said, "How long you live this poor life?" Swaraj couldn't understand. He continued,  "Your child is growing up, at least for her sake you come to my place, I'll try for you a job in my company." Asha who's listening from behind prompted Swaraj to accept the offer. The undestandable husband said, "OK!" Swaraj had given a serious thought to the idea and finally disposed off all of his live-belongings to the other villagers within a weak or two.

After receiving a message from his brother, he left for the city along with his family. As he's tenth passed he's appointed as a supervisor for the ongoing construction works. Bhavishya was also joined in a private school nearby. The husband was doing a job in a company,  the daughter was studying in a private school and Asha herself was busy in getting audio-visual lessons on TV concerning the modern city life through serials with intermittent  ads on sophisticated gadgets to make the life practical. At last it's turned into a small happy family. No worries and no tensions!

One day Bhavishya came home from school complaining that she's developing pain in her tummy. Within a few minutes she started vomiting. She's taken to a hospital. Many tests were conducted. No traces of any infection. Later advised to take to a nutritionist. The nutritionist revealed that the problem was due to adulterated milk. This might lead to kidney problems also. One day she came home complaining persistent headache. There's no any serious probem, only thing was that she'd to use spectacles. She's then a complete student with a huge backpack of books and cute looking spects. Both Mom and Dad were happy as their girl was looking smart and getting modern schooling!

One evening Swaraj came home from work coughing, wheezing and feeling breathlessness and tightnessness in his chest. Asha forced him to visit a hospital. Doctors had conducted spirometry test and told that he's  developing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) due to the continuous inhalation of pollutants. They suggested him to avoid dust and fumes  and to eat smaller but more frequent meals, to take rest before eating and to take nutritional supplements. After branchodilation he returned  home with a long list of medicines and a modern inhaler. He became a complete man with a cellophane in one hand and an inhaler in the other!

After a few years of the adapted city life the mistress of the family started experiencing nervousness, sweating, difficulty in sleeping and distinct facial flushing. Visited a woman specialist. BP was checked.  It's  140/90. Madam advised her to visit after three days. She went as per the schedule. High reading on sphygmomanometer! No doubt.  She'd developed hypertension. Then she got a long list of prescription along with a number of instructions - "Don't sit in front of TV for hours together. " "Don't eat too much salt." "Take more fruits and raw vegetables." "Reduce body weight." "Go for walk." And so on. But she's looking heavily smart!

One day power was off. Mistakenly Asha got some time to think about her family and home. It's a complte home with all modern facilities like a TV set, gas connection, a mixer, a fridge, a washing machine, a couple of ceiling fans and sufficient furniture contrasted to that of the past rustic life. Though they couldn't get unadulterated milk and uncontaminated fresh fruits and vegetables to keep health they'd get a plenty of pills and syrups to survive from not only infectious but also degenerative diseases. They're living in the area dotted fully with concrete towers encircled by drainages and fast running  bykes and cars over.  Though they couldn't listen birds' songs and get cool breeze  there, they could keep their ears busy deafening to hustling and bustling noise of vehicles and sense of hot smoky winds non-stop. But one thing's certain that people used to consider them as "civilized" and "developed".

Meanwhile the power came back followed by daughter  and husband in the evening. She found her husband seemed to be a little disturbed. Face was gloomy and greasy with a trickle of sweat. She softly enquired,  "Why're you so dull. What do you want, my dear?" He gently replied, "Independence Day!" "What ......?"  "Yeah!  I need independence from the dusty and smoky atmosphere, from the adulterated food and diseases and from the ever escalating cost of living, medical bills, debts and tensions." He continued, "I want the past glorious life of my village where I was the boss of my own small estate, full of clean air, water, food, peace and happiness!"

Sunday 29 May 2016

How Do Trees Shadow Growth & Development?

Buildings are growing faster than trees, a great miracle of the modern era! Yes, kudos to the architects of the modern world -  designers, developers, planners and political leaders! Growth in buildings manifests the growth in economy, but the growth in trees can't do the same. It's a known fact that construction business fetches very high income when compared to that of tree and plantation business. Buildings bear money thousands of times more than that of trees! Then naturally it's questionable, "Why do animal activists, environmentalists and nature lovers emphasize so much on tree plantation?" When the worth of a well grown tree is hardly a few dollars then what's this mania for trees? Instead trees occupy very valuable lands to become stumbling blocks for the progress of real-estate business.

Concrete buildings are non-perishable and non-corrosive strong structures resistant both to fire and water. They are the shelters during storms but killers during earthquakes too! Very sorry please. Anyhow the toll is a proof for their crushing weight and mighty strength. As big as the construction work that much business one can expect in cement, gravel, stone, sand, steel, ceramics and paints. Mining and quarrying activities will also run parallelly to supply building materials and metals and also to destroy animal homes forever. Tree cutters will be busy throughout in cutting trees, scaring away many animals, birds and other creatures to run away and supplying valuable lumber for dream homes. Carpenters will be busy in making doors, windows and  furniture. On the basis of the construction space and number of labour-days engaged, architects and contractors will also get equitable percentages and shares. No doubt a lot of direct or indirect employment opportunities because of the housing business.

A boon to both electrical and electronic business too. As per the size of the building and number of rooms, requirements for electrical wires, switch boards, lighting and other devices or gadgets will also be there. As we know that during hot summer concrete keeps indoors hotter than that of outdoor spaces. During cold winter indoors will be cooler than outdoors. A great opportunity to push the sales of fans, air coolers, air conditioners and heaters. That's how both individuals and companies will get benefit.

On the other hand trees can't be expected to do that much. A very negligible contribution to growth and development. According to some economists more trees and less buildings means underdevelpment. Trees may be green enough to absorb carbon emissions or pollutants and inturn to release oxygen. They may be effective enough in filtering dust particles and  to save human breathing systems. They may obstruct extreme cold or hot winds from touching our living habitats. They may make people hale and healthy, but at the cost of what? Health business! Fifty per cent improvement in people's health means fifty per cent drop in health business! Is it agreeble for any pharmaceurical company or its share holder? No, it isn't.

Another thing is that trees provide cool breeze and shade to reduce temperature in and around homes. A big intolerable jolt to the business of fans, coolers air conditioners and fridges. And naturally to energy business also. What would happen to power stations,  electricity producers, distributors and sellers? Even a layman can guess. Trees and soil facilitate natural rain-water harvesting and increase in ground water levels. A very big discouragement to water business run by local or multi-national companies. Then who will quench the thirst of this business? That's how a number of demerits force people to shun the idea of growing trees.
Now we can conclude that as the space under concrete constructions increase the growth and development will also increase. As the space under trees increase there will be increase in cool breeze, shade, fresh fruits, birds, animals and health of people. So negative impact on growth and development. Trees provide a free habitable environment. Then what about the business of artificial environment fabricated due to modern technological advancements! 

Besides that trees damage beautiful architectural masterpieces by shaking foundations and shrinking walls, obstruct building elevations, develop cracks in drainage systems and interfere with overhead electric lines. Trees may attract nasty insects and birds too. It's an unbearable nuisance. So it's always better to keep trees away! That's how trees shadow the process of growth and development!