Saga of Nick the Nut

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.

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

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

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

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:

Leave The Indian Elephants Alone You Japanese!

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 Cialis are 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

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.

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.

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

Environmental Warriors: Animal Advocacy

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

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

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

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!

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.

Mistaken Notions on Shark Fins, Tigers

In their own way, superstitions are okay. One can believe or not believe in them. But if one of them is cause for environmental destruction, then we should look into it harder and do something about it.
One such stupid superstition is prevalent in South East Asia, primarily among the Chinese. It is a belief that by consuming certain portions of the anatomy of tigers, one can attain a better hard on. This belief stems from the premise that since the tiger is very macho, gobbling up certain portions of the magnificent animal’s flesh will act as a powerful aphrodisiac and their cocks can gain pornographic nirvana.
This belief is a futile fallacy. It is not based on any scientific evaluation by experts in the field. The erectile tissue will get a fine boost if medications like Viagra and Cialis are administered orally in prescribed doses. And the beautiful animals are saved from an early extinction.
So I request my Chinese friends who are looking for a powerful aphrodisiac, to make a bee line for the friendly chemist around the corner and spare the tiger. And they will have beautiful hard ons that can penetrate even the most impenetrable vagina.
These very same persons, incidentally cause another kind of environmental cruelty. They are crazy about shark fin soup. But please convey this earnest request to those who catch the unfortunate sharks. Tell them not to cut off their fins and throw them back into the sea alive. Be merciful and kill them. Who knows, karmic retribution might follow them through all their coming janmas!

Is Extremism A Good Idea?

What would you do if somebody violates your mother? Or if you love your country, what would you do, if an alien army invades your motherland, raping your women, killing the children and pillaging your property?
Would you stand with folded hands and watch the tamasha?
Now something greater than your mother, women and possessions are being violated. The mother of all these is crying out for your understanding, your help. Mother Earth who gives sustenance to everything on this beautiful blue globe is being raped, gang raped. And you watch with folded hands and imagine that it is happening to someone else and you are not responsible.
To explain this fully I quote from a novel that I wrote recently. It is not a work about environment at all. Still I make the protagonist mouth the concerns that trouble me constantly.
I quote.
"‘The problem, the greatest single problem that humanity faces today isn’t anything that the politicians have us think. What is in question is our very existence on this earth, our very survival. Man has survived on this planet, even when the great dinosaurs had died out, become extinct. The instinct for survival is the strongest instinct in any living being. Man survived through the ages because of this and also using his superior intelligence and powers of adaptation.’
‘And now it’s as if man is bereft of his powers of reasoning, it’s as if he has suddenly succumbed to a death-wish. It’s as if, like the lemmings of the tundra, he is hell bent on committing suicide en masse. If we go on like this, by the turn of the next century, mankind as specie will have become extinct.’
‘If we take preventive action with immediate effect and a long term perspective in view, we can arrest this problem now. But the tragic thing about it is the fact that there’s only one group of people who can really help and those are the politicians.’
‘In a way, you can’t blame them. All their actions are governed by their tenure of five years sometimes even less in these times of political uncertainty. Their imagination refuses to stretch beyond this time limit, with the result that they can’t or are afraid to take any long-term decisions. In the meantime humanity suffers. In spite of the warnings of experts, the politicians refuse to see the problem that’s facing all living beings, for what it is. And in collusion with some greedy, grabbing industrialists, they’re hell bent on destroying life, the most fragile, the most divine of all things on earth. The warnings of the experts are just laughed off.’
‘BUT I INTEND TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!’
‘Before long, our atmosphere will become piss and shit. Depletion of the Ozone layer will cause skin cancer. It’s already evident in certain countries of the Northern Hemisphere. Millimeter by millimeter, the sea level is rising and cities lying along the sea - as most of them are - will be inundated, under water, in the very near futurre - this is already under way in the beautiful italian city of Venice. Soon we’ll have to wear oxygen masks as if we’re on a lunar landscape. The decimation of forests will bring down the oxygen level and the building of dams will release lethal doses of methane into the already dying environment. And the fact of the matter is that all these processes are under way NOW!’
‘The industrialist pollutes the environment, the politician pollutes the nation.’
‘And the world suffers in the meantime.’
‘I’ve already begun to do something about it. And I’m getting results, but in very slow measure.’
‘Environmental extremism.’
‘…the end does not always justify the means, but sometimes it does.’
‘Not that. That’s not an alternative. Its. It's even called terrorism.’
‘Yeah, maybe. Some dirty Jap used this term when certain daring individuals tried to prevent the hunting of whales by some cruel Japanese.’
‘Come to think of it, it is the terrorism of the future. Folk will die for it and they’ll be dying for a good cause too. Causes like religious and political extremism will die out. What relevance these forms of extremism have when the existence of the very specie hangs in the balance?’
‘Don’t worry. I hope that I’ll never have to resort to such a step. But the option is there all the time, wide open. I’ve the very persons to do it. But I’ll use them only as a last resort. May be I won’t use them at all. But the option is there, ready all the time,’
The protagonist ends the speech thus. 'And I promise you one thing. I’ll make it very difficult for people who are in power who turn a blind eye to the slow destruction of our beautiful, blue planet.’
I think this will do for a starter. If you feel what I believe is right, let us turn into a noble Protector of Mother Earth and fight those who rapes her incessantly.
LISTEN TO THE CALL OF THE MOTHER!

Labels: Environment, Extremism, Pollution

Beware of Traitors

These days when many are worried about the deteriorating environment and its consequences, certain people raise their evil heads here and there, claiming that global warming is a scam, dreamed up some scientists who don’t know what they are talking about. They go on to say that the process of global warming is quite natural and not man-made at all, like everyone else seems to think. They assure us, heating up and cooling down of the atmosphere occur all the time. It only means that Nature is going about her business in her own way. Dontcha worry, old boy, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about.
Here, I wish to point out certain home truths to these misguided apologists for carbon emissions – they might even claim like the ignoramuses that they are that since carbon dioxide and monoxide contain oxygen, it will compersate fot the carbon molecules spewed out into the atmosphere. So what’s the problem!
I happen to live in India and have seen the melting glaciers of the great Himalayas. My friends in Europe tell me the same thing is happening there and soon there won’t be any ski slopes left in the Alps and other such areas, fit to ski. The inhabitants of the scenic Maldives are looking elsewhere to migrate when their lovely islands are submerged under the sea forever, through no fault of their own.
A friend of mine, a devout Christian tells me that the end of the world is nigh. All the pestilences, famines, floods and other calamities mentioned in the good book are coming to a pass. He even exhorted me to prepare myself with constant prayers.
Hollywood issues some prophetic movies at regular intervals, depicting what it will be like in the years to come. Such movies show the Earth as bleak, barren and inhospitable – some even say that NASA is looking for worlds to which humans can migrate to, once our planet becomes unfit to live. And many industrialists and politicians watch these movies. But they watch them as something merely entertaining, figments of some scriptwriter’s fertile imagination. But the real fact of the matter is that such scripts are well researched for the fellers who wrote them in the first place, know what they are talking about.
May be the skeptics will believe it when the world becomes ‘The Water World’.
It’ll like Noah’s warning to the world at large. Those who ignore it, do so at their own peril.

A Glimmer of Hope?

According to a recent United Nations report, major investments are being made in renewable energies like solar, wind and such. A whopping 110 billion U.S dollars have been invested against the 110 billion dollars ear marked for power generation using fossil fuel. Some comfort indeed!

It is really heartwarming to know that developing countries like India and China are at the forefront of this very welcome phenomenon. Like many developed countries they too want to bring down the dependence on fossil fuels for power generation. If they do this with sincerity and commitment they will be making amends for the harm they are presently doing to the environment.

It is happy to note that this process is slowly turning the tables on fossil fuels. A lot of capital is brought in to further this activity. Let’s hope that the trend will continue in the face of the prevailing economic depression and diminishing fresh investments.

Investors found wind energy more attractive with bio fuels close at heels. Other forms like solar and wave energies are also getting to be attractive.
All this hectic activity is fine of course, but a word of caution! The time hasn’t come to heave a deep sigh of relief. We are only looking at the future scenario. But many of the prevailing practices continue unabated. Still we can take satisfaction from the fact that a change is slowly being made.

Let’s hope that the trend will continue until renewable energy sources replace fossil fuels altogether or at least to a considerable extent.

Imja, The Himalayan Glacier…A Lake Now!

Himalayan glaciers are slowly turning into lakes. It was in the 1950s that Erwin Schneider and Fritz Muller braved the extreme hazards of a Himalayan winter to map and measure the Imja glacier, a major glacier that has been there for thousands of years.
Half a century has passed when the famous mountain geographer Alton Byers reached the very same breath taking location. But the photographs he took of the region and exhibited at Bonn, Germany tells us a different story, shocking in its implications. The famous glacier has all but disappeared and a lake stands in its stead. Small glaciers at the lower reaches have vanished altogether and only half of the larger glaciers remain.
Now most of the awesome glacier has become a lake and keep on declining at an alarming rate. Sadly the same trend is repeated all around the globe, in the Alps, Greenland and the poles.
Nepal, home for most of the Himalayas is getting increasingly warmer as a result. At certain points the banks of the lake is vulnerable. If any of these points is breached the toll of destruction it will exact will be cataclysmic.
Poor Imja Glacier! Can we turn ironic and call it the Imja Lake?

Requiem for An Auto Giant.

Bob Lutz, vice chairman of General Motors was said to have stated that global warming is ‘a crock of shit.’ Now that the company that helped to pollute the environment with the millions of vehicles his company has produced and sold through the years is breathing its last, ‘the crock of shit’ as the V.C flippantly termed it will be reduced considerably and the air is all the more purer as a result.
The era of gas guzzling, pollution-spewing internal combustion engine is slowly but surely coming to a close. While the Western manufacturers are still obsessed with the idea of ICE and keep on producing the evil-product, some far sighted entrepreneurs in Asian countries like China and India have slowly started to deviate from the well-trodden path. India’s electric vehicle Reva and China’s rather advanced BYD are forerunners of this coming revolution.
Talking about India, the Tatas are going to fill the highways with their cheap little trinket called the Nano. They will soon be visible on the highways around the world, belching carbonic gases like nobody’s business. Such ventures are bound to be short lived, for the days of petrol and diesel driven vehicles are numbered.
The writing on the wall is there for all to see. Auto makers will have to wake up from their rigid mindsets from petrol to ‘green’ cars very soon or they will have to give up the ghost like the ubiquitous GM.

June 5 – Environment Day.

On this day, pregnant with meaning, let us rededicate ourselves to the protection of our Environment.
The very first thing be done is to make the Presidents and P.M’s of this world realize the urgency of the very situation. And this fervent request to the powers that be:
Oh, those folk, entrusted with the administration and well-being of people all around the world, only you can save the planet Earth for the simple reason that only you have the necessary power to do so. The way things are going on now, we can just about preserve ourselves on this beautiful blue planet for some little time.
Now what about the coming generations that are going to live here? Don’t they have the right to continue and take part in the drama of life? Do your children and grandchildren have to suffer for what we failed to do?
Oh, world leaders with the power of life and death over all in this world! Have the foresight to act now. If you do so, you’ll go down in history as the protectors of Mother Earth. Future generations will look upon you as latter day saviors. But if you keep on procrastinating in the name of progress and GDP, at the cost of your own people, there won’t be any folk around to enjoy the benefits of both.
Think what will happen when you do nothing about it and pass the buck to the next government! Most of the great cities are situated on the shores of the seas that surround the continents. When they are inundated with flood waters, the industrialists who support you now will be the first ones to call you traitors, so great will be the loss in the field of real estate. When all those beautiful islands to where you go on holidays are no more a reality, what are the poor hapless inhabitants going to do? They can’t undergo instant evolution and become amphibians, for God’s sake! Should they lose their home turf for no fault of their own?
What will happen if the balance of the atmosphere goes haywire and carbonic gases become the order of the day? Surely then, we will have to wear oxygen masks as if we are on an alien planet! Should we let things come to such a pass?
Why can’t you decide on a time frame as short as possible and start the holy duty of cleansing the Earth. Please bring about a ban on pesticides. Tell the auto makers to take it easy on the Internal Combustion Engine and establish alternate ways like hybrid motors, electric vehicles and hydrogen-powered autos. Let us do away with fossil fuels as much as possible. Close down the electric utilities run on coal dust as it is widely done in India and China. Those leaders, who are fortunate enough to have rain forests in their respective lands, please don’t support deforestation. Such forests are a heavy responsibly as they are a great boon. Don’t decimate them please for short term ends and quick cash.
There are many things you can do for you have the authority and means to do so. So why wait?

Climate Change Affects Our Health Too!

Now doctors too have entered the fray against climate change. Rising temperatures on a global scale is said to play havoc with human health, so the doctors say. Existing patterns of infection will change for the worse, so we are warned. Dengue and malaria will be on the increase.
Added to these will be heat waves and they will recur more often than now, not to mention cyclones, hurricanes and storms that cause floods and the resultant calamities.
Richard Horton, editor of the prestigious medical journal Lancet stated that doctors have totally ignored this issue until now. The ultimate sufferers will be our future generations.
To make matters worse, there will be shortages of water and food. The former alone has caused a lot of armed conflicts in the past according to Prof Hugh Montgomery of the University College, London.
As it often happens, poor people will have to bear the brunt of all these. This does not mean that rich countries like the USA and UK are exempt from this process. Floods, forest fires and the like are almost daily fare for new agencies these days.
A report commissioned by the University College, London says that all the external manifestations of climate change like emission of green house gases, melting of ice sheets, temperature and sea-level rises, ocean acidification and extreme climatic conditions suggest that the forecasts hitherto made my government agencies are conservative to a high degree.
To overcome this negative factor, Prof Costello wants to kill two birds with a single stone. If folk walked or bicycled more and motored less, it would considerably reduce stress, obesity, lung and heart disease and release less carbon into the already dying atmosphere.
A blessing in disguise?

Thumbs Up To President Obama

Hail to The Chief

Mammoth automobiles guzzling gas like nobody’s business rule the roost on American expressways. Shortsighted politicians who can’t see beyond their noses help the process along all the way.
Now, all that is going to change with the advent of the brand new President Obama. As soon as he appeared on the automobile horizon he looked around and said ‘enough is enough’.
Ideally, politicians, especially those in power, should be the watchdogs of all that is good in society. But by and large they close to their eyes to unimportant things like carbon emissions and global warming, in the name of progress and development. Some even protect the interests of the auto makers who are intent only on profits and let the environment with everything in it go to hell. Some even line their cozy pockets with the loot got from the avaricious industrialists. These politicians do not have the guts to face the automakers and order them to make their products fuel efficient or else.
Now a politician of a different ilk has made the scene, a person who is gritty enough to tell the automakers the buck stops here. Now those fellows in Detroit crowding the gates of the White House with their begging bowls have to comply with the new order of things whether they like it or not.
This unique president informs us now that the changes that he has prescribed will bring about a sea change in climatic conditions. And when his edicts come into force, it is like shutting down of 194 coal burning plants or taking away 58 million autos off the roads for a year.
At long last, the USA, the worst polluter of this God’s green globe is trying hard to reverse the process it has started in the first place, thereby creating a precedent for the evil offenders like China and India with their coal-fired, black-smoke-belching plants that advance commerce only to harm the human beings. Let us hope that these offending countries will realize their mistake and close down such plants that benefit none.
The environmentalists can make a little sigh of relief for the dark clouds give way and a small silver lining is visible in the near horizon.
Long live President Obama who has the courage of his convictions, something a politician sorely lacks.

Take Note Japs

Hello Japanese, follow the example of the great Aussies who tried hard to save a lot of Sperm Whales stranded on their coasts. Stop the wanton destruction of the majestic whales in the name of ‘research.’ And pray what is this so-called research is all about. To study the effects of gastric juices on whale meat in the filthy bellies of those who consume them.

Bring Down Pollution and Live Longer.

AFP reports the results of a recent study made by Brigham Young University and Harvard School of Public Health on the effect of pollution on human health and longevity. It revealed that reduction of pollution results in ‘measurable health gains’. Cleaner air increased life expectancy by five months in 51 American cities. Longevity increased by five years between 1980 and 2000 in the cities. The study found that this was due to cleaner air.
So CEO’s auto companies and the politicians, who are in league with them, take note. You can live longer if the internal combustion engine is given its last rites.

Hurrah to BVD Co., China.

China is notorious for her carbon emissions. But the great country has done something to compensate for this sin. For it has developed an electric car that seemingly holds great promise. The automaker, BYD Co. Ltd has introduced a car named ‘e 6’. It was in show at the North American International Auto Show held in Detroit recently. It isn’t a small car like most electric cars for it can seat five persons comfortably. And its unique BYD Fe battery enables the car to travel 400km on a single charge.
China has no oil reserves to mention. So she can save hefty sums on oil imports if cars like the ‘e 6’ can take off successfully. On a happy note, it will help reduce the carbon emission to a considerable level.
But carbon spewing developed countries will not develop such cars in a hurry. The oil companies are in cahoots with the auto industry. They don’t want motor vehicles other than fossil fuel driven, gliding along the highways. They don’t care a hoot in saving the environment; they are interested only in the fat profits their evil industries bring them. The way they go on, they’d start shitting on their own dining tables and if the situation warrants it, their own dinner plates.
Hurrah to all those companies that develops the kind of autos that don’t vomit carbon gases. Let those who have that vision and the foresight to save our fragile environment.

The Movie On Deadly Ground

On Deadly Ground is an old Hollywood movie, but Environmental Extremist never gets tired of seeing it. The crowning glory of the film is the speech Segal delivers at the end. Gas companies are against the manufacture of vehicles running on alternate fuels. Development of such vehicles are nipped in the bud or carried on with a halfhearted effort. And one mustn’t forget the fact that gas companies are the prime cause although indirectly of carbon emissions. Also oil spills caused by giant tankers spell danger for our fragile environment. One European company even advertises itself as the pioneer of alternate energy. Satan in God’s garb?!
As mentioned before in this blog, the world economic recession is a blessing in disguise. Production of crude oil is at an all time low. One can hear Mother Earth heaving a sigh of relief. And the chances are that the present trend will continue for a long time to come, thanks to the greed and cupidity of the stinking rich. Their greed has brought down the very system that they helped to build. As their unholy profits dwindle, so does atmospheric pollution vomited out by automobiles and the likes. Isn’t this reason enough to celebrate?