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Editorial
Advisors Narne Prabhakar Kaza Krishna Rao Dr. N. Harinath Dr. V. Haraprasad Advisory Board M. Gopala Krishna, IAS (Retd.) C.S. Ramalakshmi, I.F.S, Dr. N. Bhaskara Rao Prof. P.G. Sastry Er. G. Prabhakar Prof. D.N. Reddy Dr. Rameshwar Rao S. Raghupathy Prof. I.V. Muralikrishna
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS & CLIMATE CHANGE
S
eventy years ago on 26th January 1950, Constitution of India came into force .At that time it did not contain any provision dealing with environment or climate change because they were not subjects of concern and did not pose such a challenge to the people. In 1972, after
the United Nations Conference on Human Environment at Stockholm, the problem of pollution and environment started drawing attention of the environmentalists. In 1976, 42nd Amendment was passed and provisions regarding the protection of environment were incorporated into it. In
Editor Dr. P. Narayana Rao Associate Editors Sweta Pendyala Dr. B.Ramana Naik Sub - editor Swarajyam P.
Directive Principles of State Policy,a new provision in the form of 48 A was incorporated which states "the state shall endeavor to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country ". Apart from this provision, a new provision in the form of Fundamental duties as Article 51 A was also incorporated in which clause (g) states " it shall be the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests , lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures." Rajasthan High Court while pronouncing a judgment in L K Koolwal Vs State of Rajasthan, gave the scope of Article as " we can call Article 51 A ordinarily as the duty of the citizens . But in fact it is the
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right of the citizens as it creates the right in favor of citizens to move to the court to see that the
Edited, Printed & Published by P. Narayana Rao on behalf of society for environment and education, hyderabad.
dance with the law of the land".Karnataka High Court in Lakshmipathy Vs State of Karnataka
Address for communication 302, Padma Nilayam, St.No. 1, Shanti Nagar, Hyderabad - 500 028.
innovative power‌ to enforce and safeguard the right to life to promote public interest". The
state performs its duties faithfully and the obligatory and primary duties are performed in accorsaid " the right to life inherent in Article 21 of the Constitution does not fall short of the requirement of quality of life which is possible only in an environment of quality where, on account of air and quality of environment are threatened or affected , the court would not hesitate to use its above decision specifically declares that Article 21 guarantees right to environment. Regarding climate change, there is not yet a climate legislation that is brought though it affects people's health , life and livelihood.The rights based approach to climate change is to be followed by cli-
email: nraopotturi@yahoo.com contact: 9247385331 (The views expressed by authors may not be necessarily be the same as those of magazine)
mate litigations in the Indian courts as in USA and Australia . These litigations can be brought by public spirited individuals seeking compensation for the affected people in several parts of the country due to extreme weather events taking place frequently. The concerned citizen have to build pressure on the parliament to bring appropriate climate legislation to provide relief to the affected people. January 2020
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content
Mount Everest: New health rules for climber safety
5
Tech Giants and their steps towards a sustainable future
6
Delhi: Not the most polluted city of India?
8
A biodegradable alternative to single-use plastic
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Fridays for Future India starts 2020 with new strategies
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How Multicropping Lets This Farmer Grow 180+ Varieties of Organic Food In 5 Acres!
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Asbestos Continues to Pose Health and Safety Issues
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Where Should the World Focus Its Ocean Conservation Efforts?
26
Ban On Single Use Plastic, Rs 5K Fine: CoP 25: The Longest ever Conference That Failed the Litmus Test 18
Mountain Village in Sikkim Shows The Way!
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Microgreens Are Not Just a Fad. Here’s What Happens When You Add Them to Your Diet
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Switching from Steel to Iron
Mumbaikars joined hands to make their society a zero waste community
Utensils Is the Healthy Choice You Must Make Today!
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Eco IQ
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Eco cartoons
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10 Illegal hunting a greater threat to wildlife than forest degradation
Environment & people
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January 2020
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Mount Everest: New health rules for climber safety Kerean Watts
“I
saw the ridge ahead dropped away to the north and above me on the right was a rounded snow dome. A few more whacks with my ice-axe and Tenzing and I stood on top of Everest,” Edmund Hillary, a British mountaineer, recalled of his efforts which resulted in him and Tenzing Norgay becoming the first people to officially summit Mount Everest. Approximately 800 people attempt that same feat every year and more than 4,000 have succeeded. 223 climbed Mount Everest on May 22nd this year alone. However, while summiting Mount Everest is a life dream for many, it is also deadly as this year reminded us. 2019 saw the deaths of at least eleven climbers, including four Indians – among the deadliest climbing seasons in history. In total, almost 300 people have died attempting to climb Mount Everest. Many factors were pinpointed as the reason behind the deaths dur-
ing this year’s climbing season, in particular inexperience and overcrowding in the so-called “death zone” – an area of the trek 26,000 feat above sea level where an oxygen deficiency imperils human health. In recent days, pre-existing health issues have also been flagged and new rules to prevent such deaths have been drafted to avert similar tragedies in future. Hitherto, summiting Mount Everest was off-limits only to those below the age of sixteen, those with a criminal history, and those with serious health issues. The new rules will mandate that prospective climbers submit proof of insurance and their full medical history in advance of attempting the summit in order to receive a permit to climb the mountain which is the tallest in the world, its elevation standing at
29,035 feet. The insurance would partially cover the cost of a body retrieval in the event of a climber dying, which can be a costly exercise – ranging from US$20,000 to US$200,000, depending on whether or not the fatality has occurred in the “death zone”. The new rules are not expected to affect the Visit Nepal campaign, which aspires to bring two million tourists to the country next year. However, they will likely be welcomed as a necessity in preventing deaths. “As most deaths occurred due to fitness and health issues, we have come up with these strict measures,” commented Mira Acharya, director in the section of mountaineering, hotel, and monitoring of the Government of Nepal’s Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation. “The draft of the new rules was submitted to the Tourism Ministry last week.” The rules will be submitted to the Nepalese Cabinet for ratification. (Source: healthissuesindia.com)
January 2020
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Five brands which are attempting to reduce carbon footprint on the planet and contributing to fight against climate crisis
Tech Giants and their steps I towards a sustainable future
n the recent years, Global Warming has gained a steady rise in mainstream discourse and its awareness as one of the most pressing issues of our time has begun to encourage people, across the globe, to cultivate an environmentally conscious mindset. Tech giants too are actively participating in addressing this issue and initiating systematic changes to reduce carbon footprint. According to Greenpeace, the following are the five greenest tech giants:
1.Apple Apple has developed a three-pronged approach to minimise its carbon emissions. The primary focus is on three key factors renewable energy, energy efficiency, low carbon design. As of April 2019, 44 suppliers in 16 countries have committed to 100 percent renewable energy for the production of products used by Apple. It incentivises its suppliers to make a transition to clean energy by connecting them with important clean energy projects and developers. Apple also prioritises energy reduction at its corporate and supplier facilities. By sourcing recycled or renewable materials, Apple has been able to further decrease its carbon emissions.
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2. Alphabet (Google) Google has employed the circular economy model to reduce its carbon footprint. A circular economy essentially aims at eliminating waste and a prolonged use of resources by reusing, resharing and recycling them. Google also prioritises an energy-efficient design for its data centres. On an average, Google Data Centers use 50 per cent less energy than a typical data centre. In a 2018 Environmental Report by Google, it has been stated that over the last six years, Google's carbon intensity per unit of revenue has been decreased by 87 per cent. Apart from this, Google also manages water stewardship and increases the climate resilience of its operations.
5. Dell Dell's recently adopted Climate Policy Principles demonstrate a strong understanding of the climate science and urgency to address climate change. Dell also attempts at making its products last longer since the devices would then last longer and would not require replacement that often. Dell aims to reduce its global absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40 per cent and are about three-quarters of the way there. Dell hopes to reach a point where 50 per cent of the energy the company uses comes from renewable sources, but it has only been able to make it halfway there. Dell managed to fully reach its goal of ensuring that 90 per cent of its waste is diverted from landfills. It is close to succeeding in its plan to use sustainably sourced or recyclable material in its packaging.
4. Microsoft In 2019, Microsoft committed to 100 per cent carbon-free electricity. They have also increased their carbon fee as they decided to double down on sustainability. This internal Microsoft tax was introduced in 2012 for business divisions to account for reduction in carbon emissions. "Each quarter, Microsoft tracks and analyses its energy use from data centers, offices, labs and manufacturing, as well as emissions associated with business air travel. Those kilowatt-hours and miles and class of air travel are then converted into tonnes of carbon," the UN states in its Climate Change website. "Microsoft offsets those emissions by investing in projects that reduce carbon emissions, recycle e-waste, generate green power, make buildings more efficient, and offset emissions through community projects around the world. Each business unit contributes a proportional amount to the carbon fund based on their emissions and this year's carbon price," adds UN. Microsoft has also set a goal to run 70% of their data centres on renewable energy by 2023.
3. HP HP is one of the first companies to establish greenhouse gas reduction goals across its supply chain and is making progress towards long-term goal of 100 per cent renewable energy for its own operations. HP reduced its carbon footprint and energy consumption by 33 per cent, and worked to ensure that 30 per cent of the plastic used in its printers is closed-loop and postconsumer plastic. Meaning one third of the plastic the company used has been repurposed from something else. For the future, HP has vowed to make sure "every page printed with HP will support a forest-positive future, carbon neutrality, and materials designed to reduce the impact to the planet." Maunica Sarla
January 2020
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Environment & people
The unwarranted assumption that Delhi is the most polluted city of India comes into question after the Central Pollution Control Board released data showing otherwise. Ruehie Karri
W
ith numerous articles and news headlines reporting Delhi's air pollution crisis and how it is severely blanketed under a shroud of hazardous toxins and chemicals, it is no wonder that Delhi is thought of as the most polluted city of India. But according to the data revealed by the Central Pollution Control Board, it is not so. Taking into consideration the particulate matter concentration alone, there are ten other cities that are harbouring heavy quantities of harmful particulate matter which is a major cause for air pollution. First let us take a quick look into what exactly is particulate matter and upon what basis a city is deemed to be dangerously polluted. National Air Quality Index (AQI) India uses the National Air Quality Index (AQI) which was launched in
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October, 2014 to measure the quality of air and help make the public understand the different levels of pollution across all the cities. AQI makes use of eight pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb) and transforms the air quality data into a single number. Health risks increase as the AQI increases. Out of these eight pollutants, particulate matter, PM10 and PM2.5 cause the most damage. PM10, also known as inhalable coarse particles are larger than 2.5 micrometres and smaller than 10 micrometres. These particles are found near extremely dusty areas and roadways. PM2.5, fine particulate matter, are even more hazardous as they tend to stay longer in the air and trigger or worsen chronic diseases such as asthma and bronchitis. Once inhaled, these particles affect the heart and lungs and cause serious health issues. Even though Delhi is struggling to breathe, it does not feature among the ten most polluted cities of India. Depending on the Air Quality Index provided by Central Pollution Control Board, the list of cities most affected in the month of November was formulated and surprisingly, Delhi did not make the cut. Yes, it is severely polluted with an AQI of 407 (very unhealthy), but there are other cities in India that are currently more polluted than Delhi. Jind, Haryana had an
average AQI of 448 and had the most toxic air followed by Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh (AQI 440). What's very alarming about this report is that millions of people are losing their lives to this pollution and nothing concrete is being done about it. Many places lack measurements to quantify the effects of air pollution and combat them effectively. Some of the lesser known but most polluted cities of India It is not fair to concentrate on Delhi's air pollution crisis solely as the AQI reports for the period of October to November clearly show other cities in North India with much higher AQI values. Jind, Haryana (AQI of 448) The major reason for the sudden spike
in AQI levels is stubble burning in the northern plains. Jind's contribution to the pollution load has been at a maximum of 25% this year according to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research reports. Another reason is that there are no effective plans to deal with this issue in small towns and cities. Bhagpat, Uttar Pradesh (AQI of 440) Due to the rising industrial and residential belt in Bhagpat, there has been an increase in the toxicity of the air. Sugar and paper mills as well as slaughter houses release effluents into Krishna river thereby contaminating it causing cancer in the people residing there. The next generation is facing an uncertain future with the children being born with major deformities. The remaining cities in the list include,
Ghaziabad (AQI of 440), Hapur (436), Lucknow (435), Moradabad (434), Noida (430), Greater Noida (428) and Kanpur (427) in UP, and Sirsa (426) in Haryana. Impact of air pollution: Troubled times There are several hazardous problems that are caused due to air pollution but the most dangerous impact would be the one related to the physical and mental health of children. According to one report published by the World Health Organisation, "The maximum number of deaths among children occur in India is aged five and below. Due to the compromised quality of air in these cities, several years of life of children and adults both are shaved off. The lung function of children is severely affected due to the high toxic levels of the air breathed in by them. The lungs of children would still be in the developing stage and this is impeded due to exposure to pol-
luted air. Other disorders include neurological disorders, lowered intelligence, leukaemia, and cancer. The next most harmful impact would have to be the direct relationship between chronic exposure to air pollution and the reduced cognitive abilities of adults. The higher the level of particulates in the air, the greater the impact on mental health. Continued exposure to air pollution leads to anxiety, depression and other psychological issues as well. A study conducted by the University of Cincinnati is one of the first to show a connection between air pollution and increased symptoms of psychiatric disorders, especially in children. These two troubling issues are not talked about as much as the other causes of pollution such as fatal diseases in people including cancer, lung infections, neurological disorders and many more. As Robert Green once said, "There's so much pollution in the air now that if it weren't for our lungs there'd be no place to put it at all." Don't let our future go up in smoke: The obvious concern There is no easy solution to tackle the gigantic problem of air pollution but we have to start from somewhere. Taking Beijing as an example, with its reformative strategies to combat air pollution and decades of hard work, it is time to believe that it is possible to achieve such a daunting feat.
January 2020
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Environment & people
This Zero Waste Mumbai Community is attracting people from all age groups to help each other lead a mindful life Nishitha Pokala
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he determined residents of Mumbai decided on setting up a zerowaste community. They have made some minor lifestyle changes which made major differences in achieving a hygienic environment. Zero Waste Mumbai Community is an initiative started in March 2018, by Mehendi. Initially, this community started off with 10 people and, now it has grown into a 100 people community. The community conducts regular group meetings, workshops and discussions to share their individual journeys and their contribution to make the surroundings a zero-waste society. Some of the activities include using public transport, opting for paper bags instead of plastic ones, composting, recycling, tree plantation and a lot more. Talking about how the Zero Waste Mumbai Community came into existence, Mehendi, the founder of the community who is also an advocate, shares "I was feeling lonely in my journey and one fine day I thought maybe
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ation segreg cale g a b r ga y lo on the papers in m n e e very k at the I am ake sure th mbai. m Mu m o I r f d y d n d e a a recycl r-old l ity are a, a 60-yea t - Lali nable sustai the n i s r elieve ces fo nity b the resour u m m e o v Our c ment, to sa enp and m r. o r l . e e n h v o c e i r t d to ea educa genera ce res future i, a freelan anagement s m - Raja ual health str fuse, in 're s e v lie y be aste munit recycle' m o c ero W ty. Z d f n o a r Our i e , reuse found ai Commun reduce Mehendi, Mumb
there are other people who are feeling the same way. It made me start this community where people can share their knowledge under one roof and help make a zero-waste society." "Our community believes in 'refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle'. We concentrate on replacing artificial or chemical products with natural alternatives for daily use. We consider cloth pads/menstrual cups instead of sanitary pads and look for more of biodegradable products that can help us lead a better life. I adapt old natural methods and customise it according to my convenience to lead a healthy life," Mehendi added. From the 100 member community, Rajasi, a freelance researcher and menstrual health management educator, who is an active participant in the community, said, "My interest in the environment started in the rural areas of Chattisgarh in 2013. As there were no means to dispose of the waste, it made me ponder over the fact that I am creat-
ing a lot of waste and I should be thoughtful of my needs and the waste I am contributing to the environment. Taking the first step, the major lifestyle change I made was using a menstrual cup to avoid the waste that sanitary pads generate. After I moved back to Mumbai, I stumbled upon a post by Mehendi and immediately joined the community to contribute my part to society. Our community believes in sustainable development, to save the resources for the future generation." She also added that the entire community comes up with monthly challenges to keep it more enthusiastic and interesting. That's how the community have been growing and it will continue to grow in the coming months and years." As the community focuses on transforming society into a zero-waste world, it has members of all age groups. Lalita, a 60-year-old member says, "I have always been very interested in contributing something to the society and my neighbour Dr Mughda enlight-
ened me on this zero waste community. Now, I am very glad to be a part of the community. I am very particular in optimum utilisation of resources and prefer using the resources to its maximum capacity. I also am very keen on garbage segregation and I make sure that the papers in my locality are recycled." She also mentions that her daughter also got inspired by these activities and joined the zero waste team to contribute her part. This community is a huge success in Mumbai and it has inspired many people to adopt a healthy lifestyle. The team says that they intend to inspire people from other cities and states to embrace a zero-waste lifestyle and luckily they now get to hear that other cities have also started something similar. Word of mouth has really helped them achieve this result.
January 2020
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Environment & people
These two entrepreneurs quit their PhDs to research about the bioplastics made out of organic waste and fully biodegradable under natural conditions. Nishitha Pokala
P
lastic is a known peril. Environmental pollution caused by plastic has become an alarming threat to society with a rapid increase in the production and disposition of plastic. As it is a non-biodegradable compound, it adversely affects wildlife and humans. Many studies have proven that regular exposure to plastic may cause cancer due to the presence of potential carcinogens (a chemical). Efforts to recycle plastic are going on worldwide. Unfortunately, only nine per cent of the 300 million tons Environment & people
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of plastic produced worldwide is recycled and, the rest of the plastic goes into landfills or oceans. Many alternatives are being brought out in the market against plastic, but not all are viable options against single-use plastic. For example, glass is not cost-effective and, paper cups lined with Polyethylene (PE) face the problem of recycling. One of the bioplastics, which has gained popularity recently is Polylactic acid or PLA. It is made from corn starch. But if the demand shoots up, corn plantations will have to be increased, which will again lead to pressure on the agricultural ecosystem. Also, PLA is not biodegradable under natural conditions. It requires aggravated conditions such as high temperature for degradation. Thus it does not solve the problem of single-use plastic waste accumulation. Aware of these threats, two young minds, Nikhil Jain and Sukanya Dikshit have come up with an efficient biodegradable alternative to plastics. The bioplastic
majorly consists of a biopolymer (Polyhydroxyalkanoates) that can replace all the existing applications of plastic as it is water and heat resistant. This bioplastic has an excellent shelf life and is completely recyclable too. Polyhydroxyalkanoate can be made from organic waste materials and is fully biodegradable under natural conditions. This particular material has better strength and thermal properties, almost similar to conventional plastics. After these two came across the concept, they both decided to innovate and experiment with this biodegradable material and, during their experiments, they stumbled upon a process which gave good results at less cost. This process utilises beer and dairy industry wastes which are converted into this biopolymer through a microbial bio-conversion process. They have optimised the parameters at a small scale under a laboratory setup. Currently, they are filing patents and trying to commercialise the production at an industrial scale. These young innovative minds have taken this idea forward to set up a startup named Phabio Enterprises, which was selected in Top 15 International Startups in Impact Segment at BlueBioValue, Lisbon. They have also won first prize in the innovation category at the Big Idea Summit, Mumbai, 2018. Sharing about how the idea of setting up Phabio Enterprise came to their minds, the founder and CEO of the company, Sukanya Diskshit says, "It all started in Global entrepreneurship Summit Shangai, in 2018. My co-founder and I caught up on this idea that the use of plastic should be reduced in India. We then stumbled upon the fact that there is
a biopolymer which can replace plastic." Throwing some light on the onward journey, she adds, "It was not viable because it cannot be produced at a large scale. And that's when we took this as a challenge and tried to commercialise the production of bioplastics. We started researching what can be done for a large scale production and, all of these were happening while we were pursuing PhD in IIT Bombay. Finally, through our experimentation in labs, we managed the production of bioplastic through agricultural wastes, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw,
I believe bio plastics are the long term solution to eventually reduce the usage of plastic and completely eradicate it. - Nikhil Jain. I was researching about cancer and cancer causing agents and I learnt that the rising use of plastics is one of the reasons why the cases of cancer, especially breast cancer have gone up. -Sukanya Dikshit.
woodchips, food waste, etc. Later we started applying for awards, grants and funds. After achieving the best innovation award in 2018, we have decided to devise a patent to manufacture the biopolymer at a low cost and currently waiting for it to be granted." On asking what drove her to make a change in the environment by reducing the plastic waste, this young entrepreneur says, "I was personally very keen on minimising the plastic usage in the world. I was researching about cancer and cancer-causing agents, in my PhD, and I learnt that the
rising use of plastics is one of the reasons why the cases of cancer, especially breast cancer have gone up. That created a drive in me to reduce the usage of plastic as my mother was a cancer survivor. I am glad that we could come up with such an innovative idea which can completely replace plastic." It has not been an easy journey for the two. As every big idea needs a lot of sacrifices and hard work, these two have also had their share of challenges. Sharing how Nikhil and Sukanya partnered to take it international levels, Nikhil Jain, the cofounder of Phabio Enterprises added "After being to the Global entrepreneurship Summit Shangai, in 2018, I realised the amount of plastic that is being wasted alone for food delivery services in China was about 40 million bowls and 20 million per month. I was mortified to know the amount of non-biodegradable waste generated. That was the time I decided to work on the reduction of plastic usage. I was thinking of a bio alternative for plastic which was commercially scalable and, this is how Sukanya and I teamed up. Upon extensive research, we both found out that the biopolymer PHA (Polyhydroxyalkanoates) can be derived from the industrial and food processing waste, resulting in large scale production of bioplastics." "We were really dedicated and determined towards implementing the idea in the real world. Our passion for our idea made us quit our PhDs in IIT Bombay to completely concentrate on marketing this idea for a plastic-free world. I believe that bioplastics are the long term solution to reduce the usage of plastic and completely eradicate it," concluded Nikhil.
January 2020
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Environment & people
Post submitting nationwide demands in November to the ministry, Fridays for Future India conducts National Coordinators Meet to work on the demands at the city level. Sweta Pendyala
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t wasn't long ago when Greta Thunberg's speech took social media by storm, making Fridays for Future and the school strike for the climate, reach a large number of people across the globe. Started with Greta protesting in front of the Swedish parliament for three weeks on every school day questioning the negligence on the climate crisis, it has now become an international movement. In India, the movement started at the
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end of the February 2019, when youngsters on social media started understanding its need and worked towards conducting first Friday for Future global strike in India, on March 15. After the first global strike in Bengaluru, many people across the country intending to launch a Fridays for Future chapter in their respective towns and cities connected on social media with each other. Talking about how it all started in India, Disha A Ravi from Fridays for Future Karnataka, who recently completed her graduation says, "When the movement was happening globally, there were discussions over social media. Strongly believing in the movement, we were three girls who connected over social media to bring the movement to India as well. After connecting on WhatsApp, we created social media accounts for Fridays for Future India to reach out to more likeminded people across the country and later started to focus on Karnataka chapter too. Delhi and Mumbai were also planning their respective chapters around the same time and, we all started to contact and coordinate with each other slowly." Continuing it further she adds, "We started the Bangalore chapter with seven people in the team and the first global strike saw around 120 people participate in the strike. From there, we have now grown into a core team of 15 people and, nearly 1,200 people participated in the week-long September global strike." Fridays for Future Karnataka is very much active with its weekly events and have been conducting different activities to spread awareness and understand the issues across the city and the state. "After our first global strike, we had conducted a lot of community and team building activities and, we had around 500 people who participated in the second global strike held in May. Post that, regularly awareness events started to took place as striking is only possible when people are aware of the issues. To make it meaningful, we focussed on raising awareness. We conducted workshops, tied-up with NGOs as well as companies working on zero wastes and raised awareness on how menstrual cups can replace sanitary pads as well as tampons and help the environment, spoke about the vegan lifestyle and organised some other activities that involved interactions," shares Disha. Slowly the Bangalore chapter was decentralised to understand the problems closely from each section of the society. Upon dividing it area-wise, connecting with NGOs, Teach for India and conducting local strikes in five different areas of the city, they have come to understand how the lower section of the society is affected the most due to climate crisis. The team continued the regular strikes and events on every Friday until December. "Due to Section 144 in Bengaluru, we paused our events to avoid problems that team members could face. During the last global January 2020
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strike that held on November 29, we submitted the national demands to ministry in Delhi," shares Disha. Talking about the demands that were submitted to the Ministry in Delhi, Lakshay, a member of Fridays for Future Delhi and an engineering student says, "The Delhi chapter started somewhere around in March and, we worked towards conducting the May global strike in Delhi and submit the International demands to the ministry. We did submit the demands in May but later when we realised that the requirements in our country are different, we started our research. We then came with demands that were customised to India. Making India climate-resilient and focussing on agrarian crisis, were two of the major demands we submitted to the ministry during November global strike. Now, we want to go one step ahead and
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make it more relevant to society by understanding the climate crisis at city levels." Fridays for Future India is spread across many cities and towns in the country but Bengaluru, Delhi and Mumbai are the three cities where the movement is happening at a large scale. "The first global strike in March started with 20 people and, now we have grown to nearly 2,000 people concerned about the climate crisis. A lot of other cities were active at the same time and, all of us came to know about it when we later connected. From March, we started to conduct different activities at different locations to raise awareness on the climate crisis. We connected with schools, organised documentary screenings and workshops. Our September global strike had around 15 schools and over 2,000 people as active participants," adds a hospital;ity student, Tarun Mediratta from
We are not against metro as Mumbai really needs it but, we oppose the development of car shed in the Aarey forest. There are a lot of open places that can be utilised for this purpose. - Tarun Mediratta, a team member from Fridays for Future, Mumbai. Making India climate-resilient and focussing on agrarian crisis, were two of the major demands we submitted to the ministry during November global strike. - Lakshay, a team member from Fridays for Future, Delhi. Slowly the Bangalore chapter was decentralised to understand the problems closely from each section of the society. - Disha A Ravi, a team member from Fridays for Future, Karnataka.
Fridays for Future Mumbai. Continuing further he adds, "We have been conducting Friday activities without any intervals, post our first global strike in March. We visited schools and the staff, as well as students, have been extremely supportive and joined the movement. We are growing with each passing day and, have three government schools from Mumbai participating with us in the movement. There are a lot of other local chapters at Panchayat level and, in small towns which we aren't completely aware of but a few are in touch with us. Nagpur is one of them." After submitting the nationwide requirements in November and able to reach out different sections of people in the society to
understand their issues, the members across the country from 11 cities are now conducting National Coordinators Meet in Mumbai, on January 11 and 12. As each state and city is dealing with its own set of problems, the meet aims to split the issues at city and state levels for faster and easier solutions. Talking about a couple of demands from Mumbai chapter, Tarun adds, "For Mumbai, instead of the building Coastal Road Project and roadways, we request the government to focus on the development of railways as large part of Mumbai is dependent on local trains. We are not against metro as Mumbai really needs it but, we oppose the development of car shed in the Aarey forest. There are a lot of open places that can be utilised for this purpose."
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CoP 25: The Longest ever Conference That Failed the Litmus Test
In this year's periodic review of the long-term goal of the UNFCCC, there was a conflict of interest about how to address the fact that the developed countries failed to meet their pre-2020 climate pledges.
T
he 25th United Nations Climate Change Conference (CoP 25) that spanned from December 2 to 13, jointly organised by the Spanish and Chilean governments, took place in the city of Madrid. It was also the 15th meeting of the Kyoto Protocol (CMP15) and only the sec-
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ond meeting of the parties for the Paris Agreement (CMA2). There were many issues of critical importance and, one among them was the outstanding issue of Article-6 of the Paris Agreement. The agreement aims at promoting integrated, holistic and balanced approaches that will assist governments in implementing their NDCs (nationally determined contributions) through voluntary international cooperation. This cooperation mechanism, if properly designed, should make it easier to achieve reduction targets and raise ambition. One big hurdle is the set of rules around creating an international carbon market under Article-6 of the Paris Agreement. Unfortunately, unlike a round-up article that keeps readers up-to-date with pol-
icy changes, action plan follow-ups etc., the focus here largely remains on the sad state of affairs at this year's United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Firstly, the sluggish and close-to-stagnant paced conference prompted protesters from organisations like Climate Action Network (CAN), in and around the venue to flare up, leading to many evictions. Negotiators were quick to blame the U.S., the largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, liable for any climate-related damages. The Indian Union Environment Minister, Prakash Javedkar claimed that India was one of the top six global performers when it came
to taking climate action. He also pointed out that the government had put in place 'a carbon tax on coal production at the rate of $6 per tonne' and added that it was passed unanimously by Parliament. Incidentally, the said tax was brought during the regime of Manmohan Singh. The Indian government's push for the transition of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) credits earned under the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement. It is estimated that 750 million Certified Emissions Reductions (CERs) whose certificated held by Indian companies were left untraded, which can be sold to raise funds. This, as part of the transition of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), credits earned under the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement. It was said that India has already installed 83 gigawatts out of the 175-gigawatt renewable energy target set for it in the Paris commitment, and is now planning to raise the target to 450 gigawatts. "I am disappointed with the results of #COP25," U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement. He added that despite having "lost an important opportunity" to tackle the climate crisis, "we must not give up." History has always taught us memorable lessons, in this case, in the form of 2018's C0P 24, in Poland. Back then, the issue of long-term climate finance (LTF), a workstream that examines progress and scaling up of climate finance, that expires in 2020. It is at such junctures where the UN could look at maintaining a fine correlation between innovation and redundancy. In this year's periodic review of the long-term goal of the UNFCCC, there was a conflict of interest about how to address the fact that the developed countries failed to meet their pre-2020 climate pledges. There will be no new changes until the effects of the aggregate steps of the Parties are assessed, as per the agreed mandate. However, as per the Sustainable Development Goals UN report- 2019, the most urgent area for action is climate change. If we do not cut record-high greenhouse gas emissions now, global warming is projected to reach 1.5°C in the coming decades. Considering the data-driven world we live in, it is also mentioned in the report that Quality data are vital for governments, development partners, international organisations, civil society, the private sector and the general public, to make informed decisions and to ensure an accurate review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Akshat Thonangi
January 2020
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Environment & people
Rajendra Bhat has even received the ‘Krishi Bhushan’ award for turning land not suitable for farming into a green luscious farm, while saving lakhs of litres of water Gopi Karelia
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ocated six kilometres away from Badlapur in Maharashtra, is a lush five-acre farm with 187 varieties of fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants. More often than not, visitors tend to mistake the verdant farm, named Nisarg Mitra and owned by Rajendra Bhat, for a dense forest. The unceasing chirping of birds and constant breeze further add to its charm. Interestingly, not too long ago, the same plot of land was barely able to sustain a sin-
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January 2020
gle jamun tree. The family from whom Bhat purchased the property in 1990, made it clear that it was infertile and unsuitable for farming. However, he went ahead with the deal because he knew that with the right care and farming methods, developing a flourishing ecosystem was not an impossible task. Almost 20 years later, in 2012, Bhat received the prestigious Krishi Bhushan award, an annual prize given by the Agriculture Department of Maharashtra, for his contribution to organic farming and growing a forest-like farm. Explaining why his farm looks like a forest, Bhat says, “Years ago, before I ventured into farming, I read one square metre of an area of in a forest can yield more than two kilos of food naturally without using any external inputs. Whereas in a farm, the same area gives 600 gram despite adding
artificial resources like chemicals.” Bhat was working as an engineer, but his curiosity was piqued. “After reading books on the topic, I came to know that in a forest, food grows on a cubic square metre, meaning it has three dimensions. I was very fascinated by the idea of utilising land in three dimensions, and one of the agricultural terms for this method is multi-cropping farming,” mentions the 63-year-old. Bhat worked as an engineer for almost 15 years before switching to farming. “I am an avid mountaineer and would trek in the Konkan hills and the Himalayas where I came across the concept of organic farming. One thing led to another, and soon I decided to take early retirement and try my hand at it.” In the farming community, Bhat is known for his judicious use of space. He plants multiple crops on the same piece of land to ensure an overlap in the growth cycle of different crops. In simple words, by the time the first crop is harvested, the second crop is already growing in the same place. The best part? The amount of water required for one crop is sufficient to cover two or more crops, thus saving lakhs of litres of water and electricity (power used for pumping water) every year. Here are three steps Bhat religiously follows to ensure a stable land, sufficient
does not kill beneficial fungi and bacteria,” informs Bhat.
water and high yield: 1) Multi-Layer Cropping: Planting 15 Crops In One 30×30 Feet Area There are several combinations that Bhat uses to plant crops in vertical and horizontal layers. One of his most successful examples is that of coconut trees in a 30×30 feet area. He first planted coconut trees, and then areca nut and black pepper trees below them. Following this, he planted spices in the space between the trees. On the ground, he planted shrubs and below the ground, it was turmeric and suran (elephant yam). “Since turmeric has antimicrobial properties, it controls the growth of bacteria, and spices are planted in between the trees as they do not require much sunlight. Shrubs prevent the growth of weeds by covering the soil. Meanwhile, the coconut trees allow sunlight to penetrate to other crops,” Bhat explains. Another example of multi-cropping is growing leafy vegetables, pulses, and fruits in the space between 55 varieties of mango trees. One of the most significant advantages of this method, says Bhat is food production around the year. “The harvesting time for brinjal is around two months, and leafy vegetables are ready within 30 days. So, culti-
vation of both the veggies is constant. The burden of harvesting or cultivating the entire 5-acre farm at the same time is not there.” Bhat’s farm consists of medicinal plants, banana, mangoes, jackfruits, seasonal veggies, grains, spices, pulses, radish, pineapple, custard apple, and so on. To keep the pests away, Bhat makes green manure from fallen leaves and crop residues. 2) Zero Tilling Zero tillage was one of the crucial lessons Bhat learnt in his early days. As per a United Nations study, globally, 24 billion of fertile soil is lost every year. “Heavy tilling and the indiscriminate use of agro-chemicals leads to increased food production, but it happens at the cost of the health of the land. In no-till farming, crops are grown without disturbing the soil through tillage,” says Bhat. In this process, the crop seed is sown using drillers, and no land preparation is required. Before planting a set of crops, Bhat evenly distributes harvested crop residue in his farm. This practice prevents soil erosion and even breaks down nutrients and organic matter for the soil. “No-tilling keeps the carbon in the soil intact that improves soil biodiversity and reduces the need to use chemical fertilisers that otherwise emit greenhouse gases. Another advantage of no-tilling is that it
3) Rainwater Harvesting and Irrigation Methods When Bhat had just started, he explored several watering options and one among them was using borewells. “In our region, the borewells were very deep, and in a deplorable condition. More digging round would have released arsenic water. So, I decided to increase the groundwater levels and keep the soil moisturised throughout the year,” he shares. He executed raised-bed farming to evenly distribute water and prevent water runoff. He also made long and narrow trenches on the ground and planted seeds on raised strips. Next, he made optimal use of earthworms for capturing rainwater and preparing nutrient-rich manure. Earthworms make it easy for water to seep into the ground, and increase its holding capacity. Explaining their role in raising groundwater levels to The Better India, Ajit Gokhale, an expert in Watershed Management who has studied Bhat’s farm says, “Earthworms make tunnels in the soil and make it very porous. Raindrops go through these tunnels and make the place much better than what it would be if the leaves and weeds were not there. It is like the entire field starts drinking rainwater. All farmers should make their soil like Bhat’s to prevent loses in drought-like and floods situations.” For watering the plants and trees, Bhat uses micro-sprinklers for seasonal crops and drip irrigation. “It would take almost an entire day to water hundreds of varieties of plants and cover five acres of land in conventional route. But here the entire farm is watered within 4-5 hours,” adds Bhat. Thanks to multi-cropping, Bhat saves almost 90 per cent of water as the water required for a single crop is sufficient for other crops as well. “If in one acre, a conventional farmer uses 50,000 litres of water per rotation, I need approximately 10,000 litres. As for the rainwater, almost 50 per cent of it recharges the groundwater, and the remaining is used by the sprinklers,” says Bhat. (Sourrce: thebetterindia.com)
January 2020
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Environment & people
From baby powder to toothpaste, the dangers of asbestos remain. Lee Sadd
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nother week, another slate of asbestosrelated stories. Despite having been banned for 20 years now, asbestos seems to be cropping up in the news more than ever. From cases of sudden and debilitating illness to asbestos being improperly disposed of, it doesn't seem like this deadly substance is going away anytime soon. The latest cases relate to a variety of products that apparently contain (or contained)
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January 2020
asbestos. Given that asbestos is still legal to produce or use in over 100 countries, can we be sure that the substance isn't making it into goods we use every day, and are worries about the effects of asbestos in products justified? Drink 'til You Drop The concept of asbestos polluting consumer goods is far from alien. Back when asbestos was considered a 'miracle material' - due largely to its heat and electrical resistance - hundreds of products advertised themselves as containing asbestos. Asbestos toothpaste was supposed to give you a whiter smile, asbestos insoles would help support your feet, and asbestos cigarette fil-
ters would give you a smoother taste. There was even asbestos snow, which purported to be more realistic than the alternatives, and wouldn't catch light around Christmas candles. While most of these unusual uses for asbestos fell out of fashion by the 1960s, asbestos continued to be used in many popular products. Asbestos was commonly found in hairdryers, ironing boards and other appliances which heated up, as well as car brake pads, lab equipment, ashtrays and more. The legacy of these products continues to make itself known, with one case recently of a man who contracted mesothelioma as a hairdresser, due to cleaning and repairing hair dryers over the decades. Even when the dangers of asbestos were better publicized, however, the substance still made its way into popular products. While brown and blue asbestos were banned at a fairly early stage, it was believed for many decades that white asbestos was relatively harmless. The substance was still used to filter beer right up until the 1980s, and some bar owners would reportedly throw handfuls of asbestos into leftover beer to 'clean' it for the following day. While there is no conclusive evidence, some believe that the use of asbestos in beer production is directly linked to a spike in esophageal cancer cases. Poisonous Powder The presence of asbestos in modern consumer products has perhaps been a more visible issue in the United States than the UK. The most high profile case is that of Johnson & Johnson, who were recently embroiled in a lengthy case over the safety of their best-selling baby powder. The company was sued by numerous people who claimed that asbestoscontaminated talc was used in the powder for decades, and that it had contributed to many cases of cancer, chiefly the development of ovarian cancer. Johnson & Johnson have so far paid almost $4.7 billion in settlements over these lawsuits, with tests and written evidence proving that the products not only did contain harmful levels of asbestos, but that the company was aware of the issue. While J&J have contested both the presence of asbestos and its role in causing those instances of cancer, the FDA has subsequently found asbestos in a brand new batch of the product, which the company has voluntarily recalled.
This is far from the only case of asbestos appearing in modern consumer products, however. Cosmetics frequently use talc too, and depending on where it's sourced from and the rigorousness of the testing, they are also prone to contamination. Kids' store Claire's opted to recall a number of products due to asbestos contamination, though not until some months after US authorities flagged up issues with several of their products. Fellow tween chain Justice also recalled seven of its products after a newspaper investigation paid for private testing. Product Safety
So what is the present danger of asbestos in our products today? The use or production of asbestos has been banned in the UK for 20 years; by law, no products should be allowed to contain asbestos, regardless of where they have been produced. Many alternatives to asbestos for fire resistance and electrical insulation have been produced, and accidental contamination with asbestos is rare. However, this does not mean that there is no reason to be vigilant about the substance. As recent cases in the United States prove, asbestos remains an issue where testing and regulation are not in step with com-
panies and demand. Asbestos continues to be used legally in the U.S. in an industrial capacity, simply because the viable alternatives are slightly more expensive. Its presence in makeup and talcum powder meanwhile point to insufficient testing on the part of companies, poor practices in terms of mining or processing, and the relative powerlessness of the authorities to enforce their own standards and recalls. Just as many products make their way into the UK via eBay or Amazon that break EU safety standards, so products contaminated with asbestos can slip through the cracks. And none of this is to mention the continuing
legacy of asbestos products in the UK, which linger in attics, landfill, charity shops, old brownfield sites and more. If nothing else, the stories about asbestos contaminated products reflect the need for vigilance over this age-old problem - and the continuing need for regulation to punish unscrupulous traders. (Source: ehstoday.com)
January 2020
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Environment & people
In a recent study, researchers used camera-trapping records to show that illegal hunting may be a bigger threat mammals and ground-dwelling birds than forest degradation in Southeast Asia. Nanditha Chandraprakash
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hey chose Borneo and the Annamite Mountains on the Southeast Asian mainland, two rainforest study sites that have similar habitats. While widespread logging has degraded many forests in Borneo, the island has faced less hunting. By contrast, the Annamites have experienced exceedingly high illegal hunting, but its forests are structurally more intact. The world has long associated plummeting populations of Southeast Asian wildlife with news of forest degradation and poignant images of deforested lands. Recent studies, however, bring to light another human practice that’s been driving the decline of wildlife numbers in these ecosystems. Environment & people
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January 2020
Researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (LeibnizIZW) in Berlin, in cooperation with WWFVietnam, WWF-Laos and the forestry department of the state of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, carried out a study showing that illegal hunting may be a bigger threat to mammals and ground-dwelling birds than forest degradation. The research, published Oct. 30 in the journal Communications Biology, compares camera-trapping records from logged forests in Malaysian Borneo with a protected ecoregion in the Annamite Mountains of Vietnam and Laos where illegal hunting is rampant. The results show a more precipitous loss of species and wildlife populations in the Annamites than in Borneo. Researchers chose the two rainforest study sites as they have similar habitats.
Their recent history, however, has a few noteworthy differences. While widespread logging has degraded many forests in Borneo, the island has faced less hunting. By contrast, the Annamites have experienced exceedingly high illegal hunting, but its forests are structurally more intact. Both forest degradation and hunting threaten wildlife, but the latter has reached extreme heights in recent years. “In one protected area complex, the Hue and Quang Nam Saola Nature Reserves, in central Vietnam, forest rangers collected more than 110,000 wire snares over the course of a few years,” Andrew Tilker, one of the lead authors of the study, a Ph.D. student at Leibniz-IZW and Asian species officer at the NGO Global Wildlife Conservation, said in an email. “[T]his didn’t lead to any noticeable reduction in the overall snaring pressure. It is possible to collect hundreds of snares in a single day’s walk through the forest. In one protected area that we worked in, people have hunted out almost all mammals larger than a rat or squirrel and now busy taking out the last small mammals. It is complete
faunal collapse.” Snaring has pushed many species that live only in the Annamite Range, such as the antelope-like saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) and the Annamite striped rabbit (Nesolagus timminsi), to the brink of extinction. Snares are as rife as they are easy to construct, most commonly using cheaply available material like motorbike and bicycle brake cables. Hunters come from local communities, larger regional towns and the bigger cities alike to supply the thriving illegal wildlife trade in the region. “There is little, if any, subsistence hunting in the Annamites,” Tilker said. Hunters and wildlife traders may send a few high-value species, like pangolins, to major cities or export them to foreign markets. But most of the animals that are captured go to local wildlife markets or are sold directly to restaurants as bushmeat. “Bushmeat is something of a status symbol in Vietnam and Laos,” Tilker added. “Put simply, if you are a wealthy upper- or middle-class person in Vietnam, and you want to show off to your friends, you go to a bushmeat restaurant and order wild meat.” Confirming and adding to related studies Previous research in Southeast Asia has similarly warned that hunting is a more severe threat than deforestation and that the use of snares is driving species to extinction. The current study, in which the researchers quantified the severity of the threats, confirms these results. “Our camera-trapping effort, which scales across 1,000 square kilometers [386 square miles] in both [the Annamite Mountain and the Bornean] landscapes, is much larger than the spatial scale of earlier studies,” Andreas Wilting, a scientist at Leibniz-IZW and co-author of the study, said in an email. “[T]his really helped us to assess biodiversity across entire forest reserves and protected areas.” Data from such large areas allowed the researchers to estimate which species are either completely missing in a region or occur at such low numbers that they could be considered locally extinct. Wilting added that the study also shows that species that are more resistant to hunting have lower populations in the hunted landscapes than in the logged landscapes.
“From an ecological perspective,” Wilting said, “both findings are equally important as they show that it is impossible for more resistant species to take over the ecological role of the ones which disappeared, as the resistant species are also negatively impacted by the hunting.” In addition, the study also shows that habitat-related elements that are observed for comparison, such as canopy cover, are not accurate predictors for species occurrences in hunted regions. That means that some species might occur even in habitats for which they’re only marginally suited — if they are protected from hunting, Wilting said.
“Clear policy directions and high-level political commitment in relation to wildlife crime, be it high-value wildlife products such as ivory and rhino horn for international trade, or bushmeat trade within the country, needs to be secured to ensure longterm persistence of these species,” Rawson said in an email. Tilker said the complex problem of snaring needs to be addressed from multiple angles. The crisis calls for a reduction in demand for wildlife products, strengthening enforcement in protected areas, and conducting education and outreach activities to raise awareness among the general public. “However, I believe that an argument
“Conceptually and scientifically, this is an important finding,” he said, “as we often assess species distributions based on suitable habitat (that is, forest cover) and hunting related factors are ignored, partly because they are very difficult to capture and are region specific.” “These results show that logging concessions can be safe havens for mammal and bird communities, particularly if sustainable forest management protocols are applied, following principles of forest certification standards,” Mashor Mohamad Jaini, director of the Sabah Forestry Department, said in a statement.
could be made for a fundamental paradigm shift within the conservation community, in which combating poaching is treated with the same level of urgency as protecting tropical forest habitat,” he said. “For decades, the conservation community has emphasized protecting tropical rainforest habitat as a primary means of protecting biodiversity. “[O]bviously, this is important,” Tilker added. “But maintaining forest cover is, by itself, not enough. It is possible to have pristine but nonetheless empty tropical rainforest.” Wilting agrees. “We need to see a shift within the large-scale development aid and governmental funds from ‘forests/habitat protection’ to actual biodiversity protection,” he said.
Equal attention to deforestation and hunting Co-author Benjamin Rawson, conservation director of WWF-Vietnam, advocates an immediate reduction of anthropogenic pressure on wildlife, especially snaring.
(Source: news.mongabay.com)
January 2020
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Environment & people
Brian Owens
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ountries around the world have committed to protecting 10 percent of the planet’s coastal and marine areas by 2020 as part of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. But it is not always easy for countries to agree on where the protected areas should be so they have the biggest conservation impact. “The world has agreed to make ocean protection a priority, but how can we make sure it is effective?” asks Ellen Pikitch, who studies ocean conservation at Stony Brook University in New York. “The diplomats say they need guidance.” Pikitch and her colleagues were asked to create a map to help guide discussions about which areas are most in need of protection. They collected 10 different maps identifying priority areas for conservation made by various UN agencies and conservation groups and overlaid them to see where the organizations agreed and checked which are already part of marine protected areas (MPAs). The team found that 55 percent of ocean areas were identified as important by at least one organization and 14 percent were flagged by two to seven groups. Of that 14
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percent, the vast majority are not yet protected. Many of the areas with a strong consensus of being a priority for protection, but little actual protection, are found in the Mediterranean Sea, the Caribbean Sea, around Madagascar and southern Africa, and in the part of the western Pacific Ocean known as the Coral Triangle. Pikitch will present the map, which was published in October, to the United Nations on December 4. She hopes it will help provide guidance to those working on ocean protection by showing them where the opportunities are. “Any organization can use this information to justify why an area should be protected or to find areas to work on,” she says. Anna Metaxas, an oceanographer at Dalhousie University in Halifax, says the map will be useful when it comes to trying to protect parts of the high seas that are beyond national jurisdictions. At the national level, many countries tend to follow their own priorities rather than scientific recommendations, she notes. And in many places, such as in the Mediterranean, protecting priority areas will require cooperation among neighboring states—something that has rarely happened. “When international organizations select areas based on conser-
vation features, they often transcend borders,” she says. “I don’t think the world is ready for that.” Emily Darling, a conservation scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society in Toronto, says that while the researchers were focused on MPAs, it is also important to appreciate that MPAs are just one tool for protecting the oceans, and they’re not always the most effective or appropriate. MPAs work best when they have strong protections, such as preventing all fishing, but that often means local people lose access to the resources in those areas, which can cause conflict. Maps like this one should be used, she says, not just for designating non-fishing MPAs but also for targeting areas that might benefit from softer protections that still allow for local resource use.
Where Should the World Focus Its Ocean Conservation Efforts?
January 2020
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Environment & people
Ban On Single Use Plastic, Rs 5K Fine: Mountain Village in Sikkim Shows The Way! Rinchen Norbu Wangchuk
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heck this out – you cannot enter this Sikkim village with a disposable plastic bottle. You may choose to drink the water and dump the bottle in a bin, or transfer water into one of the reusable water bottles available at almost every shop! Lachung is an incredibly picturesque mountain village in the northeastern state of Sikkim bordering Tibet. Perched at an altitude of 8,610 feet, this village is surrounded by snow-capped mountain peaks, waterfalls, streams and apple orchards.
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And the local community is going to great lengths to keep the pristine environs intact! Lachung has become a favoured spot for tourists from all over the country and abroad. The locals, who have been witnessing a rise in employment opportunities were happy. But, only up until they saw how much plastic pollution, especially of the single-use variety, was being left behind. For the villagers, who share a deeply personal relationship with nature, this state of affairs was not at all acceptable. And something had to be done. In 2016, the people of Lachung got
together to pass a law banning the use of single-use plastics. “It is a ban on single-use plastic specifically. We have already accomplished 100 per cent freedom from singleuse plastic water bottles. The Lachung Dzomsa (a traditional administrative institution of the villages of Lachen and Lachung in North Sikkim) passed the law in 2016,” says Thupden Lachung, a resident of the village, speaking to The Better India (TBI). “Tourists are informed about the no plastic rule at a check post which is 25 km away from our village. We have a place where they can dispose off the bottle in a
bin. However, once they enter the village, the Dzomsa conducts a surprise check and our young drivers help us in this process,” he adds. And if a disposable plastic bottle is found on their person, then they are fined Rs 5,000. “The fine came into exist last year when we noticed that some visitors were not taking the Dzomsa-approved law seriously. The Dzomsa was left with no other option but to impose this fine on users. For first time offenders, we simply inform them about our rules. If the person is caught a second time we fine Rs 5000,” says Thupden. Locals go to great lengths to ensure this law is enforced strictly. It’s not your local authorities, but ordinary shopkeepers, cab drivers, guides and guest house owners, who ensure that nothing polluting enters their village. How did the village mobilise its people? “We introduced a religious aspect to it. Our religion basically tells us not to harm others. Employing single-use plastic is
directly or indirectly harming other animals. When we throw it in water, the fish are harmed. When we throw it in our jungles, other animals are harmed. When we bury them, the insects underground are harmed,” he says. Ananya Tiwari, a tourist who visited Lachung earlier this year on a family holiday tells TBI, “Lachung is so incredibly beautiful. But a couple of minutes later, as you drive on, you will look around and realise why it looks the way it does. It’s extremely clean. There are hardly any plastic bottles strewn on roads – there are very few, probably the work of some annoying tourists.” There is a sign board put up by local authorities informing tourists about the ban, but enforcement is completely in the hands of locals. It’s a rule that no one can flout, particularly the use of plastic bottles. If one is brought by mistake, you may choose to drink the water and dump the bottle in a bin, or transfer water into one of the reusable water bottles available at
almost every shop. “The locals go to great lengths to ensure that it stays that way. Before you enter Lachung, the locals will tell you to discard any plastic bottles you have. They make sure you carry nothing that can possibly dirty Lachung,” adds Ananya. Speaking to the BBC last month, Thupden Lachungpa, said, “Banning single-use plastic bottles or plastic material was not just an option. If we want to change, we had to change right from our household. Instead of plastic bottles, we use bamboo bottles. You can carry water in this bottle. When we have guests, we offer them sweets, toffees from this [non-plastic] container. For shopping, we take baskets made out of bamboo.” What happens to the excessive plastic bottles that make their way through the cracks? Throwing them away is never an option, and locals reuse them as flower pots. They are also planning to make a house out of the bottle and plastic wrappers. “We have achieved an accomplishment in banning single use plastic. But wanted to go ahead with it in a holistic manner. We wanted to ban all types of plastic and to do so we need help from all around the world. Everyone should come together to fight this battle. I think our coming generations deserve a clean environment. And I strongly believe that Lachung will serve as an example to other places, other people and motivate them to do without plastic,” he adds. (Source:thebetterindia.com)
January 2020
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Environment & people
80% adolescents in India have a deficiency of micronutrients. Let not your family suffer from the “hidden hunger”. Grow microgreens yourself and be your own masterchef! Tanvi Patel
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ou may have seen microgreens as garnishings on gourmet food dishes. But they are much more than a pretty embellishment on your plate or garden. Microgreen herbs are, in fact, nutrient bombs that we need to include in our diet on a regular basis. 80 per cent of adolescents in India are deficient in iron, vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin D or zinc. What are microgreens? Lately, microgreens have earned the tag of a “speciality genre of greens” among chefs catering in fine-dine restaurants. Microgreens are vegetable greens and herbs that are harvested right after the first set of a plant’s true leaves appear. Plants such as fenugreek, mustard, sesame etc can be grown as microgreens – consumed right after the first two leaves sprout. However, one needs to be very careful when selecting the plants they choose to cultivate as microgreens. Health benefits of microgreen herbs: Microgreens are known to contain about 40-50 per cent more nutritional value than the full-grown plants. They are meant to be eaten raw and within a couple of
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January 2020
hours of getting harvested. This is why buying them off a shelf can mean a waste of money and effort. Rather, you can grow them yourself in your home. They need no more space than a few spare containers and grow within a week’s time. The pollutants released outdoors have a way of trespassing in our houses – making us vulnerable to common illnesses or diseases. A wonderful way of battling indoor pollution is planting specific plants in our kitchen and living rooms. Is it easy to grow microgreens? You will require a shallow and spacious container, microgreen seeds, sufficient compost (or rich fertile soil) and ample sunlight to grow your batch of
Microgreens Are Not Just a Fad. Here’s What Happens When You Add Them to Your Diet
microgreens. For those who are just starting out, a special batch of microgreens seeds will be helpful but once you get the hang of the process, you can also use regular vegetable seeds. Fill about three-fourths of the container with soil and organic compost. Place the seeds in such a way that they are ½ inches apart from each other. Fill the rest of the container with compost, spray some water on it and place the container in direct sunlight. You will only require to spray some water on the germinating seeds every day until the day of harvest. What are the healthiest microgreens? As such, microgreens are a great addition to your regular diet thanks to their nutritional values. But knowing how the microgreens will benefit you will help you make informed decisions. Broccoli is a favourite of microgreen growers. It contains 550 per cent of the daily cumulative nutrients of Vitamin A, B, C and K as well as iron, magnesium and phosphorus. Basil is another good example of microgreens that are anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory in nature. Kale, radish, sunflower shoots, pea shoots and wheatgrass are also excellent microgreens. The benefits of microgreens are multipronged. They are an excellent solution to battle “hidden hungers”, adding them to your diet is a great power-up, not to mention the cooling green it adds to the ambience! They may be micro but their impact is on a macro scale! (Source: thebetterindia.com)
January 2020
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Environment & people
Switching from Steel to Iron Utensils Is the Healthy Choice You Must Make Today!
Be Ironman, not the man of steel! Here’s why your grandma’s food not only tasted better but is also a much healthier choice. Tanvi Patel
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ikram Doctor, a food writer, once shared a fascinating anecdote about how stainless steel entered his home many decades ago. He recalled that women would come to his parents’ place, asking for old sarees with ‘zari’ work on them and exchange them for steel utensils. These utensils were light in weight when compared to the traditional heavy cast/wrought iron vessels that were almost universal back then. And easy to maintain as well. So the ladies of the house would readily give away their unused sarees for stainless steel and agree that it was a superbly profitable exchange for them. From costing as much as expensive sarees to being the most popular pot in the house, ironically (pun intended), things have changed so much that we have come to think of stainless steel as the convention and iron as an ‘alternative’. Stainless steel utensils also fill my kitchen cabinets. I take them for granted. Environment & people
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But whenever I visit my grandmother’s place, I can clearly see the difference. Her set of utensils are all cast iron. From her skillet to her Kadai, from Tawas to fry pans, every utensil she cooks in is made of heavy iron. It’s a wonder how the septuagenarian can manage to pick up the heavy cookware every single day. But you know what they say, mum knows best. And grandmothers perhaps doubly more! Is it good to cook in iron utensils? Although stainless steel is not toxic to cook in, it may give out traces of nickel in our food. If you are allergic to it, cooking in stainless steel can be quite a problem. Non-stick pans have a coating of Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene), and although it isn’t toxic when ingested in micros doses, you always want to be super safe when it comes to food, right? But even without these issues, steel and non-stick add nothing to your food. Iron not only gives you a good surface to cook in, but it also adds much-needed iron nutrients to your food. Cook healthy, eat healthily! Follow this link to add a collection of cast iron utensils to your kitchen. Unlike stainless steel or worse, non-
stick pans, the traces of metal you get from iron utensils are beneficial for you. Iron utensils are also safe if you wish to cook on high heat for long periods. They even stay hot long after you turn off the heat – so you can save fuel! (Keep your hands at a safe distance from the pan, it gets very hot. And make sure you allow the utensil to cool before you clean it). And for those cost-conscious among us, do keep in mind that the weight of iron utensils itself should tell you that these utensils are quite durable. They do not break, dent or scratch easily. You can even pass them from one generation to the next! Eat in iron, drink from copper! Speaking of metals, skip the glass and go for copper. Copper glasses, tumblers and water pots have been an integral part of Indian households for centuries now. Drinking water from a copper tumbler can help strengthen your immune system. The traces of the metal that you ingest when you drink from the tumbler or store water in a copper pot or tank are enough to help you build your immunity. (Source: thebetterindia.com)
Eco Eco Facts If every American family planted one tree, carbon dioxide would be reduced by one billion pounds each year.
Only 7% of the of the Atlantic Rainforest remain.
IQ
1. Approximately how much of global electricity output is produced from renewable sources? a.1 percent
b. 5 percent
c. 8 percent
d. 20 percent
Only 28% of the Indonesian Rainforest remain.
A billion trees capture atmospheric carbon equivalent to the emissions of one million cars every year.
Every hour, at least 4,500 acres of forest are burned, cut down, or bulldozed. More than 3.4 million people die each year from water, sanitation, and hygiene-related causes.
An American taking a five-minute shower uses more water than the average person in a developing country slum uses for an entire day.
2. True or false? Hybrid cars are slower and less safe than conventional cars. a. True
b. False
3. True or False? Appliances that are turned off don't use any electricity. a. True
b. False
4. What type of supermarket bag is more ecofriendly, paper or plastic? a. paper
b. Plastic
c. Either is fine
d. None of the above
Every 20 seconds, a child dies from a water-related illness The average person consumes 168 water bottles a year.
1.5 million barrels of oil are used to manufacture a year’s supply of bottled water in the US.
1 Million – Estimated number of plastic bags that are handed out worldwide each minute.
5. Which uses less water, washing a full load of dishes by hand, or in the dishwasher? a. By hand
b. Dishwasher
6. Which of the following is an alternative material for making paper? a. Hemp
b. Panda extremed
c. Sheepskin
d. All of the above
500 Billion to 1 Trillion – Estimated number of plastic bags that end up in landfills each year worldwide.
7. Dropping the thermostat from 70 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (21.1 to 20 A plastic bag can take up to 1,000 years to decompose.
The two main sources of energy used to make plastic bags are oil and natural gas.
degrees Celsius) saves you about how much on your heating costs? a.1 percent
b. 5 percent
c. 10 percent
d. 20 percent
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Environment & people
Mother Whale : Plastic in our oceans
Dhelli : The Indian capital New Delhi faces hazardous levels of pollution
Environment & people
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Environment & People
RNI - 63997/94