1 | expressions
Subsciber Copy - Not for Sale
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
FATEH SINGH RATHORE Honours and awards
FSR received several awards some of them were the 1982 Fred M. Packard International Parks Merit Award by the Commission on National Parks and Protected Areas in recognition of outstanding service in furthering the conservation objective of protect areas to society given by the Duke of Edinburgh.
2 | expressions
The WWF lifetime achievement award and ESSO Award by Shri I.K. Gujral, Former Prime Minister of India for life time achievement in Tiger Conservation
We at icare urge each member and every citizen of this great land to join us in paying homage to a great man for ever lasting service he has done for the sake of tigers of the world. Yudhishter Puran Singh Editor, Expressions
I completely agree with the editor that the real change makers are from tier 2 cities and not just from the metros. Though I have not been a part of many conferences but the points mentioned in the article seem to be so true, it’s hard to believe that nothing seems to be done about the same by the organizers. Sonali Kapoor via facebook Have been following Expressions since the past few issues, Expressions symbolizes the power of youth and the digital technology and more so throws light on what a well determined group of youngsters can achieve if they actually CARE for the environment. Rohit Jain via e-mail Loved the photos by Sachin Rai. Truly amazing. Saket Sharma via e-mail Would like to congratulate the entire team at Expressions and icare for putting up such a informative magazine on display not just for the wildlife enthusiasts and conservationists but also for the common man. Got to know so much about birds and just loved the cover story ‘Peepal live’. Alok via facebook Loved the quality of the photographs in the magazine. Would like to know if we could subscribe to a hard copy of the magazine as well. Apurv Pathak via e-mail
3 | expressions
Anyone who has been to Ranthambhore has heard something about the eccentricity, devotion and passion of Fateh Singh Rathore.He joined the Indian Forest Service in 1960 and spent many years as Field Director of Ranthambhore.He was one of the few handpicked by Kailash Sankhala the then director of Project Tiger to be part of the first Project Tiger team. Widely acknowledged as a tiger guru his knowledge of the stripped cat is legendary; he has an uncanny ability to predict where the tigers are and many have witnessed him talk to them. His single minded drive to protect the park was not always popular.
© Dharmendra Khandal
Expressions was forwarded by one of my friends and upon receiving I was mightily impressed with not just the design, lay-out but also the quality of articles which are on par with most of the environmental magazines. Ashutosh Kumar via web
FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK The world celebrated International Women’s Day on 8th March this year-like every year. But why is this, the opening sentence to the editorial of a magazine that exists for the cause of the environment?
founder & editor
Yudhishter Puran Singh
14 Feminism can save the World Isabelle Richaud
Special Story
copy & desk editor
Shubhodeep Pal
38 Tales from the Wild Gowri Subramanya
features editor
Featured
Karishma Gulati
6 When the Universe Conspires Hema Maira creative editor
9 Expressions’ Coffee with Latika Nayyar
Akshay Madan
17 Future Energy Options Adhideb & Ankit
news editor
21 Nature - A Painting, Save It Shraddha Ghai
Harshit Singh
24 Delhi Sustainable Development Summit Lizu Matta 26 Rights Camera Action Richa Sharma
marketing
Lotus Leaf Business Exhibitions
27 Research Focus Chirag Ruhela 28 The Tigerwallah of Ranthambhore Dharmendra Khandal 30 Protecting our Environmental Rights Bhavna Sahni 31 What is the need of building Dams? Monika Singh
advertising
Rohit Bedi, Arpanjot Singh
4 | expressions
36 Environmental Engineering Namrata Shenoy
Regulars
10 Photo Story Rathika Ramasamy
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES For subscription queries, write to expressions@icareindia.co.in or call +919557630226
cover design
Akshay Madan
Uttaranchal was saved from the crisis of mass deforestation not very long ago when women protected trees against their lives, hugging them in large numbers, in what soon became “The Chipko Movement”. Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Wangari Mathaai added to the ‘substance’ in a woman when under her initiative, “The Green Belt Movement”, 30million trees were planted across Africa by 2005.And it all started with the plantation of seven trees in Maathai’s backyard. Pulling you back to the present, we have brought to you a special edition to celebrate Women’s Day, 2011, a magazine that took us two months of hard work. Most of Expressions – March+April’11 is brought to you by women. In this issue,women have talked of ‘Nature’, ‘Rights Camera Action’- an initiative to create a politically active and aware youth and of how ‘Feminism can save the World’. We also got in touch with the Green Globe awardee Latika Nayyar who has shared her experiences with us. So, in all, with this issue, we’ve made “Ecofeminism” (Feminism + Environmentalism) easier for you to understand. Or in other words, now you know why women have been, and will be particularly busy on March 8 (International Women’s Day) and June 5 (World Environment Day).People’s approach to environmental issues may depend on their relationship with nature. And so, I have the perfect way of exemplifying ‘ecofeminism’ before you. Ever heard of “Father” Nature?So let’s not underestimate what a woman can do-for starters, she created you!
32 Photo Story 47 In The News
Vijay Sharma
PERMISSIONS ALL EDITORIAL QUERIES MUST BE DIRECTED TO For permissions to copy or The Editor, Expressions, reuse material from 51-A Subhash Road, EXPRESSIONS, write to Dehradun 248140, Uttarakhand, India yudhishter@icarefordoon.org M: +919411114921, Fax: 011-66173614
Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of Expressions., its publisher and/or editors. We at Expressions do our best to verify the information published but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information
Best
Karishma Gulati
Features Editor, Expressions
5 | expressions
Cover Story
It’s a woman due to which we can even talk of ‘future generations’ and subsequently environmental sustainability. Environmental history is full of examples showing men work for the cause of the environment, while the woman who is affected the most by the inflictions upon nature, is shoved somewhere between words. I’ve been studying Environmental Science for the last 5years, and all the books that I read, toldme how an excess of nitrates, sulphates, and a plethora of other chemicals causes a thousand health problems, chiefly in women (worse, if the woman is pregnant). So, if she’s the most affected, she’s also the most concerned and is definitely making a difference.
Machli, ever obliging! The bonnet of our jeep in the foreground, January 2010
“Though I don’t remember falling instantly in love with Ranthambore, the dye was cast from that very first trip. I found myself returning, over and over again.”
Karan, my only child, had no real choice. By the time he was all of about three, his mother started him on his journey into the “wilderness”. We had many wonderful visits to that pristine kingdom of the tiger. I could see, much to my delight, that Karan had been bitten by the same bug! Fast forward. March, 2010. Two healthy, sub-adult tigers were poisoned in Ranthambore. A consequence of having killed 2 goats belonging to the villagers living close to the park boundary. Often, compensation comes too little, too late. The villagers cannot be blamed for taking matters into their own hands, tragic as the consequences were. Both the young tigers died a slow, painful death.
Sometimes your passions creep up on you: unannounced,accidentally almost. Before you know it, you are submerged in them!
M 6 | expressions
y mind goes back 26 years. As a young teacher’s assistant, I was asked to be a chaperone on a fifth grade trip to Ranthambore. What was Ranthambore? Where was it? I had no idea but I went nevertheless. Today I thank God from the bottom of my heart. Unknown to me, I was embarking on a journey:a journey that would get me to virtually inhabit another planet, causing my heart to sing and my soul to surge with happiness all day, everyday and much of my nights as well! Though I don’t remember falling instantly in love with Ranthambore, the dye was cast from that very first trip. I found myself returning, over and over again. For most of these past 26 years, however, I admit, rather sheepishly, I visited Ranthambore strictly as a tourist, revelling in being in God’s untainted, beautiful world. I remember making up odes to the trees and the gorgeous forest and its denizens as we drove around on game drives. I can still feel the peace and serenity seeping into my very bones, uplifting my cityweary soul just by being where I was. This was the natural world, unfolding as it should, with no premeditation, malice or greed and I was blessed to be a witness thereof. Sometimes your passions creep up on you: unannounced,accidentally almost. Before you know it, you are submerged in them! My mind goes back 26 years. As a young teacher’s assistant, I was asked to be a chaperone on a fifth grade trip to Ranthambore. What was Ranthambore? Where was it? I had no idea but I went nevertheless. Today I thank God from the bottom of my heart. Unknown to me, I was embarking on a journey:a journey that would get me to virtually inhabit another planet, causing my heart to sing and my soul to surge with happiness all day, everyday and much of my nights as well!
I was in Ranthambore when the news broke. At first it did not sink in and I returned to Delhi that Sunday night somewhat disheartened. It was a pity that such things were happening at a time when the “SavetheTiger” campaign was fairly high-profile.A campaign that maintains that India has the largest number of tigers in the wild and they need to be saved for the future, they can still be saved etc. On Monday,the cascade started. Broken-hearted, I could not stop crying through the day. The resolve took shape from deep within. If I loved tigers as much as I professed, it was time to put my money where my mouth was. I needed to DO something. Anything. Whatever I could! But what to do? A vague plan started to take shape. My starting points: I am a teacher and live in Delhi. There, as they say, hangs a tale. I decided to start by meeting those in charge to raise funds. I met Mr. Ravi Singh, CEO and Secretary General, WWF-India, Mr Jairam Ramesh and Mr. Rahul Gandhi. A friend, Puneet Jasuja, insisted I start a Facebook page to reach out and to be in touch with like-minded people. Another amazing, lucky step forward. Thank you, Puneet! One thing led to the next, and the next, AND the next. The dots of the past 26 years started to connect, and are still connecting, in amazing ways. What a journey! Besides the obvious satisfaction of taking action, I feel positively impacted on multiple levels. I have made many new friends and have met many others who think as I do. I used to think not many people care about environmental conservation. However, through Facebook, and subsequent interactions, I stand corrected. Friendships and associations have come from all over. Feeling encouraged and incredibly motivated, I feel there are not enough hours in the day to do all I want. When I get home at the end of the day, I am surprisingly energized. Love it. Staying busy, making plans about next steps, ensures one is constructively occupied. Away from worrying about the inanities of daily life. I am at peacewith myself and the world at large. I am thankful, too. For being blessed to be so impassioned about such a worthy cause. This belief in the cause and in oneself minimizes the stresses and fears that most of us live with daily.
7 | expressions
The legendary Machli, Ranthambore National Park. January, 2010
Karan and my mother in Ranthambore January 2010
WHEN THE UNIVERSE CONSPIRES
A little bit about my actions in this sphere: I talk environment and tigers wherever I go. I believe we need to spread awareness wherever we are and whoever we are with. I take a group of about 140 fifth grade students and teachers to Belinda Wright speaks to the Tiger Book Group. April,2010 Ranthambore every February. Experiencing the forest helps the kids to make a direct connection, raising awareness about the importance of environmental conservation. After the trip to Ranthambore, I organize a Save-the-Tiger fundraiser with my students and we donate the funds to different organizations working on the ground. Last year, the students had a Save-the-Tiger petition signed by our school community (collected roughly 1300 signatures). Handed the petition to Mr. Jairam Ramesh (Union minister of Environment and Forests) and to Mr. Rahul Gandhi personally. We hope to present the same to the Prime Minister, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi and Ms. Priyanka Gandhi. I also write articles for an environmental magazine. I do fundraising, on a personal level, for environmental initiatives that I believe ineg, Tiger Watch, Dastkar, Ranthambore, Tiger Protection Group etc. I am also writing a book on tigers with my sixth grade students for WWF-India. Apart from this, I am in touch with NGOs and individuals who are in Delhi, and others on FB, to collaborate on environmental initiatives. Whenever I can, I get away to a National Park, gathering information on the ground to get a better idea of how and where I can help. Ideas for the future are to write another book or two with my students, liaise with people who organize the Dastkar Nature Bazaar to get a permanent tiger booth at the fair, coordinate knowledge/idea sharing with the goal of consolidatingfragmented efforts for greater momentum and impact. Conclusion
8 | expressions
‘Be the change that you wish to see in the world,’ Mahatma Gandhi
Hema Maira is based in New Delhi and has been teaching primary students for the last 30 years. She is a passionate nature and wildlife lover. She feels exceedingly concerned about the state of our environment today and is committed to doing whatever she can to help preserve it. © EXPRESSIONS 2011
EXPRESSIONS’ COFFEE with
Latika Nayyar winner of the Green Globe Award, 2011
EXPRESSIONS (E) Congratulations on winning the prestigious Green Globe Award by TERI. What does this award mean to you? LATIKA NAYYAR (LN) Thank you so much for your wishes. This award means a lot. I am impressed by the work TERI is doing and am equally thankful to them and the Green Globe Foundation for establishing this award since it is a great motivator for people such as me to work even harder for the betterment of society. (E) What is your opinion of conferences such as the TERI Yuva Meet, DSDS? (LN) It is very encouraging to attend such conference. These provide us the podiums to speak for issues like environment sustainability. However, I would have been happier if such conferences could produce some frameworks that would enable concerned people in this field to work better at both national and international level. This could be in the form of “declarations”. (E) Could you suggest 3 ways to make such environmental conferences more meaningful? (LN) I’ve already spoken about the need for standard frameworks. Besides that, I believe conferences like these should encourage the formation of state-based volunteer groups which would regularly work on environmental issues in their respective states (and eventually, countries). Also, there should be an emphasis on scientific research in this area and participants should be encouraged to publish original research papers. (E) Youth is _____________ (LN) I believe the youth has limitless potential to bring about social, economic and political change. However, while bringing about this change, we must give people from all sections of society the opportunity to voice their opinions. (E) What is your message for budding environmentalists? (LN) Everything is possible if u start voicing your opinion. That will start by participating in such conferences. I come from a normal upper middle-class family and I have always believed in fighting for my rights. As the youth of this country we all have the right to voice our opinions against environmental destruction. In doing so, we are also defending the rights of the forthcoming generations. (E) The road to environment sustainability is not going to be an easy task. What, according to you, is the biggest obstacle to progress? (LN) I think the biggest obstacle is the lack of concerted political will at the international level. © EXPRESSIONS 2011
9 | expressions
I find that most days I am completely consumed with all I have to do. Want to do. A fabulous feeling! I urge everyone to take stock of where they are and begin to take action in terms of the larger picture. Go forth, espousing lofty ideals, with belief in yourself and in the integrity of your actions. I speak from direct experience. Believe me, the universe will conspire and the stars WILL align!
PHOTO STORY
PHOTO STORY
Rathika Ramasamy
is a well known Wildlife Photographer based in New Delhi,India. She is a computer engineer with an MBA, she has been to nature photography for last seven years. She is passionate about birds and is specializing in bird photography. Her work has been showcased in national and international publications. Though she does documents of birds ,she always looks for story in the subject, she enjoys capturing action shots. She has travelled most of the National parks in India, and has been to Tanzania national parks. She regularly conducts Wildlife Photography workshops. Email: rrathika@gmail.com
T
PIED KINGFISHER (CERYLE RUDIS)
11 | expressions
WLE O TTED O P S
WHITE BREASTED KINGFISHER
SRILANKAN FROGMOUTH (BASTRACHOSTOMUS MONILIGER)
10 | expressions
GREEN BEA-EATER (MEROPS ORIENTALIS)
GR E AT E
BLACK-TAILED GODWIT
13 | expressions
GREY HERON (ARDEA CINEREA)
12 | expressions
R FL AM IN
GO
PHOTO STORY PHOTO STORY
SPOT-BILLED PELICAN
SARUS-CRANE
COVER STORY
COVER STORY ian, mechanistic vision of the world, superior groups are those that display physical strength and analytical intelligence, while inferior groups are associated with devalued qualities like gentleness, intuition and emotion. This vision justifies the exploitation of the majority over the minority, men’s exploitation over women and humans’ exploitation over non-humans.
body is kept alive by the healthy collaboration of its various organs. The feminine essence of that living system is implicitly evoked through the use of the term Gaia, referring to the Greek goddess personifying nature.
Ecofeminists believe that gender inequalities and the unsustainable exploitation of the planet share common roots, namely a mentality of patriarchy.
This fundamental distinction between femininity and masculinity is recognised in the vast majority of cultures across space and time. This distinction has undeniable cultural roots (society teaches girls to be kinder than boys), but it canalso beexplained by biological factors.
For mammal species like humans, females must nurture a very tight relationship with their offspring. They breastfeed them, they carry them along, they educate them. They need to understand their offspring’s needs and react to them to allow them to survive, and to give a chance to their species to perpetuate. This is whymammal females, including women, have inherited and promoted the genes of empathy and cooperation. In Chinese philosophy, all systems must show a balance between the opposite forces of yin and yang to be healthy. Our society has given massive predominance to one set of values - male value - which has resulted in violence between communities, social groups, religions, races, genders, and even species. These theories have found their conceptual framework in the “ecofeminist” philosophy. Ecofeminists believe that gender inequalities and the unsustainable exploitation of the planet share common roots, namely a mentality of patriarchy. In this context, patriarchy can be defined as a domination of groups considered superior over groups considered inferior. In that utilitar-
In line with this mentality, modern society has given monetary and economic considerations the central focus, and equated growth in revenue, consumption and GDP with human development, while ignoring the other, non-monetary aspects of human well-being, namely health, human relationships, leisure time, spirituality, etc. Ecofeminism,in some way, responds to another ecologist theory, the “Gaia hypothesis”, which considers the biosphere as a unique living system, which is kept alive thanks to the harmonious interactions between all the species and elements it is composed of, just like a human
Throughout human cultural history, nature and the Earth has indeed been considered as intrinsically feminine, like a sort of providing mother. Gaia’s equivalent in the Roman pantheon was Terra Mater or Tellus.Some anthropologists argue that a Great Mother, symbolising a nurturing Earth, was venerated in Neolithic times. The veneration of nature as a nurturing goddess has influenced – and has been influenced by – the development of agriculture. These societies were remarkably artisticand stable, and, quite surprisingly, they showed no evidence of warfare, slavery, or territorial conquest. This may be explained by the importance given by these societies to the feminine values of beauty, compassion and harmony. In contrast, the contemporary nomadic and hunting communities that conquered those agricultural communities worshiped an omnipotent, male deity, and were apparently not so peaceful.They turned the Goddesses of the cultures they conquered into the wife or daughter of their own chief God, or they represented them as disobedient women. This is how Pandora, the first woman in Greek mythology, was accused of bringing humanity into sin by disobeying her father and opening the forbidden box. In the same way, Goddess Eve was transformed by Hebrews into the first mortal woman, who, as told in the
15 15 || expressions expressions
14 | expressions
T
here is no doubt that if the world is to move towards sustainable development, it will have to reconsider the values that have allowed today’s problems to emerge, and embrace a new set of values and priorities. What should be considered as outdated values are those that have shaped the notions of personal and collective success (or happiness and development) as they are widely accepted today.These values equal personal success with money-making and material accumulation. These values have made possible the era of mass-production and mass-consumption, without caring about the impacts of this economic system on the finite resources of this planet. These values emphasise the notions of competition and individualism, and could be categorised as “male values”. By contrast, what we could call “feminine values”emphasisethe notions of cooperation and compassion.
The patriarch mentality that has dominated human society for millennia hasled to the disrespectful ill-use, exploitation, control of, and even violence against Mother Nature as well as women, with the exclusive aim to increase the material wealth and satisfy the personal egos of the exploiters. Human and non-human beings are only appreciated as economic resources, which lead to a denial of their intrinsic value and their right to exist for themselves. This has led to the depletion and pollution of natural resources, the expulsion of indigenous people and subsistence farmers, especially women, from the forests and productive lands to be commercially exploited.
FEMINISM CAN SAVE THE WORLD We need to create a world culture where feminine values regain the ground invaded by male values in a culture where domination and violence are the norm and where the notions of individualism, competition and materialism are implicitly or explicitly promoted as the only way towards success, progress and development. Bible, was responsible for expelling humanity from the paradisiacal Garden of Eden by tempting Adam to join her in eating the Forbidden Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. In this crucial moment in history, we must question our fundamental beliefs and values. We must recreate a sense of harmonious belonging to the Universe, and a sense of worship for Mother Earth. And this will remain incompatible with the pursuit of a male-dominated culture. To regain balance and harmony, our society must be infused with feminine energy in time – presuming we still have enough time – to prevent social chaos and disruption
of life on Earth. We need to create a world culture where feminine values regain the ground invaded by male values in a culture where domination and violence are the norm and where the notions of individualism, competition and materialism are implicitly or explicitly promoted as the only way towards success, progress and development. A culture more driven by feminine values would measure personal success not only in terms of material wealth, but also in terms of inner fulfilment. It would not exclusively value aggressive competition as the best road towards progress, but it would emphasise compassion towards human and non-human life as the best means to create a harmonious society.
Feminism and the creation of a culture of sustainable development are mutually-reinforcing movements. Giving women a more prominent role in decision-making helps the emergence of a non-violent, environmental-friendly society. In the same way, a culture of non-violence would help promote gender equality, as it would naturally make it easier for girls and women to gain greater recognition and status.
Isabelle Richaud
A 30-year-old French citizen, Isablle Richaud, is avegetarian, and works in Antwerp, Belgium for the European branch of TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute, based in New Delhi). She is professionally and personally committed to making this world a better place.
17 | expressions
16 | expressions
Š EXPRESSIONS 2011
Biomass is material derived from living organisms, i.e., plants, animals, and their by-products. Manure, garden waste, crop residue etc.come under biomass. It is a renewable source of energy that doesn’t disrupt the natural carbon cycle, unlike other natural resources like petroleum and coal. There are also agricultural products being grown for bio-fuel production, likecorn and soya bean. Other examples include Jatropha seeds in India, sugar cane in Brazil, and palm oil and miscanthus in South-east Asia. Electricity can be generated using these bio fuels. For example, in Brazil energy to the tune of 288 MJ is generated from the residue of one tonne sugarcane. Thus, a distillery processing one milliontonnes ofsugarcane per year could sell about 5MWelectricity. Bio fuels are extremely important as far as combating the imminent environmental crisis goes, but such fuels aren’t commercially available. Intelligent and efficient usage-and-supply designs are required so thatundisrupted and a constant supply of energy isavailable to the people.
The high dependence on oil is due to its versatility. This fossil fuel hashigh energy content and is easy to transport. So, anyfuel (that we may rely on for sustainability) should have high energy content, should be easy to transport and also be environment-friendly. The need of the hour is to not only discuss the availability and feasibility of alternative sources of energy but to also identify new, efficient ways to store, transport, dispense with, and use energy. So keeping in mind theabove mentioned criteria, the following are the energy options that may be reliable in the future:
HYDROPOWER
SOLAR ENERGY
Hydropower is a renewable energy source in which power is derived from the energy possessed by moving water, and this power may be harnessed for useful purposes. Today, 17% of the world’s electricity needs are met by Hydropower. India stands 5th globally in terms of generation of hydro-electricity.
The Earth receives 174 petawatts of incoming solar radiation in the upper atmosphere. Solar energy is used in two forms- in a Solar Photo voltaic cell to generate electricity, orto produce heat (Thermal).Solar technologies are broadly characterized as either passive or active depending on the way they capture, convert and distribute sunlight5. Active solar techniques use photovoltaic panels, pumps and fans to convert sunlight into useful output,while passive solar techniques include selecting materials with favourable thermal properties, designing spaces that naturally circulate air, and positioning them appropriately to capture solar heat. This captured heat can be used for heating water, space heating, space cooling etc.
Hydropower is the key behind the Government of India’s plans to provide electricity to all its citizensby 2012. In Canada and Sweden, more than 50% of the electricitygenerated is using hydropower4 . The problems associated are with the “setting-up” process. However, once a dam has been successfully constructed, electricity can be generated at a constant rate. Further, generation of hydroelectricity involves no harmful emissions.
Methanol as a fuel has been advocated by the 2005 and 2006 Noble Prize Winner G.A.Olah and his colleagues by the term ‘Methanol Economy6 ’. Methanol as a gas is the chief constituent of Methane, which isthe by-product of combustion in a biogas plant. Both methanol and ethanol burn at a lower temperature than gasoline and both are less volatile, making the engine start even at low temperatures. Methanol, having a high octane rating and high heat of vaporisation can offer increased thermal efficiency and output power if used to drive engines. In the United States, methanol as a fuel has been tested and put to use. During the pre-grand prixFormula one races, sometimes methanol is used.It is also used as a fuel inDrag racing and Monster Truck Racing in the U.S, clearly highlighting its advantages as a fuel for the automobile industry.
BIO METHANOL
BIOMASS ENERGY
India ranks 7th globally in terms of generation of solar photovoltaic power and 9th in terms of using solar water-heating systems.
Geothermal energy is the thermal energy generated and stored inside the earth. Earth’s geothermal energy results fromradioactive decay of materials inside the crust, from volcanic activity and from absorption of solar energy at the surface. The International Geothermal Association has reported that 10,715 megawatts of geothermal power is inline which has the capacity to generate 67,246 GWh of electricity. In 2010, United States led the world in geothermal energy production followed by Philippines, Mexico and Indonesia. In short, geothermal power is cost effective, reliable,and environment friendly, i.e., fulfils the criteria for being a fuel of the future.
WIND ENERGY Wind energy is the fastest growing renewable source of energy. Wind speeds of about 15km/hr. are efficient in driving wind mills, subsequently producingenergy.India ranks 4thgloballyin terms of wind power generation. Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy. For example, turbines are used to produce electricity, wind mills also provide mechanical power,wind pumps have been developed for pumping water or drainage, and sails (since ancient times) use wind energy topropel ships. The end of 2010 saw the worldwide capacity of wind power generators to be 175 giga-watts-thereby providing for 2% of theelectricity that was used that year. Wind accounts for nearly one fifth of the energy generation in Denmark, while China is the world leader in wind power generation.
19 || expressions expressions 19
18 | expressions
FUTURE ENERGY OPTIONS
Now the question that arises is: “Why should we look further for energy options beyond oil?” This is because our oil usage has now increased to the point where the world consumes about 85 million barrels a day1 almost equalling 12 metric tonnes of usage2 . Oil is a fossil fuel-a non-renewable source of energy. The era of easy oil is gone. The challenge to tackle the demand of technology is enormous. Fortu-
nately, oil and gas will not vanishovernight, but market forces of demand and supply will make it very expensive due to its scarcity. Therefore, it can be presumed that if we don’t find new solutions we will face a crisis. Further, in the context of Environment, it is submitted that burning of fossil fuels produces 21.3 billion tonnes of Carbon Dioxide per year3 , and it’s estimated that natural processes can absorb only about half of that amount. The resulting emissions result in enhanced global warming, since CO2 is the chief greenhouse gas. Further their combustion also produces other air pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, sulphur dioxide, volatile organic compounds and heavy metals which have adverse effects on human health as well ason the environment. So, keeping in viewthe concerns regarding oil, i.e., scarcity, ultimate exhaustion, high costs, and the impact on environment, it is submitted that in order to build a sustainable tomorrow, more energy options and the use of renewable sources of energy is the need of the hour.
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
INTRODUCTION
O
il and Gas play an important role in our daily lives.These are the main sources of energy for transportation, are used as household fuels in rural and urban areas and have several industrial and domestic applications. Transportation in particular, which is important for moving people, goods and food materials relies almost completely on its needfor gasoline, diesel oil and kerosene, thereby consuming about 60% of the oil produced. We are also dependent on oil for the large variety of petrochemicals and derived products obtained, including plastics, synthetic fibres and materials, andvarious chemicals.
FUTURE ENERGY OPTIONS
CONCLUSION
photo: AKSHAY MADAN
Nature is brimming with its unrelenting beauty and surprises; its treasure islands, where we find the rare and the sublime. The gallanting beauty of its grasslands and the meadows, the jungle valleys, the sunrises and the sunsets, the chirping birds and the roaring tigers and the flowers, leaves, the tiny and all the tiny and the bigger members of this beautiful animal. The chucking chipmunks and squirrels, the grazing deers, the lushy farmlands, the mountains with never ending valleys, The grandeur and reverberating waterfalls, the blue and the green waters, the red and brown colors of the soil, the snow and the ice; the lovely fishes and the underneath water world; undoubtedly one can completely surrender to all its wonders.
Adhideb Bhattacharya and Ankit Srivastava
© EXPRESSIONS 2011
21 | expressions
20 | expressions
Maximum energy produced today is from fossil fuels. In fact, in India, energy generated from renewable energy resources turns out to be 5% only of the total power. This statistic needs to be increased to at least 25-30% in the near future. If you look into the Energy policies of other economies of the world likeJapan, United States and China, you’ll see that energy security and development of “clean and green” energy technologies are integraland thereby research and development in this field is promoted to a great extent. We, in India need to follow the same attitude. What a developing country needs today is energy independence-that,by identifying and using renewable sources of energy and making them available to the people at large. If we are able to tap these renewable sources of energy efficiently, we can surely move to an era of advancement and achieve sustainable development.
NATURE - A PAINTING, SAVE IT
ITS FADING AT A FAST PACE Below are few poetic lines again
Few poetic words are as follows ; Nature - A living Poetry
Mother Nature ........................................ I love being you presence,when I am low, I am with you when I am happy, You heal me with your beauty Shades of black n grey in the sky and shades of green on earth Your essence mesmerizes me,. I celebrate life with you Admire all your creations From the smallest to the biggest From flowers to animals The elements of nature Are there to be in our hearts and soul Its where we truly belong, I find myself in you, I find all the answers in you Perhaps I find a meaning in you You are my mother , you are `Mother Nature` !!
Nature has a rare language that we all understand The green mountain peaks and crossover hills The faint blue skies and sometimes the black and grey clouds The living and non living quintessentially smiling at us The road passing fast hundred miles The glimpses and the shadows of carved trees The smoke taking different shapes amidst the burning crops in farmlands The grazing cattle and the green ranges I relinquish into a soothing world Awestruck by the bespoken Hit by a surprising realization There `s indeed so much to cherish and that We vaguely relent in our pain Submerged in gratitude was my heart O God i could never feel so much touched By your creations and my pain just vanished Seemed so trivial for i had so much to be delighted for
22 | expressions
I admire, I relish , I smile and I finally find solace.
Nature as I put it, is our true home, its where we originated, the love for it dwells and burns within all of us, though in varied forms and degrees, all of us, big or small, the poor or rich, inevitably admire its purity and beauty ;But sadly enough, we as the highly evolved species, forget our duty towards our fellow lesser evolved ones. We are the members of the same family born on the same planet, the earth, either walking, running, jumping, swaying, swimming or flying. We share a lot of similar instincts. It’s sad to see the diminishing number of tigers in its natural habitat, the deforestation around various regions and there is so much to be done to protect the flora and fauna which we all yearn for, the idea is not to discern, but to be in unison and harmony with the environment.
Loosing the sight of our Endangered Species, Deforestation and Pollution are all the aggravates of `Global warming` which, further follows with the deadly effects; like the polar ice melting , spread of diseases, increase in droughts, hurricanes, polar ice caps melting etc. Conservation is a broader term classified into conserving natural habitat, its animals, soil, energy and other forms. We owe the responsibility of contributing in which ever little way plausible ; aiding in reforestation ,finding new renewable energy forms,spreading awareness, conserving animals ,going paper from plastic , increasing organic farming, conserving electricity at home, saying no to air and sound pollution by vehicles etc. It would like to end my thoughts at one note that ; Only if we are deeply connected with ourselves, as to who we truly are, we would begin to realize the true value of our mother, indeed mother nature, and begin to respect the same. Nature as i believe is a heaven in disguise, it’s the force of nature which talks to us in its own language, guides us and is with us wherever we go and its time we took charge of our responsibillity, to save Her; to provide home to the bereaved plants, trees and animals and to solace the beseech-ed elements of nature. Nature is a living painting , a poetry , a language , whatever advectives and pronouns one might give Her , She needs to be at the moment, saved , protected, pampered and the love and respect for her beauty needs to be behold ed and celebrated in our hearts and souls ; and put in our plausible efforts to save Her from being faded.
Shraddha Ghai © EXPRESSIONS 2011
© EXPRESSIONS 2011
23 | expressions
God did create something so beautiful, so divine
T
he Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) - in partnership with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the British Council, and the Department of Environment, Government of NCT of Delhi - organized the Third YUVA Meet on “Road to Global Sustainability via Local Initiatives”, a special two-day event as a part of TERI’s initiative, the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS). I, as a student of “School of Inspired Leadership”, was fortunate enough to attend both the events as my team won in the Youth Express – Poster Presentation, organized by TERI. It was an insightful learning experience for all of us. When I arrived at British Council, the venue for the YUVA meet, I was amazed to see that around 200 participants, including national and international students, young researchers and social entrepreneurs from across 14 nations, and with diverse backgrounds, participated in the meet. The students came from India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Argentina, Canada, Kenya, Swaziland, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Fiji Islands, and Malaysia. The meet focused on enabling the global youth to understand their pivotal role in spreading knowledge on key environmental concerns and collectively voicing their views, exchanging ideas, and forming a network, thereby reaching out to many more like-minded people.
24 | expressions
The event started with an enlightening thought by Mr. Charlie Walker. He provoked the young minds by stressing that we should have more young leaders at the policy-making level, so that fresh, sustainable solutions can be conceived. Dr. Leena Shrivastava, Executive Director, TERI, spoke about how the right education can create awareness, which is the need of the hour to address the issue of Sustainable Development. The facts that she brought out regarding TERI’s “Lighting a Billion lives” concept were mind boggling. Around 1.6 billion people on this planet do not have access to electricity; three billion people are unable to cook clean food. Do we think about these people ever? I agree that India has improved in certain areas but are we focusing on the right things? Professor Bhavik Bakshi talked about three aspects that human activities depend on: Economic, Societal and Ecological goods and services. Are they equally important? The most essential of these
and the real basis of all other goods and services is Natural Capital i.e. Environment Ecosystem. With all the human ingenuity available, we still cannot replace “Nature”. He said that the traditional, single disciplinary & reductionist thinking will not lead to sustainability. Moreover, as Albert Einstein also said “Same level of thinking can’t solve the problem we created”. We need to develop a new science which is holistic and multidisciplinary and this was the purpose of this YUVA meet: that the young generation should respect diversity in views to reach to a complete solution that will nurture the needs of our country. TERI had invited young achievers of India: the Commonwealth Games 2010 Champion, athlete and Padma Shri recipient, Krishna Poonia, and the actor Purab Kohli, to support and instigate the
youth for this cause. In their addresses, the youth icons emphasized on two things: “The Youth have the capability of learning from what they have done wrong and capacity to make things right” and “Inspire someone everyday as inspiration is infectious”. I could relate to this very well, being a student of School of Inspired Leadership, I understand the value of Inspired Leaders and the satisfaction one gets when one is able to inspire others to work together to achieve a common goal. Krishna Punia made us realize that “one should not miss an opportunity to express gratitude”; she constantly appreciated her husband and family for all their support. She also shared that “all the pain and problems she faced for 8 years were lost when she saw the Indian Tricolour flying high when she won in the
DELHI SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT A REPORT The event included an exhibition by various partners of TERI, such as the Norwegian Embassy, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, Uninor, GIZ, NRDC, Solid Solar, ADB, Poland, The Heller School Brandeis University, Macmillan Publishers India Ltd, etc. I was really overwhelmed to see the Universities come up with courses in Sustainable Development for handling climate change. The mission behind these schools is to help build a new generation of development planners and policy- makers in the US and abroad for whom a global society free of poverty and disease is achievable. Commonwealth Games”. Purab Kohli made us understand the importance of being firm in one’s decisions in life; he was firm with his decision to pursue his career in acting even though he failed several times. We, as the winning team, were honoured to receive our award from Ms Sheila Dikshit, Honourable Chief Minister. Ms Sheila Dixit gave our thoughts direction by quoting,” Reduce, Recycle and Reuse”, to take a first step towards sustainability. Reduce consumption, recycle the products and reuse products as much as possible. The YUVA members promised that the discussions ignited in YUVA shall not die. While some students promised to think more sustainably in all their actions, others promised to work for NGOs and support the cause of Sustainable Development. Then, we, a group of 17 selected students, started our journey towards the “Delhi Sustainable Development Summit”. DSDS was inaugurated by Dr. Manmohan Singh, Honourable Prime Minister, India. Speakers included Heads of State, Nobel Laureates such as Lord John Prescott, the former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the former Secretary of State for the Environment, Member of Parliament for Hull East, UK. Some words still echo in my heart and mind, “We keep discussing these things with so many eminent personalities but we don’t let the youth take initiatives, who are the coming generations for us, who will actually handle the change we want to see.”
I would like to conclude by stating that we, as the youth, need to take a step towards sustainable development. Actions speak louder than words and we need to create a multidisciplinary education through which we can inculcate a love for nature. Also, we need to be smart consumers and think about the lifecycle of products. And, to make these steps sustainable, we should educate the new generation so that the initiatives taken today can be carried forward to make an impact on the world and to build a better tomorrow. I am looking forward to making an impact within myself and society by being more responsible and sustainable in my actions. I shall definitely cherish the learning experiences at the YUVA meet and look forward to working with the network we created there.
Lizu Matta She is pursuing Master’s in Human Resources Leadership Program from School of Inspired Leadership, Gurgaon. Prior to this, Lizu has worked with Infosys technologies as a Business Analyst and gained an experience of 3 years in the IT industry. Her hobbies include writing, reading, singing, dancing and travelling. Lizu wants to be an Inspired Leader to create a sense of responsibility among the Youth. © EXPRESSIONS 2011
25 | expressions
DELHI SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SUMMIT A REPORT
RIGHTS CAMERA ACTION
T
he American Writer Dave Barry said, “I care about our young people, and I wish them great success, because they are our Hope for the Future.” India has the largest population of young people in the world and this demographicstatistic has the potential to brighten India’s destiny. Too often we find the youth complaining about the political system in the country. Yet, rarely do we find any of us trying to be the change that we expect. The founders of modern India gave us a very important tool which, if used correctly,can be the instrument of change. That tool is – democracy. As Indians, we have taken democracy for granted and rarely unlocked its complete potential.
At Rights Camera Action or RCA, we aim to provide a forum for the youth to come and engage themselves in the political issues facing India today. We don’t wish to make the forum academic; rather, we aim to make politics cool in line with our motto “Be cool. Politically!” We believe that a politically active and aware youth is essential for India to achieve its dream of becoming a super power while ensuring all its citizens a life of prosperity and dignity. Thus,RCA aims to be the catalyst for progressive change and fill the vacuum that exists in the political arena. RCAwill be launched soon in New Delhi. This will be followed by another launch in Mumbai. We are currently working on designing our website which will beup soon. I invite the readers of this magazine to help us in our initiative and join RCA as volunteer members.
26 | expressions
Please email jaybhatnagar89@gmail.com with any questions or queries. © EXPRESSIONS 2011
Richa Sharma
RESEARCH FOCUS A recent study published by Carlos Jaramillo of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute suggests that South American tropical forests thrived in ancient global warming when temperatures escalated nearly 55 million years ago. However, this does not mean that amazons will flourish in the present times. Experts collected pollens and other plant remains from 3 sites in Colombia and Venezuela spanning the PaleoceneThermocene Thermal Maximum(PETM).The high levels of greenhouse gases had caused global temperatures to rise by 5 °C in about 10,000 years giving rise to the PETM. The surprising finding was that contrary to expectations, the plant diversity increased during this time. Each sample of 150 grains of pollen from the PETM contained 1.5 times the species in samples from older, cooler times. The speciation rate also increased during the PETM. The puzzling thing is that modern models predict that global warming will reduce the amazons to savannah due to rising temperatures. The anomaly between the findings of the study and the forecasts of the present models may be explained by the change in rainfall patterns. Jaramillo suggests that precipitation during PETM was normal but it is expected that a combination of deforestation and climate change will dry out the Amazons in the future.”If we didn’t have humans deforesting the tropics, they would probably cope quite well with climate change,” he says. Debates on the validity of the findings of the study can continue forever but one thing that I make out from the findings is that rising temperatures (which we may not be able to change) could in fact be less important to biodiversity than land-clearing practices are.The geek in me can’t help but wonder how the current increase in global temperatures bodes for future generations. The total global temperature increase from the 1850s through to 2005 is recorded as being 0.76°C and the rate of warming averaged over the last 50 years is nearly twice that for the last 100 years. Even at 0.76ºC for 150 years it means that the average increase for a century is around .5°C. Multipy it by 100 and you get 50ºC! That won’t happen but it gives you an idea of how fast things are heating up now. I, for one, am not too comfortable with that!
is studying Political Science at the Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University.
She has also been a keen participant in Model United Nations (MUN) conferences as well as other youth
Journal reference: Science, vol 330, p 957
forums. Presently she heads the Global Entrepreneurs Program under AIESEC in Delhi University. She
Chirag Ruhela
firmly believes that inter- and intra-cultural dialogue is the need of the hour.
© EXPRESSIONS 2011
27 | expressions
Corruption and bad governance are increasingly pervasive. Yet we are mere bystanders complaining about our ill-fortune and bemoaning the lack of half-decent leaders in this great nation of ours. Indians, especially “young India” must realize that we cannot wait for the system to change itself. We cannot expect great leaders to just rise;rather, we must take the initiative to improve the system. Take the example of badroads. While driving over pot-holed and bumpy roads, all we do is pause to spew expletives and then continue driving. Instead of contacting the area’sMLA and holding him accountable for the sorry state of infrastructure, we continue to accept sub-standard public amenities. And this was just one example! We must ensure better governance and accountability by being politically aware and being part of the governance process itself.
FATEH SINGH RATHORE
THE TIGERWALLAH OF RANTHAMBHORE
THE TIGERWALLAH OF RANTHABHORE
S
What seems like a miracle was actually priceless dedication combined with tireless hard work. Fatehji relocated 13 villages right from the middle of Ranthambhore in 1977. Only a man of vision and foresight could only think of taking such a great step! The tigers started coming out from the wild and showing themselves to the world.
28 | expressions
The life of tigers was a mystery for the whole world until then. However, Fatehji brought them out and introduced them not just as being like cats but individuals with their own personalities such as Padmini tigress, Noon tigress, Ghengis tiger, Lakshmi tigress and many others. His friend Valmik Thapar considered Fatehji his Guru and documented the life of tigers in the form of books and films. Under the umbrella of Fatehji, his son Dr. Goverdhan Singh Rathore started many community betterment initiatives around Ranthambhore under the NGO Prakratik Society. For example, the 60-bed, 10-doctor team-hospital which is visited by more than ninety thousand people each year. Similarly, Fateh Public School, which is aimed at giving conservation education to children who are the future local leaders. It has also installed 600 bio-gas plants to reduce wood pressure from the park.
What was once a government duty assigned to Fatehji became a lifelong passion: to protect the forest and its tigers. His friend Ashutosh Mahadevia encouraged him in his endeavours and they formed the NGO Tiger Watch. Tiger Watch has an active anti-poaching team which has been instrumental in catching about 60 poachers. It runs the poaching community Mogya’s reform programs. There is free healthcare, hostel and education for the community children (these will be the first in the community to get good schooling) and it gives alternative employment to the community members. He not only secured the tigers but also gave the poachers a direction in life with his intelligence and human approach. Fatehji got Ranthambhore on the world map and was able to harness its potential as a tourist venue. Fatehji was possibly the only individual to complete fifty years in wildlife and its conservation. His journey saw him don various roles: he started with organizing tiger “shikar” for the Queen of England and ended with him hunting down the “shikaris” and protecting the tigers. Fatehji inspired and carried many people together in this wonderful journey. The tiger is in the Aravalli hill ranges because of all the efforts of Fatehji. Now it is the responsibility of others to carry his mission forward and save the tigers in this land © EXPRESSIONS 2011
Dharmendra Khandal
29 | expressions
ome individuals are made for accomplishing many amazing things in their lives. Fateh Singh Rathore did so much for Ranthambhore that the late Prime Minster Mr. Rajiv Gandhi gave him the epithet of Mr. Ranthambhore during his visit to the park. Even when all the tigers had vanished from the dry, deciduous dhonk forest of the Aravali hill-ranges, it was only in Ranthambhore that the Tigers flourished. One man deserves stellar credit for this miraculous achievement: Fateh Singh Rathore.
People often get confused when it comes to the subject of environmental rights. The concept of environmental rights is quite popular in the developednations but has a weak holdon the Indian minds. Each person in every community has the right to health and unspoiled resources. This is an environmental right. However, in the era of industrialization,many people face serious health problems due to the scarcity of basic necessities and an excess of harmful substances. The strugglefor environmental rightsof people below the poverty line specifically,is the most important and has to be respected by people in power. Around the world it is evident that factories are set upchiefly in the rural areas. These places then become the dumpsite for the wastes from these factories. This is how the most powerful abuse their power under the name of state welfare, and the poorconsequently suffer. These people suffer due to their poverty, illiteracy and the deep rooted belief that they do not have the power to claim justice from their government.
30 | expressions
An example of immense damage caused to nature and mankind due to negligence at the hands of people in power was the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. I believe that the government should stop justifying the risk it puts the environment and its people in, by saying that such risks are acceptable as “costs of development.
Increasing GDP is not compensation for the violation of human and environmental rights. Hence, new measures of accountability and safety are essential in order to ensure welfare and development of not only the state, but also its people.
Bhavna Sahni is a 2nd year B.A.L.L.B student from UPES, Dehradun and can be reached at Bhavna444@gmail.com © EXPRESSIONS 2011
The objectives behind dam construction are:obstruction of flowing water for the benefitof human communities, flood control, hydroelectricity generation and regeneration of water supplies in urban areas.However, the construction of dams also affects the society and environment significantly. Besides several benefits, the construction of dams poses the threat of significant undesirable effects on the ecology of aquatic habitats.Flowing water is stagnated and storage of water in reservoirs leads to changes in hydrological parameters such as in levels of dissolved oxygen. The alteration in river hydrology impacts the ecological balance of the habitat causing changes in species composition, resulting in elimination of fish species such as salmons. Dams can be made in a way that their harmful impacts become low.However, no dam can be eliminated of all its harmful impacts - a “dammed” river can never bethe same as a free-flowing river. Dams have effects that no operational change or new construction can fix. Many aquatic animals coordinate their reproductive cycles with annual flood seasons. Every flood is valuable in the sensethat it takes nutrients from the land and deposits them in the river, providing food for the stream’s residents. Flood also provides shallow backwater areas on vegetated and shaded riversides; the young of many animals depend on these backwaters to protect them from large predators.
If the dam is allowed to release water from its reservoir, it will do so only once in a while, rather than with the frequency with which small floods are seen in nature. This leads to scouring and armoring of the riverbed. Due to the high energy of the sudden floods, the flood waters pickup and remove smaller sediments like silt, sand, and gravel, as well as aquatic plants and animals, leafy debris, and large woody debris. Complex sets of habitats are erased. The river bed below the dam becomes like a pavement of cobbles and loses its value. Sometimes hectares of land are cleared for dam construction. The loss of forests and agricultural lands will lead to erosion and build up of sediment at the base of the river and reservoir. This could lead to increased flooding upstream. Sediments and silt contain valuable nutrients necessary for agricultural production. The blocking of sediments behind the dam means that these nutrients may not reach fertile farmland downstream. This could reduce the fertility of land. Further adding to the “dam problem”, if a dam breaks, people and property downstream may be damaged considerably. Such an incident may cause an outbreak of waterborne diseases among the local population. Water moves slower in the reservoir and some are concerned that the population will sit and worsen the quality of this water. But why do we need more of them? This is where the irony lies. Once a dam is built and the reservoir formed, the region that is served by the dam will be developed. And development will be facilitated due to the availability of water for irrigation and domestic purposes, the availability of hydroelectricity, etc.So, we cannot ignore the harmful consequences of dam construction but we can’t omit the immense benefits that they provide either. So, it’s for you to weigh the consequences and decide if we need these “big” dams or not.
Monika Singh © EXPRESSIONS 2011
Member, icare Dehradun Chapter
31 | expressions
PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS
WHAT IS THE NEED OF BUILDING DAMS?
PHOTO STORY Vijay Sharma
PHOTO STORY
has almost completed his graduation in aerospace engineering. He started photography 3 years back with his sony ericsson mobile phone’s camera, it was a nice one though - 8.1mpx. He got my 1st DSLR year and a half back. He loves clicking people and landscapes. Photography is not just a hobby for him, its his passion.
MAJESTIC
LOOKING BEYOND WHERE GODS DWELL
33 | expressions
32 | expressions
TO GREATER HEIGHTS
PHOTO STORY
PHOTO STORY
GRASS ON ROCK
TEQUILA SUNRISE JUST TAKING A BREATHER
35 | expressions
34 | expressions
SIMPLY DIVINE
We have all grown up watching Captain Planet on Cartoon Network. It is one of my favourite cartoons. “Captain Planet, he is the hero, gonna take pollution down to zero!” We all know that line, don’t we? It’s the cartoon where Gaia, the spirit of the Earth, is awakened from a long sleep by human activity threatening ecosystems across the globe. Realizing that the damage is extensive, Gaia sends five magic rings, each with the power to control an element of nature and one controlling an extra element, heart, to five chosen youths across the globe: Kwame from Africa, Wheeler from North America, Linka from Soviet Union(changed to Eastern Europe after the Soviet Union’s collapse), Gi from Asia and Ma-Ti from South America. These five are dubbed the Planeteers and given the task of defending the Earth in the case of the greatest of disasters. In situations that the Planeteers cannot resolve alone, they can combine their powers to summon Captain Planet, a magical entity who possesses all of their powers magnified, symbolizing the premise that the combined efforts of a team are stronger than its individual parts. Arriving at the point, I would like to tell you about Environmental Engineering in a non-heroic and less dramatic way now! For those of who don’t know about it, here are a few facts1. Yes, there is a subject called Env Engineering. 2. Yes, it is a branch of Engineering. 3. No, It does not include counting the number of trees!
36 | expressions
Environmental engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to improve the environment (air, water, and/or land resources), to provide healthy water, air, and land for human habitation and for other organisms, and to remediate polluted sites. Environmental engineering involves waste water management and air pollution control, recycling, waste disposal, radiation protection, industrial hygiene, environmental sustainability, and public health issues as well as a knowledge of environmental engineering law. It also includes studies on the environmental impact of proposed construction projects. Environmental engineers conduct hazardous-waste management studies to evaluate the significance of
such hazards, advise on treatment and containment, and develop regulations to prevent mishaps. Environmental engineers also design municipal water supply and industrial wastewater treatment systems as well as address local and worldwide environmental issues such as the effects of acid rain, global warming, ozone depletion, water pollution and air pollution from automobile exhausts and industrial sources. At many universities, Environmental Engineering programs follow either the Department of Civil Engineering or The Department of Chemical Engineering at engineering faculties. Environmental “civil” engineers focus on hydrology, water resources management, bioremediation, and water treatment plant design. Environmental “chemical” engineers, on the other hand, focus on environmental chemistry, advanced air and water treatment technologies and separation processes. Higher Studies or Specializations Additionally, engineers are more frequently obtaining specialized training in law and are utilizing their technical expertise in the practices of Environmental engineering law. About four percent of environmental engineers go on to obtain Board Certification in their specialty area(s) of environmental engineering (Board Certified Environmental Engineer or BCEE). Apart from Environmental Law, other options would be MS (if studying abroad) or Masters in technology (M. Tech). Plenty of opportunities await those who are interested in overseas education. Development of environmental engineering Ever since people first recognized that their health and well-being were related to the quality of their environment, they have applied thoughtful principles to attempt to improve the quality of their environment. The
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING field emerged as a separate environmental discipline during the middle third of the 20th century in response to widespread public concern about water and pollution and increasingly extensive environmental quality degradation. However, its roots extend back to early efforts in public health engineering. Modern environmental engineering began in London in the mid-19th century when Joseph Bazalgette designed the first major sewerage system that reduced the incidence of waterborne diseases such as cholera. The introduction of drinking water treatment and sewage treatment in industrialized countries reduced waterborne diseases from being the leading causes of death to being rarities. In many cases, as societies grew, actions that were intended to achieve benefits for those societies had longer-term impacts which reduced other environmental qualities. One example is the widespread application of DDT to control agricultural pests in the years following World War II. While the agricultural benefits were outstanding and crop yields increased dramatically, thus reducing world hunger substantially, and malaria was controlled better than it ever had been, numerous species were brought to the verge of extinction due to the impact of the DDT on their reproductive cycles. The story of DDT as vividly told in Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring” is considered to be the birth of the modern environmental movement and the development of the modern field of “environmental engineering.” Briefly speaking, the main task of environmental engineers is to protect public health by protecting (from further degradation), preserving (the present condition of), and enhancing the environment. Also, they develop new forms of energy and ways to increase the efficiency of generating and using energy. They try to get people to convert to environmental friendly energy. Environmental engineering is the application of science and engineering principles to the environment. Some consider environmental engineering to include the development of sustainable processes. There are several divisions of the field of environmental engineering.
Environmental impact assessment and mitigation In this division, engineers and scientists use a systemic identification and evaluation process to assess the potential impacts of a proposed project , plans, programs, policies, or legislative actions upon the physical-chemical, biological, cultural, and socioeconomic components on environmental conditions. The practice of environmental assessment was initiated on January 1, 1970, the effective date of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in the United States. Since that time, more than 100 developing and developed nations either have planned specific analogous laws or have adopted procedure used elsewhere. NEPA is applicable to all federal agencies in the United States. Water supply and treatment Water is treated to achieve water quality objectives for the end uses. In the case of potable water supply, water is treated to minimize the risk of infectious disease transmission, the risk of non-infectious illness, and to create a palatable water flavour. Water distribution systems are designed and built to provide adequate water pressure and flow rates to meet various end-user needs such as domestic use, fire suppression, and irrigation. Apart from the above there are other topics such as Solid Waste Management, Air Pollution, Landfill studies, Hazardous waste management, Global warming, Climate change etc. Today Environmental Engg is more popular than ever and environmental engineers are needed in every institution, organization or manufacturing company. In the current scenario where all resources are getting polluted and environmental disasters such as oil spills are taking place more often than ever, Environmental Engineering is the path to be taken. © EXPRESSIONS 2011
Namrata Shenoy
is a 3rd year Environmental Engineering student from Mysore, Karnataka and can be reached at namrat12@gmail.com
37 | expressions
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
TALES FROM THE WILD
F
or a long time now, I have wanted to write stories for young children, pre-teens and teens that will introduce them to and engage their interest in nature and wildlife. This is my first attempt at it. I must gratefully note that many friends have been extremely encouraging, already urging me to publish my writing. I am not sure how well the writing itself will be received. So I am putting this story up on my blog, asking for feedback. Please let me know what you think about this. Pick out flaws, point out errors (even if it is a spelling error), pat me on the back or tell me this is no good.
“Hello, you birds! Could you choose a different battleground to flex your warring skills, because your vocals aren’t helping me find food and I am hungry!” All went quiet. Having vented out his frustration, Sharp-y too felt calmer inside. An instant later something green dropped down to the branch from the branch above, right next to him. He didn’t pay attention, thinking it was a leaf falling. But the ‘leaf’ uttered an alarmed ‘kwok’ when it realised who Sharp-y was, nevertheless bravely proceeded “I am sorry. But I am in terrible pain. I was hoping my family would come back and help me. Hence the noisy calls.” Startled, Sharp-y turned around. “You’re a Parakeet!”
“Rose-ringed”, the bird said craning its neck to show the pink-ring that offered a testimonial to its words, as though this would somehow save him from being swatted by the great aquiline talon. Normally, the Parakeet wouldn’t have had anything to fear from this large bird, but with a broken wing he had reasons to be worried. But the Eagle seemed in no mood to inflict any violence on his companion. He quietly stared at the Parakeet for a second. “You mean, you were the only one crying out all this time? I thought there was an army of you up there.” “No, only me. My folks were here too, but they left after they were done foraging around here. I couldn’t fly so I was left behind. I have been calling for help since.” “What happened?” “Well, my step-brothers were bullying me and kept pecking at me; my wing got hurt. I lied down in a sort of a wedge and dozed off. I woke up and saw that it still hurts when I try to fly.” “I am sorry. It’s a little lonely on this side of the forest. I am not sure if you are going to find help soon. What will you do?” “Call out to the skies like I was doing. Folks of my tribe keep flying overhead. Someone will hear me.” Sharp-y shuddered at the thought of more deafening screeches.
39 | expressions
38 | expressions
Sharp-y was having an awful day. He hadn’t found anything to eat in the morning and he had come flying all the way to his home tree to see if his luck would change. It had been a while since he had been to the home tree. He settled down on his favourite branch which spread out strong and wide out into a golden meadow. This was a good watch-post and he liked the view he got from there. But something wasn’t right here either. There was too much noise today – a long-drawn squawking and screeching blared out from one of the top branches. “Mynas? Parakeets? These noisy birds are bickering all the time.”, Sharp-y thought, a little annoyed at not having the peace that he had come to expect in his home ground. He tried to concentrate on the meadow but his gaze couldn’t stay on for two seconds; the noise was too overpowering. He looked up.
“Well not much. I am sure it will be alright in a couple of days. I need to give it some rest. But I am afraid of starving these two days and then finding myself too weak to fly when my wing mends.” “Hmm. Well, I could ask a friend of mine to get you something to eat I suppose. He will be here soon. The sun will be right over our heads anytime now.” “Err...thanks a lot. You know, you are very uncharacteristically kind, but I am afraid any friend of yours may not be able to help. You see, I don’t eat meat.” “I know that. My friend is a Squirrel. He eats the same kind of food as you...I think. At least, he too doesn’t eat meat. You can speak to him and figure out your nutritional differences.” “Squirrel! Sacred Tree of Figs! You are friendly with a Squirrel?! You are the weirdest Eagle I have come across!” Sharp-y was annoyed. “And you are friendly with a lot of Eagles, are you?” “Er, no. I must admit you are the first one I have got this close to. Not very social folks, you Eagles. But I always heard Squirrels and the like ended up in your breakfast
40 | expressions
menu. Did I hear wrong?”
“Well, well, well...what a tale I am going to tell my folks back home. I met a Snake-Catcher who has a Squirrel for a friend!” He nodded his head disbelievingly, perhaps anticipating the reaction he would get from his tribe.“You are still thinking of joining your folks after they injured you and abandoned you?” It was time for Sharp-y to be puzzled. “What else would I do?” “Safer to be by yourself, I’d think” “Ow no no no! I couldn’t do that. I would go mad without folks of my kind around me. You aren’t suggesting that I live alone?” “Isn’t it better than being beaten to incapacitation or death?” “No. Yes. Well, I don’t know. Being alone is the same as being dead.” “You are strange, you flock birds”. At that moment a discreet chirp somewhere down on the tree caught Sharp-y’s attention. “Feather?”, he called out. “Sharpy! You are home!”, squeaked a tiny rodent, who was gliding up the tree, his smooth back glistening in the sun, his plume-like tail twitching slightly. “That’s a funny name – Sharpy.” the Parakeet butted in. “It’s Sharp-y. Sharp Aye. Only Feather calls me Sharpy.” The Eagle’s irritation returned at the Parakeet’s intrusive chatter and he made up his mind that he wouldn’t let this audacious little bird call him Sharpy.
“I don’t know. I haven’t known many Eagles either. Except my mum and my brother. And we have always been partial to snakes and toads. Toads, myself.”
“Feather, here’s...er...sorry, what was your name?”
“Ow! Ow Ow Ow!”
“Trippe.”
Sharp-y was alarmed at this fresh outburst of squawking. But this time, the Parakeet looked more excited than pained. “ I get it. A Snake-Catcher, aren’t you? Fruity-fruits! I had never seen one sitting. But I guess I would have known if I had seen you flying!” Sharp-y, despite his grumpy mood, was amused. “It’s no wonder you didn’t eat me!”, continued the Parakeet, relieved at having finally solved the puzzle.
Sharp-y wasn’t sure it was a word. More like an inadvertent sound one lets slip through one’s mouth when bored. “Sorry?”
“I am not used to having feathers and fur as accompaniments for dinner. Messy eating, they must make.”
“Trippe. That’s my name.”
Feather wasn’t sure about helping a stranger, but he couldn’t refuse Sharp-y. “I have a store filled with figs. Can you eat figs?”. The question seemed absurd to Trippe. “Can I eat figs??? I can devour them! I haven’t seen a fig tree in three days and I was getting cranky.” “Oh, alright then. I’ll get some.” Feather scuttled away quickly out of sight. He made sure he didn’t let the stranger see the direction he took, lest he give away the location of his store. He needn’t have worried. Trippe could only move by hopping and he had no hope of getting to the next tree until he could fly again. Feather’s larder was firmly hidden in a tree three big branches away in the direction of the Stream. Nobody could have seen the little hole in the tree that far away. Not even Sharp-y. “Alright then, I’ll move along now. Haven’t eaten anything since last night, I’ll have to get a bite soon.” The Snake-Catcher took off with a swoosh into the sky, trying to think which watch post would be his best bet.
A large Sal tree next to the Stream provided a cool shade and the calmness Sharp-y enjoyed. He had forgotten, momentarily, his unusual encounter with the Parakeet on the previous day. His stomach and heart filled, he thought why this tree couldn’t be his home tree. Why had mum chosen that other tree next to the meadow? Perhaps she liked the meadow. It was a good thing, though. He wouldn’t have met Feather – Feather! Trippe! Sharp-y suddenly remembered the previous day’s incidents. It had felt good to get away from the Parakeet’s chatter. Sharp-y himself had talked more in those few minutes with Trippe than he had done in months. It had tired him out. Worse, his hungry stomach had fueled his irritability. He was so glad when he finally got away. Now, rejuvenated by wholesome meals and a calm surrounding, he felt kinder towards the injured bird.
41 | expressions
“Er...let me see if I could so something. What do you need to heal your wing?”
“Feeling better?” he enquired. “Oh a lot better. Thanks. I can stretch the wing a little now without much pain. You and your friend have been so kind. All those nutritious figs have restored my energy. I really thought I would be dead when I found my flock had left. Who would have thought I would be rescued by an Eagle? That’s going to be the story of the decade.”
42 | expressions
Sharp-y almost regretted having returned to this flood of chatter. “A great friend, Feather, isn’t he?” continued Trippe, hoping to elicit a narrative about the origin of Sharp-y’s friendship with the Squirrel, from the Eagle himself, but none came forth. “Yes”. Sharp-y had decided to be reticent today. Twenty-four hours of loneliness had been too much strain on Trippe’s endurance, so he wan’t going to give up so easily. But even direct questions didn’t help him get the scoop he was hoping for. “There’s nothing much to tell. We’ve just known each other for a long time.”
Trippe suspected that there was more to it than that, but gave up. He sensed that Sharp-y just didn’t want to tell him. He decided to settle on a lighter subject. “So, did you get anything to eat? You said you hadn’t eaten all morning.”
gether?”
“Yes, I found myself a good meal as soon as I left.” “And a good meal to you is not a bunch of figs, I am sure.”, cackled Trippe, hoping Sharp-y would find it funny. “Toads.”
That’s it. He had said it. Sharp-y never believed that he would disclose this secret to any living thing in his life. Even when he had tried to, he couldn’t. It demanded a lot of effort from him. But here he was, telling a chatterbox of a Parakeet, calmly that he had a phobia of food. Years of terrifying nightmares of snakes constricting the life out of him had culminated in one simple statement. Now that he had put his fear into words, it seemed as ridiculous as an elephant saying it lived in mortal fear of Bamboo.
Suddenly, Sharp-y felt terribly sorry for the poor Parakeet. He couldn’t understand or explain the little bird’s seemingly insatiable need to talk, but he felt a surge of sympathy for him. Sharp-y himself wasn’t wired to be talkative, he could go on for months without speaking to a soul, but this creature seemed to thrive on endless tittle-tattle. He also found a slight curiosity to understand how these flock birds managed to speak about everything they felt and thought. At a moment’s impulse, he decided to find out, by doing something he never imagined he would do. He opened up his little box of secrets.
This bird has some imagination, Sharp-y thought. Not only does he talk a lot, he thinks a lot too. “No. I am afraid of snakes.”
The next instant, Sharp-y regretted having revealed too much. What was he thinking? It was a Banyan Tree of
“Seeds of poppy!” The red, rounded beak remained open forming a tiny hollow. “What could you be afraid of? What can snakes do to a big, powerful bird like you? They must shiver in their scales at the thought of you!” “And I shudder at the thought of them.” “You are weirder than I thought!” Trippe couldn’t stop himself from exclaiming. “You are a grateful bunch of feathers, aren’t you?” Sharpy was visibly annoyed at Trippe’s growing audacity. “I am sorry. I really am. But I am just flabbergasted. How could this be?” “Look, I am not insane. I have not imagined myself into this phobia. I am afraid of snakes because I know what they can do. Even to birds like me. I have seen it.” For once, Trippe was quiet. He knew, this time, there was a story coming and he didn’t want to interrupt the flow. The Eagle may decide to not tell the story, if his mood changed.
“Toads. That’s what I eat almost all the time.” He knew the last remark would trigger a series of questions. He didn’t have to wait even for a second. “Snakes?” “No. I never eat snakes.” That rejoinder elicited a gasp from the injured bird. “No snakes? Why not? Aren’t there any snakes in this part of the forest?” “There are plenty. I just don’t catch them. They aren’t scared of me. Why do you think you didn’t see many nests around here. Or didn’t you notice?” “I didn’t.” Trippe shook his head in befuddlement. “What is the problem? Are you not a Snake-Catcher? Are you some other bird that looks like a Snake-Catcher but isn’t? Or did something go wrong with your tummy one day? Some orange-spotted yellow snake didn’t agree with your stomach, so you stopped eating snakes alto-
his pathetic fear. That’s all it was worth to them – a round of laughter. However, he realised that now that he had revealed the secret, he would have to go on and explain it. He couldn’t possibly allow the world to think he was a little sparrow-hearted bird hatched out of an Eagle’s egg by mistake.
“My brother got killed by a serpent.” This was like a non-stop series of thunder and lightning. Just when you had recovered from a startling shock, here was another. Trippe still didn’t want to interrupt. The round beak remained open in anticipation.
Blunder to talk about his secret to this stranger, who indulged in so much chatter. Now, the whole world would know about his phobia and he would be a laughing stock. Any interest Trippe had shown in his life was only because he wanted to gossip about it with his folks when he returned. They would all cackle with amusement at
“It is unusual for Eagles to have siblings, so my mother used to say. So she was very proud and happy that she had two eggs to boast of. When I emerged out of one, the other egg was still unhatched. It remained that way for more than a week and mother began to get worried. She asked Father if anything was wrong, but he didn’t know anybody who had had two eggs, so he couldn’t tell.
43 | expressions
Trippe felt a pang of fear when he saw a pair of broad, dark wings speckled with white swoop over him, but was relieved to find it was his benefactor, returning to the branch he had left abruptly the previous day. Trippe had felt very lonely all evening and this morning. Feather had been generous in his supply of delicious comestibles, but he was too timid and shy to hold long conversations with. Moreover, Trippe got a feeling that Feather didn’t take too keen an interest in forming new friendships. He wondered what had prompted the little rodent to form this highly unlikely bond with a great raptor like Sharp-y. Oh what stories he could carry back to his flock, if only Sharp-y would share them with him! The tales would be the stuff of all gossip for a whole month, a whole year, perhaps. So, it was with great delight that he welcomed the Eagle on his return. The yellow eye of the huge bird scanned Trippe’s wing closely.
A faint gasp showed Sharp-y that Trippe was hooked on to his every word. “The Python was huge, it was...” “Spare me, I have seen a Python, don’t describe it.” Trippe was trembling. “Well, that’s that. The Python strangled him and within seconds Slant-y was gone. Mother was distressed. Now that I could fly she took me far away from our nest and taught me hunting. And I left, after a few days.” There was a long pause. “So do I look like a fool, a coward now?” There was a very long pause before Trippe spoke. “ I am sorry about your brother, but I still think you shouldn’t be afraid of snakes.” “And I think you shouldn’t think so much.” With these sharp words, the raptor spread out his wings and took off in the air. It was two whole days before Sharp-y returned to his home tree this time. So angry was he, at himself, for having allowed the Parakeet to take so much liberty as to give him advice, that he kept flying for hours and hours without settling down. It was nearly evening when
he finally sat down on a crocodile bark tree. He had reached the Grey Mountain, from where he could see, at a distance, the Stream glistening in a thin streak amidst the dark foliage of trees like the silver line that adorns dark, wispy clouds. The mild, pleasant breeze of the meadows, here on the Grey Mountain turned into gusty winds. As the strong currents of the wind hit Sharp-y on his face, he felt his rage cooling down slowly. His worst fears had come true. Despite listening to the traumatic story that had given him the phobia, the Parakeet had thought he was being silly. He hadn’t expected anyone to understand, but he didn’t want advice either. He was terrified of being strangled and that was that. It wasn’t as though Sharp-y hadn’t tried to overcome his weakness. But the sight of a slithering scaly body sent shivers in his body. There was that incident when he forced himself to hunt down a rat snake. But it was no use. As he pounced on it, the snake had lashed out; its long whip-like body curled round the Eagle’s chest. This contact was enough to stop Sharp-y’s heart for a moment with paralytic fear. He dropped his quarry and flew off. It wasn’t like his mother hadn’t tried to teach him to hunt snakes. She was adept at hunting down even a large, powerful serpent. She could swing it by its tail and play hoopla with it. But no amount of demonstrations of reptilian hoopla had helped Sharp-y. And here was this little frugivore telling him he had no business being scared. It was quite unintentionally that he had returned to the home tree. He had simply wandered when his anger cooled down and returned to the meadow. The Parakeet must have left by now, the Eagle thought. He sat down on his usual perch and noticed the Parakeet was indeed gone. But he was wrong. Trippe floated down to the branch after a few minutes. “Hello, Sharp-y. I thought you would never return. I am very very sorry. I must have sounded very judjmental. I am a Parakeet you know. I can’t help shooting my mouth off.” “How’s your wing now?” Sharp-y was curt. “It’s perfectly alright. I can fly now. I had gone foraging around in the morning.”
“I thought you would have left.” “I intend to. But I didn’t want to leave before seeing you. You have been very kind and I have been very ungrateful.” Sharp-y couldn’t remain stern any longer. “It’s alright. I suppose it is difficult to understand. It must seem very strange to you.” “No. I thought it was strange at first. I have had two days to think it over. And I don’t think it’s that strange at all. You were young and helpless and something happened to make you believe very strongly that you would remain forever weak and helpless. We believe in a lot of things long after they cease to exist.” “Well, if a python tried to strangle me now, I would still be as helpless.” “Oh no, you wouldn’t. A python can’t fly. Your brother couldn’t fly. Even back then, you weren’t as weak as he was.” “That may be true. But I still can’t help being paralysed when I am near a snake.” “Hmm. I can understand why that happens. You tell yourself so many times that you are inacapable of handling a snake, that when you really see one, you do become incapable. That’s what you believe. But in reality, you are a strong bird, a bird born to conquer snakes. So you can’t be all that weak.” “You mean, just because I am born an Eagle, I can hunt snakes just like my mother?” “Of course yes. Parakeets are born to talk. You can’t keep a Parakeet in a hole all his life and expect him to become quiet. He will talk to himself.” A glint of amusement appeared on Sharp-y’s golden eye. The cheeky little bird could have thought of a better metaphor, Sharp-y knew. He felt grateful to Trippe for his attempt to lighten his mood. “I think the trouble is that you are a lonesome bird.”, Trippe concluded with great confidence in his diagnosis. “Aw now you are losing it. Don’t tell me I have caught some madness because of loneliness. Because all Eagles are solitary. We are not flock birds. I would go
mad if I were to hear your chatter for the rest of my life.” “I believe you.” Trippe didn’t mind the bluntness of the remark one bit. “What I am saying is that your problem could be cured if you were a flock bird. Since you are not, the fear has stayed on for so long.”
“And how would a flock of Eagles have helped me believe I can hunt a snake, Oh Wise One?”, said the raptor half-mockingly. “Well, I have thought this over. We flock birds keep reminding e a c h other of our strengths and failings almost every day. Oh Trippe, you found an orchard nearby? You are a good tracker. Oh, ask Trippe where we could find good water. He is great at tracking, you know. You hear from others what makes you a good Parakeet. But here you are, left to your own devices and all you have been telling yourself is what a lousy Snake-Catcher you are. Doesn’t help at all. So you will have to change that, you know. Tell yourself that you are born a Snake-Catcher. No python is going to change that. If you are not a Snake-Catcher, you would be dead. Like your brother.” As Sharp-y’s black crest on his head bristled with the surging anger, Trippe was quick to add, “You know, you are alive and you matter more now than your brother. I am sorry he had to die, but you survived because you were stronger and more capable. You will have to believe that.” Sharp-y didn’t speak for a long time. When he did, it wasn’t what Trippe had expected him to say. “You know, if being in a flock is such a great thing, why did you end up with a broken wing, left to die of hunger?” The tone which was more curious than angry, told Trippe that the question wasn’t a sarcastic one.
45 | expressions
44 | expressions
My brother emerged out of his shell two weeks later and mum was the happiest bird I knew for a long time. I look back and see, it must have been tiring feeding two babies but she didn’t care. Slant-y, naturally, was smaller and slower than me. So I got to do a lot of things much before he did. I tried out my first toad diet days before him, I started flying much before him. One day, when mum was away and I was practising flying, Slant-y must have felt an urge to follow me and try flying himself. He had watched me fly for weeks now. He hopped out of the nest and he immediately fell past at least a dozen branches before he was on the ground. I was alarmed. I called out to mother frantically, Slant screeched his lungs out, but mother must have been far away. She didn’t hear us. But what was to come was even more shocking. There, hidden in the leaves, on the ground, something moved. I had failed to spot it, it was so still. Now, it moved with such speed and circled round Slant’s body. I had never seen a Python before. I was scared out of my wits.”
IN THE NEWS “But they are gone now.” “Oh well, I can find them. It will take some days. But I will get back.” Sharp-y was puzzled beyond words. “Nothing in your list of rules says you have to live with the same folks, does it?” “It’s not a rule, but that’s how it always is. I must find my folks. I will be comfortable with them. Some of them are nasty to me, I admit, but at least I know what to expect.” “You know...you seem to think my friendship with Feather is as strange as a flying three-horned hare, but
nobody told me that I couldn’t choose my own friends. Even if they weren’t of my own kind. Do they tell you at home not to mingle with other folks, folks who would treat you with respect and love?” This time, Trippe couldn’t bring himself to speak for a very long time. “You are a clever bird, Trippe. If you can track a rich orchard and sweet water, you can find good friends too. If you ever need to talk to a snake-catching friend though, you know my home tree. Now, it’s time to grab a meal...” With these parting words, the raptor flapped his huge, dark wings in the air, launched himself into the cloudless sky, his piercing eye looking for a slithering body on the ground, his heart pounding the words, “I am strong and capable...”
On the other side of the Stream at dusk, there was much chatter in a flock of young Parakeets as they tried to extract all news and gossip from a new friend they had just met. He told them he knew of a mango orchard just round the bend of the Stream and he could guide them all to it. This news was greeted with more excited chatter. A dozen voices said in a chorus how glad they were to find a new member who was so wise and who knew the ways of the world...
Gowri Subramanya
is a freelance content
46 | expressions
writer and translator, who has also worked as a naturalist for a few months in Kabini. She is passionate about all forms of wildlife, but more so about flowers, birds and cats. She write poems, stories and travelogues on wildlife-based themes. you can read her blog at http://love-for-nature.blogspot.com/ © EXPRESSIONS 2011
Tiger Man Fateh Singh Rathore dead Sunny Sebastian JAIPUR The tigers would surely mourn this one death. Celebrated conservationist Fateh Singh Rathore passed away on Tuesday after a brief illness. The “Tiger Man”, as he was popularly known in conservation circles all over the world, bade farewell to his fond tigers and the rest of the world at his residence situated on the outskirts of the Ranthambhore National Park, a place he nourished and protected with considerable vigour during his lifetime. He was 79. He is survived by a son, Govardhan Rathore, and two daughters, Padmini and Jaya. Born to a senior police officer, Sagat Singh Rathore, in Choradia village of Jodhpur district’s Shergarh tehsil, Fateh Singh Rathore first reached Ranthambhore in 1971 and became part of the pioneering efforts at international level to save the species of tiger through Project Tiger. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the top conservationist of the State. “Learning about his illness I tried to meet him last month as well but unfortunately I could not,” Mr. Gehlot said. Only last month the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) had bestowed on Mr. Rathore, also referred to as “Fatji” by his friends, the Lifetime Achievement Award in Conservation. Dharmendra Khandal, a close associate of the family and scientist with Tiger Watch, which Mr. Rathore founded, said the death took place around 10-25 on Tuesday morning. “We were aware of his precarious condition though he was his normal self this past fortnight. However there was a clear decline in his condition yesterday and this morning he left...” Dr. Khandal said.
The cremation is due on Wednesday morning at “Maa Farm”, the farmhouse residence of the Rathores on the Sawai Madhopur-Ranthambhore road. “In the death of Fatji, the first conservation-epoch for Ranthambhore Tiger Park has come to an end. In his park management paradigm he represented a boorish traditional fervour with a sudden outburst of puckish humour and jerky anger. Like a vicar in church, he trained countless persons into tigercentric issues,” said Harsh Vardhan, noted conservationist and friend of the Rathore family, talking to The Hindu. “He had led them all from the forefront while very few stood by him while he faced odds from the treefellers, poachers and also his senior forest officers throughout his career. Yet he fought untiring until was forced to be bed-ridden since November 2010. When he had breakfast with me at my place in Jaipur last month he complained of not able to stand up properly,” said Mr. Vardhan who had rescued Mr. Rathore from an angry crowd in Ranthmbhore years back. A large number of conservationist friends of the Tiger Man, including Rajasthan Minister Bharat Singh, Valmik Thapar, Belinda Wright and Bittu Seghal are already in Ranthmabhore.
47 | expressions
“Oh well, I admit it’s not a perfect life. But it’s easy for you to live alone. I am not born to lead a solitary life. I depend on my family in more ways than you can imagine.”
Rare snakes rescued from Delhi houses
IN THE NEWS Coolers, glucose for zoo inmates to beat the heat
Neha Lalchandani | TNN New Delhi
Shreya Roy Chowdhury | TNN New Delhi
Wildlife workers have rescued two rare snakes in Delhi in the past 10 days. It is believed that it is for the first time these snakes — a glossy-bellied racer LIFE IN URBAN JUNGLE: While one snake was found inside a 3rdand a bronzeback tree floor flat in Anand Parbat, the other was on a tree at Sangam Vihar snake — have been seen in Delhi as they find no mention in any literature on the city. versity. Even after the irresponsible deforestation and development, reptiles are showing a good adaptation The snakes were rescued by a team of Wildlife SOS. to this growing urban environment. There are obviThe glossy-bellied racer (platyceps ventromaculatus) ously micro habitats in Delhi that have escaped the was found in a thirdfloor flat of a building in Anand onslaught of urbanization.” Parbat near Karol Bagh. “The snake is nonvenomous. Primarily, it’s a desert snake. It moves about by bur- Last year the organization had listed two more rare rowing in loose sand and prefers scrub land. The area snakes that it rescued in the city, the variegated kukri around Anand Parbat is exactly like that. In fact, the and the leith sand snake. snake’s range is up to the Rajasthan-Haryana border and is also found in Gujarat. Its entry in Delhi could “We are hopeful that the micro-habitats will be supbe a range extension,” said sources in Wildlife SOS. porting more of these snakes and possibly even more varieties. Of the 40-odd listed snakes for Delhi, we A week after its rescue, Wildlife SOS received another routinely see about 14-15. The bronzeback is a tropicall that set its members’ pulse racing. When rescue cal forest snake but can also be found around Madhya workers reached Sangam Vihar from where the call Pradesh. Delhi also has a slightly deciduous landscape had been placed, they found another extremely rare which might be preferred by this variety. However, it snake hanging from a tree in a garden. “This snake is too early to conjecture why it suddenly appeared was identified as a bronzeback tree snake, a member here. There is also a faint possibility that it might have of the dendralephis species. This is also non-ven- been released by a snake-charmer or that its habitat omous. This is a newly described species, chiefly a preference might be changing. However, since Delhi tropical forest snake and tree dwelling. It has a var- is expanding, more and more species might be getting ied range distribution and records find it mainly in absorbed into its physical boundary,” said an official. and around the Western Ghats and in northeastern the Tiger Man, including Rajasthan Minister Bharat states,” said a Wildlife SOS official. Singh, Valmik Thapar, Belinda Wright and Bittu Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and chairman of Seghal are already in Ranthmabhore. Wildlife SOS, said: “Both snakes are indicative species. Their rescue proves that Delhi is rich in biodi-
Rita is well mannered for a chimp. She ac- yellowcrowned woodpecker, Eurasian golden oriole, cepts acan of water through a small door in her oriental magpie robin, Indian grey horn bill, bulbuls, cage from keeper Suresh and returns it when maynas and parakeets can be seen at the zoo. she’s done drinking. Mani, her COOL COMFORT: This summer Delhi zoo will have to take care of neighbour, is about half her 1473 animals and the staff is gearing up for it age – over 40 – and about as mature. He generally refuses to return the can once he’s grabbed it. Their waterdrinking habits are important for the National Zoological The zoo will have to care for a total of 1,473 animals Park keepers to note as, with summer nearly here and this year including captive animals and those among promising to be hot, they’ll need many drinks in a the free-living birds that routinely stay on the zoo day. The zoo is girding up for the heat. premises. The Delhi zoo’s inventories from the last 10 years show that the total number of species in the Rita likes to chill before the cooler on one side of the zoo’s custody has dropped from 130 (2000-2001) to cage. There are about 45 coolers – some already in- 110 (2010--2011) as single specimens of certain spestalled, others undergoing repair – that are placed cies died. The m i t h u n (b o s f r o n ta l i s, a large by the cages of captive animals to keep them cool. bovine species), for instance, that died in 2010 was “We’re running them without water now as it’s not only one of its kind at the zoo. that hot yet,” says curator Riaz Khan. Cages of cats are being covered with cloth and during peak summer, The zoo also lost its last alligator last year. But the total are sprayed with water to keep the animals cool. The number of animals has increased from 1,279 to 1,473 pools in the tiger enclosure are filled as tigers like a over the decade. Footfall at the zoo has increased good splash in the heat and can swim but lions need too from 15.05 lakh in 1999-2000 to over 18 lakh in less work. 2010-2011. The size of the staff has shrunk, however, and officials admit to being faced with a staff crunch. Chimpanzees eat less potatoes during summers, in- There are 82 sanctioned posts lying vacant includforms Suresh, and more of fruit. There’s more of mel- ing the majority of assistant keeper posts. Cleaning ons, cucumber, watermelon, b a e l–it’s good for the and security have been outsourced. And the animals stomach, says Khan – and mangoes. Food for carni- need more care in summer. “We have to keep a check vores is reduced. Instead of 12 kilograms of meat in and replenish their water supplies more often,” says a day, they get 10 and vitamin supplements too. Glu- Suresh. “They hate staying out,” he says of the chimps, cose is mixed in their water. “They come in quickly and stay indoors.”
48 | expressions
Wildlife Experts Say It Shows Urbanisation Has Spared Some Micro-Habitats
Summer brings a new batch of birds to the area vacated by the winter migratory birds. Winging it from other parts of India to Delhi, local birds including the Asian koel, black-headed ibis, brown-headed barbet,
49 | expressions
IN THE NEWS
IN THE NEWS Posco faces another hurdle if local bodies clear forest rights PRISCILLA JEBARAJ South Korean giant Posco’s integrated steel plant in Orissa could face another hurdle as the palli sabhas (local bodies set up to determine forest rights under the Forest Rights Act) of Dhinkia, Gobindpur and nearby villages plan to approve several hundred forest rights claims within the next 15 days.
CONDITIONAL CLEARANCE
In January, the Ministry of Environment and Forests granted a conditional forest clearance to the Posco project, provided the State government submitted assurances that the FRA was implemented in the area, and all valid forest rights claims settled. The Orissa government is now preparing to submit those assurances, but the Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti has written to Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, claiming that any such assurances are false.
NO ASSISTANCE
50 | expressions
“Without any assistance or statutorily required implementation steps from the State government, and despite the intense police presence and constant threat of violence, the people of the area and in particular of Dhinkia and Gobindpur villages have been completing the process of filling out claim forms and verifying rights claims and that several hundred such claims are expected to be approved by the respective palli sabhas within the next fifteen days,” said the letter. It adds that these palli sabhas are expected to start issuing notices against the Orissa government itself, under Section 8 of the FRA, claiming that the State’s “blatantly false statements” constitute a criminal offence under Section 7 of the Act and Sections 192 and 219 of the Indian Penal Code. The Samiti argues against the State government’s position that there cannot be any “other traditional forest dwellers” in the area as the land was only notified as forestland in 1961. Instead, they say that the State government’s own maps show that the area was a forest from 1930, according to the definition used in Section 2 of the FRA.
Slender lorises sighted on Kalakshetra campus P. OPPILI
Naturalists are excited after sighting a good number of slender lorises, rare and endangered arboreal primates, on the Kalakshetra campus. A detailed study on the primates has been taken up by members of the Madras Naturalists’ Society (MNS). G. Vijay Kumar, secretary of the MNS, said in July last year students of Kalakshetra saw the movement of some animals on tree and sought the help of MNS members to identify them . When the members visited Kalakshetra campus, they were taken by surprise by the presence of a large number of the arboreal primates. Following the sighting, they approached ATREE, a Bangalore-based nature research organisation, to fund a study on the campus. The organisation provided financial assistance to the tune of Rs.70,000. The six-month study began in middle of January this year and will be completed by July. A total of 20 lorises, including infants, were sighted by the MNS members, who went around the campus between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. The habitat in which they managed to survive needed to be protected and the lorises in Kalakshetra are wild ones, he said. The MNS members used headlights covered with red cellophane paper while studying them. As they are very sensitive to light, shining lights directly on their face will stun them and they will be unable to feed due to this. Hence, the members tied a paper around the lights to avoid disturbance to them, he said. K.V. Sudhakar, member of the MNS, said there were not many records of sighting of lorises in and around the scrub jungles in Chennai. One had to travel to Mamandur near Renigunta in Andhra Pradesh to sight them. Similarly, not much information was available about this arboreal primate, except a detailed study by P.J. Sanjeva Raj of the Madras Christian College during 1950s.
51 | expressions
In Capital
52 | expressions