Remembering Rachel Carson

Rachel Louise Carson

Rachel Carson (1907 – 1964) who is remembered on her 107th birthday, was one of the pioneering women in the research field of science. The fact that, she was a student of literature before she took up biology, explains the reason behind her lyrical prose writing style. She had post-graduation from Johns Hopkins University in Marine Zoology. She taught at the university of Maryland besides publishing a number of research articles on natural history. She served as an aquatic biologist for the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which provided her with greater insight into the marine ecology. She gave up all her positions for the love of writing science.

Carson had a unique combination of flowingly beautiful language that reaches every layman and accurate science that is appreciated by professional biologists. This quality earned her international fame in science literature. Her book The Sea Around Us (1951) bagged her National Book Award for Non-fiction and many more awards and medals. This made Carson to get elated into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Carson’s first book, Under the Sea Wind (1941) describes the behaviour of fish and seabirds accurately, but in story form, often using the scientific names of species as character names. Carson's stated goal in doing so was "to make the sea and its life as vivid a reality for those who may read the book as it has become for me during the past decade." The first of her characters is introduced this way:

With the dusk a strange bird came to the island from its nesting grounds on the outer banks. Its wings were pure black, and from tip to tip their spread was more than the length of a man's arm. It flew steadily and without haste across the sound, its progress as measured and as meaningful as that of the shadows which little by little were dulling the bright water path. The bird was called Rynchops, the black skimmer.

The middle section of the book follows the life-story of Scomber, the mackerel, while the last part describes pond creatures such as eels and ducks. A glossary at the end of the book provides additional detail.

In the mid-1940s, Carson became concerned about the use of synthetic pesticides, many of which had been developed through the military funding of science since World War II. The USDA's 1957 fire ant eradication program, which involved aerial spraying of DDT and other pesticides mixed with fuel oil and included the spraying of private land, prompted Carson to devote her research, and her next book, to pesticides and environmental poisons. Landowners in Long Island filed a suit to have the spraying stopped, and many in affected regions followed the case closely. Though the suit was lost, the Supreme Court granted petitioners the right to gain injunctions against potential environmental damage in the future, laying the basis for later environmental actions.

Spraying DDT indiscriminately

Poster promoting DDT

In the late 1950s, Carson turned her attention to conservation; especially environmental problems that she believed were caused by synthetic pesticides. The result was Silent Spring (1962), which brought environmental concerns to the American public. Silent Spring was met with fierce opposition by chemical companies, but it spurred a reversal in national pesticide policy, led to a nationwide ban on DDT for agricultural uses, and inspired an environmental movement that led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The book documented the detrimental effects on the environment—particularly on Birds—of the indiscriminate use of pesticides. Carson accused the chemical industry of spreading disinformation and public officials of accepting industry claims unquestioningly.

Poster promoting DDT

Mass Spray of DDT and other pesticides

Disinfecting a woman by spraying DDT

The book “The Edge of the Sea” gives some historical perspective on the discovery of certain species by scientists, and different anecdotes about these naturalists. The text provides research conclusions from different sources to explain the morphology and behaviour of organisms. The author instils in the reader a true appreciation for the mystery of life. She keeps you in awe about the time scale of the processes, for example ocean currents, reef building, sea level rise during interglacial times and classical food webs in the ocean. What is striking is that you come away from the reading with an appreciation of the intricacies and delicate nature of life.

She is an exemplary biologist for today’s youth who wonder about the possibilities in pure science, especially, life sciences. She remains an inspiration for biologists, environmentalists and conservationists even today! 

Geetha H

Environment Appreciation Programme

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Could Modi be our Green Crusader?

The largest ship breaking industry in the world- Gujarat's pride ?

Issue of Climate Change under New leadership in India

                On May 20^th, Narendra Modi was formally elected as leader of the BJP parliamentary party and on 26^thMay, Prime minister designate Modi will be taking oath as Prime Minister of India. He gave a very emotional speech at the Central Hall, where he vowed allegiance to his mother India and her people. He declared wanting people to remain optimistic to move the country forward as one. He delivered a speech full of hope and promised not to let anyone down. Over the past years, as a member of Gujarat based environmental organization, we have been following Modi’s development plans and policies; in particular, we followed his commitment towards environmental protection.  Based on our experience with this political figure and the BJP’s manifesto on environment, we would like to provide a short analysis to assess his actions during his mandate as a Chief Minister of Gujarat and link it with what we expect from him, as a Prime Minister, on the environmental issues.

                Now that Narendra Modi is the new Indian Prime Minister, the United States has no other choice but to issue a visa for the very controversial politician. It is very likely that Obama will shortly allow the issue of a visa to enable Modi to visit him. But a dark spot remains: Will Modi accept to go visit the President? For nine years, he has been shunned by the United States. Therefore, as a possible political strategy or pride of his, he could decide to ignore them back and chose to use the United Nations Climate Summit taking place in Sept 2014 in New York as a pretext to visit the US President. But the issues at stake at Ban Ki Monn summit are far greater than mere political schemes, the hopes placed in this conference is that it will be a different kind of Climate Summit. It is aimed at catalyzing action by governments, business, finance, industry, and civil society in areas for new commitments and substantial, scalable and replicable contributions to the Summit that will help the world shift toward a low-carbon economy. Modi will have to present the measures he will take in favor of climate change impacts' mitigation. As usual, he will probably announce bombastic measures that will be revolution in climate change measures in India, if not in the world.

Offering pristine beaches for the nasty industry

                That is the way Narendra Modi, face of a new developed India, is. He masters the Art of announcing great measures that turn into vain promises and it did not only start with his campaign to become PM.

                A few years back, when he was only Chief Minister of Gujarat, proud as a peacock he announced the establishment of Climate Change Department,not only the first in India but the only of its kind in entire Asia. This department was established for implementation of all the environment related matters to achieve the sustainable development in the State and introducing the sound environmental management practices, but as expected it is more like a trophy that he takes out anytime he has the opportunity to rather than real and useful authority. However, to grant himself more credit and make him look as a « green crusader », it would not be surprising if he creates a Ministry of Climate Change! After the Kyoto Protocol, former Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh started the Climate Change Action Plan, under the Prime Minister’s office, listing the 8 missions to protect the environment. As Modi will probably create a new ministry in charge of Climate Change, it would not be surprising that he transfers the Climate Change  Action Plan from PM authority to this ministry’s authority. It is undeniable that Modi is a great public speaker. During one of his speech, he even declared that the Goddess Ganga, herself, called him to power in order to clean her. This declaration was acclaimed by many and the possible outcome of this statement could be that he gives the cleaning of this river to the Ministry of Climate Change; this task was given to National Ganga River Basin Authority.  All these measure would enable to appear as an innovator.

                Another quite surprising initiative of his is the CDM cell created in Gujarat. This cell was created in order to facilitate CDM registration, financing based on certified emissions reduction (CER), verified emissions reduction (VER), carbon trading, carbon assets management and evaluation and selection of appropriate clean technologies. On paper, this idea would be good, if only it was of any use. Indeed, their functioning is close to zero making it useless.

                Pushing environmental protection further, he took the initiative to bring experts from The Energy and Research Institute (TERI) Delhi to Gujarat to give training to his Senior Government officers and then they went to Delhi to gain even more experience in the field of sustainable development. But once again, it was a dead end; Gujarat still fails to submit climate change action plan for Gujarat state.

                Indeed, we can wonder what kind of sustainable development Narendra Modi supports. The State of Gujarat has a generation power capacity of over 14,000 MW connecting all the rural and urban areas to the power grid. It even claims to have a 2,000 MW of power surplus. Modi keeps promoting state of the art windmills and solar parks that generate even more surplus and yet a census of 2011 shows that 11 lakh households in Gujarat are still without electricity. It is even more astonishing when you know that villages touched by this situation are located on the outskirts of such windmill hubs and solar parks. Of these 11 Lac homes, a significant nine Lac homes are in rural areas, where the government claims to have finished implementing the Jyotigram Yojana (rural electrification programme) through which it has linked all the 18,065 villages of the state to the electricity grid (in just 30 months), providing round-the-clock, three phase electricity.

Byproduct of a successful but affluent society

                 Gujarat is the 3^rd state in numbers of Clean Development Mechanism projects with more than 300 projects and yet it is not as glorious as it may first appear. Indeed, human rights violations and violation of environmental laws have been several times reported regarding some projects and all of them still were registered. The State Government also ignored letters from civil society detailing the human rights abuses or violation of environmental laws by the company and the lack of adequate consultation with indigenous groups. A striking example of what we could call the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) paradox is the solar park in Charanka. This project required 3,000 acres of land which is established on agricultural and grazing land, a pond and two check dams. People in the area are now facing water problems because of this pond and check dams that were closed. Is this the kind of development new leadership will propose to the rest of India?

                                Modi clearly tries to make us think he cares for ecology. Nonetheless, the environmental status of Gujarat, which is more than concerning, tends to prove the contrary. Several proof exist:

Ø  In 2010, Gujarat was declared by CPCB the most polluted State accounting for 29% of the 6.2 million tons of hazardous waste.

Ø  The Central Pollution Control Board in 2012 declared three Gujarat  Rivers to be the most polluted in India. For instance, the Sabarmati River is the third most polluted in the country.

Ø  Under Modi, Gujarat Government continued to ignore illegal dumping on private and government lands and rivers.

Ø  In 2010, Gujarat got the status of being the most polluted state containing the most polluted industrial site of Vapi with environmental pollution index score of 88.09.

Ø  Modi openly favors big industries knowing that they participate in the pollution of the State.

In fact, the perfect example of this privileged relationship with industries is the Adani Port and SEZ in Mundra, Gulf of Kutch. Since 2005, the group has leased up to 7,350 hectares of land from the Gujarat Government at a very good rate, between one and 45 US cents per square meter for a 30-year renewable lease. In return for this favor, Adani Group sublet land to other companies, including State companies such as Indian Oil Co. But it does not stop here; it has now been proven by a committee set up by the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to inspect the project that the Adani Group is responsible for water ingress, pollution due to fly ash, destruction of the mangroves and the loss of fishermen’s livelihood. They complained several times to local authorities, filed cases in High Court but it is only in 2012 that someone started listening to them. That is how powerful these companies are but it is only because state leader let them become that way. 

Based on Modi’s previous behavior as a chief minister of Gujrat, it would not be surprising that he uses the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to his own benefit. He might use CSR money to strengthen his political power or he could use the money from CSR to allocate them in areas where it should be Government responsibility.

                The irony that lies there is that Modi almost believed himself as the Indian copy of Al Gore by publishing his book : 'A convenient Action : Gujarat's Response to Challenges of Climate Change'. Basically, he explains how environmental protection can be turned into a profitable business. Once more he can brag to be the second politician in the world to pen a book about environment after Al-Gore. 

                The environmental issue is merely a political game, a business for the man who has now become Prime Minister. All these promises are mirages to make him appear as an innovator, the savior of the environment, a man who will save India, but to what cost?

Mahesh Pandya

Director, ParyavaranMitra

paryavaranmitra@yahoo.com, paryavaranmitra502@gmail.com

HOSA JEEVENA DAARI

This is a piece written by a student of tenth class who attended a two days Camp at Melkote in the third week of April. The class had more than three years association with us and the children were comfortable and in great form in the camp. Unfortunately there was little time for us to share our views in this outing. Their busy curriculum had not restricted a longer trip when they had already missed out an outing the previous year. Their persistence had compelled their teachers to embark on this short visit to Melkote in the height of summer, when we were all running around from camp to camp performing Nature related activities. Without a day’s rest in between and the rudimentary camping facility at the sites it was difficult to document the event. So this write up   by Siddarth seemed appropriate for this edition of the blog....

Handling a snake

It was 24th of April 2014, and we were on a trip to Melkote. I had not heard about the place and was not really enthusiastic about visiting the place and moreover, it was only for two days. With a lot of hesitation I boarded the bus. I never thought it would be one of my memorable trips.

It took three hours to reach Melkote and from there we had to travel another 4 Km to the place where we would be staying. What’s the placed called ………? We alighted from the bus and I looked around. Something was very attractive about the place and I instantly liked the place. We waited for our resource person Mr Manu Krishnamurthy to arrive.

Pitching our own tents

The buildings were a great attraction. They were simple. No Italian pillars, no French windows nor exorbitant interiors. They were built in typical south Indian style with slant roofs and Mangalore tiles, a jagali in the front and a big hall inside.

Finally our resource person came, and he gave us a brief introduction about the place. The place covers an area of 25 acres and the way the land is being used is amazing.

The infrastructure there is very basic yet extremely beautiful.  Compound is built of stone and no cement is used. Stone slabs are placed instead of wooden or plastic chairs.  The dormitory is a simple building with large windows for sunlight & air. There are these wooden pillars supporting the building. It is absolutely amazing to know that no iron rods are used to construct the buildings. The simple technology used to harness rain water is too very interesting. The concept of collecting and reusing water for plants was inspiring. The floors are of red oxide which avoided radiation. The entire place is eco-friendly in the real sense.

Minimum electricity is used. In the whole campus there are about 10-15 light bulbs and a few sockets. Surprisingly it didn’t bother us even when there were power cuts (most of our homes have an UPS).

An exposure to cloth weaving

There is also a training and production centre of khadi where they produce attractively woven shoulder bags, kurtas, razais and many more products which are in great demand. They are all hand made. There are some plots of cultivated land where they have some vegetables and pulses. And the rest of the land is left wild. It supports a large number of animal and plant species.

I am a kind of boy who sits in front of a computer all day. Spend time with electronic gadgets, and I think I can't live without fan, AC’s and T.V. etc. In fact most of us feel like this today. It was an eye opening trip for me which showed that there is another world outside. There are people who are making a difference and doing what they believe.

Byophyllum

Balloon Frog

Hybananthus enneaspermus

I learnt to put up a tent, washed my own plate, trekked on the  hills, handled a snake, experienced darkness, relished simple yet the most nutritious food. It was a great opportunity to observe the nuances of nature- a brightly coloured butterfly fluttering, a pleasant call of a bird, the amazing sunrise, and the uncountable stars in the sky. It also gave me an exposure to a life of simplicity.  It showed me that there is a lot to learn and experience in life which we cannot get by merely reading text books. I learnt some simple life skills; most importantly it brought me close to nature. This place is a MUST for nature lovers and all the youngsters!

Siddharth. Class X

                                                                                  (TVS School, Tumkur)

ನಾಕದಲ್ಲಿ ನಾಕು ದಿನ: Photography workshop held at Kuppalli

Please read this article on Photography workshop held at Kuppalli

Photo courtesy: Manu K

http://vijaykarnataka.indiatimes.com/articleshow/34934889.cms

An hour of silence that mellowed down the children

A dance drama in progress

This must be the tenth summer camp of the season that I am visiting.  Nature lessons and related activities are in demand and every organizer would insistently extend their invite to us. In the milieu of jumbled and uncertain appointments that these flexible organizers would make, I was forced to push this trip time and again and was making it in the last possible day. Though the camp lasted for a few more days children would be busy with their theatrical performances which would be showcased in the valedictory function.

Road to Sanehalli

The road to Sanehalli, where the theatre repertory Shri Shivakumara Rangaproyoga Shale of national repute, was smooth till Birur. Once you turn towards Ajjampura you start seeing what rural India is. The neglect of the state and the craftiness of the politicians! The road that appears to have suffered from areal bombarding is the SH24. The development monger’s concern to upgrade the road seems to have drained off soon after the mammoth like trees planted by the Maharajas of Mysore ware beheaded and transported. The ride is a night mare for every small car and two wheelers. Yet we Indians oblige the authorities and withstand the speeding monsters of privately owned shattering buses on these roads. Ironically every interior roads done under the central scheme is thriving. Unfortunately they don’t take us to Sanehalli.

We reached the beautiful campus at midnight. The following day we could not begin the session until breakfast. There were about 170 children ranging from 7 to 16 years. Bringing them to one frame was an issue as it is every where you have a heterogeneous crowd. Theatrical approach is many times like that of regimental training-drain their energies to take control. At the same time theatrical activities emphasize upon performance which are called performing arts-speaking, singing, dancing and acting.  These may incorporate shouting, screaming, jumping, wrestling and many things that involve giving up inhibition. Thereby the child loses its inhibition and shyness and would eventually develop essential communication skills required for every day life. Those who excel in any of these activities will be prompted to develop on that trait eventually becoming more proficient in it.

Training their ears upon a Cicada

However, to involve all the 170 children in any Nature activity was a challenge. Between me and Lokesh we had to divide the time and the subject we would engage the children in. We divided the children into 20 groups and instructed them to collect all possible leaves in the premises. Plucking flowers and plants on the lawn was strictly prohibited. The army of children ran in every direction and it appeared that they were on a rampage. The humble gardener grew wild and soon complained the matter to the director of the repertory. There was some serious commotion to be addressed. It was a matter of trusting the children and coming out of the mindset of pulling out leaves is a destructive activity. Traditionally this semi-arid region used to be grassland.  With the introduction of coconut, sugar cane and banana the ground water depleted to an extent that farming became an unpromising occupation.  In such a situation the establishment had a tough time in maintaining a garden and more than two acres of lawn. Some timely discussion revealed that the lawn itself was taking up more water than the rest of the plants. The heap of undersized campus grown coconuts outside the kitchen complex came in handy to explain the situation. Every body could realize that the coconut trees were not having their share of 90 liters of water per day.

Children studying about their leaf collection

As a second activity we let loose the children to pick up every bit of plastic in the campus. Like an army of rag pickers they piled up all possible bits of plastics into the dust bin which in fact had remained empty all the time. The words of appreciation by the director developed a sense of achievement among the children. They kept on arguing about who picked up the most plastics.

Some campus cleaning work

In the evening Lokesh Mosale made a slide presentation on wildlife that was followed by some exciting film show. It was pouring heavily and we dropped the idea of driving back in the night. We snatched an opportunity of handling the children for another session in the early morning. The kids were made to fall in at five a.m., and were made to observe the day break in silence. After an hour we had a serious discussion about the future of our living world.

A Calotis hand post!

After the breakfast we took leave. As we drove past the campus fence made of chain link mesh we could see children seriously into their activity and some carefully looking underneath the leaves, maybe for evidence of some obscure form of life that was new to them. It is more than a week now and I had a call from one of my friends and an organizer of the camp saying how easy it became for them to handle the group thereafter.

 
  

Curious Children

- Manu K