We are the part of solution!

Yesterday we lost a great environmentalist Sunderlal bahuguna who is known as the father of Chipko movement. He always said, "Ecology is a permanent economy" . In the memory of the great soul we are at the verge of celebrating one more international biodiversity day.

Can we imagine our earth without animals, plants and other organisms? 

Definitely no! I can not imagine a world without them. There is nothing more important than air, water, soil and biodiversity.

BIODIVERSITY! 

Biodiversity makes up all living organisms including plants, animals and  microorganisms. In biodiversity, each species, no matter small or big, has an important role to play in ecosystem. 

The importance of biodiversity is unimaginable. It provides all natural services. It is the reason for the continuity of the earth and the balance of ecosystem. This is the thing that is keeping us alive. Biodiversity provides a wonder of how things are amazingly beautiful, inspiring and diverse in nature. But this biodiversity, which is a result of over 3.5 billion years of evolution, is now danger. 

And definitely, we, humans, are responsible for this. In the present era, human beings are the most dangerous cause of loss of earth's biodiversity. It is said that around 30% of all species on the earth will be extinct by 2050. And this is not ok! Even if a small element of an ecosystem breaks down, the whole system's balance is threatened. Biodiversity is priceless. It cannot be maintained by keeping few species in zoos or by conserving them in national parks. It is together that we will be able to save our biodiversity.

The theme of this year's biodiversity day says "We are the part of solution #fornature". It is the continuation of last year's theme, "Our solutions are in nature". Though many scientists and environmentalists are trying hard to save our biodiversity, they are failing. None of us can act alone. We all are the part of biodiversity and it is our responsibility to save and preserve it. 

All it needs is to be left alone. Let us all try our best to save our biodiversity. HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DAY OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY!

Corona - Vaccine for mother earth!

So I am back after an year maybe. In this one year, lot of things has changed. Life isn't the same as it was before. Many have lost their loved ones and many are still suffering. There's a lot of negativity around us. Right now it is very important for us to stay strong and stay positive. So can't we just look at the positive side? Ofcourse corona has made a big negative impact on the world. But this crisis has brought a positive impact on the earth's environment.

Due to this pandemic, daily life of the world was put to halt. Looks like earth has taken advantage of this situation. Due to the lockdown imposed all over the world, all types of social, economical industrial activities were shut down. As a result of this, the air quality, water purity has improved. Less noise pollution, undisturbed and calm wildlife! 

It is said that 7 million people in the world die because of air pollution every year and 12.5% of all deaths in India are due to air pollution. The Major impact of this lockdown was on the air quality. Not only the air quality, but also water quality is also improving. If the water quality is improving, it directly benefits the aquatic life. Clean water bodies help in maintaining the biodiversity. 

Reports also say that there is 50% reduction in sewage, noise pollution has decreased upto 35%, pH of rivers has increased by 7.9%. As the wildlife remains undisturbed, animals are in their natural habitats and we can see no wild animals in the urban area. 

By this we can say that earth is healing itself. To earth, corona is acting as a vaccine and us humans are definitely the virus. This pandemic gives us hope that a better and healthy earth is possible. Protecting our earth is in our hands. And we have to do is learn to live with the minimum. Use vehicles only if it necessary, not to travel unnecessarily, use eco-friendly products, growing more plants and trees, avoiding deforestation, treatment of sewage, following social distancing and restricted human interaction with other people as well as with the nature can be a blessing for the environment. So, on this mother's day, let us protect our mother earth by just continuing what we are doing now!

-Vidhisha Gauthami G P

Women, The Real Spirit of Environmental Conservation

Women, The Real Spirit of Environmental Conservation

As we all know today, March 8th, is celebrated as International women’s day across the world. The main purpose of this celebrating this day is to make women realise their worth in their family and in the society, boosting them to achieve as per their actual potential. On this day, the world unites to appreciate their courage to cross all the hurdles and make such tremendous improvement in all most all the spheres of life. No doubt, women can do wonders. We have many examples to prove it. 

Involving women in environmental protection would help the society to develop the sense of responsibility needed to maintain a good balance between humans and the natural resources. Growing population and technological progress are continuously putting pressure on the environment and on country’s natural resources. Over-exploitation of the country’s resources like land, water, fuel etc. has resulted in degradation of resources mainly due to industrial pollution, soil erosion, deforestation and urbanization. 

Hence, it is very much important to conserve and promote the natural resources and environment. Women have direct contact with natural resources like fuel, food and fodder, forest, water and land especially in rural areas where 70% of Indian population reside and directly dependent upon natural resources. Most of the women use these natural resources to satisfy the basic needs of their families.  By this we can say that women play a critical role in managing these natural resources. Women can also participate in environmental conservation by gardening. 

Gardening plays a crucial role in environmental protection. In this day, the carbon has increased in the environment. Gardening can protect our environment. It can minimize the effect of greenhouse gases. Gardening can reduce pollution, reduce soil erosion, maintains ecosystem and many more. It also has many scientific uses. We know that gardening is mostly done by women. 

Hence women can also conserve environment by their gardening skills. We, girls, are no less. This is proven also. We have many women environmentalists between us. Greta Thunberg, Maneka gandhi, Saalumaradha Thimmakka, Vandana shiva, Wanghari Maathai and many more. By this we can say that women are the real spirit of environmental conservation. Let us take them as our inspiration and work to save our earth.

-VIDHISHA GAUTHAMI.G.P

             

                                            

A Valuable Oath on National Youth Day

Today is January 12th. This is the day, Swami Vivekananda, a revolutionary Indian monk, was born. Swami Vivekananda was a person who  tried to raise the spiritual consciousness among people and also tried to uplift the downtrodden. 

He believed that the youth are the most dynamic and vibrant segment of the population in any country. He motivated the youth to be strong in body, mind and spirit, and he strongly advocated their role in nation-building. Hence his birthday is celebrated as national youth day in India. India is one of the highly populated countries in the world. 

Youth are the backbone of the country. Over 65% of India’s population is young people. Hence we can call India as a youthful country. Youths have the power to change anything. They can solve any problem easily if they are united. 

Today, the major problem we are facing is environmental issues. The environment of our earth is getting worsened day by day. Climate is changing. Seasons are getting varied. Icebergs are melting. Forests are burning. Living area for people is increasing and the living area for animals that is the forest area is decreasing. Pollutions are increasing. Young people can play an active role in protecting and improving the environment. 

Now people are being active in the conservation of environment. But without the participation of youth it is not possible to conserve the environment. Environmental protection is most important for all the young people. They have to live in this environment more than the elders. The change in their lifestyle can affect the environment. So it is their requirement to save our environment. So, on this youth day, let’s take a resolution to save our environment, protect it and improve its healthy condition!!!

                            -Vidhisha Gauthami.G.P

Forest Fire: Result of Human Act

Forest Fire: Result of Human Act

A month back, Australia experienced the world’s most dangerous bush fire. Australia the world’s driest continent, and drought and bushfires are the daily occurrences. It has a history of severe bushfires. But the bushfire which was seen a month before, is termed as the world’s most dangerous bushfire by the fire chiefs. Almost sixty fires were burning across the country. Most of them were out of control and many people have lost their lives. The northern parts of Australia is experiencing extreme fires dangers. The fire started on September 6th and is still continuing. Over 49,00,000 acres have been burnt as of december 7. But thousands of acres are still burning. Most of them have lost their homes. 

Similarly few months back, the lungs of our earth, Amazon was burning. Thousands of forest area got burnt. Amazon which is the largest forest in the world covers an area of 5.5 million km2. It is the home for millions of organisms, plants, trees, minerals etc.   Over 10% of earth’s animal population lives in amazon. But thousands of forest area got burnt due to these fire, many lives have been lost fighting these fires. About 76000 fires was burning in amazon and there was an increase of over 80% over the same time period last year according to data from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE). 

The primary cause for this fire was deforestation. Trees are a major part of climate change, yet mass deforestation continues for short term gains leaving the world with long term harm. These fires are started by both naturally and manually. Naturally, fires are caused due to dried leaves and trees and this is also due to high temperature which is caused by climate changes. Manually, there are people starting fires to widen their living area and others are doing it in order to make more open land for crops. These deforestation are affecting our ecosystem badly. Animals are mainly affected by these forest fires. 

Forest fires are always harmful for animals. They loose their home. Some animals will be badly injured and some lose their life. Large animals like deers, tigers, leopards, lions may escape from these fire, but small animals like rabbits, snakes, squirrels are sometimes not able to. Birds may fly away, but their nests and eggs would be burnt in fire. Even after months, we might forget it, but the real sufferers are animals. They are fighting for their survival. Their life becomes displaced as they lost their habitat. They have to struggle searching for food and a place to live. These fires also cause wildlife to be burnt, dehydrated and malnourished. In this situation, a lot of animals will die, from flames, heat from the flames, or smoke inhalation. 

These fires could also change water chemistry to the point that it is not sustainable for life in the short term. Animals living in small water bodies will have strive to survive. Aquatic animals which need to stay partially above water in order to breathe, would be harmed. Hence we need to stop this deforestation. Forest fire is not just in amazon, but in many forests of the world. Many of our forests are still burning. So many lives have been lost fighting these fires. We are losing human lives, we are losing biodiversity, and we are losing precious time in the fight against climate change! Our forests are our responsibility. Our earth is our responsibility. Take action!!! If forests dies, we die!!!

Vidhisha Gauthami.G.P

Delhi Emissions : A Great Alarm to Human Existence

Delhi Emissions : 

A Great Alarm to Human Existence 

People in delhi are dying. Delhi, capital of india, is now one of the most polluted cities in the world. It is polluted in almost all the ways. Air pollution, water pollution, sound pollution, over population and many more. But now, Delhi is known for its polluted air and water. Air pollution in delhi has become such a big issue that people are warned to not to step out of their house. Schools and colleges have been shut down due to fear of certain respiratory diseases. Air pollution is the increase in the toxic and harmful materials in the air which results in contamination of air. These toxic and harmful materials can be in various forms which are released by various human activities. Delhi is a home for almost 1.7 million people and there have been reports that the death rate in Delhi is high and it is mainly due to the respiratory problems. 

This air pollution mainly due to the smoke emissions carried out during the burning of crops, industries, vehicle emissions etc. Delhi shares its border with Haryana and Uttarpradesh. During the month of October and november farmers of this area burn their crops and this produces a lot of smoke. During winter season, dust particles and pollutants in the air become heavy and become unable to move. Due to this the wind carries all the pollutants and dust particles which get locked in the air, resulting in smog. 

As Delhi is highly populated, there are more than 9 million registered vehicles. The traffic causes the city to come to a halt on weekends. Vehicular emissions are termed as a major contributor to Delhi’s increasing air pollution. Apart from these, pollution is also caused by high density, industries and thermal power plants, construction activities, fire crackers and many more. Air pollution in india is estimated to kill over 1.5 million people ever year and the main contributor to this is Delhi. 

According to the WHO, India has the world's highest death rate from chronic respiratory diseases and asthma. Air pollution also impacts the environment through reduced visibility, acid rain and formation of ozone at tropospheric level. People are depending on air purifying masks and machines to consume the most basic Oxygen. 

Although many steps have been taken to solve this problems of pollution, people are negligent towards this. All we need to do is stop doing the activities which lead to air pollution. It is not just us who are suffering. Many animals, insects, birds are losing their life. They’re suffering even though there is no mistake from them. Today, it’s just Delhi. Tomorrow it might be the whole world.  So take action to save your life, save the lives of your family and save the lives of those innocent organisms. 

Industries should have air purifiers so that the air which is emitted will be purified. Burning of crops should be stopped. We should avoid using vehicles for short distance. Public transports must be utilised properly. Usage of AC, refrigerator and other appliances which release harmful gases must be reduced. Above all this, we should follow the orders of the government. If we all get together we can stop this pollution and save our earth!!

Vidhisha Gauthami.G.P

Captivity: A Curse for Animals

Captivity: A Curse for Animals

I was in the Muthanga Wild sanctuary (Waynad, Kerala) last week. I was surprised to see deers in big number and an elephant in the free space of Waynad forest. Inspiring by this I started thinking on the Captivity and Freedom of the animal. 

Photographs were taken in the 

Muthanga Wildlife  Sanctuary

Most of the animals in this country live in captivity. Captivity is a situation where freedom of a living organism is snatched away. Captivity of animals is a practice of keeping animals behind the bars. Captivity of animals is in different forms. Keeping animals for domestic purpose, keeping animals as pets, keeping animals as a source of entertainment, keeping animals for various scientific experiments, 

keeping animals in temples and many more. Captivity of animals was not started from yesterday or day before. It is an ancient practice of keeping animals in captivity. Earlier most of the captive animals were used by the kings for their military purpose. Later animals were captured for the circus’. But today animals are imprisoned in a cage and kept to showcase them. The number of animals that are under captivity today is very high when compared to animals that were in captivity in olden days. Of course, keeping some animals in captivity has some advantages.

 Like, keeping the endangered species in captivity will help to increase their population. It also helps to improve their quality of life. Keeping animals in captivity also helps to study their behavior and lifestyle. But it also has a lot of disadvantages. Usually, animals living in captivity are kept in small areas or cages, where they are not free. This may lead to the development of abnormal behaviors by the animals. As they are enclosed and confined to a small area, they cannot do what they usually do in the wild like run, swim, climb trees, hunt, and so on. Animals can be victims of stress, which can result in physical and psychological suffering. 

Animals in Captivity

Usually, Animals in captivity are bought from different habitats. When they are bought to a place, which has a different climate from their habitat, it will be difficult for the animals to adjust to that environment and it may also affect their behavioral patterns. This also creates problems inbreeding, this may lead to losing genetic variability, more variations cannot be seen and hence the survival advantage of animals also decreases gradually. But when we think about why we are doing this inhuman act of keeping animals in captivity.. the only thing that will come to our head is that we are doing this to gain profit. From zoos, we gain money. We use them for our work. 

A lot of people protest against keeping animals in captivity. Many people claim that animals should live in the wild and they also protest against keeping animals in captivity. They claim that it is a cruel act and inhumane. But is it really so bad and violent? Are there more advantages than disadvantages of keeping animals in captivity?

Yours...

Vidhisha Gowthami.G.P