why carbon sinks?

Everybody is talking about reduction of green house gases and carbon-cuts. What a lot of people don't realise is that even if carbon amounts in the atmosphere are reduced today, the effects of current levels of carbon already present is going to be felt for atleast 100 years - this is how long it takes for carbon to dissipate. In other words: even if we reduce carbon emissions now, the carbon already present can contribute to global warming.

This realization is the reason why there is a current scramble for carbon sequestration technologies. The idea behind this is to capture carbon and then bury it under the earth, in the sea-bed or to come up with a method where the conversion of carbon is accelerated.

Currently forests have been acting as a great 'carbon sink' whereby carbon is naturally captured. However due to global warming there have been speculations that forests could release huge quantities of carbon and create a situation in which they do more to accelerate warming than to slow it down. While deforestation is responsible for about 20% of greenhouse gas emissions from human activities, forests currently absorb more carbon than they emit.

But the problem is that the balance could shift as the planet warms, the report concludes, and the sequestration service provided by the forest biomes could be lost entirely if the Earth heats up by 2.5C or more. Droughts, more pest invasions, and other environmental stresses would trigger considerable forest destruction and degradation. This could create a dangerous feedback loop, it adds, in which damage to forests from climate change would increase global carbon emissions that then exacerbate global warming.

The other biggest natural carbon sink are the oceans of the world which are already showing stress due to acidification because of excess carbon. Plankton in the ocean also act as a carbon sink and they will slowly die as the oceans become more acidic and warm up. The other big carbon sink is the permafrost which is said to contain large amounts of methane. Global warming will cause it to melt which will release all the methane which is more potent than CO2 as a GHG.

The need for reducing carbon emissions as well as to reduce the amount of carbon already in the atmosphere is pressing. So there is a twin objective to be met in order to combact enhanced global warming. Does this make it harder to reach our objectives? Perhaps. But it also impresses upon us the incredible delicacy of the Earth's natural regulating systems.

world according to monsanto

Every company's major objective is to generate revenue - this is the responsibility it owes to its shareholders and its stakeholders. However, there are some among those who achieve this agenda in an ethical manner, paying attention to the triple bottom line; there are others who don't care and there are ones who pretend to care. Monsanto falls under the fourth group - pure evil.

Monsanto started off as a chemical company. It is the company responsible for Agent Orange, for the release of PCBs into the ecosphere. More recently they were responsible for bovine growth hormone (rBHG) in milk. It has since remodeled itself into the world biggest agri-biotech company. What are they after now? Global monopoly over the building blocks of human sustenance - the seed.

Over the last decade, Monsanto has aggressively bought over 50 seed companies world over. The rationale being, whoever owns the seeds owns the food. The process of genetic engineering allows companies, such as Monsanto, to claim patent rights over seeds. 90% of all GE seeds planted in the world are patented by Monsanto and hence controlled by them.

Patents on seeds give companies like Monsanto unprecedented power. Monsanto prohibits farmers saving patented GE seeds from one crop to replant the next season, an age-old practice. To ensure that farmers do not reuse seeds, Monsanto created its own 'gene police', and encourages farmers to turn in their neighbours.

Even farmers that do not use GE seeds are not safe. According to an investigative report by the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) farmers have even been sued for patent infringement after their field was contaminated by pollen or seed from someone else’s GE crop.

But Monsanto’s influence doesn't stop at the US border. “The world according to Monsanto”, documents the devastating impact of Monsanto's malpractices around the world. Among others, it includes the real-life stories of cotton farmers in India that ended up in hopeless debts after using Monsanto genetically engineered (so called Bt) cotton and of a family in Paraguay, South America whose dreams have turned to nightmares after their farm became surrounded by fields planted with Monsanto’s GE soya.

This expose, goes on to show how Monsanto has been manipulating government agencies to approve their GM seeds and policies. It also shows how the company has exploited many poor farmers world over. It gradually builds up case after case against Monsanto pointing to its ultimate aim of taking over global food production in some sort of macabre transgenic revolution. I found a link on youtube that shows the documentary in ten parts. You can order a DVD of it (in English, French and Spanish) here.

This issue is worth educating yourself about. Food is universal and affects everyone. Apart from the substantial health risks there are also enormous environmental implications involved through the cultivation of GM. Consumer pressure is the only thing that can keep companies like Monsanto from taking over global food supply. Currently in India Mahyco, based in Maharastra a subsidiary of Monsanto has participated in testing Bt Brinjal and there are currently 20 different vegetables, food grains etc under GM research. Releasing Bt Brinjal will be catastrophe. The most precious Indian crop - rice, will soon follow. This will threaten not only livelihoods of millions of farmers but also the 75000-odd(!) indigenous varieties of rice which will die out.

Speak out. Let agriculture remain the right of small farmers world over. Apathy is no longer an option. Choose to let your voice be heard.

election manifestos 2009

The elections have brought out manifestos containing green-agendas of various parties. Governments around the world are anxious to know India's position on a global climate treaty that is supposed to be finalised by December 2009. The Congress, the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) have unveiled their manifestos released for the April-May Lok Sabha elections.

"Climate change has now emerged as a serious challenge for the world community. India too has begun to feel its impact in different ways," says the manifesto of the Congress, which leads the United Progressive Alliance government.

It says that the National Action Plan for Climate Change, which Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unveiled last year, "is an acknowledgment of our responsibility to take credible actions within the overall framework of meeting the development aspirations of our people. This action plan will be implemented in letter and spirit".

The BJP manifesto says it will "pursue national growth objectives through an ecologically sustainable pathway that leads to mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.

"We recognise that containing global warming is essential to protecting life and security of people and environment. Mitigating the threat by building a low carbon economy is the biggest economic opportunity of the 21st century."

Echoing the position taken by the Indian government for a climate treaty, the BJP says it endorses the principle of 'common but differentiated responsibilities' as enshrined in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

"We look at Climate Change in the context of the promises made by the international community for technology transfer and additional financing since Rio which have remained unfulfilled. The BJP will actively pursue the transfer of critical technologies that can have a significant impact on reducing carbon emissions."

The manifesto says the BJP will "lay importance on energy security and sustainable energy pathways by setting clear targets for energy efficiency and renewable energy".

It promises to "provide incentives to encourage institutions and individuals to switch over to energy-saving devices and eco-friendly designs for housing and workplace. Full support will be given for developing low-energy, low-cost technology by both public and private sectors".

The party promises "to invest heavily in developing non-fossil fuel-based clean energy sources, especially for electricity production".

The CPI-M says in its manifesto that it would take "steps to control emission of greenhouse gases through energy efficient technologies and effective regulation" and by promoting solar and other non-conventional energy sources.

Manifesto of BJP includes:
The BJP will pursue national growth objectives through an ecologically sustainable pathway that leads to mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. We recognise that containing global warming is essential to protecting life and security of people and environment. Mitigating the threat by building a low carbon economy is the biggest economic opportunity of the 21st century.

The BJP endorses the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities”, as enshrined in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. We look at ‘Climate Change’ in the context of the promises made by the international community for technology transfer and additional financing since Rio, which have remained unfulfilled.

The BJP will actively pursue the transfer of critical technologies that can have a significant impact on reducing carbon emissions. Bearing in mind concerns on environment and related climate change issues, the BJP will:

1. Give appropriate importance to containing climate change.
2. Lay importance on energy security and sustainable energy pathways by setting clear targets for energy efficiency and renewable energy.
3. Bring about a complete shift in subsidy from chemical fertilisers to rewarding farmers for pursuing conservation and enhancement of local crop varieties, thereby enhancing the conservation of local agro-biodiversity.
4. Offer attractive support prices and incentives for traditional rain-fed crops and promote markets for them. This will be coupled with a decentralised Public Distribution System that will mop up excess production of local food and distribute it among those households that are food deficit locally. A decentralised PDS will be more climate smart since it will eliminate excessive costs of transportation and storage.
5. Revisit laws for protecting forests and reserve parks to make them more effective in preventing encroachment and man-animal conflict. All resources will be provided for protecting forestland and animal reserves; wilful destruction of forests and killing of wildlife for profit or pleasure will fetch stringent punishment.
6. A permanent Task Force will be set up for the protection and preservation of tigers, lions and other wild cats. A separate Task Force will look after the protection and preservation of elephants. A third Task Force will look after bird sanctuaries. They will be duly empowered to take whatever steps are necessary to achieve their goals.
7. Provide incentives to encourage institutions and individuals to switch over to energy-saving devices and eco-friendly designs for housing and workplace. Full support will be given for developing low-energy, low-cost technology by both public and private sectors. A Group of Experts will be set up to formulate target driven objectives towards this end.

8. Encourage citizens’ participation in protecting the environment and curbing pollution. Schools will be involved in promoting environment and ecology related issues among children.
9. Adopt a mission-mode approach to clean all rivers.
10. Launch a national programme for citizens’ participation in reforestation, agroforestry and social forestry by planting a billion trees every year.
11. Importance given to programmes to arrest the melting of Himalayan glaciers from which most major rivers in North India originate.

Excerpts political party manifestos with regard to environment and climate change these are the original excerpts from party manifestos, just an effort to bring to focus the stand of various political parties on this issue.

Manifesto of The CONGRESS PARTY includes:
We will protect India’s natural environment and take steps to rejuvenate it. The Indian National Congress has declared the sacred Ganga as a “national river”. The Ganga River Basin Authority has been established with the Prime Minister at its head for ensuring that development needs are met in an ecologically sustainable manner. This Authority will be accorded the highest priority. Water security is of paramount concern to the Indian National Congress and steps will be taken to enhance it measurably for local communities.

India has an enormously rich biodiversity that is under threat on account of various reasons. The Indian National Congress commits itself to strengthening people’s movements whose objective will be to protect and preserve our bio-resources and ensure their sustainable use.

Climate change has now emerged as a serious challenge for the world community. India too has begun to feel its impact in different ways. The Congress-led UPA government has already unveiled a National Action Plan for Climate Change. It is an acknowledgment of our responsibility to take credible actions within the overall framework of meeting the development aspirations of our people for higher economic growth and a higher standard of living. This action plan will be implemented in letter and spirit.


Manifesto of THE CPI(M) includes:
• Making the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) process transparent, accountable and independent of vested interests; Reviewing the EIA Notification, 2009
• Undertaking steps to control emission of greenhouse gases through energy efficient technologies and effective regulation; Promoting solar and other non-conventional energy sources
• Increasing central allocations for Natural Calamity Relief Fund; States to have more powers in tackling natural calamities and disasters
• Checking pollution of rivers and other water bodies through effective regulation
• Implementing the Coastal Zone Regulation Act and the Wetlands
Regulatory Authority in ways as to promote long-term interests of the people and of the environment Water Resources
• A National Water Policy to be formulated to enhance water
availability for domestic use, irrigation and industry; provision of potable drinking water to all habitations to be accorded priority
• Curbing privatization and commercialization of water resources; tackling depletion of ground water through greater regulation

elections, environment and corporate democracy

I'm going to start off this post by saying that I'm not politically minded nor am I well-aware about current political scenario. So this is an attempt at a stab in the dark at what I perceive and what role the current elections could play. Bear with me.

The 15th Lok Sabha elections are round the corner. All the parties contesting the elections have already come out with their respective election manifestos. The manifestos give public a sneak-peek at the agendas of each party.

In a recent poll campaign, about 10,000 college students across the country, some of them are first-time voters had signed on letters to the leaders asking them whether their parties have taken any policy regarding environment and climate change. The letter stated that environment must be a major issue in the manifestoes of the political parties. It is not only issues like climate change and renewable energy resources that require immediate attention but also issues like pollution, waste management, forests, wildlife issues and various inter-linked social problems that are vital for consideration.

It is very clear that solutions to environmental issues can not be achieved only through awareness. They have to be backed by political will. Hence, the new government must make it very clear that it is prepared to address these issues by introducing positive initiatives. But prior to that, the national parties must come up with a clear vision on the above issues through their election manifesto. After all, ‘would be’ leaders should know the importance of understanding, vision and commitment for the issues of livelihood and ecological sustainability. Hence it is very important to make environment concerns a voter's agenda.

However the current political scenario is one of utter disillusionment. People have no faith in their leaders and the leaders only want quick-fix solutions to a variety of problems which they try to achieve by giving away free food and other 'goodies'. Obviously this only aims at exploitation of the poor. Instead if funds could be diverted towards the education of this sector, there is no bounds to where we can go as a country.

But the question of whether corporate democracy or apathy is holding the country back is out there for debate. Democracy is a noble concept but as a form of government, rarely works much like many other political platforms. But it is the best we have for now and the way we work around its limitations is the key to a viable future. It is now supremely obvious that economic growth and ecology are intricately linked. But until people at the grass-roots are educated, this concept will be lost to them.

Even if parties do put in eco-friendly aims into their manifestos, how many actually get done? it is very easy to promise something in the run of running for office but most of the promises are forgotten even before the chosen person has taken the oath of office. Disillutionment is easy. So is apathy. And in order to hold these parties to their promises, the only viable thing that works is public pressure. Even the most powerful political party cannot stand in the face of disapproval of a billion people. Ultimately its not choosing someone who can best deal with these challenges. It is spreading awareness so that public pressure demands the best solutions from whomever is elected.

India is still a young country. It is a country than can learn from its own past mistakes and the mistakes of other countries. It is a country with people intrinsically wanting a better life and needing a little help in finding the path... maybe to greatness. It is a country of hope, of fatalistic attitudes. It is a country whose people have immense courage and heart-breaking humanity even in the face of soul-crushing poverty. We can have the whole future because we have such an unbelievably rich past. But like all best made plans, there are obstacles. It is in the hands of the people to move away from the cheapening of democracy and choose the form of democracy that is full of the ideals it promises.

Into this heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake

- Rabindranath Tagore

abstracting ourselves from reality

All cultures have grown from the same seed. Every form of rudimentary religion arose from the admiration, observation and study of Nature. Primordial calendars and timepieces were based on the lunar cycle or solar cycle. Ancient Gods were representatives of natural elements like the Sun, Wind, Fire etc and also animal forms. Without the aid of global communication systems every culture stumbled upon the same form of worship in every far part of the globe without even knowing that other forms of human civilization existed. The obeiance of Nature has been the common belief system before the onset of organized religion. Now the practice of the most instinctual form of spirituality is termed 'alternative'.

Poets have written about the subject of Nature for millenia. Wordsworth proclaimed Nature is my guide, guardian and philosopher. Tagore said Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven. Artists from have drawn inspiration from nature for countless centuries with Monet declaring The richness I achieve comes from Nature, the source of my inspiration. Scientists from Galileo to Newton to Einstein to Stephen Hawkings, Carl Sagan and Richard Dawkins have been overwhelmed by nature's playfulness, mystery, precision, thoughtfulness and endlessly perfect symmetry. The contemplation of Nature is not merely romanticism but the most fulfilling lesson there is. Charles Lindberg has aptly described this by saying In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia.

In midst of the fine thoughts and overwhelming respect and reverence by a select few there are others who have not contemplated nature's enormous depth. The loss of the natural world represents the loss of an intrinsic source of inspiration and the loss of the trigger to creativity. The natural world is amazingly resilient. Life is amazingly resilient but both have boundaries that need to be respected if we are to ensure the survival of the human species.

James Lovelock with his Gaia Hypothesis suggested that the Earth has several self-calibrating methods to ensure the survival of life. This mechanism does not pay heed to human species but answers only to the laws of the Universe. When the tipping point of destruction is reached, the Earth will set to restore itself regardless of whether humankind survives or not. Whether we're heading towards self-destruction or not, is a question that is out there for grabs.

This deterioration in our connection with the world around us can be attributed to many things. It could be blamed on the advent of technology, industrialization, fast paced lifestyles, the decline of suburbia, the loss of woodlands, increase in cityscapes, poverty, rise of packaged food and supermarkets etc etc. The fact remains that the vast majority of us have lost this connection and some of the younger generation never have had it. Respect and awareness of natural surroundings does not come from watching television or playing with a Playstation. It comes from having a tree-house, making a bird feeder, having an ant-farm and playing outside. These are the precepts of childhood or at least, the way childhood was. Interaction with natural surroundings on such basic levels is meant to give us a better sense of who we are and make us less prone to depression, obesity and discontent. Today we have everything and more but yet there is a high degree of unhappiness which can only be attributed to the fact that we are abstracting ourselves from reality.

Industrialists are only just realising that free market economics is by and large based on sustainability. In our quest to strive, to seek and conquer we've ignored the first law of viral infection: Don't destroy the host. This is exactly what we are doing. We have essentially forgotten what John Muir said those many years ago When one tugs at a single thing in nature; he finds it attached to the rest of the world.

So what can we do about this? Go back to the basics: ditch the TV remote, take a walk in the park, take up bird-watching, go camping - aim to interact with your surroundings, engage all your senses and observe. Aim to be overwhelmed. This is a connection so instrinsic to every human being that it cannot be lost for ever. Learn from the ones that came before and the ones that still depend on nature for their basic sustenance. We say we are the so-called advanced civilization and yet there is so much that we don't know and some things we may never learn. Do we just choose to ignore our ignorance and instead revel in our baseless superiority?

climate change and waste management

One of the greatest challenges facing the modern world today is climate change. Apart from the obvious consequences like floods, droughts etc., climate change is the single most important factor affecting global economy. Among the things that can alleviate climate change, one of the most important is waste management.

Waste management has at least five types of impacts on climate change, attributable to:

• landfill methane emissions
• reduction in industrial energy use and emissions due to recycling and waste reduction
• energy recovery from waste
• carbon sequestration in forests due to decreased demand for virgin paper
• energy used in long-distance transport of waste
  

It is arguable to say therefore, that reducing wastes reduces GHG emissions which are the causative agents of the global warming which causes climate change. Recycling of wastes not only reduces landfill space but also reduces energy consumption during the production of virgin material and energy used for incineration and disposal of wastes. It also forces manufacturers to take a closer look at the production process and employing philosophies like TQM which not only reduces wastes but also increases productivity throughout the production line. Carrying out life cycle assessments is another way to tackle the growing problem of wastes.

Modern landfills which accept biodegradable wastes are engineered to capture the gases produced. About 42% of renewable gas and electricity now comes from landfill gas in Great Britain. Burning the methane collected in this manner releases CO2 into the atmosphere which is less harmful and as it is derived from biomass, it does not count towards the national average emissions.

When products are recycled and reduced, industrial consumption of energy decreases as a result because they are not starting a virgin production cycle. Reduction of paper wastes saves trees from being cut down thereby saving forests. Paper is biodegradable because it is made of a natural substance, but it can also be recycled and reused thereby decreasing the amount of trees felled. Transporting, compacting and sorting of wastes uses up tremendous amounts of energy which contribute to the global energy demand and release of GHG into the atmosphere. Waste management therefore, is a global issue. An example to prove the point - plastic bags from UK are transported to China to be recycled and transported back. This leaves a huge carbon footprint due to transportation of goods over 10,000 miles . As 17 billion plastic bags a year are handed out to British shoppers, this generates a huge amount of wastes. When plastic bags are not disposed of properly, they not only take many years to biodegrade but also leach into the soil to contaminate ground water supplies and cause many detrimental affects to wildlife. This situation also throws into light how something as seemingly simple as a plastic carrier bag can cause global problems. Declining a plastic bag is something that every one of us can do as plastic carrier bags are easily reusable.

Using natural materials can help to alleviate the hazards of landfill gases but this in turn puts biodiversity at risk. The issue of tackling wastes therefore is not an easy problem. It has varying dynamics and it requires a balanced decision making approach. Every individual can do their bit to tackle the issue of wastes by taking simple measures to choose products with less packaging material, declining plastic bags etc. Waste management should become a personal decision making factor for every one of us especially when it comes to choosing the products we buy and how we manage domestic waste. Since this is so intricately tied into other bigger, global problems, there is an opportunity within the waste management framework to alleviate some of those problems as well. Waste management ultimately is tied into the three golden Rs of sustainability - reduce, reuse, recycle.

Waste management forms one of the corner-stones of tackling the looming consequences of climate change and global warming. The effects of climate change are already being felt in many parts of the world and if current trends continue, the problems associated with enhanced global warming are only going to accelerate.