Subscriber Copy - Not For Sale

by Phil Davies

environmental economics DAVID CLARANCE face to face with SUREN VIKASH

1 november 2010 expressions

www.icarefordoon.org
 LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Dear Yudhishter, all the dedication, burning the midnight oil, working to-
ward making these changes is bought about by people like yourself and
those who contribute to making this planet a better place, I am inspired
beyond words at your professionalism, creativity and good heart.. I Will
surely be making my contributions for sure. Good luck to all of us, its not
always easy, but it is always worth it!!! Much light and energy to all...

D iwali is a festival of enlightening-lights and not polluting-crackers, so I celebrate this beau-

tiful festival in its true spirit by lighting lots and lots of diyas and candles in new innovative
ways each year, decorating my house, making rangolis and eating mouth watering cuisines
Susie Toldi
via facebook
BUT not burning crackers...Match my steps in the universal battle for a GREENER EARTH..!!!
Impressive content as ever. I wish there were more people in this world
Nikita Jain who could do what you guys are doing. I am speechless. What you all at
Lady Shri Ram College for Women, New Delhi Expressions are doing is praiseworthy without any doubt and with your
determination and professionalism you guys will go a long way in realiz-
ing your objective of making this world a better place to live. The content
is so refreshing than the usual that one gets to read in various papers
CO NT A CT US
T here is nothing forthright as regards crackers being the only medium with which the or magazines. If i was to pick up my best then green girl would be right
Festival of Lights can be celebrated with pomp & show. The only things that are directly up there along with the interview with Poonam Bir Kasturi and Chitra
correlated with crackers are its pollutions causing aspects, possibilities of accidents/mishaps, Write to us at Vishwanath. So much to learn. Thank you all for giving me and others a
futile expending of money which could perhaps be used in fruitful avenues & lastly the de- Expressions chance to get insights of various aspect of conservation. I sincerely wish
pendence of the industry on child labour for production. Crackers are harmful and can easily 51-A Subhash Road you and your entire team the very best.
ne dispensed with. There are no two ways about it. Please say NO to them! Adj. Needs Super Mart Shonali Sharma
Dehradun – 248001
As we all are aware. Petroleum is a precious, non-renewable & exhastibe natural resource. via web
Uttarakhand
My E - Resolution for Diwali this year is to use that Metro as often as I can. The DMRC has
done a brilliant job to connect most parts of Delhi with this wondeful means of transport. Its For Free Subscription Another masterpiece. You guys are really doing a great job. I run out of
time we pay some respect to their hardwork, planning & development that has gone into it. SMS I CARE to +919411114921 words. I am truly speechless. Kudos to the content team along with the
I’m doing my bit, are you? Call +919760614317 designing team. I feel the content is the most difficult and your entire edi-
Fax: 011-66173614
Arpit Panjwani torial team is doing wonders. I admire your professionalism and attitude.
Shri Ram College of Commerce Email at Designs are refreshing as ever. All the best.
yudhishter@icarefordoon.org Jack Smith
via email
www.icarefordoon.org
Dear Sri Singh,

W ell guys this would be my third ‘cracker-free’ diwali....hat-trick you can say:) but the
best thing about this one is that from this year I have my younger bro supporting me as
well. I am happy that i have him on my side. Though it sounds small but even one support for
I have the following observations to make about your latest issue.
It is an excellent magazine for nature lovers.The pages have been done
very tastefully. Some lovely images adorn the pages and enhance the
‘cracker-free’ diwali can make a huge difference. Lets be mature and lets be the change.
overall appeal of the magazine. Text quality is also decent .This young
Raj Shekhar Banerjee man Y P Singh and his team deserve to be complimented.
SRM University(NCR Campus) Akhilesh K Sahay
via email

expressions november 2010 2 3 november 2010 expressions

Cover Story founder & editor
18 Global Virus Phil Davis Yudhishter Puran Singh
copy & desk editor
Shubhodeep Pal
Features
6 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Surbhi Arora features editor
Karishma Gulati
11 Climate Change Mitigation Abhideb Bhattacharya & Ankit Srivastva
creative editor
16 Aviation & Climate Change Sqn Ldr Sabitha Banu Akshay Madan
17 Cracker Free Diwali Sanya Khan news editor
Subhinay Khosla
21 Face to face with Suren Vikash
photo editor
26 Environmental Economics David Clarance Sandip Puran Singh
28 Tiger Safari At Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve subscription team
Harshal Mirchandani, Lavish Bhatia
30 Green Games Aditi Sharma
marketing
Lotus Leaf Business Exhibitions
advertising
Regulars
Tushar Goel (NCR Region)
tushar_icare@live.com
8 Photo Story Tejas Soni
Gaurav Gupta (Rest of India)
gaurav_icare@live.com
18 Ways to photograph Doon Sandip Puran Singh
24 The Green Beat Simren Singh cover design
31 In The News
Akshay Madan
FROM THE
EDITOR’S DESK
Yesterday, I had a heated argument (if you’re a crazy “green”, you can charge
me for being guilty of adding to the earth’s temperature woes) with my roommate.
Returning home after an almost unbearably long day from college, I found that the
AC in my room was cooling the room to Antarctic levels of “coolness”. The prob-
lem: the room was empty!
It was, to be fair, rather uncool of my roommate to have left the AC on for al-
most 10 hours. I usually make sure that the AC is always turned off when I leave
the room; so, as I sat fuming (again, sue me), I recalled the instance where I had
walked back from the elevator door to turn it off. Yes, I know it’s not a big deal, but
for a lazy person such as me, it is. Trust me.
Many of us feel that, for big changes to happen, we must do great things on an even greater scale. That is
not true. Let’s do some simple arithmetic. Suppose each of us in India, who is lucky to have access to electric-
ity, could save 1 minute of electricity a day by simply turning off the lights or fans when they’re not in use. In
effect, 600 million minutes of electricity could be saved per day. Per year, 152 million days of electricity could
be saved! Imagine that! I understand that the calculation is technically flawed, but the argument holds: Small,
incremental changes add up over many people to achieve great change on the great scale we aim for. The
electricity we save could provide for the 500 million people without electricity in India.
When I was in junior school, I remember being extremely poor at remembering to switch off the lights, fans
and even the television when they weren’t in use. Then, one super-hot day, my mother made me sit with-
out the fan for precisely the number of minutes I’d left them on in an unoccupied room (god knows how she
counted the minutes!).
The lesson is clear. We must begin in small, possibly unassuming ways to affect change in our society. Let us
not be afraid that we are too insignificant in the “grand scheme of things”; that our voices are too weak and our
steps too short. Together we are many, together we are strong, and together we can change the world. In fact,
we will!
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond meas-
ure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.”
- Marianne Williamson

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Shubhodeep Pal
do our best to verify the information published but do not take any responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the information. Copy and Desk Editor, Expressions

expressions november 2010 4 5 november 2010 expressions
 GREENHOUSE
GAS EMISSIONS
Humans are on a dangerous collision course with
the environment. As the population grows, more
production takes place, resulting in displacement
of species and harm to the ecosystem. Resources
are consumed without adequate replacement and
what humans do not want is spat back in the form
of harmful emissions.
These days, concern for the environment is in the
limelight of social and political discussions. The
government enforces laws for economic and envi-
ronmental sustainability but their implementation
is still a major challenge. The need of the hour is to
attempt to change the daily behavior of those who
are willing to listen and who understand the need to
fix what is with time becoming the greatest crisis of
the modern world.
Increased CO2 emissions anywhere represent a threat
to civilization everywhere.
- Al Gore
A wise man once said –
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a
choice. It is your decision, your choice to make a
difference or not.
In the modern world, every item we consume is
created by an industrial process with greenhouse
gas emissions associated with it. Under the list of
these “items” comes not only electricity, gas or
automobiles but also
• Our clothes
• Our furniture
• Our food (unless it was grown, harvested and
transported entirely by hand).
• The government services provided (e.g. roads,
health services, defense) etc.
expressions november 2010
GREEN WHEELS
Everything we consume has greenhouse gas
emissions associated with it. We burn fossil fuels
to create energy. They are either burned directly,
example cooking gas or indirectly, example pet-
rol (as a fuel in automobiles and seen as energy
for transportation) and coal (in power stations
to drive turbines and seen as electrical energy).
Fossil fuels are also burnt at various stages in the
process of creating food products and services for
our consumption. The total carbon in the environ-
ment which we as individuals are responsible for is
called our carbon footprint.
Every time we burn fossil fuels such as gas, coal
or oil, carbon dioxide is released into the atmos-
phere. In a natural carbon cycle, carbon dioxide is
re-absorbed by plants and trees (for respiration).
However, we are burning fuels where the carbon
dioxide has been trapped under the earth’s surface
for millions of years. In short, we are generating
amounts of CO2 that are beyond permissible levels.
The effect of all this extra carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere is that the overall temperature of the
planet is increasing– and I don’t need to introduce
the ever famous global warming here I guess.
While the average global temperature is increas-
ing, on a day-to-day level the climate is changing in
unpredictable (and adverse) ways - from floods and
hurricanes to heat waves and droughts.
With carbon dioxide, there are other gases, such
as methane, which cause global warming. Collec-
tively, these are known as ‘greenhouse gases’ and
in chemical terms, most of them are hydrocarbons.
For ease of comparing the warming effects of each
gas, we can convert other greenhouse gases into
6 7
carbon dioxide equivalents.
Here’s addressing our national status. Although
India’s per capita carbon emission is among the low-
est in the world, its impact is visible in the form of
erratic weather patterns - a clear indicator of climate
change. The per capita carbon emission of India is
1.02 metric tons, compared to USA’s 20.01 metric
tons and Russia’s 11.71 metric tons, the average
per capita carbon emission of the world being 4.25
metric tons. According to the report ‘India’s Forest
& Tree Cover – Contribution as a Carbon Sink’ of the
Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of
India, the annual carbon removal by India’s forest
and tree cover is enough to neutralize 11.25% of In-
dia’s total greenhouse gas emissions. This is equiva-
lent to offsetting 100% emissions from all residential
and transport sectors or 40% of total emissions from
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a
choice. It is your decision, your choice to
make a difference or not.
the agricultural sector. This clearly indicates that In-
dia’s forest and tree cover is serving the purpose of
carbon mitigation for India and the world. If we can
reduce the carbon emissions and bring back more
vegetation, we might be on a path of bringing har-
mony between the earth and its inhabitants. Many
scientists point out that unchecked emission will
bring not only ‘a warming unprecedented in the past
million years,’ but changes ‘much faster than those
previously experienced by natural ecosystems...’
Being carbon neutral is seen as a good social re-
sponsibility. Some of the countries and communities
that have pledged carbon neutrality include Costa
Rica, Iceland, Maldives, New Zealand, Norway and
Tuvalu. Industries can take the initiative of becom-
ing carbon neutral. A classic example of this is ITC
Bahdrachalam. ITC became ‘carbon positive’ on the
GREENHOUSE
GREEN WHEELS
GAS EMISSIONS
back of several energy conservation measures like
usage of carbon neutral fuels and carbon sequestra-
tion through large scale agro forestry programmes.
If the planet warmed up by several degrees dur-
ing the 21st century, as paleontologists and com-
puter modelers agree is likely, what would be the
consequences? Extensive studies show that the
consequences of even a two degree rise would be
severely harmful in many parts of the world. It’s
easily concluded that by the end of the century we
would face an unprecedented and grievous degrada-
tion of many of the ecosystems on which civilization
depends. For the scientists, as one of them remarks,
‘seeing their own predictions come true can be a
frightening experience’.
Surbhi
is an Assistant Arora
Professor at the
University of Petroleum and Energy Studies
(UPES), Dehradun. She is extremely passion-
ate about teaching and loves interacting
with her students.
© EXPRESSIONS 2010
november 2010 expressions
 PHOTO PHOTO
STORY STORY

TE J A S S O N I
is a freelance sculptor and painter based in Ahmedabad (Gujarat).
He is a man of many talents and ardently pursues wildlife photog-
raphy and sketching. He also enjoys playing the flute,harmonica and
guitar.

expressions november 2010 8 9 november 2010 expressions
 PHOTO PHOTO
STORY STORY

photographs: TEJAS SONI

expressions november 2010 10 11 november 2010 expressions
 CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION
GREEN WHEELS
FROM INDIA’S PERSPECTIVE
CLIMATE CHANGE
With the mighty Himalayas and its glaciers in the
north, tropical in the south, dense rain forests of
Meghalaya in the East and the dry Thar Desert of
the west, incredible India, truly holds a variety of
climate within her.
Climate change refers to a statistically significant
variation in either the mean state of the climate or
in its variability, persisting for an extended period
(typically decades or longer). Climate change may
be due to natural internal processes or external
forcings , or due to persistent anthropogenic chang-
es in the composition of the atmosphere or in land
use .
The term is now used to refer to climate change
caused by human activity. The United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change defines
climate change as “a change of climate which is at-
tributed directly or indirectly to human activity that
alters the composition of the global atmosphere
and which is in addition to natural climate variability
observed over comparable time periods.”
In the latter sense climate change is synonymous
with global warming.
The atmosphere carries out the critical function of
maintaining life-sustaining conditions on Earth. The
earth both absorbs and, simultaneously releases
heat in the form of infra red waves. All this rising
heat is not lost to space, but is partly absorbed by
some gases present in very small (or trace) quanti-
ties in the atmosphere, called GHGs (greenhouse
gases).
However, ever since the Industrial Revolution
began about 150 years ago, man-made activities
have added significant quantities of GHGs to the
atmosphere. The atmospheric concentrations of
carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide have
grown considerably .
An increase in the levels of GHGs could lead to
greater warming, which, in turn, could have an im-
pact on the world’s climate, leading to the phenom-
enon known as climate change. Indeed, scientists
have observed that over the 20th century, the mean
global surface temperature increased by 0.6 °C.
photograph: akshay madan
expressions november 2010
EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE FROM
INDIA’S PERSPECTIVE
Impacts are already being seen in unprecedented
heat waves, cyclones, floods, salinisation of the
coastline and effects on agriculture, fisheries and
health . India, home to a third of the world’s poor,
and climate change will hit this section of society
the hardest. Set to be the most populous nation in
the world by 2045, the economic, social and eco-
logical price of climate change will be massive.
The future impacts of climate change, identified by
the Government of India’s National Communica-
tions (NATCOM) includes the following:
• Decreased snow cover, affecting snow-fed
and glacial systems such as the Ganges and
Bramhaputra. 70% of the summer flow of the
Ganges comes from melting of glaciers.
• Erratic monsoon with serious effects on
rain-fed agriculture, peninsular rivers, water
and power supply.
• Drop in wheat production by 4-5 million
tonnes, with even a 1ºC rise in temperature.
• Rising sea levels causing displacement
along one of the most densely populated
coastlines in the world, threatened freshwa-
ter sources and mangrove ecosystems.
• Increased frequency and intensity of
floods. Increased vulnerability of people
in coastal, arid and semi-arid zones of the
country.
• Studies indicate that over 50% of India’s
forests are likely to experience shift in forest
types, adversely impacting associated biodi-
versity, regional climate dynamics as well as
livelihoods based on forest products.
With 27.5% of the population still below the poverty
line, reducing vulnerability to the impacts of climate
12
CLIMATE CHANGEGREEN
MITIGATION
WHEELS
FROM INDIA’S PERSPECTIVE
change is essential . tion radars with state-of-art Doppler Weather
STEPS TAKEN BY INDIA FOR CLIMATE Radars in a phased manner. The cities of Calcut-
ta and Chennai have been the first ones to wit-
CHANGE MITIGATION
India signed the UNFCCC on 10 June 1992 and rati- ness their use. An indigenous Doppler weather
radar is being developed under a collaborative
fied it on 1 November 1993. Under the UNFCCC, de-
veloping countries such as India do not have binding programme of the IMD with the Indian Space
Research Organisation.
GHG mitigation commitments in recognition of their
small contribution to the greenhouse problem as well 6.Using satellite data received from INSAT to
provide cloud imageries in the visible and infra-
as low financial and technical capacities.
In India, the Ministry of Environment and Forests is red channels, which in turn, are used to derive
cloud motion vectors, sea surface tempera-
the nodal agency for climate change issues. It has
constituted Working Groups on the UNFCCC and tures, and outgoing long wave radiation.
Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC
was adopted in 1997 and requires developed coun- CONCLUSION
tries and economies in transition listed in Annex B of The shaky global economy provides a stark back-
the Protocol, to reduce their GHG emissions. drop to why cooperation in an interdependent world
Several measures are being undertaken in the is the only way forward. To succeed, climate change
country, which contribute to GHG mitigation. Some of must be reframed as an agenda of hope, growth,
them are: innovation, and opportunity. It must be used to mo-
1. Establishment of the Technology Information, bilize a new sense of national purpose and imbue
Forecasting and Assessment Council under the people with optimism. India has a billion good rea-
Department of Science and Technology, which sons for leadership on climate change. Addressing
facilitates the transfer of environmentally sound this could be the best way for the country to secure
technology. prosperity and development. If India truly aspires to
2. Extensive efforts in conservation of forests greatness, no other issue is more timely or compel-
and biodiversity. ling.
3. Involvement of a number of governmental
and independent agencies in climate change
research in India.
4. The India Meteorological Department (IMD)
observes climatic parameters at surface and Abhidheb
upper air observatories throughout the country.
IMD’s network includes 559 surface obser-
Bhattacharya
vatories, more than 8000 rainfall monitoring
Final year students at the University of
stations, 100 satellite-based data collection
Petroleum Studies (UPES), Dehradun.
platforms in remote areas, 203 voluntary ob-
They harbour a keen interest in Indian
serving ships, 10 cyclone detection radars, and
Wildlife and Environmental Laws as
17 storm detection radars. Since 1983, IMD has
well as Oil and Gas Laws.
maintained a meteorological observatory at the
Indian Antarctic station. This data is scrutinized Ankit
and archived at the National Data Centre, Pune,
and used to study, predict, and determine the Srivastava
effects of climate change.
5. Replacement of the existing cyclone detec-
© EXPRESSIONS 2010
13 november 2010 expressions
 WAYS TO
PHOTOGRAPH DOON
5 Photographing Trees
Iam sure there are many others besides me who look at trees with utter delight and can’t resist
a well-shaped, nicely lit tree in a photogenic situation, and Doon of yester years had many a
beautiful stately trees growing in the valley.
sandip puran singh
Baanj (Oak)
This shot was taken early in the morning during an
autumnal trip to Kanatal. Walking along the sylvan
path between the cottages at Hazara Heights looking
for birds I came across this majestic ‘baanj’ as we
call oak in the local language standing on the edge
of hillside along the path. Hills north of Doon have
expressions november 2010
plenty of oak on the south facing slopes and the oak
is a lovely tree with its textured bark, moss covered
limbs and leaves that shine silver blowing in the wind.
There were many fine trees to choose from as we
went along the walk. The difficulty, as always, was
to find a way of separating some of them from the
background. This giant was jutting out of the hillside
and I was able to find a viewpoint where it was set
mainly against the sky. I was lucky because there
was a morning mist floating up the valley and some
dark clouds in the background adding an element of
mood. I thought this was better than a blue sky, which
could have produced a too-pretty, postcard type pic-
ture. My viewpoint was restricted and quite close to
the trees so I needed to use a wide-angle lens, with
the camera tilted upwards, in order to exclude the
unwanted hillside and include the sky.
Photographs depend partly for their success upon
contrasts, not only tonal and colour contrasts but
also contrasting shapes. In landscapes photograph
photography horizontal lines and shapes tend to
dominate the image and when a vertical shape, such
as a tree, is introduced the effect is invariably eye-
catching. The most important factor in producing a
strong image of a tree is that it needs to be clearly
defined and isolated in some way from its surround-
ings. Winter is satisfying time of year to photograph
trees because very often the structure of the tree and
shapes created by most of the branches are more
interesting than when they are masked by foliage.
When shooting trees in a forest or plantation pattern
14
WAYS TO
effect can often be used in a striking way. Trees also
have enormous potential as close-up subjects.
PHOTOGRAPH DOON
F ai r y l an d T r ee
sandip puran singh
We all have a picture of fairytales in our mind and
once in a while we come across a vista that makes
us stop and soak in the feel because it takes us back
to our childhood memories. I’m particularly fond of
lonely paths in forested glades and the Himalayas in
this regards are truly enchanting. We were coming
down from a friends orchard at Niudi in Uttarkashi
when the overhead sun in a quiet lost valley created a
Sandip Puran
dream sequence and this tree which looked so much
like a camphor tree which grows a plenty in Doon, the Singh
sinewy dark bark of the tree trunk stark against the
diffused light filtering through the cedar needles made
Writer is the founder
the path look like one from a fairytale. I had to use the
of SUSWA, an NGO worki-
widest angle possible on the lens in order to get as
ng along the northern boundary of Rajaji
much of the tree and to highlight it I used a Singh-Ray
color enhancing filter to make the dark tree trunk stand
National Park. He’s also an avid bird watcher
and an amateur naturalist working on the Doon
out more boldly from the diffused green background. valley. His love for photographing the valley can
The key to exploiting the textural quality of a subject is be seen by logging onto www.icarefordoon.org
in judging the quality of the light and the effect is has and can be reached at
seemasandeepsingh@gmail.com
an on the surface. It’s illuminating. A coarse, deeply
indented texture needs to be lit with a more diffused
and less acutely angled light than a finer, more subtle © EXPRESSIONS 2010
texture.
15 november 2010 expressions
 AVIATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE
A GLOBAL SECTORAL APPROACH IS THE NEED OF THE HOUR
A
viation needs global solutions to combat the
ill-effects of carbon emissions. A global frame-
work based on sound principles is urgently
required. Governments and the industry must work
together along with the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) to ensure a sustainable future
for aviation. In recent years, major scientific bod-
ies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) and the National Academy of Sciences
have concluded that human activities, including the
combustion of fossil fuels, industrial and agricultural
processes, landfills, and some land use changes are
significantly increasing the concentrations of green-
house gases in the atmosphere, thus pushing up global
temperatures. This scenario will cause marked chang-
es in sea level, eco systems and ice-cover. In recent
times, key scientific assessments have underscored
the importance of stabilizing the emissions of green-
house gases to mitigate the adverse effects of climate
change.
International aviation contributes to climate change
through aircraft emissions (carbon dioxide and water
vapour emissions, contrails or ‘aviation smog’, nitro-
gen oxides etc). Although the air transport industry
has made improvements to aircraft technology and
efficiency, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions
(GHG) have not been enough to compensate for the
rapid growth of global air traffic which has increased
© EXPRESSIONS 2010
expressions november 2010
by more than 50% over the last decade. Since 1990,
carbon emissions to fuel consumption have increased
by 87% and now account for around 3.5% of total
‘human activities’ that contribute to climate change.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has
estimated that this share will grow to 5% by 2050 and
will undermine efforts made by other industrial sectors
to reduce carbon emissions.
Inexplicably, the aviation sector has not been required
to do much to address climate change. Indeed, the
Kyoto Protocol excludes international aviation and
requests countries to merely work towards reducing
emissions in this sector through the ICAO. Although
the ICAO had initially endorsed the idea of an emis-
sions trading system to meet the carbon emission re-
duction targets, prospects for a comprehensive global
agreement now appear distant. Given the present
situation, a multi-faceted approach is required with
a strong commitment from all stakeholders: airlines,
manufacturers, fuel suppliers, airports
and air navigation service providers.
Sqn Ldr Sabitha
Banu(Retd)
Assistant Professor
Aviation Management
UPES, Dehradun
16
T
he special festive season is finally here! But
with every year that we sit in our plush interi-
ors, enjoying the moods of the season, a part
of our planet crumbles away. The Earth has been
wrecked by environmental pollution. But why are
discussing the festive season and the environment
together?
Let’s get the environment bit straightened out first.
Environmental pollution has many aspects to it, the
areas of our concern being air and noise pollution.
Air pollution is the reason behind the “infamous”
global warming. Moreover, since air is omnipresent,
its pollution in turn affects everything, from humans
to plants, animals and even buildings & monuments.
Its effect is visible as increasing respiratory prob-
A “non cracker free” celebration directly involves the
harmful consequences of these two forms of pollution.
According to me, putting so much at risk for just a few
moments of pleasure is hardly a sane option.
lems in humans like lung cancer and asthma, in the
degrading vegetation, as the melting polar ice caps
(increasing sea level) and as adverse climatic chang-
es, to name a few.
Noise pollution is also a major contributor to envi-
ronmental pollution. It is one of the drawbacks of
living in an urbanized world, as mostly all the things
around us contribute to it - noise from construction,
transportation, industries, as well as noise from the
electrical appliances of daily use in any household.
Noise pollution has both short term and long term
impacts, interfering not only with speech and hearing
but affecting the brain too. Plants are also sensitive
to noise and buildings can be damaged due to high
decibel sound vibrations generated.
photographs: akshay madan
17
CRACKER FREE DIWALI
In short, Earth is already plagued by these forms of
pollution. Why do we then, instead of taking ac-
tions against these, go ahead and contribute more
to them? The enormous amounts of crackers lit on
Diwali create immense air and noise pollution which
easily outweigh the beauty of these cracker shows.
A “non cracker free” celebration directly involves the
harmful consequences of these two forms of pollu-
tion. According to me, putting so much at risk for just
a few moments of pleasure is hardly a sane option.
Diwali is not synonymous with crackers. It is a festi-
val of light and joy. When we clean our homes, why
is it that we dirty the planet (God’s home for us)? And
above all if the Earth degrades, no home anywhere
will be of any purpose to us. So we should take a de-
cision today and have a cracker-free and safe Diwali.
Sanya
is a student of Khan
Indraprastha College
for Women, Delhi University, doing an hon-
ours course in English, 2nd year. She takes
a keen interest in reading & writing & often
does freelance content writing.
november 2010 expressions

GLOBAL WARMING IS WITH US ALL.
We need to accept it and do all that
we can to prevent it. The increase
in land air and sea tempera-
tures has arisen by over one
degree over the last century,
this century it is expected
to rise from any where be-
tween one and six degrees.
The primary cause of
GLOBAL WARMING is Car-
bon Dioxide emissions. CO2
is being pumped into our
atmosphere at an insane
pace; 8 billion tons of CO2
entered the air last year. Of
course some of this is due to
natural activity such as volcanic
eruptions and people breathing.
But the Earth is equipped to easily
absorb those into the normal regen-
erative process. No, the beginning of
The increase in land air and sea temper-
atures has arisen by over one degree
over the last century.
expressions november 2010
global warming was caused by fossil fuels
being burned and emitting plenty of CO2.
Currently in the world 40% of all CO2
emissions are caused by power plants.
These are burning coal, natural gas
and diesel fuel. Some power plants
burn garbage. Some burn methane
made from garbage. And discounting
those super green electrical generating
plants designed to issue negligible pol-
lutants, all of our power plants let loose
into the atmosphere CO2.The other ma-
jor factor in causing carbon dioxide into
the atmosphere is deforestation, which
is caused by clearing great tracts of
lands for plantations or grazing for cat-
tle, the forests that have been felled are
burnt and destroyed at an alarming rate
in places such as the Amazon rainforest,
though also happening across Asia and
Europe.
18
The effects of GLOBAL WARM-
ING, are causing rises in sea level,
which means as polar ice caps melts,
they will join the oceans and swell
them, causing land reclamation by
the oceans of lands at sea level or
below, also causing salt water to
mix with freshwater and affect our
drinking water supplies. The po-
lar ice caps melting also affect the
wildlife, such as polar bears, which
could mean a first ice free summer
in the area by 2040.There is also the
extreme weather, some are saying
this is being used to scare people on
GLOBAL WARMIMG, though one
relevant statistic, category 4/ 5 hur-
ricanes have risen from 20% to 35 %
over the last 30 years and they are
stronger and wetter and for longer.
Drought will occur with more fre-
quency, this means as the tempera-
ture on the planet increase, this will
give conditions for more forest fires.
How can we help, there is no one way
to stop GLOBAL WARMING, though
there are many ways in our day to
day life, that we can do to improve the
How can we help, there is no one
way to stop GLOBAL WARMING
19
COVER
STORY
situation. We can use energy saving
light bulbs, though slightly more ex-
pensive, they last for 10 times longer.
Using solar energy ,this can be used
in many simple forms, such as panels
connected to batteries in low poverty
areas, or installed into houses. There
is wind energy, this form of energy
has been gathering pace over
the last twenty years, though
when sites are designated,
there is lots of opposition to
there size and blot on the
landscape. We can save
more electric by turning
off the lights in rooms
we are not occupying.
Recycling is a ma-
jor way forward,
all countries across
the globe need to
do more, aluminium
from which cans are
made of, it takes only
10 % power to melt
down old cans, into new,
compared to mine and
refine bauxite into aluminium.
Plastic bottles can be melted
november 2010 expressions
 COVER STORY
down to make new plastic, even the ones that
cannot, can be ground down and used as raw
materials. We can use our cars less, we can
car share to work and other journeys can be
coordinated to mean less green house gases
into the environment. We can donate our
clothes, we can ride our cycle or walk for our
short trips. We can also plant a tree for life,
every six seconds the earth is losing an acre
of rainforest, as trees play an essential role in
our climate. They extract Carbon monoxide
from the atmosphere and replace it with oxy-
gen, one tree can supply enough oxygen for
two people. They also extract ground water
through their roots and evaporate that water
into the atmosphere through their leaves,
PLEASE ACT NOW
Phil is the founder of Tiger Awareness, a non-profit organisation based in the
UK. He travels mainly to India and helps in supporting local communi-
Davis ties in various ways such as reimbursing local farmers for losses from a
tiger kill, or promoting tiger conservation
expressions november 2010
without the precipitation created by trees
areas of major deforestation are prone to
drought. This is how rainforests become de-
serts. We can also read E- books, which will
mean less books being printed and saves the
forests also your wallet. Business can also
make an impact on the environment, they can
have more efficient building that will save en-
ergy through heating and lighting. One major
bug is that companies leave lights on in so
many offices, even when not occupied.
We as a race can impact our planet on so
many levels, we can do this as individuals, as
companies and groups of people. We need to
stop abusing our eco system now before its
to late for future generations.
© EXPRESSIONS 2010
20
FACE
TO FACE
S
uren Vikhash is a product designer and social entrepreneur who
currently leads a project called Thunk in India which produces inno-
vative products from waste material. Via Thunk in India, he aims to
provide a sustainable and independent livelihood to various communities
including rag pickers, slum women, farmers and craftsmen. He is a firm
believer in the power of product design; design, he believes, can alter
social norms and cultural mindsets about the utility and value of materi-
als around us. Expressions got in touch with him to know more about
‘Thunk’ and his views about the immediate need to work collectively for
a sustainable tomorrow in this exclusive interview for our readers.
with
Expressions got in touch with him and received valuable insights,
which we have shared with our readers in this exclusive interview..
Suren
EXPRESSIONS (E): How and when did you come up with this bril- Vikash
liant idea of recycling or re-inventing from waste?
SUREN VIKASH (SV): Waste is a huge problem. But it is so much
around us that we have almost become neutral to it. I am a product de-
signer, and strongly believe that design can be used as a tool to address
various problems around us. I also strongly feel that technology is not
enough to solve various problems we face today. However it can aid in
implementing various creative solutions.
I took this up as a challenge, to see how I could use creativity and lateral
thinking to tackle the issue of waste. As a part of my final graduation
project, I firstly immersed myself into the waste management system
in Bangalore, India. I initiated the project by bringing together various
experts and stake holders who were doing valuable work in the field of
waste onto a common platform. I did this as various experts, working
on different parts of the waste management system worked in isolation,
inspite of their larger focus being waste. Together, they could co-create
to address various issues each of them individually (their company)
faced. Also when they collaborated, lots of insights were revealed. After
a deep grass root research, I identified various intervention points in the
current waste management system, where a small change could result
in a huge difference. One of these interventions was identified in the
landfills, where a lot of non-biodegradable waste materials where found.
All these materials have a long life but once a small part of their life is
utilized from the time it is produced, sold and consumed. For example
plastic has a life of more than 500 years, but from the time it is manu-
21 november 2010 expressions
 FACE factured to the time its consumed and thrown away is just 3 -4 months. Here was an
idea to reuse these materials which had a long life, Up-cycling. At Thunk in India, we
• Co-creating with all the Stakeholders.
• Constantly exploring the different ways of making our venture more efficient and FACE
TO FACE design durable and funky products from (Non-recyclable) waste materials that gener- sustainable, from the design of products to the production and marketing. TO FACE
ally find their way into the landfills • Using creativity and lateral thinking at all stages of our process.
• Working at grassroots level.
E: What was the first product that you created from waste and how did you come • Understanding the present/past systems and
up with the idea? scenarios of waste management and the stake-
SV: Initially, a range of products were created from tetrapak holders.
waste. Please look at the pdf(attached in the next mail). The • Waste is our constraint. We innovate and trans-
basic idea was to utilize the life of materials that reached the form it.
landfills early, • We focus on making the livelihoods of under-
By looking at different ways to manage waste at source privileged communities more meaningful and
and by understanding how the existing system works, I independent.
understood how intervention at various points with small • We provide alternatives (through our products
changes would result in big differences. I decided to make and services) for one to easily make a difference
useful products from waste by providing value to otherwise and go green without any compromise.
discarded materials. We use these waste as new rich raw materials to innovate with • We REUSE old resources & thereby REDUCE
(processing innovations, weave exploration and product innovation. This not only new natural resources from being used
utilizes the waste materials and increase their life span but also reduces new natural
resources from being used up. E: How do you help companies to incorporate zero waste strategies?
SV: We provide recycling/up cycling(reusing) solutions to all the companies we work
Currently, we create many products from waste plastics. with. We make sure that all the waste reaches our network of recyclers. We also
provide a eco - carbon audit for companies
E: From where do you collect waste and what kind of waste do you use in your
production? E: What support/actions would you like the govt. to take in this regard?
SV: Waste is collected from various consumerist companies such as malls, IT compa- SV: Enforcing Laws on EPR (extended producer responsibility) , promoting eco
nies, where large quantities of waste can be procured under one roof. Slum women friendly products, banning plastic and other toxic materials
work in each of these companies, and segregate the waste
on a daily basis. All the recyclable waste is generally sold E: What are the waste management techniques that you would advise schools
to secondary buyers/recyclers. We ony look at those waste and colleges to adapt?
materials, where on recycling solutions have not been found. SV: Waste segregation is the first step. Due to lack of segregation, a lot of the re-
Currently, it is mainly non-biodegradable materials like plas- cyclable waste also becomes non recyclable and toxic. Composting all the organic
tic covers, thermocol etc waste is something anyone can easily do.

E: Where all does your waste collecting team operate/ E: What support/actions would you like the govt. to take in this regard?
located? SV: Enforcing Laws on EPR (extended producer responsibility) , promoting eco
SV: In the outskirts of Bangalore and Coimbatore friendly products, banning plastic and other toxic materials

E: What are the strategies involved? E: What is your message to the society at large that indulges in wasteful con-
SV: Characteristics of our approach: sumption and in turn aggravates the problem of waste mismanagement?
• Creating sustainable livelihood options for the underprivi- SV: Conscious consumerism is something every one needs to atleast start thinking
leged communities. of. It requires a change in mindset
• Identifying points of intervention in the waste management
system where even a small change can result in a big differ-
ence.
© EXPRESSIONS 2010

expressions november 2010 22 23 november 2010 expressions
 theGREEN BEAT
It is rightly said
‘Necessity is the
mother of all
inventions.’
Constant imbalance between payments
and the ambition to strengthen one’s
global economic status has spurred
‘green innovation’ in some parts of the
world.
Once again, through Green Beat, I
would like to highlight another promis-
ing practice that can reduce our de-
pendence on fossil fuels.
The world has become a concrete
jungle. Urban development is break-
ing its own records with every passing
day. Earth has become an unbelievable
place to live in. In today’s technology-
run environment, can we imagine to
live without oil?
A day strike by the petrol pump own-
ers or a little hike in the price of oil
affects us from every angle. The ques-
tion is: Can we afford to consume all
the oil available? We all know that the
day is not far when the world will wit-
ness a crisis. We have to search for
alternatives today.
India is under the tyranny of a mon-
ster - inflation. Statistics show that food
prices are soaring to an all time high!
In such a situation, are we ready to
tackle yet another economic catastro-
phe like that of 2008 when the world
witnessed its worst oil crisis with the
prices of crude oil hovering around US
$140 a barrel? The answer is an obvi-
ous no.
expressions november 2010
SAVE OIL
akshay madan
Brazil, a lesser known country for ‘world class’ development has
taken a lead in developing economically feasible alternatives to
reduce its dependence on foreign oil. Brazilian companies have
successfully used sugar cane to produce mass quantities of etha-
nol (an efficient fuel). Now, more than 80 percent of new cars
sold in Brazil are equipped to use ethanol as well as gasoline. The
home grown fuel there is more popular than foreign imports. It has
not only reduced the country’s dependence on imported Middle
Eastern petroleum after the oil crisis during the 1970s but has also
given a push to the domestic automobile and sugar mill industries.
This has been of benefit to the farmers as well as the buyers who
have to pay a smaller purchase tax on these ‘Flex-Fuel’ cars. Great
Britain, following in Brazil’s footsteps is trying to use wheat and
sugar to create its own bio fuels.
Let me brief you about these techniques. Ethanol is a byproduct
obtained when sugar is manufactured from sugarcane. It easily
mixes with petrol. Presently, Brazil and USA are using ‘Flex fuel’
cars that can run on petrol, ethanol or a combination of both. A
Flex-fuel car has a petrol engine with a modification in the fuel pipe
and the chip which tells the fuel injection system about the propor-
tions of ethanol flowing in the engine. . Quoting Union Agriculture
Minister Sharad Panwar, “India, the world’s biggest consumer of
sugar, is planning to increase ethanol production to protect mills
from falling prices of the sweetener as the country expects a
bumper crop next year (2011). If the country produces more etha-
nol and gets a good price for it, farmers will also get a good price
for their sugarcane.”
Another non conventional source of energy is Bio-diesel. Bio-die-
sel is produced from Jatropha oil and can be used directly in any
24
theGREENBEAT
diesel engine. It is renewable and as stated above, is derived
from vegetable oil. Unlike petroleum diesel, it is biodegrad-
able. It offers much higher lubrication than petroleum diesel
and its use can prolong engine life. Bio-diesel is a green fuel The civilized man has
and is carbon neutral. Its use does not lead to any harmful
change in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. built a coach, but has
It produces drastically reduced quantities of sulphur dioxide,
carbon monoxide and soot (as engine emissions). lost the use of his
Former President of India, Dr. Abdul Kalam is one of the feet. Why wait for
strong advocators of jatropha cultivation (for production
the dreaded moment
of bio-diesel). In his recent speech, he said that out of the
600,000 km² of wasteland that is available in India, over
300,000 km² is suitable for Jatropha cultivation. Also, once
when every oil tank in
this plant is grown, it has a useful lifespan of several decades. the world will be dry?
On 12 September 2008, the Indian Government announced
its ‘National Bio-fuel Policy’. By 2011, it aims to meet 20%
of India’s diesel demand by fuel derived from plants. By
2020, Indian government aims to generate 7.5 million tons
of bio-fuel per year. Large plots of waste land have been
selected for Jatropha cultivation- a step that will provide the
much needed employment to rural India. Entrepreneurs are
also seeing the cultivation of Jatropha as a good business
opportunity. Due to these promotional strategies for bio-
diesel, the rising population, and the growing energy demand
from the transport sector, biofuels will definitely have a
large market in India. Jatropha plantation will not only solve
the problem faced with diesel but will also provide various
other benefits such as erosion control, soil improvement and
poverty reduction. Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu
and Andhra Pradesh have already started with the successful
cultivation of the Jatropha Carcus seed. However, there is still
a long way to go for India. But with serious implementation
of programs and strategies, we will surely achieve our aim.
I would like to conclude with the thought: The civilized man
has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet.
A 2nd year
Why wait for the dreaded moment when every oil tank in the
world will be dry? Why wait for 2020 to execute ecological graduation Simren
practices and not become sensitive to this thought today and student at Lady Singh
Shriram College
realize the importance of the need to save? Why not use pub-
For Women, New Delhi. Passionate about
lic transportation or go on foot whenever possible and say no
environment and an ardent nature lover,
to oil consuming luxury cars? currently the secretary of LSR’s
environment society - Prakriti
Happy Conserving!
© EXPRESSIONS 2010
25 november 2010 expressions
 ENVIRONMENTAL
ECONOMICS
“Man did not weave the web of life -
he is merely a strand in it.Whatever he
does to the web, he does to himself.”
- Chief Seattle, 1854.
A
fter I finished presenting my term paper
on Chief Seattle and his famed speech
pleading for the rights of native tribes
and a passionate, if not desperate, appeal to
protect the ‘bed we sleep in’, a classmate
raised her hand and proceeded to ask me if
my presentation was consistent with the fact
that we are students of economics. Let me
explain. As students of economics, we are
taught how to ‘think’ like economists which
implies, among other things, a rational, non-
emotive thought process. This is something
that probably would bother any thinking
person. If I want to maximize my satisfaction
level (utility, as economists put it) should I re-
ally care about the environment? Personally,
I do think there are rather serious moral and
philosophical arguments in favor of caring
for the environment, but let us ignore them at
the moment. Instead, let us assess whether
purely rational beings should care for what’s
around them. Fortunately there is a lot of
economic literature affirming environmental-
ism, but, as of now, I want to present a few
arguments of my own in the context of being
a producer.
At the outset, it is important to review our
concept of being ‘rational’ with respect to
production and the use of nature. Conven-
tional economic rationality would encourage
maximizing production as long as I’m earn-
expressions november 2010 26
ENVIRONMENTAL
ECONOMICS
ing more than I’m paying. In this context, the case education and awareness. Take notebook producers
for environment protection stands defeated as it for instance. Of late a number of them have started
would lead to added costs which would make the
firm uncompetitive. However, let us look at that
printing notebooks that are made of recycled paper.
They usually have ‘environment friendly’ written all
again – but this time from a different perspective.
For budding entrepreneurs and established firms,
over them. Hence, if I walk into a store and see that
such a notebook is marginally more expensive than
a good question to ask is about the intended life
span of the firm. Permanence is almost always a
another one of similar quality, I might actually buy
it due to a sense of moral responsibility. So would
desired aspect of a firm’s growth target. Even if a others who care about the environment and are
firm has to go through losses for a while, production aware of how the paper industry is detrimental to
normally continues if the firm has the capability to the environment. Thus firm X could create a dedi-
‘kick back’ in the long term. Thus short-term losses cated consumer group for itself.
don’t necessarily imply long-term incompetence. Therefore, as we have seen, it is possible for an
On the flip side, we can look at added costs as an economist to include environment conservation in
investment for the firm’s sustenance. Chief Seat- his framework without it being discarded as irra-
tle’s words, “Contaminate your bed and you will tional. In fact, environmentalism has given birth to a
one night suffocate in your own waste” ring true branch of economics called environmental econom-
for us today. If a producing unit keeps discharging ics. Today, environmental economics is a discipline
pollutants without an effort to reduce or treat the that is taken seriously to further the idea of nature’s
discharge the day of its demise will come. Economi- pervasiveness in human decision. A general con-
cally speaking, negative returns beckon. sensus now exists that only in nature’s sustenance
There seems to be an inconsistency with the case I is an economy’s existence possible.
presented above. What if producer X actually tries
to reduce chemical pollution by installing a plant that
treats the factory’s waste before final disposal in
the neighborhood but on the other hand producer Y
(X’s competitor and also in the same neighborhood)
doesn’t really care and just keeps on discharging
David
harmful chemical waste that hurts both X and Y? Clarance
The writer is 19
So really, even though X has increased his costs
years, pursuing English hons from Delhi
(and reduced profits) he is still subject to the harm-
University. Is an avid nature enthusiast
ful effects of the chemical waste. Does this mean who loves to write in his free time.
that X should revert to his old method of production
if that is economically more feasible? I would think
otherwise. First, even though X might possibly lose
in the short run, long-term benefits would most
likely exceed the cost. This is true, especially if the
new environment-friendly technology is one that
recycles waste. As an example if firm X treats its
chemical water so that it can be used again, this
could become a source of cheaper water and hence
reduce costs. Second, firm X might create a new
consumer group for itself. This aspect has gained
prominence with greater levels of environmental
© EXPRESSIONS 2010
27 november 2010 expressions
 TIGER SAFARI AT The Reserve
Tadoba Andhari Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, “the jewel of Vidharba”,
Tiger Reserve is Maharashtra’s oldest Tiger reserve. It is situated in the
Moharli hills of the West Chandrapur district of Maharash-
tra. Established in 1935, it was declared a National Park
in 1955. Andhari Wildlife sanctuary was notified in 1986
and the Park and the sanctuary were unified in 1995 as
the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR). It is one of the
28 Project Tiger Reserves of India and is one of the most
picturesque and valuable.
The name ‘Tadoba’ comes from ‘Taru’, a local God. ‘And-
hari’ is derived from the name of the Andhari river which
flows through it. Legends say that Taru was a village chief
who was killed in a battle with a tiger. A shrine dedicated
to Taru still exists near the Tadoba lake. The local villagers
saran vaid
Tiger safari TIGER SAFARI AT
Safari 1: We had planned to explore the Moharli region for
Tadoba Andhari
some time. As the jeep circled the area, our guide said, “The Tiger Reserve
cubs were spotted here last evening”. One unique thing to be
noted while visiting a Tiger reserve immediately after the rains
is that you don’t get to hear ‘alarm calls’ that deer and mon-
keys normally make when they spot a tiger. Following the calls Facts and figures
is usually the best way to spot a tiger. But after the rains, the
grasses are thick and long and the beast remains completely
hidden. Hence, its slightest movements go unnoticed and it be-
Langoor 2770
comes near impossible to spot a tiger. When we hadn’t spotted Spotted Deer 2039
any tigers for about an hour, we thought of moving to Tadoba
gate. Suddenly, Amit exclaimed “Leopard”! It was our first sub- Wild Dog 1758
ject for the day. I managed to click about a dozen photographs
Indian Bison 1052
even though the light wasn’t favourable for photography. It was
our first photograph of a leopard in the wild. However, the next Sambar 669

“Good night”, said Amit. I looked at my watch. It
was 2 am. I set the alarm for 5 am, drank the wa-
ter left in the bottle and switched off the light.
Silence, almost. I could hear some insect screech-
ing somewhere. Amit seemed to be fast asleep.
I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. But sleep
seemed a distant dream. Last evening’s drive
flashed in front of my eyes. I had probably faced
so much traffic for the first time in seven years in
Mumbai. Having started from home at around 3 in
the afternoon, I was still stuck in the traffic at 8 in
the night. Worse, I had missed my flight.
As I struggled to sleep, I realized that I was left
with only a day and a half to explore the forest of
Tadoba.
I don’t remember when I dozed off but the alarm
ensured that I was awake early and ready for a
long day ahead. The jeep was ready.
We were left with three safaris only and I was
keeping my fingers crossed for at least one
glimpse of a Tiger!
expressions november 2010
are mainly Gond tribals who speak Marathi and Gondi. few hours were uneventful. On the way back, I tried my new
Barking Deer 512
camera to shoot a Sambar. The results were rather pleasing.
Since TATR is not as well-known as its counterparts, it is Blue Bull
largely uncommercialized and has a pristine eco-system
228
Safari 2: The evening safari began in Moharli again. We Wild Boar
that harbours a rich diversity of wildlife. Apart from
saw a vehicle stopping ahead. In the dim light we could see 195
Tigers, Leopards, Gaurs and Sloth Bears, the forest hosts
the people in pointing towards a small stream. I couldn’t see Mongoose 184
a number of other mammals which are uncommon in
anything as we reached. The guide said “they must be around”.
other forests – the Rusty Spotted Cat, Ratel, Indian Mouse
Almost instantly, we we saw a male tiger coming out of the Sloth Bear 165
Deer, Spotted Deer, Four-Horned Antelope and Wild
forest to the main road. It was Yeda Anna, the famous male Four-hornedAntelope 145
Dog. There are also 195 identified species of birds in the
tiger of Tadoba. I managed to take a few snaps before the tiger
park making it a haven for avid bird-watchers. The Grey- Jackal
turned away. Soon we spotted the cubs. There were four of 79
Headed Fishing Eagle and Crested Serpent Eagle are two
them gamboling around as they crossed the road. They came Jungle Cat
of the most well-known raptors of the forest. Reptilian
close and gladly posed for my camera for around 40 minutes. I
44
fauna is abundant too. The Tadoba lake harbors a number
was in bliss. Tiger 43
of crocodiles. The Indian Python, common Indian Moni-
tor and the poisonous Russell’s Viper can also be found Porcupine 22
here. Safari 3: “Thoda aur wish karo” said Amit. I badly wanted
to get a photograph of a tiger in water. We saw the four cubs Leopard 15
On the northern and western boundaries of the forest are again. They were incredibly playful and lively. We were in
luck: there was a small body of water and the cubs played in Hyena 5
hills with dense forests. To the southwest is a huge lake.
It is a southern tropical dry deciduous forest with Teak as it, splashing water around. It was one of our most memorable Indian Pangolin 2
the predominant tree species. The bamboo forest defines moments in the forest.
Ratel
the typical tiger territories. Even though the Park is open
1
throughout the year, summer is the best season to visit Tadoba gave me more than I had expected. Much, much more.
since the wildlife remains around the sources of water. I fell in love with the forest and came back with wonderful How to reach Tadoba
However, Tadoba is uniquely charming during the mon- memories of the lovely Moharli cubs. All wildlife lovers should
soons. Immediately after the rains, the grass is green and go there at least once and witness the spectacular beauty of Nearest Airport – Nagpur, Maharashtra
sighting a tiger in a lush green background is a photo- wildlife in its natural surroundings. Nearest Railway Station – Chandrapur,
graphic delight. Maharashtra
Accommodation – MTDC resort
Dr. Caesar Sengupta Contact person – Manish Varma –
08055920303
© EXPRESSIONS 2010
28 29 november 2010 expressions
 GREEN GAMES
SAVING OUR COMMONWEALTH
S Taking the cracker out of fire
peculations about the inevitable failure of the
Commonwealth Games in India have been put to
rest. The Games were successful by all counts.
The malfeasances which occurred before the games
have been overshadowed by dazzling ceremonies and
the near faultless staging of the games.However, as
important as the games themselves will be the post-
games investigations which will, hopefully, publicly indict
all those whose tardiness and embezzlement of public
funds nearly jeopardizedthe staging of the games.
The games have brought about much needed lasting
change to the city:improved infrastructure, a boost to the
status sports in country, better adoption of eco-friendly
strategies etc. Construction activities, transportation
used by the participants, electricity consumption before
and during the games, etc. were expected to emit an
enormous amount of greenhouse gases. Hence, in the
wake of potential environmental crisis, it was imperative
to take steps against the harms that could occur during
games’ preparation.A series of green measures such
as boosting energy efficiency and air quality to expand-
ing the city’s forests ensured that the Delhi Gameswere
awarded the status of the first ‘green games’
As a major emerging economy with a sixth of the
world’s population, India faces major challenges for re-
ducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving carbon
neutrality.Achieving carbon neutrality for the games,
hence contributed greatly to the cause of climate change
mitigation.
Some of the initiatives taken to stage eco-friendly
games were:
Ecological Code launch - Ecological Code (Eco-
Code) was launched to in order to ensure that the
games would be green in all possible ways. It provides
guidelines on conserving biodiversity, energy efficiency,
effective waste management, reduced air and noise
pollution and sustainable transportation. The main heads
under which environmental activities are categorized
include - Land, Energy, Waste, Water and Carbon.
Land - Three city forests were developed for the 2010
Games which included planting more than 50,000 trees.
Around 5 million potted plants were also placed in Delhi
prior to the Games. This plantation was a huge success
and played a central role in carbon offsetting.
Energy - ThyagarajStadium is India’s first green
expressions november 2010
stadium. Apart from having a gas-based captive power
generation of 2.5 MW and a 1.0 MW solar rooftop
module, it made extensive use of solar-energy powered
lighting and water-heating apart from usingCFLs, LEDs
and other energy-efficient fixtures.
Water–Water-efficient fixtures were used to reduce
water wastage. These included the installation of dual
flushing systems; sensor-based faucets; overflow con-
trollers for key points of storage; onsite waste-water
treatment and reuse; and rainwater harvesting systems
at some of the competitionvenues.
Waste–The construction debris across all CWG venues
was reused. Fly ash bricks were used at CWG venues.
Extensivewaste management and recycling systems
were established at NDCC building.
Air and Carbon–The use of hybrid vehicles and
sustainable fuel such as CNG was promoted. State-of-
the-art Air Quality Monitoring and Forecasting Systems
were also established at strategic Games-related loca-
tions.
Awareness Campaigns such asGreen Concerts were
held to promote low-carbon emission practices.The
World Environment Day Celebrations andWorld Earth
Day Celebrations along withradio and newspaper mes-
sages helped promote environmental awareness on a
larger scale.
As a citizen, I believe no cause can be complete without
the participation of everyone. The environment belongs
to us all; hence,all of us need to do our best to preserve
it. Even the smallest of deeds like disposing ofour waste
properly, avoiding the use of plastics, switching of our
fans and ACs when not in use, can bring about a big
change. Let us pledge to do our bit before we point
fingers at others.
Aditi
has a
Master's degree Sharma
in Environmental
Management from
FRI University, Dehradun. She is presently
working with IL&FS Ecosmart, which
promotes environmental initiatives in the
framework of Public-Private Partnerships
30
IN THE
NEWS
October 7th, 2010
The neon sparks from a fancy firecracker will not be seen this Diwali. Nor will your pets run in fear
when the neighbour’s 10,000-wallah goes off. And you can be rest assured that violators of this police
imposed ban will have a hefty fine to pay. But before you frown in despair, the ban only stipulates noise
levels, the supply of illegal fireworks and the permissible stocks in the retail spaces. But the limited
scope of this ban begs an answer. With firecracker haven Sivakasi being in Tamil Nadu and known to
be the toxic hub, why aren’t the cops cracking down on these centres? And is there any intervention to
check child labour?
But some young people are disappointed at this ban. “Diwali without crackers is not happening. We have
been brought up with a mindset that this festival is all about lights, sweets and crackers. Everything is
turning eco-friendly nowadays so why not crackers,” asks RachnaBhathija, marketing manager.
Social activists feel this is the first big step towards promoting an environment-friendly way of celebrat-
ing Diwali. “All the chemicals we use to make the crackers have to go into the air, water and the ground
which are vital lifelines for us. Most people do not seem to realise that we burst crackers for ‘enjoyment’
and ingest all the chemicals back in some way or other. Restrictions of this nature will definitely be the
first big step towards sanctifying earth. And we hope the community itself will gradually see why such
constraints are needed for their own long-term health,” says ShobhaMenon, social activist who works
with Nizhal, an NGO that promotes eco environs.
Speaking of the ban, ShakeelAkhtar, additional commissioner (law and order) says, “We held discus-
sions with the fire department, explosives department and the corporation and have fixed some guide-
lines.”
Explaining the ill-effects of noise pollution, Dr. V. Srivats, E.N.T. specialist says, “As per the Environment
Protection Act, no fire cracker which produces more than 125 decibels of sound should be manufactured
or used.”
According to NandithaGopalakrishnan, architect, “Apart from being harmful to the environment, making
firecrackers involves child labour which I don’t think should be encouraged.”
Nityanand J., an environmentalist says, “Nowadays it’s good to see children being conscious about the
environment. In fact, a lot of them, in the recent past have completely stopped indulging in buying or
bursting crackers. Though I can’t say people must completely stop bursting crackers, it’s good to keep a
tab on the pollution level and contribute in this small way towards the environment concerns.”
Source :http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloids/taking-cracker-out-fire-332
Sachin, Nana Patekar back noise free Diwali campaign
Press Trust Of India
Mumbai, September 18, 2010
As part of his effort, Ramesh spoke of wooing the state government with “green bonus” and rewards,
based on their performance in this regard. A sum of 5,000 crores has been set aside for the next five
31 november 2010 expressions
 IN THE
NEWS
Maharashtra AndhashraddhaNirmulanSamiti has roped in master blaster Sachin Tendulkar and vet-
eran actor Nana Patekar for a campaign advocating noise-free Diwali celebrations. Both the celebrities
would appeal to school children through a letter signed by them to burn less fire crackers this Diwali.
The letter’s other signatories are scientist JayantNarlikar and Planning Commission member Narendra-
Jadhav.
“Crackers worth Rs 500 crore go up in smoke every year during Diwali which also create huge air pol-
lution. Our aim is to save Rs 20 crore, the amount which coincides with years completed by the Sami-
ti,” SushilaMunde, state convener said.
The appeal from famous personalities can influence children, Munde said.
A resolution form would be distributed among children and parents along with the letter also requesting
to buy less crackers this year, Munde said.
The State Government’s environment cell ‘HaritSena’ is also helping them to mobilise the campaign
against noise pollution, she added
Source :http://www.hindustantimes.com/Sachin-Nana-Patekar-back-noise-free-Diwali-
campaign/Article1-601773.aspx
The sound of silence
Is noise leaving your irritated? It’s time you reconnected with a world where silence soothed the nerves
and helped you introspect.
When was the last time you heard silence? An oasis of time with no conversations, incessant music,
persistent beeps/ring tones, blaring loudspeakers, traffic noise, and the low-pitched but chronic whirring
of gadgets… Did you know that this constant cacophony might be the reason why many of us feel edgy,
irritated and strained?
Remember the jarring sensation you felt in your teeth when someone nearby rubbed metal sheets against
each other? Or, the sense of relief that enveloped you when you turned off that rumbling grinder or got
out of that noisy office. It is as if you had been subject to stress all the time, though you’d just been doing
routine work.
“Human beings are sensitive to noise. Natural sounds are okay, but the constant noise of gadgets can be
stressful,” says E. S. Krishnamoorthy, director, Institute of Neurological Sciences, VHS Hospital, Chennai.
In fact, natural sounds such as the rustle of leaves and the chatter of birds actually refresh your mind.
The noise response
In a study by Cornell University, employees in an office space buzzing with noise from chatter, fax ma-
chines, telephones, shredding machines, etc., were found to have higher levels of the stress hormone
adrenalin in their urine, compared to those in quiet office spaces.
And, when a puzzle was given to both groups, the first group turned out to be less diligent, was easily
frustrated and gave up more easily than the group from the quiet office.
Additionally, workers from the quiet office slept better at night, had better digestion, were much less ir-
expressions november 2010 32
IN THE
ritable at home and felt better at the end of their work day than employees from the noisy office!
NEWS
That’s because humans instinctively responds to noise. This reaction helped early humans get all pumped
up and be ready for action — such as say, fighting a predator. Now, this stress response is set off partially in
urban residents all the time, thanks to the noisy world we live in.
Prone to disorders
“Chronic noise can dampen our mood, make us irritable, lower our concentration, memory, work quality and
ability to cooperate, can trigger aggression, anxiety and nervousness, and also strain interpersonal relation-
ships. Additionally, it makes us more prone to psychosomatic disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome and
palpitation,” says Lakshmi Vijaykumar, psychiatrist, and founder of SNEHA.
Western research shows that children living near airports or busy highways tend to have lower reading scores,
and that productivity is lower and psychiatric hospitalisations are higher in noisy areas.
“On the physical side, noise pollution causes not just hearing problems, but a host of other issues such as
high blood pressure, increased heart rate, fatigue, risk of cardiovascular deaths, strokes, weakened immune
responses, peptic ulcers, disrupted sleep cycles, and headaches,” points out Mohan Kameswaran, consultant
ENT, head and neck surgeon and MD, Madras ENT Research Foundation.
Least recognised is the fact that constant noise has a debilitating impact on the mind. It obstructs the mind’s
gaze inward, for introspection, for the manifestation of creativity, for peace of mind.
Silence is golden
Many of us have also become uncomfortable with silence. We mis-perceive silence and solitude as loneliness.
But, as philosophers say, silence is to the mind what sleep is to the body: a rejuvenating experience.
“While silence over prolonged periods can be depressing, we need periodic exposure to silence. Mindfulness
is not possible without silence, insists Dr.Krishnamoorthy.
Hopefully, we’ll learn soon enough before we record silence and hear it on our iPods!
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/society/article812800.ece
‘Air pollution raises risk of heart attack’
LONDON: People living in areas of heavy air pollution may be at greater risk of heart attacks, European
scientists have said in the leading medical journal devoted to advancing science related to thrombosis,
bleeding disorders and vascular biology.
Jos Vermylen, Professor of Medicine at Belgium’s University of Leuven and a retired expert on clot
development, said in a paper published in the Journal of Thrombosis and Haemostasis that both short
and long-term exposure to airborne particulate matter is associated with death from cardiovascular and
respiratory illnesses.
The airborne particulate matter identified by Professor Vermylen is the result of burning fossil fuels such
as coal. Fossil fuels provide roughly 60% of the world’s electrical power and 95% of the world’s total
33 november 2010 expressions
 IN THE IN THE
NEWS Doon International Students go GREEN NEWS
Dehradun: 23- October-2010
energy demands. But their combustion is the major source of carbon dioxide emission, leading to the so-
called greenhouse effect.
Team iCARE, as part of its ‘Plant for the Future campaign’, conducted
a Green Seminar with students of DOON INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
The new paper, which uses previous research on patients with damaged arteries, says the ambient air
in the school premises today.
pollution resulting from fuel combustion and even, forest fires, leaves people at risk of acute myocardial
infarction, commonly called a heart attack.
The “Plant for the Future” campaign is an ambitious project
undertaken by iCARE, along with members from Aagaas Federation,
Under the agreement, Air India can perform EcoPower engine washes on various engines in its fleet of
in order to spread awareness about the need to preserve the environ-
aircraft. It will offer the services to other carriers in the region. The service center will have the ability to
ment as well as, of course, plant more trees in the valley. Its aim is to
perform washes on nearly all commercial engines currently in service.
create a close-knit community of enthusiastic citizens concerned about
Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Air-pollution-raises-risk-of-heart-attack/arti-
the plight of our planet and keen to make it a better place to inhabit. So
cleshow/1244857.cms
far, schools such as Carman School, Touchwood School, Sai Grace Academy, KV BHEL, Apollo Inter-
national, Beverly Hills, Sunrise Academy and Dehradun Hills Academy have taken part in this initiative.

SRISHTI LAL contest

The ultimate objective is to enlist as many schools as possible in the campaign in order realize our target
of making the valley greener.

from NEW DELHI

question The students and staff of the school, along with members of iCARE and Aagaas Federation, planted
trees such as Chandni, Gulmohur, Kachnar and Kapoor. Many saplings were also donated by the Aaa-
gas Federation to the staff and workers of the school as part of its ambitious goal to reduce air pollution

We would like to congratulate you. Your gift voucher will

winner in the valley.

Yudhishter Puran Singh, the founder of iCARE was very pleased with the enthusiastic participation of
be sent across to you as soon as possible.
the students of Doon International School. In his words, “I want to reach out to the heads of educational
institutions and make them realize the important role they have to play in motivating their students to
For any confusion feel free to call us at +919760614317
work towards creating a beautiful and sustainable tomorrow. After all, it is their future which is at stake.
Keep the entries coming in. Lots of prizes to be won.
Let us be honest with them and give them a fair chance to save what’s left.”

contest What do you think is the most compel- The Executive Director of Doon International School, Mr Harinder Mann, was appreciative of the
campaign’s vigorous efforts to save the environment: “It is gladdening to see our youth make these ef-
ling environmental issue that challenges forts to save our planet! May you succeed in making this world a greener place to live in!
question sustainable living today? these were necessary to tone up and galvanise the Indian Forest Service.

Answer in about 100-150 words and you stand a chance to win a special prize.

Have a passion for writing, drawing, sketching, photographs.........?? This is your

chance to be featured in “EXPRESSIONS” December issue, and you stand a chance
to win a surPRIZE.

Theme - Climate Change

Send in your entries latest by 25th November, 2010
at beautifuldehradun@gmail.com

expressions november 2010 34 35 november 2010 expressions
 Since the inception of *our* magazine,
EXPRESSIONS, in June 2010, we have
come a long way. I say *our* maga-
zine because this effort is fuelled as
much by the efforts of those who work
on it, as by those, such as yourself,
who subscribe to it and wholehearted-
ly support it. To those who have been
with us since the beginning, thanks!
New members, welcome! Make your-
self comfortable here. We’ve em-
barked on a rather enthusing journey
of hope and change, and we shall not
rest till our dreams come true!

This magazine is our portal of hope.

You, dear readers, are our beacon of
change. Through this magazine, we
seek to reach change-oriented indi-
viduals who will understand the prob-
lems facing our environment today,
and subsequently step up to the task
of damage control. We publish the ex-
pert opinions of naturalists, conserva-
tionists and nature/wildlife enthusiasts.
Moreover, we also publish the opinions
of students concerned at the plight of
our environment. Essentially, we seek
to connect with anyone who CARES
about making the world a better, safer
and more beautiful place to live in.

Your thoughts, opinions and sugges-

tions (as well as articles for the next
issue) are welcome at
expressicare@gmail.com

expressions november 2010 36