TISSUE ISSUES

Today you can go to a gas station and find the cash register open and the toilets locked. They must think toilet paper is worth more than money. - Joey Bishop

One of my friends is an environmental engineer and through him I recently discovered that toilet papers/wipes do not disintegrate naturally when the toilet is flushed. These tissues are made out of heavy oil based chemicals to make the paper soft. This causes a huge problem at the sewage treatment plant. There are threads and articles on the internet on clogging of home owners septic tanks. Only then people have realised to use the right kind of toilet paper. The clogging issue also arises at the large sewage treatment plants that cater the city. 

In Australia the general practice is to flush the toilet paper. In a study in Adelaide, toilet paper broke down easily but wipes which are generally used by middle aged men and woven did not disintegrate after flushing down the toilet. South Australia water authority is in serious discussion with manufacturers of these wipes who claim the wipes are flushable. This study made me think about other countries and their problems with toilet paper disposal after usage. 

http://www.wheredoiputthepaper.com

Above is an interesting link which specifies what to do with the toilet paper in every country in the world. Some countries flush it and some countries bin it. According to the website mentioned above, most of the advanced countries have no issues with flushing the toilet paper while some countries do not have a strong system to take the toilet paper. Interestingly, some countries even use water instead of toilet paper. Bidets are very popular in some advanced and developing countries. 

A big concern is that it is widely known that deforestation for toilet papers and wipes is on the rise. Then why are we using them? If toilet papers/wipes are to be used, they should be from recycled paper which should disintegrate easily. But if a renewable source like water is available then why don't we use water after using the toilet? BIDETS! This may not be a pressing issue for developed countries but a change is required. A cultural change needs to be inculcated to bring along a change in our daily routine to make a greater difference. 

AGRIHOOD

Agriculture is not crop production as popular belief holds - it's the production of food and fiber from the world's land and waters. Without agriculture it is not possible to have a city, stock market, banks, university, church or army. Agriculture is the foundation of civilization and any stable economy. - Allan Savory (Zimbabwean ecologist) 

What is 'AGRIHOOD'?  

The word is derived by combining two words;agriculture and neighbourhood. Essentially it is a phenomenon where a community is situated around or amongst farmland. Much like communities situated around golf courses. The people from this community are member of the farm and they come together to plant crops in their own neighbourhood. It is a nice way to bond with people and work towards something rewarding at the end of the day. All age groups could participate. Specially the kids can get involved; play with the soil and distant themselves from the ExBoxes and PlayStations. Children of this generation should take part in such activities; they will learn to appreciate the earth. Agrihood is a lesson to learn about the land, to be patient and responsible towards growth. It will instil long term values of agriculture in our future generations. 

The NEW HOME COMPANY is a developer based in the US. They researched their potential home buyers in the area of DAVIS in California. They built their development on the lines of AGRIHOOD. The video above is a snap shot of their development. 

One of the biggest developments by the developer called INDIABULLS is a project outside Mumbai called the Golf City. The development is more than 100 acres big and is surrounded by golf courses as suggested by the name of the project. The project is expected to expand up to 300 acres of land. It is treated as a holiday home/weekend getaway home. Some years down the line it may turn into a permanent home for many. I have worked on this project for close to 3 years. In retrospect I wonder if there is land available in abundance, why couldn't we propose agrihood? If big communities are going to spring up in isolated areas, it will be imperative to have food in their own neighbourhood instead of going to a far away market to buy their produce. But as always any idea proposed needs to have a beneficial dollar value for the developer. INDIABULLS, are you listening? The ball lies in your court. 

CULLING OF ROOS

The assumption that animals are without rights and the illusion that our treatment to them as no moral significance is a positively outrageous example of western crudity and barbarity. - Arthur Schopenhauer

1900 Kangaroos To Be Killed In Australia For 'Devastating Impact On Environment'

This was recently reported as one of the headlines on an Indian news website. How could an exact figure of culling 1900 kangaroos impact the environment? The moment I read the headlines I knew I had to research on the topic. Apparently the culling process started few years back and for this winter the figure is 1900. The only mention on the internet about the harm on the environment is that the population of kangaroos is affecting the biodiversity in Australian Capital Territory. The kangaroos are affecting the vegetation of the region is another reason given in another article on the internet. 

"It can lead to de-vegetation and the complete degradation of certain areas if we let it go too long. This is not about eradication, this is about sustainable numbers of eastern grey kangaroos," said one of the officials.

I am sceptical on why a generic reasoning is given behind the killing but am hoping that there is solid impact on the environment for government to take such steps. I agree with taking steps to protect the environment but not at the cost of killing animals. Because killing the animals and then using them for commercial purposes is going to indirectly affect the environment. Translocating the kangaroos to another reserve could be an option. The money spent on culling the animals could be used to get the feed from other parts of the country to graze them temporarily. In the mean while science can come up with sterilisation process for these kangaroos. Hopefully sustainable numbers of grey kangaroos can be achieved through this process, Mr OneoftheOfficers.

ANZAC PARADE SKINNED

Only when the last tree has been cut down; only after the last river has been poisoned; only after the last fish has been caught we will realise we cannot eat money.

- Cree Indian Prophecy

Human chain in front of fig trees to protect its felling. image by Randall Wood

I was absolutely gutted to know that the local government is going to cut down the old fig trees on Anzac Parade to make way for light rail. I started reading articles on the internet on how people are protesting this gruesome act of the government. Rightly so, these trees have been in some way a commemoration to the ANZACs. More importantly,  they are the lungs of eastern suburbs. Imagine this....

Young trees absorb CO2 at a rate of 13 pounds per tree each year. Trees reach their most productive stage of carbon storage at about 10 years at which point they are estimated to absorb 48 pounds of CO2 per year. At that rate, they release enough oxygen back into the atmosphere to support two human beings. 

What could a tree worth 100 years old do? Most of the the fig trees are 100 years plus. They absorb all the CO2 produced by combustion engines of the cars. Personally, I feel they form one of the best boulevards which knowingly or unknowingly form a boundary between vehicular movement and all the sporting activities that happen beyond the trees. 

The government is aiming to offset the cut down of trees. Offsetting trees that old is going to be a herculean task. But I want to look at this issue from a different perspective. There are two  points to ponder upon. The introduction of light rail...

A. may reduce in usage of private cars and the decline of public transport buses by moving large number of people.

B. might run on renewable source of energy. 

Both are indicators of environment friendly process. Being a realist, I don think the number of cars on the road is ever going to decline. Undoubtedly, all the effort put in by the government in rolling out light rail and planting new trees in place of old ones cannot do much to offset the existing scenario. I want to propose a preposterous idea which may be beneficial.   An elevated light rail in the middle of the road. This means no cutting down of trees. Planting of more trees along Anzac. The roads will be all clear for private vehicular access. It may cost more money but may be a rewarding concept at the end of the day. 

STARTING FIRES TO STOP FIRES

Yesterday  a blanket of smoke covered the entire city. Fire alarms were going off everywhere.  I was in the city to meet friends and it was difficult to breathe. We wondered how could the fire alarms go off every where.   We realised only later that the authorities were back burning. For me back burning was an alien term and a friend explained that you start a fire to stop a fire. This did not make sense to me. How could someone possible light a fire to hold the fire from spreading. This was as good as fanning the fire.  I realised only after reading about it on the internet, how back burning is part of forest management technique which is traditionally followed in many countries. 

Bush fires are one of the major contributors of green house gases through natural hazards in Australia. Back burning helps green house gases abatement since it is preventing major bush fires in dry season. Back burning is usually conducted during cool season. Professors Matthias Boer and Ross Bradstock from different Australian universities suggest that beside hazard reduction, prescribed burning is carried out to protect the biodiversity, forest regeneration and water resource management. 

Burning biomass in bushes releases many harmful gases like carbon dioxide, nitride and other GHG to atmosphere. Emissions from vegetation fires account for about 3% of global GHG emissions. Fires in Australia account for 6-8% of global fire emissions and contribute significantly to the nation's net GHG emissions. Hence back burning is very crucial.  

We humans have no control over how weather changes. So when weather conditions were severe in Victoria, in 2009, the treated and untreated fires were negligible  or irrelevant because the bush fires created a denting havoc that summer. I was in Melbourne at the time and it felt like being in an open furnace. Point being, back burning can be a solution to a certain extent. We cannot rely on prescribed burning all the time. A new system or a methodology needs to be devise to tackle bush fire in dry seasons. Back burning may be a temporary solution but not a sustainable one. 

Reference:

http://theconversation.com/burn-bush-reduce-emissions-evaluating-costs-and-benefits-of-prescribed-burning-1098

LIGHTING THE FUTURE

In urban scenario we have always taken electricity for granted.With a push of a button we use it at our will. We are all connected to the grid and power flows into our homes. Unfortunately there are billions around the world in rural area who are less unfortunate. Staggering number of close to 2 billion people are devoid of basic electricity in their homes. One of the major reasons is poverty. These destitute people in developing countries are living hand to mouth and certainly cannot afford electricity in their homes. 

The rural population uses kerosene lamps by night to light their homes. Sadly these kerosene lamps have ill effects on human health. Exposure to kerosene fumes cause respiratory disorder. The most common health effect associated with chronic kerosene exposure is dermatitis. The exposure to kerosene fumes have also caused human casualties. 

A study in 2013 explained that the governments around the world are focused on carbon emissions. They have not realised that almost one-third of world is dependent on kerosene lamps that emit black fumes which are highly toxic in nature and have a major impact on climate change. The incomplete combustion of the liquid lamp fuel often yields black carbon that absorbs light, there by heating the atmosphere. 

Following is an inspiring speech by UK based product designer tackling the issues mentioned above. 

GRAVITY LIGHT - lighting a billion lives

In today's world entrepreneurs always strive to produce commodities or items for the rich. Thankfully people like Jim Reeves and his team have managed to come up with a product designed for the poor. The product meets the triple bottom line of social, environmental and financial comfort. This product needs to be mass produced not only for rural areas in developing world but also for urban scenario.