Accept binding emission cuts and save the world-Cancun Climate Summit

India is still considered as a developing country. In Cancun climate Change Summit, India indicated that it is not averse in accepting legally binding emission cuts in anytime in the future. As per the Kyoto Protocol, only the developed countries are required to take emission cuts. However, the US was averse to accept the mandate and in fact, persuading developing countries like India and China to take on the commitments for emission reduction.

It is obvious that the large emerging economies like China and India are going to add considerable amount of Green House Gases (GHG) into the environment in the process of further industrialization and poverty alleviation measures. Due to the large population the emission per-capita GDP may be much smaller as compared to the developed countries, but the total emissions are going to be considerable.

Considering the climate change concerns of many small island nations, it is appropriate that all nations, including US, India and China should be more flexible and workout a realistic and legally binding emission cuts so that the potential environmental impacts of the climate change, such as floods, sea level rise, bio-diversity losses, reduced food production, etc are considerably reduced. Fossil fuel-based power plants should be replaced by environmental-friendly clean energy sources such as solar, wind and nuclear. Save the world from watery grave for some more years.

Laptops – no good for male reproductive health

There is a report which says : keeping lap tops on lap during it’s use is dangerous for the reproductive health of men, even with a lap pad under the computer. The rise in temperature around the scrotum rises above the level considered safe for the sperm production. According to the American Urological Association report, nearly one in six couples in the US have trouble in conceiving!

This is an important piece of information which needs to be given good coverage and the manufacturers of laptops should be educated in this aspect. Governments should take notice of this massive potential public health hazard. Laptop should be used on desktop?

International Youth Day

This year´s International Youth Day, 12 August 2010, marked the beginning of the International Year of Youth, which runs from 12 August 2010 to 11 August 2011. The Year aims to promote the ideals of peace, respect for human rights and solidarity across generations, cultures, religions and civilizations.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) opened its doors for providing information and answering questions from youth, and information booth is set up for the purpose in the Vienna International Centre (VIC), at the UN headquarters, Vienna. The IAEA has been playing an important role in providing information on the numerous peaceful uses of nuclear applications, on nuclear security and safeguards.

Food Allergy Warnings

ISO 22000 is the Standard developed by International Organization for Standardization dealing with food safety and hotels with this certification is supposed to have an allergen policy. These hotels are required to put-up a list of allergens on the Food Counters and on the Menu. Many people around the globe are allergic to many food items, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, and on consumption of these items the persons are likely to develop serious health problems which lead to fatality.

It is essential that the people are aware of the ingredients in the food they are consuming. Allergy warnings need to be displayed on the food packages.

In India, majority of people are not yet sensitized about the food allergy or food intolerance aspects. Due to lack of understanding, they consume the food items containing the allergens in eateries and fall sick. Even the general physicians may not have sufficient knowledge to treat such patients. It is time that we should wake up to this reality, create database on food allergens and sensitize common man and the doctors about the allergens and management of the affected patients.

Euthanasia to be legalized?

It is like doctor-assisted suicide by brain-dead and terminally ill patients. As on today, it is not permitted by law in many countries, since suicide is an illegal act.

In Europe, things are changing with regard to the issue of terminally ill patients asking for dignified death. Some of the countries like Belgium, Switzerland and now Germany have approved euthanasia with the consent of the patient. Now, in those countries, it is not a crime to cut off life-sustaining treatment for such a patient. It is now easier for people to allow their loved-ones to die instead of allowing them to suffer silently. This of course, also saves a lot of money in terms of hospital and medical bills and most importantly would end the metal agony of the relatives and friends of seeing their loved-ones suffer the pain.

But, what about the possible misuse of the law in connivance with the doctors? Who all can decide to go for euthanasia? Does patient himself should make a will, or should give the necessary consent in writing? These are the issues which should be addressed through legislation. Such patients can also be persuaded to donate their organs for the needy. It sounds a little cruel though.

Medical care and radiation dose

As per the reports published in the literature, the medical component of the per capita annual dose received by Indian population (1.93% of the annual dose) is much lower than the same received by the population from developed countries (11 to 14%). May be, the medical care aspect in India is not up to the level desired, but, the definitely the over-treatment or un-necessary use of diagnostic tools, like X-rays, CT scans and MRIs is not desirable.

The radiation exposures from man-made sources contribute only 0.4% (India) and 0.6% (world) to the average annual public dose.

The data brings to the focus that after natural radiation component (89% - world and 98% - India), medical care contributes maximum to the exposure of the public to radiation. Thus, over-treatment as practiced by the western world is not desirable. The physician should take a wise decision with respect to: the desirability of sending a patient for a scan or can the scan be avoided or can an alternate technique without radiation exposure can be recommended for diagnosis.

The use of radiation for the treatment of cancers is well known. However, indiscriminate use radiation can also induce cancer in healthy cells. Optimization of radiation dose should be the “mantra” in controlling medical exposures of patients.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions up – India

It is reported that India government has revised the country’s GHG emissions estimates and assured itself that the per capita emissions is in the range of 1.5 tonnes of CO2 equivalent, which is way below the emissions of developed countries like US. Based on the data of 2007, the Indian emissions continued to rise due to rapid industrialization and stood at 1.73 billion tonnes of CO2 of carbon dioxide. This is around 1/5th of the emissions from US. About 38% of the total emissions are from electricity generation, followed by fossil fuel consumption in transport sector.

The continuing industrialization and rapid rise in the usage of fossil fuel in transport sector, it will be difficult for the country to maintain the present emissions rate. It will keep rising. The per capita emissions in India will always remain lower due to the billion plus Indian population.

May be, Indian government should consider, taking into account the projected future developmental activities, accepting the emission cuts suggested by Climate Summit at Copenhagen. Wherever possible, only clear technology should be adopted.

Ban on kid reality shows

The national highest court, Supreme Court of India, is urged by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to order a ban on reality shows on television involving children and babies. This is urgently required in view of the stress and emotional disturbance caused by the competition in the shows. Children are not really matured to go through that type of emotional and cut-throat competition witnessed on television.

The amount of time spent away from the parents, the exploitation by the media, the pressure on the children to do their best and the glamorous environment to which the children are subjected over long periods of time are going to have severe adverse impact on the children. The sudden change in the life style is going to affect the young minds and will leave them confused socially.

The government should formulate appropriate act similar to Goa Children’s Act 2003 so that such exploitation by the media and often by the greedy parents themselves should be stopped. One should not tamper with their innocence.

CAT – Reduce the weightage from this academic year itself

CAT is slowing losing its past glory by sheer mismanagement of the online Common Admission Test (CAT) this year. Added to this, is the news that many IIMs considering lowering the weightage given to the CAT results from 90 points to 50 points or less. This is a good move. Rightly, the IIMs are considering more weightage to class X and XII marks, work experience, the performance of the candidate in personal interview and group discussion.

Now, with regard to the retest conducted for about 2000 students: First of all, the retest should have been taken for all the candidates. Many candidates who had problems during the first test were not called for the retest. The criteria were not clear. Many who were called were not interested in giving the retest, and now it is said that the test papers were identical on some days in the subsequent two slots!

This is totally unfair situation to the candidates who appeared in the first test. The candidates who gave retests are definitely going to be benefited by this decision.

It is only fair to one and all that from this academic year itself, the weightage for the CAT marks should be brought down to 50% or less.

Global Warming: Finally, the Cat is out of the Bag.

I have been writing all along (since Dec. 2007) that there is some thing seriously wrong in IPCC predictions on global warming. The much respected UN-led Intergovernmental Panel (IPCC) has been making tall and frightening claims linking the climate changes we are witnessing today to Global Warming. The IPCC wrongly linked the warming to hurricanes and floods.

Now, it is out that the IPCC predictions were based on unpublished research papers and there is goof-up in the Himalayan glacial melting predictions. In fact, a study shows that the glacier has gained 1.76 sq.km in the past four decades. Just now, world over, we are facing the most severe winter.

It is time that the climate change scientists should be issued global warning so that such false alarms are not raised just to be in the limelight.