GREENHOUSE GASES AND GLOBAL WARMING

Greenhouse gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide are produced during burning of fossil fuel such as coal. The major contributing industry is thermal power plants, where train loads of coal is burnt on daily basis. Compared to this, contribution to the greenhouse gases from cremation (as reported by an Australian scientist) is insignificant. The developing countries like China and India seem to be contributing significantly to the world total. As we all know, the result of greenhouse gases is the depletion of ozone layer and the climate change (global warming) is the end result and end of the world.

The so called developed western countries have adequate power to provide enough electricity to their citizens. They have caused enough and continue to cause pollution and release of greenhouse gases. India and China are fast developing economies and need electricity to cater to the developments, industrial and life-style, taking place in a very fast pace. The countries need power of all types and are in no position to go slow on their developmental plans.

The only ways to ensure sufficient power without adding to the inventory of the greenhouse gases are:

1. Use of more and more of non-polluting electricity generating systems such as solar, wind and nuclear. Go for nuclear in a very big way.
2. The cost of pollution control measures of the existing power plants in the developing countries which are polluting should be borne by the developed countries in some way.
3. The developed counties should also reduce the pollution at their power plants, so as to compensate for the pollution caused by the developmental efforts of the developing countries.
4. All the existing and forthcoming thermal power plants should have exhaust air cleaning systems such as columns of calcium hydroxide which takes away the carbon dioxide from the exhaust converting hydroxide into carbonate.
5. Produce ozone at the higher altitudes to cover the ozone depletion taken place in the environment.
6. Finally pray God to save our environment.

Greenhouse gases and Global warming

Greenhouse gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide are produced during burning of fossil fuel such as coal. The major contributing industry is thermal power plants, where train loads of coal is burnt on daily basis. The developing countries like China and India seem to be contributing significantly to the world total. As we all know, the result of greenhouse gases is the depletion of ozone layer and the climate change (global warming) is the end result.

The so called developed western countries have adequate power to provide enough electricity to their citizens. They have caused enough pollution during sixties and seventies. India and China are fast developing economies and need electricity to cater to the developments taking place in a very fast pace. The countries need power of all types and are in no position to go slow on their development plans.

The only ways to ensure sufficient power without adding to the inventory of the greenhouse gases are:

1. Use of more and more of non-polluting electricity generating systems such as solar, wind and nuclear. Go for nuclear in a big way.
2. The cost of pollution control measures of the existing power plants in the developing countries which are polluting should be borne by the developed countries in some way.
3. The developed counties should also reduce the pollution at their power plants, so as to compensate for the pollution caused by the developmental efforts of the developing countries.
4. All the existing and forthcoming thermal power plants should have exhaust air cleaning systems such as columns of calcium hydroxide which takes away the carbon dioxide from the exhaust converting hydroxide into carbonate.
5. Produce ozone at the higher altitudes to cover the ozone depletion taken place in the environment.
6. Finally pray God to save our environment.

Dr. Pushparaja, Navi Mumbai

ALCOHOL MORE DANGEROUS THAN DRUGS?

Today, alcohol and tobacco are sort of socially accepted material, which are consumed by millions. The materials were very extensively studied and the health effects are quantified. The materials are known carcinogenic- can induce cancer. Addiction caused by the materials is also well known.

Any scientifically acceptable comparison of the chemicals/drugs require quantification of the all the relevant factors. Chemical composition of the material need to be known since the material may be mixture of many harmful chemicals which needs identification and quantification of the individual health risk. The chemicals / drugs consumed in combination may produce synergistic effects (the combined health effect is more than the added individual effects). The effect on the society is very difficult to quantify since the relevant parameters are dependent on the attitude / mindset of the study population and can not be generalized worldwide. Uncertainty is too much for any direct comparison.

Finally, one comes to the scientifically acceptable method of comparison, i.e., fatalities produced which are attributable to the consumption of the drugs over a period of time in a population group. Other health effects can also be quantified by the available evaluation methods. Thus total health effects, including genetic effects can be quantified and used for comparison.

Media should never use such titles to promote ideas such as one poison is better than other poison and hence more dangerous or safer!

SEX EDUCATION IN SCHOOLS

HRD Ministry of Government of India is enforcing Sex Education in schools (2006-07) to children studying in Std V to X! It is totally uncalled for. Rightly, the Madhya Pradesh government has stopped sex education after it found that the illustrations manual for the teachers were obscene and objectionable. Why force so much knowledge about sex into the young mind of say 10 year olds? It is time that teachers and parents resort to Gandhigiri to resists this unnecessary “education”. Senior citizens need to take up this issue strongly with the concerned. We all learnt by ourselves.

We all know that children are already exposed to lot of sex related information through various media. Instead of teaching sex education, the government should seriously see why so many young students are not doing well in maths (as reported in the media) and what can be done to increase children’s interest in maths rather than in topics like Birth Control Methods to 10 year old children. Children in Std V are too small to learn the syllabus specified for sex education.

HARD QUESTIONS! WHO WILL RESPOND?

Stray dogs

This is one of the major eyesores of cities like Mumbai. In-spite of the court’s directives, the municipalities are not able to solve the problem to any extent.

Let us see the problem realistically. The main problem is the very poor ratio to female to male and added to this “seasonal sexual activity” among dogs has slowly become now “all-the-time sex” like humans. These days they are sexually very active. The problem is further compounded by the so called animal-lovers who seem to be not minding young children being bitten by the stray dogs than putting the sick, stinking stray dogs into permanent sleep. Government or municipality is in a fix. What to do?

After careful considerations of various aspects, the following points come into focus:

1. It is government / municipality’s responsibility to take full care of the public health
2. Court’s direction in this matter should be respected.
3. Animals also have right to live, but not on the streets.
4. Animals such as dogs should be permitted to be kept at home only under proper license
and health care.
5. Stray dogs should not be allowed to move around on the streets.
6. Restaurants/hotels should be penalized if they feed the dogs to finish off the leftovers.
7. If a stray dog bites somebody, municipality should be made to pay very heavy
FINANCIAL PENALTY to the affected. Tax payers have a right to be compensated.
8. May be, a separate, cordoned area can be identified in some locations to keep the stray
dogs under medical surveillance. Human intrusion to such areas should be minimum. Only
animal lovers are permitted to go there to enjoy the company of stray dogs.

European countries seeking greenhouse gases reduction

Greenhouse gases, such as methane and carbon dioxide are produced during burning of fossil fuel such as coal. The major contributing industry is thermal power plants, where train loads of coal is burnt on daily basis. The developing countries like China and India seem to be contributing significantly to the world total. As we all know, the result of greenhouse gases is the depletion of ozone layer and the climate change is the end result.

European countries are seeking a reduction in the emission of these gases from China and India to the tune of 30% by 2020.

Let us first look at the history. The so called developed western countries have enough power to provide enough electricity to their citizens. They have caused enough pollution. India and China are fast developing economies need electricity to cater to the developments. The countries need power of all types and are in no position to go slow on their development plan just because the developed countries are putting restrictions.

The only ways to ensure sufficient power without adding to the inventory of the greenhouse gases are:

1. Use of more and more of non-polluting electricity generating systems such as solar, wind and nuclear. Go for nuclear in a big way.
2. The cost of pollution control measures of the existing power plants, which are polluting should be borne by the developed countries in some way.
3. The developed counties should also reduce the pollution at their power plants, so as to compensate for the pollution caused by the developmental efforts of the developing countries.

All should sacrifice to keep our environment clean and reduce generation of greenhouse gases. This was we can postpone the calamity which is bound to happen due to climate changes worldwide.

Nicotine in cigarettes

It is reported that nicotine in cigarettes smokers typically inhale rose by 11% since 1998 as per the analysis carried out by a Harvard study. Truth can be that the companies must be deliberately increasing the nicotine content to make it more addictive, which is a dangerous from the public health point of view. It is high time that the nicotine content in cigarettes should be regulated by fixing a limit on the total content by world health organization. Sooner it take place is better for the potential smokers.