Humanity's tragic lack of sense : through the climate change portal

We find ourselves in a tragic situation in 2014. The scientists are telling us that every second our planet is accruing excess heat equivalent to the heat generated by four Hiroshima atomic bombs. The physics is elementary and beyond dispute: The heat-trapping greenhouse blanket in our atmosphere is thickening primarily due to fossil fuels. The solution is, though hugely challenging, equally elementary: Stop thickening the blanket!

At the rate we are going, one thing is certain: A day will come when we will be stunned. Perhaps temperatures will cross a threshold beyond which our staple crops cannot grow. Perhaps the glaciers that provide water for hundreds of millions will shrink beneath a critical level. Perhaps storms of warming and rising oceans will make life in our many coastal megalopolises untenable. There are many candidates: We are moving ourselves out of our climate "Goldilocks Zone."

We will have crossed through the portal (in actuality, in the vast and complex climate system, there will be multiple lines to cross with multiple portals) and a single train of thought will crowd out all other motivations and desires: "Please make this stop, please make it better. Please make it go back to the way it was before."

But it's even worse than that. The damage is just too much.

It won't be easyfor us as a species. The hotter we get, the less likely it will be that we can prevent further warming. The Arctic is recognized as the canary in the coalmine and the canary is doing even worse than we had thought. The Arctic has already warmed 2 degrees centigrade (3.6F) since 1970, three times faster than the planet overall. Over 40 percent of its summer sea ice cover has melted away. As the heat reflecting "mirror" ice is replaced by dark heat-absorbing sea water, the region warms which, in turn, melts more ice which leads to more dark water and more heat... and so on.

Scientists already knew about this classic feedback effect. But until now, they hadn't realized how bad it truly was. A recent study finds that the ice-melt is absorbing two to three times more heat than estimated. It is, in fact, absorbing extra heat equivalent to fully one-quarter of the amount of heat being held in by atmospheric carbon dioxide. This is where we are headed: more heat creating more heat, to a point where further warming will simply take the situation out of our hands.

Theoretically, we can still pull back via a World War II level green energy mobilization together with rapid and permanent fossil fuel reduction. But we are not stopping. In fact, we are accelerating the process. We can't imagine it. It is our tragic flaw. We're still on the good side of the line. Yes, the symptoms are becoming more challenging, but things are still fundamentally manageable. They won't stay that way for too much longer.

There is no stable treatment for the planet short of enormously risky geo-engineering interventions. And, of course, if the damage is too much, we can't just "cut out" human civilization. Well, more accurately, human civilization and many millions or billions can be "cut out," but that would suck.

Go to any climate blog and you will see scientists and "lay" people who profess alarm being ridiculed as "Chicken Littles." But sometimes the sky is actually falling. It happens. It is happening now and in rapidly shrinking time frames. We show every sign that we will simply have to cross over multiple lines, through multiple portals. Then, assuming our survival instincts kick in, we will act -- at least more of us will. Will it be enough? Will it be too late? Time will tell.

Parents: Talk Climate Change With Your Kids

Start Them Early It’s their earth they will inherit, help them to appreciate and respect it. Everyone has to do their part to help reduce their carbon emissions — it is especially important to teach your kids. They hold the keys to saving the planet. We all have some type of mess in our lives. It doesn’t matter if it is economical or ecological, it is up to to do our part to help clean it up.

Lessons

• Take your kids on a train or a bus ride — even better if it’s a natural gas powered bus. Explain that- Trains and buses, mass transit, move groups of people, with far less fuel consumption and pollution than everyone taking their own car.
• Use a time to limit the length of showers. Let your kids know that showers account for two-thirds of your water heating costs? If you shorten your shower time, you can save money and 350 pounds of CO2 emissions per year.
• Plant at least one tree. Have a tree planting ceremony. Turn it into a celebration. Teach your kids that a single tree can absorb a ton of CO2 over its lifetime. Trees also absorb pollutants from the air.
• Change your menu. Eat less meat, especially beef. If you reduce the meat in your diet by half, an average family can avoid creating about three tons of emissions a year.
• Take your kids on scavenger hunts. Designate objects such as bottles and cans. Have them point them out to you around your neighborhood or in parking lots, then you can safely bag them. This saves the recyclables from ending up in landfills.
• Include a civics lesson. Teach your kids how democracy-in-action works. Together, with your kids, let policy makers know you are concerned about global warming. Wrap it up.
• Teach a lesson on insulation. By wrapping your water heater in an insulation blanket, you’ll save 1,000 pounds of CO2 per year. As with all the lessons you teach your children, remember to use the world as your classroom.

The Coming of the Nano Age

Nanotechnology is today defined as the understanding, imaging ,control and use of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100 nanometers which is smaller than the wavelength of visible light and a hundred thousandth the width of a human hair. Amazing properties of materials emerge at those dimensions  and the ability to use those materials in different fields in exciting new technology becomes limitless. Futurist and inventor Raymond kurzweil expects the Nano Age to begin as an exponential climb into a vastly different world.This will end the Information age which began in the 1990. According to him this is the potential answer to all our problems and it also hands us the power to destroy ourselves and our home with that much ease.  Nanotechnology will become the most powerful tool the human species has ever used. With it, we will literally fashion the world of tomorrow into whatever we so desire How….? that is a billion dollar question!!

Let us understand the various aspects and uses of the Nano world in fields of Medicine, Computers, materials, Virtual Reality, Military, Energy and Economics.

• Medicine-One area of nanotechnology application that holds the promise of providing great benefits for society in the future is in the realm of medicine. Nanotechnology is already being used as the basis for new, more effective drug delivery systems and is in early stage development as scaffolding in nerve regeneration research. Medicine is manufactured using this technology for cancer treatment, bone replacement and even appetite control.
• Computers-Today’s microprocessors will be succeeded by Nano computers. A supercomputer which today takes up a large building and uses 10 MW of power will use 2 MW power and become maximally efficient using Nano technology.Moore’s law that states an exponential growth in technology in the coming years will be possible and proven only because of Nano tech. 
• Materials- Nano materials is just another step forward in the miniaturization of materials. At the nano scale  opaque substances like copper become transparent, platinum which is inert becomes catalytic, Gold which is solid at room temperature becomes liquid and silicon which is an insulator starts conducting. 
• Virtual Reality- VR is the ultimate tool to express the imagination.This technology begins to blur the lines between real and virtual. Applications  of  VR are endless in the field of entertainment, medical and engineering visualization.
• Military- Faster, smaller and lighter nano computers will enable a wide variety of novel applications in military technology. sophisticated electronics will be built into every area of military technology be it rifles, ammunition, glasses and even clothing. A bullet can be fitted with molecular electronic circuitry to help it to guide itself intelligently towards its target.
• Energy- Power available from sustainable generation will be vastly increased using Nanotech. Wind and Solar power use a lot of silicon panels which are crude, bulky, heavy and expensive to build. Nanotech will make them inexpensive and super efficient. More durable and less expensive solar cells will be seen in the future when Nanotech is used in the development of battery technology.
• Economics- Industry and economy is largely shaped by technology and with Nanotech a paradigm shift will be seen in the future economy which will get reshaped daily  due to new innovations. 

The final frontier will not be the realm of space but the minuscule world of the atom. As we approach the physical limits of what can be done a magical world awaits us. .For the first time in our history we will have the power to literally design a future of our choice. May we choose wisely.

Even as thousands across the western islands of Philippines watch in despair the grim trail of destruction left by the Typhoon Haiyan and the fear and desperation of many is palpable as the Typhoon now makes a landfall in Vietnam today. 

The islands of Philippines are particularly susceptible to typhoons and Tsunami's and get their fair share of disasters . This time more than 10,000 are feared dead in Philippines and simultaneously 600,000 evacuated in Vietnam. The super typhoon Haiyan is one of the strongest storms ever recorded and it has reportedly destroyed around three-quarters of the area of Leyte province. The extent of the damage will most probably take many days to assess, and the count could rise significantly in the coming days, especially as the still-strong weather system heads across the South China Sea into Vietnam.

Death toll mounts to thousands in Philippines

Reports that are coming in describe the state of the survivors, walking around and scrounging for food from corpses. The grim reality of our very fragile life sets in and the sporadic and more than occasional wind storms and typhoons that are occurring more and more frequently remind us of the state the planet is in and also of its frequently changing weather pattern. 

At the request of the Philippines government the first wave of US Marines flew in on Sunday to assist in the rescue operations and to provide Humanitarian relief. Despite brave and continuous assistance from the marines reports are coming in from the Philippine National Red Cross saying that its search and rescue efforts in the wake of a deadly typhoon is being hampered by looters, including some who attacked trucks of food and other relief supplies the agency was shipping from a port city.

With rampant looting being reported, President Benigno Aquino III said on Sunday that he was considering declaring a state of emergency or martial law in the hard-hit city of Tacloban. The national disaster agency can recommend such a measure if the local government is unable to carry out its functions, Aquino said.

President Barack Obama said "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the millions of people affected by this devastating storm".

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/11/how-to-help-philippines-typhoon-victims/?hpw&rref=world&_r=0

I came across this blog...phonebloks.com.…interesting new project which seeks to find a simple solution to a huge problem…one of E waste. It claims that the largest source of E Waste is the short life of old cell phones and their components. The solution is nerdy and downright brilliant!The tagline reads Phonebloks…a phone worth keeping. Already garnering enough support for the movement, the project urges you to join the thunderclap and its 950,713 supporters.Ending on 29th of October, 10 am EDT the project and its details can be found below…join in…be the change….cause a ripple in the global conversation.

https://twitter.com/davehakkens 

Entering the Age of Unconventional Oil and Gas

Generally three ages of energy or three Carbon Era’s have been identified- The first carbon era began in the late 1800′ s, with the introduction of coal-powered steam engines and their widespread use in all the industrial enterprises. The Second Carbon Era is the age of Oil which got its start in 1859 when commercial production began in western Pennsylvania. This age only truly took off after World War II with the explosive growth of automobile manufacture and ownership.

Before the 1940, oil played an important role in illumination and lubrication, among other applications, but remained subordinate to coal; after the war, oil became the world’s principal source of energy. From 10 million barrels per day in 1950, global consumption soared to 77 million in 2000.



The third carbon era is the Age of Unconventional Oil and Gas which can be a result of the explosive growth of automotive and aviation travel, the suburbanization of significant parts of the planet, the mechanization of agriculture and warfare, the global supremacy of the United States, and the onset of climate change. These hallmarks of the exploitation of conventional petroleum have led to the Age of Unconventional Oil and Gas .

Conventional oil is disappearing. According to the IEA, the major fields that currently provide the lion’s share of global petroleum will lose two-thirds of their production over the next 25 years, with their net output plunging from 68 million barrels per day in 2009 to a mere 26 million barrels in 2035.

The IEA assures us that new oil will be found to replace those lost supplies, but most of this will be of an unconventional nature as the same is true for natural gas, the second most important source of world energy.

Yet most of us believe (or want to believe) that the second carbon era, the Age of Oil, will soon be superseded by the Age of Renewables, just as oil had long since superseded the Age of Coal.The truth is that the energy industry is not investing in any significant way in renewables. Instead, it is pouring its historic profits into new fossil-fuel projects, mainly involving the exploitation of what are called “unconventional” oil and gas reserves.

The result is in front of us : humanity is not entering a period that will be dominated by renewables. Instead, it is pioneering the third great carbon era, the Age of Unconventional Oil and Gas. With global demand for fossil fuels expected to rise by 26% between now and 2035, more and more of the world’s energy supply will have to be provided by unconventional fuels.

In such a world, one thing is guaranteed: global carbon emissions will soar far beyond our current worst-case assumptions leading to intense heat waves . The Planet Earth will be a harsher and more blistering place. The distinctive nature of unconventional fuels is their extreme impact on the environment. They require more energy to extract and be converted into usable materials and also produce more carbon dioxide emissions . Shale gas, hailed as a “clean” fossil fuel, is believed by many scientists to cause of methane release , a particularly potent greenhouse gas.

Water is required in vast amounts for fracking operations, to extract tar sands and extra-heavy oil leading to a growing threat of water contamination.

What can be done to cut short the third carbon era and avert the worst of these outcomes? Calling for greater investment in green energy is essential. To survive this era, humanity must become much smarter about this new kind of energy and then take the steps necessary to compress the third carbon era and hasten in the Age of Renewables before we burn ourselves off this planet

We can estimate the beginning of the Space age to be around the late 50's when the last stage of the rocket that launched Sputnik-1, remained in orbit.It has been in orbit since. Nearly 5000 space launches later we have an accelerating problem known as Space junk or space debris. This is the leftover damaged parts of satellites, spent rocket casings, defunct material along with other man made objects that orbit close to the Earth's surface. Nearly 70% of the low earth orbit which is roughly 2000 km above the planet will become un-usable for orbital launches unless something is not done soon to rectify the problem of Space Debris. The main concern about space debris is possible collision with active or functioning satellites or spacecraft.

 So what exactly is Space debris? Did you know it can be categorized into two types- natural and artificial. Natural space debris consists of small pieces of cometary and asteroidal material called meteoroids. We see these as meteors when they travel through the Earth's atmosphere.Artificial space debris is any non-functional man-made object in space (usually orbiting the Earth).

At a recent European Space Conference it was discussed that governments must start working towards the removal of orbital debris immediately before it becomes a catastrophic problem for satellites in the near future. As of now there is no written international law to tackle the issue. Also there is no agency involved in active removal of existing debris from orbit.

Space debris travels at 25000 km per hour so even a small object can puncture a hole and cripple a satellite in the low orbital region. 

The problem can be solved in a number of ways. 

• Objects in low altitude orbits (below about 500 km) are affected by atmospheric drag. This lowers their orbit until they re-enter the atmosphere and are thus naturally removed from orbit. The lower the orbit the faster it decays. 
• Space "tugs" could be employed to "catch" large space debris objects and either lower their altitudes for natural decay, or bring them back to Earth. 
• Giant "sponge" like objects could be deployed to "catch" or "soak up" small debris pieces. After a time, the sponge would be removed from orbit. 
• Attach tails or tethers to large pieces of space debris to increase the drag they experience and lower their orbits. 
• Use large ground based lasers to "push" small pieces of debris into lower orbits.

All of these schemes will be very expensive and use technology that is still to be developed. 

We know that Fusion energy can feed the energy hungry human population for years to come after all, it is the energy derived from the Sun and the stars. With this thought in mind the ITER project was set up as a  unique collaboration involving more than half of the global humanity.The ITER partners are the Peoples Republic of China, The European Union, India, Republic of Korea, Japan, Russian Federation and the United States of America.The mission-  Create unlimited supplies of cheap, clean, safe and sustainable electricity from atomic fusion and thereby feed the energy hungry human civilization for a very long time.

The project was initiated almost twenty five years ago when a group of industrial nations decided to develop a new cleaner way to get a sustainable source of unlimited energy. Fossil fuels were damaging the planet and its environment and there had to be a cheaper easier way to meet with the global energy demands which were set to triple by the end of the century. 

In 1985 at the Geneva summit, President Mitterand of France and Prime Minister Thatcher of the United Kingdom, General Secretary Gorbachev of the former Soviet Union proposed to U.S. President Reagan an international project aimed at developing fusion energy for peaceful purposes.

The building which houses the project is being constructed in an idyllic hilltop setting in the Cadarache forest of Provence in the south of France. With what is one of the largest global projects undertaken by governments of over 34 nations fusion energy will become the unlimited source of intrinsically safe- no carbon emission-no pollution energy. That's when the ITER projet was born. The People's Republic of China and the Republic of Korea joined the project in 2003 and India in 2005.

India's role in the ITER project is the development of the heaviest and the largest parts of the Tokamak reactor. The reactor which is doughnut shped will hold the plasma which will be needed for the Fusion reaction. A mixture of Deuterium and Tritium will power the reactor heating it up to exceedingly high temperatures. India will deliver the first ever components of the reactor by 2015. The Tokamak reactor is supposed to measure thrice the height of the Eiffel tower. The Iter tokamak machine will produce temperatures of well over 100 million C – many times hotter than the center of the Sun.

No single nation can face these challenges alone and so this collaboration will enhance and mitigate disastrous outcomes caused by efforts to meet energy needs. In the wake of the Fukushima disaster, Japan and other countries in Asia are opting for viable green energy to fulfill the need of their populations.

Everyone around us is talking Solar energy today. It is the unlimited potential of the Sun to provide us with huge amounts of power that will keep the energy hungry human population satiated from years to come. But using Solar power technology is not only expensive but is also deficient to the common man. Also, it requires rare Earth minerals and efficiency to make massive installations of Solar technology practical. What can be done to make Solar power affordable to the common man.

Did you know that it would take 2% of the Sahara Desert's land area to supply the world's electricity needs ? Scientists at IBM aren't thinking bigger, in fact they are thinking much smaller -- at the nanoscale. 

To come up with a solution for cheap solar power and for the manufacture of photovoltaic systems that are not only cheaper and affordable but also a whole lot smaller a new collaboration between IBM research, Airlight Energy and Swiss university was initiated on Earth Day , April 22. The idea is to harness the energy of the sun 2000 times by using small 1x1 cm chips. These chips would collect the energy in a concentrated manner thereby making the entire process cheaper and affordable.

The name give to the device that will convert and concentrate the Sun's energy 2000 times is the prototype High Concentration PhotoVoltaic Thermal (HCPVT) system. This uses a large parabolic dish made from a multitude of mirror facets. To best determine the most accurate angle of the sun, a tracking system is attached that determines the position of the sun.Each chip can convert 200–250 watts, on average, over a typical eight hour day in a sunny region.

The HCPVT also gives out thermal energy and water as a by product. While current concentration photovoltaic systems only collect electrical energy and dissipate the thermal energy to the atmosphere, the HCPVT will use the water for vaporising and then desalinating the salty water to provide 30-40 litres of drinkable water while generating electricity. Also the thermal energy can be put to good use by providing air conditioning with the help of a thermal driven adsorption chiller.

Scientists look to a bright future for the HCPVT system hoping to provide sustainable energy and potable water to locations around the world. Remote tourism locations are also an interesting market, particularly resorts on small islands, such as the Maldives, Seychelles and Mauritius, since conventional systems require separate units, with consequent loss in efficiency and increased cost. 

Today, May 3rd is going down in History as the date when the first Solar Flight will ever take place. The world media is labeling this Solar flight on the aircraft-Solar Impulse as the 'Charles Lindbergh moment' in Aviation History.This day is set to be marked when the team of the Solar powered airplane will initiate a pioneering trip across America from the bay of San Francisco to Lambert, St Louis International airport- All with only the help of a renewable energy source and not a drop of fuel. Bertrand Piccard uses the word “pioneer” as the attempt speaks of a courage and vision required for a cross-country mission of this magnitude.

This attempt to fly across the continent also has a secondary objective- that is to adopt clean technologies and renewable energies to increase efficiency and to foster a clean and green living environment. An earlier successful attempt was made by the Swiss Solar Impulse in 2010 when it embarked on the first-ever solar-powered night flight, and again in 2012 when it made the first intercontinental solar-powered flight (Europe to North Africa). Even as we speak and as the solar powered plane embarks on its transcontinental journey today, the company is developing a second larger aircraft with which it hopes to fly solar powered around the world in 2015. 

The showcasing of the Solar Impulse will demonstrate the possibilities of solar flight to the public.The design of the airplane is lighter than that of a car(3500 lbs) and its wingspan is 208 feet, about the same as a jumbo jet.The plane has solar cells on its wings that can collect and store energy making even night flight possible. The solar cells provide power to four 10hp electric motors recharging the aircraft’s lithium batteries during the day flight which allows the plane to continue flying at night.

Recycle

Recycling is defined in the Websters Dictionary as a process which 'Converts (waste) into reusable material or Returns (material) to a previous stage in a cyclic process.

Did you know that -a society's energy consumption is reduced by recycling...Glass, Steel, Aluminium, newspapers, Plastic and even Used Batteries -ALL can be recycled today! What are we giving back to our future generations? Do you children not deserve more? Lets join hands and lets Recycle!!

Recycling is  done in three stages..first the old products are collected , sorted, cleaned and made ready for recycling or processing.Then manufacturing of new products from the raw material is done and Finally, the process ends with the purchasing of recycled goods by the consumers. 

So why is Recycling Important??

• It is an Ethical deed.
• It makes optimum use of our waste.
• It saves Energy thereby reducing our Carbon Footprint
• It saves Natural Resorces so they can be around a while longer.
• It reduces Pollution and other harmful elements destroying the Enviornment.
• It helps us reap great Economic benefits.

Lets take a look at the Global Recycling Scenario...what are countries around the world doing, what are their collaborated efforts on Going Green.

• The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recycles about 31% of its waste with New York, Virginia and a few other states leading the way.
• In China, Beijing hopes to increase their recycling rate from 10 percent to 90 percent whereas four Chinese cities, including Qingdao, Guiyang, Xining, and Jiaxing are working with Japan on a urban-waste recycling up until 2015.
• Japan has a 360 Billion Dollar Recycling Industry. As it is a country with barely any natural resources , reycling programmes are the need of the hour and Necessity becomes the Mother of Invention.Japan recycles nearly 50% of its total waste.
• In Germany 'Not Recycling' is punishable by law. Apartment Buildings have five types of rubbish bin  which are colour coded- a yellow bin for packaging, a blue bin for paper and cardboard, bins for glass and a black bin for the rest of the rubbish.
• In Dharavi India, Recycling is a major source of income as almost 200,000 people make a living by creating their own Recycling factories. $0% of E waste in India is recycled and is mandatory by law. The E-waste Rules 2010 — drafted by the the Ministry of Environment and Forests came into effect on May 1, 2012. Using plastic bags is punishable by law and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has been empowered to implement the ban and register complaint against violators. 

Here are some Interesting Recycling Facts:-

• It is said that every person creates around 4.7 pounds of waste every day.
• Recycled glass containers can save about 9 gallons of fuel.
• Another amazing fact - recycled paper produces less air pollution than if it was made from raw materials.
• 125 recycled aluminum cans save up enough energy required to supply power to one home for 1 day.
• Glass never wears out and can be recycled forever. A glass bottle takes approximately 1 million years to decompose in a landfill site.
• A recycled glass bottle can save enough energy to run a computer for 25 minutes.
• Recycling an aluminum can preserves enough energy required to run a 100-watt bulb for 20 hours, a computer for 3 hours or a TV for 2 hours.

Recycling plastic is a method of recovering scrap or waste plastic and processing it into a product that is both useful and different from its original state. Such processing could mean melting down plastic furniture to make bottles and containers.

Plastic is difficult to recycle...it needs greater amount of processing as compared to other objects like metal and glass. Heating alone is not enough to melt plastic. Plastic is non biodegradable but now there is change and plastic can be recycled just as efficiently  as other products.

The important thing is to identify the type of plastic it is so that it can get segregated properly and then be recycled. Lets get a lowdown on the types of plastics identified. 

• Plastics PET or PETE (polyethylene Terephthalate) Found in: Soft drink, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; ovenable food trays.Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs.  Recycled into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, (occasionally) new containers. 

PET plastic is the most common for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle.

•  Plastics HDPE (high density polyethylene) Found in: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter and yogurt tubs; cereal box liners Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs, although some allow only those containers with necks. Recycled into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables. 

HDPE is a versatile plastic with many uses, especially for packaging. It carries low risk of leaching and is readily recyclable into many goods.

• Plastics V (Vinyl) or PVC  Found in: Window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding, windows, piping. Recycling: Rarely recycled; accepted by some plastic lumber makers. Recycled into: Decks, paneling, mudflaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats.

PVC is tough and weathers well, so it is commonly used for piping, siding and similar applications. If you must cook with PVC, don't let the plastic touch food. Also never burn PVC, because it releases toxins.

• Plastics LDPE (low density polyethylene) Found in: Squeezable bottles; bread, frozen food, dry cleaning and shopping bags; tote bags; clothing; furniture; carpet. Recycling: LDPE is not often recycled through curbside programs, but some communities will accept it. Plastic shopping bags can be returned to many stores for recycling. Recycled into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile.

LDPE is a flexible plastic with many applications. Historically it has not been accepted through most American curbside recycling programs, but more and more communities are starting to accept it.

• Plastics PP (polypropylene) Found in: Some yogurt containers, syrup bottles, ketchup bottles, caps, straws, medicine bottles.Recycling: Number 5 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs. Recycled into: Signal lights, battery cables, brooms, brushes, auto battery cases, ice scrapers, landscape borders, bicycle racks, rakes, bins, pallets, trays.

Polypropylene has a high melting point, and so is often chosen for containers that must accept hot liquid. It is gradually becoming more accepted by recyclers.

• Plastics PS (polystyrene)Found in: Disposable plates and cups, meat trays, egg cartons, carry-out containers, aspirin bottles, compact disc cases. Recycling: Number 6 plastics can be recycled through some curbside programs. Recycled into: Insulation, light switch plates, egg cartons, vents, rulers, foam packing, carry-out containers.

Polystyrene can be made into rigid or foam products -- in the latter case it is popularly known as the trademark Styrofoam. Evidence suggests polystyrene can leach potential toxins into foods. The material was long on environmentalists' hit lists for dispersing widely across the landscape, and for being notoriously difficult to recycle. Most places still don't accept it, though it is gradually gaining traction.

• Plastics Miscellaneous Found in: Three- and five-gallon water bottles, 'bullet-proof' materials, sunglasses, DVDs, iPod and computer cases, signs and displays, certain food containers, nylon. Recycling: Number 7 plastics have traditionally not been recycled, though some curbside programs now take them.Recycled into: Plastic lumber, custom-made products.

A wide variety of plastic resins that don't fit into the previous categories are lumped into number 7. A few are even made from plants (polyactide) and are compostable. Polycarbonate is number 7, and is the hard plastic that has parents worried these days, after studies have shown it can leach potential hormone disruptors. 

White Poison: Asbestos

Posted on April 14, 2013

As a child i remember my summer holidays in my grandfathers old house. Those were unending days of leisure and one can still recall how time stood still in those long summer afternoons when we played on the kitchen floor. My grandma’s kitchen brings back memories of exotic smells, of food being eaten hot as it was cooked. But that ended when my grandma died after a long spell of suffering caused by asbestos related poisoning and subsequent lung cancer….you see the roof was not cemented but was made of old asbestos sheets lined next to one another. It was the fumes from the microscopic fibers that she inhaled and ingested over the years that had a devastating effect on her health.

According to International law, Asbestos is listed as a category of controlled waste under Annex I of the Basel Convention on the Control of Trans boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. Banned in 60 countries worldwide including the European Union, Asbestos is India’s next biggest killer.

Known for years as the poor man’s material and popular for its use in construction due to its high resistance to heat and fire, asbestos use  in India continues to grow. 

Asbestos fibres are used in the cement industry located in 18 different parts of the country. It also has its uses in the textile industry and in the mining and milling industries of Andra and Rajasthan. Despite its hazadrous nature the Indian government gives incentives and makes Asbestos artificially cheaper.New factories are coming up near Vaishali in Bihar despite opposition from NGO’s, local workers and the Human Rights Commission. 

The country is now the world’s second largest asbestos market, behind only China, consuming nearly 3,50,000 tonnes . The industry generates more than $850 million a year in revenue, and directly employs 3,00,000 people. Indirectly, it supports as many as three million more. Backed by a powerful lobby and government consent asbestos use in India has risen by 83 percent. Serving the poor, this hazadrous material is imported in tonnes from Russia and Canada.

A study by two Delhi researchers suggests that by 2020, deaths from asbestos-related cancers could reach one million in developing countries. So what exactly is Asbestos poisoning?? Shortness of breath,  a dry cough and a tightness in the chest is what a person exposed to Asbestos will feel. These are the first symptoms. 

Main health problems attributed to asbestos include

• Asbestosis - A lung disease first found in textile workers, asbestosis is a scarring of the lung tissue from an acid produced by the body’s attempt to dissolve the fibers. The scarring may eventually become so severe that the lungs can no longer function.
•  Mesothelioma - A cancer of the mesothelial lining of the lungs and the chest cavity, unlike lung cancer, mesothelioma has no association with smoking.
•  Cancer - Cancer of the lung, gastrointestinal tract, kidney and larynx have been linked to asbestos. The latency period for cancer is often 15–30 years.

Disturbing facts about Asbestos use

• India is the largest importer of Asbestos. Most of it is used in making corrugated sheets which sell for as little as 300 INR.
• More than 100,000 people in India are employed by companies producing Asbestos.
• An estimated 55,000 workers are constantly exposed to the harmful effects of Asbestos unaware of the dangers.
• Economic development and construction are the reasons for the overuse and easy availability of this resource. 

Hybrid Horizons in India

Posted on April 2, 2013

India is finally accepting Hybrids. This year the Indian automotive giant Mahindra and Mahindra launched their hybrid hatchback- the E-two-oh.(read E 20). This hybrid is a better version of the previous prototype launched by Mahindra way back in 2001. The earlier one did not gain popularity and acceptance due to performance and capacity issues. The new Mahindra E 20 is a step ahead of that.

Designed and styled by Dilip Chabbria himself, the new Reva looks futuristic and has features that promise to attend to the earlier shortcomings. Its on road price in New Delhi is 5,90,000 INR and the car will be phased out in 8 cities through 29 dealerships with its manufacturing plant being in Bangalore.

Given below are the features of the Reva E20.

• The Reva E20 has more space as compared to the earlier version and can seat four easily.
• It has an air conditioner, power steering, music system, a power outlet USB port .
• The E20 is powered by an electric motor with the lithium-ion batteries.
• It has a range of approximately 100 kilometers on a single charge and a speed of 80 kmph.
• The Reva can be charged from a power outlet and full charging takes 8 hours. The batteries come in three sizes-small, medium and large.
• The electric car promises  a running cost of .50 paisa per km as it is nearly one tenth of a same size petrol car.
• It does not require servicing but an annual check up of the batteries will do.
• The batteries come with a three year warranty or 60,000 kms and the one time cost of replacement is Rs 1.5 lakhs.
• The car comes with three apps for your smartphone- reva e20 , life with e20 app and the E20 connectivity app. The apps help to lock/unlock the car with the smartphone and also help to turn the AC on or off. Besides this you can check battery charge and enable GPS on your smartphone for better directions.

Buying the Reva E20 comes with multiple benefits as the Delhi Government like in other countries has slashed the prices of the road tax in half and also offers a refund on your Vat of 12.5%. A 15% subsidy on the base price is also offered. 

India has spent a whopping 230 billion INR to increase hybrid vehicle production in the coming years. It plans to target a production of an ambitious 6 million vehicles by 2020, most of them being two wheelers.