Clean Environmental Practices

 

The preservation of the world around us, is something that everyone must take notice to. Taking care of the environment is a big responsibility.

To propagate clean environment practice, our main focus should be on reducing energy and water consumption and waste generation, so that it can reduce our footprint on the planet. We can start with simple things like using LEDs at home. They are a bit more expensive than incandescent light bulbs, but they save up to 20 to 25 percent on electricity bill.

Another way to save energy is by always shutting down and unplugging idle electronics. Even when our computer is on sleep mode, if there's a light on, it's still using energy. We should always turn off and unplug our computer, printer, television, — any electronic device that we are not using.

NEVER drink bottled water. Sure, water is good for us, but the process of harvesting the raw materials, processing and manufacturing the petroleum-based plastic water bottles and shipping them to market is extremely energy intensive. Therefore we should always filter our own water and fill up reusable bottles for water on-the-go.

Another big step towards clean environmental practices is to minimize the use of plastic and paper products, and investment in reusable cloth bags and stainless steel containers at home. Thousands of trees are torn down each year to make the containers for fast food items, the paper bags and paper cups that we use every day. By using these reusable containers we can save trees from being torn down for useless items.

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse. We all have to familiarize our self with the three R’s. Disposing of garbage and waste maintains the sanitary and beauty of our surrounding environment. By recycling and looking for alternatives to the trash we can keep the Earth clean and free of debris that essentially leaks very harmful chemicals into the environment.

Stranded on a Deserted Island - What three things would you bring?

Lying on a tropical palm beach, with blue waters at your feet might seem like the perfect holiday. But what if there was no umbrella to keep the sun off your head, no waiter to bring you a drink and no hotel to retreat to in the evening for hot meal? It wouldn’t be long before that desert island paradise became your worst nightmare. 

Being shipwrecked or crash-landing on an uninhabited island might seem like a scary proposition. What if you were on a deserted island, what three things would you bring? But how would you know that you were going to be stranded on a deserted island? In fact if you knew, you wouldn’t really be stranded there…would you?

I have asked a lot of people what they would bring if they were stranded on a deserted island. People have wanted to bring things like bottled water, endless paper and ink, generators, kindles, notebooks, laptops, husbands and wives, their kids, sunscreen, cigarettes, books etc. It seemed like most people plan on embracing the solitude and write their life’s manifesto or they would need to have their significant others by their side and would never get bored. Some people have wanted to bring their computers with a forever charge even though there is certainly no WiFi. There is a huge contrast what people want to bring if they get stranded on a deserted island.

If I was stranded on a deserted island, there would be an unlimited number of things I would like to bring with me. However, since I can only bring three things, I would carry a Swiss Army knife, a first aid kit with antibiotics, and a solar still. I believe these three things would help me to survive such difficult living conditions. Firstly, a knife could be utilized in many ways. I could use it to for hunting and cutting fruits from trees. The knife will also be used to cut wood for fire for smoke signals and warmth.

Living out in the open in a tropical environment, there is a greater risk of an injury becoming septic. It would be essential to treat injuries effectively, and for that the first aid kit with antibiotics would come in handy.  

Human can survive without food for a long time, but a few days without water will result in death. A couple of hours without water in a hot climate leads to dehydration which drastically impairs the mind’s ability to think and operate efficiently. If the island has plenty of vegetation such as palms or coconut trees then there will be water. But if the island is a flat barren piece of sand, however there is always the option to use the sea as a source of water. Drinking seawater is very harmful, so I will use the solar-still, which will turn salt-water into distilled water.

There are many ways to make survival a reality if you find yourself trapped on a deserted island. Just use some common sense, be adaptable and above all keep your mind focused and positive, and you have a real chance of being rescued.

Islamabad - The Pollen Allergy Capital of the World

Islamabad is also known as the "Pollen Allergy Capital of the World". Every year in the spring season, residents of the twin cities are afflicted by pollen allergy and they have to adopt extra preventive measures.

The number of allergy patients goes up every year especially during March and April. The pollen count in Islamabad hovers above 30,000 particles per cubic meter during the peak season. And that is not considered a record high. It regularly tops 40,000 and there have been years when it went all the way up to 55,000. In March and early April, when the city blossoms with flowers and plants, nearly one-third of the population is afflicted by pollen allergy.

What causes this world-record-setting pollen count? In the 1960’s when Islamabad was being build, Broussonetia papyrifera or Paper Mulberry, as it is commonly known was imported and planted all over the city. The paper mulberry tree took to the climate and went wild. There are now hundreds of thousands of trees throughout the city. Islamabad is now a green city, as the city planners had envisioned, but most of the vegetation is paper mulberry.

Paper Mulberry does not require any external help to grow. You will find it growing in backyards, stream banks, sidewalks, empty plots -- practically any open space. This non-native species has also destroyed the native vegetation. These trees release high levels of pollen each spring.

Residents of Islamabad and Rawalpindi afflicted with pollen allergy have been asked to adopt extra preventive measures during the spring season when pollen count ranges highest in mid March in the twin cities. The main signs of pollen allergy include sneezing, running nose, itching and watering of eyes, coughing, and difficulty in breathing.

According to Pakistan Metrological Department the pollen concentration is higher in E – 8, F -8, G - 7 and H-8 as these sectors have more paper mulberry trees.

 

There have been drives in the past to cull this horrendous plant, but they did not yield tangible results. It is a monster that is very hard to get rid of. But if nothing is done, people will continue to suffer. These trees should be chopped and can be replaced with a species that does not come with the baggage.

 

RECONCILIATION WITH THE PALE BLUE DOT!

We live in a world where we humans are fighting each other for so many things. All our life we struggle to wrestle anything and everything from others, whether its power, wealth, food, fame, civil rights or even a place in a queue. We are doing all of this for what? These things can certainly be intimidating, but why waste our precious time in this world being upset about  not having them or fighting to gain them?

Carl Sagan in Pale Blue Dot says;

“.. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that in glory and in triumph they could become the 'Momentary' masters of a 'Fraction' of a 'Dot' ”

Carl Sagan is trying to encourage us to look at the bigger picture and see what our place is in it. We should all look at our own foolishness and our narrow perspective and try to re-evaluate our lives and ideas.  There are so many great things that we could achieve, if we weren’t so hung up on what our ancestors did or said or how we are the superior race. There are cases of children being abused by adults, the poor being exploited by the rich, servants beaten up by masters. Exploitation on the basis of power that comes from age, wealth and social status speaks for itself of how depraved a species we are. 

More and more people should start realizing how insignificant these arguments are and how immoral our acts. We should focus on issues and problems that might actually make a difference in the long run. We should give importance to issues that will make a real progress in the world like ending violence, gender equality, climate change and education.

We should try to forget the negativity where ever possible and focus on the happiness in our life.  At the end of his Pale Blue Dot piece, Sagan beautifully illustrates:

“To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.”

Let’s stop all the wars, conflicts, violence, oppression, and make peace and reconciliation. Focus only on what adds contentment to your life, forget the negativity wherever possible.

So next time you have a problem, take a look at the night’s sky and think just how insignificant it really is!