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.