The Plastic Revolution

"It will charge you an additional 5 Rs, is that fine?", the billing counter executive at the Scullers showroom politely asked me. It's a question I received quite a number of times over the past 2 months.This marks a change in another trend: Usage of plastic-made bags in India.

I have witnessed angry customer faces whenever we charged them for carry bags in my Dad's grocery shop. This happened when I was in Class X, which is around 10 years back. No one would bother if we add a rupee or two in a commodity but show up a crooked face when we charge 50 paise for it.

The idea of taking along a bag for shopping never seemed like a nice one to many. Movements from many organizations on Environment care, Green revolution have created a deep impact. From now on, when you walk into any retail store or super market, either branded or unbranded showroom, you are likely to be charged for the bags you are going to carry.

I would definitely welcome this move. Plastics are one of the major factors when it comes to ruining the environment. If we already know what is it that we are going to buy, then it makes sense to carry an appropriate bag. I have noticed many who drive to super market in their car, shop everything with a trolley, and finally move everything in the trolley to their car. No bags used!

There have been many statements of intent from the government on this subject but it was not considered with any bit of seriousness. Bangladesh was the first country to ban plastic bags in 2002. Denmark and Ireland have both experimented with taxing plastic bags. Dublin said the tax, imposed in 2002, had reduced usage by more than 95%. But here in India, the govt. keeps issuing statements, right from 1999 but I don’t see it happening anywhere. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (it’s here) introduced a new rule such as charging the customer who opt for carry bags. The intent behind charging the customer is to encourage them bring bags next time. Let’s hope everyone approaches it with a positive frame of mind, and aspire for a cleaner planet.

The Clouds 365 project

I am a nature lover and I love to travel to beautiful places. I admire the way the planet has shaped itself and I astonish at the diversity it has. Humans can never artificially create something as magical as what nature has brought into our planet. Over the years, my admiration for nature has exponentially increased. Green looked gorgeous whenever I toured hill stations, red looked ravishing when I once saw sunset from Kanniyakumari, and blue is so beautiful whenever I sit at the sea shore, and stare at that deep, blue, thin imaginary line at the end of the sea. 

Sky & Clouds are the other elements that add beauty to this awe-inspiring little mass called Earth and that is the topic I planned to write about.  The Clouds 365 project!

November 24, 2011. Taken near San Antonio.

This project is a photographic experiment started by Kelly DeLay (@ravedelay) with an objective of shooting clouds 365 days an year. He started doing it on July, 1 2009 and has been successfully doing it all these days, mostly in the U.S. He also started the Clouds 365 community from which people from around the globe can post pictures. 8500 members have posted some amazing pictures over the past 870 days, and it is maintained in the website dedicated to this project.

You open that website and you see a scenic collection of snaps taken over the week. Four other navigation menus at the top helps you filter pictures based on Year, Month, Date and Time (Wow!) of the day which ranges from 10 AM to 10PM over a 1-hour split.  I thought about this man's initiative to take up a project as creative and challenging as this, and I appreciate his consistency in delivering quality pictures every day, every hour. Also interesting to see is the community contribution to the project which took it to a whole new level.

If you are a nature/photography enthusiast, this is a nice place to share and view pictures. Here are some links from the project. Using the SHARE PHOTO link on the community page, you can share your pictures.
 

www.clouds365.com/
www.clouds365.com/community
www.facebook.com/clouds365
www.twitter.com/clouds365

1 line of code = 1 tree planted

At some point of time, we ask ourself this famous question: Are we contributing anything to our environment? Avoiding plastics and taking your own big bag while you go out for shopping? Proper disposal of waste? Conscious use of electricity? Taking that long walk or using the public transport while keeping your vehicle at home whenever possible? Opting for phone/internet bills by e-mail than by post, thereby saving some paper usage?

These are little little things that makes a greater difference when many people start following it. If 10,000 people follow the conscious-electricity-use way, think about the amount of electricity that gets saved on an overall! When something is done as a group, the impact made is quite remarkable. I wanted to connect this with the software that we engineers develop at our work place.

We transformed the way people live, travel and converse. We reduced the use of huge amount of paper by digitizing millions of data that once upon a time got printed on paper. That reduced the consumption of paper, which in turn reduced the paper requirement for human survival and eventually it all reduced the TREE-CUT-DOWN rate. Every line of program we write, computerizes some process somewhere on earth and helps people save time, money, energy and resources. If a penny saved is a penny earned, then a tree saved is a tree planted.

Be proud to be a software engineer, if you are one. Feel good that you are contributing to environment preservation. Without our knowledge, we are indeed saving the environment in some way or the other. Also spare a few minutes and think about the contribution you will make, if you decide to follow the little-little things I mentioned earlier!  You will make even greater difference! When you persuade your friends to do so, more difference is made. And I just did that, by writing this post ;)

Here is some good little-little tips, that will make a greater difference. Clink on this image to begin the journey.

Being a Vegan

For some reason, I became a Vegan one fine day. Neither regretted it nor did i cheer about it. After i read something interesting, I am now having something to cheer about ;)

Try to answer the following question:

From a Minuscule Mind

 

I often think of few ideas but did not even jot them...So this post is an effort to persist all of  them,.  I already posted this blog in another place for a different purpose but this one is different. Every time i think of something, i will remember it and add to this list of My Ideas. Here i bring my five cents to the table. Few ideas that ignited my minuscule mind. I later found that most of them already ringed a bell in someone else's mind too - long back !

Please Save Trees !

I write a lot on saving our environment but this time, you are lucky as all i have to leave is a picture !

Agriculture - Hasn't dead yet !

I got some sense of satisfaction after my recent agony on the level of Indian agriculture. Especially after Pepsi.Co engaged 12,000 farmers in a 'contract farming'. Thanks to the junk-food-loving generation. Pepsi.Co's Lays chips is pretty famous across the nation. The Tomato-Tango flavor is my favorite too :-)
These farmers have harvested 22,000 tonnes of potato last season !

22,000 Tonnes = 22,000 X 1000 = 22,000,000 Kgs !! 

Wow....Whooping !!! After all, Agriculture isn't dead yet !

HCL Ride-a-Thon

I am proud to be an employee of HCL Technologies. I am so proud to take part in HCL Ride-a-Thon: A Global Warming awareness campaign organized to perfection by the CSC (Community Service Council) team of HCL. Almost 500+ Chennai employees (and their family too) of HCL galored with enthusiasm in Marina Beach around 7 in the morning. Good to see it happening on the same day as the Earth Hour night !
I forget to turn off the lights that day but still i follow a different strategy to save the environment :-)
Every one of us were riding a banner-boards-tied bi-cycle. The Information Technology Minister of the State - Dr.Aruna flagged off the event as we all started our 10-mile journey. Always a gathering surprises people and makes it a more happening event. I always support awareness campaigns on saving the environment and with this, i got one more opportunity to do it. Would i miss out? Absolutely not. Thanks to the entire team for organizing this event.
Read more on The Hindu. Let's make some pictures talk.

Click on the picture to view the actual image

 Minister of State for Information Technology - Flags off
Click on the picture to view the actual image

And the team stars the journey....
Click on the picture to view the actual image

And, this is me. Joining the rest :-)
Click on the picture to view the actual image

Trepidation: Global Warming & Earth Hour

What first comes to your mind when you hear WWF ? It's The Rock for me. I was once a die-hard fan of the World Wrestling Federation sport televised on Start Sports channel every Thursday night.
But, there is something else that exists under the same alias. It's the World WildLife Fund. Very few really care for our environment & the submergence of several islands across Mother EARTH. Stories of Melting Ice & Increasing temperature are broadcasted across continents. WWF is an non-profit organization that focuses on creating awareness to save earth. Here is one such initiative on creating awareness.

On Saturday, March 27th from 8:30pm to 9:30pm local time, the World Wildlife Fund invites you to join people from 3,100 cities in 121 countries on all 7 continents in participating in Earth Hour, where people across the world can demonstrate their concern about global climate change with the simplest of gestures: turning off all non-essential lights and electronics.

Majority of the world-famous Indian celebrities are supporting this event. And Yes, I do support this initiative. It's timely. It's important. But, i beg to differ slightly. Turn-off lights for one hour across the world is a very good idea. Objective is to show that you care for the environment. So the question is, "Can i turn on all the lights after this one hour ?". Doesn't is sound awkward ?
Here is how i am trying to save the environment. It's pretty simple.

Use Electricity only when you really need it. What i mean by that is, Turn-off the lights & fans whenever you come out of a room. Don't use the fan or lights when there is enough illumination & aeration. You can turn of the Air-conditioner when the room temperature is comfortable enough for a living. You can turn-off your computer speakers when you are just surfing the net. I can unveil umpteen such examples. So Use Electricity only when you really need it.

Doing so, not only you are saving the environment on "On Saturday, March 27th from 8:30pm to 9:30pm"alone, but throughout your life. Does it make sense ? Have your say. Use the comments section. Thanks for reading.

Why Save Tigers ?

I saw a Ad on the TV. An Initiative from AIRCEL to save Tigers. We were eagerly watching a edge-of-the-seat-thriller between India and South Africa when it interrupted the game. "Why care for a Tiger living in a forest ? What good it does ?", i impatiently asked.

Ashisk, a smart young lad living in the next door replied with a 'proving-point'.

Though tigers live in forests, they hunt deers. Deers are plant eating animals. Less number of tigers will lead to MORE number of Deer which in turn consumes more amount of Plants which in turn reduces the Tree count which in.....

Oh..oh..wait..wait....It affects the entire Ecosystem which might lead to an Imbalance. Well, that proved very well of why i got an 'E' Grade in Environmental Studies. For one, who doesn't graduate from Annamalai University, 'E' is the lowest possible 'pass' grade - one can score.

We know that ecosystem means collection of all kinds of organisms that live in this world. Any imbalance in their number may lead to destruction. Suppose if the entire frog species becomes extinct then there maybe an increase in insects population or a decrease in snakes population (as snakes may have only little possible options to eat). Major causes are exploitation of natural resources by us.

Not just me but over 1300 scientists contributed a report to the World Health Organization after considering the impacts on human well-being, past, present and future due to ecosystem degradation...

Well, let's go save some tigers :-)

A Twin Solution: Agricultural Agony

The name is Ville. FarmVille. Though it's the name of a town in Virginia, USA, Farmville is best known as one of the most fasinating, addicting online game of alltime for all ages. Anyone having a 'Facebook' account can play this game for free. Farmville has 6 Million+ active users out of which around 25% from India alone. It is increasing rapidly.

Why is it so fascinating ?

The objective of the game is entirely different from the rest. For the folks who play racing & shooting, Farmville scenario is entirely different. You are given a farm. You are given an intial amount. You need to grow crops. Earn Money. That's it.

All the standard procedures such as, plowing, planting, harvesting are well implemented. Farmville provides a diverse collection of crops to plan such as Wheat, Rice to fruits like grapes, strawberries and Trees like Lemon, Banana, Apple & Cattles like Cow, Sheep, Goat. That's what it made it unique & special. This wide range of features supplemented by a rich looking user-interface, it's one of my best. You would love farming.

What is the Agricultural Agony ?

Agony is on what happens in real-world agriculture. Shutdown the PC & See outside. India 'WAS' (may

be, 'IS') one of the most dominant player in Agriculture. Our crops are exported all over the world. But these days, the growth rate is rapidly decreasing. The prices of groceries like Atta, Maida, Sugar, Oil are disturbingly increasing. Red gram price (துவரம் பருப்பு) is doubled. Everything is increased because of one reason. 'less production'.

I foresee a 'shocking shift' after which we may end up importing rice & wheat. A day was there which had only two castes. Farmers and Landlords. Agriculture was found to be the only (or foremost) occupation for EVERYONE. Generation after generation, history continued. But

today, October 19, 2009, the story is completely different. Agriculturists are scarcely spotted and farms are rarely seen with lush green crops.

It was the present generation, the typical youngsters who born after 1980's, seem to have taken a diversion. Options are ubiquitous. Be it, Engineering, medicine. Far too many which are not common in the 1980's. There are very few, especially the un-educated in village do agriculture.

People farm online for fun but will they do it in real-time ?

Why people quit agriculture ?

I'm just 22 and honestly i haven't been farming in real-time. But my father does. He is so passionate about it. He served the canara bank for 25+ years but still he was doing agriculture all the time. He always wanted me to learn it. But i hated it. I go to our farm thrice a day. To give him breakfast, lunch & dinner. He voluntarily retired from his job but still, he is doing agriculture. With my limited knowledge and from what i am seeing and hearning, these are the problems that exhausts agriculturists.

1. Farmers Scarcity: Farmers are difficult to locate. Even after locating one, their wages are twice than what they were paid 5-10 years back. Before the 90's, farmers respect the landlord. They always talk with their hands crossed. But these days, story is different. That too, most of these are now carpenters or plumbers or electricians in metro cities where those giant real estates & shopping malls are built earning triple the money than what they earned as "farmers".
2. Water Scarcity: Water is difficut to find. Unfortunately, Rain is also rarely seen. There was a tamil quote that states, "மழை முகம் காணா பயிரும் தாய் முகம் கானா குழந்தயும் ஒன்று". I don't know whether it's the increasing number of cars & bikes that affects the environment with their fuel emission, but the crops rarely get the touch of a rain-drop. Even the under-ground water is also not easy to bore. More shockingly, a state exists that claims the river as 'their own'. 20 years back, people will literally laugh if you tell them, "Drinking Water is filled in a plastic can and sold for money!".
3. No Profit: Even after growing the crops, the profit gained doesn't seem to be satisfactory. The government or the person who buys the crops are not giving a fair price.
4. Compensation: There are lots of risk & trust factors involved in agriculture. The growth will be affected if there is NO or MORE rain. Farmers eventually committed suicide on a lot of occasions failing to owe the borrowed capital.
5. Other options: More than that, people did found more options to earn money than to hell with the farms.

I am proud of Dr.S.Kabilan, one of my best friend and a chemistry professor who still farms with his 1 acre land for one reason. "Environmental Care". There are people urging him & even threatening him to sell the land just to convert it into a residential plot. There are lot other people who also does agriculture part-time. My uncle, Mr.Sethuraman, a high-school teacher is one among them. I recently heard that the government does give a fair price for rice crops and also a convincing compensation upon a loss. But too much corruption was heard to be involved.

• What is the end of it ?
• Where do "you think" this will end ?
• Do you have a solution for this ?
• If everyone leaves behind agriculture & go after their occupation, who will take this onus?
• If given a convincing price & resources, will you switch over your occupation to agriculture ?

My proposed solution

This is my idea of resolving this problem. From a bird's eye view, everything boils down to MONEY. We all are going after MONEY. As there are more options, we quit this risky 'agriculture' option. I want the government to take a bold act.

• 'EMPLOY' people to do agriculture. He who does agriculture will be a government servant.
• His Farm is his office. Give him a convincing salary. Just like the Police or Public Works form an Agricultural Team. Whether or not the crops grow, he must be salaried.
• Based on the role played, give designations and salaries.
• Give him/her incentives for extra profits so that he is motivated.
  
• Crops harvested will belong to the government. Any dealer can buy it at an affordable price.
• Citizens already doing agriculture with their own farms can continue the good work. Government should ensure that the crop prices are satisfactory and compensation are convincing upon loss.
• Give more job preference to agricultural graduates. They absolutely deserve it more than anyone else. It even encourages more people to graduate in agriculture.

Doing it this way, every one makes money. There is no loss to any individual. The government might incur loss but it's one of the options we can motivate people to come forward.

We have vast-waste lands.
We have uneducated & unemployed people.
Why can't we do this ?

Have your say.

A PENNY SAVED IS A PENNY EARNED !

Just now i finished shopping. Went to the Market, bought some vegetables, groceries and fruits.
Every shop keeper used to give me things in a carry bag & ignored that plastic bag.
As i took a Bag with me, i saved 7 carry bags in total.
I started thinking while i'm on the way home !
O If every one starts ignoring plastic bags,
O The shop keeper will buy less bags.
O The industry manufactures less plastic.
O It will have a drastic change in pollution......
O WOW !!
I hope alteast one reads this blog and changes his shopping strategy !

A GO GREEN INITIATIVE:

Read more about the GO GREEN here.