The Global Countdown-Can we slow it down?

As of January 2010, the Doomsday Clock sits at 6 minutes before midnight

My last article was about global warming and its ill effects.One of my friends pointed me out to a documentary The Great Global Warming Swindle.You can view the documentary in youtube.There was another documentary "The age of Stupid" which I had managed to download in the past.What I felt that both of them were as if the sides of the same coin.Here are a few highlights of both the documentarys

The Great Global Warming Swindle

Read out the article and browse the internet to find out more about this documentary.The summary is that global warming is a government and industrialist funded hoax to stop the third world country from using up their oil reserves.
 
While this movie cites the example of a remote african health clinic to show that solar power is not even sufficient to operate the clinic to full potential and moreover about the uncertainity of sunny and windy days.

As the documentary claims that even speaking against the most happening event and to prove it a lie would be like as to pointing our fingers to god almighty and question his authority.

As the matter went up to court.Ruling was given against the channel for misusing of information and misinterpertetion of the interviews.I say read up the wikipdia about it and then watch the movie.

The Age of Stupid

Once again if you can watch it.The summary says that we had made several mistakes and one of them was to rely on Oil or fossil fuel for our development.The idea it proposes is not to stop all together but to bring the consumption to a standard level so that every major continent gets fair share of it with minimal usage.

The documentary narrates 6 stories.Stories of how we made mistakes and never even bothered to look at the consequences of those mistakes.

Six Human Stories

- Alvin DuVernay, is a paleontogolist helping Shell find more oil off the coast of New Orleans. He also rescued more than 100 people after Hurricane Katrina, which, by 2055, is well known as one of the first major climate change events.
- Jeh Wadia in Mumbai aims to start-up a new low-cost airline and gets a million Indians flying.
- Layefa Malemi lives in absolute poverty in a small village in Nigeria from which Shell extracts tens of millions of dollars worth of oil every week. She dreams of becoming a doctor, but must fish in the oil-infested waters for four years to raise the funds.
- Jamila Bayyoud, aged 8, is an Iraqi refugee living on the streets of Jordan after her home was destroyed - and father killed - during the US-led invasion of 2003. She's trying to help her elder brother make it across the border to safety.
- Piers Guy is a windfarm developer from Cornwall fighting the NIMBY's (Not In My Back Yard) of Middle England.
- 82-year-old French mountain guide Fernand Pareau has witnessed his beloved Alpine glaciers melt by 150 metres


Once again read and google out before you watch the documentary.

Well so which one is True?

So the question comes that which of these are true.What is true and what is false is really based on our perception of this world and the reality around us.But one thing is for sure.The Energy that is wasted simply because there is a lot to spend will have a dramatic effect on our future.The problem is the energy takes long time to become usable and then is used in a shorter span of life thus leading to near depletion.Lets take a closer look

1.Oil

Normally we use the petroleum or Gas for the Cars and Aircraft.The American Petroleum Institute estimated in 1999 the world's oil supply would be depleted between 2062 and 2094, assuming total world oil reserves at between 1.4 and 2 trillion barrels and consumption at 80 million barrels per day.

Imagine a life without Cars and Aviation.Not only that.All the major industries are based on a supply/delivery chain which will be hampered.Practically speaking we will go back to the stone age.Surely many have predicted that there will be alternate fuel source but the question is what if it is not discovered in the right time.Even a gap of 10 years can ultimately lead to the downfall of humanity.

2.Electricity

As we can see.Majority of the electricity comes from coal and gas.Both of these commodities are non renewable sources.

With the increase in world population(reach between 7.5 and 10.5 billion) there is going to be more demand for electricity and thus more non renewable sources will be used up.Also the alternatives are clealy visible to us but why they are not produced in a mass scale?

Three factors contribute the answer.

1.Cost of manufacturing alternate source of energy is very high

2.The energy developed doesnt yield much of power compared to a non renewable energy.

Ex:Solar Panel produced Electricity usually costs between Rs 15-18 /KwH (much higher than the Rs 3-6/unit paid normally) which makes it uneconomical except in special cases like off grid applications

3.The energy needs to be stored for distribution which further adds up to the cost.

The future relies however on the fact that over the time period the cost will go down and usage of non renewable energy source will discared or minimized for good.

3.Water

Though not alarming but still consider the fact that almost 1/4th of the world population lives on drinking water what we sophisticated people wouldnt even touch.

Consider the fact  that most of the population in Africa has virtually no access to clean water.Check on Internet for various pictures and videos.But be advised that it may create a severe consequence on your humanity.

Conclusion

Yes I agree that we are going through a very golden age and are happy about our life.True that today we are enjoying the modern marvel of technological advance.But do give it a thought wether our next generation that comes during 2050 will be able to see and enjoy the same or will they pray to god for a glass of water and curse us for being whatever we are today.

Only thing I ask you to think over and stop wasting energy and contribute towards the awareness factor.Go Green

Signing off
Santanu Ghosal

Global Warming

After a long series of thoughts I finally decided to write about this article.It took me a long and deep thinking for I was wondering whether to really trouble the readers with disturbing facts.The biggest question that was coming to mind immediately was "Is this the right decision for this moment".But finally I decided to put my thought to you guys in a different manner.

Our Planet is Dying


Lets take a peek into the few ecological problems we are facing or are about to face in the next decade.Since the content is very huge and requires detailed explanation I will be splitting it into several posts.

Global Warming

Hey we all know it.People all around the earth are facing it.Even on a fine Sunday morning when you ask the shopkeeper why the price of the fish is going up,he may even shoulder the global warming effect for that.

Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation. According to the 2007 Fourth Assessment Report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), global surface temperature increased by 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the 20th century.^[2][A] Most of the observed temperature increase since the middle of the 20th century has been caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, which result from human activities such as the burning of fossil fuel and deforestation

                                                                                     Wikipedia

Effects of Global Warming are various but the most direct and straightforward is the rise in sea level due to the melting of ice in polar caps.


Here is a glimpse of what could happen in the future. Note that the results are tentative and just calculated based on the temperature increase in a steady level.But if it starts to increase in an exponential level.



As you can see certain parts of West Bengal is hugely affected.What more to say.Buy a boat and stash it on roof.Just in case you know.Oh and be sur e to stack up rations.Lots of Booze and Cigrette(For those who smoke and drink of course).Money may not be a priority but here is some important stuffs. The list has been collected from Post Apocalyptic Movies and Games

1. Apple ipod.As seen in the Movie "The Book Of Eli" the ipod survived the appocalypse and Eli managed to load some cool songs onto it also(god knows from where) 
2. Umm...some way to recycle water..as seen in the Movie "Waterworld".Well to be honest "Whatever liquid comes out are recycled and put back in"...pretty groovy but a practical way otherwise. 
3. Chuck Noriss movie posters and gears.Indians can also settle for a Rajnikant or Sunny Deol or even Mithun Da Gear.The Gear helps in camaflaudge when your opponet will think that the mighty hand of god has just come forth. 
4. Some kind of Power Generator.Be it solar or be it Nuclear doesnt matter.

 

 

Last Minute Suggestion:Start buying land in the Himalayas.As seen in various movies.Himalaya remains dry at most of the cases.While we may not be looking at the immediate effects as shown in the movie 2012,there is no harm in getting prepared.

Changes in CO2 level in the Ocean Water and thus the Effect of Ocean Acidification

The role of the oceans in global warming is a complex one. The oceans serve as a sink for carbon dioxide, taking up much that would otherwise remain in the atmosphere, but increased levels of CO2 have led to ocean acidification.Dissolving CO2 in seawater increases the hydrogen ion (H+) concentration in the ocean, and thus decreases ocean pH. Caldeira and Wickett (2003) placed the rate and magnitude of modern ocean acidification changes in the context of probable historical changes during the last 300 million years.[16] Since the industrial revolution began, it is estimated that surface ocean pH has dropped by slightly more than 0.1 units (on the logarithmic scale of pH; approximately a 30% increase in H+), and it is estimated that it will drop by a further 0.3 to 0.5 units (more than doubling ocean H+ concentrations) by 2100 as the oceans absorb more anthropogenic CO2

 

 A Quick Overview

Here is an excellent link..Click n the below posted picture to go to the national geographic site link and get a good knowledge of how things fare.

How to counter the Global Warming

• Be aware of the Global Warming.
   
• Drive less. Instead take bikes, walk or carpool each time possible.
   
• Prefer investing in a hybrid or electric vehicle so as to avoid further global warming.
   
• Replace the bulbs in and around your home with energy-efficient tubes that require fewer watts for the same amount of light.
   
• Every month, clean or replace filters of your air-conditioners.
   
• Whenever buying new electrical appliances always go for energy-efficient ones.
   
• Decrease your travel by air.
   
• Wash clothes in cold or warm water instead of hot water and prefer line-dry sooner than drier.
   
• Use a low-flow showerhead as it will lessen the hot water used, and will not reduce water pressure in the shower.
   
• Reduce your garbage. Use eco-friendly bags for shopping. Purchase less packaged materials to stop further global warming.
   
• Unplug electronics whenever not in use, as they consume energy in the stand-by mode.  
   
• Recycle your waste to the extent that is possible. Purchase recycled paper and recycled products to prevent further global warming.
   
• When shopping for grocery, take your own reusable canvas bags so that you don’t accumulate more plastic at home.
   
• Plant a tree, whenever possible.
   
• For cleaning, prefer using natural or nontoxic cleaning products.
   
• Prefer fresh food rather than frozen foods. A farmer’s market is the best place to get fresh food.
   
• Get your car serviced and tires pressure checked to save consumption of fuel.
   
• Include less meat and more organic foods in your diet to prevent global warming

A matter to think over.

Signing Off
Santanu Ghosal

The Death of the Blue Planet we Know as Earth

Last week I had published an article regarding the UFO sighitings in Kolkata.While that was more like a statistical report sort of thing with a few overview thrown in,this one gives you more to think and speculate.Lets take a little bit different part of the History this time with a different prespective.

The Gaia Theory-a brief Introduction

The Gaia hypothesis was formulated by the environmentalist James Lovelock and co-developed by the microbiologist Lynn Margulis in the 1970s.This is still considered as a hypothesis since the theory had not been proved scientifically.

Gaia is a Greek Goddess symbolizing earth.She was also considered as prime titan.I dont want to dig deep in mythology but if you want to know you can check it out here.Modern day scientists and believers simply call Gaia,"The spirit of the earth".

The supporting facts

The Gaia theory posits that the Earth is a self-regulating complex system involving the biosphere, the atmosphere, the oceans and soil, tightly coupled as an evolving system. The theory sustains that this system as a whole, called Gaia, seeks a physical and chemical environment optimal for contemporary life.

Gaia evolves through a cybernetic feedback system operated unconsciously by the biota, leading to broad stabilization of the conditions of habitability in a full homeostasis. Many processes in the Earth's surface essential for the conditions of life depend on the interaction of living forms, especially microorganisms, with inorganic elements . These processes establish a global control system that regulates Earth's surface temperature, atmosphere composition and ocean salinity.

The existence of a planetary homeostasis influenced by living forms had been observed previously in the field of Biogeochemistry, and it is being investigated also in other fields like Earth system science. The originality of the Gaia theory relies on the assessment that such homeostatic balance is actively pursued with the goal of keeping the optimal conditions for life, even when terrestrial or external events menace them.

                                                                                                                          Wikipedia

Here are some Highlights of the Theory

• Regulation of oxygen in the atmosphere 
• Regulation of the global surface temperature 
• Regulation of the salinity in the oceans 
• Processing of CO2

 Read it all here.

 To sumarize the entire theory.Gaia is the Mother Nature who forms the ecosystem along with all of us.Humans,Animals,Plants and even the non Living things also.Thats pretty much seems like crap doesnt it.But even if the story is crap,the idea is not.To me Gaia is like the mother of all the ideas to save our ecosystem..Our planet is dying.With water levels rising and other natural disasters being more frequent,life is not as simple and easy as it used to be.

Stats are Booring

  

As you can see the relevant pictures shown here are courtesy of CRED(Center for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters).The best part is that they have only mapped till 1900.So does it means they dont have the data for it or it was not that frequent before.Well if the second one is true..we sure are in deep waters.

 

You might even add the tsunami effect in Japan to this list. 

So what changed during these 100 years

•  World War I.Needs no introduction.Death Toll:15,000,000--65,000,000   
• World War II.Death Toll:40,000,000--72,000,000.

 Note:These are figures reflected in Govt Reports.As alwasy the numbers really vary

  

Nice figures.Surely does lift my spirits.

 The Damage to the Eco System

 Not only the loss of human life makes me sad but also the enormous pollution generated simply during these two wars and afterwards due to the industrialization has left our planet bleeding.Even a naive person who doesnt knows about Envronment surely does knows about Global Warming,Hole in Ozone Layer,Polar Ice melting and lots and lots of things like this cover our newspapers.

  

The damage that is being caused by us cant never be repaired.But surely we can prevent further damage to our planet,our beloved Blue Home.

  

Human Being are too Busy to Live

  

We humans are really too busy to live our life.We are busy earning a living and survivinng this life hoping for a better one.Our regular day starts by attending to our work and for 5 days the routene is same.Going and coming and eating and sleeping.The much awaited weekends are normally spent with our dear ones and relaxing.Then once again 5 days work waiting for a break.

  

Step aside for a moment from the daily work flow ask yourself the question.This question is to those future Dads and Moms who are about to bring a new life to this world.

"What are you doing to make the world a better place for your children?"

  

Surely you will say that I am securing the future with money and a roof to live under.Money for better education and better living.Money to make a better living.I cant deny the fact that money is important.But can the money buy a cleaner and better future for you where Water we drink is fresh and free of chemicals and air we breathe is not polluted.Even can we assure our children that the food we eat is free of harmful chemicals and has not been genetically altered.Oils will be over by 2050.Eventually water might dry up or may flood us..Drinking water may be the most valueable comodity..even might go higher than platinum..Or maybe it will be the dry patch of land the most sought after.

Perhaps someday we will become somewhat like most of the sci fi movies showAlmost all the movies show us a very painful future.So isnt there a movie that shows happy future?Sorry I dont remember a movie that reflects one.2012 was a box office hit because we could blame the destruction upon mother nature and fought back to survive.It is as if human being showing a middle finger towards mother nature and challenging her.."Throw us whatever you got..we will survive it".

The Human Extinction

An Omar From Deus Ex Invisible Wars

It is inevitable.Some day some how human civilization has to end.It is the law of nature but perhaps something better will evolve out of it.Perhaps we will find a better home or perhaps we simply will learn to live on this planet by changing ourself.

"After the Great Collapse only the mighty survived. Two centuries of war saw the rise and fall of many empires. It was the age of heroes. The battle fired crucible all subsequent history. In the end the Earth was no longer green. Nothing survived on its surface other than a few embers of human kind. But from this crucible emerged a masterworks of evolution. They were fit not just for the new Earth, but for the most barren corners of Creation. The glory of humanity would hence forward stretch on through time and space to the vanishing point of Eternity."


                                            Deus Ex Invisible Wars




Well perhaps it will be different that I thought but no matter what.Earth will change and we will change with it.All our efforts should be focusing on how to delay that day and even how to preserve what will be left for humanity.

So what's this all about

  Gaia is that unified spirit of mankind and everything good this planet has.Its a collective life.A symbiosis exists among us and the nature which we are trying knowingly or unknowingly to shatter.

 

Realize how important and vital this planet is for us.Though I cant tell you the path to travel in order to live but surely I can give you the idea..The idea alone shall prevail and help us to take the human civilization to the next level.Even a small action is like dropping a pebbel into the ocean which might eventually rise into a big wave...You get the Idea.Hoping for a greener and better future,I end this article

  

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Prologue

  

This article was infuenced by a dream.A dream about Fallout 3.Its a computer game set in year 2276 after manking has been devastated by Nuclear Holocast and are barely living from a scratch.The journey through the wastelands shows how human being has mutated and went from bad condition to worse.But hope remains while even a single individual believes that we can return..........

Signing Off
Santanu Ghosal