Fossil Fool

You are a fossil fool

Taking on all earth’s fuel

Eating up our planet in and out

Leaving too much about

Ever wondered what will happen when there is nothing else?

Ever wondered when there will be nothing left?

Just famine hunger and pain

Millions live in poverty, millions more live near the sea

The poor are worst hit, you will see

When temperatures rise and trees fall

When water levels rise, there will be no food at all

Then you will see

You are a fossil fool

Learn from the past

Learn from the future

Reality is that you can’t afford to be fooled for long

Use the sun, wind, water that Gaia has given us

And renew once more

Do not forget that there is still hope and life

We are more than 6 billion in number today

By working as one things can be turned around

Let us be united as one

Tackling the Climate Issue

Climate Change is one of the biggest threats to mankind today. September 2011 saw many movements across the globe on the climate issue - Al Gore’s Climate Reality project very simple stated, ‘They may have the millions but we have the most important fact – Reality’. Bill Mckibben’s 350.org organised a successful global campaign called ‘Moving Planet’ - Away from fossil fuels and dirty energy which saw the participation of more than 2000 people across the globe. Climate Change is going to hit us all sooner than you think - The message in this movements was that by doing our bit for the environment we achieve staggering results if everyone pitches in.

Today the carbon dioxide ppm levels (parts per million) is 390 plus which is more than the permissible level of 350. As population shoots up year by year, consumption, energy, food, water, raw materials also increases. The IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) has estimated that by 2050 there will be approximately 9 billion people on the planet. Our natural resources are already stressed and pushed to the limit, ever wonder what is going to happen by then when more energy is required? The difference in Indian cities can be felt in recent years, an example would be last year's 2010 which was recorded as the hottest year in the past 100 years.

‘Extreme weather events are happening every month all over the world, the signs are everywhere' Al Gore quoted.

We must learn from the past to understand the present so that we don’t repeat our faults. The cooperation of countries worldwide to form legally binding agreements on cutting down emissions has been discussed and debated but if countries like America (who’s per capita emissions are the highest) refuse to cooperate, then we may already have lost half the battle.

The positives - China is the number 1 country in the world which stands well in implementing correct, clean and sensible green mechanisms. The Economist proposed that China will be the strongest economy by 2050 taking over the West, but what is interesting about that this country is that it has been smart in its energy use and efficiency by installing a large number of renewable energy projects and most of all aopting the right policies passing the right policies which allow the nation to draw on renewable energy.

Smart businesses have started realising that looking at long term benefits, having a strong vision for the future, thinking beyond metrics, not forgetting using future scenarios allows them to avoid the convenient ‘quick fix’ and be patient. No doubt success is hard; it is just a question of planning immensely and using climate change as a platform to develop their future strategies. Sustainability is the key of success, and this will be China’s biggest success stories in the coming years.

India is not too far behind; we are the only country in the world to have a ministry for renewable energy. Taking a quick look at India’s response to the climate issue, we find that the country stands in the top 5 in the world in terms of renewable energy capacity: the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission launched in 2009 aims to install 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022. With the country’s abundant supply of sunlight this makes India a ‘sun favoured nation’ and heralds the potential of India as one of emerging renewable energy countries. Wind energy in north west India like Rajasthan and Gujarat is already being harnessed while Biomass and Hydro energy are increasing in importance.

More to come as my research in this field continues- Views or comments are welcome.

Looking Back With A Smile

After returning home to Bangalore on August 1, 2011 post a year and a half stint in Bombay, life has given me a perspective to look at and mull over. You can call me older and mature if you like, but I prefer the term 'wiser' better :) My amchi Mumbai was an experience for me; I loved every bit of it and would do it again if the opportunity came by.

Bangalore is too good to be true in comparison; life is so perfect it’s almost a holiday even if you’re working. The convenience, the unbelievable good weather, the ease and comfort of this city is somehow very hard to believe. Most people live their entire lives the hard way, and they do it with a smile. It’s humbling and makes you realise how much you take for granted. Folks, lets just say I value everything much more, one of the take-away's that Bombay taught me.

So now I am back at home. After a week I realise that Mother Nature’s calling and what I mean is my very own mother's frequent calling took a bit of time to get used to, since, well it was a long time! The constant conversations and having people around not to mention friends calling me out all the time was quite overwhelming. No doubt life in Bombay could get lonely, but I am more of the sort who likes the space and flexibility to do as one pleases.

One thing I miss a lot is the sound of the Arabian Sea which used to be quite close to home and also a good place to just meditate and soak in. I think I might have mentioned this in my previous blog but the sound of the ocean is truly the best natural sound. Everything else just melts away when you are near it. The other things like running a house well I definitely do not miss :) Can you blame me? The last week in Bombay was a bit of a disaster with the fridge deciding to shut down and food going bad. I come home to Bangalore to a fridge which is stocked with everything imaginable, yes I might just be putting on a wee bit of weight!

I love seeing greenery around me, the sight of tree's and green leaves outside my window is wonderful! In fact I am planning a trip to one of the wildlife sanctuaries in the state; put my eyes and camera to some use. At the moment the koyal bird and squirrels outside my bedroom window give me a little too much than I asked, although the occasional sweet voiced myna does come by. Its time to travel into the wild and I can't wait.

So here I am, still in the process of getting used to a constant 24 degrees Celsius environment, bountiful trees + noisy birds, lots of food, close friends and family. Did I mention hot water? Yes hot water baths, which were not required in Bombay. The other things which I need (underlined) to get used to is a pathetic night deadline (11 pm, like seriously they may as well not have a nightlife in Bangalore), less freedom of movement (at home mind you) and most of all not having my cat with me. Quite the comfort he was.

Ah well, like they say - Life goes on.