We Have A Deal: The U.S. And China Agree To Historic Emission Reduction Targets

November 12, 2014, 7:47 am

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"We Have A Deal: The U.S. And China Agree To Historic Emission Reduction Targets"

U.S. President Barack Obama, right, with Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on Wednesday, November 12, 2014.

CREDIT: AP Photo / Andy Wong

The United States and China, the world’s two biggest contributors to climate change, have struck a new, more ambitious deal to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.

President Barack Obama and President Xi Jinping jointly announced the deal Wednesday morning, the New York Times reported. The agreement marked the culmination of nine months of quiet dialogue between the two countries, capped off in recent days by Obama’s visit to China.
The pledge commits the U.S. to cut its emissions 26 to 28 percent below their 2005 levels by 2025. This builds on the current target of a 17 percent reduction below that baseline by 2020, and could actually double the pace of emission cuts set by that initial goal — from 1.2 percent a year to as high as 2.8 percent per year. The White House has actually been looking into the possibility of expanding beyond the 2020 target since 2013, and has been involved in occasional interagency meetings to that effect.
For its part, China is committing to get 20 percent of its energy from non-fossil-fuel sources by 2030, and to peak its overall carbon dioxide emissions that same year. China’s construction of renewable energy capacity is already proceeding at a furious pace, and this deal will require the country to deploy an additional 800 to 1,000 gigawatts of zero-carbon energy by 2030. For comparison, 800 to 1,000 gigawatts is close to the amount of electricity the U.S. current generates from all sources combined.
“Renewable and nuclear energy accounted for 9.8 percent of China’s energy mix in 2013,” said Melanie Hart, the Director for China Policy at the Center for American Progress. “They have just promised to double that by 2030. That target will light a fire under China’s already-aggressive renewable deployments and put even stronger limits on coal and other fossil-fuels.”
Experts did tell Reuters that the emission reductions China needs to meet this deal are not too far off from the course it’s already projected to maintain. That said, the Chinese government and its officials have raised the peak goal as a possibility before, but coming from Jinping himself, Wednesday’s deal constitutes the most robust commitment China has ever made.
“It’s the agreement that people have been waiting for, for a long time,” said Jake Schmidt, director of the International Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. “It’s the two biggest emitters, the two largest economies, the two biggest drags on agreement over the years. For them to step up and say we’re going to take deep actions, it will send a powerful signal to countries around the word.”
Republicans and other skeptics of climate policy have long pointed to China’s reluctance to cut its emissions as a reason the U.S. should not bother either.
But the President has argued that as the world’s second-largest emitter currently, and by far its largest historically, the U.S. cannot expect other countries to act if it does not demonstrate good faith by stepping forward. Hence the suite of executive actions Obama announced in his second term to cut U.S. emissions, with the Environmental Protection Agency’s recently rule for power plants as its centerpiece. As such, Wednesday’s deal also marks an at least partial vindication of Obama’s strategy.
“Now there is no longer an excuse for Congress to block action on climate change,” said Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), the Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, in a statement. “The biggest carbon polluter on our planet, China, has agreed to cut back on dangerous emissions, and now we should make sure all countries do their part because this is a threat to the people that we all represent.”
The pledge will serve as a new and more ambitious commitment for United States to bring to the international community, as countries around the world prepare for the next round of international climate talks in Paris in 2015. Meanwhile, the European Union also reached its own recent internal agreement to cuts its emissions 40 percent below their 1990 levels by 2030. Which means all three of the world’s biggest emitters are now on record with new commitments to get their greenhouse gas emissions under control.

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20 Photos Of Nature Winning The Battle Against Civilization

November 12, 2014, 8:48 am

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20 Photos Of Nature Winning The Battle Against Civilization

The Mind Unleashed

on 6 November, 2014 at 01:08

You might have to plant the flowers in your backyard to see some green action, but plants will grow from just about anywhere if you give them enough time. If you abandoned your home today and returned many years later, you might find trees growing right out of your bedroom walls, and plants the size of beanstalks shooting straight up out of your floorboards.

Plants are incredibly resilient, and can grow from the most unlikely places so long as they have a source of sun and water. These man-made objects, buildings, and entire cities are no match for the rapid growth of plant life. Check out these unbelievable photos of nature wining the battle against civilization.

The Bicycle Tree

This bicycle now permanently belongs to a tree on Vashion Island in Washington.

The After Life of a 160-Year-Old Railway

Located in Paris, this old railway was long ago abandoned, allowing the beauty of nature to grow and prosper in place of humans.

Abandoned Shopping Mall

Once a shopping mall in Bangkok, this place is now taken over by large schools of fish.

Abandoned Ferris Wheel

This ferris wheel is more beautiful than ever now that it has foliage growing in just the right design.

Abandoned Castle

When the occupants of this mansion near Kilgarvan, Ireland ditched their royal digs, a whole plethora of beautiful plants was waiting and ready to grow in their place.

Tree Garden Grows From Buildings in Hong Kong

Abandoned Railway in Paris

This inner city railway used to offer transportation to the people of Paris. After being left abandoned, a bunch of pretty flowers had the chance to grow in!

Abandoned Mill in Italy

This old and long-abandoned mill in Sorrento, Italy looks more like vegetation covered cliffside than a factory.

Ghost Town in Pripyat, Ukraine

Once a bustling city-center, Chernobyl is now a radioactive ghost town populated only by trees and plants.

Mining Town Turns Into Ghost Town

In Namibia, there was once a prosperous mining town. After the miners up and moved away the sands of the Namibia desert took over. Give it enough time and this entire town will be completely covered in sand for future civilizations to dig up.

Where Cars Go To Die

This vintage automobile graveyard located in Belgium looks like a line of abandonded traffic in the middle of a tree-lined forest.

Abandoned Town, Kamchatka, Russia

This building once stood in a fishermen’s town. Since its glory days, the waters have rushed in, slowly washing away all traces of the town…

Abandoned Hotel Room

A unique look inside of a building overrun by nature.

I.M. Cooling Tower in Belgium

Abandoned Ship In Australia

Located in Sydney, Australia, this 102-year-old abandoned ship looks like it might contain more animals than Noah’s Ark!

Abandoned Train Station in Abkhazia, Georgia

This Georgian train station was built with attention to every last detail, and then it was left abandoned. At which point, nature came in and added her own details–including plenty pops of color to offset all of the white.

Abandoned Temple in Angkor, Cambodia

Tree Roots Outgrow Surrounding Sidewalk

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Solid Waste Disposal – A burning problem to be resolved to save environment:

November 13, 2014, 5:44 am

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Solid Waste Disposal – A burning problem to be resolved to save environment:
A. Introduction – The disposal of solid waste is a problem. This problem continues to grow with the growth of population and development of industries. Disposal of waste in open pits has become routine in majority of places. Landfill

Semisolid or solid matter that are created by human or animal activities, and which are disposed because they are hazardous or useless are known as solid waste. Most of the solid wastes, like paper, plastic containers, bottles, cans, and even used cars and electronic goods are not biodegradable, which means they do not get broken down through inorganic or organic processes. Thus, when they accumulate they pose a health threat to people, plus, decaying wastes also attract household pests and result in urban areas becoming unhealthy, dirty, and unsightly places to reside in. Moreover, it also causes damage to terrestrial organisms, while also reducing the uses of the land for other, more useful purposes.
B. Classification of Solid waste – Solid wastes typically may be classified as follows:
* Garbage: decomposable wastes from food
* Rubbish: non-decomposable wastes, either combustible (such as paper, wood, and cloth) or noncombustible (such as metal, glass, and ceramics)
* Ashes: residues of the combustion of solid fuels
* Large wastes: demolition and construction debris and trees
* Dead animals
* Sewage-treatment solids: material retained on sewage-treatment screens, settled solids, and biomass sludge
* Industrial wastes: such materials as chemicals, paints, and sand
* Mining wastes: slag heaps and coal refuse piles
* Agricultural wastes: farm animal manure and crop residues.
C. Disposal Methods – Disposal of solid wastes on land is by far the most common method in most of the countries and probably accounts for more than 90 percent of the world’s municipal refuse. Incineration accounts for most of the remainder, whereas composting of solid wastes accounts for only an insignificant amount. Selecting a disposal method depends almost entirely on costs, which in turn are likely to reflect local circumstances.

Landfill

* Sanitary landfill is the cheapest satisfactory means of disposal, but only if suitable land is within economic range of the source of the wastes; typically, collection and transportation account for 75 percent of the total cost of solid waste management.
* In a modern landfill, refuse is spread in thin layers, each of which is compacted by a bulldozer before the next is spread. When about 3 m (about 10 ft) of refuse has been laid down, it is covered by a thin layer of clean earth, which also is compacted.
* Pollution of surface and groundwater is minimized by lining and contouring the fill, compacting and planting the cover, selecting proper soil, diverting upland drainage, and placing wastes in sites not subject to flooding or high groundwater levels.
* Gases are generated in landfills through anaerobic decomposition of organic solid waste. If a significant amount of methane is present, it may be explosive; proper venting eliminates this problem.

D. Methods to Reduce Waste – As the World economy grows so does its production of wastes. As regulation of international trade in waste has been tightened (Basel Convention), and public opinion has become increasingly environmentally conscious, industrialized countries have had to develop means to deal with the waste they produce. Traditional waste management strategies include reusing materials, recovering materials through recycling, incineration and landfills. In recent years recycling has become the preferred choice of waste disposal for many industries. On the commercial level, government regulation usually works to the advantage of big firms and to the disadvantage of small ones. Due to a shortage of research on its possible economic and environmental spillovers, the practice of reusing materials remains as yet a gray area. Each method of waste disposal has its drawbacks.
1) Resource Recovery
Numerous thermal processes, now in various stages of development, recover energy in one form or another from solid waste. These systems fall into two groups: combustion processes and pyrolysis processes.
* A number of companies burn in-plant wastes in conventional incinerators to produce steam. A few municipalities produce steam in incinerators in which the walls of the combustion chamber are lined with boiler tubes; the water circulated through the tubes absorbs heat generated in the combustion chamber and produces steam.
* Pyrolysis, also called destructive distillation, is the process of chemically decomposing solid wastes by heat in an oxygen-reduced atmosphere. This results in a gas stream containing primarily hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and various other gases and inert ash, depending on the organic characteristics of the material being pyrolyzed
2) Recycling

* The practice of recycling solid waste is an ancient one. Metal implements were melted down and recast in prehistoric times. Today, recyclable materials are recovered from municipal refuse by a number of methods, including shredding, magnetic separation of metals, air classification that separates light and heavy fractions, screening, and washing.

* Another method of recovery is the wet pulping process: Incoming refuse is mixed with water and ground into a slurry in the wet pulper, which resembles a large kitchen disposal unit. Large pieces of metal and other non-pulpable materials are pulled out by a magnetic device before the slurry from the pulper is loaded into a centrifuge called a liquid cyclone. Here the heavier non-combustibles, such as glass, metals, and ceramics, are separated out and sent on to a glass- and metal-recovery system; other, lighter materials go to a paper-fiber-recovery system. The final residue is either incinerated or is used as landfill.

* Increasingly, municipalities and private refuse-collection organizations are requiring those who generate solid waste to keep bottles, cans, newspapers, cardboard, and other recyclable items separate from other waste. Special trucks pick up this waste and cart it to transfer stations or directly to recycling facilities, thus lessening the load at incinerators and landfills.
E. Further discussions on problems solid waste disposal - Open dumping and burning of domestic and industrial waste is a common phenomenon in many developing countries. This often takes place at waste disposal sites and can be the result of spontaneous combustion or deliberate attempts to reduce waste volume. As well as, the health hazards posed by the vermin and un-supervised scavenging, the open burning of waste leads to toxic releases to both ground water and air. These contribute to lasting damage to the environment and have serious implications for the health of local people and livestock
There is a strong movement in many countries to reduce the volume of wastes to be dumped. The increase of composting sites is an indication that organic fraction of garbage can be converted into a useful and commercial product with a higher value. For inert materials, technologies are needed to use wastes as raw materials to produce new products. Development of new materials from recycled materials will also encourage sorting of solid wastes. “Zero Waste” movement also targets industries and waste exchange. 40 % of landfilled wastes in most of the countries come from building materials and this suggests that such wastes can be avoided by developing long-lasting materials and dwellings to reduce wastes from need to rebuild. Other alternatives and efforts are:
* Onsite treatment and utilization will reduce need for transport.
* Waste minimization is a socially desirable goal.
* Subsidy on products generated from recycled materials will encourage socio-economic changes.
* Centers with technologies that use collected waste materials are needed.
* Wastes that have severe risks and excessive problems in disposal should be identified and those which cannot be neutralized may need to be restricted at the point of creation or entry.
* A database on wastes that are available will provide information to possible users of wastes.
References:
1. http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/emissions-due-to-solid-waste-disposal-on-land
2. http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/2006/publications/drs/indicator/395/index.html
3. http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/facilities/new-disposal-rates.asp
4. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761569634/solid_waste_disposal.html
5. http://environmentengineering.blogspot.com/2008/03/waste-disposal-burning-problem-to-be.html
6. http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/emep-eea-emission-inventory-guidebook-2009/part-b-sectoral-guidance-chapters/6-waste/6-a-solid-waste-disposal-on-land/6-a-solid-waste-disposal-on-land.pdf
7. http://earthwatch.unep.net/emergingissues/solidwaste/wastedisposal.php

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Sustainable packaging, packaging waste reduction and development of biodegradable plastics for packaging – means to promote cleaner environment:

November 13, 2014, 5:46 am

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Sustainable packaging, packaging waste reduction and development of biodegradable plastics for packaging – means to promote cleaner environment:

Packaging is used in business to contain and promote finished products for consumer sales and also to transport them to the point of sale safely. The function of packaging includes protecting products in shipping, offering consumers information, providing a branding billboard and giving us a way to carry things home. The most commonly used packaging materials are paper, fiberboard, plastic, glass, steel and aluminum.

A. High proportion of waste is actually packaging -

Innovative packaging design can mean that the amount of materials used is reduced and that all packaging can be reused or at least recycled. In other words, it is nothing but creating more ‘sustainable packaging’. Using the minimum and most efficient packaging will increase your competitiveness and save you money, as well as attracting environmentally-aware consumers.

Fortunately, everyone from the retail behemoth Wal-Mart to start-up companies and boutique design shops are beginning to look for ways to reduce the volume of stuff we throw away. However, even the most green-sympathetic designer will quickly find there are no easy answers or quick fixes when it comes to sustainable packaging. Even defining the term poses difficulties.

B. ‘What’s a sustainable package?’–

Now, the question becomes not how to do away with packaging, but how to use less of the less-harmful materials. To become more sustainable, designers must consider and improve each step along the entire product journey. Packaging, like any other design problem, will need to be rethought with a sustainable systems approach. Designers should expand and evolve creative processes to include strategies like

(a) optimizing material and energy resources;

(b) sourcing materials that are produced responsibly with environmental best practices, fair labor and trade;

(d) designing for resources recovery or reintegration back into nature after end use.

C. Sustainability criteria for packaging -

1. Is beneficial, safe and healthy for individuals and communities throughout its lifecycle;

2. Meets market criteria for performance and cost;

3. Is sourced, manufactured, transported and recycled using renewable energy;

4. Maximizes the use of renewable or recycled source materials;

5. Is manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices?

6. Is made from materials healthy in all probable end-of-life scenarios;

7. Is physically designed to optimize materials and energy;

8. Is effectively recovered and utilized in biological and/or industrial cradle-to-cradle cycles.

D. The “5 Rs”of creation of sustainable package –

Designers dedicated to fostering environmental sustainability—offer some practical advices:

Restore by using materials and supporting firms that reduce or improve our natural capital;

Respect what we have by examining all the impacts that packaging may have;

Reduce the amount of materials, layers of packaging, weight of package, fuel used in transport, etc.;

Reuse something that’s already been made, and make your package easy and desirable to reuse; and

Recover the materials used through recycling, composting or reusing.

One of the most important and simple ways a designer can move beyond conventional packaging solutions is to consider alternative materials. PLA (polyactic acid) is fast becoming the favored alternative to plastic. PLA is made from renewable resources such as corn, and uses fewer fossil fuels and generates fewer greenhouse gases in its production than traditional plastics and some other polymers. PLA can be composted as well. Fortunately, other materials are also coming to commercial viability.

E. The increase in online shopping has meant a rise in goods being delivered direct to customers’ homes. This means that more packaging is needed to supply the goods. You can encourage customers to return your packaging to you for reuse by supplying them with a “freepost” return label.

F. Other ways of improving packaging use are:

(i) Using recycled materials where possible;

(ii) Designing the packaging using the least amount of materials necessary;

(iii) Reusing your own packaging to create new packaging or in other areas of your business.

G. Bio-degradable plastics for packaging – development and use are the key for improvement of environment:

There is growing concern about the excess use of plastics, particularly in packaging. In response to problems associated with plastic waste and its effect on the environment, there has been considerable interest in the development and production of biodegradable plastics.

a. At present, we make almost 100% of plastics of our requirement from oil and natural gas. Petroleum-based plastics are basically non-degradable. As concern grow about the potential bad effects of petroleum-based non-degradable plastics on the environment, the viability of petroleum-based plastics are in question. At the same time, the increased dependence on oil and gas imports due to manufacture of such petroleum-based products, make us think about the possible solution. In this respect, searching for suitable degradable polymers for various applications as per the need, have become very important aspect in today’s science and technological affair for research.

b. As per reports of various environment protection agencies, plastics alone account for more than 25% (by volume) of municipal waste generated. Plastic’s low density and slowness to decompose makes them a visible pollutant of public concern. Some of the techniques adopted for integrated waste management, which include recycling, source reduction of packaging materials, composting of degradable wastes, incineration etc., may help reduce waste disposal problem; but this will not solve the importation of petroleum products and problem with non-degradability of plastics. As per statistics, about 80% of post-consumer plastic waste is sent to landfill – degrading land masses and causing water pollution, 8% is incinerated – causing unwanted emission and only 7% is recycled. The situation is so acute in some countries of Europe of Japan that today few sites left that can be used for landfill. Since the main bulk of domestic waste is made up of plastics there is a great deal of interest in recycling plastics and in producing plastic materials that can be safely and easily disposed of in the environment.

c. The option to get rid of the adverse effects of non-degradable petroleum-based plastics may be to make bio-degradable plastics suitable for our various applications. Some of the manufacturers in developed countries have already developed some type of degradable plastics made from agricultural products such as corn, potato etc. In fact, bio-degradable plastics can be made from lactic acid. Lactic acid is produced (via starch fermentation) as a co-product of corn wet milling, which can be converted to polyactides (PLA). Alternatively, it can be produced using the starch from food wastes, cheese whey, fruit or grain sorghum.

d. The properties of the plastics changes as per the applications for which it is needed. Some plastics need to be durable like the parts in a car. Yet, there are many plastics that are only used once or have a limited life before being thrown into a landfill or incinerator. Plastics, unlike most organic polymers, are poorly degraded by microbes (although recently some genetically engineered microbes / bacteria have been invented to transform plastic waste into useful eco-friendly plastics – but it is still in research stage). Environmentally degradable polymers are one potential solution to replacing petroleum-based polymers. Potential uses for these polymers are plastics intended for one-time or limited use, for example those used as fast-food wrappers and water-soluble polymers in detergents and cleaners, and for use in the printing industry. Thus, an ideal degradable product would:

(i) Perform the intended task effectively;

(ii) Produce little or no side effects in any non-intended target;

(iii) Break down, along with any residues of its activity, over a reasonably short time scale;

(iv) Produce no harmful substances when it breaks down.

e. Waste disposal: The question now arises, how best to dispose of domestic wastes. The ways of disposing of waste and time required for degradation is very important factors in development of bio-degradable plastics. Current bio-degradable polymers are designed to degrade either biologically or chemically, depending on the disposal environment that they will encounter after use. Ideally, degradation pathways should ultimately lead to the bio conversion of the polymer into carbon dioxide (aerobic) or carbon dioxide/methane (anaerobic) and biomass. Environmental laws and regulations and consumer demands for environmentally friendly products are beginning to have an impact on the use of degradable polymers. As a result degradable polymers, when combined with other degradable plastics, will begin playing a crucial role in helping to solve our waste disposal problems and reducing petroleum imports.

f. Properties of bio-degradable polymers: These new polymers developed from agricultural products described above are truly degradable. These polymers may be used in many applications as well. Some are impervious to water, moisture etc., and retain their integrity during normal use, but readily degrade when they are kept in a biologically rich environment. The amazing part is the full biodegradability can occur only when these materials are disposed of properly in a composting site or landfill. Today, there are three major degradable polymers groups that are either entering the market or are positioned to enter the market. They are

(i) polyactides (PLA),

(ii) polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and

(iii) starch-based polymers.

g. Design for Bio-Degradation of Polymer: Following few points are given to attain bio-degradability.

(i) Some organic chemicals degrade only very slowly, and so the level in the environment can rise steadily. These are the persistent organic pollutants (or “POPs”).

(ii) In contrast, all chemicals produced in nature are 100% degradable and understanding why this is the case is an important part of being able to design synthetic degradable materials.

(iii) For example, natural polymers such as carbohydrates, proteins and nucleic acids usually have oxygen or nitrogen atoms in the polymer backbone. If these atoms are included in synthetic polymers, the material is more easily degraded. A carbon-oxygen double bond (carbonyl group) absorbs light energy, and so can make a substance photodegradable.
(iv) These features can be seen in the structures of some degradable polymers that are already in use.

h. Bio-degradable polymers are quite new. Only during last five years some bio-degradable polymers for applications have been in use in some of the developed world. Although they are degradable, the industry has not promoted them. One reason is these new polymers are higher priced than the commodity polymers typically in use in plastics applications. However, producers are currently working toward bringing down the price of degradable polymers by increasing production capacity and improving process technology.

i. Price competitiveness and future growth of bio-degradable polymers: The trend observed regarding bringing down the prices of degradable polymers in last five years is quite encouraging. In US, five years ago PLA and PHB sold for more than USD 25.00 per pound. Today PLA, depending on quantities, is between USD 1.50 and USD 3.00 per pound and PHB, in large quantities is near USD 4.00 per pound.

Though recent advances in production technology have helped lower prices of some degradable resins, prices are still higher than for petroleum-based plastics. This suggests that in the short term, companies making degradable polymers will continue to focus on niche markets. As production capacity increases it is expected that future prices to fall to roughly USD 1 per pound. Moreover, due to sharp increase in prices of petroleum-based plastics in recent time, the prices of bio-degradable polymers will become very much competitive soon.

j. Further, several factors, besides cost, will be important in determining the future growth of degradable polymers. One major obstacle is a lack of a composting infrastructure. Large-scale composting would provide the ideal disposable environment for spent degradable. Future legislation will depend not only on the environmental awareness of planners and politicians but also on their perceptions of how degradable polymers may affect the development of plastics recycling.

H. Bacteria that effectively transform plastic waste into a useful eco-friendly plastic -

In response to problems associated with plastic waste and its effect on the environment, there has been considerable interest in the development and production of biodegradable plastics. Innumerable amount of research have also been conducted world wide to find out ways to convert synthetic plastic waste into biodegradable and compostable material. Their effort was to isolate bacterium that can effectively convert a waste plastic product into safe, biodegradable product or to make safe and biodegradable plastic, which can be used safely for further manufacture of some product.

a. It has been observed that, chemicals called Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are polyesters that accumulate as inclusions in a wide variety of bacteria. These bacterial polymers have properties ranging from stiff and brittle plastics to rubber-like materials. Because of their inherent biodegradability, PHAs are regarded as an attractive source of nonpolluting plastics and elastomers that can be used for specialty and commodity products. They were the first biodegradable polyesters to be utilised in plastics. These aliphatic polyesters naturally produced via a microbial process on sugar-based medium. The two main members of the PHA family are polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and polyhydroxyvalerate (PHV).

b. There is good news that, recently some European scientists have discovered a bacterial strain that uses styrene, a toxic byproduct of the polystyrene industry, as fuel to make Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) – biodegradable plastic. The microbes, a special strain of the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida, convert polystyrene foam — commonly known as Styrofoam — into PHA, a biodegradable plastic. This is among the first to investigate the possibility of converting a petroleum-based plastic waste into a reusable biodegradable form.

Researchers utilized pyrolysis, a process that transforms plastic waste materials by heating them in the absence of oxygen, to convert polystyrene — the key component of many disposable products — into styrene oil. The researchers then supplied this oil to Pseudomonas putida, a bacterium that can feed on styrene, which converted the oil into PHA. The process might also be used to convert other types of discarded plastics into PHA.

c. PHA has numerous applications in medicine and can be used to make plastic kitchenware, packaging film and other disposable items as well. This biodegradable plastic is resistant to hot liquids, greases and oils, and can have a long shelf life. The advantageous side of PHA is unlike polystyrene, it readily breaks down in soil, water, septic systems and backyard composts. In other words, it is biodegradable and compostable.

d. Worldwide, more than 14 million metric tons of polystyrene are produced annually, most of this ends up in landfills producing pollution. Thus, this system can help transform plastic waste into a useful eco-friendly plastic, significantly reducing the environmental impact of this ubiquitous, but difficult-to-recycle waste stream.

I. Conclusion: Fortunately, in developed world a new movement is working to make manufacturers more accountable by pushing them to stop producing anything that can’t be resold, recycled or reused. Designers have started increasingly recognizing that doing good for the planet is doing good for themselves.

References:

1. http://environmentengineering.blogspot.com/2008/07/bio-degradable-plastics-development-and.html

2. http://environmentengineering.blogspot.com/2008/05/sustainable-packaging-and-packaging.html

3. http://www.naturalandsustainable.com/2008/05/

4. http://turnkey.taiwantrade.com.tw/en/Content.aspx?ID=16

5. http://www.enviropak.com/Frames_Home/enviropakmain.ht

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Waste Reduction and Raw material conservation are the most important functions in Waste Management – Saves Environment and Money:

November 13, 2014, 5:51 am

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Waste Reduction and Raw material conservation are the most important functions in Waste Management – Saves Environment and Money:

A. Introduction - Waste management has various functions; they are: collection, transport, processing (waste treatment), recycling or disposal of waste materials; usually produced by human activity, in an effort to reduce their effect on human health or local aesthetics or amenity. A sub-focus of waste management, in recent decades, has been to reduce waste materials’ effect on the natural world and environment by conserving raw materials used and to recover resources from wastes, i.e., recycle of wastes. Waste management can involve solid, liquid or gaseous substances with different methods and fields of expertise for each.

In fact, generation of waste in any industry is a result of using materials inefficiently. It costs your business money. The costs of wastes are twofold: first you fail to gain the desired benefits by using more raw materials and second, you also have to pay disposal costs for wastes. Apart, environment gets dirtier causing lot of air, water pollution and other related nuisances.

Waste is also the inefficient use of utilities such as electricity, water, and fuel, which are often considered unavoidable overheads. The costs of these wastes are generally underestimated by managers. It is important to realize that the cost of waste is not only the cost of waste disposal, but also other costs such as:

* Disposal cost

* Inefficient energy use cost

* Purchase cost of wasted raw material

* Production cost for the waste material

* Management time spent on waste material

* Lost revenue for what could have been a product instead of waste

* Potential liabilities due to waste.

a. By reducing waste, you can automatically make your processes more efficient and more competitive. The benefits of operating your business more efficiently are clear – including reduced overhead costs, savings in time and money and increased competitiveness. Better economy is achieved as you save additional costs for maintaining pollution free environment.

Although you can sometimes use waste as a resource and save money, it is more efficient to reduce waste at the point of origination. Waste activities such as recycling and recovery use energy so the priority should be to reduce waste in the first place. Businesses that take a strategic approach to minimizing waste are likely to save the most money. Experience in many countries suggests that businesses across a range of industries can save about 10 per cent of turnover by employing waste minimization techniques.

b. Immediate cost-savings can be achieved by:

(i) Reviewing your activities and processes and making simple changes such as printing or photocopying on both sides of the paper;

(ii) Designing packaging so that it can be reused;

(iii) Reusing any waste you produce until it no longer has any value and then recycling the materials.

Customers, employees and potential investors are all becoming more aware of environmental responsibility and failure to take action could affect your business.

c. You face rising energy and waste disposal costs, increased legal obligations and higher stakeholder expectations. In some industries, producers now have ultimate responsibility for the disposal of their products, not just their creation. Adopting a waste strategy means that you will be better prepared for any new legislation for reduction as well as for better disposal of your products (finished goods and wastes).

The penalties for failing to manage environmental risks properly can also be substantial. You could experience damage to your reputation, disruption to your business or financial penalties.

“Resource productivity” means extracting the most value from resources, making the best use of renewable resources and minimizing waste produced. It has the potential to drive down costs by reducing waste and pollution and will create opportunities for growth through process and product innovation.

B. Source Reduction of waste – Stopping waste before it starts – way to enhance environmental cleanliness:

Thus, waste minimisation can be defined as “systematically reducing waste at source”. It means:

* Prevention and/or reduction of waste generated

* Efficient use of raw materials and packaging

* Efficient use of fuel, electricity and water

* Improving the quality of waste generated to facilitate recycling and/or reduce hazard

* Encouraging re-use, recycling and recovery.

Source reduction, also known as waste prevention or pollution prevention, is the elimination of waste before it is created. Source reduction is decreasing the amount of materials or energy used during the manufacturing or distribution of products and packages. It basically involves the design, manufacture, purchase or use of materials and products to reduce the amount or toxicity of what is thrown away. Source reduction means stopping waste before it happens.

Because it stops waste before it starts, source reduction is the top solid waste priority of environmental protection agencies of many of the developed countries. These innovations conserve resources and reduce packaging waste, while continuing to provide performance, value and convenience to the consumer.

Source reduction is not the same as recycling. Recycling is collecting already used materials and making them into another product. Recycling begins at the end of a product’s life, while source reduction first takes place when the product and its packaging are being designed. In fact, the best way to think about source reduction and recycling is as complementary activities – combined, source reduction and recycling have a significant impact on preventing solid waste and saving resources.

a. Source Reduction Techniques:

Four techniques of waste minimisation are briefly discussed below:

1) Good Housekeeping-Systems to prevent leakages & spillages through preventive maintenance schedules and routine equipment inspections. Also, well-written working instructions, supervision, awareness and regular training of workforce would facilitate good housekeeping.

2) Process Change - Under this head, four techniques are covered:

(i) Input Material Change- Substitution of input materials by eco-friendly (non-toxic or less toxic than existing and renewable) material preferably having longer service time.

(ii) Better Process Control - Modifications of the working procedures, machine-operating instructions and process record keeping in order to run the processes at higher efficiency and with lower waste generation and emissions.

(iii) Equipment Modification - Modification of existing production equipment and utilities, for instance, by the addition of measuring and controlling devices, in order to run the processes at higher efficiency and lower waste and emission generation rates.

(iv) Technology Change - Replacement of the technology, processing sequence and/or synthesis route, in order to minimise waste and emission generation during production.

3) Recycling -

i) On-site Recovery and Reuse - Reuse of wasted materials in the same process or for another useful application within the industry.

ii) Production of Useful by-product- Modification of the waste generation process in order to transform the wasted material into a material that can be reused or recycled for another application within or outside the company.

4) Product Modification – Characteristics of the product can be modified to minimise the environmental impacts of its production or those of the product itself during or after its use (disposal).

b.Importance of source reduction of waste:

(i) Source reduction conserves raw material and energy resources. Smaller packages and concentrated products typically use fewer materials and less energy to manufacture and transport.

(ii) Source reduction reduces releases to air, land and water. For example, it takes less fuel to transport lighter weight materials.

(iii) Source reduction cuts back on what has to be thrown away. That helps keep solid waste disposal costs down, which is good for municipal budgets and consumers.

(iv) Source-reduced products take up less space, and are more efficient and easier to use.

c.Source reduction is the highest goal in the solid waste management hierarchy -Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: As explained above, by itself, recycling does not address the issue of wasteful product use. When recycling is coupled with source reduction, however, wasteful purchase and use of products is minimized. Whenever possible, reduce or reuse first, then recycle. The practice of source reduction benefits the environment through reduced energy consumption and pollution, conservation of natural resources, and extension of valuable landfill space. It can also have economic benefits by reducing costs associated with transportation, disposal or recycling of waste. Plus, source reduction can save you money every day. Everyone can participate in source reduction. REDUCE OR REUSE FIRST, THEN RECYCLE.

C. Waste reduction in production process and reduction in use of raw materials gives significant effect on profitability and promoting cleaner environment:

Waste arising out from production processes can have a significant effect on your profitability. The challenge is to reduce this waste without undermining the effectiveness of the process. The reduction of waste generation also mitigates the wastes disposal and recycling problem; thereby improving the environment standard.

a. During the production process some typical problems include the excessive consumption of energy or raw materials, losses in the production process itself, rejection at the inspection stage and failure when the customer is using the end product. In order to reduce waste you have to be very much conversant with the process. To know where waste is arising, you need to understand your processes and technology used. To do this, you could produce a flowchart of your operations. You can then discuss the process with your employees and get their feedback on where waste is occurring, and what you can do to reduce it. This approach helps you focus on the most important areas, with more detailed analysis of the operation at various segments of the process, if necessary.

b. Common things you might do to improve the efficiency of production processes and reduce waste include:

(i) reusing rinse water in cooling systems;

(ii) regularly checking that equipment is correctly calibrated;

(iii) reducing unnecessary stoppages in the production line;

(iv) upgrading or replacing old equipment;

(v) minimizing spills or leaks;

(vi) using sealed systems to allow all the waste to be collected in one place, without leakage, so that as much waste as possible can be reused, recycled or disposed of correctly.

c. An effective waste minimization program scrutinizes the whole business from suppliers to product design, production practices to disposal. It will also enable you to minimize the different input resources, including water and energy, chemicals and solvents, and paper and electrical equipment.

Preventing waste from occurring in the first place is the most efficient solution. Constant monitoring of your production processes and preventive maintenance can ensure waste is avoided before it occurs.

d. Reduce your use of raw materials at the fullest extent – Given current levels of consumption; recycling rubbish isn’t sufficient to tackle the amount and type of waste produced. Waste needs to be designed out of the system at source, and what cannot be designed out should be reused.

(i) Developing better “closed loop systems” – where waste is treated as a resource – eliminates the need for unused resources and waste disposal.

(ii) If you’re a manufacturer, using raw materials more efficiently can bring significant cost savings and environmental benefits. To do this, you should look at all aspects of your production process, including transportation and warehousing.

(iii)Try to ensure you don’t over-order materials for one-off or bespoke jobs. Check how you handle and store raw materials. Even failing to empty all bags and containers properly could lead to significant amounts of waste.

(iv) Look carefully at the waste you’re disposing of. Could any of it be reprocessed and put back into the production process? Could it be reused for another purpose? For example, packaging from suppliers can be reused to transport your own products. Also, waste water from manufacturing processes could be reused for low grade purposes.

(v) Another important area to consider is product design. Are there ways of designing your product so that it uses fewer raw materials? Try to use materials that have already been recycled or that are easier to recycle.

(vi) Issues such as raw material use, waste production, energy consumption and emissions to the atmosphere should be considered at each stage of the product lifecycle.

D. Suggestions for better waste management:

You can help reduce waste at home by learning basic waste-saving habits. You can buy products that come in concentrated forms or products that use minimal packaging. And you can reuse, repair, recycle, or compost products that would otherwise be thrown away.

REDUCE

* Buy the largest size package and products that do more than one thing; for example, shampoos that include conditioners.

* Buy concentrated products or compact packages, such as frozen juices and fabric softeners you mix with water at home.

* Look for products with minimal packaging. You will be using fewer natural resources, and you will have less to throw away.

* When you mow your lawn, leave grass clippings on the ground instead of bagging them. Grass clipping decompose quickly, adding nutrients to the soil.

REUSE

* Buy reusable products such as rechargeable batteries.

* Pass on magazines, catalogues, and books to neighbors, hospitals, schools, and nursing homes.

* Reuse plastic or glass containers for food storage, nails, and so on.

* Reuse plastic shopping bags, boxes, and lumber.

* Reuse wrapping paper, gift bags, and bows. Use the Sunday comics for wrapping children’s birthday presents.

REPAIR

* Try to repair before you consider replacement of lawn mowers, tools, vacuum cleaners, and TVs.

* Donate items you can’t repair to local charities or vocational schools.

* Keep appliances in good working order. Properly maintained appliances are less likely to wear out or break and will not have to be replaced as frequently.

RECYCLE

* Shop for items that are recyclable or are made from recycled materials.

* Recycle newspapers, plastics, glass, and cans.

* If a recycling program does not exist in your community, contact community officials to see if it would make sense to start one.

COMPOST

* Compost yard and kitchen waste. Compost makes an excellent fertilizer and improves the soil.

* If there’s no room for compost pile, offer compostable materials to community composting programs or garden projects near you.

E. Conclusion - The biggest challenges in waste reduction programme lies in sustaining the process. The enthusiasm of the implementing team wanes off with time. Such tragic ends should be avoided. Backing out from commitment, predominance of production at any cost, absence of rewards and appreciation, and shifting of priorities are some of the commonly encountered reasons, which one should check and avoid. Also monitoring and review of the implemented measures should be communicated to all employees in the industry so that it fans the desires for minimizing wastes.

WASTE REDUCTION, REUSE, AND RECYCLING ALLOW US TO USE FEWER RAW MATERIALS AND CONSERVE NATURAL RESOURCES, PRESERVING LANDFILL SPACE AND MINIMIZING ENERGY USE.

THE IMPACT IS DIFFICULT TO IGNORE.

References:

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G20 Participating leaders

November 14, 2014, 10:13 pm

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Participating leaders

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Remarks at G20 Leaders' Retreat, Brisbane

November 14, 2014, 10:16 pm

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Remarks at G20 Leaders' Retreat, Brisbane

15 November 2014

Parliament House, Brisbane

Prime Minister

E&OE

Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott, opening remarks at the G20 Leaders' Retreat, Parliament House, Brisbane

Transcript External

15 Nov 2014 - 3:15pm

Thank you, everyone. It’s a real honour to have so many of you here in the beautiful city of Brisbane for this first ever G20 leaders’ retreat.
I’m very conscious of the fact that the people around this room are some of the most influential and powerful people in this world – indeed the most powerful and influential people in this world.
The people around this room today are responsible for 85 per cent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product, 75 per cent of the world’s trade, 65 per cent of the world’s population. Nowhere on earth will there be a more influential gathering than this, and yet, as we all know, our power and our authority is circumscribed.
We are meeting in the Legislative Council chamber of the Queensland State Parliament and back in the 1920s, the Queensland Government abolished the Legislative Council because it was too much of a restriction on the power of the then Premier, who was in the Legislative Assembly. So, this room symbolises the limitations on our power.
We have heavy responsibilities – all of us. The world is looking to all of us right now to try to demonstrate to an uncertain and at times anxious world that there are people who know what they’re doing, that there are people who have a plan; a plan for growth and for jobs. That's our challenge: to leave this G20 meeting in 48 hours' time having instilled more confidence in the people of the world that there is a better and brighter future for all of us.
But the limitations of our authority, the clash of policy and politics, the difficulty of trying to put good economics into practice given the political constraints that we all have, that's what I would like us to be able to discuss very candidly over the next hour and a half, hour and three quarters.
We all know what we would like to do, but we all know that there are many constraints on what we can do. What I hope in the next hour and three quarters we can do, is speak candidly and openly amongst ourselves.
We may not always be able to agree, but I hope we can at least be open with each other over this time.
Obviously, I would like this discussion to focus on the politics of economic reform. That's what I would like the discussion to do – to focus on the politics of economic reform. In the end, though, this is your retreat; it is open to any of you to raise any subject that you wish. The only rules, as far as I'm concerned, are if we can speak from our heart rather than from a script, that would be good. If we could be reasonably concise – five minutes, please, at the most – that would be good and if we could use first names that would be good as well, because whatever disagreements we might have, I think it helps if there can at least be personal warmth amongst us.
If I could kick off very briefly by saying that when I was elected – my Government was elected – 14 months ago, I made four promises to the Australian people. First, that I would repeal the carbon tax, and that's gone. Second, that I would stop the illegal boats that were coming to our country, and they have, thank God, stopped. Third, that we would start building roads in particular which had been long neglected in this country. Fourth, I said I would get the Budget under control.
Now, I have to say that this has proven massively difficult – massively difficult – because it doesn't matter what spending programme you look at, it doesn't matter how wasteful that spending programme might appear, there are always some people in the community who vote, who love that programme very much. So, getting the Budget under control has proven extremely difficult. If I could speak candidly with you, what I have tried to do is not only get the Budget back under control, but also try to bring about important economic reforms, important liberalisations at the same time.
Two issues in particular that I lay before my colleague leaders: we have tried to deregulate higher education, universities, and that's going to mean less central government spending and effectively more fees that students will have to pay. We think that this will free up our universities to be more competitive amongst themselves and more competitive internationally but students never like to pay more.
The other reform that has proven very, very difficult for us is to try to inject more price signals into our health system. For a long time most Australians who went to see a doctor have been seen at no charge and we would like to see a $7 co-payment for people who are going to see the doctor. In most countries this is not unusual. In most countries, this is standard that the doctor can charge a fee, but it is proving to be massively difficult to get this particular reform through the Parliament.
I don't have any magic answers to the problems that we face. I think that all we can do is explain the reasons as carefully as we can and to persist for as long as we can with these reforms. But the more gatherings like this can affirm the importance of good policy. The more gatherings like this can affirm the importance of governments not overpromising things that are unaffordable and undeliverable, then I think the easier it is for all of us to deliver good policy to the people of our countries.
So, that I hope is what we can do over the next hour and three quarters or so: have a very candid and very honest discussion about where we think our countries can and should go, both individually and collectively over the next few years.

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This page includes materials on the agenda and other aspects of the G20 prepared by the Australian presidency in 2014.

November 14, 2014, 10:23 pm

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Policy Notes & Factsheets

This page includes materials on the agenda and other aspects of the G20 prepared by the Australian presidency in 2014.
For some information in languages other than English, visit the Multilingual Content page.
For an explanation of terms commonly used in the G20, visit the Glossary page.

About the G20 in 2014
Host Year	G20 Host	Document Title
2014	Australia	Preparing the G20 Brisbane summit agenda: an overview from the Australian Presidency (full document)
2014	Australia	Preparing the G20 Brisbane summit agenda Part 1: Overview - 2014 G20 Agenda
2014	Australia	Preparing the G20 Brisbane summit agenda Part 2: Background on 2014 Priorities
2014	Australia	Preparing the G20 Brisbane summit agenda Part 3: Facts about the G20 and the global economy
2014	Australia	Policy note: A forum for the 21st century
2014	Australia	Policy Note: G20 and the world
2014	Australia	Policy Note: Growth and development
2014	Australia	Policy Note: A G20 agenda for growth and resilience in 2014
2014	Australia	Policy note: 2014 G20 working arrangements
2014	Australia	Policy note: Working with partners
2014	Australia	Frequently asked questions on the 2014 G20 agenda
2014	Australia	Overview of Australia's Presidency

Strengthening growth and lifting employment
Host Year	G20 Host	Document Title
2014	Australia	Policy Note: Strategies for economic growth
2014	Australia	Policy Note: Lifting G20 GDP by more than 2 per cent Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting, Sydney, February 2014
2014	Australia	Policy Note: Increasing investment in infrastructure
2014	Australia	Policy Note: Boosting trade for growth and jobs
2014	Australia	Policy Note: Lifting employment and workforce participation

Building global economic resilience
Host Year	G20 Host	Document Title
2014	Australia	Policy Note: Building financial resilience
2014	Australia	Policy Note: Strengthening tax systems
2014	Australia	Policy Note: Strengthening energy markets
2014	Australia	Policy Note: Fighting corruption

Community information
Host Year	G20 Host	Document Title
2014	Australia	Fact sheet: The G20 at a glance
2014	Australia	Fact sheet: G20 Leaders' Summit
2014	Australia	Fact sheet: Why the G20 is important
2014	Australia	Fact sheet: Australia and the G20
2014	Australia	Fact sheet: The G20 Australia logo

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Ahmedabad Police Gives 1-litre Petrol to People Who Obey Traffic Rules

November 17, 2014, 6:43 am

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Ahmedabad Police Gives 1-litre Petrol to People Who Obey Traffic Rules

By: Vikas Yogi | Updated: November 17, 2014 17:13 IST

Ahmedabad Police Gives 1-litre Petrol to People Who Obey Traffic Rules

In a bid to encourage citizens to follow traffic rules, Ahmedabad Police has come up with an unique initiative to reward those who obey traffic rules. The police gave an incentive of 1-litre free petrol to the people following all the traffic rules and regulations in Ramol area in the city.
About 58 people were found obeying traffic laws in the area on Thursday and were given one-litre of petrol for free, informed inspector P Solanki. To measure if a driver really deserves the incentive, the police checked all the necessary documents like licence and RC book, while ensuring if drivers were wearing helmet and seat belts.
Ahemdabad Police informed that this initiative has been started to encourage citizens to follow traffic rules and they have received quite a good response for this. The police held the traffic awareness drive for three days. Last Wednesday, Rakhial Police station in the city had launched a unique driver by gifting discount coupons of local eateries to those who follow traffic rules.

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Faster clearance, tougher penalty is new thrust in environment law

November 18, 2014, 10:50 pm

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Faster clearance, tougher penalty is new thrust in environment law

Villaments in N.Bangalore

The Indian Environment Service is supposed to be a “high quality”, “environment-sensitive” specialised cadre that would man the new institutions that are proposed to be put in place.

Written by Amitabh Sinha | New Delhi | Posted: November 19, 2014 2:17 am

Proposing a complete overhaul of the existing environmental governance framework, a government-appointed expert committee has recommended measures that would make it easier to set up industrial or infrastructure projects, but would also ensure that those who flout pollution norms or violate green laws are penalised heavily.

Among the measures suggested by the four-member committee headed by former Cabinet Secretary T S R Subramanian are: creation of new institutions — National Environment Management Agency (NEMA) and State Environment Management Agencies (SEMA), a new “All India Environment Service”, a “national laboratory” that will host a databank of all environmental parameters, and introduction of digital and “non-tamperable” methods of monitoring compliance.
It has also proposed a new law to give a legal framework to all these and strict punishment for defaulters. While a first offence would be punished with a heavy fine, a repeat offence would straightaway invite closure of the unit or project.
“The new environment protection regime needs to be backed by the right people, right laws, right technology and right knowledge,”
Subramanian told The Indian Express after his committee handed over its report to Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday.
The committee, also comprising former Environment Secretary Viswanath Anand, retired Delhi High Court Judge Justice A K Srivastav, and former Additional Solicitor General K N Bhat, was asked to review six environment-related laws with the aim of bringing them “in line with current requirements”.
Subramanian said as far as the approval and compliance mechanism (for environmental appraisal of projects) was concerned, the committee had placed its trust in the principle of “utmost good faith”. “The industry or the agency putting up the project can be allowed to certify its own assessments of the environmental impact and propose measures to mitigate these in an affidavit. The appraising agency, equipped with data and technology, can accept these after proper verification. But once the clearance is awarded and the industry is found to be violating its own affidavit or any other rule or law, heavy penalties should be imposed immediately,” he said.
“Compliance and transparency is at the heart of the framework we are proposing,”he said.
The committee has also proposed the creation of a new “appellate court” which an industrial party can approach in case it is aggrieved by the appraisal and clearance process or imposition of penalties. It is proposed that this court should announce its verdict within three months.
The committee has called for a massive addition of capacities, both in terms of manpower and technology, to make the new system effective.
The Indian Environment Service is supposed to be a “high quality”, “environment-sensitive” specialised cadre that would man the new institutions that are proposed to be put in place.

On the forest side, the committee has recommended that the compensatory afforestation that companies are supposed to do in case their project involves diversion of any forest land should be doubled. Currently, afforestation is required in a 1:1 ratio, meaning companies have to bring under green cover an area that is equal to the forest area that is diverted.

Subramanian said eventually the legal framework on environmental governance should move towards an integration of all forest laws and all non-forest pollution laws like those on air, water and noise. But these are issues to be taken up at a later stage and have not been dealt with in the report.

are proposed to be put in place.
On the forest side, the committee has recommended that the compensatory afforestation that companies are supposed to do in case their project involves diversion of any forest land should be doubled. Currently, afforestation is required in a 1:1 ratio, meaning companies have to bring under green cover an area that is equal to the forest area that is diverted.
- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/faster-clearance-tougher-penalty-is-new-thrust-in-environment-law/2/#sthash.2NJUuLSx.dpuf

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5 Rules For Being Human

November 18, 2014, 10:55 pm

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5 Rules For Being Human

By Steven Bancarz November 19, 2014

By Steven Bancarz| Being human is not always easy. We have to pretend we are interested in things we are not for the sake of social convention. There is a socially acceptable way to eat, speak, and behave. And heaven forbid we should ever dress inappropriately. That could literally end you up in prison. From the minute we are born, we are piled on with conditionings imposed upon us from our society that shape our behaviour and our mentality.
We live in a strange world where being authentically you is not only discouraged, it’s deliberately suppressed. But beneath the obvious conditionings and conventions that we live by, there are some more deep-seeded “rules” that we must abide by.

These are rules that you learned prior to even being born, and are implicit in your human experience while you’re here. These are essential not only to creating an enjoyable life for yourself, but also for the evolution of your soul. Here are 5 rules you agree to when you sign the contract to become a human.

1) You Get A Body

You get your very own flesh vehicle to drive around in for a bit. You may not like, but it’s an essential part of you being able to experience duality and human emotions. The body has its own biological urges which MAY interfere with your best interests, so learning to become a master of your own biology will be essential if you wish to live a happy life.
The human body is an amazingly complex and delicate organism, so you have to treat it with care. You can’t switch bodies, but you CAN improve them. Exercise and diet will dramatically improve your sense of comfort being inside your skin. But don’t get too comfortable in it. It’s not who you are. When it dies, you move on.

2) Everyone You Meet Is A Mirror

Everyone you meet reflects a part of yourself back to you. For example, you may have suppressed anger inside you and will have this brought out by someone you are in a relationship with. Their words and behaviour are mirrors of what you are projecting energetically. What you see in them is almost ALWAYS a reflection of a part of yourself that suffers in that same area.
If you want a different result from people around you, you can’t always expect them to change for you. Sometimes, all you can do is take responsibility for your own energetic state and be as centered and conscious as you can be. But there’s a catch. You will notice that as you start working on yourself, that the people in your life stop responding to you the same way they used to. You have created a new energetic relationship with them, and the ones that used to give you a hard time no longer do because they are no longer mirroring your shadow qualities back at you.
Whether for good or for bad, the people closest to you will always mirror back to you what you need to work on. Your job is to listen, observe, and be honest with yourself.

3) You Have To Operate By Physical Laws

You can’t just do whatever your wish. You have to abide by a set of very specific and restrictive physical laws. Just like signing up to a rent an apartment or applying for school, you have to sign a contract outlining that you consent to the restrictions that will be put on you during your stay here.
The laws of conservation, of thermodynamics, and the laws of gravity will prevent you from having the same freedom as Superman or the Hulk. Your body is a physical organism that exists with the space-time universe, and the space-time universe has laws built into it so that you can experience what it’s like to be a human.
The laws of nature keep atoms from flying off in random directions and planets from crashing into eachother. Without these laws, you wouldn’t be able to read this right now from your own unique point of view. So don’t hate nature for not allowing you to fly to the moon or swim to the bottom of the ocean floor. They are part of what give you the richness of your experience.

4) Lessons Will Be Repeated Until Learned

You may notice themes in your life that continue to appear over and over again. You may begin to recognize that the same characters keep emerging in your life fulfilling the exact same archetypal roles that permeate your past.
This is the universe’s way of trying to get your attention. A circumstance will keep appearing again and again in your life, and will continue to as long as it stimulates your evolution. If you want to break the cycle, all you have to do is pay attention and listen to the lesson it is trying to show you. Maybe your lesson is one of compassion, self-love, strength, or forgiveness. Whatever it may be, the universe will repeatedly send you that experience to stimulate the evolution of your consciousness.
UNTIL you learn the lesson, that is. Once you learn the lesson, the experience no longer contributes to your evolution. And if the experience no longer contributes to your evolution, it no longer needs to happen. A perfect example of this is people who leave abusive relationships after being in them countless times before, develop a very strong sense of confidence and self-love, and then never enter into another abusive relationship again after taking time away to discover themselves.
Suffering is the universe’s guidepost. Follow the signs. They will always lead you where you need to go.

5) You Will Forget All Of This

You will come into the world forgetting absolutely everything about who you are and where you came from. You won’t remember that you existed prior to coming into your body, you won’t remember that your interactions are mirrors of your internal states, and you won’t remember that the universe is here to help you evolve.
You chose to forget all of this on purpose so that you could fully experience life, learn lessons, and understanding what its like to live in a world of duality. It’s kind of like building a roller-coaster, and then choosing the option of forgetting how you built it before you went on it so that you would get all of the thrills and excitements for the first time.
About the author: My name is Steven Bancarz, and I am the creator of Spirit Science and Metaphysics.

- See more at: http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/5-rules-for-being-human/#sthash.rZMhW2QH.dpuf

With best regards,
(2014)

Dr. AMAR NATH GIRI

EHSQ , NFCL
M.Sc.,Ph.D & DIPLOMA AS - P.G.D.E.P.L,CES, DCA,
EX IIM LUCKNOW FELLOW, EX RESEARCH SCIENTIST
IGIDR-MUMBAI
9912511918
amarnathgiri@nagarjunagroup.com
http://www.nagarjunagroup.com
http://www.nagarjunafertilizers.com

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Text of the Speech delivered by Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar at High Level Segment of 26th Meeting of the Montreal Protocol, 20 Nov 2014

November 21, 2014, 6:23 am

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Text of the Speech delivered by Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar at High Level Segment of 26th Meeting of the Montreal Protocol, 20 Nov 2014

Text of the Speech delivered by Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar at High Level Segment of 26th Meeting of the Montreal Protocol, 20 Nov 2014

Delhi

November 21, 2014 Last Updated at 14:20 IST

Next Multi bagger 2014

Mr. President, Excellencies,

Distinguish delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Mr President, Please accept our heartiest felicitations on your election to the President of 26^th Meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol (MOP) on substances that deplete the Ozone Layer. The Montreal protocol on substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer has been recognized as the most successful Multilateral Environment Agreements (MEAs) in the history. All countries of the world have ratified this landmark treaty with as Endeavour to protect the planet from ill-effects for depletion of the Ozone layer.

This is 325^th anniversary of the French revolution that changed the world, and India hopes to see in Paris next year in 2015, yet another revolution on climate change to reset the world clock towards climate resilient society.
India has made huge contribution to the success of the Montreal Protocol and I would like to thank the bilateral and multilateral agencies, industries and NGOs and not least Multilateral Fund of the Montreal Protocol. India successfully phased out CFCs and other ODS like CTC/CFC/Halon well in time and its phase out of HCFCs is proceeding with due diligence.We have already done this in foam . We have also helped other SAARC countries to come out of theses ODs.

We all know that all is not well with the Montreal Protocol .There are number of challenges still. We introduced HFCs as substitute for the CFCs and now for HCFCs.

HFCs are Green House Gases ( GHG) and its Global Warming Potentials ( GWP) are thousands of time greater than CO2-commonly known GHG.

The joint statement between our Prime Minister Narendra Modi and president Obama has emphasizes study the issue with priority and take appropriate action .

First of all we have to understand why did we land in this problem? We had help of thousands of experts, scientists who warned us on this for decadesthen why we are in this problem? It is said that understanding the problem itself solves half of that problem!

Its mainly because developing countries followed developed countries in implementation of the Montreal Protocol. Developing countries were given technologies and financial assistance to adopt the alternatives which were mainly HFC-dependent.

So the questions we need to respond to : who are responsible to proliferation of HFCs today?
I would like to remind you all that, HFCs is not the issue of elites and scientists. It is the issue of common man, farmers and emerging middle class who need refrigeration and AC at affordable cost and also energy security.

HFCs is also the issue of poverty elimination. My government led by PM Modi is giving utmost priority to the needs of the poorest man in India. Hence it is not only emission of HFCs per se is the key problem, but energy use of the equipment and appliances using alternatives to HFCs is in fact more important.

Lot of time is being wasted in debating, but we still do not know the statistics of what efforts are being done and how HFC phase down is occurring in the developed countries. I was told that developed world is still increasing their HFC consumption, and production facilities are moving to the developing countries.

There are no specific offers of technology transfer, technology demonstrations and technology cooperation for the developing countries, except reports and presentations.

IPR, Patents, Confidentiality are the arguments still used by the developed countries for the issues that would lead us to climate disaster. What is the use of those confidentiality and IPR issues if all of us are getting drowned together due to global warming? Do not use cards so close to your chest, that you yourself cannot see your future!!

My suggestions and proposal
         UNEP Technical and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) should produce reports indicating :
-Country wise production and consumption of HFCs over last 10 years. India does not want estimates. We need actual figures. That's what we did in case of CFCs decades back.

         India needs in every 29 states of India immediate demonstration projects for alternatives to HFCs in refrigeration and ACs to test the viability, affordability and energy efficiency.

         We woud like the developed country industry and research institutes to initiate immediate collaboration to develop and improve the affordability of HFC alternatives.

         The negotiations on HFCs should proceed on the principles of grace period ( CBRD) , financial assistance including that for research and development, technology transfer without clauses of confidentiality.

CP/GV

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Russian Delegation calls on Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers

November 21, 2014, 7:52 am

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≪ Previous: Text of the Speech delivered by Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar at High Level Segment of 26th Meeting of the Montreal Protocol, 20 Nov 2014

Russian Delegation calls on Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers
A Russian delegation led by Mr. Rustam Minnikhanov called on Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri Ananth Kumar here today. Shri Ananth Kumar said that a Joint Working Group will be formed within a week comprising representatives of all three streams of his ministry, namely, Department of Fertilizers, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals and Department of Pharmaceuticals and representatives of Republic of Tatarstan (a subject of the Russian Federation). The Joint Working Group will cull out issues concerning promotion of trade, strengthening of bilateral relations and exploring possibilities for training and research work for the personnel working in this field.

Earlier welcoming the delegation the Minister said that it is a very meaningful visit and will pave a way for strengthening trade relations in respect of fertilizers, chemicals and pharmaceuticals between India and Republic of Tatarstan. India looks forward to long-term agreement for import of potash, phosphate and natural gas of which Russia has huge reserves. India has set up a couple of joint ventures in various countries for sourcing finished fertilizers as well as raw materials. A couple of joint venture projects for setting up urea-ammonia plants and raw materials are planned, the Minister said.

GG:CP: fertilizer (18.11.2014)
(Release ID :111524)

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Corrosion Control And Management Vital for Ensuring ‘Zero Defect , Zero Effect’ Manufacturing – Ananth Kumar

November 21, 2014, 7:54 am

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Corrosion Control And Management Vital for Ensuring ‘Zero Defect , Zero Effect’ Manufacturing – Ananth Kumar

Union Minister for Chemicals & Fertilizers Ananth Kumar today drew attention of the industry leaders to the need for adopting pro-active approach towards corrosion control in manufacturing activities. Addressing the plenary session of the CORCON 2014 : International Conference and Exposition in Mumbai on Friday, Mr. Ananth Kumar said the government as well as the industry should change the mindset and move with enthusiasm to adopt corrosion control and management technique, without considering it as a repair and maintenance issue. The Minister informed that according to a recent report of the World Corrosion Organization, the annual corrosion cost is approximately US $ 2.5 trillions or 3-4% of the global GDP. In India alone, the loss on account of corrosion is estimated at around $ 67 billion ( over Rs 4 lakh crores), the minister added. He said, in the fertilizer industry too, corrosion is a major concern due to corrosive nature of raw materials. Mr. Ananth Kumar said controlling corrosion requires significant expenditure, but it is more rewarding in the long run in terms of increased plant safety, better performance and enhanced asset life.

Mr. Ananth Kumar said the Prime Minister has laid great emphasis on ‘Make In India’ with zero defect and zero effect on environment. “In this regard, corrosion management will facilitate the manufacturing sector to enhance its competitive edge in the global market “ he added. He said, corrosion control should become an integral part of ‘good manufacturing practice’. The Minister also laid stress on increased Research & Development in inventing environmentally sustainable corrosion control techniques.

CORCON 2014 is a four day international conference that brings together experts and manufacturers facilitating ideas exchange. It also showcases products like corrosion preventing products and services, measures, metals of least corrosion acceptance etc.

PIB Mum| ST (MD) /KSP
******

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First meeting of Reconstituted Executive Committee on Climate Change held

November 21, 2014, 8:01 am

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First meeting of Reconstituted Executive Committee on Climate Change held
The first meeting of the reconstituted Executive Committee on Climate Change (ECCC) was held here today. The Committee reviewed the progress made by the eight National Missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).

The Committee noted that 29 states had prepared their State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC), allocation of additional 1500 MW power was made by the Ministry of Power to Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for bundling scheme and that a team for quantification of GHG emission reduction through the implementation of national missions was set up. The Committee was also apprised about the establishment of a unit to coordinate actions in all Himalayan States and an institutional mechanism in 7 Himalayan States by D/o Science & Technology (DST) etc.

The National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency reported emissions reduction by around 98.55 million tons by 2015 and saving of 23 million tons of oil- equivalent of fuel savings and distribution of 2.58 million LED bulbs. The designated consumers in the PAT scheme would be enhancing energy efficiency by 4.05% per year which would reduce energy cost by 7500 crores per year. The Committee suggested that the Mission should enhance its targets in the next PAT cycle.

The Solar Mission reported the addition of grid solar power of 2870 MW and off -grid solar applications of 364.27 MW along with solar thermal collectors of 8.42 million sq. Mtr till 2013-14 and total CO2 reduction of 15.5 million tonnes. The Committee was apprised of the new projects of solar parks, solar PV power projects on canal top/canal banks and solar power driven agricultural pump sets and water pumping station in 2014-15 and implementation of green corridors transmission infrastructure.

While noting the progress made, the Committee expressed concern on lack of progress in allocation of sub-targets within the existing earmarking of 3 % for solar projects and implementation of Sustainable Habitat standards by the States. The lack of adequate funding was flagged by some of the missions. The committee discussed some other initiatives as envisaged in the NAPCC. These are Greenhouse Gas (GHG) mitigation in power generation; other Renewable Energy Technologies (RET) programmes; Disaster management links; Protection of coastal areas; Health sector; and creating capacity at different levels of government on climate change and suggested that relevant ministries may prepare a work programme on all these initiatives. It advised that Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) should coordinate these initiatives. Suggestions were also made to launch new national missions in the field of Wind Energy, Health, Waste to Energy conversion and Coastal management.

The committee appreciated the efforts of state governments in formulating SAPCCs and recommended launching of a new Central Sponsored Scheme (CSS), if required, for implementing some of their priority projects. The committee suggested expediting the finalisation of remaining 6 SAPCCs. The committee was apprised of the “Low Carbon Strategies for Inclusive Growth” by the Planning Commission.

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India, home to 1.2 billion people, constitutes for 18% of the world's population.

November 24, 2014, 2:25 am

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India, home to One billion people, constitutes for 18% of the world's population.
Indus Valley Civilization (circa 2500-1700BC), earliest known civilization of South Asia, corresponding to the Bronze Age cultures of ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Crete (Kríti). The remains of settlements belonging to this culture have been found throughout the Indus River valley in Pakistan, westward along the coast to the Iranian border, in India's northwestern states as far east as New Delhi, and on the Oxus River in northern Afghanistan. The Indus Valley civilization encompasses one of the largest geographical areas covered by a single Bronze Age culture.
AREA: 1.3 million sq miles (3.3 million sq km) stretching from the Himalayas in the north to the Indian ocean in the south. India shares borders with Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma and Bangladesh.
Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.
Main exports: Gems and jewelry, ready made garments, cotton yarn and fabrics, handicrafts, cereals, marine products, transport equipment. Main imports: Crude oil, petroleum products, chemicals, machinery, electrical machinery, fertilizers, iron, steel, pearls, precious and semi-precious stones.
India, which traces its civilization back 5,000 years, won independence from Britain in 1947 in a welter of sectarian bloodshed as the subcontinent was partitioned into predominantly Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan. India has since fought three wars with Pakistan, two of them over disputed Kashmir. In 1962, India also fought a short border war with China.
Although modern images of India often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country on earth until the time of British invasion in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth.
Bombay (Mumbai), home to India's largest stock exchange and its reserve bank, has vast slums sitting on some of the most expensive real estate of the world.
India is the world's largest consumer of gold. And, by year 2000 the Indian market for gold will reach 1000 tons.
Dating from the Vedic period, the Neem plant is considered to be very auspicious, not only for it's medicinal values, but also for it's use in religious rites. Neem is also revered for it's unmatched use as a biologically sound pesticide and an air purifier. The magical properties of the neem have now been revealed to the world.
India is one of the biggest players in the international fashion arena. Buyers such as Macys, Levi's, Wrangler, etc. all folk to India for its vast array of cloths and prints.
Mohandas Karamchand) Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar, India. He became one of the most respected spiritual and political leaders of the 1900's. Gandhi helped free the Indian people from British rule through nonviolent resistance, and is honored by his people as the father of the Indian Nation. The Indian people called Gandhi Mahatma, meaning Great Soul.
India is the biggest diamond-cutting center for small roughs. These diamonds are eventually sold in shops on Fifth Avenue.
The caste system was created as an means for providing social status in the community. A family's caste was determined by the family's main occupation. The classifications of the caste system are: Brahman (the priest), Kshatriya (the warrior), Vaisya (the trader), and Sudra (the laborer).
Since the beginning of history the Ganges (THE GANGA, Holy River) has been a precious source of water in the hot climate of India, providing water for drinking, irrigation, bathing, and most recently, electrical energy. For providing such sustenance the river is worshipped by millions of Indian as Mother Ganges. By bathing in the Ganges, one can wash away all sins and begin again, cleansed from the imperfections of the past.
YOGA: The ancient Hindu system of mental and physical exercise is practiced the world over. The belief that yoga can improve one's health and peace of mind, has prompted thousands of foreigners to try it out.
India has 3.5 million professionals trained in medicine or other technical sciences. Ranking India as one of the ten largest emerging markets in the world.
India has one of the largest middle classes in the world nearly 250 million people which is the total population of the United States.
Perhaps the most popular of all India's culinary exports, the curry was recently named as the most popular dish in Britain. Curry derives it's name from 'kadi', the Tamil word for sabzi (or vegetable). In some parts of the world, going for a 'curry and a beer' are an intrinsic part of a good 'night out'.
The dowry system was originally created in the days when Hindu women had no right to inheritance by law. This was the only way parents could insure that her daughter would have some property of her own. Even her husband had no claim on this property. Arranged marriages was the practice where elders of the family made marriage decisions for their children at a time when children were married at a very young age. Today, families merely introduce youngsters and no demands are made of them. The word arranged has become a misnomer.
The red dot(BINDI) used to be worn on the forehead of married women as a sign of matrimony (similar to wedding bands here). Nowadays, Bindis are very advanced.
On January 26, 1950 India adopted its Constitution which declared India as a sovereign, socialist, secular republic. India follows a two-tiered parliamentary system. The Parliament consists of the President of India and the two houses: Lok Sabha (House of the People) comprised of elected representatives from the states and Rajya Sabha (Council of the States) comprised of appointed representatives.
India is a country with probably the largest and most diverse mixture of races. All the five major racial types - Australoid, Mongoloid, Europoid, Caucasian and Negroid - find representation among the people of India, who are mainly a mixed race.
Kamasutra, This ancient text on sexual love, was written by Vatsyayana in the mid-4th century. The text was made accessible to the English-speaking world by the orientalist Sir Richard Burton. It is essentially a philosophy on love and how to achieve happy and harmonius relationships, especially between husband and wife.
One of the most enduring symbols of India is the figure of Shiv Nataraj or the dancing Shiva. Shiva's cosmic dance is believed to encompass creation, preservation, and destruction and this idea has been embedded in Hindu thought and ritual since the dawn of civilisation.
Films arrived in India less than a year after the Lumieres first exhibited their cinematographie in Paris. On July 7, 1896, an agent who had brought equipment and films from France first showed his moving pictures in Bombay. That was an important day in the social and cultural history of the Indian people.
The first Indian-made feature film (3700 feet long) was released in 1913. It was made by Dadasaheb Phalke and was called Raja Harishchandra. Based on a story from the Mahabharata it was a stirring film concerned with honour, sacrifice and mighty deeds. From then on many "mythologicals" were made and took India by storm. Phalke's company alone produced about a hundred films.
India's mastery of the science of pure mathematics goes back to ancient times. It is generally acknowledged that the concept of zero, crucial to the development of the science, is India's contribution to the world, which was given to Europe through the Arabs. In the Ganita Sara Samgraha, 850 A.D., Mahaviracharya, the greatest Jain mathematician mentions the significance of zero. In the fifth century BC Brahmagupta became the first mathematician to solve the Pellian equation. A century later, Aryabhatta arrived at the most accurate value of the mathematical constant, Pi, in the Gitikapada. The Bakhsali manuscript, written in the third or fourth century BC, on 72 leaves of birch bark, is an exclusively mathematical text that presents rules, illustrated instances and solutions to geometric, algebraic and arithmetical problems. In the Kalpasutras, penned in 290 BC, Bhadrabahu solved the Pythagorean theorem. The mathematical genius of the Jains was so developed that their highest numeral was a forerunner of the Alef zero of modern-day mathematics.
The art of Navigation was born in the river Sindh 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.
Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.
The value of "pi" was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before theEuropean mathematicians.
Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10**53(10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BCE during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera 10**12(10 to the power of12).
Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10**53(10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BCE during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera 10**12(10 to the power of12).
India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.
The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in100 BC.
Albert Einstein said: "We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made".
Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.
The arc-shaped Himalayas extend along the entire northern boundary of India and carve just as far across the Indian subcontinent as they do deeply into the life around them. The term "Himalaya" -- a Sanskrit word meaning "the Abode of Snow" -- was coined by the Indian pilgrims who traveled in these mountains in ancient times. For centuries, the inhabitants of India have been fascinated by this mountain chain. The feeling is a mixture of admiration, awe and fear; and for the Hindus of India, the Himalayas are also "the Abode of God". There are numerous pilgrim routes that have brought the Hindu pilgrims to these mountains since time immemorial.
Although modern images of India often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country on earth until the time of British invasion in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth.
India is the world's largest consumer of gold, but does not produce any gold of its own. The ever increasing demand for the precious yellow metal, subject to high import duty, is fueling a multi-million dollar gold smuggling racket.
Even though millions of Indian people live in poverty, India is the world's largest consumer of gold. Not just a luxury for the rich, every family acquires and gives gold on special occasions. From a bride's wedding ornaments to a baby girl's first gold earrings or the gold grain placed in the mouth of a deceased loved one, gold is the touchstone of status and security.
India is about the order of magnitude in area as the whole of Europe, excluding the formally known USSR. However, its total population is today greater than the whole of Europe, including the former USSR. That is nearly four times the US population.
Yoga is highly relevant in the modern day context. With tension and stress becoming a part of our daily life ‘Yoga’ enables us to achieve self-realistion in a systematic manner. By helping the union of the body with the mind and the mind with the soul, it creates the ultimate symphony of life. Different forms of yoga i.e. -Hatha yoga, Raja yoga, Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, Jnana yoga, Mantra yoga and Laya yoga- provides the finest system of education and brings out the best in a person
Ayurveda in Sanskrit means "the science of Life". It is an ancient, unfailing system of treatment based on medicines prepared from herbal plants found in abundance in India. Ayurveda is an integral part of the people of India. This ancient knowledge system of medicine has gained global acceptance especially for alternative ways of preventive, curative and rejuvenative processes making life a more pleasurable experience.
Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place in our civilization.Dating from the Vedic period, the Neem plant is considered to be very auspicious, not only for it's medicinal values, but also for it's use in religious rites. Neem is also revered for it's unmatched use as a biologically sound pesticide and an air purifier. The magical properties of the neem have now been revealed to the world

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10 Deadliest Natural Disasters in Human History

November 26, 2014, 8:18 am

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10 Deadliest Natural Disasters in Human History

by sonic070 · January 2, 2014

What affects human activities and is the consequence of a natural hazard is a natural disaster. These ranges from different kinds from volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, landslides and much more. In almost all cases, there has been a loss of millions of lives. Some of the more aggressive ones are briefly described below.

10Aleppo Earthquake

http://cdn-6.itsnature.org

Aleppo Earthquake – 1138 – Syria [230,000 dead]
Located along the northern part of the Dead Sea Transform system of geologic faults is Aleppo. This region is a plate boundary separating the Arabian plate from the African plate. The earthquake was actually the beginning of the first of two intense sequences of earthquakes in the region. From October 1138 to June 1139 to a much more intense series from September 1156 to May 1159.
Harim was severely affected and it was here Crusaders had built a large citadel. According to sources the castle was destroyed and the church fell in on itself. The fort of Atharib was also destroyed. Harim citadel also collapsed, killing another 600 of the castle guard, though the governor and some servants were able to survive and flee to Mosul

9Indian Ocean Earthquake

https://www.e-education.psu.edu

Indian Ocean Earthquake – 2004 – Indian Ocean [230,000 dead]
Known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, this particular earthquake was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) December 26, 2004. The epicenter was off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. Several destructive tsunamis attacked the coasts bordering the Indian Ocean and caused the deaths of large masses of people and disrupted coastal communities.
The magnitude of the earthquake was originally recorded as 9.0, but has since been increased to between 9.1 and 9.3. This makes it the second largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. In fact it was so large that it caused the entire planet to vibrate as much as half an inch (over a centimeter).

8Banqiao Dam Failure

zh.wikipedia.org

Banqiao Dam Failure – 1975 – China [231,000 dead]
Ironically, the Banqiao Dam was originally designed to survive a once-in-1,000-year flood (306 mm (12 inches) rainfall per day). In August 1975, however, a once-in-2,000 year flood occurred, pouring more than a year’s worth of rainfall in just under 24 hours. Weather forecasts failed to predict such an event. 64 dams failed as a result of sediment blockage as the sluice gates were not able to handle the overflow of water.
After the dam burst it caused an enormous wave that was 10 kilometers (6 miles) wide and 3-7 meters (9-23 feet) high. It sped downwards into the plains below at nearly 50 kilometers per hour (31 mph). It almost wiped out an area 55 kilometers long and 15 kilometers wide, and created temporary lakes as large as 12,000 km² (4,600 square miles). Unfortunately evacuation orders had not been fully delivered sue of weather conditions and poor communications.

7Tangshan Earthquake

http://www.drgeorgepc.com

Tangshan Earthquake – 1976 – China [242,000 dead]
In terms of the loss of life the Tangshan earthquake is one of the largest earthquakes to hit the modern world. Its epicentre was near Tangshan in Hebei in China which was an industrial city with around one million inhabitants. The earthquake hit early in the morning, at 03:42:53.8 local time (1976 July 27 19:42:53.8 UTC), and lasted for astonishingly only 15 seconds. According to the Chinese Government’s official sources the quake was 7.8 on the Richter magnitude scale, though some other sources claim it was 8.2. This was the first earthquake of its time to score a direct hit on a major city.
For internal reasons, the People’s Republic of China government refused to accept any international aid, and its own efforts were criticized similarly as inadequate. China was also criticized for having ignored scientists’ warnings of the need to prepare for an earthquake and the ramifications of the political situation created contributed to the end of the Chinese Cultural Revolution.

6Kaifeng Flood

http://history.cultural-china.com

Kaifeng Flood – 1642 – China [300,000 dead]
Located along the southern bank of the Yellow River, Kaifeng was flooded in 1642 by the Ming army with water from Yellow River to prevent the peasant rebel Li Zicheng from taking over. Approximately half of the 600,000 residents of city Kaifeng were killed by the flood and the resulting disasters of plague and famine make it one of the most deadly single acts of war in history as well as the second greatest single loss of human life of its time. The flood is sometimes / mostly referred to as a natural disaster only because of the role of the Huang He river.

5India Cyclone

http://i223.photobucket.com

India Cyclone – 1839 – India [300,000+ dead]
In 1839, a cyclone caused a 40 foot tidal wave which was able to wipe out the harbor city of Coringa. This city was never entirely rebuilt. A total of 20,000 vessels in the bay were destroyed and about 300,000 people died. This was not the first major catastrophe to occur in Coringa as in 1789 three tidal waves caused by a cyclone destroyed the harbour city at the mouth of the Ganges river. At that time most ships were sunk and more than 20,000 people drowned.

4Shaanxi Earthquake

http://thegeosphere.pbworks.com

Shaanxi Earthquake – 1556 – China [830,000 dead]
This 1556 Shaanxi earthquake or Hua County earthquake is the most deadliest earthquake on the record, causing the deaths of approximately 830,000 people. It occurred on the morning of 23 January 1556 in Shaanxi, China. This affected more than 92 counties and a 520 mile-wide area was destroyed. In some counties, sixty percent of the population was killed. Most of the population at that time lived in yaodong, artificial caves in loess cliffs, several of which collapsed during the catastrophic incident, with great loss of life.
According to modern day estimates, the approximate power was 8 on the magnitude scale. Though it was the most deadly earthquake and the fifth deadliest natural disaster in history, there have been earthquakes with even higher magnitudes. Aftershocks continued for several times a month for half a year afterwards.

3Bhola Cyclone

http://img3.photographersdirect.com

Bhola Cyclone – 1970 – Bangladesh [500,000 – 1,000,000 dead]
The 1970 Bhola cyclone was a devastating tropical cyclone that struck the former East Pakistan (now known as Bangladesh) on November 12, 1970. It was one of the worst tropical cyclone ever recorded, and one of the harshest natural disasters in the modern times. Approximately 500,000 people were killed, primarily as a result of the storm surge that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the Ganges Delta. The Pakistani government was criticized for its handling of the relief operations following the storm, by both local political leaders in East Pakistan and in the international media.
The cyclone had intensified into a severe cyclonic storm a day before, and had begun to turn towards the northeast as it approached the head of the Bay. A clear cyclone eye formed in the storm, and it reached its peak later that day with sustained winds of 185 km/h (115 mph). During the time of high tide, it made it hit its target on the shores of East Pakistan.

2Yellow River Flood in 1887

ciklon.si

Yellow River Flood – 1887 – China [900,000 – 2,000,000 dead]
The Yellow River (Huang He) in China is prone to frequent flooding, largely due to the broad expanse of mostly flat land around it. The Yellow River (in year 1887) floods devastated the area, killing between 900 thousand -2 millions of people. For centuries, the farmers living near the River banks had built dikes to contain the rising waters, caused by silt accumulation on the riverbed. In 1887, the rising seabed, with the help of days of heavy rain, was able to overcome the dikes, and caused a massive flood. As a result of the low-lying plains near the area, the flood spread quickly all throughout Northern China, covering a whopping 50,000 square miles, leaving two million homeless. The following pandemic and lack of basic essentials took as many lives as the flood itself.

1Yellow River Flood in 1931

http://0.tqn.com

Yellow River Flood – 1931 – China [1,000,000 – 4,000,000 dead]
The worst Yellow River flood however took place in the middle of 1931. According to estimates, the number of people killed in the 1931 flooding range from 1 to 4 million. Much lesser population densities in prehistoric times make it very unlikely that this high toll had previously been surpassed. Between July and November 1931, some 88,000 sq km of land were totally flooded, and about 21,000 sq km more were partially flooded. The (Yellow) river is often called “China’s sorrow” because millions of people have been killed by flooding.

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Revival Of Fertilizer Plants

November 27, 2014, 7:02 am

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Revival Of Fertilizer Plants

The Government has laid a roadmap for achieving self-sufficiency in the production of the fertilizers by reviving defunct fertilizer units in various parts of the country and establishing new units along the route of the Natural Gas Grid. Stating this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today, the Minister for Chemicals and Fertiliser gave the following details relating to revival of the sick fertilizer units:-

Status of the revival of closed & sick fertilizer PSUs:

Out of the nine public sector fertilizer companies under the administrative control of the Department of Fertilizers, four are sick. These are Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL), Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Limited (HFCL), Madras Fertilizers Limited (MFL), Fertilizers And Chemicals Travancore Ltd. (FACT) and Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizers Corporation Ltd. (BVFCL). Out of these, the units of FCIL and HFCL are presently lying closed since 2002. MFL, FACT and BVFCL are operational but sick companies.Details of revival/restructuring of these units are discussed below:

Revival of closed units of HFCL/FCIL

In 2008, Cabinet approved revival of FCIL and HFCL units subject to non-recourse to Government funding and to consider write off of GOI Loan & interest to the extent required. The revival of these closed units would be through nomination route by PSUs and through bidding route by private sector. Sindri, Talcher and Ramagundam Units of FCIL to be revived on nomination basis. Gorakhpur & Korba units of FCIL and Durgapur, Haldia, Barauni of HFCL to be revived through bidding route.

In August, 2011, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had approved the Draft Rehabilitation Scheme (DRS) for revival of all the Units of FCIL and HFCL. DRS envisaged revival of Talcher Unit by the consortium of M/s.Rashtriya Chemical & Fertilizers Limited (RCF), M/s Coal India Limited (CIL) and M/s Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), revival of Ramagundam Unit by M/s. Engineers India Limited (EIL) and M/s. National Fertilizers (NFL) Limited and revival of Sindri unit by M/s Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).

In its meeting held on 9.5.2013, CCEA, inter-alia, approved waiver of Government of India loan and interest to facilitate FCIL to arrive at positive net worth. This enabled FCIL to get de-registered from the purview of Board for Industrial and Financial reconstruction (BIFR). Proposal/action plan on revival of HFCL units to be taken up once revival of FCIL units is on track. The progress of revival of FCIL units is as under:

Revival of Talcher:

Talcher unit of FCIL to be revived by consortium of PSUs namely RCF,GAIL,CIL and FCIL by forming two joint venture companies, namely JV 1 & JV 2 with the following time line:

i. JV formation through RoC : By 30.11.2014

ii. Financial closure & Zero date : By 1.01.2015

iii. Commissioning of Project : By 31.12.2018

Revival of Ramagundam:

Ramagundam unit of FCIL to be revived by consortium of PSUs namely NFL, EIL and FCIL by forming a JV company with the following time line:

i. JV formation : By 31.12.2014

ii. Award of contract to Technology Licensors : By 31.03.2015

iii. Project completion : By 30.9.2018

Revival of Sindri:

For Sindri unit, SAIL-Sindri Projects Ltd. (SSPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of SAIL, has been incorporated in November 2011 for the purpose of revival of Sindri Unit of FCIL. Out of total land of 6652 acres with FCIL at Sindri, only 498 acres (the area of existing fertilizer plant) is encroachment free contiguous land as against the requirement of 3247 acres of encroachment free contiguous land required by SAIL for setting up the proposed facilities. However, no much progress has been made due to non-availability of around 3000 Acres of contiguous piece of land for the Steel Plant.

In the context of the recent announcement of the proposed Jagdishpur-Haldia Pipeline of GAIL, DoF is exploring the feasibility of fast tracking the revival, of Gorakhpur unit of FCIL. Revival of Korba unit is pending.

Financial Restructuring of BVFCL

BVFCL is incurring financial losses since inception due to low capacity utilization & high energy consumption. The plants were underperforming due to obsolete technology, equipment failures and shortage of natural gas. To address the issue of sickness of BVFCL, based on the recommendations of Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE), a comprehensive proposal seeking financial restructuring of BVFCL has been proposed to be placed before CCEA. At present, the draft CCEA note is under Inter-ministerial consultation.

Financial Restructuring of MFL:

MFL is a Joint Venture between GOI M/s Naftiran Intertrade Co Ltd (NICO) with present share holding of GOI & NIOC at 69.78% and 30.22 respectively. MFL started incurring losses in the year 2003-04 and declared Sick in 2009. A comprehensive proposal seeking financial restructuring of MFL to address the issue of sickness was submitted to the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) to place it for the consideration/approval of BRPSE. However DPE returned the proposal in July, 2014 stating that the post of Chairman, BRPSE and several other members are vacant.

Financial Restructuring of FACT:

FACT located at Udyogmandal, Kerala and engaged in manufacture and marketing of fertilizers and petrochemicals, design, engineering & consultancy and in fabrication & erection of industrial equipment.

FACT has started incurring losses since 1998-99 and is a sick unit. Based on the recommendations of BRPSE, a comprehensive proposal seeking financial restructuring of FACT to address the issue of sickness was submitted to the Cabinet Secretariat to place it for the consideration/approval of CCEA. Department of Expenditure has raised some issues on the matter. Department of Fertilizers is in discussions with Department of Expenditure to resolve these issues. The financial revival package submitted by FACT is yet to be placed before CCEA.

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KSP

(Release ID :111867)

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Amendment to the New Investment Policy

November 27, 2014, 7:03 am

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Amendment to the New Investment Policy

An amendment to New Investment Policy (NIP) is under consideration of the Department of Fertilizers. Stating this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today, the Minister for Chemicals and Fertiliser said the para (ii) of the New Investment Policy (NIP)-2012 has been notified on 7^th October, 2014, so as to ensure seriousness/ credibility of the project proponents under NIP-2012. With the objective it was proposed that all the project proponents will be required to furnish Bank Guarantee (BG) of Rs 300 crores for each project. The BG will be linked to milestones in the project cycle. Out of Rs. 300 crores, Rs. 100 crores of BG will be released after finalization of LSTK/EPCA contractors and release of advance of the contractor’s amount; Rs. 100 crores of BG will be released on completion of requirements ordering and supply to the site or midpoint of the project cycle, whichever is earlier; and the balance of Rs. 100 crores of BG on completion of the project. PSUs are, however, exempted from furnishing the BG.

(c): As of now, Department of Fertilizers has received the following Brownfield/Greenfield/Revamp/ proposals/projects:

S. No.	Company	Projects	Ownership	State
1.	Zuari Agro Chemicals Limited	Revamp of Ammonia-Urea project at Zuarinagar.	Private	Goa
2.	IGFL-Jagdishpur	Brownfield Expansion urea project at Jagdishpur.	Private	Uttar Pradesh
3.	CFCL-Gadepan	Brownfield of Ammonia-Urea units at Gadepan-Kota.	Private	Rajasthan
4.	GNVFC-Bharuch	Brownfield Ammonia-Urea project at Bharuch.	State JV	Gujarat
5.	GSFC-Vadodara	Greenfield Ammonia-Urea project at Dahej.	State PSU	Gujarat
6.	MATIX Fertilizers & Chemicals ltd.	Brownfiled Ammonia-Urea Fertilizers Complex at Panagarh.	Private	West Bengal
7.	RCF-Thal	Brownfield Ammonia-Urea Expansion project at Thal.	CPSU	Maharashtra
8.	FACT-Kochi	Brownfield Ammonia-urea project at Udyogamandal, Kochin.	PSU	Kerala
9.	Kanpur Fertilizers & Cements Limited	Brownfield Project at Panki, Kanpur	Private	Uttar Pradesh
10	Bharat Coal Chemicals Ltd	Coal Gasification based Ammonia and urea project, Paradip	Private	Odisha
11	Nagarjuna Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd.	Brownfield Project at Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh	Private	Andhra Pradesh

(d): The following steps are being taken by the Government to meet the requirement

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KSP

↧

Two day National Conference on “Alternatives to Animal use in Experimentation” held recently

November 27, 2014, 7:20 am

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Two day National Conference on “Alternatives to Animal use in Experimentation” held recently
A two day National Conference on “Alternatives to Animal use in Experimentation” organised by the CPCSEA (Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals), Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEFCC) was held recently.

Speaking on the occasion, Sh. Ashok Lavasa, Secretary MoEFCC said that the paths may be different for the scientific community and the people who work for animal welfare. But, both should strive for the development of science and animal welfare by their different paths. The inaugural function chaired by Shri Hem Pande, Additional Secretary, MoEFCC and Chairman, CPCSEA was attended, among others, by Chairman and members of Animal Welfare Board of India, members of CPCSEA, Drug Controller General of India and Animal Husbandry Commissioner, Government of India.

The Conference discussed the issue of whether valid alternatives could replace the use of animals for experimentation. During the discussions, some participants came out with some validated alternative methods which would be a good learning for other countries. Significanr participants from different countries were Mr. Nuke Jukes from England, Mr. Christina Pellevoisin from France, Mr. C.F.F. Hendriksen from the Netherlands, Mr. Jarrod Bailey from London, Dr. Jagat Kumar Roy from BHU, Varanasi, Dr. M.A. Akbarsha from Tiruchirapalli, TN, Dr. Sandhya Kaushika from TIFR, Mumbai. A wide spectrum of participants comprising scientists from various institutions, both from the Govt. as well as private sector who are involved in bio-medical research using animals like rats, mice, rabbits, guinea pigs, monkeys and equines and CPCSEA nominees from different parts of the country also attended the conference.

The CPCSEA is mandated to alleviate pain & suffering to the laboratory animals before, during and after experimentation through the principle of 4 Rs (Replace, Reduce, Refine and Rehabilitate). CPCSEA is trying to find appropriate alternatives to the use of animals in experiments in India. This Conference deliberated upon the ways to reduce and replace animals in experimentation through use of alternatives methods.

CP/GV
(Release ID :11178

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