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Showing posts from June, 2008

olla

Cost Effective Solution to save Coconut trees during forth coming water scarcity months due to El Niño : Olla Irrigation - Ancient Wisdom for Modern Droughts. 🏺 Echoes of Ancient Clay pot Irrigation Long before the term olla entered agricultural vocabulary, ancient Tamil farmers practiced remarkably similar methods. In Sangam‑era Tamilakam, clay vessels called “ māṇ paṇai ” or “kulam paṇai” were used to store and seep water near tree roots - especially for coconut, banana, and areca palms.   These pots were often placed in earthen basins (thottam) lined with coir, husk, and leaf mulch, creating a natural moisture‑retention system. Inscriptions and temple garden records from regions like Pollachi, Thanjavur, and Madurai mention such paṇai neer vaḻi (pot‑water channels) as part of sustainable irrigation networks.  This continuity of wisdom - from ancient Tamil pot irrigation to modern olla systems -  shows how indigenous knowledge can guide regenerative farming in the...

Industries flocking into Tamilnadu - Must do Pollution Control also

Tire manufacturing Industry is coming to Gangaikondan, Tirunelveli in near future. Commercial Vehicles Manufacturing Industry and Nokia spare parts manufacturing coming to Orakadam, Chennai very soon, Cuddalore - Petroleum Refinery & Ship building Industry, ThiruChopuram - Building Harbor for private sector , along with several other industries. These industries are good for the Economic development of the state. However the above areas: ISLANDS, CORAL REEFS, MANGROVE FORESTS, WETLANDS, and FORESTS are as important as the Economic development and are very sensitive Environments. Also these industries should consider effects on HUMAN HEALTH . Cuddalore is already a polluted and environmentally sensitive area. It has been affected by Tsunami.Mangrove forests have been helping the coastal areas from fierce force of cyclones. So, Mangrove forests are needed to protect the coastal areas. Even though these industries are vital for economic upliftment, these industries must conside...

Disney/Pixar Wall-E - Environment

Disney/Pixar Wall-E movie has a very strong environmental message - according to the movie director. Hopefully the plastic toys that will be sold after this movie's Wall-E, EVE and others do not end up in the environment and are properly recycled. Also Disney should be testing these toys for hazardous materials before they end up recalling these toys. Because: Disney Store has recalled about 8,000 Tinker Bell toy wands because the paint on the pearl beads in the flowers of the wands contains excessive levels of lead , in the past.

iPhone 3G and Environment

Cool iphone 3G is here: iPhone3G The original iPhone, sold for $399 (1.4 million pieces were sold by October 2007), had flaws and already tech wizs are discussing in blogs to buy them by saying $199 seems very reasonable for 3G. Hopefully Apple will sell 2million 3G iphones because they are cheaper - $199. So where will all these 1.4 million (at least half of it) original iphones will end up? In the environment - loaded with: Brominated flame retardants (BFRs), Poly Vinyl Chlorides (PVCs), along with traces of Lead, Cadmium and Mercury. Environmental Information Management System (USEPA): An abstract from USEPA Effects of Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) represent a large and diverse class of high volume industrial chemicals which have been developed to provide fire safety. There are many other BFRs which have been used and are under development. Historically, polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs) were used but they were banned because of their persistence, bioaccumulatio...

Nonvegeterian to Vegeterian

I was brought up in a family where we love to eat non-veg food. If guests were invited and not provided with some kind of non-vegeterian food, it was referred as ill treatment. I loved to eat meat. Whatever meat - from chicken, fish, to beef (I used to play and feel very hungry and we used to go to a Muslim restaurant in Coimbatore and check out chili beef instead of chicken because it was cheaper and no difference in taste. Though I am a Hindu I had beef because of the above reason) and any kind of meat available. When I came to US for higher studies, I had only non-veg food. Me and friends used to eat lots of chicken (Spicy chicken by Andhra roommates), beef (Punjabi room mates, Philli Cheese Steak & McD Big Mac), Pork (Chinese friends & Pepporoni Pizza). We used to go to a Chinese restaurant so often and order the same food routinely. The owner used to prepare the ribs as soon as we entered the restaurant. In childhood days, my aunt prepared the best fried fish in the world ...

Calcium Carbide - Mangoes, PCBs - Vadai !

Fruit Ripening using Calcium Carbide: Even though fruit ripening is banned using Carbide, still Mangoes are ripened using Calcium Carbide without any conscience: Calcium Carbide is a grayish-black, lump-shaped solid or crystal (sugar or sand-like), which has a slight garlic-like odor. It is used to make Acetylene and other chemicals, and in metallurgy. HAZARD SUMMARY Calcium Carbide can affect you when breathed in. Contact can severely irritate and burn the eyes and skin causing permanent eye damage and ulcers on the skin. Exposure can severely irritate the mouth, nose and throat causing sores, cough and wheezing. Breathing Calcium Carbide can irritate the lungs causing coughing and/or shortness of breath. Higher exposures may cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), a medical emergency, with severe shortness of breath. Calcium Carbide is a FLAMMABLE and REACTIVEchemical and a DANGEROUS FIRE and EXPLOSIONHAZARD. Calcium Carbide is on the Hazardous Substance...

One More Forest Resource Depletion in India

News: - (News India): SALEM: In a novel campaign, farmers and environmentalists who have joined hands to fight an iron ore mining project at Kanchamalai in Salem, filed 530 applications under the Right to Information Act with the Department of Forests en masse on Tuesday. Over 700 farmers with their families converged on the District Forest Office on Tuesday. Catching the officials unaware, they filed individual applications, seeking details of the proposed project to mine iron ore from the pristine surroundings of the Kanchamalai hills by a joint venture company floated by Tamil Nadu Industrial Minerals Corporation Ltd (TIMCO) and the private steel major Jindals. The magnetite ore to be mined is to be used for manufacturing iron ingots at the Mecheri plant of the South India Iron and Steel Co Ltd (SISCOL), a Lakshmi Mills-TN government JV taken over by the Jindals. Officials initially said only one application would be received. But the people insisted that every family affecte...

Boosting Rice Cultivation in Tamil Nadu, India

Email from worldbank on 06/17/2008: India ’s agricultural growth has been stagnant at less than 2 percent since the 1990s, well below the growth rates of other sectors. Any significant growth in agriculture in India depends on increasing the efficiency and productive use of water. India is a water stressed country, 45 percent of all available water is utilized for agriculture . Among this 80% is used for Rice cultivation alone. The World Bank is assisting the southern state of Tamil Nadu to improve irrigation service delivery and productivity of irrigated agriculture. Some farmers in the State are using a technique that requires less water and fewer seeds but grows more rice. It is a new way of cultivating rice, and it is raising hopes that the rice yield will increase without draining the country of scarce water resources. India - A new way of Cultivating Rice Water Management must be done properly before water scarcity comes into play. I have seen huge amount of rainfall destr...

Eco-Justice for Elephants

I received an email from someone to give Eco-Justice for Elephants: Eco-Justice for Elephants Care for the wild Since forests are shrinking, these majestic animals are running out space and enter into the near by villages near Anamalai and Mudumalai Sancturies. Some elephants came into Bharathiar university recently and also entered the farms and destroyed sugarcane fields. Solar powered electric fences were installed, even which did not stop these elephants. Elephant crossing road: Elephants_in_road: Elephants in estate: There are other natural ways to scare the elephants instead of the electric fence: Tiger Urine Crystals (From Zoo animals) spread along the border and Camel odors also scare elephants. Hopefully one day human and elephants will live in harmony like the following picture taken in Top Slip, Tamilnadu, India:

EcoWarrior - Mr. Yoganathan from Marudhamalai, Coimbatore

Mr.Yoganathan, bus conductor from Coimbatore has planted more than 50,000 trees and created Environmental awareness in Tamilnadu especially among students and children. He had been recognized for this achievement by Indian Government and was awarded "Eco-Warrior Award". Mr. Yoganathan with his award - (www.dinamalar.com) I had personally heard of his work from team members in Pollachi. Good work Mr. Yoganathan. Bharathiar University - Environmental Science Department - Near Marudhamalai - This is where I did my M.Phil degree and we planted these trees as small saplings during that time (1991): Makesh Karuppiah, Ph.D Environmental Scientist

Going Green and Environmental Awareness Catching Up

Going Green and Green Awareness Catching up: The future is SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Dockers Pants made up of Cocono fabrics: Coconut Fibers The site indicates that Cocona fabrics provide comfort while utilizing natural technology. Natural Dockers was as comfortable as other Dockers. Also saw some nature awareness from a.n.a clothing with words like "Hug a Tree" in shirts. We are moving towards sustainable Green awareness world, which is a good sign. Green Clothes: Green JCPenney In India: Read a headline on 07/07/2008: Collector for steps to enhance green cover of Annamalai hills - The Hindu: TIRUVANNAMALAI: The district administration will take steps to provide green cover to the 2,170-metre high Annamalai hills in the Tiruvannamalai town, according to Collector M. Rajendran. Mr. Rajendran, who climbed up the hills on Saturday to assess the vegetation, told reporters that a project on “greening the hills” was launched in 2001. Based on the project, ste...

Rich & Poor

Rich: Diamond studed IPL Trophy: Poor: A Village boy's hurt leg by playing cricket without shoes: My View: With all the profits IPL made, they should atlease provide shoes, gloves and equipments to the underpriviliged children who play cricket in villages of the corresponding teams (Chennai Super Kings - to Tamilnadu Village schools, Rajasthan Royals - to Rajasthan Village Schools, something like that). One more photo: Poverty leading to this - Child dangerously playing with a venomous Cobra to make money:(www.dinakaran.com) makeSH