Green salute to Turks who were injured for saving a park

First time in the environmental history of the world thousands of Turks resisted against the demolition of a park and cutting of six hundred trees inside of it in Istanbul’s commercial hub. Nearly one thousand liberal and green lover Turks received multiple injuries and some of them are maim seriously that is a valiant show of resistance for a green cause. It is a sign of hope that now people are coming out on roads to save leftover greenery in commercial hubs that is the last shield for them from rising level of air pollution.

Frenzy for development

It is actually a tug of war between development and sustainable development. Most of the least developed nations just in frenzy of getting more and more developed don’t take care of

Garbage burning, a huge cause of air pollution in backward countries

Garbage burning is the most lethal cause of air pollution because its smoke remains within our breathing zone for quite a long time. Garbage is burnt in the countries where solid waste collection is so poor. Obviously this happens mostly in poor countries where no any sound system prevails for any type of solid waste management. Therefore, people of such countries have to suffer because they don’t have any choice but to burn heaps of garbage to get rid of it.

According to environmentalists garbage burning is the cause of air pollution that directly affect the breathing zone of the communities living around it. Scenes of garbage burning are so common where communities survive in a suffocating environment because of huge amount of smoke coming out from it. They suffer from eye irritation, giddying, breathing problems, throat allergy and even asthma.

Going green is mostly a stupid idea in Asia

I am the eye witness of this fact. Having been associated with the environmental sector for the last twenty years I mostly found people laughing at one who talks about environment. This is common in most of the least developed Asian countries. Even the fast growing countries of Asian give less importance to environmental care. Their main concern is to make development in every sector especially in manufacturing sector. Their aim is to become industrialized nations and capture the global markets for foreign exchange.

They run after grey development

This is the key argument against going green. Every second industrialist gives this argument when someone asks him to follow environmental laws. Industries threaten to raise prices if they are forced to install treatment

Lack of will is the main reason of huge pollution in China

In a recent development an official of the Chinese environmental protection department disclosed that during first quarter of 2013 nearly 16 cases of sheer environmental violation and degradation were tackled by the government. This is first time that such information unofficially made to public. In these cases includes a famous case of river pollution when local pollution control official of Beijing openly declared that Cangxian County, Hebei province is polluted so much so that many pollutants are 70 times higher than its national standards. This brought on widespread hue and cry and ultimately that official was removed from his post.

Little pollution control steps

In another development the Chinese environmental protection department fined nearly 68 factories on polluting water. That shows though the government level action is being taken to control

China’s move to ban barbecue for air pollution control raises eyebrows worldwide

The city administration of Beijing has decided to ban unlicensed and unsafe barbecue roadside skewers across the city for air pollution control. Roadside eateries are quite common in big cities of China because traditional Chinese foods need not so lengthy cooking that is why it is easy to cook it standing on roadside and sell it to commuting people who love to eat while standing. Most of such food is stir fried and offered in bowls with lot of yummy sauces that needs to be eaten with chopsticks or forks. However, after popularity of roasted meat of all type with a touch of sizzler that makes noise and smoke together the barbecue or grilled food is also getting equally popular.

In a recent move - after publication of critical reports across the world about the rising level of air pollution in China - the city administration of Beijing has announced to take action against those barbecue stalls that

India’s minister fails to prove its river pollution is not cancerous

India’s federal minister for health and family welfare denied any link of water pollution with rising number of cancer cases that are being reported in India. Speaking at a legislative assembly Ghulam Nabi Azad said that no proof found so far that could have confirmed that water pollution is the main cause of widely spreading cancer disease in India. According to earlier reports, nearly 1.1 million cases of cancer are reported in India every year.

Smart Indian government

However a denial was made by the Indian government that actually is responsible for the provision of pollution-free water to its citizens and to take urgent steps to stem the alarmingly rising number of cases of cancer. However, instead of taking practical measures on these two fronts it

Less smoky wood-fired cooking stoves to reduce indoor pollution

A group of students from Michigan Technological University have introduced an easy-to-adopt solution for indoor pollution especially for those regions of the world where wood-fired stoves are used for cooking the food. It will help save the respiratory health of a large number of women folk in backward regions where cooking is considered the sole job of female gender.

Main idea

The students of Michigan Technological University not only develop a design of wood-fired cooking stove that will emit less smoke from burning process but also they found ways to improve the cooking environment to control indoor pollution at its source.

Parents plan to leave China on air pollution

A new trend has emerged in the capital of China, Beijing where many well-off parents are planning to shift to foreign countries because of the rising level of air pollution. During previous six months smog pollution in Chinese metropolis rose astronomically high leaving the kids at a greater risk of lungs diseases. The talk of migration has gained momentum when people realised that Chinese government is not serious enough to take urgent measures to control the worst type of pollution.

How to become environment minister in any poor country?

You need not to hold any degree in the discipline of environmental sciences. Nor you should have any experience in the field of any sector related to green horizon. More interestingly if you are not highly qualified even then it's no problem. You have all the eligibility to become environment minister of any poor country of Asia or Africa. You just need to be the member of the parliament of that country and that's all. If you belong to ruling party and have no much say in your party then chances are very bright that you are made environment minister of your country. It's reason is that environment is low-priority sector in poor countries that is why powerful political representatives don't like to become its minister. That is why you can easily take over green portfolio without facing any major competition from your colleagues.

Environment sector is orphan in poor countries

In poor countries orphan is considered a person or thing that does not have any support. The sector of environment is kept in least priority in poor countries. Though environmental problems are

Top 5 reasons of air pollution in Asia

Either it is China, Iran, India, Pakistan or any other Asian country of same level, there is one common problem in all of them. They fail to control air pollution. Media is replete with horrendous stories of the effects of air pollution in such countries. Not mega cities but their small towns are also suffering from this menace. Just cast a look over the densely populated area of China you can see every second person wearing breathing mask especially during winter when fog and air emissions make lethal smog pollution.

Some parts of the Asia are developing rapidly especially eastern countries like Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia but they also don’t have a strong pollution control system. Their development strategy no doubt fully takes care of environment but it is not old enough to offset the pollution created prior to this strategy. Broadly speaking there are 5 reasons of air pollution in Asia.

Backward countries treat e-waste as solid waste

Western countries are dumping their e-waste in poor and backward countries of the East. Are they doing so in bias against them? Do they want to destroy them by converting them into the dumping ground of the electronic waste that is not only harmful for the environment but equally hits human life? What benefits they will get by doing so. Absolutely no any benefit. On the other hand they will earn the notoriety of environmentally harming the lands across the border.

Does price matter here?

Then why advanced countries of the west are throwing the e-waste in least developed countries of the Asia and Africa. This is the main question of the debate here. No one is forcing any of them to do so. Actually this is the poverty that is playing a catalyst role in this bad deal. Price matters in every deal. So does it here in this deal.

Cheap prices play key role

Actually poor countries buy the used electronic items of all types from the scrap sellers of the rich countries. We know all that most of the rich countries belong to the West and almost all poor countries hail from the East. Electronic scrap buyers of poor countries import used electronic items from West on cheap prices. They

Poor countries fail to manage environmental information

If you don’t know about the exact information of a problem how do you solve it? This is the main issue of every less developed country of the world. They don’t have exact environmental data to solve the problems related to their environment. They neither have capacity to collect such data nor do they have ability to manage it. As a result environmental managers of such countries just talk on the basis of guesstimates. They make their every green plan on rough estimates. That is why most of their green plans fail to bring results. Eventually they groan that they are working so hard to solve the pollution problems but because of unknown reasons they are not in a position to solve them upfront. As a result their people suffer and pay the price of the inefficiency of their green demagogues in shape of their degrading health and their weakening physical environment.

What is environmental information?

Environmental information means all the data that reflect; how is the environment of a country. It usually covers:

• Air quality of the country which means is its ambient air has or has not the required balance and ratio of the requisite gases and other matter.

Earth Hour should be observed voluntarily not under duress

Every year Earth Hour is celebrated on last Saturday of March all around the world voluntarily by switching off all the unnecessary lights to show the care for the planet Earth. It was first started in 2007 in Australian city of Sydney by World Wide Fund for Nature. Its main objective is to conserve energy and to contribute less in global warming - that is the main cause of the climate change. This is an issue that entirely changed the eco balance of the planet and put its survival in peril.

This year one week earlier

This year Earth Hour will be observed from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm (local time) on 23^rd March to avoid conflict with Western Christianity Holy Saturday that falls on 30^th March, 2013.   This event is celebrated all over the world by all the concerned forums and communities. All the nature loving people voluntarily switch off the lights and other electric appliances of their homes, offices, shops and other places for one hour from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm according to their local time. This event purely bases on voluntarism which means no one can force someone to switch off lights but each one has to do by oneself to show one’s love and care for the planet Earth.

Is hospital waste not a pollution problem?

Do you believe this? Hospital waste is not considered a pollution problem in most of the backward countries of Asia and Africa. In most of such countries hospital waste is treated and handled as ordinary solid waste. Even no precautionary measures are adopted while handling it. Consequently the workers that are assigned to do this task remain directly exposed to its harmful effects.

Hospital waste is generated in hospitals, clinics, laboratories, maternity homes and other medical care units through its all types of medical and medical care activities including treatment, surgeries, pathological testing, patients waste, bleeding and excretion. It comprises of two types of waste one is infectious waste while the other is common solid waste.

Infectious waste

Infectious waste is the most harmful type of solid waste which directly affects the health of human beings. Most of such waste is infectious by nature and spread the diseases to those who come directly under its contact. It is not only physical contact but its harmful germs and bacteria may also be transmitted to people who are near its stock. This type of waste comprises of;

How pollution control system collapses in poor countries

Why pollution of all types is rising in poor countries. There are less industries and vehicles in poor countries as compare to advance ones. But despite of this, pollution level is rising instead of at least being standing still if it does not decline. Its reason is only one. They pollute more and make no efforts to control the environmental degradation. Their pollution control system collapses soon after it is established. Let me clarify this point.

Merit is put aside

Every poor country following the suit of advanced nations first makes legislation for pollution control. Consequently it establishes pollution control agency with its branches in every district or estate to keep firm grip over all types of development activities that may pollute the environment. But while establishing the pollution control agency bad governance creeps into its mechanism because bad governance is very common in every institution of poor countries. As a result merit is entirely overlooked while hiring the staff. Non-qualified staff fails to efficiently perform and give any results for pollution control.

Corruption in environmental protection

In most of the poor countries inefficient staff doesn’t shy to do corruption which is also a common practice in poor countries. Despite flagrant violation of environmental laws no actionis taken against the violators. Polluters remain free to pollute the environment because they offer bribe to the staffers of pollution control agency. Secondly most of the polluters have high level of contacts with powerful people who fully support them to continue their polluting activities.

Water pollution in Ganges the main source of cancer

We never heard earlier that water pollution is causing cancer in any part of the world in such a huge number. But it is happening in one of the biggest democracies of the world. Yes in democracies there is a government of the people by the people and for the people. But in India apart from poverty, diseases and riots, the menace of water pollution is also playing havoc with hapless masses that have nothing to do with the corrupt government practices.

Bad news for Ganges communities

This is a bad news for all who live along the banks of Ganges in Indian estates of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Bengal. They are more susceptible to the fatal disease of cancer than their compatriots living in other parts of the India. Actually they have to pay the price for residing near the holy water of the river Ganges. Religiously its water is holy but from health point of view it has become poisonous and cancerous. They don’t have any choice but to drink the worst polluted water they get from their local water supply system which comes through this river.

India’s Kumbh Mela rituals lift water pollution in Ganges

This is another problem of the least developed countries where several religious rituals equally contribute in raising various types of pollution. Either it is Diwali which pushes the noise pollution up, Eidul Adha that generates animal waste in huge amount or Christmas that produces solid waste; very little can be said about this issue because of their sanctity. But it is quite clear from the teachings of every religion of the world that all of them stresses upon the need of maintaining the cleanliness that is the foundation of the clean environment.

Cleansing of soul and body

In famous Indian city Allahbad a huge congregation of Hindus is held regularly after every 12 years that is called Kumbh Mela. In this religious ceremony the worshippers solemnly take dip in river of Ganges to purify their sole and body. Hinduism is famous for its lot of formalities while offering any kind of prayers. Actually its formalities in every religious activity make the Hindu religion so fascinating and quite impressive for the rest of the world. However, for environmental point of view it is little painful as most of the items relate to eating or burning of herbs to create aroma that directly or indirectly create any type of pollution if it is done in huge quantity.

Political interests resist air pollution control steps in China

The government of China has to face strong resistance of its public sector enterprises if it takes air pollution control measures. According to the latest reports, owing to the abnormal rise of smog pollution due to the recent wave of fog in the country the Chinese government mulled stricter legislation to control the atmospheric pollution. However, bosses of the several public sector enterprises started putting pressure on their government not to take such steps.

Bosses of giants are main hurdle

Most of them wrongly defend their role in environmental degradation and submit reports as if they are the champions of the environment. China has no private sector and political bosses have to rely on these public sectors giants to further their economic development. Secondly government has to depend on these enterprises for all industrial and consumer needs of the country. Besides, their production is also a source of foreign exchange because their surplus goods and services are exported to other countries. Chinese products despite having some low quality are in huge demand because of their cheap prices.

Outdoor games to pause in China if air pollution rises more

Did you ever hear this type of the harms of air pollution? What if you are not allowed to play games because you may inhale a lot of polluted air while playing? This happened in China where owing to rising level of air contamination its sportspersons may be forbidden to play till it reduces back.

Yes believe me I am not kidding. Owing to the alarmingly rising level of air pollution in China the city government of its capital Beijing issued a warning to the sportspersons of the metropolis. They are directed not to play if contaminants in the air increase to the level of 500 particles.

Air pollution shot up in China

Right now the air pollution in Beijing is ranging from 176 to 442 as recorded on 12^th January 2013. Its level is considered not harmful if it is near about 50. If it crosses the level of 300 it becomes more dangerous to human life. Its escalating level promptly affects the people’s health by causing eye irritation, migraine, asthma, throat infection, skin allergy and respiratory disease including the deadly lung cancer in people. If people have to breathe fast because of a workout or sports they would be more vulnerable to this menace.

Air pollution in Iran is equally lethal like nuclear weapons

Western world under the leadership of US has been so much worry about the presence of the nuclear arsenals in Iran. Civilized world has all the rights to express doubts over the nuclear ambitions of any country. But is it a civilized approach to worry about simply arsenals that immediately kill the people. What about the pollution which silently and slowly kills the human beings and animals both. Where does civilization and peace-loving policies of the West disappear when the question of green peace comes to the fore? They all lack vision to fully understand the broad meaning of peace. The peace reflects a situation where all living and nonliving beings have all the rights to survive and thrive without any immediate or remote danger to their life.

Air pollution in Iranian cities portrays war-like situation

Do Iranian people have no right to breathe clean air or they just have to pay the price of the stubbornness of their fanatic leaders. Nowadays because of the smog pollution in most of the Iranians cities death toll has crossed the count of one thousand. People can’t walk on roads without putting a mask over their mouth and nose. Isn’t it a war-like situation where people have to cover themselves with protective shields?