1 eco news, vol. 16, no. 1 april - june 2010cpreec.org/eco_news_apr_june10.pdf · (cover pictures...

1Eco News, Vol. 16, No. 1 April - June 2010

Eco News, Vol. 16, No. 1 April - June 20102

Nanditha KrishnaNanditha KrishnaNanditha KrishnaNanditha KrishnaNanditha KrishnaEditor

ContentsBird Diversity of Andaman & Nicobar Islands..................................................................................3

Conserving the Nilgiri Hills..............................................................................................................8

Peafowls Colonizing a College Campus in Chennai.......................................................................10

Saving the Panda............................................................................................................................11

My Visit to the Land of Changu Baba.............................................................................................12

Solar Energy for a Brighter Future.................................................................................................14

Conserving Energy to Reduce Global Warming.............................................................................16

Bins of Cruelty................................................................................................................................18

What does My Diet have to do with the Environment?...................................................................22

2010 is the International Year ofBiodiversity.

India is the land of great biological diversitywith variations ranging from Himalayan floraand fauna to sub-tropical biospherereserves. This biodiversity has beencelebrated by poets and writers and evenshowcased by India Tourism’s “IncredibleIndia” campaign.

So, with an adoring population, proudgovernment and strong laws, our biodiversityshould be well protected. Unfortunately, thisis far from the truth. Species aredisappearing as fast as clean air. The tiger,already a rarity in many of our Project TigerReserves, is our National Animal, but it ison the brick of extinction. In future, we mayhave to go to the USA to see a tiger in a safaripark or to a tiger farm in China to see aBengal Tiger. The sacred vulture (Gypsbenghalensisis) is dying due to excessdiclofenac in cattle carcasses. We do notknow what is left of our smaller flora andfauna or of life beneath the waters. Whenwe encroach upon and destroy their habitats,their chances of survival become dim.

So, this year we hope to emphasize onbiological diversity. In this issue, our resident

ornithologist, Dr.T.Sundaramurthy, haswritten an article on the bird biodiversity ofthe Andaman and Nicobar Islands and M.Kumaravelu on the conservation problemsof the Nilgiris, which have led to great habitatdestruction. On the other hand, the peafowlare colonizing the MCC college campus inChennai, says P. K. Arun Kumar. But whatis their future? Will they be allowed tosurvive? Nicholas Rowan has written aboutthe pandas of China and their conservationproblems. China is a major cause of ourbiological diversity loss in its quest foranimal-based aphrodisiacs. Should thewhole world not be a part of the effort toconserve dying species like the panda or thetiger? The Asiatic lions should be allowedto spread out of the confines of the GirNational Park where a simple epidemic maykill them forever. These are problems toconsider.

The world’s biodiversity does not belong toany one nation or one people. We have todo what is best for conserving species andpreventing their extinction.

(Cover pictures source :Narcondam Hornbill: http//www.arkive.orgmedia1818FF477B-5806-4697-95AD-4C2EC91A3532Presentation

Panda : http//francie.wordpress.com200707)


Bird Diversity of Andaman & Nicobar IslandsT. Sundaramoorthy

Introduction

The Andaman and Nicobar islands belongto the oceanic group of islands, whoseexistence was reported by Ptolemy in the 2nd

century AD. These islands are the summitsof a submarine mountain range, lying on thegreat tectonic suture zone extending fromthe eastern Himalayas along the Myanmarborder to the Arakan Yoma and finallySumatra. Being close to the Equator, theisland’s climate is tropical, the temperatureranging from 18° to 34° C. The humidity isrelatively high and varies between 70% and90%. The mean annual rainfall is 3180 mm.The islands have a long coastline of 1962kms. As per the Forest Survey of India, theforest cover of these islands is 92.2%.

Out of 572 emerald islands, islets, and rocks,humans inhabit 36 islands (24 in Andamanand 12 in Nicobar group of islands) only. Theother 349 islands are clearly seen with anarea of 8,249 sq.km., of which 86.9% isunder forest. The present human populationof these islands is about four lakhs. The mainoccupations of the settlers are agriculture,animal husbandry, fishing, forestry,plantations, construction, trade andcommerce.

The Andaman and Nicobar islands areglobally known for their scenic beauty andrich biodiversity. The species richness withhigh degree of endemism is attributed to thegeological situation with three naturalecosystems, viz. tropical forests, mangrovesand coral reefs. Apart from the endemism,many species found in these islands havean evolutionary and ecological linkage toIndian, Myanmarese and Malaysian origins.

There are 6,697 animal species recorded inthese islands, of which 907 are endemic to

these islands. Most of these endemic speciesare either threatened or endangered, and insome cases the status is not known.Although the bird richness of these islandsis very high, so far about 250 species havebeen reported. Of these 250 species of birds,25 species are endemic to these islands.About 13 species are accorded the status ofthreatened (Table 1). Three bird species areclassified as near threatened (NT) (Table 2).From available information, 14 bird specieswere introduced from the Indian mainlandto the islands (Table 3). About 10 bird speciesare listed in the Schedules of the IndianWildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 (Table 4).

Narcondam Hornbill

As its name signifies, it is found only inNarcondam, a tiny volcanic island situatedabout 130 km east of North Andaman andspread over an area of 6.8 sq.km. The worldwas unaware of the bird’s existence untilAllan Octavian Hume, the doyen of Indianornithology, described it for the first time in1902. In 1905 the population was estimatedat about 200 individuals. This small hornbillhas the distinction of being the vertebratewith the most restricted distribution in thewhole world. The Narcondam hornbill issmall, seen in flocks and feeds mainly onfruits. Even the present estimatedpopulation of this bird is only 200.

Nicobar Megapode

The Nicobar megapode, also called NicobarScrub fowl, is found in the tropical moistdense forests along the coastal areas ofNicobar islands. Its breeding habit is typicaland highly significant. The eggs areincubated in mounds made out of sand anddry vegetation, unlike other birds thatincubate their hatchlings. This species


Table 1

Endemic Birds of Andaman & Nicobar Islands

S.No. Common Name Scientific Name Distribution

1 Andaman Teal Anas albogularis Andaman Islands

2 Andaman Crake Rallina canningi Andaman Islands

3 Andaman Wood-pigeon Columba palumboides Andaman Islands

4 Andaman Cuckoo-dove Macropygia rufipennis Andaman Islands

5 Andaman Barn-owl Tyto deroepstorffi Andaman Islands

6 Andaman Hawk-owl Ninox affinis Andaman Islands

7 Hume’s Hawk-owl Ninox obscura Andaman Islands

8 Andaman Scops-owl Otus balli Andaman Islands

9 Andaman Nightjar Caprimulgus andamanicus Andaman Islands

10 Narcondam Hornbill Aceros narcondami Andaman Islands

11 Andaman Woodpecker Dryocopus hodgei Andaman Islands

12 Andaman Cuckooshrike Coracina dobsoni Andaman Islands

13 Andaman Bulbul Pycnonotus fuscoflavescens Andaman Islands

14 Andaman Shama Copyschus albiventris Andaman Islands

15 Andaman Flower pecker Dicaeum virescens Andaman Islands

16 Andaman White-headed Sturnia erythropygia Andaman Islands

Starling

17 Andaman Tree pie Dendrocitta bayleyi Andaman Islands

18 Nicobar Sparrowhawk Accipiter butleri Nicobar Islands

19 Great Nicobar Spilornis klossi Nicobar Islands

Serpent-eagle

20 Nicobar Megapode Megapodius nicobariensis Nicobar Islands

21 Nicobar Imperial-pigeon Ducula nicobarica Nicobar Islands

22 Nicobar Parakeet Psittacula caniceps Nicobar Islands

23 Nicobar Scops-owl Otus alius Nicobar Islands

24 Nicobar Bulbul Hypsipetes nicobariensis Nicobar Islands

25 Nicobar Jungle-flycatcher Rhinomyias nicobaricus Nicobar Islands

(Source : Rasmussen P.C., & Anderton J.C.,2005, Birds of South Asia : The Ripley Guide. Vols. 1 & 2, SmithsonianInstitution and Lynx Editions, Washington, D.C. and Barcelona)

Table 2Birds ‘Near Endemic’ to Andaman Islands

S.No. Common Name Scientific Name

1 Andaman Green-pigeon Treron chloropterus2 Andaman Coucal Centropus (sinenis) andamensis

3 Andaman Drongo Dicrurus andamanensis

(Source: Rasmussen P.C., & Anderton J.C. (2005). Birds of South Asia: The Ripley Guide. Vols. 1 & 2, SmithsonianInstitution and Lynx Editions, Washington, D.C. and Barcelona)


Table 3Bird species introduced to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands

S.No. Common Name Scientific Name Period Remarks

1. Common Crow Corvus splendens Between Introduced to the Andaman

1862 & Islands by Col. R.C. Tytler for

1864 ‘sanitary purposes’, but failed to

survive in the islands.

2 Common myna Acridotheres tristis Around Introduced to Ross Island. Has1867 spread to South Andaman.

Could competitively displace

native species.

3 Pea fowl Pavo cristatus 1868 Introduced to Ross Island.

Wiped out during the period of

Japanese occupation.Re-introduced by the Indian

Administration.

4 House sparrow Passer domesticus 1882 Introduced twice to Ross Island.

& 1895 Now seen in plenty in South

Andaman. Could competitively

displace native species.5 Grey partridge Francolinus 1890 Now established around Port

pondicerianus Blair.

6 Spotbill duck Anas 1960 Escaped during a storm, after

poecilorhyncha being kept captive in a specially

built iron-mesh enclosure on

Ross Island. Current status notknown.

7 Common quail Coturnix coturnix 1961 Brought from Madras and

released in Ross Island. Current

status unknown.

8 Jungle bush-quail Perdicula asiatica 1961 -do-

9 Painted bush quail Perdicula 1961 -do-erythrorhyncha

10 Comb duck Sarkidiornis 1961 Birds obtained from

melanotos Calcutta released on a lake in

Neil Island. Present status not

known.

11 Openbill stork Anastomus 1964 Introduced from Calcutta tooscitans South Andaman for the control of

snails on the recommendation of

the Lt. Governor of Himachal

Pradesh. Failed to establish on

the islands.


S.No. Common Name Scientific Name Period Remarks

12 Domestic fowl Gallus sp. Not More and more of them are being

known introduced to meet the demandsof an expanding poultry

industry.

13 Domestic duck Anas sp. Not Not as common as the domestic

known fowl.

14 Barn owl Tyto alba 1991 Six pairs were brought to Port

Blair from Tamil Nadu for

release in the oil palm plantation

at Hut Bay, to control rats. As a

result of protests from

environmentalists these owlswere not sent to Little Andaman

but were sent back to Tamil

Nadu within a week.

(Source: Prashanth Mohanraj, Veenakumari K., and A.K., Bandyopadhyay, 1999, Perilous Aliens, Central AgriculturalResearch Institute, Port Blair)

Table 4Bird species in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands included in Schedule 1

(Part III) of the Indian Wildlife (protection) Act, 1972

S.No. Schedule 1 Common Name Scientific Name

1 1 Andaman Teal Anas gibberifrons albogularis

2 1B Andaman Baza Aviceda sp.

3 4A Hawks Accipitridae family

4 7 Large Falcon Falco sp.

5 9 Narcondam Hornbill Rhyticeros (undulatus) narcondami

6 10 Nicobar Megapode Megapodius freycinet

7 10A Nicobar Pigeon Caloenas nicobarica pelewensis

8 10B Osprey or Fish Eating Eagle Pandion haliaetus

9 11 Common Peafowl Pavo cristatus

10 16 White Bellied Sea Eagle Haliaetus leucogaster

(Source: Prashanth Mohanraj, Veenakumari K., and A.K. Bandyopadhyay, 1999, Perilous Aliens, Central AgriculturalResearch Institute, Port Blair)


occurs as two subspecies: the Megapodiusnicobariensis nicobariensis and Megapodiusnicobariensis abbotti and both are endemicto the Nicobar islands. Thought to beendangered, a recent survey found it inalmost all Nicobar islands where ithistorically occurred and concluded that, asa species, it was currently not threatened.Though hunting and collection of eggs exists,the main threat to megapodes is loss ofhabitat, mainly due to conversion of coastalforest to coconut plantations. Urbanizationand construction of coastal roads are otherserious problems for this species.

Andaman Hawk Owl

The Andaman hawk owl is found commonlyin the mangrove swamps, creeks and lagoonsall over the Andaman Islands and feedspredominantly on insects. More studies areessential for ascertaining the ecologicalstatus.

Andaman Teal

The Andaman teal is a duck found in theinland pools, mangroves and lagoons. It feedsat night in rice fields. The breeding seasonis July to October and it nests in reedpatches. The nest is made of grass and about9 eggs form a clutch. They feed mainly onmolluscs and arthropods. According to astudy conducted between 1995 and 1998,its population is estimated to be only 500 to600 birds.

Andaman Tree pie This species occurs within a highly restrictedrange and may be declining as a result ofhabitat loss. It is therefore considered nearthreatened (NT).

It is usually found in pairs or in mixed flocksin tall trees in dense broadleaved evergreenforests.

Human population pressure and thesubsequent habitat loss are the factorsinfluencing the decline of this bird.

Nicobar Bulbul

The small population of this species issuspected to be declining as a result ofclearance and degradation of forests forplantation, agriculture and infrastructureprojects. It is endemic to the Nancowry islandgroup, part of the Nicobar Islands. Thisbulbul is found in the Camorta, Trinkat,Nancowry, Katchall, Teressa, Bompoka andTillanchong islands. It is a sedentaryresident, inhabiting primary and secondaryforests and forest edge.

The threats to this bird are clearance andconversion of forests for plantationagriculture (particularly rubber, coconut andcashew cultivation) and infrastructuredevelopment (including roads, humansettlements and defence establishments) arethe most serious long-term threats.

The whole of Tillanchong island isuninhabited and protected as a wildlifesanctuary mainly to conserve this birdspecies.

Nicobar Scops-owl

It is known from two specimens collected atCampbell Bay on Great Nicobar, the largestof the Nicobar islands.

Specific threats to this species are unknown,but loss of coastal forest is a problem onGreat Nicobar, due to clearance foragriculture. The proposal to develop GreatNicobar as a free-trade port is a potentialmajor threat.

Nicobar Sparrow Hawk

It is only known from Car Nicobar andKatchall islands.

There is very little information availableabout its breeding and feeding ecology. Theprimary threat to this species appears to behabitat loss.


This species has been upgraded tovulnerable because it is assumed to have asmall, declining population. Two subspeciesare recognised, Accipiter butleri butleri,endemic to Car Nicobar, and Accipiter butleriobsoletus, known from Katchall in theNancowry subgroup. The species is listed inSchedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972.

Conservation Efforts

In collaboration with the Andaman & NicobarForest Department various organisations likeBNHS, SACON, ANET and PondicherryUniversity are carrying out researchactivities and submitting conservation plans.Habitat loss, fragmentation of forests,developmental activities and pollution of theocean are the main reasons for the decline

Conserving the Nilgiri HillsM. Kumaravelu

From time immemorial, mountains havebeen considered as sacred places and theabode of Gods. The mountains as a sourceof water, pure air and home for varieties offloral and faunal species stand apart as alife-supporting system in the planet. Ourancestors respected nature and viewed themountains as an integral part of culture,tradition and, above all, a gift of nature whichaccounts for the sustenance of life on earth.An incident referred to in the epic Ramayana,wherein Hanuman flies to the Himalayas insearch of a wonder herb, indicates thatmountains are the source of herbal wealth.

In the Nilgiris, which are said to be olderthan the Himalayas, the Toda tribe, thenative people of the hills, worship themountains and consider them to be theabode of the spirits of their ancestors.Devarbetta, Pakkasuran malai, Kollaribetta,Rangasamy peak, Mukurthi and Ranganathamudi at Attapadi mountain ranges areamong the important hillocks and sacredhills in the Blue Mountains.

As people living around the hills considerthe mountains as their saviour, the Nilgiris,which are known for their wealth andbio-diversity, have a special place as theyare the source of many rivers like the Kabini,Bhavani and Moyar. The topography of themountain terrain provides severalmicroclimates. The mountain ranges providehome for varied types of forests, from sholasand grasslands to shrub lands. Due thesteep terrain, human hindrance is less,which helps to preserve the natural floraldiversity.

These pristine mountain ecosystems areprone to many degrading factors. Thesteepness of the terrain is often prone tolandslides, rock falls and avalanches whichpose a threat to the jungles. This is acommon phenomenon in mountain rangeslike the Nilgiris during a heavy downpour.In spite of natural catastrophes like heavyrains and floods, human activities alsoinduce these calamities. Apart from thenatural ecological damages, landslides often

of many bird species in these islands.Introduction of new bird species to theseislands is banned. However, populationmonitoring and ecological studies are veryessential to prepare conservation plans forthese bird species. Knowledge of the ecologyof introduced birds is also necessary to knowthe impact on other native birds.

References

1. Saldhana, C.J., “Andaman, Nicobar andLakshadweep – An Environmental ImpactAssessment”, Oxford Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd,Delhi, 1989.

2. Prashanth Mohanraj, Veenakumari K.,A.K. Bandyopadhyay, “Perilous Aliens”,Central Agricultural Research Institute, PortBlair, 1999.


damage the structures erected on the slopes.This has become a routine problem everyyear in the hillocks. The eastern slopes ofthe Nilgiris are most affected. When theforests are washed away, the tall trees alsovanish. When the tall trees disappear, theavian fauna find it difficult to nest. TheHornbill, Kite and Eagle are the most affectedspecies.

Mismanagement of the hill Area

To meet the needs of the growing populationin the Nilgiris, infrastructure and roadfacilities are being expanded extensivelywithout bothering about the carryingcapacity of the hills. The population hasincreased drastically in the last century. Thecensus statistics reveal that in the year 1901the Nilgiris District population was only1,12,882 but in the 1991 year census it roseto 7,10,214. Apart from concrete structuresthat have defaced the character of the hills,the increased volume of vehicular trafficloosens the soil and rocks due to theconstant vibration they produce. Theirecological importance has been ignored whiletaking up the development programmes,besides the encroachments on river banks,swamps and forests which have resulted inmajor calamities.

The Nilgiris receive both the South West andNorth East monsoons. While the South Westmonsoon does not create major calamitiesin the Nilgiris, the North East monsoon,which accounts for torrential rains, oftenplays havoc causing loss to life and property.Due to mismanagement of the land and lackof precautionary measures, calamities likelandslides and avalanches are showing asteady increase every year.

Removal of the natural vegetative cover andintroduction of exotic plant species triggerslandslides every year. The eastern slope ofthe Nilgiris, where monoculture is high, hasrecorded a high number of landslides. On14th November, 2009, alone, nearly 200

landslides occurred in this region. TheGeological Survey of India (GSI)’s report saysthat the causes for these calamities are‘human causative factors’, ‘vertical cuttings’of roads and for constructions, ‘loading theslopes’ with heavy constructions and‘improper cultivation methods’. Also, GSIpointed out that the encroachments onstream banks and blocking the naturaldrainage also causes calamities.

On the other hand, due to climate change,the rain pattern has turned erratic and theintensity of rain in a particular period hasincreased. For example, at Coonoor, on 24thand 25th November, 1978, within 48 hours372.8mm rain was recorded; on 12thNovember, 1979, 149.4 mm was recorded;and on 13th November, 2009, it exceeded210 mm. In the Nilgiris, the soil structure,which is normally loose, paves the way foreasy erosion and landslides when thetorrential rain with great intensity comesdown on the hills. In the absence of naturalvegetation, the rain water fails to penetrateinto the ground and induces major erosionand landslides. Loss of soil due to erosionand land-slides has resulted in degradationof forest wealth and reduction of cropproductivity. On the other hand, thereservoirs, which are the major source forirrigation and hydro-electricity generation,get silted up and, in due course, their storagecapacity goes down.

Conclusion

Mountain ranges require a special authoritycomprising scientists, geological experts andlocal people. Spreading awareness amongfarmers for better land management andpreventive measures is the urgent need ofthe hour. It is necessary to adopt hill areaconservation methods while laying roads andconstruction activities. This includesavoiding cultivation in more than 30 degreeslopes, vertical cuttings, etc. It is necessaryto maintain the natural vegetation, includinggrasslands, for saving the mountains frommore disasters in future.


Peafowls Colonizing a College Campus inChennaiP.K. Arun Kumar*

*Department of Zoology, Madras Christian College, Tambaram, ChennaiEmai1: [email protected]

The Common Peafowl (Pavo cristatus)colonizing and breeding on the75-year old and 363-acre campus of theMadras Christian College, Tambaram, withabout 90 other species of birds and about100 spotted deer or chital, is a recent storyof about 20 years. The contiguity of thiscampus on the south with the VandalurRange Forest, the thick scrub-jungle withthe undergrowth cleared by the deer, thelarge man-made irrigation tank, the collegefarm with catt1e, paddy and other grains,the rich biodiversity of earthworms,centipedes, insects, spiders, snai1s, frogs,lizards and snakes as food, and above all,the absence of natural predators andpoachers, as on a ‘sanctuary’, must have allsynergistically attracted these wild peafowlsto inhabit a college campus. There are about30 of these birds, including 8 peacocks, 16peahens and some chicks, on this campus.

Away from the hustle and bustle of about4000 students, these birds confinethemselves to the deserted scrub, mostlyaround the college farm and the irrigationtank, but their beautiful and melodious callsevery dawn and dusk reverberate and cheerthe whole residential campus. They foragefor food in the cooler hours, and whensuddenly approached, the chicks dash toretreat under their mother’s wings.

Sometimes, the chital and the peafowl foragesymbiotically, as the cattle egrets and cattledo, with the peafowls picking up insects andgarden lizards disturbed by the browsingchital, and the peafowls in turn, as sentinels,alerting the deer, of the approachingintruders. They rest during the hotter partof the day, and roost at night on large treesnear the farm and even around the staffhouses that are closer to the farm.

Spotted deer and the peafowl may jointlydestroy the scrub jungle and its fauna, butboth are such rare beautiful creatures to livewith and to coexist. After all, the MCCcampus was originally designed to be a‘sanctuary’ too, by its Scotch missionaryfounders, in the early 1930s.

Reference

1. Mohan S.C., J.S.Samra, A.K.Srivastava,and V.N.Sharda, “Training Manual, SoilConservation & Watershed Management”,Vol.I, Central Soil & Water ConservationResearch & Training Institute, Dehradun,2007.

2. Gazetteers of India, “The Nilgiri District”,Commissioner of Archives & HistoricalResearch, Madras, 1995.

3.ht tp://www.deccanchronic le .com/chennai/poor-slope-management- led-landslides-gsi


Saving the PandaNicholas Rowan*

When most people think of leasing, theyusually associate it with leasing a car or anapartment but certainly never a round furrypanda. Yet the sad truth is that the onlyway that a panda can legally make its wayout of China is via a lease by the Chinesegovernment to another country or zoo forroughly a million dollars a year. If these zoopandas happen to have a baby, the panda isautomatically the property of China andmust be returned once it reaches two yearsof age. While pandas are deeply engrainedin the minds of many as a symbol of China,it is a shame that they are so protective oftheir national animal. The panda is veryrare. To date, the efforts by the Chinese torevive the population have not been effectivebut the Chinese are very suspicious ofoutside influence.

After visiting the Wolong Panda Center inthe summer of 2006, I was surprised to learnthat the panda recovery plan was havingissues in producing panda babies, becauseall the money being generated by pandaleasing should have had more impact,especially because the Chinese governmentalso strongly supported the breedingprogram. However there are severalproblems with the panda recovery program.First, the funds raised through panda leasingare slow to reach the two main breedingcenters (Wolong and the Chengdu Zoo).Second, the government is pouring moneyinto tourism and infrastructure (there is agrand panda “museum” in the village nearWolong and millions of Yuan were spent onimproving the road to Wolong – a road thatwas severely damaged by the earthquake twoyears ago) but much less is available forpanda biology and the challenges ofreintroducing pandas bred at Wolong intothe wild. While the two breeding centers havehad some success in producing panda cubs

(about a dozen a year), no panda has beensuccessfully reintroduced to the wild.

The panda, like all creatures on this earth,is meant to roam free and wild. However,the wild populations have been threatenedby humans because of poaching for its skinand other uses. Now the panda is almostextinct with numbers hovering around oneto three thousand left in the wild. It wouldmake sense to allow anyone who wanted tohelp with recovering the wild population todo so.

I live outside of Washington D.C. and thewhole city is in love with the pandas thatare currently at the National Zoo inWashington. My mother and sister areobsessed with all the happenings of thepandas and watch them via an online webcam. It was a blow to them and the manyother D.C. panda lovers when the NationalZoo had to return Tai Shan, the first babypanda to survive at the National Zoo, backto China. It is the inability of the Chinese tobe able to work with the outside panda-lovingworld that limits the effectiveness of pandaconservation and the possible growth of thewild panda population. While it can beargued that what is actually limiting thepanda’s growth is the small amount of actualpandas in the wild and their inability to mate,it still raises the question as to what theChinese are doing with all that money.

What do the Chinese have to lose by allowingoutsiders unrestricted access to the pandasand by encouraging foreign research into theissue? They stand to lose nothing, yet theycontinue to hoard their pandas like somekind of toy that no one else has but wants toget. Instead of trying to increase the panda’shabitat to areas where it once lived (includingparts of Vietnam and Myanmar), the Chinese

*Gettysburg College, Washington D.C., U.S.A.


My Visit to the Land of Changu BabaLalitha Ramadurai

Our trip to the Tsomgo (pronounced Changu)lake from Gangtok was a long 35-km drive.The road was quite rugged and the drive upto the mountains not very smooth. As ourjeep negotiated the serpentine bends, wewere treated to panoramic views of the hills.The scenery seemed to get better and betterwith each curve and the terrain whiter. Wecould just not wait to get to the lake.

The Buddhist influence all along the way wasquite obvious. There were hundreds ofcolourful prayer flags set on bamboo poles.There were also the Army / Border RoadOrganisation signs. My Joint Director and Iwere particularly excited to read one of themthat proclaimed - “Pathombathe VettriNamade – Great Great 193”. Tamil literallyreaching heights!!

Almost mid-way to the lake, we stopped overat the Kyongnosla Waterfall. A board put upby the Tourism Department suggested thatthe waterfall was at an altitude of 3,162metres. The water was crystal clear and verycold. After a 10-minute stop at Kyongnosla,we started moving again through the windingroads. The weather turned extremely coldall of a sudden and we could not stopourselves from putting on our jackets andcaps.

After about 3 long hours of driving throughthe mountains, we finally reached the place

where we had to leave our jeep. There wereshops near the parking lot from where wehired gum boots and gloves. After gearingourselves, we set off to climb towards thelake. Walking on the snow was slippery andwe had to be extremely careful. After about10 minutes or so, we finally reached ourdestination – the Tsomgo Lake. The sight infront of us was stunning – a crystal clearlake surrounded on all sides by snow-cladmountains. Absolutely breath-taking!!

The Tsomgo lake lies on the Gangtok-Lhasatrade route between Sikkim and Tibet withan altitude of 3,753 meters. The lake is1 km long, oval in shape and about 15 metersdeep. It is said to collect its water from the

continue to keep it in reserves within China.The panda is not to be used as some sort ofpolitical toy that can be used for “pandadiplomacy” as well as a source of revenuefor the Ministry of Forests (overseeingWolong) and the Ministry of Construction(overseeing Chengdu) that is supposed to goto purely to enhancing the panda’s survival.

Saving the panda requires the outside worldto resist the temptation of leasing pandasand boycotting panda diplomacy until theChinese realize that the panda’s existenceis more important than their political goalsand encourages and supports aninternational effort to increase the wildpanda population.


surrounding streams, springs and themelting snow. The vegetation around thelake is typically alpine scrub dominated byRhododendron anthopogon. We saw buds inthe plants, but did not see any in bloom.The area around the lake is also said to berich in fauna. The lake is said to receive hugeflocks of waterfowl including the RuddyShelduck (Tadora ferruginea). But we did notspot a single bird or any other animal, exceptfor the domesticated yaks.

The Sacred Lake

The lake is considered sacred and isworshipped by all Sikkimese. In the Bhutialanguage, the word Changu literally means“above the lake”. The name is believed tohave been given by yak herders in an earliertime when the yak herders lived just abovethe lake. The lake is woven with rich legendsand folklore. It is said the lake was earlier ina different location named Laten, severalkilometers away from its present location. Astory goes that an old herder woman at

Tsomgo one night had a dream that the lakeat Laten was to shift to Tsomgo. She and herherder friends were warned to leave theplace. The lady told her friends about herdream and the warning, but no one listened.The old lady milked her yak and poured themilk on the ground as it was considered anauspicious gesture. She then left the place.As she was leaving, she saw an old lady withstrikingly long white hair and fair complexioncarrying yarn entering Tsomgo. It is believedthat the lady with white hair was actually awater nymph. The coming of the lake to theregion was considered a good omen. The localpeople of Sikkim worship the lake andconsider it a pilgrim rather than a touristdestination. The lake is considered a deity.The local people visit the lake and pray to itfor their well being. Ceremonies are heldespecially during ‘Guru Purnima’ (DraftManagement Plan for Tsomgo Lake,Department of Forest, Environment andWildlife Management, Government of Sikkim,August 2008).

By the side of the lake, there is a small templededicated to Lord Shiva, locally referred toas Changu Baba. Beside the temple, stairslead into the lake. There was a Shivalingaand a Trishul submerged in the water. Stoneinscriptions have been made by variousArmy companies on the walls of the Shivatemple seeking the Lord’s blessings andthanking Him for their successes. We tooseeked the Lord’s Blessings. We then bidgoodbye to Tsomgo and started descending.The prayer flags fluttering in the breezelooked as if they too were bidding farewell tous!

Eco News is printed and published by Dr. Nanditha Krishna on behalf of C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre

at The C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation, 1, Eldams Road, Alwarpet, Chennai - 600 018.

Editor : Dr. Nanditha Krishna Production : M. Amirthalingam

Where the details about the writer(s) are not given, it means that he/she works in CPREECThe views expressed by the writers do not necessarily reflect the views of the

C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre


Solar Energy for a Brighter Future

R. Sabesh

Significance of solar energy

All life forms depend directly or indirectlyon sunlight for their survival. The productionof oxygen and food would be impossiblewithout solar energy. Farmers know thevalue of sunlight for crop production and nowindividuals all around the world are talkingabout this never ending source of solarenergy more seriously, as the supply of fossilfuels dwindle alarmingly. Besides, thecombustion of fossil fuels has caused airpollution resulting in global warming andother environmental and health-relatedproblems. Similarly the release of largeamounts of waste and heat from powerplants into water bodies causes waterpollution.

In the case of large hydroelectric powerprojects, submerging of vast stretches of landthereby destroying invaluable forest and alsodisplacement of inhabitants has become aserious concern. The fear of release ofradioactivity into the atmosphere in the eventof an accident or from nuclear waste hasforced people to reconsider the use of nuclearpower. In view of the problems associatedwith conventional energy sources, the focusis now shifting towards renewable energysources such as wind energy, solar energy,geothermal energy, biomass energy and soon. Although such alternative sources makeup a small fraction of total energy productiontoday their share is constantly growing inIndia. Switching over to the renewable energysources is the only option to overcome theenergy crisis and to protect the environment.

Facts about solar energy

Solar energy is basically a form of nuclearenergy, derived as result of the nuclear

fusion process takes place in the sun locatedseveral million miles away from the earth.

The solar energy received by the earth in onehour is more than sufficient to fulfill allenergy requirements of the entire world forone whole year.

For most of them, solar photovoltaic wouldbe the cheapest source of electricity.

The energy output of a 1 kw solar energyunit is roughly equivalent to the burning of77 kg of coal and 136 kg of carbon dioxidebeing released into the atmosphere.

About half the world’s production of solarpanels is consumed by Japan, used mostlyfor grid-connected residential applications.

A world record was set in 1990 when a 100%solar powered aircraft flew 4,060km acrossthe USA.

Solar energy (photovoltaic) prices havedeclined, on an average, 4% per annum overthe past 15 years. Progressive increase inconversion efficiencies and manufacturingeconomies of scale are the underlyingdrivers.

Solar Energy – the Indian scenario

In 2008, the Jawaharlal Nehru NationalSolar Mission initiative was launched by theGovernment of India to promote ecologicallysustainable growth. To begin with, they wereto replace India’s four million diesel poweredwater pumps each, consuming about3.5 kilowatts, and off-grid lighting. Somelarge projects have been proposed and a35,000 km² area of Thar desert has been setaside for solar power projects, sufficient to


generate 700 to 2,100 giga watts. During2009, India unveiled a $19 billion plan.Under the plan, solar - powered equipmentand applications would be mandatory in allgovernment buildings, hospitals and hotels.

The quantum of solar energy produced inIndia at present is just 0.4%. Solar energycan be effectively used for street lighting,home lighting, water heating, cookers, solarwater pumps, cooling systems, etc.

The Central Government’s move to offer fiscalincentives to solar cell and photovoltaic (PV)manufacturers coupled with a surge in globaldemand for renewable energy sources hastriggered domestic and multi-nationalcompanies to set up units in India. MoserBaer, a leading optical storage manufactureris planning to establish chip making unit atFab city, Hyderabad, AP state. They are alsoplanning to build a Rs.330 crore silicon PVmanufacturing facility near Delhi. US-basedSignet Solar Company on its part has drawnup an ambitious $2 billion investment planto set up three photovoltaic productionfacilities in India. The company is already intalks with the Andhra government to set uptwo manufacturing facilities for solarsemiconductor and photovoltaicmanufacturing company has lined up aninitial $40 million investment to set up twoproduction units. The company has startedbuilding a 30MW per annum plant nearPochampalli in AP and the second one witha capacity of 40 MW is being built in the fabcity near Hyderabad. However, thesecompanies find it tough to catch the domesticmarket as the cost of production of solarpower ranges from Rs.15 to Rs.30 per unitcompared to around Rs.2 to Rs.6 per unitfor thermal energy. Developed countries areready to pay the cost while the Indianeconomy finds it difficult bear the highercost.

The Government of India is promoting theuse of solar energy through variousstrategies. In the latest budget for 2010-11,the government has announced an allocationof Rs.10 billion towards the Jawaharlal

Nehru National Solar Mission and theestablishment of a Clean Energy Fund whichis Rs.3.8 billion higher than the previousbudget. Also, the government hasencouraged private solar companies byreducing customs duty on solar panels by5% and exempting excise duty on solarphotovoltaic panels. This is expected toreduce roof-top solar panel installations by15-20 %. The budget also proposed to adda coal tax of 1 US $ per metric ton ondomestic and imported coal used for powergeneration.

The major constraint is to find the optimumfinancial strategy to pay for the higher initialcosts in solar applications. The governmenthas promoted the use of decentralizedapplications through financial incentives andpromotional schemes. The ongoing remotevillage electrification programmes coversabout 10,000 villages and hamlets. The useof solar lights for lighting purposes will bepromoted in settlements without access togrid electricity and, since most of thesesettlements are economically backwardremote tribal settlements, 90% subsidy isprovided. For other villages which areconnected to the grid, solar lights would bepromoted through the market by enablingbanks to offer low cost credit. In order tocreate a sustained interest within thebanking community, it is proposed to providea soft re-finance facility through IndianRenewable Energy Development Agency(IREDA) for which Government will providebudgetary support. IREDA would in turnprovide refinance to non- banking financialcorporations and banks with the conditionthat it is on lend to the consumer at rates ofinterest not more than 5 %.

Conclusion

Outreach, training and greater publicawareness about the long term benefits ofthe advantages of solar energy in general andsolar applications in particular are essentialat this juncture. Facts and figures aboutsolar electricity need to be consistent,accurate, unbiased and clearly presented.


Conserving Energy to Reduce Global WarmingP. Sudhakar

Global warming is one of the biggestchallenges facing the world today. Unless weact quickly to change the way we use andproduce energy, the damage could beirreversible. It may seem hard to believe thatpeople can actually change the earth’sclimate. But scientists think that thegreenhouse gases emitted into the air makeour planet warmer. We are responsible forsending greenhouse gases into theatmosphere whenever we...

• Ride a car• Use the air conditioner• Turn on a light• Watch TV• Ride a car• Play a video game• Listen to stereophonic music• Wash or dry clothes• Microwave a meal

To perform many of these functions, we needto use electricity. Electricity comes from

power plants. Most power plants use coaland oil to make electricity. Burning coal andoil produces greenhouse gases.

Energy

❖ Replace your present light bulbs withelectronic fluorescent lamps. They are10 times longer and use about 75% lesselectricity than an ordinary bulb.

❖ Substituting a compact fluorescentbulb for a traditional bulb will keep halfa tone of carbon dioxide out of theatmosphere. They are more expensivethan an ordinary bulb but work outmuch cheaper in the long run becauseof saving electricity.

❖ One large ordinary bulb is moreefficient than two small ones in a multi-bulb fixture. A 100W bulb, for example,generates about as much light as two60W bulbs, and it saves energy.

Despite the competitive disadvantage of allsolar energy technologies, the availability of“free” sunlight will remain a driving forcebehind the development of new ideas thatcan make solar power more affordable in thefuture. India could strengthen its scientific,technical and managerial talents withsufficient financial resources to develop solarenergy as a source of abundant energy topower our economy and to transform thelives of our people.

References

1. Anderson, L., and R.Palkovic, “Cookingwith Sunshine”, Marlowe & Company, 1994.

2. Butti, K., and J.Perlin, “A Golden Thread(2500 Years of Solar Architecture andTechnology)”, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1981.

3. Halacy, D., “The Coming Age of SolarEnergy”, Harper and Row, 1973.

4. Perlin, J., “From Space to Earth (The Storyof Solar Electricity)”, Harvard UniversityPress, 1999.

5. “Thermodynamics: Direct Solar ThermalEnergy conversion”, Scheer, Hermann, TheSolar Economy (Renewable energy for asustainable Global Future), EarthscanPublications Ltd., 2002.

6. Hunt V. Daniel, “Energy Dictionary”, VanNostrand Reinhold Company, 1979.

7. http:// mnre.gov.in/mission-document-JNNSM.


❖ Cut down on the use of electricalappliances.

❖ In summer, shut windows, blinds,curtains and doors early in the morningto keep the house cool.

Water Heaters

❖ Use your water heater sparingly.Switch it off soon after your bath, forheaters are great consumers ofelectricity.

❖ Setting your water heater too high(about 1500F) wastes energy.

❖ Lower the thermostat. After all, mostof us mix cold water with hot to get theright temperature.

❖ If you can, install a solar water heatingsystem in your home.

Stoves

❖ Turn off the stove immediately afteruse.

❖ Use pressure cookers as much aspossible.

❖ Plan well and keep ingredients readybefore you start cooking.

❖ Keep the vessel closed while cookingand always use small, narrow-mouthedvessels.

❖ When the food is almost cooked, switchoff the gas stove and keep the vesselclosed. It will get completely cookedwith the heat already present.

❖ When you switch off the gas stove,switch off the regulator of the cylinderas well, to prevent leaks.

❖ Use ISI marked stoves which use lesskerosene.

Refrigerators

❖ Decide what you want out of therefrigerator or freezer before openingthe door.

❖ Check if the door is properly closedafter you have finished your work.

❖ Don’t stand and stare into therefrigerator with the door open whilemaking up your mind.

❖ If your refrigerator and freezer are 5degrees colder than necessary, theirenergy consumption will increase by25%.

❖ The refrigerator door will not be air-tight if there is dried food stuck on thegasket. Ensure that it is always clean.

❖ If your refrigerator needs to be refilledwith gas, it means there is a leak. Fixthe leak first.

❖ For efficient operation, clean thecondenser coils on the back or bottomof your fridge at least once a year.

❖ Keep your fridge full for a moreeconomical operation.

❖ Let foods cool to room temperaturebefore storing.

Automobiles

❖ The easiest way to make your car morefuel efficient is to keep it well-tuned. Awell-tuned car uses up to 9% less petrolthan a poorly tuned car. If 100,000 carowners who had neglected tune upsstarted getting their cars tuned upregularly, some 90 million pounds ofcarbon dioxide could be kept out of theatmosphere every year.

❖ Keep fuel filters clean. Clogged filtersuse more petrol.


Bins of CrueltyU. Thirunavukkarasu

Clean surroundings and cities are alwaysdesired by people. We dream of cleanbeaches, clean roads, clean shops and cleanhomes. The Governmental frame workprovides legal provisions and machinery tomanage “Waste”. The Municipal Solid Wastes(Management and Handling) Rules, 2000,guides the “municipal authority” and“generator of wastes” through Schedules Ito III on various aspects of managingmunicipal solid wastes.

Schedule II of the Municipal Solid Wastes(Management and Handling) Rules, 2000,specifies about Collection, Segregation,Storage, Transportation and Disposal ofmunicipal solid wastes.

❖ Check to see whether you are haulingaround unnecessary weight in yourcar. Surprisingly, an extra hundredpounds will decrease your fueleconomy by more than 1%.

❖ When you are buying a car, keep fuelefficiency in mind. Alternatively,equipment like power steering andautomatic transmissions need a lot ofenergy to run.

❖ Inflate your tires to the right pressure.It reduces fuel consumption by 5%.

❖ Drive gently. Don’t race the engine;accelerate and slow down gradually.You can improve the mileage by 15%.

❖ Drive between 40 and 50 km/ph. Thefaster you go the more wind resistanceyour vehicle will face. You can get 40%

extra mileage at 40 km/ph ascompared to 80 km/ph.

❖ Car sharing is an effective way ofcutting down on cars and thus onenergy consumption.

❖ Join a car pool. Share lifts to and fromwork and family outings.

❖ Try using the public transport systemslike trains and buses.

❖ Better still, use a bicycle - it occupieslittle space, releases no pollution andprovides healthy exercise.

❖ Fit your car with tinted windows to helpkeep the temperature constant andlessen the need for air-conditioning.

❖ Walk rather than drive whereverpossible. Walking is one of the bestexercises for your body.


Schedule II, Clause 4 on Transportation ofmunicipal solid wastes, sub clause I, saysthat “the storage facilities set up bymunicipal authorities shall be daily attendedfor clearing of wastes. The bins or containerswherever placed shall be cleaned before theystart overflowing”.

Take a walk; look around the streets of anycity or town. Have a cup of tea in a ‘FastFood’, restaurant and try to dispose of thedisposable cup in a bin. You will besurprised to learn that nothing the lawadvises or requires is fulfilled. Bins areoverflowing, a riot of colors in many shapesand sizes. Still worse, you may find a monkeyembracing the garbage bin.

It is horrifying to note that garbage bins aredesigned like many scheduled animals. Bear,Monkey, Rabbit, Fox, Pelican, tree stump,Pelican, Swan and even Penguin, the list isendless. The “Animal Garbage Bins” opentheir mouth to swallow the garbage. Most ofthe bins are also labeled as “use me” and“Garbage/dust bin”.

What we are trying to convey by this act ofmodeling garbage bins after wild animals?Is it for attracting the “generator of garbageto bin it”? If so, it should not be at the costof violating the law and creating a negativeattitude towards animals. In fact, in the actof attracting the generator of garbage tothrow the garbage into a bin, we are alsoviolating the very law which advocatesmanagement of municipal solid waste.

Let us think of conservation education. Forexample, a child in a park tries to throwgarbage in an animal-shaped bin (a monkeywith an open chest with a sign saying ‘useme’). The child throws the garbage in the bin,probably thinking that monkeys can receivegarbage. In the future, if the same child seesan unfortunate live monkey nearby, there isevery possibility that he may throw garbageat it.

The same is the case with other animal-shaped garbage bins and the negative

In Schedule II, Collection of Municipal SolidWastes (1), VIII, specifies that “Stray animalsshall not be allowed to move around wastestorage facilities or at any other in the cityor town and shall be managed in accordancewith the State Laws”.

In the same schedule II, Clause 1, sub clause3 emphasizes that “It shall be theresponsibility of generator of wastes to avoidlittering and ensure delivery of wastes inaccordance with the collection andsegregation system ……..”

Clause 3- Storage of Municipal Solid wastessub clause (iii) says that “Storage facilitiesor ‘bins’ shall have ‘easy to operate’ designfor handling, transfer and transportation ofwastes.

It further elaborates on color coding of “Binsfor storage”: “Biodegradable wastes shall bepainted green, bins for recyclable wastesshall be painted white and those for storageof other wastes shall be printed black”.

The Rule does not elaborate much on sizeand dimensions of the bins except somespecifications for transportation.


Tree stump shaped Garbage bin at Mysore Zoo

attitudes created by them. Many of us havehad the unfortunate privilege of hearingparents yelling out to their children “throwthe chocolate paper in the penguin bin”.

Let us not assume that the phenomenon ishappening only in shops and hotels. It isunfortunate to see beautiful penguins andmonkeys sitting as garbage bins in railwaystations, public utilities, zoological gardens,conserved areas and even in children’sparks.

The bins may, in the long run, developnegative attitudes in the minds of youngchildren. We may have to end up swallowingour own garbage in future.

Instead, let there be

❖ Uniform color coding of garbage binsat every stage of municipal solid wastemanagement.

❖ Ban on animal garbage bins

❖ Uniform shapes (not size) for garbagestorage and disposal

❖ Nomenclature for garbage segregationto be streamlined along with colorcoding.

❖ Care taken in designing signages andutilities.

References

1. Ministry of Environment and Forests,http://envfor.nic.in/legis/awbi/awbi03.,The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,1960 (59 of 1960), as amended by CentralAct 26 of 1982.

2 . w w w . i n d i a m a r t . c o m / . . . / p l a s t i c -dustbins.html (pictures courtesy)

3. Ministry of Environment and Forests,http://envfor.nic.in, The Municipal SolidWastes (Management and Handling) Rules,2000.


ECONEWS welcomes articles and news items from its readers.

Please send them to

The Editor

C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre

1, Eldams Road, Alwarpet, Chennai – 600 018, India.

Phone : 91-44-24337023 / 24346526 Fax : 91-44-24320756

www.cpreec.org / www.ecoheritage.cpreec.org

Email: [email protected]

The Western Ghats, known for its evergreen tropical forests and rich biodiversity, is all setto become a world heritage site.

”By 2010, we are confident of getting world heritage site status for the Western Ghats”,said VB Mathur, dean of the Wildlife Institute of India, which has prepared a nominationdossier of 39 natural sites from states like Karnataka, Kerala, and Maharashtra under asingle cluster of the Western Ghats.

India has already submitted the dossier to UNESCO, which is the nodal agency for declaringheritage sites. A team of UNESCO would travel to India next year to give its seal of approvalin this regard.

The sites from Karnataka include Agumbe Reserve Forest, Someshwara Wildlife Sanctuary,Someshwara Reserved Forest, Kudremukh National Park, Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary,Talacauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Padinalknad Reserve Forest, Kerti Reserve Forest andBrahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, all major tourist attractions.

According to the guidelines of the World Heritage Convention, of which India is a signatory,each country has to prepare a tentative list of sites that it proposes to nominate as worldheritage sites, Mathur said. Surveys by WII officials with the help of a Bangalore-basedagency Atree were conducted to find sites in the 150,000 sq km Western Ghats.

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had assigned the responsibility of preparingnomination dossiers for Western Ghats to WII. “We submitted our nomination dossier toHRD Ministry which in turn submitted to UNESCO,” said Mathur.

There are six natural heritage sites in India which include Valley of Flowers and NandaDevi Biosphere Reserve, Kaziranga National Park, Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Sunderbanand Keoladeo National Park.

(Source: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/western-ghats-all-set-to-become-world-heritage-site/361435/)


What does My Diet have to do with the Environment?

Recently the United Nations and the FAOstated that livestock contribute more togreenhouse gases than all the cars in theworld. There are now 20 billion livestockon earth - more than triple the number ofhuman beings!

Water

The world is heading towards a drinkingwater shortage. It takes 500 litres of waterto produce 1 kg of potatoes, 600 for 1 kgof wheat, 2000 for 1 kg of rice, but 100,000for 1 kg of beef. Livestock consume 80%of the world’s water supply.

Food

60 million people die of starvation eachyear. It takes 12 -16 kilos of grain toproduce 1 kilo of meat or milk. Livestockconsumes 40 % of the total grain grownworldwide. A vegan needs 0.5 acres of landfor sustenance, a non-vegetarian 30 timesthis amount! Starvation can literally bewiped out by wiping meat and dairy offour diets.

Trees

Our diminishing forests are seriouslythreatened by grazing animals. Largenumbers of wild animals are killed eachyear to protect or to make room for grazinganimals in our food chain. 260 millionacres of virgin forest in the world have beencleared for cropland to support a meat-centered diet.

Energy

Meat is energy intensive. The world’spetroleum reserves would last for only 13

years if all humans were meal eaters but260 years if all humans were vegetarian.

Pollution

Animal husbandry and slaughter result inair, water and land pollution. The totalincrease in the number of animals killedfor food in the world each year exceeds thetotal human population!

Animals

Death is never a pleasant affair, least of allfor the animals killed. 56 billion landanimals are killed each year to appease ourappetites! (This does not include aquaticanimals) They suffer claustrophobicconfinement, terrible transport withoutfood and water and rest, to meet their finalbloody end in the slaughterhouse.

Health

We are descendants of primates that areprimarily fruitarian, and our anatomy issimilar to theirs. There is ample evidenceto show that a balanced, non-refined vegandiet is the best for our health.

Whether it is to improve our health, endglobal starvation, save wildlife, conservewater and energy or reduce pollution or loreduce animal suffering perhaps thegreatest impact each individual can haveis to reduce or stop animal products in theirdiet.

Reduce your Carbon Footprint!Go vegan / vegetarian or reduce the

animal products in your diet.


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and the major environmental problems facing the country today. It has been conducting a

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students, voluntary workers, educators, farmers, women and youth, on all aspects of the

environment and ecology, with the purpose of promoting conservation of nature and natural

resources.

Eco News is printed and published by Dr. Nanditha Krishna on behalf of C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre

at The C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation, 1, Eldams Road, Alwarpet, Chennai - 600 018.

Editor : Dr. Nanditha Krishna Production : M. Amirthalingam

Where the details about the writer(s) are not given, it means that he/she works in CPREEC

The views expressed by the writers do not necessarily reflect the views of either

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