Death is not news to me or for that matter most of us. I have received news of strangers, friends and distant family member’s expiry at odd times, mostly with someone shaking me and waking me up to it. Dont know if it was the disturbance to sleep, but I have never felt anything much. Infact it was strange that I feel odd in a way that sadness never engulfs me at such events. Even when a case of heart attack and a breast cancer hit my parents, it was something of a feeling that never meant anything more than a few seconds for me. I refused to believe they will die and so it happened. They are healthy today. On a more personal note, I have had a couple of brushes with it myself, when I slipped on the foot board of the train (or the bus in another instance) or the excruciating pain when I hurt my spine while bowling. But the seriousness of it never struck me. It all changed the last sunday.
Last sunday, I was packing my bags for the evening train to bangalore when the kid in the apartment came over and told me “your granny slipped the gate and is lying on the road”. I ran and there she was, her legs giving away and trembling. She was putting all her effort in getting up but in vain and writhing in pain. I lifted her up and realised something wrong with her foot, so carried her away and sat her on the sofa. My immediate reaction was to shout at her (out of genuine concern) “Why the hell did you do it. You are old for heavens sake. How many times have I told you to take care? Why the **** dont you listen to me?” These words will stay with me and hurt me for ever, though I know she will never take it seriously or will forgive only with an understanding she can exude for she knows that she matters to me the most - more than my parents or love, ever will. May be I never associated death to a person who matters to me the most and that made all the difference.
The slope that she tried to climb down was notorious for kids and old people and after all these years, her legs gave her away. At this time, shes been taken to the hospital after a hip fracture and waiting for better diagnosis results.
It has shown me death closest to my face than any incidents have ever shown me. Suddenly the whole truth of our vulnerability to death lies stark naked in front of my eyes and refuses to budge. Its a deep sad feeling that tugs your heart making you feel so sick and helpless. At her age of 90, it is going to be one strong struggle to get out of it and I’m counting on her never-say-die-attitude, to beat it and get up in a few months. I have been amazed at her all through my life and if I’m ever anything today in life, its all because of her. It is no easy deal for a country bred tam bram lady who married at 13 and became a widow @ 28, penniless with three kids walking to the streets of chennai, to make a life and a life she did make, for all of us. For all the struggles she has gone through, I wish her journey to the end is as peaceful as it can be. I’m sure I will do what it takes to get her out of the bed, but this is against a force that you can only wage a fight with all your might, but still hope for the best of the luck to be on your side.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Global Warming, Abrupt Climate Change and Ecological Sustainability
Well, most of us must be introduced to these terms one way or the other and if you belong to a corporate world (which is why you are seeing this blog), you must know by now that Green is everywhere so much that if you dont introduce green and ecological sustenance in any topic, its not complete. I remember seeing ads and notices on TV, infact doordarshan to be specific atleast almost two decades back asking not to waste electricity or water. Somehow suddenly everyone wakes up - may be due to the huge hue and cry and join the wagon without probably not knowing where it is headed to or why should you be there in the first place.
The key words are green house effect, global warming and abrupt climate change
Note:
Please leave your version of the defintion of these terms (ofcourse without googling it). It will probably share our own perspectives on these seemingly most important words.
The reason for putting up this post was - first it was green house effect leading to global warming, to glaciers melting and doomsday of earth consumed by water body. Sounded very scary and convincing. Then started the reports of how the glaciers are growing - Check out the newspapers next to you or google or blackle . (for sample, check this or this ). By the way many of the glaciers are growing and scientists are coming up with “n” different answers all the time. Oh ok, seems like increased CO2 by human activities alone is not a convincing answer. Devoid of any explanation of this contradicting observation to the concept of global warming, we resorted to the next in the list - abrupt climate change. Its easy to associate that we are responsible…ah, atleast one thing that we as humans take responsibility for. Its also true to a extent that many of the inferences that are reported are based on climate simulations based on our predicting system. There doesnt seem to be (atleast whatever links I have read so far) much real world scientic data recorded on the field and those that have been recorded are inconsistent not helping much in drawing conclusions.
Ofcourse weather is a complex system and there is every possibility that we are undergoing a climate change because of various reasons. May be WE ARE one among the reasons. May be volcanic activities all around the world, even under antartic could add on to the reason, May be tsunamis add up to0. But to credit ourselves to be the only reason for it and to think of the fact that we can control it ourselves is a little too much of ourselves. The offshoot of which now appears to be the recent buzz word green technology and ecological sustainability.
I’m not against these words or people promoting it. I think they are an important aspect for a better life but reacting so strongly doesnt gel well with me. The more imminent thing to look at is recycling. (I understand its part of ecological sustainability).If we have to start about conservation, I’m not sure where would we start and where would we end. What would we stop and what would we acceptably continue? Look at our daily life, is it possible to forego atleast 10% of it? Look at the number of mineral ores we extract - should we or can we stop all this? What we make is what we take from here. Yes, it is necessary to be judicious in usage, but with the numbers we have and motives we have as individuals, is it possible?
We come here, we use the resources to live and we leave this place. There is nothing thats gonna change that fundamental equation of life. And so is climate, it has changed, is changing and will change. And there probably would be a time when the molecule that made the world will reduce / increase in its availability in the atmosphere….and there would be changes that atleast I wont be aware of. Till then, I will do what it takes to be a human - show compassion for other living things and try to exist in harmony with them, if not help them, atleast not harm them and deprive them of their chance to get a shot at life- That probably is what Ecological sustainability is all about for me !
DISCLAIMER
Some of the links in this post may seem outdated. It is upto the reader to have their own opinions (which I think most bloggers anyways do). Its only a certain chain of thoughts and any subsequent discussion on the topic is always welcome.
Some links that I read are
http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/briefs/shindell_04/
http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/climate-change
http://www.greenlearning.ca/climate/science/human-influence
The key words are green house effect, global warming and abrupt climate change
Note:
Please leave your version of the defintion of these terms (ofcourse without googling it). It will probably share our own perspectives on these seemingly most important words.
The reason for putting up this post was - first it was green house effect leading to global warming, to glaciers melting and doomsday of earth consumed by water body. Sounded very scary and convincing. Then started the reports of how the glaciers are growing - Check out the newspapers next to you or google or blackle . (for sample, check this or this ). By the way many of the glaciers are growing and scientists are coming up with “n” different answers all the time. Oh ok, seems like increased CO2 by human activities alone is not a convincing answer. Devoid of any explanation of this contradicting observation to the concept of global warming, we resorted to the next in the list - abrupt climate change. Its easy to associate that we are responsible…ah, atleast one thing that we as humans take responsibility for. Its also true to a extent that many of the inferences that are reported are based on climate simulations based on our predicting system. There doesnt seem to be (atleast whatever links I have read so far) much real world scientic data recorded on the field and those that have been recorded are inconsistent not helping much in drawing conclusions.
Ofcourse weather is a complex system and there is every possibility that we are undergoing a climate change because of various reasons. May be WE ARE one among the reasons. May be volcanic activities all around the world, even under antartic could add on to the reason, May be tsunamis add up to0. But to credit ourselves to be the only reason for it and to think of the fact that we can control it ourselves is a little too much of ourselves. The offshoot of which now appears to be the recent buzz word green technology and ecological sustainability.
I’m not against these words or people promoting it. I think they are an important aspect for a better life but reacting so strongly doesnt gel well with me. The more imminent thing to look at is recycling. (I understand its part of ecological sustainability).If we have to start about conservation, I’m not sure where would we start and where would we end. What would we stop and what would we acceptably continue? Look at our daily life, is it possible to forego atleast 10% of it? Look at the number of mineral ores we extract - should we or can we stop all this? What we make is what we take from here. Yes, it is necessary to be judicious in usage, but with the numbers we have and motives we have as individuals, is it possible?
We come here, we use the resources to live and we leave this place. There is nothing thats gonna change that fundamental equation of life. And so is climate, it has changed, is changing and will change. And there probably would be a time when the molecule that made the world will reduce / increase in its availability in the atmosphere….and there would be changes that atleast I wont be aware of. Till then, I will do what it takes to be a human - show compassion for other living things and try to exist in harmony with them, if not help them, atleast not harm them and deprive them of their chance to get a shot at life- That probably is what Ecological sustainability is all about for me !
DISCLAIMER
Some of the links in this post may seem outdated. It is upto the reader to have their own opinions (which I think most bloggers anyways do). Its only a certain chain of thoughts and any subsequent discussion on the topic is always welcome.
Some links that I read are
http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/briefs/shindell_04/
http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/climate-change
http://www.greenlearning.ca/climate/science/human-influence
Story on Dollar Bubble
I happened to chance upon this link that attempts (fact or fiction I know not) to detail the economic crisis in US and the precendents to it. Click here for the article
DISCLAIMER:
I have no authenticity for this article or the contents there in.
DISCLAIMER:
I have no authenticity for this article or the contents there in.
Monday, July 14, 2008
The Elephant(al) Growth
I was watching “the elephant” in Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. Now this post is not a criticsm of what he says or arguments against it. But it is the thought that came into my mind when I was watching it.
The elephant graph in Al Gore’s presentation signifies how it took 10000 years for humans to double their numbers from 1bn to 2 bn but less than a generation to grow to ~8bn. He concludes that “something is terribly wrong right now”.. (Note: the numbers are from my memory)
I think what if the “terribly wrong” thing thats happening is the homo sapien’s way of adapting itself so that when a huge turn about hits the earth in this “age” (earth is classified into numerous ages) which probably may be the only way to survive any damage in terms of numbers?
Preposterous idea - you think. May be. Sounds like a good reason why population should explode.
However, if we really look at it, I dont think anyone would counter the fact that Earth is always changing or rather the universe. Its in a constant change. (anyone who doesnt believe in this should ideally stop reading further).
This is how it is supposed to have evolved. [Source :Wikipedia on Continental Drift
The Supercontinent or the Pangaea was one single piece of land mass that has been pushed and pulled to the various forces thus giving rise to various theories depending on what was assumed to be the reason. It has gone through changes, life has evolved and the ones that were able to adapt has stayed on. And the most intelligent of the species that has adapted itself is probably the Homo Sapiens. Why should it be preposterous to think that way?
The elephant graph in Al Gore’s presentation signifies how it took 10000 years for humans to double their numbers from 1bn to 2 bn but less than a generation to grow to ~8bn. He concludes that “something is terribly wrong right now”.. (Note: the numbers are from my memory)
I think what if the “terribly wrong” thing thats happening is the homo sapien’s way of adapting itself so that when a huge turn about hits the earth in this “age” (earth is classified into numerous ages) which probably may be the only way to survive any damage in terms of numbers?
Preposterous idea - you think. May be. Sounds like a good reason why population should explode.
However, if we really look at it, I dont think anyone would counter the fact that Earth is always changing or rather the universe. Its in a constant change. (anyone who doesnt believe in this should ideally stop reading further).
This is how it is supposed to have evolved. [Source :Wikipedia on Continental Drift
The Supercontinent or the Pangaea was one single piece of land mass that has been pushed and pulled to the various forces thus giving rise to various theories depending on what was assumed to be the reason. It has gone through changes, life has evolved and the ones that were able to adapt has stayed on. And the most intelligent of the species that has adapted itself is probably the Homo Sapiens. Why should it be preposterous to think that way?
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Belief !
The thing always happens that you really believe in;
and the belief in a thing makes it happen.
Frank Lloyd Right.
and the belief in a thing makes it happen.
Frank Lloyd Right.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
