Planet Earth

Even if you have never learnt science or really understood physics or for that matter chemistry, the subject you graduated from, it is possible for you to cover a science congress. To top it, two nobel laureates in Chemistry are going to give public lectures. And I am to report them for the people. I think I should have at least made an effort to listen those chemistry lectures a decade ago.

So, here we are, two of us, who seldom care for themselves, to write about the 94th edition. It started with a press meet in which the speaker will not answer specific questions. As everyone could see that, it is another science congress. Neither the youth is there nor the funds are there. For two years, the nation can't have a tsunami warning system in place. This is a nation that knew about tsunami after the tidal waves claimed thousands of lives.

So, Science has never been in our genes. We can be proud to possess spiritiual genes, of late a bit mutated, if you will agree to that. The theme though is going to be the talk of the century. It is pretty much difficult to say if talks materialise into actions.

Let's face the fact. One by one. With one or at best two instances to explain each one.

Energy Security:
Only recently we have mortgauged ourselves for nuclear energy. The United States has at last set its foot on the sub-continent. Unlike the commercial colas that came first, the nuke deal should be considered as a strategy of Uncle Sam in South Asia. Is it another victory for Pak diplomacy or at last a victory for Indian diplomats? Pretty tough to tell. Accepted that Oz will also supply enough nuclear fuel for us for a century to come. If the West is finding it difficult to dispose nuclear waste, what about us? Where will Planet Earth, here Mother India, do?

Mineral Resources:
I have no idea of this. This is the land that sold thorium from its western sands for a long time without the knowledge of it. Now, Orissa will be mined in and out. What will happen to the original tribals? When we talk of Planet Eart, or we not talking about its children. Related to nukie, when the west was looking to improve its coal usage efficient, why are we turning nuke?

Water Resources:
The Ultimate Question to us. Wheter to interlink or leave the rivers to run their natural course. Let us ask why have we never thought of nationalising water resources? May be we are waiting for a civil war by the middle of this century.

Ocean Resources:
Ocean is there around the peninsula. Not one effective desalination plant! Not many know of the marine biological park. And not many cared for fisherfolk, till the tsunami came calling. Shrimp culture is spoling the coast. The chemical industry is slowly moving in for the kill. Science has never been put to good use here.

Monsoon Forecast:
The joke of the summer monsoon has always been that whenever the MET says it will rain it will not and whenever it says it will not, it will certainly.

Natural Hazards:
I have no idea of this. I only wonder how nature can be a hazard. If we are talking of disaster managements, then we probably are the worst in the world.

Waste Management:
Supreme Court fixed March, 2003 as the last date for corporation to implement solid waste management. Here we are in 2007. Have we?

Education:
From this same university from where i type, five lads came to my office. M.A in English. They can't speak the language my daughter in KG could speak. I have nothing more to say, except to tell you to go back to the first para of the blog.

to be continued...