A Small But Powerful Blue Flame in Nepal's Terai Arc
Conservation Dollars at Work

In Nepal, a blue flame is a positive and hopeful sign for both overcoming poverty and protecting the environment. The flame, powered by biogas, provides a valuable cooking source as well as light and heat for many homes.

It's life-changing because women are no longer stuck in unhealthy smoke-filled kitchens. And, they no longer have to search for firewood from wood debris or cut down trees or branches in nearby forests. That time can instead be spent on any number of other projects, from advancing an education to starting a business.

Earlier

Instead of burning about 5 pounds of wood each day for cooking, lighting and heating, a biogas stove burns none. Biogas homes are vital for reforestation and forest protection - forests that are home to elephants, rhinos and tigers.

Today there are 7,500 stoves in use in Nepal, saving 617 acres of forest annually-that's 33,000 tons of fuel wood saved. Each stove eliminates four metric tons of CO2 equivalents annually. And, in five years, we'll be well on our way to 40,000 biogas stoves across the Nepalese landscape. The blue flame really is a symbol of hope and success in Nepal and for WWF's work protecting amazing wildlife.

After biogas use

New Age Stephen Hakings

There has been many philosophers and scientists who tried to describe the universe and given a number of theories. It is earlier believed that the earth is a flat disc and floating over water. ………………………..………………………………..……………………… There can not be a single theory that can describe the universe and no single theory can explain all the processes involved in universe formation and development. There can be one law which is governing the universe today but whether it will govern the universe in the same way is not confirm. A simple example that which is evident is that in the early beginning of life there were only single cell organisms which does not requires any other organism to reproduce. With the passage of time different processes took place and now majority of organism are not one cell. It is evident that no single law is applicable through out and it also proved that the laws will different.

Radon Public Service Announcement (PSA.) Environmental Protection Agency Designates January 2011 as National Radon Action Month

One in 15 homes in the United States has elevated radon levels, and 21,000 deaths are attributed to this cause each year, second only to smoking in causing lung cancer deaths.

As a result, January 2011 has been declared “National Radon Action Month” by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and health and environmental agencies across the U.S. and homeowners and renters are being urged to test their homes for this gas. Offices, schools and government facilities are also being asked to test for the deadly carcinogen. Heightened awareness of the threat is resulting in large penalties and fines to owners from complaints of indoor air quality violations within the workplace.

The World Health Organization, the United Nations, and the President’s Cancer Panel have all called for stronger policies regarding radon gas, since 2009. Scientist world wide agree the threat is real. The WHO is using the measurement 1.7 pCi/L of air for radon, while the U.S. currently used 4.0.

“Based on this new standard, nearly twice as many homes and buildings that will require radon mitigation in the coming years,” said Ross Aton, a radon mitigator in Indiana and Kentucky.

During National Radon Action Month, the EPA, with the U.S. Surgeon General, are escalating efforts to educate the public about radon and its dangers and what can be done to correct the problem or minimize the health risk. The media is encouraged to participate in promoting any information possible.

“Radon is invisible and odourless, so one could live in a home with elevated levels for years without knowing it,” said James Gelina, owner of Air Quality Control Agency Inc., a radon remediation firm in the U.S.

“January is a perfect time for these awareness activities. Since homes are closed up for the winter, it’s an ideal time to assess indoor radon concentrations,” he said.

Gandhi - Father of Nation

UNCERTAINTY CAUSING BRAIN-DRAIN OF INDIAN GEOGRAPHERS

“Public education is the foundation of the prosperity of the nation………..”
Antonio Garcia Cubas (1893)
Very rightly said but recent policy makers are dividing public into class and their emphasis seems to be tilted towards a specific class of people.
Here I am talking about the higher education where there are few disciplines which are ready to flourish and had showed their acceptance to society but only a bit have been done for their disciples’ sake. "The jack of all traits and master of nothing" is a widely known phrase in Indian Geographical Academic lanes. It is argued that as geography demands to study socio-cultural environment over the physical landscape, it ask to study socio-cultural elements (touches the fields of sociology, demography, economics, regional development etc.) and physical elements (under lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere) as well, so they are not able to focus on either which is not true when it comes to higher research where one need to focus on issue. Scholars of the discipline linked with social sciences and natural sciences both at a time. But when it comes to higher and specific researches they have been restricted to a limited area. The restriction is not due to the subject matter but because of lack of infrastructure and partial behavior of administration towards the humanities and social sciences.

Infrastructure and Govt. Policies
The recent government policy towards educational infrastructure in not sufficient enough and Humanities and Social Sciences Institutes (HSIs) are worst affected. Human Resource and Development Minister has announced a 100 day Agenda which as stir fundamental educational system by introducing new policies in development of educational system and increasing scholarships. Even the scholarships are lean towards the Science and Technology Institutes (STIs). The scholarships of STIs have been increased from Rs. 7,000 per month to Rs. 12,000 per month plus 25,000 of contingency but the scholarship of HSIs especially of geography are still waiting at Rs. 5,000 per month with 10,000 of contingency. Despite the fact that Humanities and Social Science students are spreading awareness which is accumulated in scientific streets and scientific facts to the society are neglected.

UGC’s Axe
It has been a trend now-a-days that socio-economic studies do not receive its much awaited status and value in society. It is often argued that the researches are cooked and do not have its relevance. It is true to some extent but the critics rather should get know why some scholars come out with cooked researches after their five to seven year of devotion. It is because of HSIs scholars do not find future assurance in research work as he or she will not be allowed to pursue academic carrier due to the compulsion of National Eligibility Test (NET). The irony of the system is that a scholar whether focus on the research he will not been able to crack the Test and if he or she focus on the Test (NET) the quality of research will degrade as both require its special attention and approach to study. According to a recent notification of UGC, Ph.D holding candidates will not be allowed to pursue their carrier in academics until they have clear National Eligibility Test (NET). Against which All-India Researchers Coordination Committee organized a protest march in the Capital.
It is not the mere reason of stir in various section of academic however 100 day Agenda proposed by Prof. Yash pal was also criticized in the different segments of intellectuals.

Rejuvenation and Brain-drain
Geography as a discipline is very ancient and throughout proved its relevance in the contemporary arena. It is a multi-disciplinary science which submerged contemporaries of every time in it.
IN 1960s it has included quantitative methods to make the discipline more scientific and empirical in nature. Though it also sparks some counter disciplines (Behaviorism, Positivism, Radicalism etc.)
During 1980s Remote Sensing and GIS give it a boost which is still on the go and booming with the time passing.
A new trend has been seen in the 21st century among the IAS aspirants in opting geography as an optional subject which suggests that government know the importance of the discipline.
Despite the entire fact no special attention has been paid by central and state governments to flourish it (geography as a discipline) rather it is being neglected. These phenomena forcing geographers to change their discipline and those who have walked too far are looking towards abroad to achieve something from the discipline and that causing brain-drain of great potential.