Our rulers are concerned, so are we

The heat has finally been felt inside the Secretariat.

Last day, our honourable politicians expressed deep concern over the signs of global warming. They want the government to draw up long and short-term strategies to mitigate the impact of this phenomenon.

This is a welcome sign. Let us all join together-the politicians, policy makers, planners, implementators and general public to take positive action.

Let us plant more trees and hoist more "Green Umbrellas".

Let us harvest rain water.

Let us not waste electricity.

Let us drive less and conserve the petrol and diesel.

Let us opt for CFL lamps.

Let us allow other living organisms to live.

Let us tread more softly and patiently on this earth.

Climate change and KSEB

Now this is a very serious matter. As I motorcycled to office today morning, my eyes met with chopped off tree branches and even some young trees cut right down the middle inside our univ campus. This is not the 1st time I am seeing this, nor is this going to be the last time.

By the very nature of the axing, I could make out the "butcher of trees". The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) fellas, to me, are the most heartless enemies of urban trees. In the name of providing un-interrupted power supply they mercilessly chop off the terminal and lateral branches that sometimes try to "kiss" the overhead supply lines. And at times, their bill hooks dont hesitate to strike at the very middle of the tree trunk. To top it all, they leave all the felled foliage then and there itself.

Come one, power fellas, you are welcome to cut or chop.I know that you work very hard to provide us with un-interrupted power. Thanks for that. But when cutting or chopping trees branches, do it properly. When making a cut, dont cut to kill or destroy the tree for ever. Rather than throwing the bill hook around, remove only the trouble some branches keeping in mind the overall shape of the tree.

Yup, every tree has got a basic "design"-like our house or building. What happens if you remove one portion of your house. It can tumble down. Like wise a drastic alteration of the basic shape can eventually topple or destroy the tree as such.

In this era of climate change and all, KSEB should be aware of the importance of the "Green Umbrellas" especially in urban areas. It is high time the KSEB should also sensitize its staff on urban tree management. Anyway, please STOP this irresponsible chopping.

Govt is counting

Yup..the Kochi (kerala, india) authorities are planning to count the trees in the metro (http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/29/stories/2010032957120300.htm).

I dont know whether it is right to say that climate change, pollution and the like are all "necessary evils"? Any way all these modern day virtues are forcing things in favour of the "Return of the Green Umbrellas" in all our cities, towns and neighbourhoods.

dont forget to Switch OFF tonight

Switch OFF

8:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Switch OFF

Do you want to DO SOMETHING against climate change?

Tomorrow (27th March 2010: Earth Hour 2010) the entire world is gearing up to SWITCH OFF of all non-essential lights and electrical appliances for ONE HOUR between 8.30 PM and 9.30 PM (local time).

This is a golden opportunity for all lovers of mother Earth. So please dont forget to switch off tomorrow.

Also encourage (by hook or by crook) your friends, relatives and neighbourhood to SWITCH OFF for just ONE hour. Hey, last year lots of people DID this (Official video of Earth Hour).

Let us do it this time.

Let us join together and act to SAVE our planet from further doom.

LET A 1000 TREES BLOOM

I use to use a metaphor to describe my home state Kerala-it is like a "banana fry"! Just take a good look at the geography of it and you will realise that. A very small geo unit_limited land space with high population density. And demand too.

My point is about the new "green villas". It is every Malayalees dream to own a piece of land and built a home. But land is a premium here and the cost of whatever available is jacked up by the "broker mafia" (yeah, it is the new mafia). Severe fragmentation of landholdings has broken Kerala. It has also poked holes in that vast "Green Umbrella" that once Kerala was famous for.

I am not against building villas or residential flats. I am against indiscriminate clearing of trees in the name of construction. I have to advice or rather remind my fellas that to beat the tropical sun from beating us down and flat, we need to repair the green umbrella.

Let the policy makers make it mandatory planting of trees in the housing as well as other construction projects, including roads. After all LET A 1000 TREES BLOOM be our official policy.

Quench the THIRST of Mother Earth

On World Water day this year, everyone was talking about water scarcity. There were lot of sermons on this topic in the TV by experts. As I wrote before, the real summer days are still far off in Kerala, but we can smell the hard days ahead. The unusual daytime temperatures have stepped up power usage which in turn has eaten away the water in the hydroelectric reservoirs. Balanjee, our power minister has sounded powercuts. The earth is definitely getting thirstier.

Thirst has become a real problem for Earth these years. Long back, miles and miles of soil was under the "Green Umbrella". The umbrella was, without any heart-burn, taken off in the name of several developmental projects. We need infrastructural facilities, no doubt.

But how can we justify those housing schemes which call for all tarred roads and all concrete pavements around our so called "green villa" projects? All the available spaces through which rainwater can seep into earth will be plugged. We are over enthusiastic to drain out every drop of water falling on our roof top. Have we have become afraid of mud? We dream and boast of courtyards with glazed tiles.

No wonder the thirst of the Earth remains unquenched. And is getting worser by the day. Her thirst has to be quenched first. Then only can she quench our thirst.

ACTION PLAN

Let us think of trapping every single rain drop and allow it to go deep into the soil. Let us plant trees so that its huge roots create holes in the ground through which rainwater goes deep down.

World Forestry Day 2010

Tomorrow (21 March) is the D day.

We all know about the importance of forests. Some of them include:

1. Forest is the home to many living organisms-from micro to macro.
2. Forest floor is like a sponge. This sponge allows rain water to go deep in the soil, replenishing the ground water. We can tap this later.
3. Forest is a carbon sink. The plants trap all those CO2 and stores it in its living parts. We call this C sequestration.
4. The plants in the forest provide us with fresh O2.

So, on World Forestry Day, you can either teach someone the important of forest conservation.

Or else, plant a TREE and open up another "GREEN UMBRELLA" in your neighbourhood.

Our Thatched Houses: the GREEN HOMES of yore

Summer (oh, ya..the true summer months are yet to arrive!), this year, Malayalees are already indoors, trying to escape the unusually HOT sun. The traders of Kerala, meanwhile, are already in the red-they are finding it difficult to meet the demand for AC units! Day time temperatures have already touched 40 degree C in most Kerala towns.

I remember, my ancestral home in Trivandrum during 1970s. I used to spent my summer vacations in that "Tharavadu"-with a coconut leaf thatched roof-set amidst a stretch of "Green Umbrella" of coconuts, jack, mango trees and other sundry plants. The interior of the house, I still remember, has that "AC effect"-so cool and calm. Of course, there was a fan-one table fan-which was just there, as a fancy (maybe, a luxury symbol) item. The house was having wooden panels as false ceiling and as walls (in some rooms), which doubled the cooling effect. 

No AC, no air coolers and almost no fans-but the GREEN HOME and the adjacent "GREEN UMBRELLA" kept away the tropical sun. And the heat too. There is a lesson to be learnt here.

Meanwhile, is it possible to bring back our "green homes"?

More teeth to KFA 1961

Mr. Binoyjee, our state forest minister is for more biting power to Kerala Forest Act 1961. This 'green crusader" is pretty determined to protect the left-over pristine sandalwood forests. He argues that the existing laws are not enough to tackle the dreaded "sandal mafia". 

No wonder he is taking pride in forest protection. The number of sandalwood trees stolen in 2009 is just 51 as against the 2660 reported in 2004!

As I wrote before, in protecting the trees, the state forest sevice and some of the local greens are on their toes. They are even keeping their eyes open after dusk.

It is heartening to note that more number of people are standing up for the cause of "Green Umbrella".

Separate climate evangelism from climate science

Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said that the West was using the science of climate change for political gains.

http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/15/stories/2010031554881400.htm

Sandal is valuable

East Indian sandalwood (Santalum album; F-Santalaceae) is a highly prized tree species. In the Marayoor forest division in Kerala, India one can find extensive natural tracts of this valuable tree species.

The forest stand is kept fenced (see the picture) by the government. Forest officials keep a very close vigil over the trees and there is a daily "roll call" for the trees. This is to prevent the robbers (there is a mafia out there) from stealing the trees and selling it to illegal distilleries which extract the precious sandalwood oil.  

4 Reasons to plant a TREE

We must realise that trees are a valuable part of the process of urbanisation. Therefore it is important to select, plant and maintain trees in urban landscapes.

Before planting, visualise how your new tree will interact with your existing landscape. Not only as a seedling but also when it attains full size. Do not plant a tree where it will eventually compete for space.

Whether your goal is to clean up the local air or fight global warming, trees have become an indispensable tool!

Here are 4 reasons to plant a TREE.

1. Poor air quality is already a problem in urbanisation process. Trees can maintain air quality by altering the atmosphere through temperature moderation and removal of air pollution. Trees in parking spaces can reduce evaporative emissions from vehicles. Urban trees also improve air quality by directly removing vicious particulate matter pollutants from the air by intercepting them on leaf surfaces and absorbing gaseous pollutants (ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide). Ficus religiosa is an excellent choice in this context.

2. Although trees require water to grow, the amount required, varies from species to species. But urban trees also help to conserve water by shading buildings and moderating air temperature, thereby reducing the demand for electricity used in air conditioning. The volume of water that can be conserved through reduced electricity demand from tree shading could be much greater than the amount of water used by trees. Ficus religiosa, Pongamia pinnata, Alstonia scholaris etc are excellent choices in this context

3. Trees trap rainwater on leaves, branches, and trunks, slowing movement to the ground, and preventing rapid runoff. Some of the intercepted precipitation is evaporated back into the atmosphere.On the ground, fallen leaves and other organic material act like sponge, holding rainwater in place, slowly releasing water into the soil, and preventing surface runoff. Roots and trunks of mature trees create hollows on the ground that hold and reduce runoff, preventing erosion and increasing infiltration of precipitation. Organic tree matter increases the capability of soil to hold moisture and deep roots improve the transfer of water from upper soils into lower soil levels. Jack and Mango will be ideal choices. Also select local species.

4. Trees remove carbon dioxide by “breathing in" CO2 and and releasing oxygen through their leaves. The amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) absorbed annually by a tree varies depending on tree species, age, and size. In reality, trees sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in their trunks, branches, roots, and leaves. When trees die, most of the carbon dioxide they sequestered in their lifetime ends up back in the atmosphere. Go for long lived trees which will also stay healthy in the long run.

Thrissur is boiling

37.9 degree C is really a hot experience. There are a lot of "Eco-signs". While I ride my motorbike, I can experience the hot air leaving a burning sensation on my skin. I am now into wearing sun glasses to guard my eyes from sun burn. I have a feeling that people here are mostly keeping indoors. I have not noticed this in previous years. A lot of people are complaining about nausea, prolonged head-ache and the like.

Stray dogs are also a rarity now. In the tree world, Cassia fistula and Mango are really enjoying the burning SUN. The C fistula in front of our climate research centre is in full bloom-all of golden showers without a single leaf. My tree too is gearing up. It has lost almost all its leaves. Vishu is closing in...

Bijo Joy gets IFS

Another student of mine Mr. Bijo Joy also qualifies for IFS 2009.


Salutations to him too.

Indian Forest Service 2009

These are our new soldiers who qualified for the Indian Forest Service.

Salutations from "Green Umbrella".

Satellite for Green Umbrella

The dynamic forest minister Shri. Jairam Ramesh has announced putting into orbit an exclusive satellite for monitoring the green cover, especially the green umbrella cover provided by Indian forests.

Thatz great news..Well done Jairamjee...A satellite for Green Umbrella tells it all...We need to atleast maintain the remaining forest (read green) cover over Mother Earth.

So, Plant a tree NOW!

summer heat and flowering

This year I observe that the mango tree is slow to produce flowers. The flowers, which are usually there by January, came only by the last week of Feb.

There is scientific evidence that a heat stress will trigger flowering. Unlike us, plants are a victim of its environment. It has to live with the available water within its root zone. It cannot move (though the roots will travel far to get to moist earth) and search for a water source like we are able to do. So, in the event of a severe water stress, they slow down their functions and concentrate to produce new offsprings. They produce flowers!

The day time temperature in Kerala last week was touching 37 degree C. Maybe the mango is also responding to the heat by flowering late.

Mealy bug- a DRACULA of trees

In Kerala, India, for the past 2 months, some of the crops like pappaya and ornamental shrubs like Hibiscus are under attack from a vicious mealy bug by name Paracoccus marginatus (Insecta: Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae).

I have recently noticed that this bug is also sucking at Ficus callosa, a large tree. I noticed this tiny insects with their "white fur coat" in the leaf axils of this tree.

Considering their attack range, I also beleive that this bug is having a special affinity for plants with latex. Most plants in the Ficus (fig family) group have latex!

Just wondering which is the next line of target for this plant DRACULA!