RxPG News XML Feed for RxPG News   Add RxPG News Headlines to My Yahoo!  

Medical Research Health Special Topics World
 
  Home
 
 Careers 
 Dental
 Medical
 Nursing
 
 Latest Research 
 Aging
 Anaethesia
 Biochemistry
 Biotechnology
 Cancer
 Cardiology
 Clinical Trials
 Cytology
 Dental
 Dermatology
 Embryology
 Endocrinology
 ENT
 Environment
 Gastroenterology
 Genetics
 Gynaecology
 Haematology
 Immunology
 Infectious Diseases
 Metabolism
 Microbiology
 Musculoskeletal
 Nephrology
 Neurosciences
 Obstetrics
 Ophthalmology
 Orthopedics
 Paediatrics
 Pathology
 Pharmacology
 Physiology
 Psychiatry
 Public Health
 Radiology
 Rheumatology
 Surgery
 Urology
 Alternative Medicine
 Medicine
 Epidemiology
 Sports Medicine
 Toxicology
 
 Medical News 
 Awards & Prizes
 Epidemics
 Health
 Healthcare
 Launch
 Opinion
 Professionals
 
 Special Topics 
 Ethics
 Euthanasia
 Evolution
 Feature
 Odd Medical News
 Climate
  India Business
  India Culture
  India Diaspora
  India Education
  India Entertainment
  India Features
  India Lifestyle
  India Politics
  India Sci-Tech
  India Sports
  India Travel
 
 DocIndia 
 Reservation Issue
 Overseas Indian Doctor

Last Updated: May 21, 2007 - 4:00:57 AM
News Report
India Channel

subscribe to India newsletter

   EMAIL   |   PRINT
Find locally relevant solutions to global environmental problems
May 20, 2007 - 12:33:00 PM
Most solutions being offered today, technology or otherwise, are likely to retain the technological dependence on the developed world and thereby arguably continue the technology servitude for the emerging economies. They also typically tend to completely neglect the locally developed and relevant environment-friendly solutions!

Article options
 Email to a Friend
 Printer friendly version
 India channel RSS
 More India news
[RxPG] A recently published report of the Food & Agriculture Organization - has identified the livestock sector as a major contributor to global warming, land and air pollution and loss of biodiversity with an implied hint that at fault is mostly the developmental efforts of the poor nations.

Livestock occupies 26 per cent of the ice-free terrestrial area of the planet for grazing and 33 per cent arable land is used for feed crop production. Besides, the livestock expansion has been a key factor for deforestation.

The report mentions that the livestock sector accounts for 18 per cent of green gas emission, primarily contributed by methane generated from enteric fermentation by ruminants. Moreover, it consumes 8 per cent of global human water requirement, which is already under stress. Amongst the identified 35 hot spots for biodiversity, 23 are reported to be affected by the livestock!

No doubt, the FAO report is a cause of concern, as are other reports on impending threats to world ecosystems published from time to time. For instance, the latest UN Climate report has predicted that consequence to adverse climatic changes, millions of life and resources of this planet, especially in Afro-Asian countries, will be affected by the mid of this century; worst of which is complete melting of Himalayan glaciers! Even the projected global consumption and demand of palm oil till 2020, is reported to be a serious threat to the rain forests of Malaysia and Indonesia!

If there is anything consistent in these rather regular reports, it is that the doomsday scenario prediction seems to be getting nearer every time a new report comes out!

There is another consistent thread to these reports, often an unsaid but underlying statement, that this doomsday is a direct fallout of the 'unplanned' development, especially by the emerging and under developed economies!

There is no denying that remedial measures to deal with the worsening global environment are essential. All the more, it becomes imperative when the explosive growth in global population vis-a-vis its pressure on life-support systems is over-reaching sustainability. For instance, the UN Population Division has projected world population of about 10 billion by 2050; at the same period the total population of 'hungry' people is likely to increase from 1 billion to about 3 billion, until and unless requisite measures are taken to reduce it, in its right earnestness!

It is well known that a major chunk of pressure on development is driven by rich nations, the discrepancy is more so in agriculture and especially in livestock! According to a study titled 'Redefining Progress 2000', nature provides 5.5 acres of bio-productive space for each person which will reduce to 3 acres, by 2050. In contrast, an American uses, at present, 30 acres of bio-productive space to support his or her life style!

If one looks at the much maligned energy scenario, it could be observed that in contrast to 1.2 billion people in the developed world consuming energy at the rate of 7.4 kw per person or 8.9 tw - per annum, merely 1 kw per person or 4.1 tw per annum of energy is being consumed by 4.1 billion residents of the developing world! The wealthiest 20 per cent of world population is consuming 80 per cent of the goods and services produced from the earth's resources and therefore contributing that much more to worsening the environment!

The figures mentioned here are just to focus some of the glaring disparities that already exist in this world. Therefore, in seeking solutions and framing future policies to improve global environment, these disparities need to be reckoned with. Otherwise, it would continue to widen the gap between the developed and developing worlds, fueling more socio-economic and environmental problems!

As is the norm these days, the solution everyone says is in technology, specifically 'green' technologies! Green has become a colour of pride and the more greenie points you have, the better you are supposed to be doing! I am of the opinion that these issues deserve a little more thought than they are being presented nowadays.

Most solutions being offered today, technology or otherwise, are likely to retain the technological dependence on the developed world and thereby arguably continue the technology servitude for the emerging economies. They also typically tend to completely neglect the locally developed and relevant environment-friendly solutions!

The future of environment is recognition of these solutions and adaptation of them to local needs! Localization and indigenization while seemingly costlier is more than likely to lead to a sustainable development.





Related India News
Apex court approves stringent anti-ragging measures
Podbharti.com, music to the ears of Hindi web community
Probe into official connivance in Munnar encroachments
DMK's Radhika Selvi: from gangster's widow to minister
Assam seeks 4,000 troopers as attacks cause panic
Take 'serious note' of BJP's communal designs, Sonia asks government
BJP MPs get Lok Sabha adjourned over Sethusamudram project
Gender and sexuality film festival touches a gamut of issues
Two militants killed in Kashmir
Now Budhia to walk from Bhubaneswar to Kolkata

Subscribe to India Newsletter
E-mail Address:

 Feedback
For any corrections of factual information, to contact the editors or to send any medical news or health news press releases, use feedback form

Top of Page

 
© All rights reserved 2004 onwards by RxPG Medical Solutions Private Limited
Contact Us