The Indus Valley Civilization

The Indus valley civilization was one of the four major river valley civilizations. Theirs was a well organized civilization that boasted of well organized sumptuous cities. The civilization was spread all over what is now Pakistan and it extended to some parts of Central India. Their civic organization was such that perhaps today our cities could do with some organization of that sort.

The roads of all the major cities were quite wide and were rounded at the corners. They were constructed in an east-west or north-south direction so that the prevailing winds could keep the roads clean. In addition to this there were also cleaners who kept the streets clean.

This civilization’s cities also boasted of proper drainage systems. Each house had a connection to the main drain that ran below the streets. The drains ended in the fields so that the waste water could irrigate the fields. This ingenuity is not seen anywhere in today’s world. All industries like brick kilns were located outside the city.

These incredible ideas could be successfully implemented in our cluttered cities today.  Such systems would really be effective in this age.

Does Taking a Shower Save Water?

Here's a little experiment i did to find if taking a shower saves water.

Capacity of mug-1/4 liter or 200 ml
Bucket Bath
time taken-50 seconds
No. of mugs- 12
Volume of water=12*200=2400 ml=2.4 liters

Shower
Time taken-60 seconds
No. of mugs- 11
Approximate amount of water waste in opening and closing the shower- 1 mug
Total no. of mugs-11+1=12 mugs.
Volume of water= 2.4 liters


Conclusion
Thus we see that there is no significant change in the water consumed. 

Implications of Cutting Down Natural Vegetation

Recently, near my house, a whole wild area was cut down and burnt up to make space for a garden. The land was covered with native trees and wild grasses. The new park is sure good to look at, but it really is a waste of money and water. I cannot imagine the amount of water that is daily pumped into the garden just so that the grass can grow. What is the point of this? The park does not have any trees and is full of flowers. Native plants are suited to survive in their own areas and so are the best option. They also provide habitat to many insects and birds. There are not as many insects as there used to be when the park area was wild. Besides this, natural vegetation also holds rainwater and recharges ground water. In addition to the destruction already done, organic wastes such as dry leaves etc are regularly burnt up. In nature, these would have been recycled. Also, wild plants are better oxygen pumps than garden plants. We really need to stop cutting down all the wild vegetation and bushes. If we do, we should plant trees in place of it. Save the environment!

Melting Glaciers

Here is a very nice and eye-catching diagram of the effect of global warming on our glaciers. Pictures taken at San Diego zoo. 

At the end of the annual melt season in 1989

At the end of the annual melt season in 2007

Some Environment blogs for you..

Blackle.com's blog

Real Climate

One Planet..our beautiful Earth

The Season of Sparrows

 Yes, its the mating season for sparrows and recently I saw a pair at work, building a nest. Here are some photos..

the male with some branches in its mouth

see the album

The female emerging from the nest

A Quote

"When asked, as I frequently am, why I should concern myself with the conservation of animal life, I reply that I have been very lucky and that throughout my life the world has given me the most enormous pleasure. But the world is as delicate and as complicated as a spider's web. If you touch one thread, you send shudders running through all the other threads. We are not just touching the web, we are tearing great holes in it."
- Gerald Durrell

Snakes in my verandah!!!

Recently, a few snakes turned up in my verandah. It was so still, i think it was dead. Habitats are shrinking and these snakes are turning up more often in homes. Foliage and bushes should not be cut down.

The lonely tree

This is a poem I've written-

I am sitting in the cool shade of a tree,

It is one of those places that is still free,

From the hands of development

Conducted by the same government

That is trying to save trees.

This life giver's friends are no more

With home he grew up on the erstwhile forest floor

And saw the school rise nearby 

While the animals and brids grew more and more shy

Until one day they went away

Never again, to come back this way.

And as the years went by,

The land went dry.

As the winds showed no mercy

Or the roots their strength

For they had lost their willpower,

Along with their friends.

Coal mining threatens India's forests

Coal mining threatens large forest areas in Central-eastern India. The government’s greed for 


coal endangers the wildlife like tigers in these forests and the livelihood of millions of people 


dependent on the forests. Please help-

http://www.greenpeace.in/junglistan/save/why-this-koyla-mining-di.php?p3=ospc