Environment And Health

ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH The Earth is a very nice place to live in. However, modern developments have disfigured many healthy and beautiful facets of the Earth. One of the most important of them is the Greenhouse Effect. The Earth is heating up continuously because of the carbon dioxide that is left into the air by different sources such as industries, cars and many more other sources. Industrialized developed countries account for major portion of the carbon emission to the environment. It will also take a lot of time to find alternate methods to stop that outflow of carbon into the atmosphere. England fears that the carbon emissions from the United States in the present rate affect the lives of people living in the western coast of England. USA expressed its helplessness in doing anything in this regard owing to the all out dependence of the modern world on petrol and related fuels that contribute the maximum to the carbon emissions and the Green House effect .Due to the carbon emissions to the atmosphere, the world is heating up leading to many undesirable results like melting of the polar snow and rise in ocean and sea levels to submerge land masses apart from an unpleasant atmosphere. There are attempts now on in the international level to find a solution to this grave danger to the Earth.

THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT

Self-interest is the basic rule of all individuals as well as of nations. Whether it is an issue of health or wealth or food or safety, this trend is obvious. People or nations, they tend to escape and protect themselves from dangers. Growing realization of the dangers of the carbon emission and the Green House effect by the nations is leading to concerted efforts to save the Earth from its undesirable

effects. The Kyoto Protocol being already ratified by 183 countries of the world and the unanimous ratification of the protocol by the European Union prove the concern of the world in this matter.

MELTING GLACIERS

Glaciers are ice masses, mostly found in the Polar Regions. Global warming is the warming of the Earth due to the reflection of the heat from the layer of Carbon dioxide, and causes glaciers in the Polar Regions to melt and flow to oceans and seas all over the world, causing their levels increase. Increase in levels of ocean and seas leads to flooding and submerge of low-lying lands creating havocs to human life all over. This is one of the consequences of the excessive carbon emission to the atmosphere, Greenhouse Effect and the global warming that is most feared. CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is occurring at such a rapid rate that some thing will have to be done so that things are all set aright. However, with countries fighting on the issue inter alia, it looks as if things are going to take a very long time to settle. One very important consequence of climate change is the rising of the sea level. This is a very dangerous matter as this may lead to the people who live in coastal areas forced to leave the place to settle elsewhere. This is not some thing that is an easy thing for a whole population to do and will cause a large amount of trouble in the future. This is some thing that almost all countries have to keep in mind in the near future.

This is some thing that Bangladesh and Vietnam will suffer a lot of as their land is mostly just above the sea level. A very small change in the temperature will change the whole structure of the country. The refugees that will come from these events of the future cannot technically pass for refugees, as the definition of refugees is some thing quite different from the one given by the United Nations charter. Thus they will not be eligible for monetary help also. Even though this may be some thing very trivial problem according to most people, such a rule just cannot be broken to help these people for many reasons. One is their large number, and second is the need of resettlement at a short time. Third is the pressure on other lands created by such sudden influxes and its consequences at those places. Thus, these people are in a rather sticky situation indeed. These people have to be saved somehow. Construction of dykes and dams as has been done in the Netherlands may not help them as it is too costly and is not foolproof and in other cases simply cannot be built. So this is a sticky situation that needs to be prevented by avoiding the climate change and global warming. KYOTO PROTOCOL

Kyoto

Protocol

international

is

a

United

environmental

treaty

Nations

initiative

at climate

change

for for

achieving stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at

a

level

that

shall

prevent

dangerous

anthropogenic interference with the climate system. The Kyoto Protocol reduction

establishes of

four

legally

binding

greenhouse

commitment

gases

namely,

for

the

carbon

dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and sulphur hexafluoride and

two

other

gases

namely

hydrofluorocarbons and

perfluorocarbons) let out to the environment mostly by the industrialized nations.

The objective of the Kyoto climate change conference was to establish a legally binding international agreement, whereby all the participating nations commit themselves to tackling the issue of global warming and greenhouse gas emissions. The target agreed upon was an average reduction of 5.2% from 1990 levels by the year 2012. Kyoto Protocol sets national quantum for the reduction: 8% for the European Union, 7% to the United States, 6% for Japan, and 0% for Russia. The treaty permitted the emission increases of 8% for Australia and 10% for Iceland. The objective is

the

stabilization

and

reconstruction

of

greenhouse

gas

concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. This protocol will limit the release of pollutants in the Earth and thus help in saving our planet. However, this will not help the developed countries that depend on petrol that release smoke containing carbon dioxide to the atmosphere that cause the green house effect. The Kyoto protocol was first conceived on 11 December 1997 in Kyoto, Japan. The agreement came into force on 16 February 2005 following ratification by Russia on 18 November 2004. Under Kyoto, industrialized countries agreed to reduce their collective green house gas emissions by 5.2% from the level in 1990. Not many countries ratified it then, but now over the years, many counties have ratified it including India in 2002 and this has

raised the number of countries to 183 in January 2009. However, the two most important countries concerning this protocol, America and China have not signed. The Kyoto Protocol has already come into effect from the last few years. CLIMATE CHANGE REFORMS IN THE G8, G5 SUMMIT

In the G8, G5 summit that was held in Italy in 2009, developed and emerging economies came together and discussed problems facing the world in detail for the first time, and several breakthroughs were accomplished. Climate Change and right human responses to prevent it and save man from annihilation from the surface of the Earth found prominence in the deliberations of the world leaders in the summit. Climate Change reforms have taken a very important part in this summit and found consensus in the finished charter of the summit. A policy of stick and carrot for adopting climate change reforms by countries was considered and adopted in the summit. Higher the pollutants released to the atmosphere, countries must have more stringent measures to fight to bring it down were the general tenor of the deliberations in the summit. The summit marks the about turn of the United States of America in its policy towards the Climate Change under the stewardship of President Barack Obama by championing the cause of saving the Earth from the atmospheric pollutants. India and other emerging economies though fully supported the cause of reducing the release of the pollutants to the Earth’s atmosphere and pledged support to the cause, showed resistance for fixing any limits to them and signing any agreement to that effect as, it

claimed, such restrictions would retard their growing economy from further growth. Developed countries including the United States of America are on to bring these countries around for an agreement. EXTINCTION OF ANIMALS

There are thousands of species of animals in the world. The continents, which have the most number of species of animals, are Asia and Africa. Species of animals are essential ingredients in bringing about balance in the nature and in human survival. Symbiosis is an essential rule of the animal world covering human beings. Protection of all species from extinction is a basic need for maintaining the balance in the nature and a responsibility of man as the most evolved and enlightened species of the animal world.

They must be protected

from destruction. Fortunately, there are many people all over the world who have taken up this cause with passion as their life mission. Most of them live in thick forests ignoring their safety and comforts, study rare species of animals, their habits, befriend them and interact with governments and related organisations for the protection of those species of animals. Such missionary involvements with the animal world are mostly seen in the thick forests of Africa. Unfortunately, the people who indulge in killing animals for food or commercial use are more in the world than those who are for its preservation. Poachers and hunters are the worst enemies of the animal world.

As a result, the number of species of animals in the

forests of Asia and Africa are steadily decreasing over time.

Human food habit is a major contributor for the extinction of a large number of species of animals from the surface of the Earth. Species like the dodo are already extinct and lost forever for this world except as a part of the natural history. The principle of the survival of the fittest in nature works in the mechanism of the selection of the species for extinction. Weakest and those least fit for survival go first. With the rise of man in strength and knacks for survival with his rapid scientific and technological progress, chances of other species without his conscious endeavours to save and protect them surviving have become naught. It is in this circumstance that man must consciously decide and go for protection of his cousin species from extinction. Slaughtering animals for food is common all over the world. Man finds the flesh of almost all animals edible. Rarer, the species, tastier are their flesh. This is why rare species are sought and hunted. Hunting is a favourite pastime of rich and famous all over the world from the dawn of the human history. It has never lost its charm in the human psyche since he started killing animals for food and survival in the beginning of his history. Modern man indulges in hunting even as a game. Poaching animals lucri causa is the latest trend in the present commercial world. Animals are wantonly killed for their organs that have high commercial value and sold often in black markets for high prices as such trades are illegal in many countries. Rare species like Pangolin, the common bear and even the Great White Shark are extensively killed and slowly disappearing from the surface of the Earth.

THE DANGERS POSED TO GRIZZLY BEARS

Bears are four-legged creatures that inhabit this world along with a host of other creatures. The bears are very strong and are also very short-tempered and will certainly kill people if the people irritate them. Among the bears, which are very dangerous are the Polar bears and the Grizzly or Brown bears. Polar bears are very strong and very long and they also weigh a lot. These Polar bears are found in the North Pole and kill humans for food unlike other bears that leave human beings alone. The other bear of interest is the Brown bear, another very dangerous bear. Brown bears also kill humans, but only if they are found irritating or if it is feeling very hungry unlike the Polar bear. These days, the bear population has considerably come down. Governments all over the world are trying to protect bears and the bear population from extinction and the efforts are showing results and the bear population is picking up now steadily though slowly. It is the aggressive and attacking nature of humans that force bears and other wild animals to adopt hostile attitude to man. Bears are magnificent animals and should be protected from extinction. DECLINE OF THE TIGER

The tiger is the national animal of India. It is the largest member of the cat family and even bigger than the lion. It is a very ferocious animal and is well known for its ferocious hunting skills. It has been hunted for centuries. The tiger once used to occupy the whole of India, Pakistan, Russia and also Africa. In Pakistan and Russia, the tiger is now extinct, which is a terrible loss, as the largest species of the Tiger family called as the Siberian tiger lived in Russia. Sadly, it is now disappearing from India and Africa also. The cause of this is poaching and hunting. So is has been for centuries. Hunting and killing tigers were a symbol of strength and valour all over the world from the time

immemorial and were the favourite pastime of valiant kings and British rulers in India. The poachers and hunters do not easily give up this adventure and the tribals who live near the forests are unhelpful in protecting tigers. The tigers are being poached for many reasons apart from the adventure involved. Their skin is just one of the many reasons that they are being hunted for. They are also hunted for their skull, bones, and teeth and for many other things. Poachers find these a gold mine. Each tiger is worth almost sixty lakh rupees. Every year, hundred and fifty tigers are killed. At this rate, the already scarce population of the tiger in India will reach its nil point at around 2020. RETURN OF THE DINOSAUR

Dinosaurs were one of the most terrifying of all the species that walked on this Earth. It was the ruler of the Earth during its day and roamed fearlessly wherever it wanted. However, after some time, it died out. How it died out is still a mystery and not adequately explained till now save for diverse unconfirmed theories, but what is known is that the dinosaurs died out very quickly approximately sixty five million years back, and never appeared on the face of this earth again. Dinosaurs are reptiles that lived millions of years back. Many people think that all dinosaurs were very huge. But, it is wrong. There were dinosaurs, which were several times the height of elephants, and yet, there were some, who were

smaller than a domestic cat. The age of the dinosaurs was from about 140 million years to about 40 million years ago. Then something happened which killed all the dinosaurs. Nobody knows what it was. There were six families of dinosaurs. They were Sauropods, Theropods, Ornithopods, Ceratopsia, armoured dinosaurs and plated dinosaurs. The Sauropods were the biggest of all the dinosaurs. All of these dinosaurs were giants and had long necks and tails. Theropods were meat-eaters that walked on two feet. The king of dinosaurs, Tyrannosaurus Rex, was one of those. Ornithopods were mostly plant eaters that moved on two legs. Most of them were large. The Ceratopsians were the last dinosaurs to appear. They were large plant eaters with a few horns on their face. They moved on all feet. Both the armored dinosaurs and plated dinosaurs were very much like each other. They had bumpy and bonecovered skin and were plant eaters. Most of all the dinosaurs walked on four feet but actually their bodies were biped. Biped animals are animals that walk on two legs. All the first dinosaurs were biped. But then, a few animals started walking on all four feet. Thus came quadrupeds came into existence. This is the story of dinosaurs.

There are several theories about the sudden disappearance of the dinosaurs from the surface of the Earth. However, they all have some faults or the other in their explanations and it is not known what

really happened to these truly terrifying creatures that roamed the face of the earth. Human kind is always curious and always wants to know what the truth is about things around him. Dinosaurs are not an exception to this. Many facts about the dinosaurs are extracted by studying the fossils that are dug up and analysed. The fossils helped in classifying dinosaurs that lived at its peak time into various kinds of species like the Tyrannosaurus Rex, a truly fearful species of dinosaurs that roamed the Earth. BACTERIA

Bacteria are microorganisms that are present in the world. Anton von Leeuvenhoek first discovered them in 1676. He called Bacteria as animalcules. Bacteria are some of the most fascinating organisms that are present in the world. All the people in the world have considered Bacteria to be dangerous. However, only some Bacteria are really dangerous. Some Bacteria are very useful also. Bacteria are responsible for cholera, tetanus, typhoid and many other diseases in humans and are dangerous to animals also. It causes cholera to chickens and anthrax to sheep. It is said that if 10 mg of anthrax is let loose in a big metropolitan city, more than one lakh people will get killed by contracting the disease. That is the way in which Bacteria affect humans and other animals. Bacteria fix nitrogen in the soil without which man and other animals cannot survive. Plants absorb the nitrogen from the soil and man and animals take it to their system by consuming the plants. Thus, bacteria are at the source of the survival of man and other animals.

Bacteria are small unicellular organisms that are present everywhere in the world. They are present in the soil, they are present in the air, and they are present in water. In short, Bacteria are cosmopolitan. They are the nearest things to what we call God. Bacteria are used in many industries like tobacco industry, cheese industry, curds industry and many more. They are in this way very important. Indeed, there are some bacteria that affect human beings by infecting them with diseases like clostridium botulinum, which causes food poisoning. It is one of the most deadly of all organisms. Bacteria also help man in saving and killing one of their own kinds as they help in producing antibiotics, which can be used both as healing and life saving drug as well as dangerous poisons.

EUROPE’S DECLINING POPULATION

Europe is one of the foremost continents in the world. It is one of the most densely populated continents in the world and the second most populated continent in the world after Asia. However, this may change in a few years because of the declining population of Europe. The majority of the population in Europe at present is in its old age without children. This is particularly visible in countries like Italy, Germany and many more. In Germany, the population is getting so low that the wolfs who were driven out of the habitable regions of the country to forests a long time back by the people are now returning, because lands are less populated and spare lands are available to them to occupy. This may seem good news to environmentalists and wild life enthusiasts, but if this continues, by 2040, there will be about forty-one people less living in Europe for every one thousand. For about a thousand people in a city in Greece in an extreme case, now,

the number has dwindled to a dozen and they all are in their sixties and seventies and in about thirty years, there may not be a city with that name again in Greece. This is a very sad case and it may also happen to other cities of Europe and all over the world in course of time. However, there is no need of getting overly scared, as it will take a very long time to find the Earth without mankind. THE KILLER TSUNAMI

December 26, 2004 turned out to be one of the most tragic single days in the living memory of the human history. The killer tsunami that triggered on that day in Asia recorded the death of more than 150 thousand innocent children, women and men and devastation of millions in South and South-east Asia in the course of just three hours. This tsunami turned out to be the fourth worst natural disaster since the end of the nineteenth century after the quakes in China in 1976, 1927 and 1920, which claimed 255, 200 and 200 thousand lives respectively.

Devastation The countries worst hit by the Killer Tsunami of Asia are Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand in that order. Other countries that saw the fury of the tsunami include Malaysia, Burma, and Bangladesh and far away East African countries like Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and Seychelles. Indonesia, which was closest to the epicentre of the earthquake that caused the tsunami accounted for about onelakh deaths while India’s toll exceeded ten thousand. The Aceh province of Indonesia was the first and worst affected region.

The worst affected regions in India were the state of Tamil Nadu and the islands of Andaman and Nicobar. The Indian naval base in Andaman and Nicobar was washed away by the killer waves. The southern tips of India and the Indian mainland namely Indira Point in Andaman and Nicobar islands and Kanyakumari in the mainland were badly hit by the Tsunami. Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa were also hit by the Tsunami.

What is a Tsunami? Tsunami in Japanese means ‘harbour wave’. It is triggered by a vertical disturbance in the oceans caused by an earthquake, landslide or volcanic eruption. The result is mammoth waves several meters high crashing into coastal areas. The present tsunami was triggered by an earthquake of the magnitude of nine in the Richter scale near Sumatra of Indonesia. The earthquake was caused while about 1,200 km of the edge of the Burma plate of the Earth’s crust suddenly slid fifteen meters high above the Indian plate on the fateful day morning around 6.29IST near Sumatra. This was the result of the pressure built up by the two giant tectonic plates while grind against each other causing the India plate slip six centimetres northeast a year below the Burma Plate. Such geological

phenomena

causing

earthquakes

and

such

major

earthquakes on the ocean floor causing tsunami are natural processes. However, India was caught by surprise by this tsunami, as it was the first of its kind to hit India in its living memory. Relief Efforts

The relief efforts India saw for the tsunami victims has been as never before. TV telecast and media coverage helped sensitize people to the disaster. Both Indian government and private agencies provided mammoth relief efforts. India refused USA offer of help and showed that it can handle such disasters by its own resources. India even helped Sri Lanka in its relief operations. Newspapers, film actors, cricketers, all contributed to the relief efforts. India’s response to the tsunami was slow in the beginning. However, as time passed, it picked up life. The Indian government has decided to build a Tsunami Warning System on the ocean basin and has kept aside twenty seven million US dollars to build it. A Disaster Management Authority has also been set up to deal with natural disasters like tsunamis in future. These are the positive outcomes of the horrific tragedy India underwent in the last week of the year 2004. THE AFTERMATH OF THE TSUNAMI

Tsunami that struck Southeast and South Asia in 2004 killed and seriously injured thousands of people. Many countries of the world generously provided help for the relief of the Tsunami-struck people and regions. The place that was nearest to the epicentre of the tsunami and thus suffered the most was the province of Aceh in Indonesia. In this place, thousands of people died and almost all buildings were destroyed. In short, nearly all the people in this province died. People in the region are sad about this calamity of theirs. They are unhappy and angry and complained about their helplessness. Their anger is well founded. Their question is why of all the people in the world, they had to be the ones who were struck by the tsunami. They

are angry because of this and demand justice from the God. Various militant groups in the region had already ravaged them and they are very angry that the nature itself also conspired against them through the Tsunami and all the bad things happen to them only. This is not a question that one can easily ward off or answer. They have already seen murder and death aplenty though not on such a huge scale as the tsunami. They are lamenting the fact that they have had a bad history till then. Anyway, they have one good thing because of this tsunami. That is that the militant groups have given up their campaign after Tsunami to give the people peace. This shows that militants also have hearts. THE AFTER EFFECTS OF THE TSUNAMI IN SRI LANKA

In the Tsunami that hit the coast of South East Asia in 2004, many people died and many more were injured, displaced and lost everything. Sri Lanka saw a salubrious turn during the Tsunami devastation in both the Government of Sri Lanka and its archenemy, the Tamil Tigers of the LTTE on a mission of common cause in extending relief services in the Tsunami-hit areas. However, this was proved a short-lived comradery when a minister of Sri Lanka was killed in a terrorist attack. It was widely believed that it was a Tamil Tiger Attack. But, the Tamil Tigers staunchly denied this charge. The then President of Sri Lanka, Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga had two choices: resume the battle against the LTTE or to befriend the LTTE. Mrs. Chandrika Kumaratunga chose the latter option following the popular will of the country at that time. It is history now that that move also short-lived. EARTH-QUAKE-PRONE SUMATRA

Sumatra is an island that is present in Indonesia. It is one of the most dangerous spots in the world to live in. This is because of its earthquake-prone nature and the concomitant tsunamis that strike the small island. It is therefore considered as one of the most dangerous regions of the world. Earthquakes per se do not cause fear in the people of Sumatra. It is the tsunami that strikes the island that brings terror to the island of Sumatra. The earthquakes also cause volcanoes to burst The Krakatau volcano that erupted in 1883 was so ferocious that it completely destroyed the whole mountain from which it erupted and was so ferocious that its tremors were heard in the islands near Africa! However, the Krakatau volcano eruption comparatively is peanuts compared to the Toba earthquake that shook Sumatra thousands of years back and is still remembered in the region. This took place in North Sumatra and its volcanic eruption created a crater more than 80km wide and debris more than 1.5 meter thick was thrown to places hundreds of kilometres away. The people of Sumatra can never be sure that such devastations would not recur as history and earthquakes have a pattern and known to recur. GLOBAL HEALTH CARE

These days, man has reduced the dangers that are haunting him. In earlier days when man was still learning the various secrets of the Earth, many diseases surrounded him. He still ate raw food and knew nothing about diseases that stalked on him. Diseases killed him as viciously as the various animals that he hunted such as deer, moose and so on. At least the animals that were hunted down knew who hunted them and knew how to hide from the human beings. However, the then human beings did not know what killed them often en mass.

Bacteria and virus were unknown to him. Often, he attributed such sudden deaths to curses, witchcrafts and such supernatural causes. Aborigines in Australia, and Bushmen and the Tutsi in Africa, and many other tribes still believe in these things even though they have come in contact with the world in large. They still believe in witch doctors. The most important thing to a person is his own survival. He will try his very best to survive at whatever cost. But, roads to death are umpteen like natural deaths, homicides, accidents and deaths by diseases. Natural death has no remedy; homicide occurs unawares most of the times like accidents. Death by disease can be avoided by preventive and remedial measure. Of these, disease apportions maximum deaths and covers all ranks of people of all ages and stature.

Diseases

are

of

two

kinds,

communicable

and

non-

communicable diseases. Cardiac arrest and cancer account for the major share of deaths by the non-communicable diseases. While communicable diseases bring mass deaths on its break on predictable lines, right medical cares and preventive measures at right time can control and completely stop the menace. But, non-communicable diseases are different. They are slow, steady and unpredictable. Any money spent on world health care is well spent and a great service to the mankind. All enlightened rich people of the world well spent their wealth for this noble cause. The Gates, Bill and Melinda, of the Microsoft fame are the recent example of this noble cause. Melinda and Bill Gates have generously donated their wealth for the cause of the world health and health care of the poor. PANDEMICS

The thing that is most important in any person’s life is his health. Pandemic is an epidemic that is geographically widespread, occurring

throughout a region or even throughout the world. Pandemic like wildfire rapidly spread all round causing uncontrolled sufferings and deaths in a short span of time and may even endanger human existence if the pandemic is in global level. Naturally, common efforts are called for to fight the pandemic and all countries of the world join hands to prevent the epidemic from spreading in this global village. Pandemic does not respect national boundaries and geographical distances. Swine flue which was first noticed in Mexico and the United States of America took no time in gripping countries all over the world in spite of the best efforts by the respective countries to prevent it from spreading in their respective countries. Pandemics are not different from economic impacts in this regard as shown by the worldwide down trend of the economy, which originated from the United States of America and spread like wildfire all over the world. Allowing pandemics to take a toll on human life unchecked is a blight on human history and thus the need of concerted efforts. Swine flue and avian influenza before it are the point of focus here. The United States of America, China and Hong Kong did commendable job to prevent the outbreak and spread of the avian influenza. Pandemics like the Black Plague in the beginning of the 20th century killed more than a million people in Europe. People still remember about this plague. Timely interventions and preventive measures by the World Health Organisation and countries all over the world prevented such devastations in modern times by the outbreak of the avian influenza and the swine flue. The Avian Flu spread from China to all other parts of Asia while the swine flue spread from Mexico and the United States of America all over the world.

The world saw the outbreak of plague in 1918 and 1976. While the former outbreak is remembered for deaths because of the lack of concerted efforts to prevent it, the latter outbreak saw deaths by the over zeal in the injection of the dangerous antibiotics against the pandemic. Overdoing is the bane of the modern world. This is a lesson to keep the via media in dealing with the pandemics.

SWINE FLU

Swine Flu has caused a large amount of panic all around the world. The World Health Organisation says that it poses the threat of a pandemic that may cause a large number of fatalities all around the world. This disease has spread to many countries and it has shown fatalities at a rate of two for every thousand infected. One does not know whether it will be able to morph to a deadlier version of the swine flu. Thus, this swine flu is causing a large amount of terror through out the globe especially in the areas where it has been found. People remember and compare the influenza flu epidemic that killed a large number of people just after the First World War and are getting panicky. There is no reason to get so much panicky about swine flue as it is increasingly proved to be not aggressively fatal. Comparison with the influenza flu epidemic of the 1910s is a mute point here for the simple reason of the living conditions there. Epidemics cannot spread as did then for umpteen reasons: suitable drugs, preventive measures, international efforts against, World Health Organisation (WHO) to oversee and so on. However, some scientists

say that as the world has heated up in the intervening years, this swine flu will be able to reproduce and mutate to a more virile form more quickly. However, it looks as if the best option for India is to sit tight. The disease has not yet struck India with its full strength. India reported its first H1N1 virus casualty on August 4, 2009 in Pune, the seat of the National Institute of Virology for India, by the death of a 14year old girl and immediately the government notified the affected areas under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1897 enabling stringent preventive measures. India has got several low-cost anti-flu drugs that have shown a measure of resistance towards the Swine Flu. Developed countries are making rapid progress in finding drugs for swine flu and controlling the pandemic may not be far away.

NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Non-communicable diseases are responsible for the death of a large number of people. It is believed that as many people die from incommunicable diseases as from communicable diseases. In Africa and other countries that are still developing, this number is very high. It is believed that in Africa and Asia, the fatalities of the incommunicable diseases this will increase in the days to come. The United Nations is taking steps to counter it. Incommunicable diseases account for large number of fatalities in countries such as Europe also. Heart problems account for the highest number of deaths in the incommunicable diseases category closely followed by cancer. FITNESS PROBLEM

One of the most acute problems of the present world is the fitness problem: the problem of becoming more and more fat and obese day by day. There was a time when people were dying of starvation and there are people all over the world even now who starve for the lack of availability of food. But, excessive eating leading to uncontrolled obesity has become a chronic disease in many parts of the world now: the problem of eating more than what is needed. This is a sin more than a problem when one considers that in other parts of the world, people are struggling to get even a square meal a day. Need based consumption of the food is a solution for both the problems of obesity and starvation. Need based consumption of the food is easier said than done since people who have accustomed to eating in excess cannot that easily shed the habit. The next option for a fit body is burning away the excess food by exercising every day. Though this is also not an easy option to people accustomed to easy life, there is no option but to cultivate it. A daily regimen of exercise does help good health and good look. The problem of obesity is acute in rich countries like the United States that has some of the fattest people of the world. There was a man there who weighed more than a thousand pound. He ate more in one sitting than a person normally does in a week. He was to be carried to hospital while fell sick by breaking walls of his house to come outside. However, recent researches have shown that people with a little more than average weight is healthier and livelonger than those less than the average weight. But key here is that there are limits for everything. Excesses are always incongruent with the nature and therefore always dangerous.

FLOWERS

Flower is something that everyone admires every day. The ethereal beauty of some magnificent flowers has astounded people. They admired them for centuries and still do, notwithstanding the rapid advancement of mankind in technology. When people look upon flowers, they see only the petals of the flowers and admire only that and think that the flower is a simple thing. Many poets have quoted about flowers and even used it as a simile, a metaphor and even in personification. In all these poetic ventures, flowers are described vividly as simple beautiful creations. Still waters run deep. This is the case of flowers. They are held in the view of the public as simple things and are said to be there only for beauty. No person in ancient times ever thought that flowers could be complex structures. The flower is made up of four whorls or layers. They are the calyx, the corolla, the androecium and the gynoecium. The calyx is made up of sepals, the corolla is made up of petals, the androecium is made up of anthers and gynoecium is made up of carpel. The androecium and the gynoecium are the main parts of the flower and the calyx and the corolla are the secondary parts of the flower, as they do not play an important role in reproduction.