Why are all not born equal? Why is it that some are born to rich parents, while others to those of limited resources? Why are some born genuises while others struggle with their 3R's? Why are some born and live healthy, while others are born disabled? Why some lose their health and wealth suddenly? Why some breath their last in deep sleep, while others struggle in anguish before departing?Did not God create everyone equal? Does not God love everyone equally? Does God care?
Why should we be "good" to ourselves and to others? Why should we work diligently and earn rightfully?
Why does transmigration happen? What is evolution? How is the human being related to other forms of life? What is all this variety in life forms? Is there some continuity in all this?These and many other myraid questions are answered by one 'theory' - Karma. I have put theory in single inverted commas because Eastern Sages, especially the Hindu Seers, are not in the habit of elaborately theorizing something - they mere state some spiritual laws, which may, at a later time be woven into "sutras" for providing a sequential order.Karma is about cause and effect. Good begets good, bad begets bad. Throughout a man's life Karma is accumulated and at the same time past Karma also unfolds. There are three types of Karma.
1. Prarabdha: The part of the karma of past lives that will be fructified in this lifetime.
2. Agami: That part of the karma of past (including the present moment of our lives) that will fructify in future
3. Sanchita: The sum total of past karma (technically, a super set of Prarabdha)
Karma, though, is not like the Newton's third law. So, if I pinch someone, may be a few of musquitoes will bite me overnight to even out the bad karma - not that the same person or someone else will have to pinch me back. Also, depending upon the gravity of the karma, good or bad, one may have to experience its results over many lifetimes - sometimes even go down the evolutionary plane and begin the upward journey from some form of animal or plant life.Karma is merely a spiritual law (like, for example, the civil law of the criminal law), it cannot act by itself. There needs to be a Judge, who will award the right result (good or bad) taking the person's overall state and circumstances into account. This Judge is called Ishwara. It is He who runs this multiverse, it is He who is the Lord-Master of all this. Beyond Ishwara is the Para Bhahman, the Absolute Sat-Chit-Ananda (Truth-Consciousness-Bliss).
In addition we have other questions. Why are people of different temperaments and psychology? To explain this, we have another spiritual law - the three Gunas.
Sattva Guna: One who is predominantly of the Sattva guna is calm, composed, of pure thoughts. Food that promotes development of Sattva guna is called the Sattvika Ahara - rice, vegetables, green leaves, fruits.
Rajo Guna: One who is predominantly dynamic, whats to own and achieve. Food that promotes Rajo guna is called Rajasica Ahara - meat, poultry.
Tamo Guna: One who is predominantly dull, lethargic or one who is evil and invites harm to his person or does extreme harm to others. Food that promotes Tamo guna is called Tamasica Ahara - beef, pork, stale food.
Karma and Gunas represent different levels of truth, the journey of the jiva atma (the individual soul) and the basis for morality. However, the ultimate goal of all existence - Nirvana - cannot be attained by merely performing good karma or developing sattva guna. To understand why this is so, we may take a few examples. Supposed someone did good karmas all his life (adult life, say for 3 decades) - then he should be eligible for as much (equivalent) result, he cannot be rewarded with eternal result for a limited effort. On the other hand, someone committed a grave crime, say a murder, will he be condemned to hell for eternity? The answer is No.More over, if you do good karma, you are earning some pleasant time for yourself. And if somone performs bad karma, he is inviting misery for a matching amount of time. But Nirvana (or Moksha), is by definition Sat-Chit-Ananda, that which never changes, that which ever is. So sat-karma and sattva-guna (predominantly) are the stepping stones for a man to begin to realize the true purpose of life.
It is for this reason that the Lord says in Gita that one should not expect the results of karma - just do your work and do not expect a result. That way one does not invite the bondage that results from our actions. Man has been endowed with free will by God. It is up to him. Everyone can carve out their future beginning today, now!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Bharat Ratna
Bharat Ratna, "gem of Bharat", is indeed a very prestigeous award. Having been constituted in 1954, it has so far been awarded to 40 people. The award is given to 'highest degrees of national service' rendered by a citizen - and probabaly thats one reason that it is not defined specifically.
It has so far been awarded mainly to politicians with a sprinkling of men and women from other fields. This is not diffult to understand, considering that many people have played a great role in the freedom struggle that in the immediate few decades we have honoured some great people from among the millions of freedom fighters.
The award has officially been suspended between 1977 and 1980. Also, no award has been granted since 2001. Initially there was a clause preventing awarding the award posthumously, which was later either withdrawn or ignored and awarded posthumously to some. This certainly means we can award it posthumously to Mahatma Gandhi.
Now, as many both in India and abroad believe, India is at cross roads knocking at the doors of prosperity, global presence and leadership. Indian community certainly needs role-models. It is in this context that successive Indian governments should now view the awarding of Bharat Ratna. The awardee should be one who has a message for future generations that is Uniquely Bharat.
Not that the earlier recipients did not have such a message. The question is that this has not been brought out. Apart from those who are directly influenced by such individuals in their lives, others have little access to such high targets. These days, we have access to advanced technologies that can enable us to cross such barriers and make information available to a broader audience than it is available today.
That said, lets briefly sketch what could be Uniquely Bharat:
1. Seva and Universal Brotherhood
Seva is an idea that is uniquely Indian and no-where else in the world is this found. Seva is service for the sake of service without seeking any return what so ever. Seva is the highest example of Nishkama Karma. I have to repeat, SEVA expects ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in return. The moment a return is sought, Seva becomes service which is actually a business - nothing High and Noble about it.
India is the first nation that believed in and taught Universal Brotherhood. Truely, India is the nation that taught such high ideals like Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, Ekam Sat Vipra Bahuda Vadanti, "...Ruchinam Vaichitriyad ....Nrinameko Gamyastvamapi.....". These ideals are uniquely Indian, and the World needs them badly, if we humans have to continue to survive as the pinnacle of evolution.
2. Green in Conviction and Attitude
India is the first and the only nation to believe in the sanctity of ALL life, not just human and practice it. India is the only nation and culture that gave due importance and respect to every aspect of nature: humans, animals, plants, ecosystems and symbiosys. Other nations/cultures just treat plant and animal kingdom as mere prey. Others' concept of equality and compassion starts and ends at a defined subset of humanity, and does not extend to all of nature.
Lack of such green conviction and attitude is leading the planet into an era of serious challenges that even threaten the continued existence of life on Earth (like the climate change for example). Ofcourse, scientists working on cutting edge research do now talk about "Mother Earth" but that is only a symbolic beginning, it is not yet a determined conviction that really means a great deal in a practical sense.
3. Wholistic Approach to Life
Wholistic approach to life is a personal summarization of mine wherein I band together a few things that are distinctly and uniquely Indian in various walks of life.
Ayurveda is the science of life. Medicine apart, Ayurveda has the unique approach of categorizing and managing food that leads to health and minimizes the need to approach medical help. Modern science understands food at the level of molecular constituents but does not have knowledge of the "packaging" other than most rudimentary aspects like 'fiber is good for keeping the bowels clean'. Understanding and building upon the knowledge of Auyrveda will help humanity in staying healthy!
Yoga is one of the greatest gifts of India to the world. Yoga ranges from keeping the body healthy (hatha yoga) to keeping the mind and soul healthy (yoga). And all this from a scientific and practical angle.
There may be other ideas, these are mine, what I feel is the best way.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Hindu Cosmology
We begin with a few insightful quotes to set the tone for further exposition.
Carl Sagan, a distinguished scientist, one of the greatest popularizers of Science, arguably the greatest popularizer of Astronomy, Pulitzer prize winner, Author-Director-Actor of the world's most watched TV program "Cosmos", has the following to say about Hindu Cosmology (one of the episodes of Cosmos is on Hindu Cosmology):
"The main reason that we oriented this episode of Cosmos towards India is because of that wonderful aspect of Hindu cosmology which first of all gives a time-scale for the Earth and the universe -- a time-scale which is consonant with that of modern scientific cosmology. We know that the Earth is about 4.6 billion years old, and the cosmos, or at least its present incarnation, is something like 10 or 20 billion years old. The Hindu tradition has a day and night of Brahma in this range, somewhere in the region of 8.4 billion years."
"As far as I know. It is the only ancient religious tradition on the Earth which talks about the right time-scale. We want to get across the concept of the right time-scale, and to show that it is not unnatural. In the West, people have the sense that what is natural is for the universe to be a few thousand years old, and that billions is indwelling, and no one can understand it. The Hindu concept is very clear. Here is a great world culture which has always talked about billions of years."
"Finally, the many billion year time-scale of Hindu cosmology is not the entire history of the universe, but just the day and night of Brahma, and there is the idea of an infinite cycle of births and deaths and an infinite number of universes, each with its own gods."
Alan Watts, a professor, graduate school dean at Harvard University (1960s)
"To the philosophers of India, however, Relativity is no new discovery, just as the concept of light years is no matter for astonishment to people used to thinking of time in millions of kalpas, ( A kalpa is about 4,320,000 years). The fact that the wise men of India have not been concerned with technological applications of this knowledge arises from the circumstance that technology is but one of innumerable ways of applying it."
It is, indeed, a remarkable circumstance that when Western civilization discovers Relativity it applies it to the manufacture of atom-bombs, whereas Oriental civilization applies it to the development of new states of consciousness."
Dick Teresi, Author
"...the big bang is merely the prelude to the big crunch and the universe is caught in an infinite cycle of expansion and contraction, then ancient Indian cosmology is clearly cutting edge compared to the one-directional vision of the big bang. The infinite number of Hindu universes is currently called the many world hypothesis, which is no less undocumentable nor unthinkable.
Inspiration (Quotes from Hindu texts)
Neither being (sat) nor non-being (asat) was as yet. What was concealed? And where? And in whose protection?…Who really knows? Who can declare it? Whence was it born, and whence came this creation? The devas were born later than this world's creation, so who knows from where it came into existence? None can know from where creation has arisen, and whether he has or has not produced it. He who surveys it in the highest heavens, he alone knows-or perhaps does not know. (Rig Veda 10. 129)
For many ages, only darkness prevailed (i.e., the state before creation cannot be understood); the infinite, endless Lord was absorbed in the primal void. He sat alone and unaffected in absolute darknes. As He pleased, He remains in that state (of utter darkness). He has no rival. He is infinite and endless. 2 He is hidden throughout the four Yugas - understand this well. He pervades each and every body and heart. The One and Only Lord prevails throughout the Yugas. How rare are those who contemplate the Guru (i.e., Guru's Word), and (by contemplating the Guru's Word) understand this. 3 (Sri Guru Granth Sahib 1026).
The Math
Brahma's Age (Life Time) = 100 Brahma yearsOne Brahma Year = 3.1536 * (10^12) Human (or Earth) Years
12 Brahma Hours = 14 Manu Life Times = 4,320 Million Human Years
14 Manu Life Times = 1000 Maha Yugas
1 Maha Yuga = Kali Yuga + Dwapara Yuga + Treta Yuga + Krita Yuga = 4,320,000 Human Years
Regnal Period of 1 Manu = 71 Maha Yugas = 308 Million Human Years = 1 Manvantara
Kali Yuga = 432,000 Human Years
Dwapara Yuga = 864,000 Human Years
Treta Yuga = 1,296,000 Human Years
Krita Yuga = 1,728,000 Human Years
Now, the Vedas say, there are 7 worlds: Bhuloka, Bhuvarloka, Suvarloka, Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka. At the end of 14 Manvantaras, i.e., one Brahma daytime, Brahma goes to sleep and the first three lokas are destroyed in an intermediate deluge called "avantara pralaya", the latter four lokas survive. ALL worlds perish when Brahma life time of 100 Brahma years (3153 Billion Human Years) ends. No one really knows how many such Brahmas are there and how many such creations, exist...., potentially it can be infinite as per Hindu thought!!!
A note on lokas, they are planes of existence which differ in manifestation, the first 3 of the 7 lokas are gross and the latter 4 are subtle. The word loka is roughly translated to "world" in English, but we should take it in the original meaning, because the English word world always implies a 'gross' world only.
Where Modern Cosmology meets Hindu Cosmology
The time for the next "avantara pralaya" as per the Hindu cosmology and the time for the Sun to have spent its useful lifetime before exploding into a Red Giant and thus dissolving Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are in agreement - approximately another 4.5 Billion Years.
One Brahma Day is 8.6 Billion Years which is equal to scientific opinion on Sun's "main sequence star" life of approximately 9-10 Billion years.
The time it takes the Sun to go round the Milky Way galaxy, travelling at the speed of 217Km/s (1 light year every 1400 years) is 225-250 Million Years according to Modern Astronomy. This (approximately) agrees with the 308 Million Years for 1 Manvantara. So the life time of 1 Manu is equal to 1 Pradakshina of the Sun around the center of the Milky Way.
The fact that the Sun gives rise to planet Earth, sustains it (through continuous supply of energy), and finally destroys it (when it explodes into a Red Giant) is also stated in Ancient Hindus Texts in a symbolic and subtle way: "Srishti Sthiti Laya Hetave Virinchi Narayana Sankaratmane", says the Aditya Hridayam. This is again agreeing with 1 Brahma Day and the Sun's life as a "main sequence star".
Where We Need More Insight
However, the similarity between modern astronomy and Hindu cosmology has to pause here, until more research will bring more agreement into light. For, as per the Big Bang theory, the age of the Universe is around 13.7 Billion Years (which is the age of the oldest known star, not really a conclusive/direct measure of the age of the universe), whereas as per Hindu cosmology, Brahma is in his 51st year, so he has so far completed 1500 Billion Human Years.
Relevance
All right, we have all this math that broadly agrees on the scale (orders of magnitude) with modern science. What does it all mean? It means different things to different people with different outlooks. For the Scientists what is interesting is to know is why such a civilization which had such advanced knowledge in the halcyon past did not put it to use ("use" in the modern sense). Yes, verily as we saw in Part I of this post that Hindus wanted to put this to use to scale-up their level of consciousness rather than merely dole out a material invention that can give comfort to the gross body on the Bhuloka.
Those of you who might have attentively listened to a Sankalpam during pujas should immediately recollect how this is being put to use. The running yuga, the Manvantara etc., are all mentioned to fix our location on planet Earth and direct the prayer (ritual) to the intended (invited) Deity! In Hindu dharma, so far as I understand, the importance of Cosmology is this, not to lose touch with the Divine beings on higher realms and properly offer havans. This helps man to rise above the limitations of the gross body and gross world and climb up the ladder of consciousness.
Now we seem to be mixing science and religion? Yes, indeed we are, in Hindu tradition, there is no differentiation, Science and Religion, both are approached in a scientific fashion. Both go hand in hand. Where we differ with modern science is in the application of the knowledge, whereas we strive to use our science to uplift our level of consciousness, modern science tries to apply that knowledge for material inventions and bodily comfort.
Quotes
Cosmic Dream
Carl Sagan: There is the deep and appealing notion that the universe is but the dream of the god who, after a Brahma years, dissolves himself into a dreamless sleep. The universe dissolves with him - until, after another Brahma century, he stirs, recomposes himself and begins again to dream the great cosmic dream.
Swami Vivekananda:Hridi pranayati viswam vyaja matram vibhutvam [This universe arises in the heart of the Glorious one by mere thought]
Symbolism and Tribute
Carl Sagan:"The most elegant and sublime of these is a representation of the creation of the universe at the beginning of each cosmic cycle, a motif known as the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva. The god, called in this manifestation Nataraja, the Dance King. In the upper right hand is a drum whose sound is the sound of creation. In the upper left hand is a tongue of flame, a reminder that the universe, now newly created, with billions of years from now will be utterly destroyed."
References:
1. Kanchi Mahaswamigal on Jyotisha
http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part10/chap8.htm
2. Cosmos - By Carl Sagan p. 213-214
3. Carl Sagan's interview with Indian diplomat Placido D'Souza
http://www.rediff.com/news/jan/29sagan.htm
4. Vajrapani's Happy New Year Post
http://vajrapani.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/12/how-do-extraterrestrials-celebrate-their-new-year.htm
Carl Sagan, a distinguished scientist, one of the greatest popularizers of Science, arguably the greatest popularizer of Astronomy, Pulitzer prize winner, Author-Director-Actor of the world's most watched TV program "Cosmos", has the following to say about Hindu Cosmology (one of the episodes of Cosmos is on Hindu Cosmology):
"The main reason that we oriented this episode of Cosmos towards India is because of that wonderful aspect of Hindu cosmology which first of all gives a time-scale for the Earth and the universe -- a time-scale which is consonant with that of modern scientific cosmology. We know that the Earth is about 4.6 billion years old, and the cosmos, or at least its present incarnation, is something like 10 or 20 billion years old. The Hindu tradition has a day and night of Brahma in this range, somewhere in the region of 8.4 billion years."
"As far as I know. It is the only ancient religious tradition on the Earth which talks about the right time-scale. We want to get across the concept of the right time-scale, and to show that it is not unnatural. In the West, people have the sense that what is natural is for the universe to be a few thousand years old, and that billions is indwelling, and no one can understand it. The Hindu concept is very clear. Here is a great world culture which has always talked about billions of years."
"Finally, the many billion year time-scale of Hindu cosmology is not the entire history of the universe, but just the day and night of Brahma, and there is the idea of an infinite cycle of births and deaths and an infinite number of universes, each with its own gods."
Alan Watts, a professor, graduate school dean at Harvard University (1960s)
"To the philosophers of India, however, Relativity is no new discovery, just as the concept of light years is no matter for astonishment to people used to thinking of time in millions of kalpas, ( A kalpa is about 4,320,000 years). The fact that the wise men of India have not been concerned with technological applications of this knowledge arises from the circumstance that technology is but one of innumerable ways of applying it."
It is, indeed, a remarkable circumstance that when Western civilization discovers Relativity it applies it to the manufacture of atom-bombs, whereas Oriental civilization applies it to the development of new states of consciousness."
Dick Teresi, Author
"...the big bang is merely the prelude to the big crunch and the universe is caught in an infinite cycle of expansion and contraction, then ancient Indian cosmology is clearly cutting edge compared to the one-directional vision of the big bang. The infinite number of Hindu universes is currently called the many world hypothesis, which is no less undocumentable nor unthinkable.
Inspiration (Quotes from Hindu texts)
Neither being (sat) nor non-being (asat) was as yet. What was concealed? And where? And in whose protection?…Who really knows? Who can declare it? Whence was it born, and whence came this creation? The devas were born later than this world's creation, so who knows from where it came into existence? None can know from where creation has arisen, and whether he has or has not produced it. He who surveys it in the highest heavens, he alone knows-or perhaps does not know. (Rig Veda 10. 129)
For many ages, only darkness prevailed (i.e., the state before creation cannot be understood); the infinite, endless Lord was absorbed in the primal void. He sat alone and unaffected in absolute darknes. As He pleased, He remains in that state (of utter darkness). He has no rival. He is infinite and endless. 2 He is hidden throughout the four Yugas - understand this well. He pervades each and every body and heart. The One and Only Lord prevails throughout the Yugas. How rare are those who contemplate the Guru (i.e., Guru's Word), and (by contemplating the Guru's Word) understand this. 3 (Sri Guru Granth Sahib 1026).
The Math
Brahma's Age (Life Time) = 100 Brahma yearsOne Brahma Year = 3.1536 * (10^12) Human (or Earth) Years
12 Brahma Hours = 14 Manu Life Times = 4,320 Million Human Years
14 Manu Life Times = 1000 Maha Yugas
1 Maha Yuga = Kali Yuga + Dwapara Yuga + Treta Yuga + Krita Yuga = 4,320,000 Human Years
Regnal Period of 1 Manu = 71 Maha Yugas = 308 Million Human Years = 1 Manvantara
Kali Yuga = 432,000 Human Years
Dwapara Yuga = 864,000 Human Years
Treta Yuga = 1,296,000 Human Years
Krita Yuga = 1,728,000 Human Years
Now, the Vedas say, there are 7 worlds: Bhuloka, Bhuvarloka, Suvarloka, Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka. At the end of 14 Manvantaras, i.e., one Brahma daytime, Brahma goes to sleep and the first three lokas are destroyed in an intermediate deluge called "avantara pralaya", the latter four lokas survive. ALL worlds perish when Brahma life time of 100 Brahma years (3153 Billion Human Years) ends. No one really knows how many such Brahmas are there and how many such creations, exist...., potentially it can be infinite as per Hindu thought!!!
A note on lokas, they are planes of existence which differ in manifestation, the first 3 of the 7 lokas are gross and the latter 4 are subtle. The word loka is roughly translated to "world" in English, but we should take it in the original meaning, because the English word world always implies a 'gross' world only.
Where Modern Cosmology meets Hindu Cosmology
The time for the next "avantara pralaya" as per the Hindu cosmology and the time for the Sun to have spent its useful lifetime before exploding into a Red Giant and thus dissolving Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are in agreement - approximately another 4.5 Billion Years.
One Brahma Day is 8.6 Billion Years which is equal to scientific opinion on Sun's "main sequence star" life of approximately 9-10 Billion years.
The time it takes the Sun to go round the Milky Way galaxy, travelling at the speed of 217Km/s (1 light year every 1400 years) is 225-250 Million Years according to Modern Astronomy. This (approximately) agrees with the 308 Million Years for 1 Manvantara. So the life time of 1 Manu is equal to 1 Pradakshina of the Sun around the center of the Milky Way.
The fact that the Sun gives rise to planet Earth, sustains it (through continuous supply of energy), and finally destroys it (when it explodes into a Red Giant) is also stated in Ancient Hindus Texts in a symbolic and subtle way: "Srishti Sthiti Laya Hetave Virinchi Narayana Sankaratmane", says the Aditya Hridayam. This is again agreeing with 1 Brahma Day and the Sun's life as a "main sequence star".
Where We Need More Insight
However, the similarity between modern astronomy and Hindu cosmology has to pause here, until more research will bring more agreement into light. For, as per the Big Bang theory, the age of the Universe is around 13.7 Billion Years (which is the age of the oldest known star, not really a conclusive/direct measure of the age of the universe), whereas as per Hindu cosmology, Brahma is in his 51st year, so he has so far completed 1500 Billion Human Years.
Relevance
All right, we have all this math that broadly agrees on the scale (orders of magnitude) with modern science. What does it all mean? It means different things to different people with different outlooks. For the Scientists what is interesting is to know is why such a civilization which had such advanced knowledge in the halcyon past did not put it to use ("use" in the modern sense). Yes, verily as we saw in Part I of this post that Hindus wanted to put this to use to scale-up their level of consciousness rather than merely dole out a material invention that can give comfort to the gross body on the Bhuloka.
Those of you who might have attentively listened to a Sankalpam during pujas should immediately recollect how this is being put to use. The running yuga, the Manvantara etc., are all mentioned to fix our location on planet Earth and direct the prayer (ritual) to the intended (invited) Deity! In Hindu dharma, so far as I understand, the importance of Cosmology is this, not to lose touch with the Divine beings on higher realms and properly offer havans. This helps man to rise above the limitations of the gross body and gross world and climb up the ladder of consciousness.
Now we seem to be mixing science and religion? Yes, indeed we are, in Hindu tradition, there is no differentiation, Science and Religion, both are approached in a scientific fashion. Both go hand in hand. Where we differ with modern science is in the application of the knowledge, whereas we strive to use our science to uplift our level of consciousness, modern science tries to apply that knowledge for material inventions and bodily comfort.
Quotes
Cosmic Dream
Carl Sagan: There is the deep and appealing notion that the universe is but the dream of the god who, after a Brahma years, dissolves himself into a dreamless sleep. The universe dissolves with him - until, after another Brahma century, he stirs, recomposes himself and begins again to dream the great cosmic dream.
Swami Vivekananda:Hridi pranayati viswam vyaja matram vibhutvam [This universe arises in the heart of the Glorious one by mere thought]
Symbolism and Tribute
Carl Sagan:"The most elegant and sublime of these is a representation of the creation of the universe at the beginning of each cosmic cycle, a motif known as the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva. The god, called in this manifestation Nataraja, the Dance King. In the upper right hand is a drum whose sound is the sound of creation. In the upper left hand is a tongue of flame, a reminder that the universe, now newly created, with billions of years from now will be utterly destroyed."
References:
1. Kanchi Mahaswamigal on Jyotisha
http://www.kamakoti.org/hindudharma/part10/chap8.htm
2. Cosmos - By Carl Sagan p. 213-214
3. Carl Sagan's interview with Indian diplomat Placido D'Souza
http://www.rediff.com/news/jan/29sagan.htm
4. Vajrapani's Happy New Year Post
http://vajrapani.sulekha.com/blog/post/2007/12/how-do-extraterrestrials-celebrate-their-new-year.htm
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Go Vegetarian: Halt Global Warming
Global warming is the gradual increase in global temperatures caused by the emission of gases that trap the sun's heat in the Earth's atmosphere. Gases that contribute to global warming include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxides, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and halocarbons (the replacements for CFCs). The carbon dioxide emissions are primarily caused by the use of fossil fuels for energy.
These gases that cause global warming are collectively called the "greenhouse gases".
There are lots of websites that give informaton and tips on little things that every one of us can do to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Most common advices are the following:
1. Drive less and/or use more fuel-efficient cars. Use public transport where you can.
2. Use energy efficient lighting - use either fluorescent or compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs in place of incandescent ones.
3. Lower your thermostats in winter time and raise them in summer. Insulate homes/offices better.
4. Whereever possible, use an energy provider that generates energy from 100% renewable resources.
It is evident that most are concentrating on transport and energy sector. However, according to a report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent – 18 percent – than transport. It is also a major source of land and water degradation. This report is deliberately titled "Livestock's Long Shadow". “The environmental costs per unit of livestock production must be cut by one half, just to avoid the level of damage worsening beyond its present level,” it warns. The report also gives of examples of policy initiatives taken in some countries - New Zealand and the Netherlands for example - to reduce emissions from this sector. But that is for governments and policy makers to consider. What we as individuals can do is both simple and profound - see what National Geographic has to say:
If, like most Americans, you get close to 30 percent of your calories from meat, dairy, and poultry, your diet contributes over 1,485.1 kilograms CO2 per year. Vegetarian diets contribute half that, but you can also replace your calories from red meat with fish and eggs, for savings of over 430.9 kilograms CO2 per year.
References:
1. A Calculated Loss: How to Reduce Your Global Warming Emissions : http://green.nationalgeographic.com/environment/going-green/calculated-loss-emissions.html
2. Livestock a major threat to environment : http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index.html
Resources:
1. To know more about global warming, watch the intellectually stimulating movie "An Inconvenient Truth". DVD's can be purchased online.
2. Subscribe to The Green Guide : http://www.thegreenguide.com/ (National Geographic)
These gases that cause global warming are collectively called the "greenhouse gases".
There are lots of websites that give informaton and tips on little things that every one of us can do to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Most common advices are the following:
1. Drive less and/or use more fuel-efficient cars. Use public transport where you can.
2. Use energy efficient lighting - use either fluorescent or compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs in place of incandescent ones.
3. Lower your thermostats in winter time and raise them in summer. Insulate homes/offices better.
4. Whereever possible, use an energy provider that generates energy from 100% renewable resources.
It is evident that most are concentrating on transport and energy sector. However, according to a report published by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, the livestock sector generates more greenhouse gas emissions as measured in CO2 equivalent – 18 percent – than transport. It is also a major source of land and water degradation. This report is deliberately titled "Livestock's Long Shadow". “The environmental costs per unit of livestock production must be cut by one half, just to avoid the level of damage worsening beyond its present level,” it warns. The report also gives of examples of policy initiatives taken in some countries - New Zealand and the Netherlands for example - to reduce emissions from this sector. But that is for governments and policy makers to consider. What we as individuals can do is both simple and profound - see what National Geographic has to say:
If, like most Americans, you get close to 30 percent of your calories from meat, dairy, and poultry, your diet contributes over 1,485.1 kilograms CO2 per year. Vegetarian diets contribute half that, but you can also replace your calories from red meat with fish and eggs, for savings of over 430.9 kilograms CO2 per year.
References:
1. A Calculated Loss: How to Reduce Your Global Warming Emissions : http://green.nationalgeographic.com/environment/going-green/calculated-loss-emissions.html
2. Livestock a major threat to environment : http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2006/1000448/index.html
Resources:
1. To know more about global warming, watch the intellectually stimulating movie "An Inconvenient Truth". DVD's can be purchased online.
2. Subscribe to The Green Guide : http://www.thegreenguide.com/ (National Geographic)
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