Hello Group, can anyone share e-books on ISO 14001 and 18001? thanx-n-regards, Sheela Mistry 9824054696
From India, Ahmadabad
From India, Ahmadabad
HI, I HOPE YOU FIND THIS BOOK USEFUL.I HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT ISO,SO IT AIN’T USEFUL THEN DISCARD THE SAME
From India, Mumbai
580From India, Mumbai
Greetings!
Thank you for taking a moment to respond to my post. Unfortunately, the attachment would not be of much help to my requirements; however, it is certainly informative and worth a read.
Thank you again.
With regards,
Sheela Mistry
9824054696
From India, Ahmadabad
Thank you for taking a moment to respond to my post. Unfortunately, the attachment would not be of much help to my requirements; however, it is certainly informative and worth a read.
Thank you again.
With regards,
Sheela Mistry
9824054696
From India, Ahmadabad
Hi Sheela,
Find out the nearest office of the Bureau of Indian Standards and buy it from there. Since I am in Delhi, I am aware that Delhi BIS has a library where you can go and borrow standards or read them. Fees are nominal. I got a copy of EMS 14001 for someone, approximately 300/-. Alternatively, you can visit BSI Global's website and purchase it online at www.bsi-global.com/.
Here's some advice—don't copy standards; firstly, it's a copyright offense. Secondly, it's a non-conformance as per the standards themselves. I am certified in both EMS and OHSAS, so feel free to ask any operational doubts.
Surya Vrat
From India, Delhi
Find out the nearest office of the Bureau of Indian Standards and buy it from there. Since I am in Delhi, I am aware that Delhi BIS has a library where you can go and borrow standards or read them. Fees are nominal. I got a copy of EMS 14001 for someone, approximately 300/-. Alternatively, you can visit BSI Global's website and purchase it online at www.bsi-global.com/.
Here's some advice—don't copy standards; firstly, it's a copyright offense. Secondly, it's a non-conformance as per the standards themselves. I am certified in both EMS and OHSAS, so feel free to ask any operational doubts.
Surya Vrat
From India, Delhi
Surya Vrat,
Greetings!
Thanks for your input. We, being located in a remote place like Ankleshwar (Gujarat), rich library facilities are rare. Buying online is certainly a good thing to do. My appreciation for your piece of advice too... In any case, I would not have tried any such shortcuts though. Thanks again, and regards,
Sheela
Sheela,
a) Find out the nearest office of the Bureau of Indian Standards and buy it from there. Secondly, since I am in Delhi, I am aware that Delhi BIS has a library where you can go and borrow standards or read them. Fees are nominal. I got a copy of EMS 14001 for someone, approximately ₹300.
b) Or visit BSI Global's website and purchase it online. www.bsi-global.com/
An advice------
Don't copy standards; firstly, it's a copyright offense. Secondly, it's a non-conformance as per the standards themselves. I am certified in both EMS and OHSAS. Feel free to ask any operational doubts.
Surya Vrat
From India, Ahmadabad
Greetings!
Thanks for your input. We, being located in a remote place like Ankleshwar (Gujarat), rich library facilities are rare. Buying online is certainly a good thing to do. My appreciation for your piece of advice too... In any case, I would not have tried any such shortcuts though. Thanks again, and regards,
Sheela
Sheela,
a) Find out the nearest office of the Bureau of Indian Standards and buy it from there. Secondly, since I am in Delhi, I am aware that Delhi BIS has a library where you can go and borrow standards or read them. Fees are nominal. I got a copy of EMS 14001 for someone, approximately ₹300.
b) Or visit BSI Global's website and purchase it online. www.bsi-global.com/
An advice------
Don't copy standards; firstly, it's a copyright offense. Secondly, it's a non-conformance as per the standards themselves. I am certified in both EMS and OHSAS. Feel free to ask any operational doubts.
Surya Vrat
From India, Ahmadabad
Sheela,
Do visit the website of DGFASLI (part of Central Labour Institute, Mumbai). They have recently started INDOSHNET, an institutional membership-based organization. They bring out a quarterly journal too at a nominal price of 100/- per annum.
If you want to see the original standards based on which we have derivatives out here, then check NIOSH and their Canadian counterpart, i.e., CCOSH.
What are your interest/focus areas in environment/health and safety?
Surya
From India, Delhi
Do visit the website of DGFASLI (part of Central Labour Institute, Mumbai). They have recently started INDOSHNET, an institutional membership-based organization. They bring out a quarterly journal too at a nominal price of 100/- per annum.
If you want to see the original standards based on which we have derivatives out here, then check NIOSH and their Canadian counterpart, i.e., CCOSH.
What are your interest/focus areas in environment/health and safety?
Surya
From India, Delhi
I hope you are aware of the Centre for Science and Environment.
I have selected two trainings from there, namely "rainwater harvesting" and "water pollution."
The course duration is approximately 5 days, and the normal fee is 9K. However, you can avail a 50% fee discount meant for NGOs or self-sponsored candidates.
If your work/family obligations do not permit you to attend the courses, then the best option would be to purchase their "manuals" on the above two topics online. The cost of both manuals shouldn't exceed 500/-.
Read them and feel free to ask questions.
Give me time until the end of the week. I completed an EIA certification from the United Nations University. I will provide you with the name of the UN-recommended manual. It may cost a couple of thousand, but it is worth it. The manual is so exhaustive that one finds it hard to come across EIA reports that satisfy its criteria. For example, what should be the location/footfalls on a nature trail? It may happen that there is a species which nests in a specific area; its tolerance during mating time shouldn't exceed 10 isolated disturbances; otherwise, the species shall not procreate.
Then we have Cumulative Impact Assessment, which is critical nowadays. Why give clearance to individual units when their combined effects may be catastrophic?
Do read a few publicly available reports of CEA on the CCOSH website.
Surya Vrat
9999645755
Training programs at AAGC
CSE's Anil Agarwal Green Centre (AAGC) seeks to make knowledge investments in society through education and training programs. Courses help participants better understand issues that lie at the interface of environment and development policy, science, technology, poverty, democracy, and equity.
Agenda for Survival: Two-month certificate course on policies, politics, and practices of environmental management in India (October 23-December 14, 2007)
The two-month certificate course for students and young professionals will -- through lectures, readings, debates, weekly outings, reportage, and a five-day field tour to rural India -- explore the complexities underlying the environment-development debate in the country. Several fellowships are available to support students.
Register online: http://cseindia.org (link updated to site home)
For more information, contact:
Aditya Batra (aagc@cseindia.org)
Training program for students: Urban Rainwater Harvesting (September 24-27, 2007)
This popular course is open for students of architecture and planning, engineering, and environmental studies.
For more information: http://cseindia.org (link updated to site home)
Understanding EIA: From screening to decision making (September 24-28, 2007)
This program empowers communities, industry representatives, and regulators with tools and technical know-how to actively scrutinize and participate in the environmental clearance processes of industrial projects.
Apply online: http://cseindia.org (link updated to site home)
City water and waste management: Alternative paradigms (October 16-19, 2007)
The unique workshop will discuss the urgent need to switch from the current paradigm of capital, water, and material-intensive processes of waste management to a more cost-effective, non-sewerage paradigm of human waste disposal.
For more information: http://cseindia.org (link updated to site home)
From India, Delhi
I have selected two trainings from there, namely "rainwater harvesting" and "water pollution."
The course duration is approximately 5 days, and the normal fee is 9K. However, you can avail a 50% fee discount meant for NGOs or self-sponsored candidates.
If your work/family obligations do not permit you to attend the courses, then the best option would be to purchase their "manuals" on the above two topics online. The cost of both manuals shouldn't exceed 500/-.
Read them and feel free to ask questions.
Give me time until the end of the week. I completed an EIA certification from the United Nations University. I will provide you with the name of the UN-recommended manual. It may cost a couple of thousand, but it is worth it. The manual is so exhaustive that one finds it hard to come across EIA reports that satisfy its criteria. For example, what should be the location/footfalls on a nature trail? It may happen that there is a species which nests in a specific area; its tolerance during mating time shouldn't exceed 10 isolated disturbances; otherwise, the species shall not procreate.
Then we have Cumulative Impact Assessment, which is critical nowadays. Why give clearance to individual units when their combined effects may be catastrophic?
Do read a few publicly available reports of CEA on the CCOSH website.
Surya Vrat
9999645755
Training programs at AAGC
CSE's Anil Agarwal Green Centre (AAGC) seeks to make knowledge investments in society through education and training programs. Courses help participants better understand issues that lie at the interface of environment and development policy, science, technology, poverty, democracy, and equity.
Agenda for Survival: Two-month certificate course on policies, politics, and practices of environmental management in India (October 23-December 14, 2007)
The two-month certificate course for students and young professionals will -- through lectures, readings, debates, weekly outings, reportage, and a five-day field tour to rural India -- explore the complexities underlying the environment-development debate in the country. Several fellowships are available to support students.
Register online: http://cseindia.org (link updated to site home)
For more information, contact:
Aditya Batra (aagc@cseindia.org)
Training program for students: Urban Rainwater Harvesting (September 24-27, 2007)
This popular course is open for students of architecture and planning, engineering, and environmental studies.
For more information: http://cseindia.org (link updated to site home)
Understanding EIA: From screening to decision making (September 24-28, 2007)
This program empowers communities, industry representatives, and regulators with tools and technical know-how to actively scrutinize and participate in the environmental clearance processes of industrial projects.
Apply online: http://cseindia.org (link updated to site home)
City water and waste management: Alternative paradigms (October 16-19, 2007)
The unique workshop will discuss the urgent need to switch from the current paradigm of capital, water, and material-intensive processes of waste management to a more cost-effective, non-sewerage paradigm of human waste disposal.
For more information: http://cseindia.org (link updated to site home)
From India, Delhi
Though this is not the correct reply hope this will be useful
What is ISO 9000?
The ISO 9000 series of international quality management standards and guidelines has earned a global reputation as the basis for establishing quality management systems. ISO 9000 is a generic system that specifies, in very broad terms, the necessary components of a quality management system. Rather than being specific to any one industry, it details the basic requirements of the quality function for all industries.
Developed and issued in 1987, by Technical Committee (TC) 176 of ISO, ISO 9000 is a series of voluntary international standards that serve as a method for establishing and maintaining a quality management system (QMS) for organisations involved in manufacturing products or providing services.
The series is revised every five years to ensure that standards keep pace with management practices and technological advances. The last revision came out in the year 2000. The standard is called ISO 9001:2000.
The family of 20 standards in the ISO 9000 series was reduced to 4 Quality Management systems during the December 2000 revision. They are:
*ISO 9000: Fundamentals and vocabulary
*ISO 9001: Requirements
*ISO 9004: Guidelines for performance improvements
*ISO 19011: Guidelines for auditing Management Systems (intended to be applicable to both environmental system and quality system auditing)
*ISO 9001:2000 specifies requirements for a quality management system for any organization that needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products that meets customer and applicable regulatory requirements and aims to enhance customer satisfaction. ISO 9001:2000 has been organised in a user-friendly format with terms that are easily recognised by all business sectors. The standard is used for certification/registration and contractual purposes by organisations seeking recognition of their quality management system.
ISO 9001: 2000 is based on eight Quality Management principles:
*Customer focused organization
*Leadership
*Involvement of people
*Process approach
*System approach to management
*Continual improvement
*Factual approach to decision
*Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
*These eight principles manifest themselves through the four main clauses:
*Management Responsibility � defining requirements
*Resource Management � determine and establish necessary resources
*Product Realization � establish and implement processes
*Measurement, Analysis And Improvement � of results
These main clauses are structured around the plan-do-check-act cycle.
Most new users obtain measurable benefits early in the process of deploying the standard requirements in their operations. These initial benefits are generally due to improvements in their organization and internal communication. The benefits must be strengthened through effective internal auditing and management review of system performance. Like all systems, it either improves or becomes less effective. It does not remain static for long.
When you adopt ISO 9001:2000, you strive for the satisfaction of your customers and the continual improvement of your quality management system. Continual improvement is a process of increasing the effectiveness of your organization to fulfill your quality policy and your quality objectives. ISO 9001:2000 necessitates that you plan and manage the processes necessary for the continual improvement of your quality management system.
Benefits of ISO 9000
Many businesses in the past few years began the journey toward ISO 9000 certification because they were worried that if they weren't certified they would have trouble doing business in the EU. Others faced the prospect of losing key customers in North America. But as those companies developed a quality management system to fulfill requirements of the ISO 9000 standards, they discovered a wide range of internal benefits that they hadn't anticipated. Among the most commonly cited were these:
*Operating costs drop as rework is reduced
*Warranty and after-sales support costs fall, and efficiencies increase
*Employee training processes improve as databases of the necessary skills and procedures for getting jobs done properly are developed
*Employees become more responsive to customer needs and requirements
*Business procedures and processes finally become standardised
*People communicate better because organizational boundaries tend to break down as people work together across functions and levels
*Increased productivity occurs as the correct information; equipment, tools and documentation are put into place
*The sales force gains greater confidence
*Operations become more efficient
*Customer satisfaction grows, increasing job security for your employees and profitability for your company
These are just a few of the powerful benefits gained by businesses that have built a solid foundation for business excellence through the ISO 9000 series of quality management and quality assurance standards.
In short, ISO 9000 gives you the tools to grow a better business. And it really works. Businesses both large and small have discovered that the ISO 9000 series is a powerful strategic tool for achieving new opportunities and improved competitiveness. But you don't have to be a multinational corporation or have business overseas to benefit from implementing these standards. It's for businesses large and small, wherever they may be. If you want to improve your business internally and seek marketplace recognition of your product or service quality, ISO 9000 is a valuable tool you won't want to be without.
From India, Tiruppur
What is ISO 9000?
The ISO 9000 series of international quality management standards and guidelines has earned a global reputation as the basis for establishing quality management systems. ISO 9000 is a generic system that specifies, in very broad terms, the necessary components of a quality management system. Rather than being specific to any one industry, it details the basic requirements of the quality function for all industries.
Developed and issued in 1987, by Technical Committee (TC) 176 of ISO, ISO 9000 is a series of voluntary international standards that serve as a method for establishing and maintaining a quality management system (QMS) for organisations involved in manufacturing products or providing services.
The series is revised every five years to ensure that standards keep pace with management practices and technological advances. The last revision came out in the year 2000. The standard is called ISO 9001:2000.
The family of 20 standards in the ISO 9000 series was reduced to 4 Quality Management systems during the December 2000 revision. They are:
*ISO 9000: Fundamentals and vocabulary
*ISO 9001: Requirements
*ISO 9004: Guidelines for performance improvements
*ISO 19011: Guidelines for auditing Management Systems (intended to be applicable to both environmental system and quality system auditing)
*ISO 9001:2000 specifies requirements for a quality management system for any organization that needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products that meets customer and applicable regulatory requirements and aims to enhance customer satisfaction. ISO 9001:2000 has been organised in a user-friendly format with terms that are easily recognised by all business sectors. The standard is used for certification/registration and contractual purposes by organisations seeking recognition of their quality management system.
ISO 9001: 2000 is based on eight Quality Management principles:
*Customer focused organization
*Leadership
*Involvement of people
*Process approach
*System approach to management
*Continual improvement
*Factual approach to decision
*Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
*These eight principles manifest themselves through the four main clauses:
*Management Responsibility � defining requirements
*Resource Management � determine and establish necessary resources
*Product Realization � establish and implement processes
*Measurement, Analysis And Improvement � of results
These main clauses are structured around the plan-do-check-act cycle.
Most new users obtain measurable benefits early in the process of deploying the standard requirements in their operations. These initial benefits are generally due to improvements in their organization and internal communication. The benefits must be strengthened through effective internal auditing and management review of system performance. Like all systems, it either improves or becomes less effective. It does not remain static for long.
When you adopt ISO 9001:2000, you strive for the satisfaction of your customers and the continual improvement of your quality management system. Continual improvement is a process of increasing the effectiveness of your organization to fulfill your quality policy and your quality objectives. ISO 9001:2000 necessitates that you plan and manage the processes necessary for the continual improvement of your quality management system.
Benefits of ISO 9000
Many businesses in the past few years began the journey toward ISO 9000 certification because they were worried that if they weren't certified they would have trouble doing business in the EU. Others faced the prospect of losing key customers in North America. But as those companies developed a quality management system to fulfill requirements of the ISO 9000 standards, they discovered a wide range of internal benefits that they hadn't anticipated. Among the most commonly cited were these:
*Operating costs drop as rework is reduced
*Warranty and after-sales support costs fall, and efficiencies increase
*Employee training processes improve as databases of the necessary skills and procedures for getting jobs done properly are developed
*Employees become more responsive to customer needs and requirements
*Business procedures and processes finally become standardised
*People communicate better because organizational boundaries tend to break down as people work together across functions and levels
*Increased productivity occurs as the correct information; equipment, tools and documentation are put into place
*The sales force gains greater confidence
*Operations become more efficient
*Customer satisfaction grows, increasing job security for your employees and profitability for your company
These are just a few of the powerful benefits gained by businesses that have built a solid foundation for business excellence through the ISO 9000 series of quality management and quality assurance standards.
In short, ISO 9000 gives you the tools to grow a better business. And it really works. Businesses both large and small have discovered that the ISO 9000 series is a powerful strategic tool for achieving new opportunities and improved competitiveness. But you don't have to be a multinational corporation or have business overseas to benefit from implementing these standards. It's for businesses large and small, wherever they may be. If you want to improve your business internally and seek marketplace recognition of your product or service quality, ISO 9000 is a valuable tool you won't want to be without.
From India, Tiruppur
CSE brings out a magazine named "Down to Earth", available at a nominal price. I've been reading it for the last 5-6 years, good articles on the environmental aspect.
Surya
CSE's Fortnightly News Bulletin [August 10, 2007]
=============================
An e-bulletin from CSE, India, to our network of friends and professionals interested in environmental issues. Scroll to the bottom of this page for information on how to unsubscribe.
INSIDE:
- Editorial: Climate science and the Indian scientist
- Webcast: CSE director Sunita Narain speaks on climate change at the UN General Assembly
- Cover Story: Rising popularity of artificial vanilla puts Kerala farmers in distress
- News: Sulphur deficiency in Madhya Pradesh soil leads to poor harvest
- News: Dow Chemical asked to clean up contaminated spots in the US
- News: Meghalaya limestone quarries closed
- Feature: Cherrapunjee: Now a wet desert
- Science: First Indian study on species discovery pattern
- Gobar Times Green Schools Awards 2007
- Training programmes at AAGC
- CSE speaks: Bus crisis a result of mismanaged mobility
- Questionnaire: Rate your pollution control board
- Job openings: Designers needed for Down To Earth magazine
=================================
Editorial: Climate science and the Indian scientist
=================================
By Sunita Narain
Will Indian scientists measure up to the challenge of climate change? I ask this question because of the nature of the science as well as the nature of our scientists.
Climate change science is young, being tutored and evolving. We know much more today about what the future will hold if we do not reduce emissions drastically. Yet our knowledge is still probabilistic. It concerns changes we can model for climate sensitivity, using the best evidence we have today. But all models are victims of their assumptions. And all predictions are villains of their times. The challenge is that even if we know little about how the accumulation of greenhouse gases will impact us, we cannot afford to wait until we have all the answers. We can't afford to be uncertain in our actions, even if we are uncertain about our science.
Take glaciers. We know that glaciers melt. It is because of this melt that we get water. But are these glaciers melting at an unnatural pace today? Will such melting lead to more water in our rivers to begin with, leading to floods, and then less, leading to water scarcity? The answers, after much scientific skulduggery, are just beginning to crystallize.
Western scientists agree that something is afoot. They know because they can physically map the glaciers to see the pace of the recession. They can also measure the mass-average ice thickness to check for reduction. In addition, complex statistical models-which combine evidence from several observational datasets-are confirming the probability of this rapid recession.
These models had initially not predicted that meltwater would seep into the crevices of the glaciers, lubricate them and so accelerate melting. When this was physically noticed, it was factored into the models for greater reliability. But there are many unanswered questions. For instance, will there be a collapse of the Antarctic ice sheet? There are huge uncertainties regarding critical thresholds of collapse. But in all this, uncertain science cannot afford to breed complacency. It has to reveal what it knows, with what measure of reliability and also discuss what it does not know, as yet, because of its own limitations of data or understanding. It is growing, but after all, it is a young science.
In India, we are just beginning to map impacts on our glaciers because of human-induced climate change. We can draw inferences from the changes that are being observed and predicted in the rest of the world. But we will have to do our own legwork-to understand both what is happening and what the receding glaciers will do to our water security. The question is: can we do this?
I ask this because in many ways climate change science, because of its many variables and very many scenarios, is a game of chess which can only be played by investigative and highly inquisitive minds. The scientist will get clues and the answers will have to be tweaked: from scientific evidence, from plain common sense and from what can be observed in the real world.
It is not in the nature of our science to do this kind of imaginative, investigative research. It is certainly not in the manner of our science to draw inferences when there is uncertainty. In the easiest of times, our scientists find it against their nature to cross over the threshold, from what is already established science to what is emerging science. They prefer to play safe with what they know. In the case of climate science, they prefer to be cautious in their words, very conservative in their assessment and take refuge in the inherent uncertainty of science.
For instance, it will be easy for 'safe' science to say that even if glaciers are receding at a rapid pace, it is nothing new or surprising. They are simply passing through a phase of recession as a natural cyclic process. It will also be possible to say (and I have heard this said very recently) that even if we know glaciers are melting, there is no evidence to say that this melt will lead to any significant changes in our hydrological systems. Why? Because our ongoing research does not show anything deviant. It is another matter that the data or method used for the research might be insufficient. Or that the scientist may not have investigated the slim leads that nature was disclosing about herself.
Let's accept that there is a problem. The Indian scientific establishment has been for far too long just that, an establishment. It has chosen only to work with established science that is peer-reviewed, empirical and unchallenged. Worse, because of the nature of its institutions-which are closed to outsiders on the one hand but subservient to officialdom on the other-it will not engage in any public discourse.
But climate science demands new approaches. It demands breaking away from what is already known to discover what needs to be known and how. It will require crossing the line so that inferences can be drawn, however tentative. It will require, most of all, active engagement with the 'outside' world of ordinary people. It will need to pay careful heed to everyday events and meticulous observation of scientific processes as they play out in our gardens, in our agricultural fields and in our glaciers.
Finally, if I can say (without offense), Indian science, to respond to climate change, will have to get a little less male and perhaps even a little less old. 'Male' science (if we can allow for some generalization) is not interested in soft issues like the environment or nature. These are non-issues in a world of nuclear, space, or rocket technologies. Why young? Because climate change science (and the world) needs all the impatience and the desperation of the young.
Read the editorial online >>
downtoearth.org.in
To comment, write to >>
editor@downtoearth.org.in
===============================
Webcast: CSE director speaks on climate change at the UN General Assembly
===============================
CSE Director Sunita Narain recently spoke on 'Climate change as a global challenge' at the UN General Assembly in New York.
To watch the webcast of the debate, click here >>
http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ga/61/ga070731am.rm
Watch the press conference >>
http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/pressconference/pc070731.rm
===============================
Cover Story: Rising popularity of artificial vanilla puts Kerala farmers in distress
===============================
Vanilla, the world's most popular flavor, is associated with all things nice. However, this is a view that most vanilla farmers in India, especially the ones in Kerala, will disagree with. Once a profitable venture, cultivation of vanilla has been declining rapidly in Kerala. The crop, farmers say, is labor-intensive, and takes time to flower. The seeds take even longer to cure. Manual pollination of the vanilla flowers makes the cultivation more cumbersome. Add to this a highly volatile international market, and you have a recipe for disaster. But what has been worrying farmers most is the widespread use of synthetic vanillin -- an artificial extract, which has copied the smell and flavor of vanilla -- in food, beverages, and cosmetics. Artificial vanillin is harvested from effluent of paper mills and coal tar, and is much cheaper than the real vanilla extract. Clearly, vanilla farmers need the government's support. Will the state deliver?
Read online >>
downtoearth.org.in
===============================
More in Down To Earth magazine
===============================
News: Sulphur deficiency in Madhya Pradesh soil leads to poor harvest
Farmers in Madhya Pradesh have been grappling with a poor harvest this season. According to experts, the low output has been triggered by a mild to severe sulfur deficiency in the soil. Over the decades, the intensive farming method of rotational cropping has depleted sulfur in the soil. This has been topped by the excessive use of sulfur-free fertilizers like urea, and by little or no replenishment of sulfur in the soil. To check the trend, the state government has made available sulfur-rich fertilizers and is promoting its use. It is also training farmers on the use of nutrient-rich fertilizers and related farming practices.
Read the complete article >>
downtoearth.org.in
News: Dow Chemical asked to clean up contaminated spots in the US
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has asked Dow Chemical to clean up three dioxide contaminated spots located along almost 10 km downstream of its plant in Midland, Michigan, by the Tittabawassee river. Dow has operated the plant for numerous years and manufactured a number of chemicals and pesticides there. Numerous studies have confirmed the presence of dioxin in the soil and water of the area. According to experts, the spots need to be cleaned urgently as they are prone to erosion and floods,
From India, Delhi
Surya
CSE's Fortnightly News Bulletin [August 10, 2007]
=============================
An e-bulletin from CSE, India, to our network of friends and professionals interested in environmental issues. Scroll to the bottom of this page for information on how to unsubscribe.
INSIDE:
- Editorial: Climate science and the Indian scientist
- Webcast: CSE director Sunita Narain speaks on climate change at the UN General Assembly
- Cover Story: Rising popularity of artificial vanilla puts Kerala farmers in distress
- News: Sulphur deficiency in Madhya Pradesh soil leads to poor harvest
- News: Dow Chemical asked to clean up contaminated spots in the US
- News: Meghalaya limestone quarries closed
- Feature: Cherrapunjee: Now a wet desert
- Science: First Indian study on species discovery pattern
- Gobar Times Green Schools Awards 2007
- Training programmes at AAGC
- CSE speaks: Bus crisis a result of mismanaged mobility
- Questionnaire: Rate your pollution control board
- Job openings: Designers needed for Down To Earth magazine
=================================
Editorial: Climate science and the Indian scientist
=================================
By Sunita Narain
Will Indian scientists measure up to the challenge of climate change? I ask this question because of the nature of the science as well as the nature of our scientists.
Climate change science is young, being tutored and evolving. We know much more today about what the future will hold if we do not reduce emissions drastically. Yet our knowledge is still probabilistic. It concerns changes we can model for climate sensitivity, using the best evidence we have today. But all models are victims of their assumptions. And all predictions are villains of their times. The challenge is that even if we know little about how the accumulation of greenhouse gases will impact us, we cannot afford to wait until we have all the answers. We can't afford to be uncertain in our actions, even if we are uncertain about our science.
Take glaciers. We know that glaciers melt. It is because of this melt that we get water. But are these glaciers melting at an unnatural pace today? Will such melting lead to more water in our rivers to begin with, leading to floods, and then less, leading to water scarcity? The answers, after much scientific skulduggery, are just beginning to crystallize.
Western scientists agree that something is afoot. They know because they can physically map the glaciers to see the pace of the recession. They can also measure the mass-average ice thickness to check for reduction. In addition, complex statistical models-which combine evidence from several observational datasets-are confirming the probability of this rapid recession.
These models had initially not predicted that meltwater would seep into the crevices of the glaciers, lubricate them and so accelerate melting. When this was physically noticed, it was factored into the models for greater reliability. But there are many unanswered questions. For instance, will there be a collapse of the Antarctic ice sheet? There are huge uncertainties regarding critical thresholds of collapse. But in all this, uncertain science cannot afford to breed complacency. It has to reveal what it knows, with what measure of reliability and also discuss what it does not know, as yet, because of its own limitations of data or understanding. It is growing, but after all, it is a young science.
In India, we are just beginning to map impacts on our glaciers because of human-induced climate change. We can draw inferences from the changes that are being observed and predicted in the rest of the world. But we will have to do our own legwork-to understand both what is happening and what the receding glaciers will do to our water security. The question is: can we do this?
I ask this because in many ways climate change science, because of its many variables and very many scenarios, is a game of chess which can only be played by investigative and highly inquisitive minds. The scientist will get clues and the answers will have to be tweaked: from scientific evidence, from plain common sense and from what can be observed in the real world.
It is not in the nature of our science to do this kind of imaginative, investigative research. It is certainly not in the manner of our science to draw inferences when there is uncertainty. In the easiest of times, our scientists find it against their nature to cross over the threshold, from what is already established science to what is emerging science. They prefer to play safe with what they know. In the case of climate science, they prefer to be cautious in their words, very conservative in their assessment and take refuge in the inherent uncertainty of science.
For instance, it will be easy for 'safe' science to say that even if glaciers are receding at a rapid pace, it is nothing new or surprising. They are simply passing through a phase of recession as a natural cyclic process. It will also be possible to say (and I have heard this said very recently) that even if we know glaciers are melting, there is no evidence to say that this melt will lead to any significant changes in our hydrological systems. Why? Because our ongoing research does not show anything deviant. It is another matter that the data or method used for the research might be insufficient. Or that the scientist may not have investigated the slim leads that nature was disclosing about herself.
Let's accept that there is a problem. The Indian scientific establishment has been for far too long just that, an establishment. It has chosen only to work with established science that is peer-reviewed, empirical and unchallenged. Worse, because of the nature of its institutions-which are closed to outsiders on the one hand but subservient to officialdom on the other-it will not engage in any public discourse.
But climate science demands new approaches. It demands breaking away from what is already known to discover what needs to be known and how. It will require crossing the line so that inferences can be drawn, however tentative. It will require, most of all, active engagement with the 'outside' world of ordinary people. It will need to pay careful heed to everyday events and meticulous observation of scientific processes as they play out in our gardens, in our agricultural fields and in our glaciers.
Finally, if I can say (without offense), Indian science, to respond to climate change, will have to get a little less male and perhaps even a little less old. 'Male' science (if we can allow for some generalization) is not interested in soft issues like the environment or nature. These are non-issues in a world of nuclear, space, or rocket technologies. Why young? Because climate change science (and the world) needs all the impatience and the desperation of the young.
Read the editorial online >>
downtoearth.org.in
To comment, write to >>
editor@downtoearth.org.in
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Webcast: CSE director speaks on climate change at the UN General Assembly
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CSE Director Sunita Narain recently spoke on 'Climate change as a global challenge' at the UN General Assembly in New York.
To watch the webcast of the debate, click here >>
http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/ga/61/ga070731am.rm
Watch the press conference >>
http://webcast.un.org/ramgen/pressconference/pc070731.rm
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Cover Story: Rising popularity of artificial vanilla puts Kerala farmers in distress
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Vanilla, the world's most popular flavor, is associated with all things nice. However, this is a view that most vanilla farmers in India, especially the ones in Kerala, will disagree with. Once a profitable venture, cultivation of vanilla has been declining rapidly in Kerala. The crop, farmers say, is labor-intensive, and takes time to flower. The seeds take even longer to cure. Manual pollination of the vanilla flowers makes the cultivation more cumbersome. Add to this a highly volatile international market, and you have a recipe for disaster. But what has been worrying farmers most is the widespread use of synthetic vanillin -- an artificial extract, which has copied the smell and flavor of vanilla -- in food, beverages, and cosmetics. Artificial vanillin is harvested from effluent of paper mills and coal tar, and is much cheaper than the real vanilla extract. Clearly, vanilla farmers need the government's support. Will the state deliver?
Read online >>
downtoearth.org.in
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More in Down To Earth magazine
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News: Sulphur deficiency in Madhya Pradesh soil leads to poor harvest
Farmers in Madhya Pradesh have been grappling with a poor harvest this season. According to experts, the low output has been triggered by a mild to severe sulfur deficiency in the soil. Over the decades, the intensive farming method of rotational cropping has depleted sulfur in the soil. This has been topped by the excessive use of sulfur-free fertilizers like urea, and by little or no replenishment of sulfur in the soil. To check the trend, the state government has made available sulfur-rich fertilizers and is promoting its use. It is also training farmers on the use of nutrient-rich fertilizers and related farming practices.
Read the complete article >>
downtoearth.org.in
News: Dow Chemical asked to clean up contaminated spots in the US
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has asked Dow Chemical to clean up three dioxide contaminated spots located along almost 10 km downstream of its plant in Midland, Michigan, by the Tittabawassee river. Dow has operated the plant for numerous years and manufactured a number of chemicals and pesticides there. Numerous studies have confirmed the presence of dioxin in the soil and water of the area. According to experts, the spots need to be cleaned urgently as they are prone to erosion and floods,
From India, Delhi
Hi Everyone, what is light pollution? Any excess light is pollution. Most of you would have parents or grandparents who would recall the beauty of a night sky twinkling with a million stars. Today, due to excessive lighting, the lives of nocturnal flora and fauna are being highly disturbed. Many of you may not be aware that there is an association named the "International Dark Sky Association" dedicated to preserving nocturnal species by reducing light pollution. I am enclosing their journal; I hope all of you benefit from it and start on a journey of eco-friendliness, at least on the home front.
Surya
9999645755
From India, Delhi
Surya
9999645755
From India, Delhi
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