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Wednesday, 25 May 2011

Rain Rain Go Away...

May is the month that makes us crave for rains. In the sizzling heat, sweat running down our backs, we talk about deforestation, global warming, melting glaciers and depleting ozone layers. Gazing intently at the sky, we ask, “When is it going to rain?”
But how many times have we asked, “How does it rain?” If everyone had cared to ask that, and had stopped abusing nature, rains would have been more regular and abundant. 
As the clouds start rolling in, wouldn't it be a good idea to revisit the classroom we were in ‘once upon a time’? Wouldn't it be worthwhile to realise how we have been abusing Nature, and tinkering with its monsoon-mechanism? 

The Cycle 
Look at the ponds, rivers, lakes and oceans. The Sun’s heat causes the water in them to evaporate and rise. When it reaches the atmosphere where the temperature is cool, it condenses into tiny droplets. These droplets being light, remain aloft as clouds. However they soon begin to grow larger and heavier by sticking with other tiny droplets. When too heavy to remain afloat, they come down to the earth as rain.  
This rain water seeps deep into the soil, or flows into the ponds, rivers, lakes, and the oceans, thus completing a cycle. 

Wind Moves 
During summer, the landmass heats up more quickly than the ocean. Naturally the air over the warm land also gets heated.  Being less dense, this warm air starts rising, creating a low pressure.  To this low pressure area, the cool humid air from the ocean rushes in. Almost simultaneously, the rising warm air over the land moves towards the ocean to replace this cool air. The wind thus begins to move in a natural cycle. 

How does it Rain? 
As the warm air over the land starts rising, it absorbs water vapour from the humid ocean breeze. It reaches a height where the cool atmosphere condenses this water vapour into tiny droplets.  When several of them collide and stick to one another, these tiny droplets become larger.  They soon become too heavy to remain afloat, and fall down to the earth as rain. 

Rain Trees 
On a hot day, you find how cool it is under a tree than inside a building. This is because the leaves of the tree breathe out water vapour, helping to cool the air around it, the same way as a mud-pot cools the water in it. This is how forests precipitate rain, helping to cool the atmosphere and the clouds passing through them.
The World Resources Institute reports that up to 80% of the Earth’s natural forests have already been destroyed. Some researchers even warn that the next war may be fought over natural water resources.
Finding a chemical alternative for Petroleum may be possible, but can there be a substitute for nature?

Saturday, 21 May 2011

Outright Uncouth

          Creativity  may have its limitations, but stupidity has no such handicaps!  An ad film appearing on TV of late, supports this theory.
          The film, which promotes PVC pipes, has a Rajinikanth clone as its central character.  He is clad in a dhoti folded inches above his knees.  As he walks to the crease, waving a 2 foot long pipe, the spectators shout for ‘water’ (not sixes)!  He signals them to be patient, and then challenges the line of bowlers, ‘Cumm on you fast bowwller rrascals ttogether...’.   And together they bowl ten balls, all of which he sends over the boundary in just two sweeps!  Water spurts from the ground where the balls fall.  Doing a victory dance, he shouts, ‘Thizz ezz the llleader’s style to bringg a mirrracle. Let me rrremind itt’.  
          You will find no sense or fun in it, except a dig at the south Indian attire, complexion, and diction!  Do you call this creativity?

Tuesday, 17 May 2011

Sweet Petrol

            Petrol price hike is not 'big news' in India. In the last nine months, there have been nine hikes. In spite of this, the Oil companies are crying hoarse that they are losing Rs 5.50 on a litre of Petrol, Rs 11.16 on a litre of diesel, Rs 23.55 on a litre of kerosene, and Rs 298.00 on a standard cylinder of cooking gas. They also warn that they are likely to end the year with a loss of Rs 180,000 crore!
            Despite this crisis, the government has been 'patiently' waiting for an 'auspicious' moment! It came within 24 hours of the announcement of the state election results, and the price was hiked up by Rs 5.00 per litre, with a warning that a similar hike was around the corner.
            Do you think, these hikes have really anything to do with the international crude prices? More than 50% of what you pay is taken away by the government as taxes, duties and cess. On the other side the petroleum companies are left to splurge!  No one scrutinises their performance parameters. There is no effort to optimise their productivity. No questions are asked.  Why choose the hard way, when it is easy to cover up the mounting inefficiencies through price increases? 
            After all, you and I have the patience, experience, and the resilience to bear it!