Embrace The Future

A sustainable future is spreading its arms to embrace us all, like it was doing twenty years back, when leaders from every corners of the world where flying down to Rio for the first Earth Summit, to witness an unprecedented political will and commitment among governments to make a paradigm shift to sustainable development.

In June this year, world leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments, the private sector, NGOs and other groups, will once again fly down to Rio to attend the Rio+20, which is offering us a unique opportunity for our mutually interdependent world to secure renewed political commitment for Sustainable Development.

At Rio+20, seven critical issues like jobs, energy, cities, food, water, oceans and disasters will be dealt with, by focusing upon two theme agreed upon by the member states:

1. Green economy within the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.
2. Institutional framework for sustainable development.

Out of these seven critical issues, food is an issue which when dealt, can help us in dealing with other issues like public health, climate change, forest preservation and social justice.

Food which is one of the basic requirement for the survival of a being, along with water and shelter, is getting scarce as the human population surges towards predicted 9.1 billion people by the year 2050 and thus there is a call for an immediate change in our personal dietary habits as well as governmental policies pertaining to agricultural industries.

Advocating a Vegan lifestyle is the most effective yet the most neglected strategy for reducing food crisis, climate change, and deforestation, and therefore organizations should consider advocating veganism as a major part of their global warming campaigns. At a minimum, environmental advocates should mention veganism in any information about the actions the individuals can take to address global warming. Government policy should also encourage vegan diets. Possible mechanisms should include an environmental tax on meat similar to one already recommended on gasoline, and a shift in farm subsidies to encourage plant agriculture over animal agriculture.

Albert Einstein, a noted physicist can be attributed for the quote, "Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet" which clearly depicts that a shift from an animal-based diet to a plant based diet can help us in tackling following issues:

1) Food Crisis: In many reports, it has been estimated that an animal based diet will consume 20 kilos of grains to produce one kilo of edible beef, 7.5 kilos of grain for a kilo of edible pork and 4.5 kilos for a kilo of edible chicken. Thus, if we consume the present amount of grains directly instead of feeding it to the livestock in order to produce the aforementioned amount of animal based food, we will be able to feed more mouths with the same quantity of grain that we produce at present and hence can tackle food crisis.

2) Public Health: A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that red- and processed-meat intakes were associated with modest increases in total mortality, cancer mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality, and that the higher the red- and processed-meat intake, the higher the risk.
The report states that the people who consume animal-based food are 27% more likely to have cardiovascular disease, 20% more likely to have cancer and 11% of deaths in men and 16% of deaths in women could be prevented if people decreased their meat consumption to 4 g/1000 kcal.

3) Climate Change: According to a paper by Prof. A J McMichael, PhD, out of 22% of the global total Greenhouse gas emission which is caused by the agriculture sector, which is equal to that of the industries and slightly more than that of the transportation sector, nearly 80% is accounted for the livestock production. Methane and N2O (which are both potent GHG and closely associated with livestock production) contribute much more to this sector’s warming effect than does CO2. Halting the increase of GHG emissions from agriculture, especially livestock production, should therefore be a top priority, because it could curb warming fairly rapidly. As the available technologies for reduction of emissions from livestock production, applied universally at realistic costs, would reduce non-carbon dioxide emissions by less than 20%, we advocate a contraction and convergence strategy to reduce consumption of livestock products, mirroring the widely supported strategy proposed for greenhouse-gas emissions in general.

4) Forest Preservation: Prince Charles on Deforestation: “We have 18 months to halt deforestation of the rain forests to preserve life on this planet.” (European Parliament, 14 February 2008)

According to a report by UN FAO, ranching-induced deforestation is one of the main causes of loss of some unique plant and animal species in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America as well as carbon release in the atmosphere. It is estimated that nearly 70% of the former Latin American forest cover has been cleared for grazing of the livestock, which takes 1/3rd or Earth's entire landmass and hence is the major cause of deforestation. Further, the loss of these precious forest area posses treat of extinction of wildlife that are to be found in those forest area.

5) Social Justice: Justice is a term that means "righteousness". When we speak of justice, we speak of justice for all, irrespective of any discrimination and not confining it only to certain strata of the society. So when we speak of justice, why do we forget the justice for the livestock animals? Why can't they enjoy an equal right of well-being? When we consider about the adverse effect of climate change due to food habits, not only on the lives of people living in USA but also on the lives of people in Africa, then why don't we consider the effect of it on the lives of all the billions of animals that are wasted just for few pounds of meat? I believe that if justice will fall upon these billions of animals then only there can be any genuine chance of social justice for each and every one of us, as Dr. King has rightly said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

So, more than anything else, we should shift from an animal based diet to a plant based for the sake of being just to these billions of animals that are wasted every year just for few pounds of meat.

It will be very interesting to see if our leaders and policy makers will take some bold steps to embrace a sustainable future, which have been waiting for years to be embraced, by making polices that will encourage plant based agriculture and discourage animal based agriculture and thus make a paradigm shift to sustainable development.

~Caritas, Lux, et Varitas;
The Unknown Poet.

[Image Courtesy: tcktcktck.org]

The Unknown News: Hollywood Actress Rakhi Pawant Alleged in Match Fixing

Hollywood Actress Rakhi Pawant Alleged in Match Fixing

Dhaka: Rakhi Pawant, a struggling Hollywood actor have been alleged in a match-fixing scandal surrounding yesterday's Asia Cup Cricket match between Indian and Bangladesh in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

A local newspaper, The Times of Hindustan claims that a Hollywood star had enticed Indian players to under-perform. Allegation of match-fixing surfaced in the media with claims that players were being influenced with a big hope of a win in the next match against Pakistan.

Pawant, who is best known for her vampy role in 2009 idiot-box bomb, Pawant ka Swayam"Chamatakar", denies any link to the match fixing and told the media in a special interview with IndiaRadio that, "I have no connection with the match-fixing episode that has been linked to me."

However, IndiaRadio's host Dr. Preevardhan Novedi, who is best known for waking people with his "Chain se sona hai toh jag jaiye", has a completely different story to tell. According to Dr. Novedi, Miss Pawant was seen escorting Indian skipper M.S. Roni to have a jaw with Bangladeshi skipper M. Fahim, where they where heard discussing there tensed marital life.

On investigating deeper, our reporter found that the jaw between the three were being mistakenly recorded by the stump camera, which was kept on when both the skippers were being escorted to the stump by the rising Hollywood star.

The transcript of the conversation is:

Fahim: Hello Pawant darling, long time no see, I was started forming an opinion that you have started enjoying that "chamatkar" thingy a lot and so have forgotten your old smoochers. And by the way, who is this man who is following you?

Pawant: Oh no Fahim, the "chamatkar" were not at all interesting, its just that I was busy doing a project with Mika Phooch. And this gentleman is Roni, he will be captaining against you. I saw him doing errands for his wife Rakshashi, so I thought I better bring him with me to have a chit chat with you. I hope its fine with you.

Fahim: Ofcourse darling, anything for you. Assalamu alaikum Roni biradar, I see you tensed lately.

Roni: Walaikum assalam Fahim. Yeah, you are right, I have been under-going much stress lately.

Fahim: Why so? Is everything alright? I hope you can share your problems with me. We are competitors only on the fields, otherwise we are good friends, aren't we?

Roni: Yeah, you are right bro, we are best friends forever. But what to tell. I am in no position to speak.

Fahim: Oh common, you can speak to me.

Roni: Oh well, you might be knowing that my wife Rakshahi have a brother who plays Cricket.

Fahim: Ya, so what about him?

Roni: Err, he wants a place in Indian Team and so Rakshashi is pressurizing me to approach our board president Mr. Sharad Gawar and to get a place for him in the team, but as you might be knowing, he is a politician and is demanding a bribe of 100 crore rupees.

Fahim: That's a huge amount. Selectors back in Bangladesh only ask for a sum of a crore of rupee in addition to 10 Kg of fish for their "Machhi Jhol". But that's a small amount in comparison of what you have been asked for. It looks like everyone in your country wants a hundred these days.

Roni: 100 crore is not a big problem, I somehow have managed to arrange it doing all those Fair'n'Lonely and Sucks Baniyan advertisement, the main issue is that elderly person in our team, named Achin Tendulkar.

Fahim: What about him? I have heard that people in your country have very high respect for him and that they are demanding a Bharat Khatam Award for him.

Roni: That's true, but Mr. Gawar is saying that Rakshashi's brother can only replace Achin in the team, and that they won't be able to drop Achin out of the team until he don't scores a century. But Achin is a smart man, he deliberately is under performing as he know that the day he will complete his hundredth century, the board will drop him.

Fahim: That doesn't look like a a big problem to me. As a matter of fact, I can help you with it.

Roni: And how is that?

Fahim: Oh, its very easy, we will play so poorly that he definitely will score a century.

Roni: Will you do it for me?

Fahim: Yeah sure, but I will be wanting something in return.

Roni: And what is it?

Fahim: Not much, unlike others I am a team person. But our team is loosing lately, so I want a win for our team.

Roni: Fine, deal.

Fahim: Is it O.K. with you? How will you explain to your media that how you lost to an underdogs? Won't the fans kill you?

Roni: No, they won't. We have a crazy fan following in our country. They don't worry whether the nation wins or lose. All they worry is that Achin scores a century or not.

Fahim: Well, fine then.

So as you can see that we have clear evidence that proves that match-fixing took place.

When our reporter Arnab Bhainswami, asked Bangladesh Cricket Association's President P. Chitakam about the incident, he said that he won't comment much except speaking about the camera man Rahul Kandi who was responsible of managing the stump camera saying that, "Rahul Kandi has been charged for carelessness and irresponsible behavior which has lead to so much mess which otherwise wouldn't have been possible if Kandi would have been little more professional and responsible. So Kandi has been asked to resign from his post."

Indian Cricket Board's Secretary Pig Vijay Singh told our reporter that he condemn such activities and promises that harsh actions will be taken against the guilty. He was also found cursing Roni and Gawar for not sharing the bribe money with him, as he being the secretary of the board.

Meanwhile, people where seen celebrating Achin's (Ten)^2 (Ten)^2DorKar all round the country. Managing Director of Preliance Company, Guru Bhai Ambani spoke to media persons that now since Achin have completed his hundredth century, worker can return to their works and steep rise in revenue can be observed.

~Love, Light and Truth;
Harshad Gupta

My Sayings, A Collection Part III

~If people can be arrested for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of others, then every single citizen of India should be behind the bars, because whatever religious practices a person follows, will hurt the religious sentiments of someone else, in one way or the other. (20th November, 2012)

~If people would have been doing more blogging than talking, we would have been living in a better and peaceful world. (15th October, 2012)

~I love when the words come flowing into my head,
and when these words form a verse on my writing pad. (10th October, 2012)

~For decades, I walked the Earth, like a man being blind,
Unable to see the virtue of acts, that in nature, were kind,
But now, with my mind and eyes opened, I can see,
That the beauty in world, is not made of me, but we. (10th August, 2012)

~Friends are like the stars, however far they might be, they will still be visible with naked eyes, being with you even in the darkest of nights, twinkling right above your head and they might not be able to lighten your path like the Sun and the Moon, but they will surely show you the direction in the darkest hour. (5th August, 2012)

~The problem with many is that they are asleep, and yet are unable to dream. (19th July, 2012)

~It had not costed anyone anything by helping others, but it had costed everyone everything by not helping others. (12th July, 2012)

~The best way to explore a city is by being a directionless leather tramp. (11th July, 2012)

~The Heaven kisses the Earth again, oh see, its raining again! (3rd July, 2012)

~No one is worthless. One can always make others smile and that, I strongly believe, is the best virtue one can have. (24th June, 2012)

~O dear rain, rejoice as we meets again. (18th June, 2012)

~It is our moral duty to recognize the potentials in others as well as ourselves so as to safeguards humanity from reaching ever degrading level. (29th May, 2012)

~If you fear God, then he ain't God. (25th May, 2012)

~Make noise, let the world know that you are still living. (22nd May, 2012)

~Everyone is someone's Harshad. (6th May, 2012)

~If you can't chase your dreams, it is worthless to ever wake up. (20th April, 2012)

~Everything has a reason and everything has a time,
Don't you worry, everything will once again be fine,
And again, you will be start speaking in rhyme,
And like the stars in the magnificent sky, you will forever shine. (19th April, 2012) 

~When we deny the rights of others, with what mouth can we ask for ours? (15th April, 2012)

~You cannot reach your own destination by trotting on someone else's path. (13th April, 2012)

~Words are merely a medium of communication, but still much emphasis are given to them rather than what we actually wants to communicate. (19th March, 2012)

~A scientist never has a vacation. For a scientist, life consist of either observing his surrounding or writing down the conclusion he made about the observation. (7th March, 2012)

~You are not what the world teaches you, but what you teach yourself.

~I don't understand why people are so obsessed with survival when they can actually live.

~Every single life in this world is rich. The only difference among them is the currency they posses. While some posses Indian Rupee, or US Dollar, or GB Pound, some others, though very few in numbers, posses still more powerful currency like Smiles, or Happiness, or Love, or Knowledge.

~Nothing in the world is more beautiful then the smile on people's face.

~The problem with many is that they are much more concerned about their failure as according to others rather than their failure as according to themselves which is resulted by restricting themselves from chasing their dreams, which actually defines them in true sense, just in order to prevent themselves from the failure as according to others.