Sunday...Time to RELAX...and REFLECT...and REASON...

Sunday to relax...Sunday for leisure...

Abhishek is a student in high school with a mind soaked in digital technology. He will graduate this year and attend university…But he has already studied few credits from university with high marks…

As the boxed testimony of a former student of mine testifies…Abhishek is indeed brilliant and getting ready to “get involved’ and “make a difference”…

I am sure he will make a difference…Since he loves learning and teaching too…                                                                                    

I am sure he will make a difference …Since he has solid parental guidance and support… Once I asked his parents…”Where are the rest…?” Referring to his status as an only child… I wished they had a battalion more…

Abhishek sent one of his essays… His concern about the environment affirms his love for nature and expressed the scope of his intellectual curiosity…which is not confined to the digital world only…

A former student contacted me...and also referred to Abhishek... 

Check the box...

Likewise, I think it’s suitable that you and I reconnected through Abhishek. I’ve been teaching for 3 years (not long, I know) and I do believe that even if I teach for the next 40 years, it will be hard to find another student like Abhishek. His bright mind is surpassed only by his heart — so kind, generous, and loving. I am very thankful to have met him, and am happy he found a friend in you.

…And now he speaks... listen and

Be inspired... and get involved... and make a difference...

Footprints: Made by Small Steps and by Giant 

"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." — Neil Alden Armstrong

On September 12, 1962, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States of America, stated, “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” Although Kennedy was not there to see his dreams come true, his promise was fulfilled. On July 20, 1969, the first human footprint was made on an extraterrestrial sphere, the moon. Incredibly it took only 66 years for the first airplane built by the Wright brothers to give rise to the wonderful technological advancements that allowed the first man to set foot on the moon. Humanity has left (and is leaving) its footprints all around the globe and even on its natural satellite. And, although many of these footprints are beneficial to human progress and knowledge, some of them are detrimental to the stability of our environment, the generations of our future, and the security of our nations. The global level of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, our carbon footprint, is increasing at the fastest rate in recorded history. In 2010, the concentration was 388 ppm and currently, it is approaching 400 ppm, which is approximately a 35% leap compared to the levels at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution over 200 years ago. The growth of our carbon footprint, one of the leading causes of global climate change, is currently the largest threat to the successful continuance of human civilization.

Why is the increasing carbon footprint a current threat? Rising carbon dioxide levels will increase temperature instability in the Earth’s atmosphere. This rise will intensify the acidity of the oceans, killing ocean life. This rise will lead to more frequent natural disasters. This rise will eventually cause violence and death. This rise will kill slowly like the Vlad’s impalements. This rise will soon be beyond repair. Decades of research have indicated a very high correlation between rising carbon dioxide levels and global climate change. Denying climate change will not solve any problem, and, in fact, it will move us back further. And, living on our only planet as if we have a backup should be of concern to all global citizens.

Stuck and nowhere to go...

To go from bad to worse, deforestation caused by humans is additionally escalating the effects of global climate change. Emitting unsustainable amounts of carbon dioxide and cutting down trees, that would have converted the extra carbon dioxide into oxygen, exacerbates the issue. Twenty percent of the world’s largest rainforest, that is home to millions of biodiverse life forms, which keep the 

Deforestation and ...hunger and starvation...

ecosystem balanced, has been lost in the last 50 years. The Amazon rainforest is being eaten away by modern cannibals of the wild, large corporations greedy for money and ignorant of the effect of their footprints, or rather claw marks, on Mother Nature. These large conglomerates that monetarily benefit by burning coal and fossil fuels, which further increases greenhouse gas emissions, usually tell compelling, distorted stories that may lead one to question the true (and valid), empirical evidence of science and believe the fake (but enthralling), politically-motivated stories of cupidity. This kind of activity can lead to the fall of an ecosystem and its biodiversity, causing a break in the chain of life. These breaks will multiply quickly and can cause mass extinctions of more than 50 species that are currently critically endangered. We ourselves might be extinct at this rate...

What would happen 

if 

humans became 

extinct?

Have you ever wondered what would happen to life on earth if a doomsday event killed every human on the planet?

Going back to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the 1800s, not too many people were worried about climate change. After the release of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in the 1800s, humans in the 1900s started connecting the dots. There needed to be global protocols to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. There needed to be changes in national foreign policies. There needed to be changes in trade and business. There needed to be changes in the way of life. But, most of us clearly ignored the warnings. And now, we are faced with the same challenges as in the 1900s, but the issues are grossly amplified. If we do not take the necessary action, we, like our ancestors, will be placing our future generations into a deeper crisis that we could have simply avoided with just a few lifestyle changes. What can one do? Eat organic. Buy local. Home-cook food. Bike to places. Walk to locations. Drink tap water. Use less plastic. Reuse. Recycle. Reduce. Plant plants. Write petitions. Stay involved. Turn off lights when not in use. Turn down electricity. Spread awareness. Question.

On a national level, the US Centre for Naval Analyses Corporation’s Military Advisory Board has recently released a report suggesting that climate change and drought in the Middle East and Africa have been raising tensions in the region regarding food, water, rising sea levels, and consequently, more refugees. This has led to changes in 

War and refugees and hunger...and devastation...

America’s national foreign policy. Climate change, a catalyst for conflict, is causing violence over resources. Instability in the Middle East has been evident since Biblical times, and adding climate change to that cauldron will cause more international crises. The thirst for resources can also create wars, such as the Sudan Darfur regime civil war conflict, which has been classified as the first climate change-caused conflict according to the UN. The issue of climate change is alive and thriving.

In this midst, too often, one may ask, “What difference can one person make?” But, after all, it was just one leader who took the first step on the moon, changing the course of history... And, likewise, it will take just one small step from each one of us to empower and enable humankind to take a giant leap into a pacific environment that is safe for our future generations and safeguarded by all nations. When returning from the moon, the crew of Apollo 11 left a plaque on the moon stating the following: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon on the Moon July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all [hu]mankind.” Humanity must keep its promise, just as Kennedy kept his. It starts with just one step from each human being. We have gone to the moon and brag as if its very far away (which it is)... But we must go much farther within ourselves to understand the solemnity of the marks we leave behind. We might need to swallow the world to understand ourselves and safeguard it ourselves to protect it from ourselves... This will enable us to leave footprints of peace, pride, and respect on other lands farther away someday. But, before we disturb the universe, we must start here... now.

***

Art and the City...and YOU...

Paris 'sex toy' sculpture raises storm

A huge, green, inflatable sculpture on a famous Paris square has raised a storm for its resemblance to a sex toy, with the artist attacked in the street.

The new sculpture stands near the Vendome Column

I agree that it looks awkward and out of place...

The obelisk and the new green giant...

Sex toy or otherwise...It's a bit pig-headed artists imagination...

What are the city leaders thinking ... ?

Before there was much controversy about the pyramid at the Louvre... looked like an eye sore... but people got used to it...They resigned to the idea of the modern pyramid sitting right in the lap of the famous museum...

Louvre and the Pyramid...

In Toronto , Canada there was a similar controversy about the new  "crystal" addition to the Royal Ontario Museum...

The "Crystal" towering over the previous structure of the museum...

May be we should be as concerned about CLIMATE CHANGE as we are concerned about the beauty of our cities...

Abhishek certainly has a good point... and the "Sex toy" at Place de Verdun... and the "Pyramid" at the Louvre a ... and the "Crystal" in Toronto... Prove his case...

Be inspired ... and Get involved... and Make a Difference... 

This is the message of the 17 year old Abhishek for you...