Day 0: Delhi Trip 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Day 0: Delhi Trip 2009
Flight C0-82, New York to Cleveland, my first trip back to my home to Delhi in two long years. The Delhi airport was brand new, clean and world class. It was funny to see the reaction of the Customs offer when he saw my two big suitcases and my form said I had nothing to declare, and eventually without any hassles I got out of customs. I was excited to see my family, my sister, my dad and my mom came to pick me up, hugs and high fives flew around the airport for half an hour before we headed back to the car. My sister who met with almost a near fatal accident some months back and I saw her and it was like nothing ever happened. My dad me struggled for authority, marking our domains, for I was no longer a kid and he had to yield some authority was negotiated with a warm hug between a man and his son, at least for that moment we had an understanding :-). My mom hugged me and that was one of the most genuine moment of love and care I experienced in months if not years.
Delhi at last, amazing city, new dozens of miles and miles of ultra modern flyovers and a brand new airport with world class facilities. As we drove towards South Delhi, we passed thriving city streets crowded with people, full of lights, with the essence of celebrations. My Dad proudly boasting about the development in the city, though being a realist by acknowledging the short comings and the fact that India still has a long road to travel. The city landscape had changed a lot since I was last here the shopping malls, designer outlets, globalized fast food chains and some new bars too. Luckily I live near a green belt region, so its still comparatively beautiful, peaceful and calm. Its surrounded by the Tughlaqabad Fort, lighted up looked magnificent in the dark of the night still very royal, still very young in long long history of India. Tughlaqabad a structure that has always attracted me to ask questions, seek stories and explore its dark corners and high walls with each brick telling a story. The drive took 30 mins flat to reach home from the airport. Home sweet home, my room. Delhi always had a special place in my heart. I was watching Gandhi (1982 movie) on the flight back home, that made it a even more thrilling experience for me.
I plan to etch each moment of my re-acquaintance with Delhi, my family, my relatives, food, culture, monuments and history of my Delhi through blogs and photographs.
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Individualism, Game Theory & Spirituality/ Ayn Rand, John Nash & Spiritual People :-D
Friday, September 25, 2009
Individualism, Game Theory & Spirituality
Ayn Rand, John Nash & Spiritual People
The reason I started writing this article was driven by my compulsive egoistic need, to understand and explain everything around me, and especially to finally understand a very interesting person very dear to me. I was given this book Fountainhead - Ayn Rand, and was initially tortured, blackmailed into reading it, for as stubborn and lazy ass that I am I didn't. It was recently when I lost dearly, due to my inability or arrogance to understand someone, I decided to pull up my sleeves and read the book. Interestingly written book, quiet graphical helps you visualize, and way too thick for me, especially for one subject, especially if its fiction, though trust me I love stories especially if someone reads it out to me. And by the way the main character is an idol very inspiring courageous, talented, idealist but at the same time very egoistic self destructive character, something everyone can relate to in their lives at some point or another. The book was interesting and whether I subscribe to the philosophy (even though the answer is not in its entirety, discussed in next para) is not the question, the compulsive part of me makes want to understand about the roots of such school of thoughts and the points I am missing because of my ADS disorder :-), therefore I have started on Anthem - Ayn Rand as well. I managed to successfully complete Objectivism 101 so that I am atleast equipped to write my first thoughts about Individualism.
I grew up in a evolving mixed economy, and have seen various degrees of swings to either side. So I try not to be biased towards Individualism and Collectivism, both have their merits and demerits, aligning to anyone of these schools of thought and being or trying to be spiritually enlightened at the same time would certainly make you bipolar. I rather rationale each tenet of each philosophy on case by case basis individually based on its merit rather than blindly associating myself to any school of thought (Liberal or Conservative, Socialist or Capitalist, Individualist or Collectivist?) for the heck of it.
Interestingly enough I am also reading this book called "A New Earth: Ekhart Tolle", again suggested by the same person which I resisted to read (explained later) and I am totally in love with this book. This book is like a laxative, helps you to pass out the gunk in your life much easily. Now its not a magic book, its not one of those self help book either, you might not even be able to relate with it in entirety, but it helps you shut up, sit down and question yourself at least once. Being an Indian we grow up feeling spirituality is the second nature to us, too a point I didn't finish all the lesson on spirituality and assumed I master it and don't need to know more, that's was my complex, whether superiority complex is derived from wealth, beauty or knowledge, it is egoistic, therefore making thyself not very enlightened. Thus I have always struggled a lot when I was ever told to read a book on spirituality or even religious text like Bhagwad Gita. I always believed that philosophy of life, spirituality occurs to you through your life experience and books and temples etc cannot actually substitute real life and that's true. So life bitch slaps you and there is nothing like being humbled by my own experiences :-D, I found out sometimes reading a good book in life is one of the experiences that I have been just all talks and no work. So I read it once, and this is my second read.
The best part about this exercise was I read both these books in order, and I can see the Stark 180 degree difference in the philosophy, its almost makes me bipolar, split in two. The goal is simple, to understand and simplify myself, be easy. Contention from a philosophy is not to be surrounded by philosophies or identifying with them. I have seen people identifying with them, almost to the point where they think its an intellectual property, and almost anal about it. The lessons are then lost its meant to simplify life, lead to contention, ease life a bit, where we are not just struggling to find answer everything in life by the means of association to one or more school of thoughts. And off course I am not and not even trying to be an enlightened Baba. I decided to use game theory & Eastern Spiritual Philosophy as a point of reference of knowledge, so as not to be blinded by my own ego. As I write this article I strongly state that Knowledge is relative, Truth is relative and infinitely evolves with time, and this applies to the following thoughts too.
I am not as enlightened as Eckhart Tolle or an accomplished writer as Ayn Rand, so bear with me if I seem to ramble or for my non intuitive examples. I believe as a creation of one's brain an empirical rudimentary thought has been put across and it can always be improved and will be. I would certainly like questions, comments, even clarifications for I myself have questions about what I am writing.
"Man—every man—is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life." - Ayn Rand
This school of thought has Utopian, Ideological, overly simplistic assumption, the assumptions were
1.) Unlimited resources: Implying no race condition for resources, therefore no conflict and contention for all. To verify this lets assume limited resources, limited resources can either be distributed equally for contention of all by virtues inspired by collectivism which leads to uniformity and diminishing individual creativity, or by Individualism let players compete for resources, and survival of the fittest, which would also ultimately by the process of natural selection lead to uniformity as others diminish and diminishing of individual creativity. History has been a witness that while Collectivism in the form of Socialism has led decline of Uniformity by imposing order and standardization, so has Individualism in the form of Laissez-faire too, it has led to decline individual creativity by the means of either by consolidation & takeover or by perishing of the weaker player. To sum it up anything less than unlimited resources would lead to deadlock and mutual assured destruction. We know resources are not unlimited, not even intangible resources like emotions, opportunities, hopes, avenues and in reality race condition exists and the proof of it is wars, crisis the current state of the world.
2.) Knowledge is absolute and exist beyond the realms of human conscience, emotions, hopes or fears.
Knowledge set is relative and ever growing. Only instantaneous/current knowledge is absolute. Events are absolute, instantaneous representative of knowledge and seemingly non random, so events are not the entire knowledge space, historical events just form a small subset of knowledge. It was believed earth was flat, well considering the knowledge at the time of stating that statement, earth's diameter was almost infinite in human interpretation, knowledge etc etc line is circle when radius tends to infinity (though this is not the reason people at that time would have given), earth was flat was knowledge, it was factual and it was absolute. Until humans travelled around the world and found out diameter of earth is not infinite and measurable, then the previous knowledge no longer holds true. Knowledge only is true and absolute for this absolute moment, it keeps on evolving with time. Existence of a good/bad monarchical government at any time was an absolute event, a good monarchical government at any given time would have meant monarchy is the only and good form of governance in terms of knowledge of that time, but over time both good and bad monarchical government existed, so knowledge expanded by general dissatisfaction of people and lead to development or expansion of alternative form of governance. I understand this is not the most intuitive example to state my point, but some how this was the first thought so bear with it. Science is like a lamp in a dark room, it explains the region lighted by it, but does it mean it denies the existence of vast dark unexplained universe that surrounds the region beyond light. At any given time now multiple parallel universe exist in the future, its only probabilistic which future will be the next now future.
3.) Non conflicting objectives of each player: This has its bases on first and second assumption, since the resources/ opportunities/ avenues are unlimited and each individual is unique and special, so each player can choose to fulfill his objectives, without worrying about others, since the other individual is. Consider this case:
a.) Two Players, Conflicting Resources: Let the objective be make the most beautiful building in the world. So since resources are unlimited, we can eliminate the problem of race condition. Player one builds a beautiful building, Player two also builds a beautiful building, since both the buildings are beautiful neither players objective is achieved of making the most beautiful building, therefore non is contended. This means that there are other more intangible resources involved here which we ignored ego, opportunity and avenue which should also be unlimited like the tangible resources. Also would mean "Knowledge is relative", since otherwise both houses are the MOST beautiful houses for contention of both players, which is the objective of all tenets, thus violating the principle of mutual exclusiveness. To sum it up If everyone is special no one is special.
This tenet wouldn't hold true if all tangible and intangible resources are not unlimited, and knowledge is not absolute.
3.) Unlimited upside, No skewness or fat tails in outcomes: Upside doesn't have ceiling, its independent and mutually exclusive of any downsides. Independent & mutually exclusive as players are driven by self interest, unlimited resources imply unlimited upside for all players, in fact downside wouldn't exist as all players are acting with self interest (i.e. upside) and unlimited resources. For one players decision/ actions only effect him and not the greater ecology, society around him. Nature is an example of this our nature sustains such a big bio system this is an upside, but when nature's furry occurs it leads to extinction of species, thousands of years of ice age, the downside is way more devastating. In reality individualism has many a times if not always been at the cost of something, at the cost others, at the cost of society and the environment. Isn't a dictator an individualist, isn't each a country an individualist, isn't a rouge trader an individualist, isn't each religion an individualist, isn't an organization an individualist, all of them acting selfishly in self interest as their sole moral duty.
4.) No Requirement for Co-Operation: Since a player is always driven by self interest, he owe's nothing to his ecosystem, his creation/ decision are his own intellectual property. This would imply sum of all human knowledge/ achievements/ emotions exists in all individuals for them to be exist successfully. Everyone has an Einstein, Newton, Beethoven, Leonardo da Vinci and therefore there is no actual exchange/ transfer of resources/ knowledge between different elements in the ecosystem which includes nature, human society, environment. It also implies players are separate from their ecosystem, players therefore can infinitely exploit natural resources motivated by self interest. No requirement for co-operation is not the same as a non-cooperative system, later has choice, former doesn't.
The tenets of individualism violate many principles of natural laws, spirituality and even science like Game theory
1.) Resources are not unlimited, individualism cannot thrive if this criteria fails. Resources are not one individuals property. Individuals don't own nature, but nature owns them.
2.) It establishes individuals are separate from their ecosystem, separate from nature, they don't inherit or absorb anything from their society and thus owe nothing back. It defines any interaction/ transfer between humans let it be knowledge/ emotions/ relations as a simple give vs take transaction.
3.) If not all most animals, humans included widely have herd behavior encoded in their DNA, this is exhibited in natural tendency to form social structures like family, community, society, states, nations, also exhibited in all major aspects of human life. This nature is not unique to humans, it has been observed in the ape family, birds, bison, buffaloes, elephants even dolphins. So individualism is a clear denial of herd theory, its like denying gravity or saying gravity is bad.
4.) At this moment in time Collectivism in the form of Socialism and Individualism in the form of Capitalism view resources and human contention by ownership of these resources, which is egoistic. Eastern Spiritual philosophy or Native Indian (American) way of life which doesn't separate humans from the resources, elements of the nature, land thus is totally incoherent with Individualism. The level of contention of India and Native Indians(American) is higher.
5.) Humans tendency is to maximize their contention which is the objective of any philosophy. Individualism makes life a zero sum game, which infact is not the case. Individualism leads to unlimited upside of one individual at the cost of unlimited downside for other individual. The downside is not necessarily equal to the upside. Therefore making upside less then unlimited in certain cases i.e. upside is limited while downside in unlimited, thus making life a non zero sum game. The point being contention can occur in infinite combination of states, there are other states of upside results or relative upsides. It establishes humans as not intelligent enough to realize relative contention and only salvation to individual contention is the one which is absolute e.g. A human can be content with no money, $1 MM, $10 MM or not even with $Infinite MM. The concept of relative contention is exhibited in Iterated Prisoners Dilemma Game.
6.) It makes humans replaceable resource, one human can be replaced by another human.
7.) The whole concept of "I Don't Owe / Should I Sacrifice?" is just an ego, whether a player acknowledges or not there is constant flow of equal/unequal transactions (not just Give and take)/ transfer of knowledge/ Energy/ Emotions/ Thoughts/ Idea etc that is flowing between them, its a stream of energy. You can never measure what you Owe to the whole ecosystem or what ecosystem owes to you. We are all connected to each other, to the nature, to the greater universe there is always a constant flow of resources/ energy/ thoughts/ ideas/ emotions etc whether we acknowledge or not and therefore the question of "Do I Owe?" is not only incorrect but irrelevant. Sun keeps giving us energy whether an Individualist want to receive it or not, whether he wants to acknowledge it or not, so the question of "Do I Owe to acknowledge or do something about it, pray bow to sun?" is absurd. This applies to all humans in their daily life with respect to their existence in a relations, family, society etc. Any act to ask or answer such question is just driven by ego, greed, weakness etc.
Ayn Rand tenets were mainly inspired by the fact that Socialism led to suppression of creativity of individuals, for the sake of society. There are all sort of merit in Ayn Rand's work courage; literary and philosophical merits. Philosophically she was able to invert the Collectivism pyramid, her answer to Collectivism was Individualism and off course if its tenets were not driven by overall contention of the society, it wouldn't have had such a great impact on our modern society. Her work is good quality literature, her ability to imagine, and portray graphical images in minds of readers as if they were part of the scene is mesmerizing. Her courage and ability of correctly identifying the drawbacks of collectivism, and provide such deeply thought and radical philosophy of individualism for the time as a solution. The overly relaxed assumptions (perhaps based on the knowledge and events of that era) attracted people to understand and readily accept it. Ayn Rand was certainly a individualist, was she selfish, egoistic; well as much as individualism prescribed. The implication of her work still continue to impact us in both good and bad ways, the Alan Greenspan era being one of them, modern Credit Crisis being another, where individuals are driven by only self interest at the cost of countless unrelated individuals, though this was certainly not the kind of individualism Ayn Rand herself would have conceived. On the other hand such a philosophy helped society break out of shackles of controls like Socialism, Anti Feminism etc.
One Epochal Truth
Sunday, July 26, 2009
One Epochal Truth
Temperatures are rising,
floods, tsunamis and draughts.
Forests are now deserts,
animals & birds being wiped out.
Toxic human wastes in water,
seas devoid of life, dead fishes rot.
Greedy corporations, now quasi governments,
spreading consumerism and wars.
Free media, now corporatized
bending information irresponsibly, manipulate the innocent mass.
Paranoid Religious blocks, now control states,
spreading hatred, forgot the message of peace by god.
Chemicals in the farms, genetically modified plants,
Millions got cancer, land is all barren, farmers family died losing their job.
Pharmaceuticals wasting millions on erections for 80 year old,
while Millions die in absence or expense of treatment for AIDS, Cancer, TB and more.
Construction, Transportation, causing massive CO2 emissions,
Indigestible Plastics, Nuclear and Chemical dumps causing earth heartburns & ozone depletion.
Discrimination based on Religion, Gender, Language, Color, Ethnicity, Appearance and more,
Running out of reason to humiliate, torture, surpress and eliminate the not so different soul.
Morality, Loyality, Honor, Respect are word of past,
Infedility, Adultery, Deception are now in vouge.
Raping, genocide, dowry, honor killing, suppression of the weak,
Even in these times acceptable on religious, political and moral grounds.
Strange Days On Earth - Global Warming & The Vanishing Race
Friday, July 10, 2009
Strange Days on Earth - Global Warming & the Vanishing Race
By
Vinayak Marwah
Introduction
These are strange days on Earth. Our planet is changing rapidly. We are going to experience some of the most rapid and diverse changes in nature like no human has ever experienced before. The stage is set, unforeseen phenomenon are happening around us and they are all interlinked. The only way to understand the phenomenon let alone forecasting them is to find the connection, the link between geographically distributed, physically differentiated problems.
What Are We Talking About?
It’s been observed across the globe how species as small as a microbial bacteria to larger mammals are going extinct each day. Extinction is not just related to human poaching and hunting, something not so obvious is killing these species. Could it be global warming, if yes, then the question lies can life evolve and adapt faster than the rate at which temperature of our globe increase. Life is rapidly being pushed to limit of their survival.
We are talking about infiltration of invasive species, dwindling aquatic life, dying coral reefs. Last century has seen a massive almost 90% decline in aquatic biodiversity in our vast oceans, declining population of animals and plants, tremendous increase in occurrence of rare disease, Signs of new diseases that are not native to the region.
Clues of seeming unrelated, unconnected events across the globe are telling a different story. Studies have been able to establish that phenomenons around the world are connected. Our dependence on energy weather its hydroelectric, nuclear, coal & hydrocarbon based has triggered climate change. Natural events like gigantic dust clouds from Africa on the Atlantic, Tsunamis, hurricanes with speed greater than 250 Km/hour, reversed monsoon patterns, excessive precipitation, global warming, flash floods, landslides, draught, desertification, and increase in fresh water levels are now the new regime of patterns in our climate.
The Changes & the Effects
Humans are inducing pollution into the environment. Pollution is directly or indirectly triggering changes in almost all natural cycles whether it is Earths Wind System or Earths Ocean System. Earths Wind System is responsible for various phenomenons like precipitation in the form of rain, snow. Earths Ocean System is responsible for earth’s temperature, seasons; it influences earth’s wind system. What has been observed is both of these cycles have changed more dramatically over past one century than ever before, even more alarming is that these systems have or seem to have been reversed.
The heat is accumulating in the global environmental system unevenly. An increased temperature leads to melting of the ice and glaciers. The fresh waters from these melts have lead to increase in water levels, floods, landslides. Increased water leads to increase in mosquitoes, rotting of vegetation, increase in water borne diseases in all species of plants and animals in the region. In winter the same increase in fresh water leads to increase the precipitation in the form of snow & rain. Increased snow leads to decline and unavailability of vegetation for the herbivorous animals in the region. Starvation and disease resulting from this famine decreases the population of herbivorous animals. In turn this decrease in the population of herbivorous animals, translates in shortage of food for animals higher in the food chain, the carnivorous animals including humans. Such is the fate of the northern regions of our planets like the north arctic belt, Alaska many places witnessing an increase in temperature as high as 11 degree Fahrenheit. This has resulted in the decline of porcupine caribou population in the western arctic by one third since 1989. Is this decline a natural phenomenon or evidence that a species is struggling to cope with the changes to the climate?
Ocean constitutes 70% of the Earth’s surface. The reversal of ocean cycles is a natural phenomenon that occurs every 20 - 30 years, though now global warming has increased the temperature range, and frequency and severity of these cycles. Studies found out Global warming is influencing phenomenon like reversal of Gulf Stream flows, thereby disturbing the whole aquatic ecosystem. The reversal of Gulf Stream affects availability and flow of nutrition to the shores and reefs, which in turn is affecting the marine life, which is dependent on it. Zooplankton is central to the aquatic life, it’s directly or indirectly food to all marine life. By 1980 - 1990 Zooplankton population plummeted by 80% from their levels in 1950, but this was followed by a massive increase in zooplankton population. Since this counter phenomenon could not explained by natural cycles, studies were conclusively able to link it to Global warming. The decline of zooplankton has lead to very rapid & sharp changes to marine life. Dwindling aquatic life, dying coral reefs are being observed across the globes. Marine life is experiencing rapid and extreme range of temperature shifts, pushing even the toughest species on the brink of survival. Not just that massive fishing has in the period from 20 – 70 lead to decrease of small as well as big fishes in world seas. In just one decade since the inventions of trailers we have been able to successfully reduce marine life population has been reduced by 90%.
As water increases in certain region, other regions are experiencing shrinking of the water bodies there, for instance Lake Chad Africa's great lake is reduced to less than 20% in just over the last decade. This leads to desertification. Dust from these deserts lead to huge dust storms and gigantic dust clouds carried from regions separated by oceans & continents. Triggering increase in diseases like asthma, disease in sea weeds in the new regions where dust lands. This triggers a chain of events affecting all the life forms higher up in the chain. Even though dust has been flowing across from Africa to Americas from millenniums, the recent changes are explained by the changes to the earth’s wind systems, responsible for precipitation. Once an unpredictable random system throughout life, in recent decades has started showing patterns. Computer Climate modeling and simulation were able to correctly identify CO2 levels as the reason for these changes in behavior of these massive atmospheric systems. Increase in temperatures over Indian oceans lead to increased precipitation and increased heat in that region, that perturbs to distant pacific and Atlantic oceans triggering changes all over the planet.
The Connections And The Future
The earth’s climate system consist of massive Ocean, Atmospheric wind systems. These climate systems , cycles of water, wind, seasons are in turn are interconnected with the bio systems and life itself, each influencing and balancing out each other in an natural implicit, seemingly unconnected ways. Imbalance caused by Human activities is pushing these delicately balanced interconnected system beyond their tipping point and resulting in strange, unpredictable some times subtle and many a times devastating changes to our planet. Even subtle changes in one climate system in one region has a rippling effect triggering a set of unknown, unpredictable changes in climate system across the globe.
It’s like a chain reaction; one phenomenon triggers of another. Pollution is considered as a major reason for Global warming. Our use of polluting hydrocarbons has lead to massive increase in CO2. The presence of high contents of green house gases like CO2 has lead to a dramatic increase in earth’s average temperature by almost 1F. This small increase is having a diverse and widespread effect of our planet.
The temperature increase is an exponential phenomenon, what that means is average temperature of the globe will rise three to time times more this century than the last. A wide range of plants and animal species would not be able to survive such rapid diverse changes to the climate.
The occurrence of bad years, weather change are rare, gradual and sporadic events this enables the life beaten down by one bad season to re bout, evolve, adapt and grow stronger. But when the frequency of such bad years increase, life is unable to adapt at such fast rate, and ultimately perish.
Our response to human impact on climate change today is the key to future generation. We should all give it a thought, how would future generations react to our response today to global warming? What should we give up today, to limit such drastic changes to our environment? What ultimate price in terms of horrific weather phenomenon, spread of diseases, floods & draughts, famines, extinction of communities and communities of plants and animals are we willing to pay before we decide?
Our investments today in protecting our environment by the means of efficient energy consumptions, lower consumption, development of local self sustaining communities, is the best insurance for our generations to come.
Is it natural evolution?
Evolution is inevitable natural phenomenon. Most of the changes that we are seeing now around are consequences of human activities. So the question remains whether all human activities that are changing the face of the earth are a natural part of earth’s evolution cycle or is it violation of all fundamental laws of nature i.e. how does human activities fit into the evolution theory model? What I am trying to convey is that most of the evolution in nature around us are imposed by human activities rather than by nature itself, the plants, the animals, the whole ecology is adapting according to human activities.
Strange Days On Earth - Invasive Species
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Strange Days On Earth - Invasive Species
By
Vinayak Marwah
Introduction
These are strange days on Earth. Our planet is changing rapidly. We are going to experience some of the most rapid and diverse changes in nature like no human has ever experienced before. The stage is set, unforeseen phenomenon are happening around us and they are all interlinked. The only way to understand the phenomenon let alone forecasting them is to find the connection, the link betweengeographically distributed, physically differentiatedproblems.
What Are We Talking About?
There is a strange phenomenon, being observed all over the planet, where species of plants and animals from one region have managed to cross seas & land masses. The only problem is these species were never meant to be in these regions. This invasion of alien species has lead to complete change of ecology of the regions they have invaded, eliminating local species, spreading diseases,.devouring man made and natural structures.
Species are in general curious, take humans for example. Humans have manged to migrate thousands of miles and establish themselves in remotest corners of the planet. Opportunity for species to migrate at these gigantic scales was limited through out the history of life. Big animals would carry small animals for short distances, moment was small and rare. Then humans developed these massive Global delivery systems of planes, trains, ships which transports different species from one remote corner of the planet to another. It has enabled these species to leap frog across impossible barriers.
Natural Selection, man made structures, and ability of life to evolve and adapt has enabled invasive species to thrivesuccessfully in areas they never inhabited before. As the species adapt to its new ecology, it becomes stronger and more resistant. Note that's not just the problem, a crucial element is missing from this picture - the natural predator. As the alien spices plant themselves in a new region its natural predator is missing in this new ecology. This leads to an imbalance and uncontrolledgrowth of the invasive species. An estimated 90% biodiversityin many regions with high human transportation activity is alien.
Bio control experiments of introducing one alien species to fight another alien species has just created more serious problems. Its a lesson for people every where, its easier to bring in an alien species but almost impossible to remove it.
The Effects & The Connection
Termites in boxes made of wood in China & japan wrecking havoc in New Orleans, leading to billions of dollars in property damage, and costing even more to prevent further expansion. Termites are smallindividually, but tend work in groups, in groups these insects are unfathomable destructive force, capable of bringing down a house, sink boats, wipe out entire forest & vegetation in that region.
Other instances were the early 1900 invasion of termites & destruction of billions of dollars of property in San Francisco Bay area. 1929 invasion ofMediterranean fruit flies in California has costed more than a billion dollars a year in crop damages. In 1980 invasion of Zebra mussels from the Caspian see clogged hydro - plumbing installations, pipes in the great lakes costing billions of dollars.
Lake Victoria, Uganda, Nile Perch crocodile was introduced in 1950, following theintroduction of this alien species, 200 species of fishes unique only to this region went extinct. Once the supply of fishes in the lake dwindled there has been massive increase in fatal crock attacks on humans, fisherman fishing in the lakes.
Water hyacinth was spotted in lake Victoria in 1989, by 1999 80% of the Ugandan shoreline was clogged by this alien plant. It lead to decline in fishes in the lake, catch became meagre, a famine threatened Uganda. Rotting vegetation, poisoned water, leading to wide spread of water borne infectious diseases like malaria, dysentery, increase in mosquitoes. With no natural predator this plant thrived in lake Victoria.
The Future
Such rapid globalization of life is unnatural and unprecedentedin the history of this planet. Its an ever increasing phenomenon, spreading across all countries, continents. The invasion of species has led to an extinction of epic scales. Human beings careless, ignorant andunconscious consumerism, gave us technology to move at large and fast. As we discover the destructive power of this problem, How do we address it? As a society , consumer, travelers what more cost are we willing to pay before we mend our ways?
Is it natural evolution?
Evolution is inevitable natural phenomenon. Most of the changes that we are seeing now around are consequencesof human activities. So the question remains whether all human activities that are changing the face of the earth are a natural part of earths evolution cycle or is it violation of all fundamental laws of nature i.e. How does human activities fit into the evolution theory model? What I am trying to convey is that most of the evolution in nature around us are imposed by human activities rather than by nature itself, the plants, the animals, the whole ecology is adapting according to human activities.
I have a dream
Monday, June 29, 2009
I Have A Dream
I dream a world,
A world with no religions,
A world with a God; one with a message and no history,
Thou not know where he came from, where he went,
I dream a world,
A world with no castes,
A man be known, by what he does,
Shalt not matter, to whom he was born
Vaishnav Jan - Living For Something More Than Just Yourself
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Vaishnav Jan To - Narsinh Mehta (1414 - 1481)
Wikiepdia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaishnav_jan_to
Video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBVYAup80AA
Vaishnav jan to is a very popular Hindu bhajan from Gujarat that was a favorite of Mahatma Gandhi's.
Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye Je (One who is a vaishnav)
Peed Paraayi Jaanay Rey (Knows the pain of others)
Par Dukhkhe Upkaar Kare Toye (Does good to others, esp. to those ones who are in misery)
Maan Abhimaan Na Aye (Does not let pride enter his mind)
Sakal Lok Maan Sahune Vande (A Vaishnav, Tolerates and praises the the entire world)
Nindaa Na Kare Keni Rey (Does not say bad things about anyone)
Vaach Kaachh Maan Nishchal Raakhe (Keeps their words, actions and thoughts pure)
Dhan Dhan Janani Teni Rey (O Vaishnav, your mother is blessed)
Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye Je (One who is a vaishnav)
Peed Paraayi Jaanay Rey (Knows the pain of others)
Par Dukhkhe Upkaar Kare Toye (Does good to others, esp. to those ones who are in misery)
Maan Abhimaan Na Aye (Does not let pride enter his mind)
Sam-Drishti Ne Trishna Tyaagi (A Vaishnav sees everything equally, rejects greed and avarice)
Par-Stree Jene Maat Rey (Considers some one else's wife/daughter as his mother)
Jivha Thaki Asatya Na Bole (The toungue may get tired, but will never speak lies)
Par-Dhan Nav Jhaalee Haath Rey (Does not even touch someone else's property)
Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye Je (One who is a vaishnav)
Peed Paraayi Jaanay Rey (Knows the pain of others)
Par Dukhkhe Upkaar Kare Toye (Does good to others, esp. to those ones who are in misery)
Maan Abhimaan Na Aye (Does not let pride enter his mind)
Moh-Maaya Vyaape Nahi Jene (A Vaishnav does not succumb to worldly attachments)
Dridh vairaagya Jena Man Maan Rey (Who has devoted himself to stauch detachment to worldly pleasures)
Ram Naam Shoon Taali Laagi (Who has been edicted to the elixir coming by the name of Ram)
Sakal Tirath Tena Tan Maan Rey (For whom all the religious sites are in the mind)
Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye Je (One who is a vaishnav)
Peed Paraayi Jaanay Rey (Knows the pain of others)
Par Dukhkhe Upkaar Kare Toye (Does good to others, esp. to those ones who are in misery)
Maan Abhimaan Na Aye (Does not let pride enter his mind)
Van-Lobhi Ne Kapat-Rahit Chhe (Who has no greed and deciet)
Kaam-Krodh Nivaarya Re (Who has renounced lust of all types and anger)
Bhane Narsaiyyo Tenun Darshan Karta (The poet Narsi will like to see such a person)
Kul Ekoter Taarya Rey (By who's virtue, the entire family gets salvation)
Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye Je (One who is a vaishnav)
Peed Paraayi Jaanay Rey (Knows the pain of others)
Par Dukhkhe Upkaar Kare Toye (Does good to others, esp. to those ones who are in misery)
Maan Abhimaan Na Aye (Does not let pride enter his mind)
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