1 Eco News, Vol. 21, No. 2 July - September 2016

1Eco News, Vol. 21, No. 2 July - September 2016

Eco News, Vol. 21, No. 2 July - September 20162

Established in 1989

✯ 1980 - The C.P. Ramaswami AiyarFoundation starts nature education forteachers and students.

✯ 1989 - C.P.R. EnvironmentalEducation Centre (CPREEC) establishedjointly by the Ministry of Environmentand Forests and the C.P. RamaswamiAiyar Foundation as a Centre ofExcellence of the Ministry ofEnvironment and Forests. Governmentof India.

Our Mission

✯ To increase knowledge, awareness andinterest among the public about theenvironment in all its aspects

✯ To develop resource materials forenvironmental education andawareness raising

✯ To conduct training programmes for awide cross-section of people

✯ To take up environmental projects fordemonstration and research

Our Activities

✯ Training and awareness raising✯ Awareness to and through action✯ Awareness programmes in ecologically

fragile areas✯ Conservation of the ecological heritage✯ Research and surveys✯ Generation of resource materials✯ Exhibitions✯ Courses, seminars and symposia

Facilities

✯ Environmental Laboratory✯ Library✯ Computer Division✯ Publications Division

Geographical Spread

CPREEC’s activities extend to

✯ Andaman & Nicobar Islands✯ Andhra Pradesh✯ Goa

C.P.R. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTRE

✯ Karnataka✯ Kerala✯ Maharashtra✯ Orissa✯ Tamilnadu✯ Puducherry

NGO Network

CPREEC has an extensive network of about600 NGOs. All educational programmes arecarried out in partnership with selectNGOs, Universities, Colleges and Schools.

Publications

✯ Activity and information books andpamphlets for children

✯ Environmental training guides and kitsfor teachers

✯ Researched Publications✯ Colourful and informative posters✯ ECONEWS - A quarterly magazine✯ Indian Journal of Environmental

Education, a peer-reviewed journal

Exhibitions

CPREEC designs three new exhibitionsevery year and has a bank of mobileexhibitions that travel all over India.

Environmental Education

✯ Green Schools of India (GSI)✯ Training programmes for Teachers✯ Training programmes for School and

College Students✯ Environmental Law Education

Special Projects

✯ National Green Corps (NGC)✯ Biomedical Waste✯ Biodiversity Conservation

Research and Surveys

✯ Sustainable Technologies✯ Surveys of Natural Resources✯ Socio-Economic Surveys✯ Lab to Field Technology Transfer


Contents

Artificial Food Colours and Ingredients ---------------------------------------------------- 5

Bird Sancturies of Tamilnadu ----------------------------------------------------------------- 7

Vultures -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11

Sustainability Education -----------------------------------------------------------------------13

Sacred groves in the hot plains of Tamil Nadu ------------------------------------------14

Eco-friendly refrigerants -An efficient alternative to

halogenated refrigerants ----------------------------------------------------------------------17

Nanotechnological process that are inherently carried out by animals -----------19

Tackling Urban Drought through use of Treated water for

Housing Constructions ------------------------------------------------------------------------21

Indoor Pollution ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------24



Colours were added to food to make food

more attractive and to create a market.

Natural colours obtained from vegetables

and minerals were used by the Egyptians

as early as 1500 BCE for colouring

candies. Few laws were there to restrict

or ban the use of colours in food for

centuries. In 1396 a French Act was

introduced against the colouring of

butter; in 1531 German Law permitted

anyone using saffron as colour to be

burnt; In 1574 French Law made adding

colours illegal for pastries. Till the middle

of the nineteenth century colours used

in cosmetics, textiles, drugs and foods

were of natural origin from plants,

animals and minerals.

The beginning of the Industrial

Revolution made way for artificial food

colouring. People from different areas

moved to work in the industries that were

newly set up. These workers were

depending on the food prepared and sold

by others. Artificial food colouring and

adulteration began to flourish as there

was more competition among food

producers and traders. Heavy metals and

other inorganic chemical compounds

were used. For example, to colour

cheese and confectionery, Red Lead

(Pb3O4) and vermilion (HgS) were used.

Used tea leaves were recolured by

adding cupric hydrogen arsenite

(CuHAsO3) and resold.

The first synthetic colour mauvine was

accidently discovered by Sir William

Henry Perkin in the year 1856 while

trying to form an anti malaria drug. After

this a range of colours like magenta,

fuchsia, violet, blue and green followed.

The new artificial dyes were cheaper and

were a more stable method of colouring

food, used indiscriminately without

looking into the safety for life. Several

countries brought their own regulations

and legislations on using artificial dyes.

For example, German Food Regulation

released in1882 set the elimination of

dangerous minerals such as arsenic,

copper, chromium, lead, mercury and

zinc which are frequently used as

colouring agents. The Pure Food and

Drug Act 1906 of the USA reduced the

list of permitted colours from 700 to just

7. Colours are classified into two

categories, namely certified colours that

are synthetically produced and colours

that are exempt from certification which

includes pigments derived from natural

sources.

Types of Artificial Food Ingredients

The following table lists the types of

common food ingredients, why they are

used, what for they are used and some

examples of the names that can be found

on product labels. Some of these additives

are used for more than one purpose.

Artificial Food Colours and IngredientsDr. P. Sudhakar


Types of What they do Examplesof uses Names FoundonIngredients Product Labels

Color Additives Offset color loss Many processed FD&C Blue Nos. 1due to exposure to foods, (candies, and 2, FD&Clight, air, temper- snack foods, Green No. 3,-ature extremes, margarine, cheese, FD&C Red Nos. 3moisture and soft drinks, jams/ and 40, FD&Cstorage conditions; jellies, gelatins, Yellow No. 5correct natural pudding and pie (tartrazine) andvariations in color; fillings) No. 6, Orange B,enhance colors Citrus Red No. 2that occurnaturally; providecolor to colorlessand “fun” foods

Flavors and Add specific flavors Pudding and Artificial flavor andSpices (natural and pie fillings, gelatin spices

synthetic) dessert mixes,cake mixes, saladdressings, candies,soft drinks,ice cream,barbeque sauce

Nutrients Replace vitamins Flour, breads, Thiamineand minerals lost cereals, rice, hydrochloride,in processing macaroni, riboflavin (Vitamin(enrichment), add margarine, salt, B

2), niacin,

nutrients that milk, fruit niacinamide, folatemay be lacking in beverages, energy or folic acid, betathe diet bars, instant carotene,(fortification) breakfast drinks potassium iodide,

iron or ferroussulfate, alphatocopherols,ascorbic acid,Vitamin D, aminoacids(L-tryptophan,L-lysine, L-leucine,L-methionine)

Humectants Retain moisture Shredded Glycerin,coconut, sorbitolsoft candies,confectionaries

Firming Agents Maintain Processed fruits Calcium chloride,crispness and and vegetables calcium lactatefirmness


Types of What they do Examplesof uses Names FoundonIngredients Product Labels

Enzyme Modify proteins, Cheese, dairy Enzymes, lactase,Preparations polysaccharides products, meat papain, rennet,

and fats chymosin

Gases Serve as propellant, Oil cooking spray, Carbon dioxide,aerate, or create whipped cream, nitrous oxidecarbonation carbonated

beverages

* Source: http://www.foodinsight.org/Food_Ingredients_Colors, retrieved on 31 May 2016

Reference

1. U. S. Food and Drug AdministrationFDA/IFIC* Brochure: January 1993

2. http://www.britannica.com/topic/food-coloring

3. http://www.natcol.org/node/19

4. http://www.fda.gov/ForIndustry/ColorAdditives/ColorCertification/ColorCertificationReports/default.htm

5. Pure Food and Drug Act (1906). UnitedStates Statutes at Large (59th Cong.,Sess. I, Chp. 3915, p. 768-772; citedas 34 Stat. 768)

The State of Tamil Nadu is very rich inbiodiversity. The richness of biodiversityis due to the occurrence of differentecoregions. The total geographical areaof Tamil Nadu is 1,30,058 sq.km., out ofwhich 22,877 sq.km., is forest area. Anarea of 6,708 sq.km(29.32%) of forestland has been declared as nationalparks, sanctuaries and conservationreserves. This includes 14 sanctuaries,5 national parks, 15 bird sanctuariesand one conservation reserve. All theseprotected areas maintain a richbiodiversity. So far 5828 plants and 1059animal species were recorded fromTamil Nadu by various agencies. Of the

1059 animal species 454 are birds. Outof 454 bird species 32 comes under redlisted species and 17 species areendemic to Tamil Nadu state. Therichness of birds is due to the presenceof 15 bird sanctuaries in different partsof Tamil Nadu. The total area of the15 bird sanctuaries is 17,666 ha. These15 bird sanctuaries are located in9 districts of Tamil Nadu. In this articlethe salient features of the 15 birdsanctuaries are elaborated.

Vedanthangal Birds Sanctuary

One of India’s oldest sanctuaries, it wasofficially notified only in the year 1996,

Bird Sancturies of TamilnaduDr. T. Sundaramoorthy


although long-conserved by traditionalcustoms of the resident villagers there,dating back to 1798. The water enrichedby bird droppings results in increasedyield. This a rather small place, with atotal area of the wetland being only30 ha, where the water body i.e., themain tank is managed by Public WorksDepartment (PWD) of Tamil NaduGovernment. An array of birds includingresidents ones like cormorants, coots,moore-hens, jacanas, water-hens, egrets,herons, storks, ibis and pelicans andmigratory ones like ducks species suchas garganerey teals, shovallers andpintails. Majority of bird diversity hereis found during the winter months,between November and February. Onan average, around 40000 birds wouldvisit per season.

Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary

Pulicat lake, situated in the CoromandalCoast abutting the Bay of Bengal, is anatural brakish water lagoon spanning alarge area of about 15367 ha. This arealong-known for its water-bird diversitywas officially declared as a sanctuary in1980. Part of the sanctuary borders theNellore district of Andhra Pradesh, alongits northern boundary, while the majorityof its lies in the Thiruvallur district ofTamil Nadu. Rivers Arni and theBuckingham canal passes through thesanctuary. A part of the region is closedoff as it belongs to the Sriharikota islandaeronautics centre. Major bird species ofthis region include flamingoes, pelicans,ducks, marine forms like sea gulls andterns, and many waterside birds likecurlews, stilts, plovers, sand pipers,lapwings, redshank, egrets, herons,bitterns and even raptors like kites,osprey, white-bellied sea eagle etc. Wintervisitors are numerous and aroundNovember to February is the best time tovisit.

Karikili Bird Sanctuary

This small sanctuary is ecologicallysimilar to Vedanthangal and thus has thesame bird fauna. Situated about 86 kmfrom Chennai in Madurantakam Talukof Kanchipuram District. Spread over61.21 ha, this region comprises of tworain fed tanks managed by the PWDDept. Most of the bird species occurringin Vedanthangal, are also visitors to thissanctuary.

Karaivetti Bird Santuary

This rather compact reserve, sprawlingto about 454 ha, the sanctuary is hometo nearly 90 species of water birds. Thissanctuary was started in 1999 and thewetland bodies are maninatned by PWDpersonnel. A total of 188 species of birdshave been so far documented in thesanctuary. This sanctuary is located inAriyalur district of Tamil Nadu.Noteworthy water birds species visitingthe sanctuary are barheaded geese,white stork and white necked stork,Grey Pelican, Ibis, spoonbills etc. Over15 species of ducks and twenty speciesof Waders have been recorded in thesanctuary. Birds arrive here in Novemberand stay on till May, far beyond the winterseason, although the maximum is in themonth of January. Over 50000 birds havebeen recorded within the sanctuaryduring peak season. Important land birdsof the sanctuary such as Rosy Pastor,Sand Grouse, Stone Curlew and raptorssuch as the Peregrine Falcon, Osprey,Marsh Harrier, Tawny Eagle, etc. couldbe regularly sighted here.

Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuary

Udhayamarthandapuram Bird Sanctuarywas declared in 1998. This is situated in


Thiruvarur District and has a very smallarea of just 45 ha. The Sanctuary is hometo variety of migratory water birds likeCoot, Grey Heron, White Ibis, Open billStorks, Night Heron and Purple Heron.Birds arrive to the sanctuary fromSeptember and remain till nearly March,and peaks during November-December.During these times upto 10000 birdscould be seen congregating in the park.

Vaduvoor Bird Sanctuary

Located in Thiruvarur district, VaduvoorBird Sanctuary is rather close toThanjavur city, located 25 kms from thesanctuary. It spans about 128 ha.Created in July 1999, the Sanctuaryattracts more than 50 species of waterbirds like coots, cormorants, geese,moorehens, pintails, teals, ibis,spoonbills, storks, pelicans, bitterns andherons etc. The large irrigation tank therereceives water from the distant Metturdam’s Stanley Reservoir. Peak wintermonths, around November-December isthe best time to visit.

Chitrangudi Bird Sanctuary

Chitrangudi bird sanctuary with a smallarea of 48 ha was declared as a sanctuaryin 1989. Community tank embankmentsabound within the sanctuary and theseare maintained by PWD staff. Vastheronries with multiple species ofegrets, herons, storks and bitternsabound in the sanctuary and offer vividarenas for ornithological studies. Muchof the wintering migrant birds flock tothe sanctuary during October-February.

Koonthankulam-Kadangulkam BirdSanctuary

Koonthankulam-Kadangulkam birdsanctuary situated in Tirunelveli district,

is very unique in that is actively protectedand managed by the Koonthakulamvillage community. As was the case withVedanthangal, local people participationin active wildlife conservation makes itunique. This is the largest breeding waterbird reserve in south India and attractsover a lakh birds every year. It is located35 kms away from Tirunelveli, coveringan extent of 129 ha and was declared asa protected area in 1994. Many largewater birds like the Painted stork,Pelicans and even Flamingos have beennesting every year around theKoonthankulam village.

Vellode Bird Sanctuary

Vellode Bird Sanctuary situated in ErodeDistrict is a moderately-sized reservewith an area of 77 ha. With a large waterbody with nearly perennial water source,this sanctuary attracts several species ofwaders, ducks, geese, stilts, avocets andother shore-line birds. The good fishpopulation in such permanent waterbodies means a good hunting ground forthe birds. Even raptors like kites, falcons,eagles and many species of owls havebeen recorded in the sanctuary.

Melselvanur-Keelselvanur Bird Sanctuary

Located near the town of Sayalkudi in theRamanathapuram district, the Mela-Keela Selvanoor Bird Sanctuary is a finespot for wetland birds. Declared in theyear 1998, the sanctuary has a ratherlarge area of nearly 593 ha, making it thelargest bird sanctuary in Tamil Nadu.Special mention has to be made of thenumerous migrant birds such as storks,pelicans, ibis, spoonbills, godwits,avocets, plovers, stilts and several morespecies of waders of both deep watersand shallow pools. Many of these birdspecies breed here in mass heronries


atop several artificially planted trees,mainly for this express purpose.

Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary

Declared in 1989, this bird sanctuarysituated in Ramanathapuram district,has a total area of 104 ha is divided into66 ha situated in Keela Kanjirankulamand 37 more ha. in Mela Kanjirankulam.As with other similar sanctuaries thisarea has several artificial communitytanks and embankments to providenesting and breeding ground for birds.Annually during October – February,scores of migrant and resident waterbirds throng to the lake. The wetland isdeep but yet also houses smaller waders.The bird sanctuaries houses over 170species of birds, including breedingpopulations of Painted stork, White Ibis,Black ibis, Little egret, Large egret, GreyHeron.

Vettangudi Bird Sanctuary

Situated in Sivagangai district,Vettangudi bird sanctuary, this small,38 ha sanctuary hosts an array ofwetland birds such as egrets, herons,cormorants, teals, coots, moorehens,jacanas, water hens, shellducks,shovellers and pintails. Larger local andwinter migratory birds such as open-billstorks, painted storks, grey herons, nightherons, white ibis are to be seen asnesting colonies frequently in thissanctuary. PWD-managed artificial tanksmaintain most of the water here. Peakwinter months (November-December) isthe ideal time of visit.

Theerthangal Bird Sanctuary

A rather small sanctuary with just29 ha, this sanctuary, also from the

Ramanathapuram district adds furtheron the already long list of bird sanctuariesthere. Birds such as egrets, cormorants,coots, moorehens, waterhens, herons,pelicans, storks and other birds such askingfishers and raptors including kitesare recorded in the sanctuary.

Sakkarakottai Tank Bird Sanctuary

This recently declared bird sanctuarywas opened up only in 2012. Located inRamanathapuram district, this sanctuaryadorns the existing ones and adds on tothe scores of the sanctuaries there. Withan area of 230 ha, this one is also fairlylarge with a water tank. Large colonies ofheronries consisting of various species ofegrets, herons, ibises, spoonbills andplovers are to be seen, mainly during thewinter months (November-January). Aswith other bird sanctuaries in thevicinity, PWD-managed water bodies areto be seen in this reserve.

Oussudu Lake Bird Sanctuary

Oussudu lake (also called as theOustheri lake) bird sanctuary is situatedin Villupuram district. Having an area332 ha, this is the newest bird sanctuaryin the state that was declared only in2015. Due to its close proximity toVedanthangal and Karikili sanctuaries,this one is ecologically similar to themand has more or less the same birdspecies as them. Water tanks maintainedby PWD staff are also to be seen in thissanctuary.

Conclusion

Among the about 450 species of birds, aneasy 40% of them amounting to nearly200 species are wetland birds. More


importantly, it is these large and squatwetland birds that are persecuted andhunted by people, compared to small andtree-dwelling obscure forest birds. Large-scale awareness programmes targetingand even involving the local people,especially school children about the

conservation importance of the wetlandbirds should be initiated and furtheredin these sanctuaries.

Source: Anonymous. 2008. WildBiodiversity of Tamil Nadu. Tamil NaduForest Dept. 88 pp.

VulturesM. Kumaravelu

In sanctuaries and reserve forests, avianspecies like kites, vultures and owls havebecome vulnerable. Recent studies showthat the vultures and kites are on theverge of extinction. As per the IUCNreport among the nine species of vulturesfound in India, White backed vulture(Gyps bengalensis), Indian vulture (Gypsindicus) and Red headed vulture(Sarcogyps calvs) are notified as criticallyendangered.

In the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, theMudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR),Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR),Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR)and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary are themajor habitation for vultures. Long billedvulture or Indian vulture, White backedvulture and scavenger vulture (Neophronpercnopterus) are found in the abovementioned reserves. The most supportivevegetation for vulture has found in thereserves are tropical dry thorn forest, dryand moist deciduous forests, semievergreen forest and bamboo andriparian forest (Champion & Seth 1968).

Vulture are commonly sighted around thecarcass of large mammals where theabove said forest types are intact. The

nesting behaviour of vultures is alsomostly upon the Terminalia arjuna,Dalbergia lanceolaria, etc. Various reasons have been identified bythe researchers for declining the vulturepopulation in India. Decline of vulturesbegan by late 1990s. It is identified that95 percent of vulture population wereaffected due to external factors and gotkilled and these factors made the vulturespecies endangered. Disappearance ofhabitat, nesting trees, human activitieswith the vulture habitat, increase of feraldogs and cattle population that carryrabies are known to be the reasonsimpacting the vulture survival ability.

Besides, vultures feeding on the carcassof cattle that had been administered withveterinary analegesic diclofenac werefound to have died often developingnephrological disorders. Realizing theharmful effect of the veterinary diclofenac,the Government of India has banned touse. However, the illegal and stealthyuse of veterinary diclofenac has playedhavoc with the vulture population overthe years.

Moreover, some virulent virus is also saidto be a reason for the decline in the


vulture population and other birds. Adetailed research is needed on this viruswhich is said to be fatal to the vultureand other birds. Andrew Cunningham ofthe Zoological Society of London alsorevealed a few other reasons for thedeclining vulture population, such aspesticide poisoning, industrial pollution,etc.

It is estimated that there are 500 millionhead of cattle in India, particularly alongthe villages located at the fringes offorests. Most of the dead cattle carcassespose a threat to vultures and otherscavenging birds if the dead animal hadbeen treated previously with theveterinary diclofenac.

Cultural and Social linkage of vultures

The Hindu community worships all birdsin general, as birds are believed to be thevehicles of some deities. The Parsis inIndia depend on vultures for disposal ofdead bodies.

Ecological role: Innumerable insectsare seen in the natural environment.Many have an amazing character ofmultiplication of their number. ACanadian entomologist has estimatedthat a single pair of Colorado Beetles orPotato Bugs increases in a season tosixty million. This is harmful to grassesand cereals. Similarly the Caterpillars aremajor destroyers that eat twice theirown weight in a day. Scientists stronglybelieve that the birds have effectivechecks upon insect numbers. Owls, hawks and other birds of preygenerally have the capacity to controland check rats, mice and destructivepests that damage crops and carry the

diseases fatal to man. In addition, thebirds are effective in pollination andcross fertilization. Simultaneously, thishelps largely in increasing the yield ofcash crops like silk cotton, sugar cane,coffee, etc. On the other hand a birdcontributes widely to the production offertile seeds and healthy generation ofmany wild tree species. The seed passingthrough a bird’s intestine producesseedlings with vigour that are strongerand grow well.

To understand the role of birds in the foodchain and the environment, awarenessshould be created. To popularize theimportance of bird watching amongvillagers on the fringes of forests,students and youth, effectiveprogrammes should be established tomake them love the birds and to conservethem for their ecological role.

Further, strict laws must be enacted andenforced to protect the birds and theirhabitat. Vigil, watch and action shouldbe taken on the illegal sale and use oftoxic drugs like diclofenac. The treespecies that feed birds and facilitatenesting are to be protected and plantedin urban and rural areas to help the avianwonders to live in peace and co-exist withhuman kind.

Reference

1. Ali, Salim and Laeeq, Futhehally,1967. Common Birds, New Delhi:National Book Trust, India,

2. Ali, Salim, 1979. The Book of IndianBirds, Bombay: Bombay NaturalHistory Society.

3. Field study conducted duringDecember 2015 at Segur ReserveForest.


Sustainability Education is more thanenvironmental education; it includesboth natural and built environment andencompasses social, economical andenvironmental spheres. It inquires in aholistic way about ways in which thequality of life is ensured for the futurethrough practices, strategies and skills.In a broader way, it draws its basicprinciple from the ‘Our Common Future”-widely known as Brundtland Report.

Sustainability Education brings thethought process to the fore withteaching and learning practices as atool to achieve required change. Itentails envisioning sustainable futures,reflective thinking, critical analysis ofthought process and learning byexperience in an inter connected wayto hone the skills and behavior inestablishing sustainability. Sustain--ability education establishes systemthinking and in perceiving a biggerintegrated social, economical andenvironmental picture.

“Sustainable development is developmentthat meets the needs of the presentwithout compromising the ability offuture generations to meet their ownneeds”

- Brundtland Commisssion

“Education for Sustainable Development(ESD) is about enabling us to constructivelyand creatively address present andfuture global challenges and create moresustainable and resilient societies”

-UNESCO

“Our vision is a world in which our workand lifestyles contribute to thewellbeing of all life on Earth. We believethat through education, human lifestylescan be achieved that support ecologicalintegrity, economic and social justice,sustainable livelihoods and respect forlife”.

-The Ahmedabad Declaration 2007,United Nations Conference on

Environmental Education

Education for Sustainable Development

Sustainability Education differs fromEducation for Sustainable Developmentby not stressing too much on theeconomic aspect and does not containdevelopment paradigm as a paralleltheme. Sustainability Educationpromotes systemic thinking andprepares young ones with necessaryskills for achieving sustainability

Sustainability Education in Schools

School as a miniature society, is apotential ground to breed systemicsustainability thinking and buildsustainability skills. The existing formalschool curriculum can be used effectivelyto integrate principles and practice ofsustainability. It also provides ampleopportunity to brush up the principlesof democratic relationships, learning

Sustainability EducationU. Thirunavukkarasu


through cooperation, issue based criticalanalysis and skill building by hands onexperience.

Sustainability Education in Schools –WIPRO Earthian

The WIPRO’s sustainability outreachprogramme – Earthian, promotessustainability education in the schoolsof India by working with them in thethematic areas of Water and Biodiversity.The participating schools are invited toform project groups of 2-5 studentsguided by a teacher. The project groupshave to work on the thematic areas ofWater or Biodiversity and submit aproject report. The project submissionsreceived from the participating schoolswill be evaluated by a competent jury toadjudge most creative, innovative and

novel project submissions for nationalawards.

CPR.Environmental Education Centre,Chennai is partnering with WIPRO inorganizing and promoting sustainabilityeducation in the schools of south India.Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana,Odisha, Karnataka, Kerala, Pondichery,Goa and the union territory of Andamanand Nicobar Islands are reached throughthe sustainability education programmes.

Reference

1. www.educationforsustainability.com.au

2. www.iisd.org3. www.en.unesco.org4. www.sustainableschools.sa.edu.au

In the Hot Plains

It appears that the ancient deities ofTamil Nadu are the present deitiesworshipped in villages under differentnames, most found in intimateassociation with at least a small grove ofplants. These are the sacred groves,dedicated to local deities and/orancestral spirits. Thousands of thesegroves have been documented asstorehouses of remarkable biodiversity,repositories of unique and rare plants

and home to myriad birds, reptiles andother animal species. Sacred grovesprobably represent the single mostimportant ecological tradition of ancientIndian culture.

Each grove is dedicated to the local folkdeities and spirits (vanadevatai) and hasa legend associated with either the deityor the grove. The commonly found deitiesare Aiyanar (the guardian deity), Sastha,Muniyappa, Karuppuswami, Veeran(Kaaval Teivam or p rotective deity),Andavar (a powerful wish-fulfilling deity)

Sacred groves in the hot plains ofTamil NaduM. Amirthalingam


and goddesses Selliyamman, Kali,Ellaikali, Ellaipidari, Sapta Kannis,Pechiyamman, Rakkachiyamman andNagadevadhai (fertility and good health).Among these, Aiyanar is the mostworshipped deity. He is worshippedevery Friday and also offered specialpooja on special occasions.

The sacred groves are apparentlydistributed around almost all thevillages, and about 1270 such grovesdedicated to various male and femaledeities have been identified. Of these,343 are dedicated to 308 male deitiesand the rest to 184 female deities and5 herostones.

For biodiversity conservation: Sacredgroves protect several valuable plant andanimal species that may have vanishedelsewhere in the surroundingenvironment, often including wild croprelatives and endemic and endangeredspecies. In 1986, Meher-Homji firstreported a grove in Puthupet nearPondicherry, a lush grove spread over20 hectares that is a relic of a forest,housing 104 plant species belonging to44 families; it is also a refuge ofrare species like a cucurbit Stychnoslentiecellata, the insectivorous plantDrosera burmanii and a rare bone-settingplant Ormocarpum cochinchinensis. Thesacred groves in the Kanchipuram districtprotect rare species like Amorphophallussylvaticus, Kedrostis foetidissima andan enormous banyan tree, while those inother parts of Tamilnadu are home tomany other vanishing and uncommonspecies of flora and fauna. Kanyakumaridistrict harbour many of the rareendemic plants of the Western Ghats andthey are Sacred groves in theKanyakumari district harbour rareendemic plants of the Western Ghatssuch as Antiaris toxicaria, Diospyrosmalabarica, Diospyros ebenum, Feroniaelephantum, Butea frondosa, Garciniacambogia, Sterculia foetida, Gnetum ula

and Cycas circinalis. Sacred groves inremote areas do not usually shelter majormammalian wildlife species. However,sacred groves that form part of acontinuous stretch of reserved forest, asin the hills, are home to several wildspecies. Apart from primates and minormammals, sacred groves also havenumerous bird, butterfly and bat species.For example, the groves are home formyriads of birds and animals by providingfood and shelter for them, Peacock inKandanur and Snakes in Anthills ofsacred groves. However, there are as yetno detailed accounts or inventories ofbiodiversity in the sacred groves.

Taboos, rituals and beliefs: The taboos,rituals and beliefs associated with thegroves, supported by mystic folklore, havebeen the prime motivating factors forpreserving them in pristine condition.People believe that any damage to thesacred grove, harm to the fauna residingin it or felling of any tree may invite thefury of the local deity, causing diseasesand failure of agricultural crops. Eventaking a dry twig is forbidden in some.Therefore, many people will not even takedead wood out of sacred groves.

Folklore plays an important role inconservation of sacred groves. Not onlytribal people, the rural people alsopreserved the sacred groves by theirtraditional customs, rituals, ceremoniesand folk-beliefs. Several stories depictvarious facets of life and culture of thepeople. The annual festival is celebratedin all the groves of all districtsaccompanied by community offerings ofpongal and animal sacrifice. As againstthe animal sacrifice, Aiyanar who lives ina temple is happy with the offering of acoconut and pongal. In all districts,offering pongal to the associated deity iseither by individuals or by thecommunity. Sacrifice of fowl, goat andsheep is offered to all the deitiesexcept Aiyanar. Pig is sacrificed to


Karuppuswami in certain groves. Incertain sacred groves, people fulfill theirvows by tonsuring (shaving the head tomake a ceremonial offering of hair to thegod) or offerings of terracotta horses ofvarious sizes are lined up in front of thedeity within the sacred grove in the hopeof a good harvest. During the festival, thevillagers organise a form street theatrecalled terukoothu at night.

Management of sacred groves: In theWestern and Eastern Ghats, most ofthe groves are preserved by localcommunities or tribes, managed eitherby an individual family or trustees orcommunity or a village head. Themanagement decisions are takencollectively at a gathering of the entirevillage during the annual festivals in thesacred grove. The majority of them aremaintained by the village communitiesunder hereditary trustees.

Present threats to sacred groves: Ourancestors were well aware of the roleplayed by sacred groves in themaintenance of the nutrient and watertable. Today, the fundamental conceptof sacred groves is the traditional beliefsystems which were mere superstitions.Very few people of the older generationsmay be familiar with the rituals andtaboos related to sacred groves.

Recent observations show thattraditional rituals are still performed inaccordance with the customary beliefs inthe larger groves, but in smaller grovesthe traditional rituals are no longerperformed or followed. Due tomodernization, urbanization andpeople’s changing aspirations, thetraditional values appear to bedisappearing. As a result, the violationof cultural norms and taboos no longer

carries heavy consequences, and thesacred groves are becoming degraded.

Human activities such as dead woodcollection, biomass gathering, lopping oftender branches and green leaves forgoats, creation of footpaths, cattlegrazing, mining of sand and clay, brick-making and collection of wild fruits,vegetables and collection of plant partsfor medicine are affecting the ecology ofmany of our sacred groves. In addition,invasion of exotic weeds become a seriousproblem in the ecology of some sacredgroves; the domination of alien speciessuch as Eupatorium odoratum, Lantanacamara and Prosopis juliflora oftenthreatens and depletes the local species.Conflicts among the sacred grovemanagers have also resulted in the lossof biodiversity in certain sacred grove.

Local people have conserved sacredgroves out of religious sentiment.Humans and nature have co-existedwithout disturbing the environment inthe past. Such traditional practices haveto be strengthened with appropriatescientific inputs for conservation.

Reference

1. Brandis, D. 1897. ‘Indigenous IndianForestry: Sacred Groves’, In: IndianForestry. pp.12-13, Woking: OrientalInstitute.

2. Fergusson, J.A., 1971. Tree andSerpent Worship, Delhi: IndologicalBook House.

3. Gadgil, M. and Vartak, V.D. 1981.Sacred groves in Maharashtra - An,inventory, In: S.K. Jam (ed.) Glimpsesof Indian Ethnobotany, pp. 279-294,New Delhi: Oxford & IBH Publishers.


Eco-friendly refrigerants - An efficientalternative to halogenated refrigerantsT. R. Gowthama

The Montreal protocol has highlightedthe rising trend in per capitaconsumption of ozone depletingsubstances like chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)and all other hydro chlorofluorocarbon(HCFC) in the developing countries.Consequently, the developing countrieswere asked to trim down their usage ofCFCs by 2010 and HCFCs by 2040.

The Kyoto protocol of United NationsFramework Convention on ClimateChange (UNFCCC) in 1997 affirmed thathydroflourocarbon (HFC) refrigerantsare among the six targeted green housegases and an important factor for globalwarming.

HFC contribute to ozone layer depletionand global warming ultimately resultingin adverse climatic changes being noticedrecently. Hence, it is necessary to lookfor the alternative refrigerants not onlyto fulfill the international protocols(Montreal and Kyoto) but also to save ourown nation from growing environmentalproblems.

Refrigerant is a liquefied solution thatabsorbs heat from the room and releasesit into the atmosphere. It undergoes aseries of phase changes during theprocess of cooling. While in theabsorption process it becomes gas andduring the compression process itbecomes liquid. The ideal refrigerant isthe one that is non-corrosive, non-flammable, and non-toxic in nature andalso possesses favourable thermo

dynamic properties. CFC, with itsconvincing properties, has gainedpopularity during the 20th century andhas been accepted as a refrigerant.

R-11 and R-12 (Freon), a CFC compound,was the most widely used refrigerant.Later on the CFCs were replaced byHCFCs and that is when R-22(Chlorodifluoromethane) came into thepicture. Even though it is better thanCFC, yet it is harmful to the environmentdue to the presence of chlorine. R-22 hasboth ozone depletion potential and globalwarming potential. Despite its potentialharm to the environment, R22 is widelyaccepted as a refrigerant and is stillavailable in the Indian market withalmost all the brands.

Replacing chlorine, manufacturers cameup with an alternative set of refrigerantsknown as hydroflourocarbon (HFC).R-134a, R-404A and R-410A are some ofthe HFCs available in the market to beused as refrigerants. R-134a is calledTetrafluoroethane and the other twoR-404A & R-410A are an azeotrophicmixture of HFC refrigerants. They arenon-toxic, non-flammable, energyefficient and have absolutely zerocontribution towards ozone layerdepletion but have the potential for globalwarming. The usage of these refrigerantsin the Indian market is on the rise. Theproducts capable of handling R-22 cannotgo with these HFCs. Therefore,manufacturers developed the productexclusively to employ HFC refrigerants.


Refrigerants ODP GWP(Time Horizons of 100 years)

HCFC R-22 0.055 1700HFC R-134A 0 1300

R-404 (R125/143a/134a) 0 3800R-410A ( R32/125 ) 0 2000

NaturalRefrigerant Ammonia (R-717) 0 Less than 1

Propane (R-290) 0 20Isobutene (R-600a) 0 20

Source: Environmental effects of refrigerants, UNEP 2002

There are certain natural refrigerants aswell apart from CFCs, HCFCs andHFCs, such as R-717 (Ammonia), R-290(Propane) and R-600a (Isobutene). Thesenatural refrigerants are halogen-freeand are high in energy efficiency. Theyalso have zero contribution towardsozone layer depletion as well as globalwarming but are highly flammable,which is not considered safe. Consideringits eco-friendly nature, these naturalrefrigerants can serve as an effectivealternative to the conventionalhydrocarbon-based refrigerants, providedsome significant measures are carriedout on its safety aspects.

As of now, HFC based refrigerants arepreferable considering its zero ozonedepleting potential and safety. A betterrefrigerant which is both eco-friendlyas well as safe is possible only withtechnological advancement andstandards.

References

1. Prashant P Pandav, Shivprakash BBarve, N. R. Anekar, S. S. Hatwalane.,2014. Eco-friendly Refrigerants.International Conference onRenewable Energy and SustainableDevelopment.

2. Green Insights – Newsletter on eco-labeling and eco-friendly products.Vol. 09, No. 01, April-June 2014

3. Chinnaraj, C., Vijayan, R.,Govindarajan, P., 2011. Analysis ofEco friendly refrigerants usage inair-conditioners. American Journal ofEnvironmental Sciences 7 (6): 510-514,2011

4. Mohanraj, M., Jayaraj, S.,Muraleedharan, C., 2009.Environment friendly alternatives tohalogenated refrigerants—A review.International Journal of greenhousegas control Vol. 3. pp. 108-119.


Nanotechnological process that areinherently carried out by animalsN. Sudha

Introduction

Nanotechnology is the study ofnanoparticle, the research for the design,synthesis and manipulation of thestructure of particles with dimensionslesser than 100nm. A branch ofnanotechnology is nanobiotechnology.Nanobiotechnology merges biologicalprinciples with chemical and physicalprocedures to generate nano-sizedparticles with specific functions.

The animal kingdom comprises manyimpressive forms. On nano level also theevolution process has been carried,producing nanostructures - that helpanimals in their motility process such asclimb, slither, camouflage etc.

Compound eye of an insect’s hasindividual facets around 50 to 10,000,each with its own set of opticalorganization.

Wings of butterflies with nanostructures

The shines with soft colours in abutterfly’s wings are produced withnanostructures. Butterfly’s wings areproduced not with pigments like themelanin; melanin is the primarydeterminant of our skin colour.

Light is scattered by nanostructures indifferent directions. That scattering canalso make the wing scales iridescent.

When the chitin nanostructures are hitwith heat, they tend to expand changingtheir shape and therefore display theircolours.

Parallel nanofibers - Penguin blue colour

Penguins produce a blue colour withparallel nanofibers wrapped up together,made of beta-keratin and 180-nanometer-wide. Similar fibers had been previouslyfound in some bird’s blue skin, wherethey are made of collagen.

Microfibrils -Snakes- Slippery

Snakes such as the ball pythonmovement are actually a complexinteraction of muscle movement butseem to effortlessly move. Micro fibrilsare not more than 400 nanometers wideand micro fibrils cover the scales on asnake’s belly. Towards the tail end ofthe snake they all point in the samedirection and their ends are raised about200 nanometers above the skin, allowingfor a smooth glide forward but ceasebackward motion.

Nanogrooves - Solar powered bug

When the sun’s heat is at zenith, mostwasps slow down and are most active inthe morning. Hornets are the largest ofthe eusocial wasps. In the hornet’sabdomen, exoskeletons are made up ofthe layers of cuticle and are carved withgrooves, about 160 nanometers high. The


groove helps to trap the lights that strikethe hornet and bounces it around withinthe cuticle.

The yellow section, has about 50nanometers high protrusions thatabsorbs light, the researchers showedthat the xanthopterin pigment that givesit yellow color, xanthopterin can be usedto convert light into electricity. The insectcarries out same mechanism; this makesthem busiest when it is sunniest, whenoriental hornets are hit with UV light theywake up faster.

Crystal proteins of nanometers wide -Spiders with tough silk

Spider’s webs without falling to piecescan withstand sudden strong rush ofwind and catch hurtling insects thatmove at high speed. The silks get theirtoughness from thin crystal proteinsthat are only nanometers wide, whichare arranged together. The layers arejoined together by hydrogen bonds onthe atomic level. Under pressure thosebonds turns out to be an advantage,allowing the silk to flex and stretch.

Conclusion

Nanoparticle synthesis and the study oftheir size and properties are of primeimportance in the advancement of recentresearch. It is found that the properties

of nano particle are determined by theirsize, shape and chemical surroundings.

The above examples provide evidence thatthere is the existence of inherentnanotechnology methods within them.Thus nanotechnology concepts are notnew but available inherently within livingorganisms from the time of evolution.Biological systems such as animals arealready equipped with advancedtechnologies. Above all, animals arebeautiful and technologically soundcreatures which should not be subjectedto any cruelty such as factory farming,research studies or animal entertainmentpurpose.

Reference

1. Adlakha-Hutcheon G, Khaydarov R,Korenstein R, Varma R, Vaseashta A,Stamm H, Abdel-Mottaleb M (2009).Nanomaterials, nanotechnology.doi:10.1007/978-1-4020-9491-0_14

2. Aruthers S D, Wickline S A, Lanza GM. Nanotechnological applications inmedicine. Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2007

3. Salta O V. Applications ofnanoparticles in biology andmedicine. J Nanobiotech. 2004

4. www.wikipedia.org5. Anju Manuja, Balvinder Kumar, Raj

Kumar Singh . Nanotechnologydevelopments. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4081/nd.2012.e4


Tackling Urban Drought through use ofTreated water for Housing ConstructionsB. Tirumala

Water is essential for life and plays amajor role in creating earth’s climate. Bymodifying land use, the proportion of thedifferent pathways, evaporation,percolation and run off change. A changein evaporation from a region has impactsupon climate. Changes in percolationchange ground water availability, bothfor humans and natural springs andstreams (2). Climate change has resultedin drastic seasonal fluctuations leadingto erratic rainfalls and prolongeddroughts in India.

India has 7,935 cities and townsaccording to the 2011 Census, 70 percent of the urban population lives in 468Class I Urban Agglomerations (UAs) thatis with a population of 100 thousand andabove. The number of Class I UAsincreased from 384 in 2001 to 468 in2011. Furthermore, there are 53 million-plus UAs which comprise 43 per cent ofIndia’s urban population.(3)

This alarming growth of population hasfurther strained the already shrinkingnatural resources such as land, waterand energy in these urban areas. Withincrease in population the need for adecent shelter for all economic classeshas lead to massive growth in real estatesector. There is an increasing trendtowards construction of buildings forresidential as well as non residentialpurposes in urban areas and making theopen areas as pucca for parking etc. Thistrend has decreased drastically theinfiltration of rain water into the sub soil

and recharging of ground water hasdiminished due to over developmentwhich has depleted the aquifers.Surface water is inadequate to meet ourdemand and we have to depend onground water.(2)

With traditional small scale Indianstorage practices, from temple tanks toelaborate stepwells fallen into despair, thecountry faces a water storage crunch.Shortage of water for industrial anddomestic use and even for drinkingpurpose is a cause of concern throughoutIndia. Unless preventive measures aretaken on a large scale, the problem willbecome more acute with dangerousconsequences. Only a handful of city andstate governments have lately begun tomandate rainwater harvesting to slowlyrecharge ground water.(4)

The National Water Policy ofGovernment of India recognizes theneed of planning the economicactivities like agriculture, industriesand urban development in conformitywith availability of this life-sustainingresource and has recommendedwater-zoning [1]. From the point of viewof urban development, buildingindustry is known to be a majorconsumer of water resource, which inmany cases, is the ground waterextracted through bore-wells.

Building construction is a highly resourceintensive process, concerning use ofmaterials, land, energy and water. Since


buildings are required to fulfill ourprimary need for shelter, consumption ofthese resources is simply unavoidable.However, with shrinking stock of naturalresources and degrading eco-systemservices, the consumption process has tobe wise, judicious and non-wasteful.(5)

Since water is everybody’s business andany water disaster will affect populationcutting across socio-economic classes,water mapping in building industry is notonly significant to understand thedynamics of water resource consumptionin one of the key sectors of urbanization,but also to select and decide on the mostappropriate strategy to monitor andoptimize this quantity for globalsustainability and water managementissues.(2)

“It has been established that constructionactivity requires about 1 kilolitre of waterper square metre. Going by that standard,one lakh square feet of construction willconsume more than 9,000 million litresof water.”

“This is a quantity that can cater to thewater requirement of 50 households foran entire year.(6)

Currently, water used for construction isarranged from private sources usingwater tankers, which draw surface water,water from shallow wells or also pondsduring scarcity periods. As the demandfor water grows, more water is extractedand transported sometimes over greatdistances which can require a lot ofenergy. If the local source of water isground water, the level of ground waterbecomes lower as more water is removedand this increases the energy requiredto pump the water to the surface.(7)

Recently, the National Green Tribunal inBengaluru has ordered that whilegranting environmental clearances (EC)

to construction sites, the use of waterrequired for construction and operationshould be taken into considerationseparately and at the same time use oftreated water should be mandated for bighousing projects.(6)

India has shifted the thrust of the policiesfrom water development to sustainablewater development. A vital element of thisshift in strategy is the increasingimportance of water harvesting andartificial recharge of ground water (2). Butthis is not enough to reduce the waterstress until and unless strict rules aremade and implemented for reckless useof ground water for purposes likeConstruction of buildings where treatedwater can be used without anyundesirable effects.

There is a greater need for propagatingand promoting the use of treated waterfor construction purposes so that thegroundwater is not exploited and can besaved for other purposes including savingthe lives of millions of people who don’thave access to drinking water.

A mass awareness campaigns just likePolio campaign wherein all forms ofmedia were used to drive the message ofprotecting children from polio throughvaccination must be carried out. Sincethe general public is unaware abouttreated water and its usage, a propermethodology must be developed to createawareness. Information technology toolscan play a major role in disseminatingthe information regarding treated water.

Both centre and state governments withthe help of experts must develop policiesconcerning the criteria for setting up ofwater treatment plants in every city anddevelopment of buffer zones which act asnatural sieves and help in cutting downthe pollutants entering into the waterfrom construction run-off.


Water resource management in buildingconstruction and operation, however,has still a long way to go, especiallybecause the amount of water used perunit area of construction largely remainsundocumented(5). Urban governing bodiesmust be given more powers to come upsuitable solution and deal with thereckless use of groundwater by thebuilders and by individual householders.A systematic approach will definitely leadto awareness and promote the sense ofconservation and judicious use of veryvaluable groundwater.

References

1. National Water Policy-India, Govt. ofIndia, Ministry of Water Resources.http://mowr.gov.in/writereaddata/

linkimages/nwp20025617515534.pdf

2. http://cpwd.gov.in/Publication/rain_wh.pdf

3. http://www.solutionexchange-un-gen-gym.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/WMR-2015-Background-Paper-RBhagat.pdf

4. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/world/asia/01ihtwater3.2994407.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

5. http://www.witpress.com/elibrary/wit-transactions-on-ecology-and-the-environment/144/21933

6. http://www.bangaloremirror.com/bangalore/others/Dearth-of-treated-water-for-use-in-construction-can-aggravate -c r is is/ar t i c leshow/52299848.cms

7. https://www3.epa.gov/region9/water/recycling/

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Indoor PollutionM. Lakshmi Sree

We have all come across the termpollution of air, noise, water, etc. The airpollution is high at traffic intersectionsdue to emissions from vehicles. Theflames and fumes from road sideeateries and small food joints also add tothe air pollution. In industrial areas,fumes from factories add to the airpollution.

Have we ever thought about indoorpollution? Indoor pollution is thedegradation of air in our living roomsfilled with harmful chemicals and othermaterials. It is estimated that indoorpollution is worse than outdoor pollutionby ten times as closed areas enablepollutants to multiply than in openspaces.

According to a study by Indian Councilfor Medical Research, the World HealthOrganization (WHO) has prescribed20 micro grams in cubic meter (ug/m3)of air for particulate matter as a normfor indoor air pollution. In India, theaverage indoor air pollution is375ug/m3 and the prime contributorfor this is the burning of solid fuels. Itis estimated that about a million peopledie in India every year due to indoorpollution, highest in the world.

During 2015-16, our Chennai, which hasan average air quality index of around150, has been among the ‘moderate’ citiesin terms of air pollution. Indoor air

pollution in urban areas especiallymetros have increased manifold in therecent years. This can be attributed toincrease in high raised buildingswithout proper ventilation. As peopletend to shut their windows for dustand remain in air conditioned rooms,the level of pollutants get multiplied.Cross ventilation is needed in housesto prevent indoor pollution. ManyChennaites face respiratory problems,asthma, bronchitis, sore throat, etc. dueto indoor pollution. The quality of indoorair in Chennai has deteriorated due tothe fungal content in air during therecent floods.

People should give more thought toindoor pollution. Due to increase inpopulation, proper and spacious housingis not possible and has always remaineda distant dream. In order to have easyaccess to work place and educationalinstitutions, many high rise buildingshave come into the heart of the city.Outside pollution will also add fuel to theexisting indoor pollution. In order toprevent excess dust, vehicular emissions,one might not open the windows andwelcome fresh air. People should givemore importance to proper ventilation inhouses, especially in the kitchen, whichwill be helpful in preventing indoorpollution.

We are also reading in the dailies thatpeople are prepared to spend more moneyon installing ‘air purifiers’. The sale of air


purifiers for cars, bedrooms, living roomsand larger areas such as boardroomshas increased uniformly with orderscoming in from corporates and residentsin the last one year or so.

Alternatively, people can keep a tulsiplant in their balconies, which willprevent indoor pollution to a considerabledegree.

ECONEWS is an online magazine byC.P.R. Environmental Education Centre (CPREEC).

Visit us on :www.econewscpreec.com

References

1. NAQI Status of Indian Cities in 2015-16, CPCB, New Delhi.

2. Increasing pollution levels propel saleof air purifiers in Chennai, Times ofIndia, Chennai, May 8, 2016.

3. Indoor air pollution kills a millionpeople every year in India, HindustanTimes, New Delhi, February 22, 2013.


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Documents

1 Eco News, Vol. 21, No. 2 July - September 2016