Mysore, September 2014

This Month…

Solid Waste Mannagement

Thought Food

Kirlian photography

Clicks: Village Tales

Coffee

What to do with the waste? In Bangalore everyday BBMP collects the garbage and disposes or dumps in some village like Mandur and other places. This has become an unsolved problem for BBMP and the Bangloreans. Everyday Bangalore alone produces 4000 tonnes of waste. Imagine how much other cities must be producing. Solution: European and other countries like Sweden, Norway what they do……… They have been using a process called incineration – scientific way of disposal of waste. Though there are issues with pollution most of the countries have implemented the process of incineration for waste management with power generation. Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of organic substances contained in waste materials. Incineration and other high-temperature waste treatment systems are described as "thermal treatment". Incineration of waste materials converts the waste into ash, flue gas, and heat. The ash is mostly formed by the inorganic constituents of the waste, and may take the form of solid lumps or particulates carried by the flue gas. The flue gases must be cleaned of gaseous and particulate pollutants before they are dispersed into the atmosphere. In some cases, the heat generated by incineration can be used to generate electric power. Incineration with energy recovery is one of several waste-to-energy (WTE) technologies such as gasification, pyrolysis and anaerobic digestion. While incineration and gasification technologies are similar in principle, the energy product from incineration is high-temperature heat whereas combustible gas is often the main energy product from gasification. Incineration and gasification may also be implemented without energy and materials recovery.

In several countries, there are still concerns from experts and local communities about the environmental impact of incinerators. Incinerators reduce the solid mass of the original waste by 80–85% and the volume (already compressed somewhat in garbage trucks) by 95–96%, depending on composition and degree of recovery of materials such as metals from the ash for recycling. This means that while incineration does not completely replace landfilling, it significantly reduces the

necessary volume for disposal. Garbage trucks often reduce the volume of waste in a built-in compressor before delivery to the incinerator. Alternatively, at landfills, the volume of the uncompressed garbage can be reduced by approximately 70% by using a stationary steel compressor, albeit with a significant energy cost. In many countries, simpler waste compaction is a common practice for compaction at landfills. Incineration has particularly strong benefits for the treatment of certain waste types in niche areas such as clinical wastes and certain hazardous wastes where pathogens and toxins can be destroyed by high temperatures. Examples include chemical multi-product plants with diverse toxic or very toxic wastewater streams, which cannot be routed to a conventional wastewater treatment plant. Waste combustion is particularly popular in countries such as Japan where land is a scarce resource. Denmark and Sweden have been leaders in using the energy generated from incineration for more than a century, in localised combined heat and power facilities supporting district heating schemes. In 2005, waste incineration produced 4.8% of the electricity consumption and 13.7% of the total domestic heat consumption in Denmark. A number of other European countries rely heavily on incineration for handling municipal waste, in particular Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany and France.

The Spittelau incineration plant in Vienna, Austria, designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser.

SYSAV incineration plant in Malmö, Sweden, capable of handling 25 metric tons (28 short tons) per hour of household waste. To the left of the main stack, a new identical oven line is under construction (March 2007). If we are able to invent/discover ways to control (though it is very less) pollution from incineration; still it is the best method of waste disposal. Small units of incinerators also available. If hospitals, hotels, and markets use this definitely we can reduce the waste production and save the villages. So, please pass on this message or ask the government to take up this system of waste disposal so that we save lives of villagers and their future generation and maintain clear environment.

By – Bheema Prasad

After years of telling people chemotherapy is the only way to try ('try', being the key word) to eliminate cancer, Johns Hopkins is finally starting to tell you there is an alternative way .

Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins:

1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to

detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size. 2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime. 3 When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors. 4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors. 5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system. 6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastrointestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc. 7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction. 9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications. 10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites. 11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.

CANCER CELLS FEED ON: a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk cancer cells are being starved. c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer. d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties. 12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup. 13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells. 14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body’s own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells. 15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. 16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

Shashi Kumar

Although the study of which can be traced back to the late 1700s, was officially

invented in 1939 by Semyon Davidovitch Kirlian. The Kirlian photographic process

reveals visible “auras” around the objects photographed. These photographs

have been the subject of much myth and controversy over the years.

Interestingly, much of

which was initially put forth

to explain the Kirlian

photography phenomena

was put forth by the

inventor himself, along with

his wife.

The process of taking a

Kirlian photo is a fairly

simple one and does not

even require the use of a

camera. First, a sheet of

photographic film is placed

on top of a metal plate.

Then, the object that is to

be photographed is placed on top of the film. To create the initial exposure, high

voltage current is applied to the metal plate. The electrical coronal discharge

between the object and the metal plate is captured on the film. The Kirlian

photograph, which shows a light, glowing silhouette around the photographed

object, becomes visible as a result of developing the film.

The Myth of Kirlian Photography

The first mythical explanations put forth about Kirlian photography were

suggested by the Kirlians themselves. They believed that these photographs were

depicting the actual life-force or “aura” that many people believe surrounds all

living things. New Age spiritualists attribute huge importance to the aura and

believe that specially trained aura-readers can provide important insights into a

person’s spiritual, emotional and physical state. The Kirlians were convinced that

these photos could accurately predict emotional and physical states and could be

used to diagnose illnesses.

Kirlian photography has been a staple of paranormal research for some time as

well. In the 1960s and 1970s paranormal researchers connected it to many types

of unexplained phenomena, one of which was telepathy. Researchers proposed

that telepathy was the result of people’s auras communicating together.

The Science of Kirlian Photography

It can be hard to separate the fact

versus the fiction when it comes to

Kirlian photography, since these

photos are very real and do clearly

show some phenomenon at work.

However, the fact that these glowing

auras are seen around non-living

objects as well as living objects in

Kirlian photos is often simply ignored

by those who want to believe in the

supernatural explanation.

So if the glowing auras seen in Kirlian

photography aren’t really caused by

something spiritual, paranormal or our

“life-energy” then what are they caused by?

The answer is water.

The high-voltage frequency applied to the metal plate rips the electrons off of

atoms. The air around the photographed object becomes ionized. If that air

contains any water, the resulting image will show the glowing silhouette around

the object, which scientists actually call a “corona plasma discharge”.

When a person is sweating more due to being overheated, or excited in some

way, Kirlian photographs taken of their hands at that time will show a larger more

intense glow due to the increased moisture. Conversely, cold dry hands will

produce an image which shows a weaker glow. Despite the ready availability of

this accurate scientific explanation, New Age proponents of Kirlian photography

will still argue that the person whose hands showed a larger, brighter glow is a

natural healer when they are really just sweaty.

Factors other than humidity which can

influence the final image include the

pressure and angle of your hand

touching the metal plate as well as the

amount of voltage. Kirlian

photographs taken of the exact same

person can be very different taken

only minutes apart due to these

variables.

A very well-known Kirlian

photography experiment documents a

leaf as it slowly dies. The initial

photograph was taken when the leaf was freshly cut and shows a prominent glow.

As the leaf gets older more photos are taken, which show that the glow is starting

to weaken. This was once explained away with the life-force theory. However,

we now know that the weakening of the glow is simply a result of the leaf losing

water and drying up over time.

In another experiment involving a leaf, an initial photo is taken which shows the

usual strong glow or aura. Then, part of the leaf is torn away. Surprisingly, a

ghostly glowing trace of the missing part of the leaf showed up on the film. For

years this result was considered more proof of some sort of “life-force”. In reality

though, it was simply a result of some moisture residue left on the glass. If the

residue is completely removed prior to photographing the leaf again, the

phantom glow does not appear.

One final scientific observation to point out is that the Kirlian effect simply

doesn’t happen in a vacuum since there is no water vapor, which prevents

ionization.

In Conclusion

While the mystical and

paranormal explanations

for the glow in Kirlian

photographs have been

debunked, the truth may

be just as interesting as

fiction to the more

scientifically minded. Its

potential for studying

certain aspects of life are

being explored

scientifically.

Also, there are a few artists using Kirlian photography to create beautiful images

of what has been called “living art”. Like other forms of artistic expression such as

traditional photography, this should and will be explored to its fullest.

Imran

Raghunanda

Nagashree