Sunday, June 27, 2010

Delhi Goes Green: Ecofest at American Centre

Eco Fest 2010 organized by KRITI Team with the American Centre was a three day event (4-6th June). An Eco competition was held which saw active participation from students in the form of paintings, photographs, small installations and poetry on the given themes:
-The impact of the preparations for the Commonwealth Games on Delhi's environment
-Climate change: Myth or reality?
-My contribution: My Eco-footprint
Winners took home eco-friendly prizes! (I won….yippee after a really long time) :)

Eco Art Workshops where they taught you how to make attractive bags, stationary items, etc by recycling stuff and using your junk was rightly named ‘Waste et al creations’. There were innovative dance and puppet performances too depicting climate change and its effect on environment. ‘Eco Reels’ saw screening of documentaries and children’s films like: Shruti and Kuki, The Jungle Gang meets the Rhino, The Story of Stuff, The Story of Bottled Water and The Groundwater UP Project. Other highlights included the EcoHaat, a collection of useful ecofriendly products made by low income community groups for display and sale that provide us alternative options to consume in a sustainable and ethical way. The EcoCafe with a selected organic food menu and drinks that were healthy and tasty for the palette saw a huge rush. There were EcoBins set up at different places within the venue for people to bring recyclable material like paper, plastic, tetra packs, as well as old clothes to get them recycled.

The festival brought together a combination of educational, entertainment and consumption related activities that can enable us to live and work in an eco-friendly manner. Such gatherings show us the right spirit of celebrating World Environment Day (5th June)....go Delhi....go Green!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Fishy Issue: Bhopal Gas Tragedy

The verdict for Bhopal Gas Tragedy is out and has been creating a lot of waves in the media and among the citizens. I have collected some data which hints towards an international conspiracy, and how the issue was brushed under the carpet, check it out and decide for yourself.

The Indian government filed a law suit in an US court and claimed damages worth $3.3 billion, in 1985. In February 1989, the Indian Government, led by Rajiv Gandhi, reached an out of court settlement with Union Carbide for $470 million, about 14% of what they originally claimed. Why did the govt bend so much? Because of the US pressure?

Arjun Singh, the CM of Madhya Pradesh when the disaster happened, 'got a call from someone, and he just obeyed the orders' to treat the Chief of Union Carbide warren Anderson as a state guest when he was "released" on bail, put on a state government flight, and flown to New Delhi. Anderson left the country soon thereafter, never to return ever again. Singh went on to become the Union Cabinet Minister for HRD in the early 90's and in the 2004-2009 UPA government.

Do you know who the lawyer for Dow Chemicals, which took over Union Carbide in 2000, is? Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Do you want to know what his official position now is? He is the official spokesperson of the Congress party at the national level.

Dont you think there's something fishy?? Feel free to comment.