Between Us and Sustainable Energy

 A friend of mine, way back in sixth grade, asked me, “Why don’t we just use solar power for

everything? It’s available everywhere if you think about it.” And that really did get me thinking,

why do we not use clean energy for everything. So, like any good future humanities student, to

answer my question I started reading about clean energy, this led me to find out that the

solution is not that simple. Today, almost six years after my friend's ingenious yet impractical

suggestion, the use of clean energy is something I am passionate about.

To implement any solution, first, we have to recognise the hurdles that stand in its way, and

these are some, I believe, that stand in the way of clean energy being used on a global

scale.

I believe that the problem of not using sustainable fuels continues because of its expensive

nature and the convenience of fossil fuels. To counteract this, governments ought to increase

their spending on research for clean energy.

Another reason is that we simply haven't found a perfect clean fuel. Many sectors, like the

transport sector, need fossil fuels because of their high energy density. Petrol contains about 40

times more energy than the most advanced battery (when both are of equal weight).

Certain industrial processes, like the manufacturing of glass, steel, cement, etc., need extremely

high temperatures, which are extremely difficult and impractical to achieve without the use of

fossil fuels.

The top 100 companies produce about 71% of global emissions, so the profit-driven nature of

companies that use fossil fuels to cut costs is also a factor. Most stakeholders in oil and fossil

fuel companies are extremely influential, and this affects the policy decisions of governments

that are swayed by these tycoons.

Finally, there is the fact that for many people, on a personal level, clean energy is not a burning

priority (pun intended). About 771 million people live in extreme poverty. For them, putting food

on the table is much more important than assessing what fuel they use.

The lack of technological advancement in using clean energy in developing countries, combined

with the tendency of companies to set up fossil fuel-consuming industries in said countries,

forms a huge hurdle for making clean energy mainstream.

Does this mean that the dream of clean energy is hopeless? I, being the ever-optimistic person, say no. It is definitely not completely impossible for us to make the green change. I will follow up on this in a new blog!

Sanitary Waste Disposal

What is it and why we need to act now

-Ishita Desai

While there is no question of the importance of raising awareness about menstrual health and hygiene, there is always a rebuttal to raise the issue of waste produced as a result of unhygienic sanitary napkin disposal. Both of these issues are part of our list of concerns and one cannot be ignored for the sake of the other.

It calls for an all-encompassing solution, because the current practise of disposing of menstrual hygiene products existing in India is only going to worsen the garbage situation in the future.

Approximately 200 tonnes of sanitary napkin waste is generated daily for a population of 350 million menstruating women in India, assuming that 35 percent of women regularly use sanitary napkins at an average of 8 pads per month.

Even when sanitary napkin disposal constitutes only less than 1% of the total amount of plastic waste produced, it does not amount to less than 25000 tonnes per day, which, due to its enormous size, is in no case inconsequential. It is therefore no mystery that we are in dire need of sustainable alternatives for disposing of sanitary pads in India.

Thanks to sustained effort at many tiers, the feminine hygiene industry is growing rapidly, but this is creating a detrimental effect on the waste management industry, where 85 per cent of the waste is not managed due to inadequate efforts by the public health department.

This advocates for a comprehensive examination of the sanitary napkin disposal methods. A trend is observed in the methodologies according to the area inhabited by the woman. Most women residing in metropolitan areas dispose of sanitary napkins in a dustbin that ultimately ends up in landfills, while rural women prefer to wash their napkins and dump them in a pit.

Methods of disposal are also heavily reliant as to whether the napkin was disposed of at home or at work/school. In public washrooms, often due to poor infrastructure, sanitary napkins are flushed or left in corners or in other open areas. Few other women actually burn discarded sanitary napkins. This scene certainly indicates making progress to educate the masses on how to dispose of sanitary pads at home is necessary.

The Indian Government's CPCB has set standards for the dumping of sanitary waste and has clarified the responsibility of all relevant parties in the disposal of the product. Strongly advised methods for disposing of sanitary napkins vary depending on the area. For example, in rural areas low-cost incinerators are used and sanitary napkins are produced preferably without SAP. Electric incinerators are used in rural or urban setups. Some other methods are:

1. High temperature incinerator for bio-waste – Urban setup with central collection and disposal with other bio waste.

2. Deep burial – Rural setup – Compostable materials only

3. Composting – Compost site – Compostable materials only

4. Pit burning – Rural area


Per the regulations, waste can be disposed of by incineration or by disposal in landfills. Both of which are entirely feasible, and have to be applied consistently throughout all stages. In particular on rural fronts, the necessary facilities and infrastructure should really be made accessible. While these techniques sound perfect, they also have their very own challenges.

In general, incineration may not be the recommended approach, since carbon contained in fossil fuels is released to the atmosphere among other pollutants, whereas ground filling is a significant cause of waste and plastics have not been degraded for many years. We therefore ought to find alternative ways to manage our sanitary napkin waste either by storing it or using environmentally friendly items.

Though solutions such as recycling and composting exist, the handling of used sanitary napkins continues to be an issue across India since these processes have still not been widely accepted. There are, however, a few actions that a person may take to support the cause.

When one lives in an urban area, the best way of disposing of any kind of sanitary napkins will be to incinerate in a central incineration plant which are used by hospitals to dispose of sanitary and bio-waste. One must explore and locate the nearest central incineration device in their town. In order for this system to be successful, the separation of sanitary waste at person level, the processing at community scale and incineration at central incineration facilities will be necessary.

When one of them disposes of another waste in a garbage bin, the least they can do is cover the used sanitary napkin in a plastic wrapper supplied by most of the pad companies. This is vital to the hygiene and welfare of waste collectors.

In rural communities in which there is a shortage of segregation, incineration, as indicated by CPCB, will be the safest choice. Low-cost manual incinerators or electrical incinerators should be used for this function. This, as we can all bear in mind, will not solve the problem, it can only manage it better. There is space for a lot of progress in the future.

As customers are more mindful of the environmental effects and continue to make responsible buying choices, some companies have taken advantage of that fact either by falsely stating that their goods are environmentally conscious or by misleading consumers with words that they do not fully comprehend. Therefore, the few that pretend to be organic sanitary pad producers must be cross-checked.


The need for an hour is knowledge, understanding and availability of environmentally sustainable practises when it comes to treating menstrual waste effectively. When that's taken care of, it'll be easy for us to make a green change.

The Future of AI and Humanity

The Future of AI and Humanity

- Ishita Desai

When I talk about AI what comes to your mind? A futuristic society with robot butlers and flying cars or a doomsday scenario where humanity has been over run by AI and robots.

If it is the latter then let me tell you an interesting fact , experts predict robots will take the place of  surgeons as early as 2053, and within 43 years  machines will be competing with mathematicians for space in top academic journals. So your concerns, about AI taking over the human society, are perfectly reasonable .
Almost all of us use a smartphone . We talk to Siri , Google assistant and Alexa ,this means that we are already using AI on a daily basis. But Alexa isn't evil , she just plays music when I ask her to.

And that exactly is my point.


I believe there is no need to be afraid of AI itself , though we should be concerned as to who uses it. Russia , South Korea and USA have already begun the formation of AI controlled weapon systems . The Chinese government rates its citizens as good or bad using an intelligent system that scans through their financial history and credit scores , there have also been attempts to monitor the emotions of school children and reward or punish them on this basis .

The youth in our country is already suffering from unemployment , the interference of AI would only further worsen the situation. Creation of jobs is a slow process , but the advancement of AI is not . Artificial intelligence can and will take over our livelihoods . Private sectors will prefer to employ AI over humans as AI is an one time investment and can do the work of multiple humans at once , people require monthly salaries , breaks and health benefits . AI is a non stop working machine humans are not.

In all of these situations it is not the AI itself which has turned malicious but the people behind it .

So , once an AI which is perfectly capable of deciphering good from bad and having an independent thought process, instead of parroting its creator , is created then only can we judge wether AI itself is evil or not . But until then precautions and limits are necessary , because if and when we reach that point it will be too late . AI can be perfect , but man can never be flawless,

A perfect weapon in the hands of an imperfect man can only lead to doom and destruction.

Humanity has achieved many of its dreams but this is one we should not dare to dream about , for AI is a destructive dream.

That is why I believe that the development of AI will do more harm than good towards humanity.

Climate Change : Current Solutions

 GREEN INITIATIVE THAT WERE ADOPTED TO SAVE 

OUR PLANET

-Ishita Desai

Climate change is a global issue that affects not only humans but also every other living creature on earth. It is of great importance that we find a solution to these issues . Sometimes the answers to our questions have already been presented and we just have to innovate and improvise.Many individuals and organizations have taken various initiatives to save the environment , such acts inspire the masses and can be further improved upon. Some of them are:

• Disney's Fight Against Plastic Waste: The company has always had environmental projects. These include the Disney Conservation Fund in 1995 and its commitment to reduce green house emissions by 41 percent in 2017.This year, Disney announced that they will get rid of single-use plastic straws and stirrers in 2019.
• Eco-City Project: The port city of Hamburg, Germany , launched the Eco-City Project to serve as a new standard for green development. The Eco-City is made to be self-sustaining through the use of several green technologies. These include huge and smaller, vertical wind turbines to power the city .
•  Lilyfield Housing Development: In Sydney, Australia, a public housing project proved that sustainability and affordability can be in harmony. The Lilyfield Housing Development constructed 88 unit with the environment in mind. This green development was eventually certified with a Five star Green Star rating making it first ever social housing project to get recognition.

These examples make it clear that solutions are available all around us . All we have to do now is work hard to implement them . It is after all our responsibility to save our planet.

Sustainable Development the Gandhian Way

Sustainable Development 

The Gandhian Way

-Ishita Desai

Environmental sustainability is the most burning issue with which every one of us is related very closely. Environmental Sustainability means to sustain ability, both the ability of the environment to regenerate and the ability of people to retain control over their living conditions. Many people have speculated over the years on how to create a society that was self-sufficient , self-sustainable and would not harm mother nature . One of these people was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, alias Mahatma Gandhi . At the first glance Gandhi might not exactly seem like an environmentalist, neither did he ever refer to himself as one , but as we start reading his writings the scattered thoughts on environment in them paint a clear picture.

Gandhi considered the earth a living organism. His ideas were expressed in terms of two fundamental laws: Cosmic law and the Law of Species. Cosmic Law views the entire universe as a single entity. Nothing could malfunction outside the threshold limits built into the grand system that includes both living and non-living phenomena. He believed that the universe was structured and informed by the cosmic spirit, that all men, all life and indeed all creation were one. Regarding the law of species Gandhi believed that without the cooperation and sacrifice of both human and non-human beings evolution is not possible. Being rational human beings, we are the custodians of the rest of creation and should respect their rights and cherish the diversity. 

These were the reasons Gandhi saw taking up more resources than needed as theft. Gandhi’s ideas developed from his understanding about the ecological interdependence of the universe. Modern industrial civilization has had a huge impact on human kind as well as on the environment. It made a small part of the population wealthy at the cost of exploiting the world's natural resources. Gandhi believed that it propagates nothing other than the hunger for wealth and the greedy pursuit of worldly pleasures.

He was not against the technology, but the technologism which creates a hierarchical relationship among men as well as between men and nature.Modern civilization involved an egregious amount of violence against nature which was largely seen as man's property. 

Gandhi believed that villages would soon disappear due to the urbanization which is part of modern civilization, and of which environmental degradation is a product. While the western environmentalists spread the message of "going back to the nature" Gandhi spread the message of "going back to the villages". He believed that the "the blood of the village is the cement with which the edifice of the cities is built.”

Although we may not understand everything about the interdependence of mankind and nature , one thing is perfectly clear , if man’s rampant and unchecked exploitation of natural resources does not stop ,sooner rather than later , the survival of humanity itself is at risk .