Urban Heat Island: The Hidden Truth

It is a common fact that when we go to a rural area, we find that the temperature is much lower there than what it is in an urban area. An important reason for such an occurrence is stated by the theory of Urban Heat Island, which for most part, has gone unnoticed by most of us.
According to Wikepedia, a heat island refers to any area, populated or not, which is consistently hotter than the surrounding area. With this background, they further define an urban heat island (UHI) is a metropolitan city which is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas. This phenomenon was first described by Luke Howard FRS in the 1810s. The temperature difference usually is larger at night than during the day, and is most apparent when winds are weak. UHI is evident during both summer and winter. The main cause of the urban heat island, as proved by the study, is modification of the land surface by urban development which uses materials which effectively retain heat. As population centers grow they tend to modify a greater and greater area of land and have a corresponding increase in average temperature.
To elaborate on the cause, one major factor is the low vegetation cover in Urban Areas and the lack of property of reflecting back the heat , of building materials such as concrete, used in the construction of buildings. Such materials have a tendency to trap and retain the heat from the Sun. This results in the temperature soaring up during the day. At night, when the surroundings are cool, the buildings then release the heat in the atmosphere. This pulls up the average temperature of an Urban Area, which seems to be hotter at night too.
Moreover, the study shows that the tall buildings within many urban areas provide multiple surfaces for the reflection and absorption of sunlight, increasing the efficiency with which urban areas are heated. This is called the “urban canyon effect”. Furthermore, the buildings block the way of the wind which bars the option of cooling by convection. Waste heat from automobiles, air conditioning, industry, and other sources also contributes to the UHI. High levels of pollution in urban areas can also increase the UHI, as many forms of pollution change the radiative properties of the atmosphere.
Thus UHI has a major impact on temperature and also uses it as a medium to exhibit itself in this atmosphere.
Other major impacts include changes in the wind pattern, development of clouds, fog, humidity, rates of precipitation. Due to upward movement of lighter winds (when heat is released back into the atmosphere at night – the air gets heated, becomes lighter and hence rises ), there’s also an increased risk of thunderstorms in such areas.

-Akhil Ramesh

Read more

Switching From Plastics To Bio Plastics

Plastic Plastic Everywhere !!
We have been through the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Copper age, the Iron Age and the Steel age, named because of the dominance of these materials at that particular point of time. Considering the fact that the total volume of plastic production has surpassed that of steel, the last part of 20th century has been the ‘The Plastic Age’. And since then we are living in the age of plastics in which the usage of plastics has increased from around 5 million tons in 1950’s to 150 million tons at the present time. The consumption of plastics in Europe and U.S. is 60 kg and 80 kg respectively per person per year, while in India it is only 4 kg per person with a total annual consumption of 4 million tons only. Thus, India is amongst the lowest in generation of plastic waste. But that does not imply that plastic is not harmful for environment, so we have to work in reducing our plastic consumptions.
The advantages associated with plastics are that it can be moulded into complex shapes, have high chemical resistance and more or less elastic, thus having ability to be drawn into fiber or thin films. These properties have made them popular amongst the manufacturers of many durable and disposable goods as packaging material. However these materials have excessive molecular size of up to 1, 50,000 Da, due to which they are extremely resistance to biodegradation and persistence in the soil environment for long time and thus plastics have proved to be an aesthetic nuisance rather than a hazard. Most of the plastic will not decompose and their improper disposal is a source of environmental pollution, potentially harming our ecosystem.

-Akhil Ramesh
(akhilrameshv@gmail.com)

Read more

Honey, I Have Shrunk The Earth

The scenes in the movie 2012 horrify us as to, is it the truth? From scientists to astrologers are all trying to find out what exactly is going to happen but one thing we can’t deny, that for centuries and decades we are cutting the branch we are sitting on. From pollution to population explosion, from destruction in the rain forests to the melting glaciers in the Arctic, our environment is dying and we are dying with it. So far a few thousand seminars and international conferences have taken place to save Mother Earth. Today, I will bring up some few environmental issues that need immediate attention.

One of the biggest environment issues is the Ocean Dead Zones. These dead zones are characterised by excessively low oxygen count and more of nitrogen from sewage, factory emissions and farm fertilizers. The most famous dead ocean zone is the Gulf of Mexico, where excess toxic sludge has flown into the sea down the Mississippi river, turning it into a ‘hypoxic’ area. Since the 1960’s, the number of the dead ocean zones have doubled every ten years.

Another major environment hazard to strike us in about 2048 is the Collapse of Fish Stock. Overfishing round the world is leading to extinction of many species of fish and ocean mammals and this collapse will affect the world’s ecosystem in a major way.

Antarctica was recorded as the only continent on the planet whose climate was devoid of any adverse effect of humanity, but collapse of the Larsen B and Wilkins ice shelves in the Antarctic Peninsula prove how fastglobal warming is affecting the area. The ice is melting and the average temperature of the Arctic is rising twice as fast as any other region of the world. Global warming is getting accelerated by the contraction of the Arctic ice cap. Moreover, the spruce bark beetle is breeding at an alarming rate and it has chewed up almost 3 – 4 acres of Alaskan forest. Penguin conservation has become an immediate issue to take care of or else we will lose all the happy feet of the world.

One of the worst environment hazards is Ozone Depletion, the main cause being release of Chlorofluorocarbons. Antarctica has been the earliest and the worst victim of ozone destruction. The ‘ozone hole’ above Antarctica now threatens not only the continent, but other parts of the world that could be the victims of Antarctica’s melting icecaps. The use of plastic bags has been banned worldwide and every country is trying to conserve the ozone layer of our atmosphere.

Go Green is the new mantra of humanity because no mortal can alter it an inch when nature comes in its best or at its worst. But until the entire world understands the importance of nature, we can’t live. We say ‘Hug a Tree’ but if we do that by becoming ivy then what’s the use? We go to find traces of water on the moon but do we try to find those areas on our earth that don’t receive even a drop of rain for years? It’s high time we save Mother Earth, else if She dies, we will die in Her womb too.

Aryani Banerjee

Read more

International Economic Condition

Sita is an old widow who lives in Faridabad. She has a son who works as a taxi driver in the NCR region. They earn just enough to suffice their one time meal. Her fruit and vegetable demand is met by the few pennies she earns by stitching. They are surviving in this world of cut throat competition but definitely not living up their lives. But now, the increase in crude oil prices and inflation are putting a question on their sole source of survival?

Well, the above story is the voice of thousands of people who are struggling to live their life. They have to face a new obstacle every other day and they have to sleep with empty bellies every night. Many haven’t tasted the supper of their life yet!

Because of the growing demand of crude oil, its production has suffered due to instability in nations where it is produced and so has its prices.

This condition is not only prevalent in India but country as advanced as USA is a scapegoat to economic loopholes such as inflation, hiking crude oil prices etc. Many people who earn their living by driving taxis or individuals like “us” who commute by private vehicles on daily basis to earn bread for their family or to study or any other reason in the world, are the most affected.

We see daily the newspaper is stormed with headlines of increasing price of petrol, diesel and LPG. In India, recently we saw a huge increment in the prices. The petrol rate elevated by rupees 5 per liters and the cost of a cylinder saw an increment of rupees 20-25 per cylinder. This has left the common man baffled and helpless. How will he survive with such increasing prices? A man, who sweats all day long to get his family few things above the basic necessities, has to compromise with his dreams because of increased rates.
How common man is affected?

1. As I said earlier, the gasoline prices rise up which creates a commotion in our life on regular basis. A man and a woman who has to fetch around 10 members of her family on daily basis cant afford to spend money as high as rupees 2000/month on an LPG cylinder.
2. The prices for public transport rise up- the people who readily compromise with their comfort of personal vehicles, suffer even more. On an average, to cover one kilometer, an auto wallah charges rupees 40-50. For a middle class person like me it is no less than a night mare.
3. The people, who now fall into the category of middle class, will soon fall below the creamy layer. The increased prices force them to live abysmally and it lowers the standard of living.
4. Even the food prices are seen to be affected. Many people die due to starvation and others are dying because they cannot cope up with this kind of “ignominious” style of living.
5. This entire if combined together, affects the international reputation of a country. And bolsters slow growth of a nation, especially, in a country like India where 70 percent of people are underprivileged and live on the mercy of laws and concessions given by the government.
6. Government should provide loans and subsidies to people like Sita who cannot follow the other suggested ways.

Well, we need to ponder over the above situation because it weakens the nation as a whole. But it gets me onto the point that what government is doing to get the peace back of its citizens?

I guess nothing.

I understand when internationally the market is down, the government can’t really help it but also, they can’t sit idle and tightlipped on this issue. Subsidies and other concessions can be provided to the citizens. But our government as always is busy bullying its rivals. The recent statement of a BJP spokesperson substantiates my point. He was quoted saying” had BJP been ruling the nation, it would have worked for the welfare of common man. But congress is deceiving people and is totally corrupt.

Now, that is something pathetic in my eyes. These elite and rather “unaffected” people sit comfortably and curse and accuse the opposing party without giving much relief to the common man!!

Actions that can help citizens:

1. Government should reduce the tax it charges on petrol. At least it will give some relief to people.
2. The use of public transport should be abetted and the fare of such vehicles should be kept in reach of the “aam admi”.
3. As an individual we should encourage the carpool system. This helps in dividing the cost and also gives a setback to other major problems of pollution and road accidents.
4. The commutation via metro can be an easy escape because it’s both affordable and comfortable.
5. Instead of taking care of its bank balance, government should use funds for the public welfare.

So, I believe we can tackle the economic crisis not just by relying on the government but taking few steps ourselves. We can avoid using vehicles in case we can walk down the distance. And why don’t we use cycles?

They can never be the centre of debate?

The solution lies with us. Just the problem is to discover it at the right time.

Abha Goel

Read more