The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

1.Title: The Blind Assassin

2.Author:Margaret Atwood

3.Published by :Virago Press.

4.Copyright:@ O.W.Toad Ltd. 2000

5.ISBN:978-1-86049-880-0.

6.Pages:637.

7.Price:Rs 499/=

This novel  by Margaret Atwood is  dark  but a page turner. It is the story set in Ontario,Canada of two  sisters –Laura Chase  and Iris Chase Griffin . Laura   dies mysteriously in a car  accident and Iris  writes  fifty years after about  their story , secrets  and betrayals.

     The novel is set against the panoramic  backdrop of twentieth century history. The story moves through the first World War , the maiden voyage of Queen Mary, the Depression ,the Spanish Civil War , the second World War and several years thereafter. Against a broad social backdrop , Atwood has the ability  to suggest  the complexity of individual lives. Final tragedy is the result of human frailty, greed and passion .The novel also shows the ways women are used by men , especially if they also have wealth.

       The novel is told by Iris Chase Griffin  , who is now 83 years old .Iris  is writing a biography  of her early life  with her family ,  particularly her sister Laura.

 The novel unfolds layer by layer  ,and  there is also  a novel within novel. This novel ,  published by Iris  in Laura’s name  after her death is also called The Blind Assassin .In this  novel ,the hero  tells his lover  pulp fiction stories in the dingy rooms  where they meet. He is a leftist on the run , convenient scapegoat for a factory fire that was presumably an insurance fraud  while she is a privileged  person , sneaking away from  her watchers  , for a few risky hours of pleasure.

     The Blind assassin is more than  a mere fictional character ,as  told to a lover .In stead , it is an apt description  of a character that sometimes irresponsibly chooses  not to see and at other times is  nasty and vengeful .It is  a story of tragedy , corruption  and crucial manipulation. There are promises and betrayals, losses and regrets, memories and yearning .

        Each word , phrase , sentence and paragraph  in the book  is beautifully written and they are all appropriate  for the mood of the story. Atwood weaves  so many layers  that each part remains  interesting as a story , but the big picture  is only revealed in the end. Each of the characters  had their own quirks, own dark sides, their own edges , which made them very real. It is a gripping story . It is a grand story told in a grand way ,on a grand scale. It also shows that Atwood deeply understands the human condition , and she describes it beautifully.

                 I recommend you to read this great work of fiction .Incidentally , it also won the 2000  Booker Prize .

Organic Farming and Environment

In conventional agriculture , we use  chemical fertilizers  and pesticides  to improve productivity. But it has its   adverse impacts on environment , quality of food and health of consumers. Organic agriculture, on the other hand ,  has environmental sustainability at its core , in addition to concerns for  healthy soil , healthy food and  healthy people. In organic agriculture , farmers use  compost and manure  and use  non-synthetic pesticides  ,often only when  other pest control measures fail.          Practices  such as  crop rotations , inter-cropping , organic fertilizers  and pesticides, minimum tillage , returning crop residues to the soil  ,the use of cover crops and the greater  integration of  nitrogen –fixing legumes   are central to organic  practices. These practices  improve soil formation, control soil erosion  and  encourage soil flaura and fauna  to grow  .Nutrient losses are reduced , helping to  maintain and enhance soil productivity.

                   Many doubts and questions have been raised from time to time  , whether organic farm products are really  more nutritious than the products of conventional agriculture  and also  whether  organic agriculture has really substantial benefits  for environment.

                      According to a study published in British Journal of Nutrition (BJN) in July , 2014, organic products contain  18 to 69 percent higher  concentration of antioxidants .This BJN study  had carried an  analysis of  343  peer-reviewed  publications, and was done by the   researchers from  the UK  with the help of  an  American  Charles Benbrook. The study also said that when a plant grows organically  without pesticides , its taste ,flavour , aroma  and mouth feeling  are enhanced as well. . The study also found  a contaminant cadmium  to be about 50% lower in organic  crops  than in conventional foods.

        Organic agriculture  contributes to mitigating  the green house gases effect and global warming through its ability to sequester carbon in the soil. The   management practices used by  organic agriculture  increase the return of carbon to the soil , raising the productivity and  and favouring  carbon storage. The more organic carbon is retained in the soil ,the lower the emissions  leading to climate change  the more the mitigation potential of  agriculture  against climate change .

                           A recent study reporting on  a meta-analysis  of 766  Scientific Papers  concluded that  organic farming  produces more biodiversity  than other farming systems. Practices like rotation of crops  reduces erosion of agro-biodiversity.Lack of pesticide use  attracts new species  including wild flora and fauna ( eg birds) and organisms beneficial to  the organic system  such as pollinators  and pest predators.  The use of GMOs (Genetically  Modified Organisms )  is not permitted during  any stage of organic food production , processing or handling .Organic agriculture is choosing to encourage natural biodiversity , in stead of GMOs.

                       In many areas , pollution of ground water  due to the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides , is a major problem .Organic agricultural practices  greatly reduce the risk of  ground water pollution.

                              Certified organic products are those  which have been produced , stored , processed , handled and marketed  in accordance with  precise technical specifications or standards , and certified as “Organic”  by a Certification Body. The product is then afforded a label by the Certification body .The organic label  is a production process claim  as opposed to a product quality claim.   National governments can use international guidelines  to develop  national organic agriculture programmes .To  specify  national standards in India  and develop   regulations which are legally binding ,the Government of India  has implemented the  National Programme  for Organic Production (NPOP).It involves  the accreditation  programme  for Certification Bodies , standards for organic production , and promotion of organic farming.   National accreditation bodies  accredit certification agencies operating in the country and adhere to the International  Organization for  Standardization  basic standards for  accreditation  of certfiers(ISO65), in addition to their specific requirements. India has thirty accredited Certification agencies to facilitate the certification  to growers. The NPOP  standards for production and accreditation system have been  recognized by  European Commission and Switzerland  for unprocessed  plant products  as equivalent to their  country standards. With  these recognitions , Indian organic  products duly certified by  the accreditation certification bodies  of India are  accepted  by the importing countries.

                                       Organic food is more expensive than  conventional food. The reasons are  as follows:

1.Organic food supply is limited as compared to  demand.

2. Organic farming involves greater  labour input per unit of output.

3.  Economies of scale  are not  achieved.

4.  Post harvest handling of organic foods  has higher costs.

5.  Because of relatively small volumes , marketing and distribution chain for organic  products is  relatively inefficient. As a result , costs are higher.

6.  Low financial returns of  rotational periods (necessary to build soil fertility.)

7.  Higher standards required for animal welfare result in higher costs.

But organic farming has several benefits apart from its contribution to environment , biodiversity, soil quality, nutrition and health.

1.Avoidance of future medical expenses  due to avoidance of health risks to  farmers due to inappropriate handling of pesticides.( Malwa region in Punjab  was dubbed as the  Cancer  Belt of India  due to unusually high incidence of  cancer cases  linked to the  excessive use of pesticides by cotton farmers.)

2. Generation of additional farm employment.

3.. Organic farming supports animal health and welfare.

                                 Organic agriculture is still a small  part of the over-all agriculture.  In the world , nearly 43.1 million ha  land is being certified  as organic  in 170 countries, constituting 1% of  the total agricultural  land of the countries under study.The countries with the most  organic agricultural land are :

Australia: 17.2 million  ha.

Argentina: 3.2 million ha.

USA : 2.2 million  ha.

As in March , 2014 , India had brought  4.72  million ha area  under certification process  which includes  0.6 million ha of cultivated  agricultural land  and 4.12  million ha of wild harvest collection area  in forests.

               So far , 11 states  of India , namely Andhra Pradesh ,  Karnataka , Kerala, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh ,Tamil Nadu ,Himachal Pradesh , Sikkim,  Nagaland and Mizoram  have drafted the organic agricultural  promotion policies.Sikkim had taken up the task of  converting the entire state  into organic  by 2015 and has already brought  more than 65000 ha  area under organic  certification process.Sikkim has transformed into  an organic state  and set an example for the rest of India.

                  India exported  165,262 MT of organic products  belonging to 135 commodities  valuing about 1900 crore rupees.Domestic market is also growing at an annual growth rate of 15-25%.

                    Organic agriculture  has many environmental and health benefits.The movement for organic agriculture is slowly building up , and in near future is likely to take major leaps.  India will host the  19^th Organic World Congress (OWC) from November 9 to November 13 , 2017 .This event will take place in  India Exposition Mart in Greater Noida.OWC is held every three years to  promote and celebrate  the turning of global agriculture  to organic farming methods and to measure progress.

(This article was published in Tree Take magazine, Lucknow ,India in its December 15,2016 issue).

        

             

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Never Let Me Go is a novel which haunts you long after you have read it .First published in 2005 by Faber and Faber ,London , this 282 pages book was also  made into a major  movie , by the same name .

             Hailsham school is a  school  for children  who are cloned  and who are brought up to become  organ donors and carers. The ultimate destiny of these children is to keep donating their organs till they complete(die).The purpose of Hailsham is to  brainwash these students  so that they  remain steady and dependable  suppliers of  organs as they grow into adults. These children remain  puzzled at Hailsham   with many unanswered questions and  grow into confused adults. Their lack of understanding of the world outside is touching . Hailsham carefully ensures that  they are sheltered from any such understanding .They look for their Possibles , the human beings they might have been cloned from .But they fail.

                  The novel is about the life of three such children – Kathy,Ruth and Tommy. None of them have parents but they crave  security , parental figures and love one another. They have heard that if a boy and a girl deeply  love  each other , the couple can get deferral from donation of organs. Kathy grows into an excellent carer and  tries her best that she never lets Ruth and Tommy go .But they finally have to  leave , one by one .

      “Never let me go” is a very touching novel and indicates how hope in these children steadily erodes as they grow up  and begin to understand the world a little. They begin to realize turmoils and injustices  of the world  but  have no choice but to keep calm .But still , they do indulge in  small  pleasures  which life offers them in their situations.

               Kazuo Ishiguro has  written this powerful novel with great skill. The novel shocks and jolts  us on many levels – cloning and its morality , keeping the children in the dark about the world outside while brainwashing them , developing spare  organs for those who are rich and powerful and  who control the system .Despite its dark aspects , the  reading of this book is a very rich experience .

               I recommend you to read this book .Incidentally ,this book finds a place in the list of 100 novels of the century , prepared by Time magazine in 2005 .

        

          

              

The Righteous Mind :Why Good People are divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidth

Many of us are guided by very strong and absolute morals. If some one’s morals differ from ours  , we treat him or her   less moral or even immoral .Such an attitude creates tremendous communication barriers, even  damaging misunderstandings. This book “The Righteous Mind  . Why Good people  are divided by Politics and Religion “ is a seminal book   which contributes  significantly to our understanding about ourselves and others. It tells us why we hold certain moral beliefs   and why many people disagree with us , even  if they are good.

                   I must state at the outset that  Jonathan Haidth  has written this great  book with great care and clarity and I  have very deep regards and respect for his integrity , indepth research  and his communication ability. He   has been on the faculty of  the University of Virginia  since 1995  and is currently a visiting Professor  of business ethics  at New York University’s  Stern School of Business. It is a book on moral psychology.The book is full of  brilliant insights.First published in The United States  of America in 2012 , it was republished in 2013 by Penguin Books in 2013 and has 500 pages.

       His first principle is :”Intuitions come first , strategic reasoning second.”In other words , we first make a decision  based on our intuitions , then  make post hoc  arguments /reasoning  to dismiss other people.(Inspired by David Hume).

          Another insight is derived from Glaucon , Plato’s brother , who says that people are only virtuous  because they fear the consequences of getting caught—especially the damage to their reputations.

             The second principle of moral psychology  is:”There is more to morality than harm and fairness”.The six moral foundations of politics are Care, fairness, loyalty,authority,sanctity and  liberty.Be suspicious of moral monists.Beware of any one who insists that there is one true morality  for all people , times and places—particularly if that morality is founded upon a  single moral foundation.You don’t need to use all six foundations , and there may be certain organizations or subcultures  that can thrive with just one.

            There is a total difference between moral relativism and moral pluralism .He quotes Isaiah Berlin :”The number of human values  is finite.If aman pursues one of these values ,I who do not ,am able to understand  why he pursues it .Hence the possibility of human understanding”.

           The third principle of moral psychology is:”Morality binds and blinds”.We are 90 percent Chimp(Selfish) and 10 percent  bee (selfless).We are Homo Duplex.We have been told for 50 years  now (By Richard Dawkins Selfish Gene , and others) that human beings are fundamentally selfish.But it is not true.We may spend most of our waking hours  advancing our own interests , but we all have the capacity to  transcend self interest  and become simply a part of a whole.Though it is difficult  but not impossible  to connect with those who live in other  moral , religious and political matrices.

           It is a brilliant book based on latest research .I highly recommend you to read it ---to understand your self , to understand others , and to bring about unity in the  world.

E-Waste,its disposal and Environment

 Recently(September6,2016)  ,  a survey “What India Knows about E-Waste “ was released by Toxics Link , a Delhi based  non-profit working on environmental issues  .The survey polled 2030 respondents in five metro cities of Delhi , Mumbai , Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai.Here are the results:

1. 34%   respondents said they were aware of the rules regarding E-Waste.
2. 12%   respondents had heard about the   rules  but did not know the details.
3. Only the 50% of the respondents   knew what   E-Waste  is.
4. 93%, 90% , 74%  respondents in Kolkata , Delhi and Chennai   did not know anything about  the legal framework and its provisions, while in Bengluru 52% and in Mumbai 77%  respondents were ignorant about the rules.

     5. 61% of the respondents   are ignorant about the  impact of improper disposal  of electrical and electronic equipment.

    6.More than 50%  consumers ( 63% in Delhi and 65% in  Kolkata)  sell their E-    Waste to Kabadi walas(  local scrap dealers)—a practice leading to  informal   recycling , causing  harm  to human health and environment.

   It is obvious that   there is lack of  awareness  among people and users about E-Waste management , resulting in poor E-Waste management.

What is E-Waste?

The waste generated due to   discarded , obsolete , end of life  electrical and electronic  equipments  is known as  E-Waste The computers,mobile phones,  televisions , servers , music systems , refrigerators, air-conditioners, medical equipments  and their respective assemblies contribute to the E-Waste in the country.

                        Globally , 20 to 50 million tonnes  per annum  of E-waste are being generated , which is 5.0%  of the municipal waste at global scale.(UNEP Press Release ,2008).In India , total E-Waste  generation is about 12.5 lac tonnes per annum , which is  merely 2.5% of the global  production , taking a  base of 40 million tonnes  E-Waste generated per annum. Maharashtra among the states and Mumbai  among the metropolitan  cities are leading in the E-Waste generation  in India.

E-Waste has become  the fastest growing waste in the municipal waste stream.USA is leading in E-Waste generation , followed by China, by 30 lac tonnes and 23 lac tonnes  respectively.(Rajya Sabha,2010).

                      In India , the growth rate of the mobile phones is 80%  while that of PC is 20% and TV  is 18%.By 2020 , computer based E-Waste will increase  500% and mobile phone 1800% ,with respect to  2007. (Tom Young ,  ,2010).The E-Waste received from differenr sources comprise the following:

1.Televisions and desktops : 68%

2.Servers                              : 27%

3. Mobile Phones                 :1%

4.Import from developed countries :2%

 The other equipments like  refrigerators, air-conditioners, music systems ,  medical equipments , ovens , etc.,  also contribute in the E-Waste generation  marginally , as their life is more and their use is limited in the society.

Present Status:

The informal recyclers  get the E-Waste  from local waste collectors at very cheap price and recover the metals  like Aluminium , Copper, Iron and Steel,  Lead and Zinc  by primitive methods and leave  all hazardous metals  Lead, Cadmium , Mercury ,etc.,  at the treating sites in open  , causing an explosion of pollutants in the environment. .They generate  heavy loads of pollutants in the atmosphere .They use open burning , acid leaching  for the recovery of metals , which are environment-unfriendly methods.These are detrimental to human health  as the pollutants persist in the environment for years together.

              In general , in E-Wasted equipment, the metal constitutes  more than 60% , plastic 30% and hazardous pollutants 2.7%.It has been reported that  among total metals , 75% are  heavy metals  present in landfills  where E-waste has been landfilled.The landfills are  considered a good source  of manure  and people are making use of it  in vegetable growing .In this way ,  heavy metals  get into human food  chain  easily and may cause  neurological and bone disorders. Such disorders may also come  with ingestion and inhalation .

             Health hazards of  constituents of E-Waste are as follows:

1. Lead: Causes damage to nervous system , blood system and Kidney .
2. Cadmium: Toxic effects , neural damage.
3. Mercury: Damage to brain and respiratory system , Skin disorders.
4. Chromium: Causes Bronchitis.
5. Plastics: While burning , causes reproductive problems.
6. Barium, Phosphorus: Damage to heart , liver and spleen; Muscle weakness.
7. Copper: Stomach cramps, nausea, liver damage.
8. Nickel: Asthma, allergy to skin.
9. Lithium: Harms nursing babies.
10. Beryllium: Lung cancer, Beryllium disease.

( Ref: Status of E-Waste in India –A Review by Mahesh C Vats , Santosh K. Singh :IJIRSET, Volume 3, Issue 10, October , 2014.)

Present Rules:

In March 2016, the environment ministry notified E-Waste Management Rules , 2016 , replacing 2011  Rules.The earlier E-waste (management and Handling) rules were enforced from May 1, 2012.  Under  earlier Rules, the responsibility of each stakeholder , i.e. , Producer , Collection centre , Consumer or bulk consumer , dismantler and other stakeholders were explained .The E-waste storage was permitted for 180 days, and further    storage would be offensive  until permitted by  State Pollution Control Board concerned in unavoidable circumstances. The responsibility  for disposal of all equipment  produced under his control  was shifted from  municipality to OEM.(Original Equipment manufacturer).

   Under 2016 Rules , producers have  Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and rules provide for  financial penalty for   damage caused to ecology  and any third party  due to improper management of E-Waste.

                    India has ratified the  Basil Convention , prohibiting  trans-boundary  movement of E-Waste .But the developed nations are  despatching E-Waste to  developing nations  continuously in the name of  recycling , charity  and second hand use.

The formal recycling in the country  is in transition .CPCB is registering  recyclers every year.At present , 23  recyclers have been registered   for the treatment of E-Waste produced in the country.

Sno.    State         registered recyclers          E-waste allotted for recycling by CPCB.

1.   Andhra Pradesh            2                         11800 MTA

2.   Karnataka                     7                         3140.6 MTA,120,000 cartridges

3.   Gujrat                           1                         12000MTA

4.   Maharashtra                  3                         8060MTA

5.   Haryana                        1                         1200MTA

6.   Rajasthan                      1                         450MTA

7.   Tamil Nadu                  6                         38927 MTA

8.   Uttar Pradesh               1                         1000MTA

9.    Uttarakhand                1                          12000MTA

The registered recyclers have to  comply with E-Waste management  guidelines  and adhere to the rules  E-Waste (M and H) Rules , 2011.

A fixed quantity of E-waste is being allotted to them .However, they are not getting it easily  and always strive to get it from  import channels  so that their facility may be run at full load.The E-Waste generated reporting process is not in place .The infrastructure cannot be created , based on estimated quantity of E-Waste.

Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) foe E-Waste  :

The ESM  implementation has following challenges:

1.Extended Producer Responsibility has yet to be effectively implemented.

2.,There is a lack of awareness among people.

3.No common E-Waste  disposal point or centre in towns and metros.

4.Formal E-Waste collection , storage , treatment  and disposal system is not yet in place.New infrastructure is needed.

E-Waste is a serious threat to  the human health and environment , and needs our urgent attention .The producers, government and agencies  responsible , NGO’s will have to make joint efforts  to educate consumers  about proper disposal of E-Waste and  ensure that    E-waste  is disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.(This article was published in the magazine Tree Take , Lucknow in its issue dated November 15,2016.)

The Life Divine by Sri Aurobindo

1.Title:  The Life Divine

2.  Author:  Sri Aurobindo

3.Publisher:  Sri Aurobindo Ashram Publication Department

4. First Published:  1939-40

5.ISBN :  81-7058-188-5

6.Copyright:  @Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust 1970.

7.Pages:  1070

8.Price:  Rs140 only.

I must confess at the outset that it is a difficult book. A  friend had gifted it  in 1994 when I was posted in Moradabad  as District Magistrate. I tried to read it on several  different occasions , but  I had to give up after reading the first  few pages. It was too abstract and difficult .It was only in  July ,2016 that I  took it up as a challenge  .I could slowly read it over a period of about three months and completed its reading in October , 2016.I  can say with all humility that I  have understood it only partly , but whatever I could understand , was worth all the time I spent.

             The Buddha , as he stood on the threshold of Nirvana , of the Non-Being , his soul turned back  and took the vow  never to make  the irrevocable crossing  so long as  there was a single being  upon earth  undelivered from  the knot of the suffering , from the bondage of the ego.The real goal of life  is not Nirvana for an individual.

           God is Sat , Chit Anand .In other words , God is Existence,Consciousness-Force , Bliss.The Divine descends  through the creative medium of Supermind . On the other hand ,  human beings ascend from Matter , Life , Soul(Psyche), and mind and Supermind towards the Divine.This is the Reality and the Universe. This is explained by Book One.

        Book Two is about the Spiritual Evolution .Ego is separative and divisive. Vidya , the highest knowledge is the knowledge of One. Avidya is the knowledge of  the divided Many. Actually Vidya alone is Knowledge . Avidya is Ignorance. Knowledge in its totality , is  abiding self-knowledge  and world knowledge. Self-knowledge  leads to the most direct road to Nirvana.(Knowledge of God).

            Reality is Truth, Good , beauty.(Satyam , Shivam ,Sundaram).Whatever knowledge of self there would be , would be perfectly embodied in the will of the self , the will perfectly embodied  in the action of the self. This will result in  self-formulation and delight of self-expression .The complete self awareness  is what is meant by spiritual knowledge.

              A Divine life must be  first and foremost  an inner life. Those who turn the eye inward  see and know the Spirit  and develop into spiritual being. Inward turning  is the first step towards a true  universality .Often our universalization  on the surface  is a poor and limping endeavour. We think we are universal  in our altruism  but we do not see that it is a veil  for the imposition of our  individual self ,  our need for ego enlargement  upon others whom we  take up into our extended orbit. We have to have an inner sense  of the reality of oneness  to have a realization of spiritual unity. Such a life can govern the action of a divine life. An inner life awakened to a full consciousness  and to a full power of consciousness  will bear its inevitable fruit  in all who have it , self knowledge ,  the joy of a satisfied being , the happiness of a fulfilled nature. Then we have conscious communication of mind with mind , heart with heart, a unity of being , a spiritual conscious community.

             “The individual  does not owe his ultimate allegiance  to the State  .His allegiance must be to the Truth ,the Self , the Spirit , the Divine which is in him and in all .Not to subordinate  but to find and express  that truth of being in himself  and help the community  and humanity in its seeking  for its own truth  and fullness of being must be his real object of existence.”

              As a person moves towards  spiritual freedom ,  he moves also towards  spiritual oneness. He becomes preoccupied with  the good of all beings. A perfected community  also can exist only  by the perfection of  its individuals .For the awakened individual , the realization of his truth  of being  and his inner liberation  and perfection  must be his  primary seeking.

            Education and  intellectual training by itself  cannot change a man  because it leaves human ego unchanged .Man’s true way out is to  discover his soul  and its self force  and replace by it  both the mechanisation of mind , the ignorance and disorder  of life  nature. What evolutionary Nature presses for , is an awakening  to the knowledge of  self , the discovery of self , the manifestation of the self  and spirit within us  and the  realisation of its self knowledge , its self power. A life of (Gnostic) awakened  beings  carrying the evolution  to a higher  supramental  status  might fitly be characterised  a Divine Life. This is the soul true  supermanhood and the one real possibility  of a step forward  in evolutionary Nature.

                 I find  an identity of views between Sri Aurobindo and CG Jung.Both emphasize self knowledge.Self knowledge automatically leads  one towards  being a super mind and work  for  spiritual unity and good of community .Altruism at surface , without inner awakening and self knowledge , is  merely a display of ego .

             If you  muster the courage to read this  difficult  book , it will change your life.

The Undiscovered Self by C.G.Jung

1. Title of the book: The Undiscovered Self

2. Author: C. G. Jung

3. Translator from German: R. F. C. Hull

4. First Published : 1958

5. Publisher: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd

6. Pages :  113

7. ISBN: 0-7100-1625-5(  c )

8. Rating:  *****

Normally  a person  possesses only a  limited degree of self-knowledge. State  tries to influence a person through mass movements while religion  does so  through  baptism en masse. But they do not touch the inner man  and cannot bring about any  real and fundamental change in  an individual . Nothing is achieved by  telling , persuading , admonishing , giving good advice. To  know a person , one  has to  relate to the individuality of the human being .

             We cannot ignore the existence of  the unconscious. Self-knowledge  requires not only conscious knowledge of self but also an understanding of  the unconscious self or psyche. Man’s progressively increasing concern  with consciousness  at the expense of the unconscious  results in many psychic disturbances and difficulties. In this way , man  slips into an unreal world  where the products of  his conscious activity  progressively replace reality. As our consciousness  has  broadened  and differentiated , our moral  nature has lagged behind .This is because we have neglected our unconscious , our soul. Self-knowledge  can be achieved only  by exploring our unconscious.Our unconscious  self is the source of our individuality.

              The salvation of the world consists in the salvation  of the individual  soul. Many aspects of of a neurotic’s life  are in the last analysis  , the direct effects of  the Zeitgeist. Such a condition cries out  for order and synthesis. “Resistance  to the organized mass  can be effected only by the man  who is as well organized  in his individuality  as the mass  itself”.

                 A deep-seated change  of inner man (metamorphosis)  can not come from environment .Religion , as a rule , only confirm  certain tendencies  and does  not change them.An individual  has to remould  his archetypal forms  into ideas  which are adequate to the challenge of the present. He has to give all attention to  his soul, his unconscious. It takes time to bring about psychic changes  that have any prospect of enduring .

                Preaching and persuading  are futile .But any one  who has  insight into  his own actions , his own unconscious ,  involuntarily  exercises an influence  on his environment .Its effect lasts only  so long as  it is not  disturbed by conscious intention. .

                         Our social goals commit the error  of overlooking  the psychology of the person  for whom they are intended .Otherwise they only promote his illusions.

                    This book was written in 1958 in the backdrop of communism  and clod war , but I find that it   affirms  the fundamental  truth that to know and strengthen our self , we have to look into our unconscious .Merely acquiring the knowledge of the external world and our conscious self through that knowledge is  highly inadequate.

               I strongly recommend you to read this outstanding book.

Food Wastage and its Impact on Environment

When we talk of food wastage , we have in mind  the wastage of cooked food .But  there is a wastage of food all along  the food  supply chain .There is a wastage at the stage of production , post -harvest , storage , processing , distribution and finally at consumption stage .At global level , there is a wastage of  1.3 billion tonnes of food every year. Total agricultural production  for food and non-food uses is about 6 billion tonnes.   FAO’ s “Food Wastage Footprint : Impact on Natural Resources “ is the first study to analyze the impacts of  global food wastage  from an environmental perspective, looking specifically  at its consequences  for the climate , water, land use and biodiversity.

                  FAO study report says  that 54% of  the world’s food wastage  occurs during  production , post-harvest  handling  and storage, remaining 46% of  wastage happens  in the  processing , distribution and consumption  stages. Thus farmers ,  traders , consumers and all citizens  are all stakeholders in the reduction of food wastage .The direct  economic losses due to food wastage are  of the order of $750 billion  every year .(This is the figure of 2007 , as reported by FAO).This is equivalent to the  GDP of Turkey or Switzerland .This is a low estimate since it mainly considers  producer prices  and not the value of end product .

                                       But economic costs are not the only reason why we should reduce food wastage. Environmentally , food wastage is responsible for  adding 3.3 billion tonnes  of green house gases.As such ,  food wastage ranks  as the third top  emitter after  USA and China.Food wastage contributes to the largest volume of material in landfills in the US and accounts for 21% of total waste system  in that country.Methane emissions  from landfills  represent the largest  source of GHG emissions from the entire waste sector , contributing around  700 million metric tonnes of  Carbondioxide equivalent per year .

In addition , there is water footprint related to  food wastage .Globally ,  consumption of water resources((both surface and ground ) of food wastage  is about 250 Km cube , which is equivalent to  3.6  times  consumption of the USA  for  the same period   .     Besides environmental  costs , there is a major moral  imperative related to food wastage .While 870 million people  go hungry every day , we cannot  allow one-third  of all the food we produce , to go waste .This is criminal .

But what is happening  to food wastage  over time?In US , food waste has increased by  about 50% since 1974 , and now accounts for  nearly 40% of  all food produced  in the US..Across the supply chain , the loss is  1400 kilocalories  per head per day.Food waste accounts for  a quarter of the fresh water  supply , and 300 million gallons  of oil a year .In the times of water shortage  and higher gas prices , that is a lot of wasted resources.One billion people could be fed for a year  with the amount  only the USA  wastes every year.This obviously indicates  the need for stepping up efforts to prevent food wastage.

                                                                        

How to prevent food wastage?

In developing countries , significant post-harvest losses are a key problem , occurring as a result of  financial and structural limitations in  harvesting techniques , storage  and transport infrastructure .Climatic conditions also add to  food spoilage.In India , we need to pay more attention  and devise policy measures to reduce food  losses at these stages .In middle and                                             

high-income regions , food wastage at  the retail and consumer level  accounts for 31-39% of the total wastage  while in low-income regions , it is 4-16% of the total wastage.FAO report also says that  the later a food product is  lost or wasted along the food chain ,  the greater the  environmental consequences , because  the environmental costs  incurred during  processing , storage and transport  and cooking must be added  to the initial  production costs.

               The new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include target number  12.3   aims to halve  food loss and waste by 2030.”Think.Eat.Save” campaign of UNEP , launched in 2014, in partnership with  FAO  is a public awareness raising campaign  to mobilise  global action  against food wastage  and against its adverse impact  on  environment , economy and society. This  campaign gives assistance to  businesses ,  local authorities and governments  for designing  effective food wastage prevention programmes.

One way to prevent food wastage is   through reuse. Where reuse is not possible , recycling and recovery  should be pursued .Dumping food in landfills  is a bad idea because  food thrown in landfills  is a large producer of Methane , a particularly harmful  Green House Gas. Instead ,  recycling , anaerobic digestion, composting  and incineration  with energy recovery  have significant advantage over dumping. In order for city and local  governments  to efficiently and effectively  recycle food  waste, it is essential to take actions  at the household level  to separate out food waste from the rest of the waste. Recycling  schemes work out only  when waste is properly sorted at the source. Suitable regulations in this regard  need to be framed and judiciously used.

   Rather than dumping waste in landfills, the use of anaerobic  digestion to break it down into digestate is preferable to both composting and landfill disposal .It gives both  fertilizer and biogas .When digestion is not possible , home composting represents the next best option .At the individual level ,  home composting can divert  up to 150 Kgm of food waste  per household per year from local collection authorities. Incineration  of food waste (with energy released   being recovered) is the option of last resort  for preventing food waste  from ending up in landfills.

                    Food wastage prevention programme  has to be  implemented and monitored both  at the level of businesses and households. Businesses  - both those operating  within the food chain as  well as those operating outside the food chain (which have  a large food print , like Cafeterias, for example) can conduct food waste audits  to determine  how they can improve  their performance in controlling food wastage. Households can also conduct relatively  simpler food waste audits.

 Better awareness and sensitization  in and among all participants in food chain  is of great importance .For example ,  when farmers do not find a market for products , they leave them to rot in field .This needs to to be changed. Families cook larger quantity of food  than actually required .They should be more precise   how many persons will eat food on a particular day. Supermarkets sometimes downsize orders to producers  at the last minute , leaving the producers with  large quantities of unsalable products. Restaurants over stocking  food by over-estimating demand .Food-retailers displaying very large quantities of food , believing it to contribute to increased sale , is a wasteful practice and needs to be discontinued .When  food item starts to approach the end of its shelf life , it is discarded , resulting in wastage .In short, food-retailing has to be environmentally-minded.

                       In a world where we have large population of starving , poor  human beings , where we are suffering from the environmental  challenges of pollution , lack of cleanliness, global warming and climate change , taking all possible steps at individual household level as well as at the level of local bodies and the state and central government  is the need of the hour.-(This article was published in the October 15,2016 issue of the magazine Tree Take , Lucknow , India.)

Blind Spots by Claudia M. Shelton

1.Title:Blind Spots: achieve success by seeing  what you can’t SEE

2.Author: Claudia M. Shelton

3.Publisher: John Wiley & Sons  Inco.

4.Year of Publication: 2007

5.Copyright: @2007 Claudia M. Shelton

6.ISBN: 978-0-470-04225-0

7.Genre Success in Business’ Executive Coaching

8.Pages: 255

9.Rating : ***

Every one has blind spots in  self. Blind spots are  things we do ,  or negative habits  in our behaviour  that we cannot see.These are the things  we do  unconsciously. For example , we  may not be clear about our own strengths or weaknesses. Blindspots can adversely affect our  performance in business and also  our relationships  because others  see them and get  affected by them while we are unaware of them .

                    Obviously , it is a good thing if we can identify our blind spots  and then take steps to eliminate them .Our quest for self awareness cannot be complete  without identifying our blind spots. Claudia Shelton makes an attempt to educate us how to do it . Some one external to us , a friend or a trusted colleague can do this job for us , if they know the techniques , and if we request them to do it for us .But it is a sensitive exercise .When others give us negative feedback to us about our blind spots,  we may become uncomfortable, and may challenge them .So , it is up to us to shift to neutral , be non-judgmental when some one else  begins to tell us about our blind spots at our request.

                     So far , so good.But when it comes to tools like  Five Most Common  Blind Spots framework, Clear Sight Plan , Personal Self-Portrait, Blind Spots Profile, Blind Spots 360,The Confidence Triangle , Statement of Strengths, Statement of Purpose, Claudia  begins to sound like the author of a typical self-help book.

                     The book makes us aware of the blind spots’ existence in each of us , and encourages us to identify and eliminate them .Even this contribution is  very  significant and I thank the author for this.

Proof of Heaven . . A Neurosurgeon’s Journey into the Afterlife by Dr Eben Alexander

1.Title:Proof of Heaven  ..A Neurosurgeon's  Journey into the Afterlife

2.Author:Dr Eben Alexander

3.First Published:2012

4.Publisher:Piaktus in Great Britain .

5.Copyright:@2012 Dr Eben Alexander

6.ISBN : 978-0-7499-5879-4

7.Pages: 194

8.Price: Rs. 375.

Dr Eben is a renowned neurosurgeon  based in Virginia. After earning an MD from Duke University , he worked as a neurosurgeon in  the top institutions of the world including  Harvard Medical School. On November 10,2008 ,at the age of 54, Dr  Eben was struck by a rare illness  and was thrown into coma for seven days. He was found to  have bacterial meningitis. E.coli  meningitis is very rare in adults. No underlying cause of his illness could be identified. Scans of his brain revealed  massive damage  and he was not expected to survive. He remained in coma for seven days .On the eighth day , he opened his eyes , became alert  and very shortly  went on to have a full recovery. Doctors attending on him thought it was a miraculous recovery.

               Soon after his recovery , for the next six weeks or so ,Dr Eben wrote his experiences  in the higher worlds. This book is based essentially on those writings. Dr Eben says that he went through deep and intense NDE, Near Death Experience while he was in coma. The death of the body and the brain is not the end of consciousness. Dr  Eben is certain of life after death and  he says:Ï am the living proof”. He also says that any one of us can go deep into our consciousness  through prayer and meditation  to access the truths of higher worlds. He quotes Albert Einstein: ”I must be willing to give up  what I am in order  to become  what I will be.”

                        During his journey after death , he experienced unconditional love and acceptance.He also realized that  nothing can tear us from God.But this was because  throughout his time in the higher worlds , he was asoul with no attachments and nothing to lose.Every one of us is deeply cared for by God.No one is unloved.

                   All this coming from a highly reputed Neurosurgeon  makes us  positively inclined to believe in  a consciousness living even when we die. I recommend you to read this  insightful book .It will make some change in the way you think about this life and beyond.