Corporate population control hilarity
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india, united states
I spend a lot of my days in grad school debating whether population is a disaster waiting to happen and whether we need moral restraint or mutually agreed upon coercion. Which is the dominant variable in affecting environmental impact: population, affluence or technology?
(Hint: In my world view, it’s not exactly any of those three, but a related yet different issue: consumption.)
But all such debates tend to be repetitive, theoretical and mind-numbing. So, for laughs, here’s a different, ridiculous take on the so called population problem.
Let’s be clear that it absolutely misses any mark regarding how to solve the biggest global problem of our time. Indeed, the message is highly flawed and simplistic; too many Indians knocking boots is not the problem, and consumption of increasing forms of technology by the affluent is certainly not the solution.
And yes, this is just a corporate marketing ploy. But, again, in the category of hilarity to defuse the tension, I give it five stars. That my Hindi has improved enough to get some of the jokes is even better.
Tags: 3g, cell phone, consumption, decoupling, environment, garrett hardin, global environmental politics, humor, idea, india, ipat, mobile phone, mutual coercion mutually agreed upon, paul ehrlich, phone, population, population bomb, tragedy of the commons, unep
Wart slug on ailing reef…
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
The reef be dying...
Reefs the world over are suffering, as warming water (and possibly other factors) disrupt their productive symbiosis with a specific protozoa, zooxanthella. Each relies on the other for nutrients and energy, and the protozoa also give hard coral blocks their color.
But when this is cycle is disrupted — again, mostly my warming waters due to global warming but also acidification — the corals can’t maintain this balance and typically expel their zooxanthellae. This leads to a bleached — white or light colored — reef, which is my experience is typically then recovered by a different algae, like we see above.
This whole imbalance also typically wipes out other sensitive populations. For example, in the Andamans, the fast-evolving delicate nudibranchs have all but disappeared according to environmentalists and the dive community. When I was diving there, only the varicose wart slugs (above) were left.
Tags: andaman and nicobar, coral bleaching, divemaster training, environment, india, ocean, photography, pollution, reef, scuba diving, south button, varicose wart slug
Coral reef under threat
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
Sad reef
The dying Lighthouse reef of Havelock Island typifies shallow water reefs the world over. The ecosystem is collapsing.
So-called bleached coral looses its color as the symbiotic relationship with a protozoa fails. As the coral stop growing and eventually die, the myriad species that survive around them move or diminish. Frequently, it seems the corals are left to the whims of algae.
Scientists say coral bleaching is caused by a variety of factors stressing the coral (which are actually tiny creatures that build magnificent skeletons) and disrupting the symbiosis. Global warming, acidification, human waste, harmful fishing habits and more are all very real human impacts on these rain forests of the sea.
This underwater rainforest is all but gone
Tags: andaman and nicobar, conservation, coral, coral bleaching, divemaster training, environment, fish, global warming, havelock, india, lighthouse reef, reef, wildlife
Goodbye healthy reef
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
Deep blue Dixon's Pinnacle
About 100 feet beneath the ocean several miles off Havelock Island is a picture of what is fast disappearing: healthy reef.
Coral ecosystems — the rain forests of the ocean, as it were — are fading and collapsing in the face of global warming, coral bleaching, overfishing, agricultural runoff, human waste pollution, the list goes on.
We can congratulate ourselves for mucking about too much.
If you’re interested in knowing more, I encourage you to check out the research and conclusions from International Programme on the State of the Ocean.
I don’t mean to be preachy, but this particular slice of the environment is something I’m dedicating my life to. So, in my world view, it’s too damn important to not talk about.
More life than you can shake a stick at
Fish and more be everywhere
Tags: andaman and nicobar, conservation, coral, coral bleaching, divemaster training, dixon's pinnacle, environment, fish, global warming, india, ocean, photography, pollution, reef, scuba diving, state of the ocean, wildlife
Andaman Islands reef series starts… NOW
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
Now begins a series of ocean/dive/conservation photos from my divemaster training in January and February. This will continue for the next several weeks.
Above is a classic underwater vista from Johnny’s Gorge, off Havelock. This gives you a rough idea of what healthy reef looks like, though it’s fast disappearing due to an interrelated mix of coral bleaching, rising ocean temperatures and acidification due to CO2 absorption.
All of which is, at least partly, our fault. Sarcastic hooray for humans!
On an unrelated note, it’s clear that a proper Ikelite flash should be high on my list of upcoming dive purchases. Though I much prefer to shoot natural light, which is why the blog will essentially enter a blue phase whilst the dive photos are ongoing.
Tags: butterfly fish, divemaster training, environment, fish, india, johnny's gorge, ocean, photography, reef, scuba diving
Voices of Green India: Jayashree Joshi Eashwar
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
During May, I spent a couple weeks conducting interviews and producing short video testimonials for Greenpeace India. Hear now the stories of activism from a country struggling to protect its natural environment.
Tags: conservation, delhi, environment, greenpeace, india, multimedia, voices of green india
Voices of Green India: Jasbir Singh Chadda
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
During May, I spent a couple weeks conducting interviews and producing short video testimonials for Greenpeace India. Hear now the stories of activism from a country struggling to protect its natural environment.
Tags: conservation, delhi, environment, greenpeace, india, multimedia, voices of green india
Voices of Green India: Anurag Kumar
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
During May, I spent a couple weeks conducting interviews and producing short video testimonials for Greenpeace India. Hear now the stories of activism from a country struggling to protect its natural environment.
Tags: delhi, environment, greenpeace, india, multimedia, voices of green india
Voices of Green India: Abhishek Surana
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
During May, I spent a couple weeks conducting interviews and producing short video testimonials for Greenpeace India. Hear now the stories of activism from a country struggling to protect its natural environment.
Tags: delhi, environment, greenpeace, india, multimedia, voices of green india
Pilgrims and flags
Posted by Adam Jadhav | Filed under india
Pilgrims
A family on a pilgrimage walk around the Namgyal monastery at Dharamshala. This venture through the woods is one of the most peaceful “trails” I’ve encountered in a long time. Continue reading this entry » » »
Tags: buddhism, dharamshala, environment, india, photography, pilgrim, prayer flags, religion
