Exhibit Space Application March 20 22, 2015: Fill & Download for Free

There have been many arguments both for and against the World Culture Festival 2016 being conducted on the Yamuna plains. The National Green Tribunal alleges that the event has destroyed the river and the environment.Let us go through a detailed analysis of the various important claims put out by the National Green Tribunal’s (to be referred as NGT hereafter) Expert Committee alleging damage to the Yamuna Floodplains post the World Culture Festival, 2016 conducted by the Art of Living Foundation.I would like to present before the readers a statistically unbiased and scientifically backed representation of this case which is currently sub-judice.Land Description:Before we go further, it is essential that we first geographically define the area over which the World Culture Festival was conducted (From 11th March –13th March 2016)The land parcel is a finite piece of land over the Yamuna floodplain bound by the DND Flyover to its South; Barapulla Drain to its North;River Yamuna to its East and Ring Road to its West.Area ~ 25 hectaresCan be located on WGS (World Geodetic System) 84 coordinates 24 deg 34’55’’N and 77 deg 16’43’’EHere is the detailed image categorically bifurcating the various land sites w.r.t it’s usage for the event(Source: Google Earth, 15th of March ,2016)2. It is very essential to draw the following conclusions from the above satellite images:3-Permanently ramps existed since 2008 (Having bituminous pavement,with potholes and degenerating bituminous overlay).7-Area marked by the purple region previously had mounts of construction waste (malba) solid waste,which has been cleared for the WCF 2016 event by the Art of Living foundation at its own expense.8-Unpaved earthen road running parallel to the Barapullah drain,which is in existence at least since the year 2000,used for vehicles and earth-movers engaged in drain cleaning and slit removal in this section of Barapullah drain.The temporary installations and the make-shift stage are also clearly visible from the satellite imagery.Fig 1:Permanent Ramp 1 having bituminous pavement existed at least since Jan 2008Fig 2:Permanent Ramp 2 having bituminous pavement existed at least since Jan 2008Now, let us go and categorically visit each claim made by the NGTClaim 1: No permission sought from the NGT by the Art of Living Foundation before the eventFacts:The entire site belongs to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA)Firstly,the NGT is a court,a tribunal and an autonomous institute, not a government agency to give permissions.Here is the official permission letter sought by the Art of Living (Vyakti Vikas Kendra India-Trust of the foundation) to use the land site for the event and it no where states that prior permission from the NGT needs to be sought.As you can see, the permission letter is approved by the Honorable L.G. of Delhi and duly signed by the Office of the Chief Engineer (E.P.)Mr.D.P.Singh of the DDA on 15th of December 2015.Apart from this, the Art of Living organization had taken permission from 20 various organizations and competent authorities (Government Bodies)The entire list of the government bodies is elucidated below:Central Public Works DepartmentDelhi Development AuthorityDelhi Fire ServiceDelhi Jal BoardDelhi PoliceDelhi Pollution Control CommitteeDelhi Traffic PoliceDepartment of Irrigation and Flood ControlDistrict Disaster Management AuthorityEast Delhi Municipal CorporationIndian ArmyIrrigation DepartmentMinistry of Environment and ForestsMinistry of External AffairsMinistry of Home AffairsNew Okhla Industrial Development AuthorityPublic Works Department-DelhiPublic Works Department-UPSouth Delhi Municipal CorporationUttar Pradesh Government2. Claim 2: Alleging the presence of wetlands on the eventFacts:To understand this point, we need to first comprehend the difference between a wetland and a floodplain.According to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands ,signed in 1971 (Iran) wetlands are defined as: "areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres"(The Convention on Wetlands, called the Ramsar Convention, is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. Number of Contracting Parties: 169)There are currently 26 Ramar sites in India which are enlisted below:Ashtamudi Wetland,KeralaBhoj Wetland,Madhya ParadeshChandertal Wetland,Himachal PradeshChilika Lake,OrissaDeepor Beel,AssamEast Calcutta Wetlands,West BengalHarike Lake,PunjabHokera Wetland,Jammu and KashmirKanjili,PunjabKeoladeo National Park,RajasthanKolleru Lake,Andhra PradeshLoktak Lake,ManipurNalsarovar,GujaratPoint Calimere Wildlife and Bird Santuary,Tamil NaduPong Dam Lake,Himachal PradeshRenuka Wetland,Himachal PradeshRopar,PunjabRudrasagar Lake,West Tripura DistrictSambhar Lake,RajasthanSasthamkotta Lake,KeralaSurinsar-Mansar Lake,Jammu and KashmirTsomoriri,Jammu and KashmirUpper Ganga River,Uttar PradeshVembanad-Kol Wetland,KeralaWular Lake,Jammu and KashmirBhitarkanika Mangroves,OrissaSo, according to the Ramsar sites (India being a signatory of the Ramsar convention) , the World Culture Festival venue does not come under the wetland category.Wetlands come under Ecologically Sensitive Zones are are protected areas by the government.Now,let us analyse the land area with respect to the Survey of India (The Survey of India is India's central engineering agency in charge of mapping and surveying) mapsHere is the Annexure -1B Portion of 1:25000 Scale Detailed Map of Delhi, published by the Survey of India in the year 1985,Under the direction of Major General Girish Chandra Aggarwal, Surveyor General of India; Titled-’Delhi Guide Map,Third Edition 1985′The map clearly depicts the WCF 2016 event site as an extremely flat “Point Bar” (floodplain deposit) without existence of any wetland or enclosed waterbody. The flatness of this land parcel is to the extent that contour indicating difference in height of the order of 100cm is also non-existent throughout the area.Another important point for record in this map is the existence of natural path of ‘Kushak River – Barapullah Drain’ prior to straightening of its channel traversing straight into River Yamuna and filling of its original channel. The map also depicts the situation prior to construction of Guide Bank and DND Flyway.Looking at the National Wetland Atlas (Published in March 2011 by the Space Application Centre,ISRO,Ahmedabad),it fails to indentify a single wetland on the event site.According to the National Geographic Society, floodplains are defined as “A flood plain (or floodplain) is a generally flat area of land next to a river or stream. It stretches from the banks of the river to the outer edges of the valley”A Floodplain does not require jurisdictions of the environmental authorities that a wetland does.Floodplains have a rich history of interacting with the society for civilizations to flourish.The first great civilizations all grew up in river valleys. The oldest, 3300 to 2500 BCE, was along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the Middle East; the name given to that civilization, Mesopotamia, means "land between the rivers". The Nile valley in Egypt had been home to agricultural settlements as early as 5500 BCE, but the growth of Egypt as a civilization began around 3100 BCE. A third civilization grew up along the Indus River around 2600 BCE, in parts of what are now India and Pakistan. The fourth great river civilization emerged around 1700 BCE along the Yellow River in China, also known as the Huang-He River Civilization.Many towns have been built across floodplains because of easy access to fresh water,the fertility of floodplain land for farming,cheap transportation, via rivers and railroads, which often followed rivers and ease of development of flat land.Large cultural and religious gatherings taking place on various floodplains across India like the Kumbh Mela and the Maramon Convention.The World Culture Festival venue was thus a floodplain and not a wetland as claimed by the Expert Committee of the NGT.3. Claim 3: Destroying the natural flow of the river YamunaFacts:A comparison of river morphology has been conducted on satellite images for the period between 22nd of December 2000 till 10th of May 2016.Fluvial Geo-morphology of the river (i.e. land form related to the river) and its floodplain (over which the event was organized) indicates continuity of a pattern in channel dimension, sedimentation,bank deposition,bank erosion and flow of the river.On a careful examinations of images between 26th August 2015(month of monsoon in Delhi) to 10th May 2016(Pre-Monsoon Dry Summer Season) no abnormality in the pattern of flow;channel dimension;riverbed;or morphology of both the banks has been noticed.Further,examination by ground verification in a series of field studies found no scientific acceptance of the above mentioned claim by the NGTHere are the satellite images taken that show the continuity of pattern of the river flow:Pic 1: 26th August 2015 (Post-monsoon)Pic 2: 29th October 2015 (Post-monsoon)Pic 3: 23rd November 2015 (Post-monsoon)Pic 4: 15th of December 2015 (Post-monsoon)Pic 5: 27th of February 2016 (Preparation for the event in progress;stage scaffoldings under construction)Pic 6: 15th of March 2016 (Post WCF, Pre-Monsoon)Pic 7: 25th of May 2016 (Depicting the entire area utilized by the World Culture Festival 2016,now evacuated,cleared and all the temporary installations removed)And as I write this answer now (13 th of May 2017, 15:39 hr), I have taken the snapshots from Google Earth of the venue and it is as it was before the event.The above images tell us that there is no change whatsoever in the natural river course of the Yamuna. This again proves the Expert Committee’s claims as false and unscientific.Selection Bias by the Expert Committee members?In the report,the expert committee have replied upon a singular satellite image for the event as opposed to a larger sample size covering pre-monsoon and post monsoon images for 15–20 years despite its availability to the public on Google Earth.The Expert Committee compared the satellite images of the venue dated 5th of Sept 2015 (Peak monsoon season) with that of a mid summer picture of March 2016, post the event (Summer pre-monsoon)It doesn’t take an Einstein to realize that such a comparison cannot be done in the first place.The Expert Committee is basically trying to attribute the negative effect of the lack of rain to the World Culture Festival !4. Claim 4: Destroying the reeds,grasses,natural vegetation on the river bed and the venueFacts:High pollution in the River Yamuna has led to a situation where dissolved oxygen tends to zero (often less than 1), high load of suspended particulate matter, high turbidity almost blocks the sunlight penetration in the water within few centimeters of vertical depth etc.All of the above factors collectively create a situation where no macro flora could grow or anchored within the riverbed of the Yamuna.Reeds and grasses could only grow beyond the riverbed in the riparian zone of the floodplain.The images of the last 15 years,indicate that the floodplain around the venue had some strips and patches of reeds. Those patches have been compared with the images after the event and on a comparison of images, no change in area covered by reeds has been observed.Riparian reeds along the Barapullah drain and small patches behind and in front of the guide bank (near the bridge of DND flyway) are unaltered before , during and the period post the event.Also the number of trees before and after the event were counted using high risk satellite images and they were found to be the same.Pic 1: Regrowth of grasses on over the location where once the stage was raised (17th of April 2016)Pic 2: State of grasses on the event venue (17th of April 2016)Pic 3: Undisturbed riparian reeds along the abandoned channel in front of the Guide Bank (17th of April 2016)Pic 4: Undisturbed riparian reeds along the Barapullah Drain (17th of April 2016)Also, another important to note that the Expert Committee of the NGT accused the Art of Living Foundation for bringing in and dumping the malba (construction debris) and flattening the malba thereby destroying the flood plain.Firstly, as shown by the satellite images of the land parcel furnished earlier, the purple area indicates the unsolicited construction debris that existed since the year 2000.Trucks were seen emptying tonnes of malba on a daily basis when the Art of Living began preparation for the event (circa December 2015)Once the land was allotted to the foundation, the Art of Living sent out a letter the the DDA citing these concerns about the existing construction dump.To which, the DDA didn’t remove the debris whereas told the Art of Living Foundation to remove the malba at its own cost !Here, is the invoice of the contractor ,who was given the duty to remove the debris from the venue site ,under the instructions the Art of Living Foundation (Cost borne by the Art of Living Foundation !)This is how the site appeared before the event:So, why did the NGT falsely accuse the foundation wherein no cementing/foundation work of any sort was undertaken for the event?5. Claim 5: Disturbed the aquatic life of the riverFacts:The river Yamuna (Delhi stretch) is nearly devoid of fish species due to extremely low level ( ~0) dissolved oxygen in the river water.Let us analyze the water quality of the river Yamuna first.Referring to the “Water Quality Status of Yamuna River” report by the Central Pollution and Control Board (erstwhile Ministry of Environment and Forests,Government of India),here is the longitudinal profile of the dissolved oxygen.(Report foreword by V. Rajagopalan, Chairman-CPCB)(Notice the graph points near Nizamuddin Bridge ,Agra Canal)The report goes out further to state that“ In Yamuna River low BOD and low DO was observed more oftenly may be due to consumption of oxygen by settled sludge in the riverbed.”(Ref 3.13, page No.42)Other key notations from the report are listed below:“The sources contributing pollution are both point & non-point type. Urban agglomeration at NCT – Delhi is the major contributor of pollution in the Yamuna River followed by Agra and Mathura. About 85% of the total pollution in the river is contributed by domestic sources. The condition of river deteriorate further due to abstraction of significant amount of river water, leaving almost no fresh water in the river, which is essential to maintain the assimilation capacity of the river.”“In the critically, polluted stretch of Yamuna river from Delhi to Chambal confluence, there was significant fluctuations in dissolved oxygen level from Nil to well above saturation level. This reflects presence of organic pollution load and persistence of eutrophic conditions in the river.”“Bacteriological contamination is significantly high in the entire Yamuna River stretch. Total Coliforms are generally well above the prescribed water quality standard even sometimes at Yamunotri also. The microbiological analysis confirms that the bacteriological contamination was predominantly contributed by human beings.”Here are the longitudinal profiles of the Total and Faecal Coliforms in Yamuna River :Not to forget the drains opening up in the Delhi stretch.“Najafgarh drain of NCT – Delhi is the biggest polluter of River Yamuna, which contributes about 26% (year 2001) to 33% 22 (year 2000) of total BOD load and 48% (year 2003) to 52% (year 2001) of total discharge that joins Yamuna river and canal at Delhi by various drains. There are 70 sub drains that join main Najafgarh Drain. The study indicated that the total BOD load received by Najafgarh Drain through sub-drains was 136 TPD, whereas the BOD load at the terminal end of the Najafgarh Drain was 83 TPD only. This reduction may be contributed by biodegradation, deposition of setllable material at the bottom and diversion of drain water for irrigation etc”.“ River Yamuna receives significantly high amount of organic matter, which is generally, originates from domestic sources. For biodegradation, this organic waste requires oxygen, causing significant depletion of dissolved oxygen in river water. The oxygen depletion not only affects biotic community of the river but also affects its self-purification capacity. This problem is critical in the river stretch between Delhi and confluences of river with Chambal. In Delhi stretch, the load of organic matter is so high that it consumes the entire dissolved oxygen available in river water.”Presenting another latest report by the Central Pollution Control Board titled “Water quality status of in Delhi stretch of Yamuna River”Exhibit 1: Water quality of river Yamuna river in terms of Dissolved Oxygen (DO)The above graph clearly shows that the standard DO should be~4–5 whereas near the Nizamuddin bridge and Okhla region it below 1.Exhibit 2: Water quality of river Yamuna in terms of Total ColiformThe report also throws light on the discharge of various drains in the river Yamuna.“There are twenty one major wastewater drains in NCT-Delhi, out of which 18 drains join Yamuna River and rest joins Agra/Gurgaon canal.All the drains join Yamuna River downstream of Wazirabad barrage.These drains are being monitored regularly on monthly basis.The range of total BOD Load of 18 drains join Yamuna river was 105 TPD (August, 2015) to 229 TPD (January, 2016).Total discharge of these drains was varied from 29 m3/s (May, 2016 to 43 m3/s (August, 2014).The collective average of these drains for the year 2015 and 2016 in terms of discharge was about 34.8 m3/s and 34.3 m3/s respectively whereas, BOD load average for these two years was 164 Tons/day (TPD) and 178 Tons/day respectively.Based on the Discharge and BOD load of 18 drains Najafgarh drain was the biggest polluter of Yamuna River followed by Shahdara drain. These two drains alone contributes about 74% of total Bod load and 82% of total discharge of the 18 major drains that join Yamuna river at Delhi.”Exhibit 3: Discharge of major drains joins Yamuna River at DelhiLastly, I wish to produce a report titled “ Restoration and Conservation of River Yamuna” authored by the NGT Expert Committee members itself in the year 2012–13(Authors Prof. C.R.Babu, Prof.A.K.Gosain, Prof.Brij Gopal-All being expert members of the NGT)The report categorically states that“the loss of life supporting potential of the river is the major concern to the public, the Government and the courts”“the flowing water, the river bed, the floodplain forest and grassland ecosystems are locally extinct”Here is a snapshot of the same :The report also states that:“The Delhi urban stretch of 22 km in the downstream of Wazirabad barrage upto Okhla barrage (Section III) is critically polluted and dry weather flow is almost the treated and untreated sewage from 22 drains and the fresh water flow from upstream or lateral connection and it is perhaps one of the most polluted river stretches in the country with zero DO and over 30 mg/l BOD levels”Whereas, the same committee members in its final report slamming the Art of Living state the following:How could the World Culture Festival destroy something that according to the same committee members didn’t even exist in the first place.Why is the Art of Living blamed selectively for the pollution of the river Yamuna over the past decades?Isn’t this nothing but sheer hypocrisy?From the above data, following points to be noted:Yamuna river (Delhi stretch)is a dead river with almost zero dissolved oxygen, high amounts of pollutants and no fresh water. How can aquatic life survive under these chemically harsh conditions?The discharge of major drains in the Delhi stretch of the river along with industrial effluents and the pollution levels of Yamuna is alarming.Why does the NGT put the blame on the Art of Living Foundation which has done zero damage to the floodplains and the river?What has NGT done to curb the industrial and human pollution which are harming the river Yamuna?There is a strong judgmental bias in the current NGT report Vs the Art of Living and Others6. Claim 6: Alleging compaction and leveling of the floodplainFacts:Before going to analyse the charges of compaction, it is quintessential that we first define the nature of the land where the event was conducted.According to the report “Environmental flow for monsoon rivers in India-The Yamuna river as a case study”, the Yamuna floodplains has alluvial sandy soil (Reference: Rao, S.V.N., Kumar, S., Shekhar, S., Sinha, S.K. & Manju, S. 2007. Optimal pumping from Skimming Wells from the Yamuna river flood plain in north India. Hydrogeology Journal 15: 1157-1167)According to one of the Expert Committee member-Prof.A.K.Gosain’s earlier published research paper titled- “A new scheme for large-scale natural water storage in the floodplains: the Delhi Yamuna floodplains as a case study”, the author says “the river has been bringing sand from the mountains and depositing it along its basin, forming the floodplains. This accumulated sandy layer exists to an average of depth of 40 m”The report earlier furnished in claim 5 by the expert committee members itself (Can be found here) states that the floodplain near the river Yamuna has “sand and gravel”.Hence, it is a well established fact that the floodplain has sandy soil ! So, can sandy soil be compacted ?Now,given the above data, let us go through some scientific studies about sand compaction and verify the allegations by the NGT.For a confirmatory statement on the extent and exact reason of consolidation and/ or compaction in qualitative and quantitative terms, laboratory test of undisturbed soil samples from the land parcel will be required.By comparing the current soil density with the previous records of soil density over the land parcel,the difference could be worked out.But conducting such a test of unconfined sand/sandy soil appears almost impossible due to the established principles of soil mechanics.Referring to the established principles of soil mechanics and geo-technical engineering from the widely accepted and used textbook for soil mechanics by Prof.V.N.S.Murthy tiled “A Text Book of Soil Mechanics & Foundation Engineering” let us go through the pressure-void ratio curves of sandIn the above curve, it is clearly evident that “ more than 90 % of the compression has taken place within a period of less than 2 minutes. The time lag is largely frictional. The compression is about the same whether the sand is dry or saturated”.“The amount of compression even under high load intensity is not quite significant as can be seen from the curves.”It is obvious that the natural consolidation of this land parcel would have taken place in the geological past immediately after the deposition with some movement of animals and humans over it.It appears from the final report that the expert committee didn’t conduct any geo-technical analysis and not a single report was attached as an annexure to their claim.Verbally saying that they went there and saw the top soil layer become a thick crust is not evidence. There are tests that are legally permitted in the courts of law which the expert committee doesn’t seem to have done.The WCF area occupied ~ 25 hectares of land out of the total 9300 hectares of the floodplain (Approximately 0.26 %)So to exert the high pressure for land compaction it would require numerous heavy weight rollers (which apparently weren’t used by the organizers).Furthermore, the curve for dense sand in ‘Void ratio v/s pressure in kg/sq.cm’ indicates that dense sand (as deposited by the Yamuna and Ganga) does not show noticeable changes with increase in pressure.It is an undeniable fact that this land parcel has been under agricultural practices since decades (if not centuries).Agricultural practices; tilling (harrowing); movement of farms equipment and agricultural machinery; movement of dumpers for unabated dumping of construction waste for years and then the movement for trucks and dumpers for removal of the same has already shaped the consolidation and /or compaction of this land parcel ages before the event of the World Culture Festival 2016 was organized.Moreover, it is important to note that the entire stage for the event was supported by a series of iron scaffolding with raft footing (shown in the figure below)An Engineering Marvel ?Nothing was anchored in the natural stratum to hold the stage, overall the stage had a floating foundation. Can’t believe? have a look at this :Pics: The stage was made of thousands of such scaffolding rods in lattice structure spread across 7.5 acre (stage area)Pic: Scaffolding structure (showing the highest level) used for construction of the stage ; photographed during the removal of the stage.Pic: Steel plate rod used for distribution of the load, without any anchorage in the ground; photographed during the removal of the stage.The stage had negligible impact on the ground. Overall the stage was a floating stage and the impact of a floating stage on sandy soil is insignificant. For the record, no cement foundation was done as can be seen from the pictures.Trivia: The physics behind this stage bears a strong visual analogy with a yogi sleeping on a bed of nails. As a matter of fact, this ancient technique used by hathayogis in India has been a source of inspiration for the design of this stage !Pic: The concept of “Yogi Nail Bed” used as an inspiration for the WCF stage is based on the principle of uniform distribution of weight over a large surface area, therefore the overall impact is extremely low or negligible.Finally, the only court permissible test to determine compaction of soil is the CBR Test (California Bearing Ratio Test). It involves taking soil samples before and after the event and then applying the test. Since the expert committee did not collect any soil samples before and after the event to come up with the alleged 13 cr damage,the Art of Living Foundation themselves requested the NGT to conduct the CBR test at the venue, and the application was duly rejected !Here is the permission letter made by the Art of Living Foundation to the NGT (which was disposed off by the NGT !)The Chairman of the Expert Committee of the NGT Mrs.Shashi Shekhar (IAS) (Ministry of Water Resouces, Govt. of India)even goes out to the extent of saying the compensation of 120 cr put forth on the Art of Living foundation as ad-hoc and unscientific and not based on any scientific assessments. The Chairman does not even endorse the compensation.Also, it is important to see whether the NGT conducted any scientific studies before quantifying the damage if any ?It would be very astounding for the reader to realize that no such thing was done. Only a mere “visual inspection” was conducted by the Expert Committee members of the NGT at the venue on the 6th of June 2016(Singular visit).And no scientific evidence and data samples have been provided by the NGT Expert Committee in the Court of Law.That’s like going to a doctor who after just glancing at your direction hands you a list of ailments he assesses that you suffer from and proceeds to slap you with a fat bill for your future treatments !It is surprising to believe that the Chairman of the Expert Committee Mr.Shashi Shekhar has distanced himself from the committee’s recommendations. The Chairman’s signature is also missing from the final report. And only 4 out the 7 Expert Committee members have signed the final report !7. Claim 7: Going from ecological “restoration” to ecological “rehabilitation” of the floodplainFacts:Throughout the first report, the Expert Committee members of the NGT have used the term “restoration” and in the final report they use the word “rehablitation”Why the sudden switch?Because, the NGT Expert Committee cannot prove any damage that was done to the floodplain and the environment by the event.In their final report this is what they state:It is not possible for the ‘Expert Committee’ to assess the ecological status of the site before and after the event? This was their primary job in the first place !Also, the committee points out that it is extremely difficult to assess the costs of environment damage and degradation accurately because“it requires substantial time, human and other resources to collect detailed quantitative information on the nature, extend and magnitude of various activities listed earlier for restoration”That’s a clever way of saying that they cannot prove the damage quantitatively and qualitatively and hence the question of restoration is redundant.They also go on to state that “estimation of the costs of restoration requires the preparation of a Detailed Project Report that may take several months to a year besides financial resources.”Who can buy that argument? Why was the Expert Panel commissioned in the first place?Moreover, the Expert Committee states that it has now decided to “REHABILITATE THE IMPACTED SITE”.The NGT’s proposed plan includes creating a bio diversity park, two large water bodies, three tier planting of vegetation,and establishing new sewage treatment plants,etcLet’s put things into perspective, firstly, the Committee says that it cannot prove any damage scientifically. Consequently they cannot assign costs to restore damage. Hence, they wish to switch the narrative from being a “restoration cost” to “rehabilitation cost”. And moreover, they wish to build a utopian biodiversity park for which the Art of Living should bear the cost ! (Slow claps !) Wait, I am not yet done !In order to build this dream park, the Expert Committee has submitted a ‘Budget’ for building this park. The budget lists ‘Salaries and Consultancies’ as a cost component to monitor and supervise the construction. This cost component totals up to 7 CRORE RUPEES ! Here is their estimations !That’s not all friends. The NGT Expert Committee even goes on record to state that “rehabilitation” will take a period of 10 years and the expert committee members have nominated themselves to undertake this project as “Consultants”(Indeed a very sly way of pocketing the 7 crore!)In the final analysis,the expert committee members in their final report state that they are unable to differentiate the activities required to restore the floodplain and the activities to undo the alleged damage due to the event. That is a very clever way of saying that they cannot differentiate the damage done to the floodplain before the event and the damage done by the event.As this article says,“The Art of Living case will go down as a test for environment activism in the country. The nation expects the NGT will gather enough courage to call the bluff of the committee and go by the merits of the case”.References:http://delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/55a9380047b2199a9155d5bdc775c0fb/Final_Report_NGT-Yamuna_Restoration%2B(11-4-2014).pdf?MOD=AJPERES&lmod=-287594179https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/1306/1306.2709.pdfhttp://www.cpcb.nic.in/newitems/11.pdfDelhi Development AuthorityTextbook of Soil Mechanics and Foundation EngineeringGoogle Earth – Google EarthNational Green TribunalHomepage | Ramsarflood plainCentral Pollution Control Board :::https://www.artofliving.org/in-en/newsroom/press-statement/independent-environmentalist-statement-ngt-reporthttp://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/dwq/2edvol3d.pdfWill NGT call the Yamuna expert panel's bluff?Written by:Soham D’SouzaBachelors in Chemical Technology-Institute of Chemical Technology (former UDCT) , MumbaiMumbai

A2AIndians Who made History From 2010–2019, I'm including Some Historical Events too.2010:India achieved the 100-mark in the medals tally of the event in the latest edition of CWG to occupy the second position in the overall standings. This will have a great impact on India.2. Indian Rupee Symbol Got Recognition.Designed By Mr Udaya Kumar Dharmalingam. Uday Kumar's design was chosen from a shortlist of five and he was awarded around 3,500 in prize money.3. Obama's Visit to India - American President met Prime Minister Manmohan SinghA few days ahead of the G20 summit. The main agenda of the much-hyped visit was to create jobs in the recession-hit USA.4. Saina Nehwal Won Hong Kong Open series beating her Chinese opponent Wang Shixian, Asian Games 2010 Gold Medalist.5. A.Raja - 2G Spectrum Scam - Be it in 1700s Robert Clive or A.Raja in 2010, Scam and Corruption have its place in History.One of India's biggest scam in 2010 was the 2G spectrum allocation scam. Then Telcom Minister A Raja was allegedly involved in the scam that made revenue loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crores, according to the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).2011:Indian Anti-Corruption Movement led by Anna Hazare: Lokpal BillThe time when the Hashtag Trent Started on Twitter when Anna Hazare led the fight against Corruption and made the Whole nation to look at him. #Anna hashtag trended throughout India for many days awakening Indians to join hands and fight corruption together.But in Vain :(2. India won the Cricket World Cup. And this World Cup match Went Live on the Internet for free.one of the most unforgettable moments of 2011 isIndiawinning the ICC 2011 Cricket World Cup after 28 long years. The whole nation stood united again and celebrated the victory against Sri Lanka in finals and against Pakistan in semi-finals.3. German Chancellor Angela Merkel conferred Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding for 2009 by President Pratibha Patil.The External Affairs Ministry release revealed that that the jury chaired by Vice-President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, has decided to confer the award for 2009 on Dr Merkel.4. Mamata Banerjee was sworn in as the first woman and 11th Chief Minister of West Bengal.In May 2011 she made History by ending the uninterrupted 34-year reign of the Left in West Bengal.2012:Agni-V, India's first intermediate-range ballistic missile (ICBM) test-firedIndia on April 19 test-fired for the first time its most-ambitious strategic missile, the over 5,000-km range Agni-V, in a bid to join the super exclusive ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) club that counts just US, Russia, China, France and UK as its members.2. Terrorist - Ajmal Kasab hanged.Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab caught alive after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, was hanged to death at the Yerawada central prison on Nov 21 morning, less than a week before the fourth anniversary of the carnage.Well, ThisTerroist’s hanging news is a History finally those Brave souls who caught this Killer Alive got justice and would have rest In Peace.3. Modi becomes Gujarat CM for the third timeGujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi led his party BJP to another landslide win, securing 115 seats in the assembly elections, two less than the 117 seats he had won last time.4. Pranam Mukerji became The 13Th President of India.One of India's most experienced and canny politicians, Mukherjee, the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate, won the sweepstakes with a massive margin, bagging 713,763 votes, about 70%, leaving Sangma way behind with 315,887 votes.2013:Mangalyaan - India Mars MissionThe Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), informally called Mangalyaan is a Mars orbiter launched into Earth orbit on 5 November 2013 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).The mission is a "technology demonstrator" project aiming to develop the technologies required for design, planning, management and operations of an interplanetary mission.It was a proud moment of all Indians as this space-ship was conceptualized and developed by our very own ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization). It exhibited the expertise and command we Indians have over science and technology.2. Raghuram Rajan took over as the 23rd Governor of The Reserve Bank Of India (RBI)An economics professor who also served as chief economist at the International Monetary Fund succeeded D.Subbarao.3. President Pranab Mukherjee signed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013The Criminal Law [Amendment] Bill, 2013 was passed by the Lok Sabha on 19th March 2013, and by the Rajya Sabha on 21st March 2013. The President of India has accorded his assent to the Bill on 2nd April 2013 hence called as Criminal Law [Amendment] Act, 2013,”2014:India’s 29Th State Telengana was Born.Indian parliament passed a bill to create 29th state, dividing the southern state of Andhra Pradesh into two.The northern area was carved out to create Telangana, after decades of protests. K Chandrasekhar Rao, of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi party (TRS), which for 14 years spearheaded the movement for separation, was later sworn in as chief minister of the state.2. The Narendra Modi WaveThe BJP rose to power in May this year when they won the national elections with a sweeping majority.Led by Narendra Modi's election campaign, the party won 282 of the 543 seats in the Indian Parliament.3. India's Mars MissionPicture Speaks <3India Created History when ISRO’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) Aka Mangalyaan entered the Mars orbiter in its First Attempt.And Most importantly It was the Contribution of our Indian SheroesRitu Karidhal - Was a Deputy Operations Director to India’s Mars Orbital Mission. also Referred to as “Rocket Woman of India”Nandini Harinath - rocket scientist at ISRO’s Satellite Centre in Bengaluru. She was a part of the Mars Orbiter Mission, Maangalyaan.Minal Rohit - Minal Rohit is an Indian scientist and systems engineer with the Indian Space Research Organisation. She helped send the Mangalyaan space probe to Mars.Moumita Dutta - an Indian Physicist working at the Space Applications Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation - Ahmedabad, She was part of the team Mangalyaan 20144. Kailash Satyarthi - First Indian Citizen who won the Nobel Peace Award 2014The only Indian to have won the award earlier is Mother Teresa, who became a naturalised Indian citizen in 1948.5. Sampoorna Singh Kalra popularly know as Gulzar Won Dadasaheb Phalke AwardVeteran lyricist received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema2015:End Of An Era - India’s 11th President APJ Abdul Kalam died on 27th July at a hospital in Shillong, Meghalaya.He had gone to deliver a lecture at the age of 83. He was delivering a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management in Shillong when he collapsed and suffered cardiac arrest.You will remain in our Hearts Sir, This Legends History will always be remembered.2. Rise Of AAP and Arvind Kejriwal.The Aam Aadmi Party led by Arvind Kejriwal wins the Delhi Assembly Election, The party won 67 out of the 70 seats.3. Saina Nehwal became the first Indian woman shuttler to attain world number one rank.She created history as she became the First Indian Woman Shuttler to attain the World number One Ranking.4. PSLV Successfully Launches India's Multi Wavelength Space Observatory ASTROSATIndia's first space observatory Astrosat was launched on PSLV-XL.2016:Mariappan Thangavelu Won Gold Medal - India’s First Paralympian Gold MedalistAn Indian Paralympics high jumper. He represented India in 2016 summer Paralympic games held in Rio De Janeiro. In the men’s high jump T-42 category, he won the gold medal in the finals.2. India’s Surgical Strike Against PakistanLt Gen Ranbir Singh (DGMO) said that it had received “very credible and specific information” about “terrorist teams” who were preparing to “carry out infiltration and conduct terrorist strikes inside Jammu and Kashmir and in various metros in other states”.India Conducted “Surgical Strikes against suspected militants in Pakistani-administered Kashmir on 29 September 2016.3. PSLV-C34 - A historic satellite Launch by ISROIndian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched 20 satellites through a single rocket, breaking its 2008 record of launching 10 satellites in a single mission.Cartosat-2 Series satellite, the PSLV C-34 rocket blasted off from Sriharikota, carrying satellites mainly for international customers including the US, Germany and a Google-owned company.Most of the satellites entered orbit to observe and measure the Earth's atmosphere, while another aimed to provide service for amateur radio operators.4. PV Sindhu - First Indian Woman to Win an Olympic Silver Medal - Rio OlympicsPusarla Venkata Sindhu fought with tenacity, lost the finals, but created History with a stunning display of talent, power and grace.5. Sakshi Malik - Gold Medal - Rio OlympicsAnother Shero who got India it's Gold Medal, After a gritty performance at the 58kg women's wrestling category she won bronze, becoming the first Indian female wrestler and the fourth Indian woman to win an Olympic medal.2017:Manushi Chillar Crowned Miss WorldShe's the sixth Indian woman to win the crown. Born in Rohtak, she is pursuing a medical degree from a medical college in Sonipat.She was made brand ambassador for Anaemia Free Haryana, and her 'Beauty with a Purpose campaign Project Shakti' was given government support of Rs 18 crore, by Harayana CM.2. Ram Nath Kovind becomes PresidentGovernor of Bihar From 2015–2017Rajya Sabha MP from 1994–2006Ram Nath Kovind was sworn in as the 14th President of India on June 25, 2017.3. ISRO launched a record 104 satellites - February 2017India created history by successfully launching a record 104 satellites by Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) reliable vehicle, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).In its 39th flight, the PSLV-C37 took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota and placed the satellites into the orbit.Out of the 104 satellites, 101 belonged to foreign countries. 96 were from the US and one each from Israel, UAE, Netherlands, Switzerland and Kazakhstan respectively.4. Pritika Yashini - India’s First transgender sub-inspector appointed in Tamil NaduPrithika, who was born as Pradeep, applied for recruitment to the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board (TNUSRB), but her application was rejected as she didn't belong to the specified gender categories.She challenged this decision in different courts, and the High Court of Madras ordered for conducting a test for her. She cleared all her tests, and the judge asked the TNUSRB to appoint her as she was "entitled to the job". She took charge as the sub-inspector in Dharmapuri district on April 2.5. Anny Divya - World’s Youngest Female Commander to Fly Boeing 77730-year-old Air India pilot became the world's youngest female captain of a Boeing 777.She flew the world's largest twinjet during advanced training in London.2018:ISRO launched 31 satellites along with Cartosat-2The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on 12 January 2018 launched 31 satellites along with Cartosat-2 satellite on its 44.4-metre tall Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C40) rocket.The 320-tonne rocket will place the satellites one-by-one and deploy them into the earth's lower orbit.2. `Gaganyaan - India's maiden human spaceflight programme'The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on August 28, 2018, unveiled the details of the Gaganyaan mission for manned space flight before 2022.The Gaganyaan mission was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 72nd Independence Day speech. PM Modi announced that this manned space mission will take Indian astronauts to space on board 'Gaganyaan' by 2022.ISRO Chairman, Dr K. Sivan said that the programme will make India the fourth nation in the world to launch a Human Spaceflight Mission. So far, only the USA, Russia and China have launched human spaceflight missions.3. India records best-ever performance at Asian Games 2018India with a haul of 69 medals including 15 gold recorded its best-ever performance in the history of Asian Games at the 2018 edition held in Jakarta and Palembang in Indonesia.India maintained its top-10 rank by finishing eighth yet again.2019:AF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman gets Vir ChakraVir Chakra - India's third-highest gallantry medalIAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman awarded with the Vir Chakra, on the occasion of Independence Day, while five other IAF pilots honoured with Vayu Seva Medal.IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman spent almost 60 hours in Pakistani custody after his MiG-21 Bison jet was shot down during aerial combat with Pakistani jets on February 27, just a day after the Balakot airstrike by India. The 36-year-old IAF pilot had suffered injuries while ejecting from his MiG-21 Bison.2. Chandrayaan 2 - ISRO makes us Proud Again and Again.Chandrayaan 2, India’s second lunar mission, was launched on July 22. It was scheduled to be launched on July 15, but it was aborted 56 minutes before lift-off due to a technical snag.The mission was successful, but it could not achieve one aspect -- to land its lander (Vikram) on the moon. Vikram carried the rover (Pragyan), which was expected to carry out various experiments on the moon's surface.On September 7, during the last minutes of descent, the communication link with Vikram snapped when it was about 2.1 km from the surface of the moon.After three days, the ISRO confirmed the sighting of Vikram through images beamed by the Orbiter. Even after 14 days ( 1 lunar day), communications could not be re-established. On December 3, NASA confirmed that its satellite had found the debris of Vikram lander.3. Jammu & Kashmir loses special statusIn August the Central Government announced the scrapping of Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. In addition to scrapping the Article government also announced Split sate into two Union TerritoriesOne was Jammu and Kashmir With a Legislature and another Ladakh without Legislature.Thank You!!!Jai Hind!!Image Source: GoogleFootnotes:Saina Nehwal wins Hong Kong Open SeriesObama's trip to be biggest everIndia unveils new rupee symbolAngela Merkel chosen for Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding for 2009West Bengal's first woman CMAnna Hazare's anti-corruption protest sees Delhi signal compromiseIndia Wins 2011 Cricket World CupBJP's big Gujarat win; Narendra Modi to get third term as chief ministerPranab Mukherjee is the next President of IndiaAjmal Kasab hanged, buried at Pune's Yerwada JailIndia to test nuclear-capable Agni-I missile on WednesdayStringent anti-rape laws get President’s nodRaghuram Rajan takes over as 23rd Governor of Reserve Bank of IndiaMars Orbiter Mission Completes 1000 Days in Orbithttps://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/veteran-poet-and-film-lyricist-gulzar-to-be-honoured-with-dadasaheb-phalke-award/articleshow/33656215.cmsChildren’s rights activist Kailash Satyarthi awarded 2014 Nobel Peace Prize | Commonwealth Foundationhttps://www.narendramodi.in/namo-wave-during-rallies-as-lakhs-thronged-to-rally-venues-3147India's Mars mission: Picture that spoke 1,000 wordsTelangana is bornPresident APJ Abdul Kalam Dies at 83Reaching for the Stars: The Incredible Rise of Arvind KejriwalPSLV Successfully Launches India's Multi Wavelength Space Observatory ASTROSATSuperb Saina Nehwal is first Indian woman shuttler to be world number oneThe female wrestler who won India's first Rio medalISRO launches PSLV-C34 carrying 20 satellitesPV Sindhu is the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal after a heartbreakingly close badminton finalIndia Claims ‘Surgical Strikes’ Across Line of Control in KashmirRio Paralympics: Mariyappan Thangavelu wins gold medal in men's high jumpWorld's youngest female Boeing 777 pilot, Anny Divya, joins elite list of LinkedIn InfluencersPSLV-C37 Successfully Launches 104 Satellites in a Single FlightIndia's first transgender police officer appointed in Tamil NaduManushi Chhillar from India wins the title of Miss World 2017Ram Nath Kovind elected India's 14th President, to take oath on July 25India records best-ever performance at Asian Games 2018: In DetailISRO unveils Gaganyaan Mission to put Indians in space before 2022ISRO launches 31 satellites along with Cartosat-2IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan gets Vir Chakrahttps://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/chandrayaan-2-mission-has-achieved-98-per-cent-objectives-isro-chief-k-sivan/article29476059.ecehttps://www.thehindu.com/news/national/chandrayaan-2-mission-a-huge-success-isro-chief-k-sivan/article29476025.ece

They cannot. Climate changes as spring follows winter and the changes are natural and unstoppable. The driving force of climate is the sun, not trace amounts of Co2. The genesis of the alarmist fear mongering by the likes Al Gore is based on a radical and weak theory using statistics not observation about global warming. A few scientists led the UNIPCC crusade with computer models predicting the earth was getting too hot. They viewed that some glaciers are melting too fast and this could be dangerous. They conveniently ignored the fact that Antarctica which is the largest glacier by 10 X has been expanding massively for decades.CLIMATE CHANGE became the new rubric for the alarmists when the warming paused and colder temperatures and brutal winter storms with massive snowfall became de rigour. Climate change was more convenient because it covered every kind of weather and could not be disproved or falsified and this is the reason the term is not scientific.“Indeed tfhe difference between Newtonian physics, which was falsified by Einstein's relativity, and astrology lies in the following irony. Newtonian physics is scientific because it allowed us to falsify it, as we know that it is wrong, while astrology is not because it does not offer conditions under which we could reject it. Astrology cannot be disproved, owing to the auxiliary hypotheses that come into play. Such point lies at the basis of the demarcation between science and nonsense (called "the problem of demarcation").” NASSEM TALEB, Fooled by Randomness.According to Karl Popper, one of the most influential philosophers of science in the past millennium, “In so far as a scientific statement speaks about reality, it must be falsifiable; and in so far as it is not falsifiable, it does not speak about reality.”Courtesy Wikimedia Commons |“In the wake of the recent slew of hurricanes which have barraged the American Southeast, numerous scientists and reporters have wasted no time in attributing these disasters to climate change. In fact, it seems like nowadays just about every meteorological phenomenon is a result of global warming. Whether it be increased temperatures, decreased temperatures, tornadoes, earthquakes or even volcanic eruptions, climate change is always the answer, and the majority of these conclusions are drawn with sparing evidence, if any.Meanwhile, any skepticism or dissenting opinion regarding these countless studies is dismissed as unscientific, when in reality, it is quite the opposite.”BHARADWAJ: Climate science has become non-PopperianBecause every weather event comes under one kind of climate change or another - cooling, warming, flooding, snowing, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. CLIMATE CHANGE HAS IT BOTH WAYS. Here is a summary of how that makes for nonsense not science sense.HAVING IT BOTH WAYSarchive: having it both ways – page 1November 3, 2016 by adminpage 1page 2trees less colorfulJuly 6, 2015 by admin………………………………….Scientists at the University of New Hampshire project that shifts in the climate caused by global warming will progressively dull the leaves throughout southern New England and New York over the next century. Maples will move north and the remaining oaks and hickories will change colors later and with less verve, they say.“We haven’t had a really great display in the last 10 years,” said Barrett Rock, a professor in natural resources and a researcher at the Complex Systems Research Center at the University of New Hampshire who has studied the effects of global warming on the autumn landscape from New York to Maine.New York Times, 16 Oct 2005trees more colorfulJuly 6, 2015 by adminThe Tree Council this week said global warming caused this season’s russet reds to deep golden yellows. The lack of moisture in autumn means that a different pigment is produced called anthocyanin, says Nick Collinson, conservation policy adviser at the Woodland Trust. This gives leaves more of a red colour.“Climate change models for the UK suggest we are likely to have hotter and drier summers, which will encourage the kind of colours you normally see in a New England fall.”The Guardian 18 Nov 2004………………………………….see also – having it both waysTags treespaint your roof whiteJuly 3, 2015 by admin……………………………………Two years ago, Barack Obama’s top man on global warming, Professor Steven Chu, the US Secretary of Energy, suggested at the Royal Society in London that one of the most effective engineering measures to tackle rising temperatures is to paint roofs.He estimated that a city or town where the roofs and the pavements and roads have light-coloured surfaces can increase their albedo by about 10 per cent, which globally would provide a CO2 offset of between 130 billion and 150 billion tonnes – the same as taking every car in the world off the road for 50 years.The Independent, 13 Apr 2012Tags roofsdon’t paint your roof whiteJuly 3, 2015 by adminThe land covered by urban areas more than doubled between 1992 and 2005, to about 0.128% of Earth’s surface, Mark Z. Jacobson and John E. Ten Hoeve of Stanford University report in the Journal of Climate. A worldwide conversion to white roofs, they found, could actually warm the Earth slightly due a complex domino effect.Although white surfaces are cooler, the increased sunlight they reflect back into the atmosphere by can increase absorption of light by dark pollutants such as black carbon, which increases heating.The Guardian, 27 Oct 2011………………………………….Tags roofsAmazon rainforests threatenedJune 18, 2015 by admin……………………………………………………Over time, global climate change and more deforestation will likely lead to increased temperatures and changing rain patterns in the Amazon, which will undoubtedly affect the region’s forests, water availability, biodiversity, agriculture, and human health.Research carried out under the auspices of INPE – Brazil’s National Space Research Institute – shows that a warmer and drier environment for the region could convert from 30% up to 60% of the Amazon rainforest into a type of dry savanna.WWF, Climate change in the AmazonTags treesAmazon rainforests not threatenedJune 18, 2015 by adminThe Amazon rainforest is less vulnerable to die off because of global warming than widely believed because the greenhouse carbon dioxide also acts as an airborne fertilizer, a study showed on Wednesday.“I’m no longer so worried about a catastrophic die-back due to CO2-induced climate change,” Professor Peter Cox of the University of Exeter in England told Reuters of the study he led in the Journal Nature. “In that sense it’s good news.Reuters, 6 Feb 2013……………………………………………………Tags treeswinters warmerApril 15, 2015 by admin………………………………….“It is consistent with the climate change message. It is exactly what we expect winters to be like – warmer and wetter”, said Wayne Elliott, Met Office meteorologist.BBC News, 27 Feb 2007Tags winterswinters colderApril 15, 2015 by adminBritain’s winters are getting colder because of melting Arctic ice, the Government’s forecaster said yesterday. Mety Office chief scientist Julia Slingo said climate change was “loading the dice” towards freezing drier weather – and called publicly for the first time for an urgent investigation.The Sun (UK), 11 Apr 2013………………………………….Tags wintersfish getting smallerApril 14, 2015 by admin………………………………….Global warming is likely to shrink the size of fish by as much as a quarter in coming decades, according to a groundbreaking study of the world’s oceans.Researchers modelled the effect of rising ocean temperatures on the growth and distribution of more than 600 fish species around the world and found they were expected to shrink by 14-24 per cent by 2050.Sydney Morning Herald, 2 Oct 2012Tags fish, underwater lifefish getting biggerApril 14, 2015 by adminThe tuna industry says climate change is bringing benefits. The chief executive of the Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Association, Brian Jeffriess, says Port Lincoln crews in South Australia are reporting an excellent quality and size catch. He says it can be partly attributed to the effects of climate change on the waters of the Great Australian Bight.ABC News (Australia, 11 July 2008………………………………….Tags fish, underwater lifeless mosquitoesApril 3, 2015 by admin………………………………….Malaria transmission will not increase because of global warming in the African nation of Burundi according to a statistical analysis by researchers in Austria and Burundi. Writing in the International Journal of Global Warming, the team explains that rising temperatures will lead to lower humidity and rainfall which will shorten the lifespan of mosquitoes carrying malaria.Science Daily, 2 Feb 2011Tags insects, mosquitomore mosquitoesApril 3, 2015 by adminAll else being equal, as the planet warms, it seems likely that malaria will become more dangerous to more people. “This is indisputable evidence of a climate effect,” said Mercedes Pascual, a disease ecologist at Michigan and one of authors of the Science paper. “Our findings here underscore the size of the problem and emphasize the need for sustained intervention efforts in these regions, especially in Africa.”Time.com, 6 mar 2014………………………………….Tags insects, mosquitoislands sinkingMarch 12, 2015 by admin………………………………….The analysis clearly indicates that sea-level in this region (tropical Pacific and Indian Oceans) is rising. We expect that the continued and increasing rate of sea-level rise and any resulting increase in the frequency or intensity of extreme sea-level events will cause serious problems for the inhabitants of some of these islands during the 21st century.John A. Church and others, Global and Planetary Change, Vol 53, Issue 3, September 2006, pages 155-168Tags Earth, islandsislands not sinkingMarch 12, 2015 by adminUsing historical aerial photography and satellite images this study presents the first quantitive analysis of physical changes in 27 atoll island in the central Pacific over a 19 to 61 yr period….Results show 43% of islands remained stable on increased in area (43%) over the time frame of the analysis…Only 14% of study islands exhibited a net reduction in island area.Arthur P. Webb and Paul S. Kench, Global and Planetary Change, Vol 72, Issue 3, 3 Jun 2010, pages 234-246.………………………………….Tags Earth, islandsAntarctic ice decreasesFebruary 26, 2015 by admin………………………………….While I was at Palmer, just across the mountains of the Peninsula, the massive Larsen B ice shelf began collapsing at catastrophic speed, changing forever the outline of the east coast. It was dramatic evidence of warming.After the ferocious summer, changes on the Antarctic peninsula continued faster than scientists had ever anticipated. They were of greater speed, scale and magnitude than had ever been considered possible. Scientists say that they were shocked by warming so fast, intense and widespread.SciencePoles, interview with Meredith Hooper, 20 Aug 2007Tags AntarcticaAntarctic ice increasesFebruary 26, 2015 by adminWhile Arctic sea ice continues to decline, Antarctic levels are confounding the world’s most trusted climate models with record highs for the third year running…The past three winters have all produced record levels of ice.The Guardian, Australian edition, 10 Oct 2014………………………………….Tags Antarcticamore fires in boreal forestsFebruary 22, 2015 by admin………………………………….Fire strongly influences carbon cycling and storage in boreal forests. In the near term, if global warming occurs, the frequency and intensity of fires in boreal forests are likely to increase significantly.Eric S. Kasischke and others, Ecological Applications, Vol 5, No 2, (May 1995) pp 437-451Tags borealless fires in boreal forestsFebruary 22, 2015 by adminDespite increasing temperatures since the end of the Little Ice Age (circa 1850) wildfire frequency has decreased as shown in many field studies from North America and Europe. We believe that global warming since 1850 may have triggered decreases in fire frequency in some regions and future warming may even lead to further decreases in fire frequency…The simulation and fire history results suggest that the impact of global warming on northern forests through forest fires may not be disastrous and that contrary to the expectations of an overall increase in forest fires there may be large regions of the Northern Hemisphere with a reduced fire frequency.M.D. Flanagan and others, Journal of Vegetation Science Vol 9, Issue 4, pages 469 – 476, August 1998………………………………….Tags borealSnowdon going downhillFebruary 14, 2015 by admin………………………………….The data collected by experts from the (Bangor) university suggests that a white Christmas on Snowdon – the tallest mountain in England and Wales – may one day become no more than a memory. The figures indicated that this winter Snowdon is on track to have less snow than any of the last 10 years.The results appear to back the growing body of evidence to support climate change.BBC News 20 Dec 2004Tags SnowdonSnowdon going uphillFebruary 14, 2015 by adminSnowdon Mountain Railway will be shut over the Easter weekend after it was hit by 30ft (9.1m) snow drifts. Alan Kendall, general manager of Snowdon Mountain Railway, said: “It’s the worst I’ve experienced in the 11 years I’ve been here.”BBC News North West Wales, 28 Mar 2013………………………………….thanks to saveenergyTags SnowdonEarth speeds upFebruary 6, 2015 by admin………………………………….Climate change can also affect the Earth’s spin. Previously, Felix Landerer of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. and colleagues showed that global warming would cause Earth’s mass to be redistributed towards higher latitudes. Since that pulls mass closer to the planet’s spin axis, it causes the planet to rotate faster – just as an ice skater spins faster when she pulls her arms towards her body.New Scientist 20 Aug 2009Tags Earth, earth rotationEarth slows downFebruary 6, 2015 by adminBelgian scientists have identified a hitherto unsuspected benefit of global warming – more time for all of us. They say increasing levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere will slow the Earth’s rotation. They used computer models to analyse the effect of adding 1% more CO2 to the atmosphere annually.BBC News, 12 Feb 2002………………………………….see also – having it both waysTags Earth, earth rotationless rainJanuary 29, 2015 by admin………………………………….“So even the rain that falls isn’t actually going to fill our dams and our river systems, and that’s a real worry for the people in the bush. If that trend continues then I think we’re going to have serious problems, particularly for irrigation” – Interview with Professor Tim FlanneryABC News (Australia) Landline, 11 Feb 2007Tags Flannery, rainmore rainJanuary 29, 2015 by adminClimate change ”cannot be ruled out” as a factor in recent heavy rainfalls, such as the flash flooding in Sydney on March 8, the wettest March day for more than 25 years, a report by the federal government’s Climate Commission says. The chief commissioner, Tim Flannery, said NSW was highly vulnerable to climate change.Sydney Morning Herald, Environment, 14 May 2012………………………………….thanks to FireyTags Flannery, rainless summer rainJanuary 25, 2015 by admin………………………………….A change in the North Atlantic current could lead to the end of the soggy British summers, researchers have claimed….. A decline in its speed, however, could cool the North Atlantic and put an end to the pattern, bringing colder but drier summer weather to Britain in future, experts explained.The Telegraph (UK) 19 Jan 2014Tags rainmore summer rainJanuary 25, 2015 by adminExtreme summer rainfall may become more frequent in the UK due to climate change, according to new research led by the Met Office in collaboration with Newcastle University.Met Office press release 2 Jun 2014………………………………….Tags rainless coral reefsJanuary 25, 2015 by admin………………………………….Coral reefs will be the first global ecosystem to collapse in our lifetimes. More than 450 scientists from over 60 countries are participating in the “Effects of Climate Change on the World’s Oceans” symposium. When CO2 in the atmosphere reaches a concentration of 450 to 500 parts per million (ppm), the oceans will mostly be too acidic for corals to grow.IPS News, May 2008Tags coralmore coral reefsJanuary 25, 2015 by adminCoral reefs could be growing 35 per cent faster by the next century because of global warming. A team from the University of New South Wales, in Sydney, modelled interactions between the atmosphere, oceans and ice and found that warmer water would increase the rate of coral calcification, outweighing the detrimental effect of lower calcium carbonate levels. By 2100, corals would be growing 35 per cent faster than they do today, they predicted.The Scotsman, 8/12/04………………………………….Tags coralThe Earth is doomed!January 22, 2015 by admin………………………………….“The climate centres around the world, which are the equivalent of the pathology lab of a hospital, have reported the Earth’s physical condition, and the climate specialists see it as seriously ill, and soon to pass into a morbid fever that may last as long as 100,000 years.”James Lovelock, The Independent Thursday 16 January 2006(—thanks to Mervyn)Tags doomThe Earth is not doomed!January 22, 2015 by adminEnvironmental scientist James Lovelock, renowned for his terrifying predictions of climate change’s deadly impact on the planet, has gone back on his previous claims, admitting they were ‘alarmist’.“The problem is we don’t know what the climate is doing.We thought we knew 20 years ago. That led to some alarmist books – mine included – because it looked clear cut, but it hasn’t happened”.He added that other environmental commentators, such as former vice president Al Gore, are also guilty of exaggerating their arguments.The Daily Mail (Australia) 24 April 2012………………………………….—thanks to MervynTags doomScottish ski industry decreasesJanuary 21, 2015 by admin………………………………….With the pace of global warming increasing, some climate change experts predict that the Scottish ski industry will cease to exist within 20 years.“Unfortunately, it’s just getting too hot for the Scottish ski industry.” said David Viner, Climatic Research Unit, University of East AngliaThe Guardian, 14 Feb 2004Tags skiScottish ski industry increasesJanuary 21, 2015 by adminAs snow conditions have improved in Scotland in recent years, so have the facilities in its ski centres. We round up what they offer, from the best pistes to where to stay and the best stop for a nice post-piste cake. (Note: pistes = a marked ski run)The Guardian 2 Feb 2014………………………………….Tags skioceans less saltyJanuary 3, 2015 by admin………………………………….The salt content of the ocean is on the decline, a sign of potentially worrisome consequences that scientists can’t accurately predict. Since the late 1960s, much of the North Atlantic Ocean has become less salty, in part due to increases in fresh water runoff induced by global warming, scientists say.Live Science, 29 Jun 2005Tags ocean, saltoceans more saltyJanuary 3, 2015 by adminGlobal warming is making the sea more salty, according to new research that demonstrates the massive shifts in natural systems triggered by climate change.Experts at the UK Met Office and Reading University say warmer temperatures over the Atlantic Ocean have significantly increased evaporation and reduced rainfall across a giant stretch of water from Africa to the Carribean in recent years. The change concentrates salt in the water left behind.The Guardian, 27 Oct 2008………………………………….Tags ocean, saltglobal warming causes decline in trade windsJanuary 3, 2015 by admin………………………………….The vast looping system of air currents that fuels Pacific trade winds and climate from South America to South-East Asia may be another victim of climate change, according to scientists. The system has weakened by 3.5 per cent over the past 140 years and the culprit is probably human-induced climate change, scientists report in today’s issue of the journal Nature.ABC (Australia) News 5 May 2006 “Global warming weakens air currents”Tags trade windstrade winds cause decline in global warmingJanuary 3, 2015 by adminStronger than normal trade winds in the central Pacific are the main cause of a 13-year halt in global surface temperatures increases, an Australian study reveals.The authors reject the study gives impetus to climate change deniers and instead suggest that when the winds ease, global warming will accelerate rapidly.ABC Science (Australia) 10 Feb 2014 “Warming slowdown caused by Pacific winds”………………………………….Tags trade windsAntarctica gaining weightDecember 17, 2014 by admin………………………………….The eastern half of Antarctica is gaining weight, more than 45 billion tons a year as snow and ice pile up, according to a new scientific study. ”It’s been long predicted by climate models,” said Dr. Curt H. Davis, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Missouri and the lead author of a paper that was published on the Web site of the journal Science yesterday. ”This is the first observational evidence.”New York Times, 20 May 2005Tags AntarcticaAntarctica losing weightDecember 17, 2014 by adminFrom 2010 to 2013, West Antarctica, East Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula lost 134 billion, 3 billion and 23 billion tonnes of ice each year respectively. Dr Malcolm Macmillan from Leeds University, who was the lead author of the study, said the area has long been identified as the most vulnerable to changes in climate and assessments suggest its glaciers may have passed a point of irreversible retreat.The Independent (UK) 19 May 2014………………………………….Tags Antarcticawinds decreaseDecember 17, 2014 by admin………………………………….Windmills, one of the Netherlands’ trademarks, may go idle because of less wind as a result of climate change, Dutch scientists predict. “It’s too late now to avoid the temperature rise. It’s unchangeable,” a spokesman for the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute said. “But if we are doing our very best, by reducing CO2 levels by 60 to 80 percent between now and 2050, we can avoid a temperature rise higher than 1-2 degrees (Celsius).”Counter Currents 27 Oct 2005Tags windmillswinds increaseDecember 17, 2014 by adminAs a result of stronger winds caused by global warming, seeds and pollen are being carried over longer distances across Germany. An increase in temperature of only a couple of degrees may increase the dispersal of plants in Northern forests and the spread of plant species into forest clearings after felling or forest fires. University of Helsinki researcher Anna Kuparinen headed the international research into the impact of global warming on seed and pollen dispersal.www.alphagalileo.org/, 11 Jun 2009………………………………….having it both ways - page 1ConclusionHaving it both ways shows major confusion in climate science and that surely the science IS NOT SETTLED. The only fair conclusion must be that of “Environmental scientist James Lovelock, renowned for his terrifying predictions of climate change’s deadly impact on the planet, has gone back on his previous claims, admitting they were ‘alarmist’.“The problem is we don’t know what the climate is doing.We thought we knew 20 years ago. That led to some alarmist books – mine included – because it looked clear cut, but it hasn’t happened”.He added that other environmental commentators, such as former vice president Al Gore, are also guilty of exaggerating their arguments.Lovelock and other alarmists have been fooled by chaotic and fortuitous weather and a theory that does not work.Leading German scientists have abandoned the failed theory of Al Gore by concluding in their ABSTRACT -“Because of this lack of tangible evidence it is time to acknowledge that the atmospheric greenhouse effect and especially its climatic impact are based on meritless conjectures.”Kramm, G. and Dlugi, R. (2011) Scrutinizing the atmospheric greenhouse effect and its climatic impact. Natural Science, 3, 971-998. doi: 10.4236/ns.2011.312124.http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?paperID=9233The climate change dooms day theory is therefore like astrology - pseudo-science.