The Indian Government has been promoting better hygiene amongst the user but has turned a blind eye towards disposal of the used sanitary napkins. The modern pads being primarily plastics, clog up drainage and incineration leads to dangerous air pollutants. Putting the used napkins in landfills adds toxins to the soil and groundwater. And in a country like India where littering is a birthright, disposable pads end up along roadsides buried amongst the household refuse and cow dung, or thrown into small dirty ponds that abound the peri-urban commons. We do have a polluters’ pay policy in place - yet the companies are never ever hauled up for not being responsible for the environmental damage that their products may be causing. And, neither do the authorities notice the huge quantities of unhygienic waste being spewed daily.

Plastic Sanitary Napkins: Very few people know what's inside a sanitary napkin or a tampon, or for that matter a diaper. A potentially toxic chemical-dioxin (by product of a chlorine bleaching process), gamut of polymers and plastics, wood pulp, and fragrances are the few things that constitute a slim and ultra modern sanitary napkin. It is high time that we know what is exactly inside a sanitary napkin. Disclosing what’s in the product and its proportion should be made mandatory, not in microscopic print but in large letters, as companies must be accountable for what they manufacture.

Please contribute your views so that we may raise the pressure to bring out a organic or biodegradable alternative to sanitary napkins in India.

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is going to organise a hands-on two-day workshop aimed at giving practical exposure to participants on EIA with specific reference to wind power projects in Bangalore on 17-18 September, 2013.

Also, CSE will bear the course fee of the workshop which would include the lectures, study material and food for two days.

Note: We are not making reimbursement for local travel and lodging

At the end of the workshop, a certificate of participation would be given to the participants.

I sincerely hope you will take this opportunity to nominate yourself or your colleague for this workshop. As we have limited number of seats for the training programme, I urge you to send your nominations on or before September 10, 2013.

This workshop is open for participation for Regulatory Institutions (such as SPCB, state environment impact assessment authority, forest officers, IFS), NGOs, Consultants, Industries, Students and Academicians.

We can accept only two nominations from an organization. Once we receive your nomination, we would forward you the workshop schedule and the session details.

Kindly send the nominations at swati@cseindia.org.

Hello Everyone,

Dam Break Modelling and River flood plain modelling using MIKE 11 is my thematic area for my M.Tech project work. Its basically included in water resources engineering and disaster management field. Please suggest me some research topics/subjects from these thematic area which will be included with Environmental aspects.

Interested in doing a PG diploma course in disaster management via distance mode.

 Need some suggestions regarding any university or institute that has admissions open currently for the August or September session.

A Research Associate for short term assignment to assist in preparation of national DM plan for the country is required for immediate engagement. Candidate must have good writing skills with some comprehension of disaster management and mitigation issues and computer skills associated with report writing/preparation and willingness to hard work

Admissions open for MBA in Environmental Management at Bharathidasan University, Trichy.

 Graduates in any disciplin can apply.

I am a student of MBA Environmental Management, my course module is designed such that my final semester fully comprises of project work.

 In this regard I need suggestions and help. Would really be thankful if somebody suggests any industry or research institute working in environmental field.

Thank You

Dear all,

Lotus Granges Introduces India's first bio remediation product"Scent Soft-Bio"for household use.

it is a Probiotic,Eco friendly and has odour removing enzymes with fragrance and helpful microbes,that hepl to minimise the toxicity in our environs,promoting ecological conservation.
"Scent Sofi -Bio"is made to eliminate objectionable odour with helpful microbes,which digest bad smell in places like
toilets,Dustbins,shoe racks,Pet zones,Smoking zones,Carpets

Enjoy the benefit of friendly microbes with fragrance.

http://www.scentsoftbio.com/Scent_Soft.jpg

Please check the following link
http://dryati.blogspot.in/2013/07/spotted-chinkara-gazella-gazella.htmlhttp://dryati.blogspot.in/2013/07/spotted-chinkara-gazella-gazella.html

The University of GReenwich MSc has just been awarded accreditation by the professional institute, the Chartered Institute for Ecology and Environmental Management the first nad only programme to recieve this. 

This has real benefits for our students - see http://www.cieem.net/accreditation for details

We are pleased to inform you that the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is going to organise a hands-on two-day workshop aimed at giving practical exposure to participants on EIA with specific reference to wind power projects.

We are writing to invite you for this unique training workshop. The objective of this workshop is to enable stakeholders to understand the likely impacts of the project and allows them to make sound decisions during various stages of project development.

Centre for Science and Environment is organizing a two day workshop on EIA of wind power projects on 29-30 August, 2013 at Yashwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (YASHADA), Baner Road, Pune 411 007, Maharashtra, India. 

Also, CSE will bear the course fee of the workshop which would include the lectures, study material and food for two days.

Note: We are not making reimbursement for local travel and lodging

At the end of the workshop, a certificate of participation would be given to the participants.

I sincerely hope you will take this opportunity to nominate yourself or your colleague for this workshop. As we have limited number of seats for the training programme, I urge you to send your nominations on or before August 17, 2013.

This workshop is open for participation for Regulatory Institutions (such as SPCB, state environment impact assessment authority, forest officers, IFS), NGOs, Consultants, Industries, Students and Academicians.

We can accept only two nominations from an organization. Once we receive your nomination, we would forward you the workshop schedule and the session details.

Kindly send the nominations at swati@cseindia.org.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an important tool to inform deci sion-makers, regulators and stakeholders, about the possible environmental, social and economic costs of the proposed project. To be effective, it requires the active involvement of all concerned stakeholders.

There is a genuine need to develop the capacity of the state-level regulators and state level expert appraisal Committee (SEAC) to screen and scope the EIA process, to conduct transparent public consultations and to evaluate the EIA
reports, especially after the new EIA notification. At the same time, there is a need among CBO, NGOs, academicians, and environment managers to review and interpret EIA report, as they are technical in nature.

Centre for Science and Environment recognises this need and has developed a hands-on five-day training programme aimed at giving practical exposure to participants on EIA with specific reference to coal based power plant, cement, pharmaceutical, mining and others.

After the programme, the participants shall have:

1. Exposure to all aspects of EIA, from its theory to the practical – such as better understanding regarding

• What data is required, how this data should be collected and interpreted,and significance of the data

• Effectiveness of the assessment methods

• What issues should be addressed in the Terms of Reference (TOR)

• Tools and thumb rules available to evaluate the environmental impact of projects

2. Better understanding of the EIA process – from screening, scoping, data collection to impact assessment as well as the role of public consultation

3. Better understanding of the environmental and social impacts of the industrial and developmental projects

4. Better ability to review EIA reports and identify its strengths and weaknesses

5. Increased ability to play active role in post-EIA monitoring

SCHEDULE

Course Duration:

Date: 22-26 July, 2013

Venue: CSE, 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi -110062

Time: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM daily

Course fee: Rs 9,900 (For developers, environment consultants and regulators) 25% discounts for NGOs, academicians and students

Last Date for Applying: July 18, 2013

For Registration kindly contact: swati@cseindia.org

OPEN FOR:
NGOs, Regulatory Institutions (such as SPCB, state environment impact assessment authority, Environment Consultants, Students, decision makers and Industries

COURSE CONTACT
Swati Singh Sambyal
Industry & Environment Unit, Centre for Science and Environment
Tel: + 91-11-29955124/ 6110, Extension: 281, |
Fax: + 91-11-29955879 Mob. No.: +91 9910496283
E-mail: swati@cseindia.org

While the almost every well-read urban Indian youth is today, in some way, involved in advocacy or activism, none seems to be too keenly interested in being responsible citizens or Environmentally conscious and we've a proof of that.

Perhaps one would expect the young, all one-third of the total to be a little more responsible in their actions. Quite the contrary, as we observed to our utter dismay. Welcome to Vishwavidyalaya metro station premises, in the core University area, a hub of Delhi youth. 

http://www.theunknownpen.com/editors-desk/the-other-side-of-delhi/

would like to work as freelancer in related fields (air pollution, noise pollution etc). contact mail ID bindupeethu@gmail.com

Though I intended to write this to commemorate the WED 2013 theme, ‘Think.Eat.Save’, it took me a while to think how much I practice what I believe in…..

Shall try to pour out those ‘beliefs’ to you…and to what extent they can be practiced….

I was listening to a TED talk by Simon Sinek the other day on ‘inspiration’. The speaker was just too good while explaining the Golden Circle that governs human actions – ‘What, How, and Why’. Consider any human action and you would find that this logic can be applied to justify all our intentions. We generally start by asking ourselves ‘What’, followed by ‘How’ and ending with ‘Why’. And you are not the only one…a general consensus says that 86% of the human population follows this sequential logic to draw a rationale on their actions.

Let me try drawing this logic in the context of food consumed by us, ‘Humans’. Think of a situation when you are at work, lots of tasks pending, hands of the clock is just striking 12 noon and there is still one long long hour for the lunch break to start! God you’re hungry and the moles in your tummy have started their marathon already!! Immediate question – “What do I eat now”? You answer yourself promptly…”I can eat ‘x’.”Next Question “How will I get it”? Another answer, “The packet of chips is in the pantry”…Lastly (if at all), “Why am I eating ‘x’ and not ‘y’? Rarely can we sustain our hunger till the last question….as soon as we know what to eat and how to get it, we have almost won the challenge. ‘Why’ remains unanswered as usual…

Strangely, it has been found that an answer to this question ‘why’ could be the magic key to  open the treasure box that contains unheard facets of human survival. In other words, if we knew ‘why’ we are consuming as much as we do, we would discover how we can reduce our consumption and what should be the action for doing the same. Instead of following the top-down approach we need a bottom-up approach where we should question our consumption – Why do we eat ‘x’…..next question, ‘how do get to eat ‘x’….the last one, ‘what should we do to eat x’.

An example at this juncture will give a clearer picture of my logic. Irrespective of the fact whether we are vegetarians or non-vegetarians, do we ever question ourselves at the dinner table, “why are we eating a curry made of frozen peas or salad with preserved chicken sausages’? “Why couldn’t we prefer the fresh ingredients instead of buying packed and preserved food”? “Who would have grown these vegetables and how”? “What would the poultry have been fed with”?…….The Q&A session goes on till long….

If only we could think this way, would we realize what impact our choices as a ‘consumer’ would have on the environment, the economy and everyone’s quality of life in the ecosystem.

If only we could make a responsible choice and align it with the natural cycles of the earth, we, as individuals would have taken great leaps for survival of mankind.

Human consumption of food marks a confluence of economic, environmental and social sustainability. When we know why we are eating a pack of chips that is contained in a plastic or a non-biodegradable bag, we would ourselves discover how to get rid of the habit, and what other options to look for as a ‘crunchy munchy’ with the evening tea!

To make your kitchen and your eating style sustainable, here are a few tips from my side (I am trying to follow them myself, so trust me they aren’t that difficult)-

• Buy locally sourced or grown food
• Avoid packaged and preserved food. They are mostly energy consuming, non-biodegradable burden for the earth.
• Try shopping from farmers’ markets or local ‘mandis’. Those red and yellow bell peppers in shopping malls’ refrigerators may look good….but they are unfortunately taking away some hours of your or your dear ones’ lives by being preserved and refrigerated
• For vegetables and greens, keep in mind the health hazards caused by pesticides. Try opting for organic vegetables. They might seem expensive now….but would actually turn out to be ‘profitable’ for you in the near future
• For non-vegetarians, try opting for farmed meat or fish than the wild ones. Also try questioning about what poultry had been fed with, whether they were injected with antibiotics or whether they were grazing on sustainable lands?
• Try composting or recycling your kitchen waste to complete the cycle. Wherever possible, try growing a kitchen garden.
• Eat fruits and vegetables that are in season – they are the best ones in nutrition and flavor – and of course better for the earth.
• Lastly, consume as much as you can, and try reducing on your waste.

An article in TOI on 6 June 2013 is titled as “Food worth Rs 58k crore goes waste in India every year”….with 33% of the world poorest people in India, can we afford to lose so much just because of our irresponsible and unethical attitudes…WHY???HOW DO WE STOP THIS?? WHAT SHOULD WE DO NOW???

It was an important day in my newly started schedule of life; just two days before I have joined a new assignment which had given me the opportunity to be a part of the state’s WED celebration. The theme as you know is THINK EAT SAVE. That was interesting because right from my childhood I have learnt only not to waste food. It was my parents, and my grand mom who always said that Laxmi (Hindu Goddess of Wealth) lies in food so we should not disgrace her by wasting food. Sometimes, when we had left a considerable quantity of food on the plate because it didn’t tasted that good as always, mom used to scold us by saying that there were many people around who are lying hungry. Gradually, when we grew up and experienced lives out of our mom-shielded homes, we have started realizing the facts of hunger, starvation and inequality in food distribution. Again, it was Rathaya Yella sir, who in our college days, always told us about the pain of a farmer in producing a single grain of rice; which was an another teaching on reducing food wastage! With all these background and hailing from a lower middle class family, the theme obviously was a matter of interest.

The importance of an Environment Officer in the industry is now well understood. Many students who complete their MSc in Environmental Sciences look for a career in the industry however they are often lacking in certain aspects. To address this problem and to help the newly passed out MSc students in this aspect, VSI is organizing a 5 day training program on "Industrial Pollution Control and Environmental Management". The course will cover the following broad areas 1. Important criteria for selection and designing of ETP 2. Characterization and sampling 3. Methods of treatment including aerobic, anaerobic and residuals handling 4. Civil, electrical and mechanical components of ETP 5. ETP Operation and maintenance 6. Air pollution control devices, air monitoring equipment and their operation 7. Solid and hazardous waste management 8. Industrial safety 9. Procedures of CPCB/SPCB's- consent, ESR, HWR, cess returns 10. Environmental clearance- procedures and documentation 11. Green belt development

The course will be conducted during June 24-28, 2013 at the Manjari campus of VSI and will be limited to 25 participants only and will be on a first come first served basis. The trainees will be given a certificate of participation at the end of the course.

The fees for the training will be Rs. 4000/- per participant which will include course material, accommodation at VSI hostel and meals for the duration of the course.

For more information regarding the department http://www.vsisugar.com/india/environmentalsciences/index.htm

For information regarding the departments training experience http://www.vsisugar.com/india/environmentalsciences/training-programmes.htm

Contact

Dr. Deepali Nimbalkar

Scientist and Head

Department of Environmental Sciences

Vasantdada Sugar Institute

Manjari Bk. Tal. Haveli

Pune 412307 INDIA

Tel: +91 20 26902343 Fax: +91 20 26902244

Email: ds.nimbalkar@vsisugar.org.in

Website: www.vsisugar.com

CSE’s short-term EIA training programme UNDERSTANDING EIA: FROM SCREENING TO DECISION MAKING

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an important tool to inform deci sion-makers, regulators and stakeholders, about the possible environmental, social and economic costs of the proposed project. To be effective, it requires the active involvement of all concerned stakeholders.

There is a genuine need to develop the capacity of the state-level regulators and state level expert appraisal Committee (SEAC) to screen and scope the EIA process, to conduct transparent public consultations and to evaluate the EIA
reports, especially after the new EIA notification. At the same time, there is a need among CBO, NGOs, academicians, and environment managers to review and interpret EIA report, as they are technical in nature.

Centre for Science and Environment recognises this need and has developed a hands-on five-day training programme aimed at giving practical exposure to participants on EIA with specific reference to coal based power plant, cement, pharmaceutical, mining and others.

After the programme, the participants shall have:

1. Exposure to all aspects of EIA, from its theory to the practical – such as better understanding regarding

• What data is required, how this data should be collected and interpreted,and significance of the data

• Effectiveness of the assessment methods

• What issues should be addressed in the Terms of Reference (TOR)

• Tools and thumb rules available to evaluate the environmental impact of projects

2. Better understanding of the EIA process – from screening, scoping, data collection to impact assessment as well as the role of public consultation

3. Better understanding of the environmental and social impacts of the industrial and developmental projects

4. Better ability to review EIA reports and identify its strengths and weaknesses

5. Increased ability to play active role in post-EIA monitoring

SCHEDULE

Course Duration:

Date: 22-26 July, 2013

Venue: CSE, 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi -110062

Time: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM daily

Course fee: Rs 9,900 (For developers, environment consultants and regulators) 25% discounts for NGOs, academicians and students

Last Date for Applying: July 15, 2013

For Registration kindly contact: swati@cseindia.org

OPEN FOR:
NGOs, Regulatory Institutions (such as SPCB, state environment impact assessment authority, Environment Consultants, Students, decision makers and Industries

COURSE CONTACT
Swati Singh Sambyal, Industry & Environment Unit
Industry & Environment Unit, Centre for Science and Environment
Tel: + 91-11-29955124/ 6110, Extension: 281, |
Fax: + 91-11-29955879 Mob. No.: +91 9910496283
E-mail: swati@cseindia.org