Green Options

The discovery of a species in nature often results in headlines such as “New Species Discovered”. However, what exactly is a new species?

A ‘new’ species would probably be only one that had evolved into something unique very recently, or zapped instantly into existence by the power of God, or created by genetic engineers in a laboratory. Therefore, it appears to be safe to say that there is no such thing as a ‘new’ rat. (Unless one includes politicians).

Pakistan has finally acknowledged that last year’s terrorist attack on Mumbai was planned on its soil. This is the clearest sign yet that Pakistan intends to cooperate with international efforts to prosecute those behind the attacks.

Tibetan glaciers are melting faster than predicted. Nearly a sixth of the world’s population, one billion people, directly depend on the glaciers for survival.

The Tibetan plateau has an average height of 14,000 feet above sea level. It is also home to over ten thousand glaciers. This gargantuan network of ice feeds some of the longest rivers in the world: Salween (2820 km) Mekong (4880 km) Yellow (3180 km) Yangtze (6380 km) Indus (3180 km) and Brahmaputra (2900 km).

Seasonal glacial melting provides vast quantities of water to these rivers and their watersheds. It is critical to all life there. An Ohio State University researcher named Lonnie Thompson, who has studied the region, is very concerned global warming could cause the glaciers to shrink below levels that currently support the local ecosystems, and human communities.

According to a recent UNESCO study, fresh water supply is expected to drop by one-third within 20 years. UNESCO points out that up to 7 billion people could face water shortages by 2020 as global warming will affect water supply in more than 50 countries.

Water as a priority in national strategic discourse is not new but its prominence in recent years illustrates the emergence of a new battlefront. A broader acceptance of climate change associated with global warming has led [...]

Like many multicultural moms, I find a direct link between a sustainable way of living and the wisdom of old world cultures. As an Indian mom, I have always had a tremendously soft spot for South Asia inspired parenting resources. I have always maintained that it is not easy raising multicultural kids, so I will take all the help I can get.

An old adage tells us that company loves misery, obviously other moms like me feel the same way! I [...]