One for the paws!

            A Shelter of Love and Care: Animal Shelter

As long as people treat animals as toys, possessions and commodities rather than as individuals with feelings, families and friendships, widespread neglect and abuse are destined to continue.

Animal shelter is a safe haven where stranded, sick, wounded and stray animals are rehabilitated with utmost care and compassion. Its major goal is reuniting owners with lost pets, rehoming unowned animals and providing shelter and care for a vulnerable population.

Without shelters, animals face the same problems that anything else in the ecosystem would. They become completely exposed to their predators, they become completely exposed to the elements of weather that wear on their skins/furs and slow them down heavily from being able to escape prey, and eventually they become vulnerable to attack at all times. Cases of animals being killed by motor vehicles on highways are also not rare. They become exposed to undernutrition and starvation. Animals have a difficult time sustaining themselves in our concrete jungles, so it becomes very important to protect them from their perilous lives on the street. 

CHALLENGES 

Animal overpopulation in the protection shelters is one of the major problems that lead to neglecting animals due to insufficient space for everyone. Sadly, not enough people adopt their pets from shelters to help ease the crowding. It is important to stop breeding purebred animals, because it is a practice that contributes to the animal overpopulation crisis. Approximately 7.6 million animals enter protection shelters nationwide each year. Roughly half of the animals who enter shelters—many of them healthy, young, and adoptable—end up euthanized because of simple math: There are too many animals and not enough worthy adoptive homes. Around 56 percent of animals that enter animal shelters are euthanized annually. 

Moreover raising funds for issues like animal protection is a difficult task, and as a result, there is a need to establish equilibrium between the desire to help as many animals and the need to run economically in order to keep your doors open. Therefore, the animal shelters are bound to take harsh decisions as to how many animals they can accommodate, or how much staff do they have to maintain. And such limited admission policies often refuse animals that are sick, aged, of unsound temperament, or with inappropriate behaviors because they are poor adoption candidates. Although well-intentioned, such a rigid philosophical policy may not contribute to optimizing animal welfare in the long run if there is insufficient space for these animals in other nearby shelters. This may instead contribute to animal abandonment, abuse, neglect, or overcrowding at other facilities that have less restrictive admission policies.

Another problem faced by animal shelters is the lack of awareness, both in handling pets to prevent overpopulation, and in battling preconceived notions about rescue pets. Studies show that approximately 34 percent of animal purchases are from breeders, while only 23 percent are from animal shelters. It is essential to make sure that no animal loses a home due to breed prejudices.

Animal sheltering poses a grave societal challenge because, directly or indirectly, even we are the ones who are affected. Innumerous cases of rabies due to dog bite or death due to elephant attacks are heard of daily. 

WHAT CAN BE DONE

Spaying and neutering of animals in your localities is a simple and a very effective step that we can take. One unspayed female cat and her offspring can create a whopping 420,000 cats in just seven years, and one unneutered male dog can father countless litters. Because the number of animals exceed the demand for them, majority of animals suffer from abandonment, abuse, starvation, etc

Adopting animals from streets or animal shelters is another small initiative that can save an animal’s life. People with the means can make enormous difference by adopting one animal from an animal shelter, or by rescuing one from the streets. There are innumerable species that are found bruised and wounded in garbage bags, or are abandoned by families because of some sickness, who crave for a safe home. 

It is significant to realize that taking care of these genial creatures is not just the responsibility of the government, but is our duty as well. Being a part of the world that we all share, it is important for us to take the initiative of nurturing these beautiful beings who are an integral part of our community. And, the least we can do is visit animal care shelters and devote some time and compassion to the animals there, and make them feel the love they deserve. 

Animal protection is a crucial issue and needs the often neglected acknowledgement. Organizations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support), STRAW (Stray Relief And Animal Welfare), etc are working towards the vision of terminating animal cruelty and creating global sustainability. And it is our responsibility to mould the world into one where we value all the lives, irrespective of the species. The world is constantly moving, chaotic maybe, but always heading towards a future that we guide. Hence, it becomes essential to spread awareness and compassion towards all the species that exist in this ecosystem. 

Animals, we'll be there for you! 

WRITTEN BY- FALGUNI PARCHANDA

-NET IMPACT MEMBER.   

Are we facing an economic shutdown ?

 India's economic shutdown: Is it worse than anticipated?

“There are a variety of growth projections from the private sector analysts many of which are perhaps significantly below government projections and I think certainly the slowdown in the economy is something that is very worrisome.”

                                                                                  -Dr. Raghuram G. Rajan

India’s deepening slowdown has left the economy on the verge of stalling. The GDP growth rate has been sliding for the last five quarters from 8% to 7% to 6.6% to 5.8% and now at 5% in the first quarter of the financial year 2019-20;the slowest pace in more than 6 years; led by a dramatic slowdown in the manufacturing sector as well.

Chief Economic Adviser Krishnamurthy Subramanian told that the slowdown was a result of both endogenous and exogenous factors, arising especially from the global headwinds due to deceleration in the developed economies.

  How is this slowdown affecting?

As a result of the slowdown, the real estate sector is also facing a crisis since the number of unsold homes have increased. When the government needed money, even the tax collection wasn’t proper and grew at a mere rate of 1.4%. 
The business sector is also suffering a lot. A slowdown in the business is affecting many aspects of the economy leading to unemployment and increased job losses. The fact that around 2.3 lakh jobs have been lost so far and the unemployment is at 45 year high has already painted a worrisome picture. Things doesn’t stop here. The rupee has also come back in the news following a depreciation in its value versus the dollar in the last month. To some extent, it is also influenced by this slowdown in the economy.

What are the main reasons being cited for this slowdown?

Indian economy is facing a slowdown which is both structural and cyclic in nature. It is being believed that the crisis has been caused by a lack of cash. India has a substantial economy that runs on cash and it was deeply affected by the disappearance of cash from the system at the time of demonetization. But this is not the only reason. Another reason which is being believed for the slowdown is the improper implementation of GST. Hardly had the economy recovered a little from the ill effects of demonetization when the GST was introduced and wasn’t even implemented properly. 
To make the conditions worse came the Liquidity crunch led by the NBFC crisis. As a result of the shortage of liquidity in the Indian market, there started arising decline in the wages due to which there was a slowdown in consumption leading to an economic slowdown. Certain factors like the angel tax and FII’s money withdrawal also played a crucial role to lead the economy on the verge of a great crisis.

The government is also aware of the gravity of the situation and it is evident from their recent pronouncements including changes in the investment norms to draw more attention towards FDI’s and moves to revive the auto sector. 
In order to boost the economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also issued an ordinance to reduce the corporate tax rate to promote more investments. The moves taken by the government to recapitalize the nationalized banks to the extent of 70,000 crores and the big bank merger policy will also play a little role to solve this problem. It’s obvious that any beneficial impact from these policies will take time but time is proving itself to be a luxury which the economy is not able to afford.

Will the Indian economy soon be able to revive and come out of this great crisis?



CURATED BY : ASEEM AGARWAL (Net Impact Member)

Deforestation to Destruction.

From Amazon forest to Aarey forest: The Impact of Deforestation on the world.

100000. This is the number of times the infamous Amazon Forest has experienced fire in this very year. The Amazon Forest of Brazil was caught up in flames from 15 August 2019 to 22 August 2019. But this is not the only forest that was burned to such an extent that it affected the health of the flora fauna and also the neighbors. The Aarey Forest of Mumbai was also almost burned down to ashes last December. Both of these forest are located at the heart of their respective cities and hence are a huge lost to the entire country and hence, the World. 

The fires might be in two different countries which share an opposite culture, food habits etc but one thing is common between them: the ambiguous nature of the occurrence of fire. Many experts and even the indigenous people claim them to be nothing but a conspiracy of the governments. They contend that both the Governments want to burn and destroy these forests so that they can be sold to the pompous industrialists and can be used for setting up of new Residential Projects and Industries.

Mining and drilling are one of the major causes of deforestation. Cutting down or burning down an entire forest kills the flora and fauna of that place and also causes chronic respiratory problems to the nearby people. Soil erosion also becomes prominent in those areas and it increases the chances on flood in the area. The spread of carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and aerosols also lead to various health problems. 

These fires could turn rainforests into deserts.

The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation talks about relocating the plants and trees that need to be shed for the building up of Metro but according to the statistics, 48% of the transferred plants have already died. When it comes to the Amazon Forest, the one which is a home to 40,000 species of plants, 1,300 species of birds, 430 mammals and 400-500 indigenous communities, the Government are not seriously investing in it. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro criticized French President Emmanuel Macron’s actions of announcing aid to Brazil after unleashing unreasonable attacks on Amazon. He also thanked President Donald Trump for his support. 

Many people have come out against the forest fire in Mumbai and Brazil. From 400 people on the Marine drive to actors and actresses like Shraddha Kapoor, all of them are condemning this act of intentionally destroying the environment for their inhumane purposes. In Brazil, more than 30 protests have taken place with thousands of people protesting at Ipanema Beach. 

Thus, forest fires are not just a huge threat to one specific country but to the entire world. Amazon Forest consists of about 20% of our planet’s oxygen and losing it would mean a drastic loss to our balance of ecosystem. These forests need to be protected by individuals as well as by the Government. People visiting these forests should not through half lit matchsticks or unextinguished bonfires while leaving. The natural fires cannot be dealt with but the officials must estimate the approximate time of the year when these are most prominent and must be extra cautious at that time. 

This is a global issue as being careless now would harm the entire ecosystem and hasten the process of Global Warming. Remember, only Mumbai or Brazil are not on fire; THE WORLD IS ON FIRE. 

CURATED BY:KHYATI SHRESTA (NET IMPACT MEMBER)

 Eat To Live, Not Live To Eat

Food waste, not in good taste!

Food waste, the discarded or lost food, is one of the major problems faced in the world today. Food waste is caused due to a lot of reasons and it mainly occurs at the stages of production, processing, retailing or consumption.
Definitions of food waste vary, among other things, in what food waste consists of, how it is produced, and where or what it is discarded from or generated by.
According to the UN, food waste is any removal of food from the food supply chain which is or was at some point fit for human consumption.

Global food waste amounts to be between one-third and half of all food produced. Wastage occurs at all stages of the food supply chain. In low income countries, most loss occurs during production, while in developed countries, about 100KGs of food is wasted at the consumption stage. According to the Food Agriculture Organization (FAO), food waste is responsible for 8% of global man-made greenhouse gas emissions. The FAO concludes that nearly 30% of all agricultural land in the world is wasted in production of uneaten food.

FOOD WASTE OCCURS AT ALL STAGES OF FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN

One way of dealing with food waste is to reduce its creation. Consumers can reduce spoilage by planning their food shopping. Widespread educational campaigns have proven to be an effective way to reduce food waste. In areas where the waste collection is a public function, food waste is usually managed by the same government organizations as other waste collection and have the advantage that the food waste can be disposed of in ways not applicable to other wastes. As everything gets covered up with time, there are many NGOs today such as 'Feeding India' that work on the problem of food wastage. Their main aim is to make better use of food for someone else, which might be waste for another.

Food waste has serious social and environmental implications, but many of us not even think about it. Widespread knowledge and awareness about the prevalent problem is required to reduce hunger in this world and to encourage everyone to do their bit in order to make a differnce.


WRITTEN BY- RAHUL
                      ( NET IMPACT MEMBER) 

CURATED BY- POOJAN SEHGAL 

WASTE TO ENERGY 

Back in the school days, we learned that once energy is released in the atmosphere, it cannot be converted back into energy. We might assume same for the waste, that once waste is generated, it is of no use in the future. But here comes the twist; a not so new concept of “Waste to Energy” (WtE).

It can be described as various technologies that convert non-recyclable waste into usable forms of energy including heat, fuels and electricity. WtE is like recovery of energy. Waste fuels are also called “opportunity fuels,” because they may offer a preferential price, give direct benefits to the power station, or provide indirect or co-benefits from their use.

The question arises that why is there a need for WtE. There are two main reasons for this- 

1) Waste is being produced in enormous amount, all over the world. Currently, there is 1.3 billion tonnes of Municipal Solid Waste generated annually. By 2025 the figure will rise to almost 2.2 billion tonnes of municipal waste per year. Predictions such as limited land and undegradable waste, force us to consider and develop alternatives for addressing our future waste management challenges.

2) Climatic change is being observed all over the world,which has its own repercussions.

Here WtE comes into picture. It not only helps in waste management but also helps in reducing the effects of Climate Change. The main reason for Climate Change is emission of greenhouse gases. Using various techniques under WtE helps in reducing the emission of these gases.

WASTE TO ENERGY TECHNOLOGY HELPS IN WASTE MANAGEMENT AND REDUCING THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE

Incineration, gasification, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas recovery are some of the processes used to convert waste into energy.

In incineration, waste is burned completely combusted at ultra-high temperatures allowing for energy recovery. Modern incineration facilities use pollution control equipment to prevent the release of emissions into the environment. Currently incineration is the only WtE technology that is economically viable and operationally feasible at commercial scale.

Anaerobic digestion is an old but an effective technology where organic material is biologically converted into compost resulting into biogas. This systems have large potential and can range from low to high tech, hence catering to communities of all income levels. Where as pyrolysis can thermo-chemically convert waste products into clean liquid fuels.

Landfill gas recovery is the process of capturing the gases emitted from municipal landfills and converting it for energy.

Hence WtE helps in reduction of waste going to landfill sites, reduction of carbon emissions, use of fossil fuels, etc.

Electricity and heat can be generated from waste which provide an alternative and more environment-friendly source of energy. And the local community around WtE facilities are benefited from creation of jobs to cost effective energy.

Unfortunately, WtE practices are underutilized and therefore the majority of the world still uses landfills as their primary disposal method. Landfills are an unsustainable use of land and pose

environmental concerns including water and air quality issues.

The most significant challenge to WtE technology adoption is the awareness that waste can be used as a source of clean and reliable energy.

 WRITTEN BY- ALISHA

                       ( NET IMPACT MEMBER)

CURATED BY- POOJAN SEHGAL

FOOD WASTAGE- CAUSES AND MEASURES 

"For some a Snack, for some a Day's Meal ''

Food waste remains a significant issue which needs to be addressed urgently. Generally we define food waste as the food that has been knowingly discarded or destroyed, for eg- food discarded in factories, unsold food in restraunts or shops, kitchen scraps, and plate waste.

The causes of food waste and food loss differ in developing and developed countries. In developing countries it may include early harveting, inedequate market systems while in developed countries these reasons may vary, including excess food, bulk size packaging, etc.

Wasting tons of food causes huge economic loss for the countries and a lot of needless hunger, but there are some environmental issues also deeply connected to the problem of food waste.

• The carbon footprint of food produced but not consumed leads to production of greenhouse gases - making food wastage the third top GHG emitter. 
• Also many surveys show that produced but uneaten food occupies almost 1.4 billion hectares of land; representing nearly 30% the world's agriculture land area. 
• 54% of the world's food wastage occurs " upstream" during production, post harvest handling and storage, according to FAOs study.
•  About 46% of it happens "downstream", at the processing, distribution and consumption stages. 

  

  FOOD WASTE IS THE THIRD LARGEST GREENHOUSE GAS EMITTER

 With millions suffering from hunger and a growing population, technologies and working practices that reduce food waste and extend food shelf-life are critical areas of future innovation. We might not realise this but food wastes can be brought to a productive use by converting them to energy and fertilizer, by anearobic digestion which in turn can also be used to produce gas and electricity.

 In today's world technology and innovation are playing major role to reduce food wastage but it's now on us as citizens to be aware and to do whatever we can do to make this world free of hunger by sharing our food with the needy. To fight this problem, the world has to come together and make this wastage a bare minimum.

Please don't waste food- LIVE SIMPLY so that others may SIMPLY LIVE !

WRITTEN BY - YASHIKA
                          ( NET IMPACT MEMBER) 

CURATED BY- POOJAN SEHGAL

 THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF REFRIGERATION

  As we all know, most of the refrigerators and air conditioners today contain chemical refrigerants that absorb   and release heat to enable chilling. These equipment used to contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) or   hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) or potent greenhouse gases (GHGs);   all of which have now been prohibited. They have been replaced by hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which have no   impact on the ozone layer but still are potent green house gases. 

 Refrigerants, specifically CFCs and HCFCs, were once the major culprits in depletion of the ozone layer. HFCs,   the primary replacement, spare the ozone layer, but have 1,000 to 9,000 times greater capacity to warm the   atmosphere than carbon dioxide. 

 Refrigerant management means the proper handling of refrigerants in your HVAC/R equipment. The most   common refrigerants used today have ozone-depleting and/or high global warming properties.

 With all these substances, a refrigerator, when thrown in the garbage, releases up to 3.7 metric tons of CO₂   equivalent, which is the same amount emitted by a car that travels 17,500 km!

THE ABOVE PIE CHART SHOWS THAT 26% OF OZONE LAYER DEPLETION  IS CAUSED BY REFRIGERATION

 The environmental impact of refrigeration appliances that are not recycled responsibly is enormous like the   depletion of the ozone layer, acceleration of climate change and mercury contamination of the environment.

 As a result, regulations and sustainability initiatives around the world have placed the responsibility on the   system owners to take control over refrigerants and manage their use throughout the life-cycle of the equipment.   When you properly manage refrigerants, not only you reduce the adverse environmental impact  but also save   energy, improve operations, and mitigate risk. 

 The United States, Canada and Mexico are lobbying to reduce HFC use. Also, UN Environment, the   Implementing Agency of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, has proposed   Ozone Action which strengthens the capacity of governments - particularly the operational focal points known as   National Ozone Units - and industry in developing countries to elaborate and enforce the policies required to   implement the Protocol and to make informed decisions about alternative technologies.

 All these measures have to be implemented properly to solve the problem of ozone depletion. A collective effort   from this whole world is what it is needed to fight this battle against global warming

 WRITTEN BY - SOHAL 

                       ( NET IMPACT MEMBER )

 CURATED BY- POOJAN SEHGAL