The Ailing Planet

Image courtesy: India.com Fellow Earthians, We are not alone. We share this planet with countless other life forms. (Though I doubt the rhinos which we shoot for their horns, or the orangutans whose habitats we lay waste to periodically will agree that we humans are capable of sharing anything. The ten vaquitas left would certainly disagree.) Above we can see a few of them. We are not the first ones to see them, but we may be the last . Endangered Species Day is observed every year on the third Friday of May. It is a day to learn more about the species we haven't failed yet , and acknowledge the action being taken to protect them. And yes, action is being taken. For instance, India's wild tiger population has increased by 33% since 2015. As we countdown to this day, let us remind ourselves of the millions of lives which we can still save.

Fellow Earthians, Isn't it a wonderful world we share with all these beautiful animals? I'm sorry. Wasn't it a wonderful world we shared with all these beautiful animals? That's right, these animals are no more. Every single one of them is now extinct. Two hundred years is all it took us to plunder and destroy what nature has been building for millions of years. As you scroll through, keep in mind, their blood is on our hands. Few of the Species Lost in the Last Two Centuries Image courtesy: Science Name: Ectopistes migratorius Nickname: Passenger Pigeon Home: North America Cause of Extinction: Hunting Year of Extinction: 1914 Image courtesy: The Rainforest Site Blog Name: Conuropsis carolinensis Nickname:  Carolina Parakeet Home:  Eastern and midwest United States Cause of Extinction:  Habitat destruction, disease, pest control Year of Extinction:  1918 Image courtesy: National Museum of Australia Name: Thylacinus cynoc

Image courtesy: Living Hours Fellow Earthians, In 2018, a study was conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board, Regional Directorate, Bhopal to monitor the ambient air quality and noise levels in Bhopal during Diwali. The study observed '...smoke emitted by the burning of fire crackers on Diwali augments the level of gases and pollutants in the air there by adding to air pollution...' (To read the full report,  click here .) We are now a year wiser, but have we changed? Within the next few hours, you will be faced with a choice - you will be handed firecrackers and be expected to burst them. Children will look at you expectantly, your friends will dare you, and your neighbours will urge you to light them aflame, but the choice will remain yours. And when you do choose, keep in mind: The Backstory Image courtesy: Reuters When one buys crackers, they support child labour. Despite child labour being banned, the firecracker industry still employs childre

Image Courtesy: NASA Earth Observatory Fellow Earthians, The tiny orange dots that can be seen are not city lights; they are fires burning their way through the Amazon , world's largest rainforest . Image Courtesy: GETTY This year, the number of fires in Brazil alone has gone up by 85% from last year. So far, more than 80,000 fires have been detected by Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), the highest on record since 2013. And these are not minor fires; the resultant smoke is visible from space . Brazil's environmental minister, Ricardo Salles, attributed the fires to dry weather, wind, and heat. However, CNN meteorologist, Haley Brink, clarified that the fires were human-induced and could not possibly have been started by natural causes like lightning strikes. In the words of Christian Poirier, program director of non-profit organisation Amazon Watch, "The vast majority of these fires are human-lit ."  Image