Water is colourless. But when we observe any large water body, it appears blue. When it has a lot of impurities (or nutrients), it can vary from red, green, white, grey, brown, black to anything that is weird and filthy. Read about some important terms related to different colours of water that we come across in common parlance or which researchers use to understand better this elixir of life. Bluewater: ‘Why is water blue in colour?’—humans must have raised this question since time immemorial. But in 1921, this query was resolved when Sir CV Raman raised and answered it successfully...
Let’s delve into the what, why & how of composting. ave you wondered how a plastic toothbrush can lie around on Earth for hundreds of years but an apple core disappears in a few weeks? This happens when we let nature do its thing, and the superheroes that make it all possible are microorganisms or microbes. Microbes are tiny living things found all around us that are so small that they can’t be seen with naked eyes. These superheroes break down all organic matter— coming directly from plants or animals, even something as tough as a bone. Read on as we walk you through the basics of composting — from …
A brief and innocent appeal to rescue the environment through a thought-provoking painting. Drastic changes in climate and temperature happening nowadays are symptoms of the huge damage caused to the environment. The greenhouse effect, soil erosion...
An inspiring story of a school teacher, transforming a barren hilltop into an evergreen haven with sheer grit, indefatigable passion, and true love for nature. ******************************* My name is Jeevan Singh. I was duly appointed in government service by my state’s education department in 2010. But I got properly initiated as a teacher only when I was posted at the Government Primary School, Sidhot, based in Salooni Educational Block of Chamba district in Himachal...
The triple planetary crisis refers to three interconnected environmental crises that pose a threat to humanity—climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. We need to address this crisis by adapting to nature-based solutions that can leverage the inherent resilience of our ecosystem. One such solution is the conservation of mangroves. Mangroves are the kind of trees that are found in intertidal zones, between high tide and low tide, in tropical and subtropical regions...
Become a smart consumer by learning how to pick out the truly ‘Organic’ stuff from amongst a host of food packets carrying various complicated labels. ***************************** Hello, friends! The other day, I went grocery shopping with my niece, Prisha, for buying some chemical-free and safe food. She’s just like you, always eager to learn new things. As we walked through the store, Prisha explored all kinds of fruits, spices, chocolates, and whatnot! But something really confused her—lots of description on the products she’d picked up...
What can you do at home to pump up the oxygen levels in your surroundings? Read this motivating account of some ordinary but nature-friendly activities. ************************************* From the past few years, my family has been undertaking certain chores which have helped us in connecting with nature in a better way. For instance, we make compost from raw fruit and vegetable scrapes, using the three-tier pot method. At first, we gather a lot of green and brown waste from the kitchen. (Green waste means anything organic that can be composted...
A novel carbon-capturing method involving old basalt rocks—this proposal won a gold medal for India at the International Earth Science Olympiad 2022. *********************************** Global warming is a burning issue affecting the earth. Discussed in all forums at the international and regional levels, this issue is a worry worldwide because its impact is devastating. Various methods are being proposed to effectively combat this problem...
A desire for a magazine that focuses on well-identified environmental concerns and concrete tangible solutions. ************************************************************************************* It is our collective responsibility to maintain our earth as a habitable place for our present and future. Today, more than ever before, we are facing environmental challenges that can spiral into major crises unless we take urgent corrective measures. We have to strive to execute our actions points and Gobar Times provides us a wonderful platform to achieve them...
In the guise of development, what allows us to be callous with earth's resources? A study conducted by Indian Institute of Soil Science shows that majority of the soil in India is deficient in secondary nutrients, such as sulphur, and micronutrients, such as zinc, boron, iron, copper and manganese. The question then is how nutritious can our food be if it is grown on malnourished land? Many other villages are suffering, like Jaduguda and Kolaghat, because the polluter does not take the responsibility of the waste, burdening locals with unseen consequences...
