Bee Positive!

Albert Einstein once quoted as saying “If the bees disappeared off the face of the Earth, man would only have four years left to live.” Though it isn't entirely obvious, it is true that if bees & other pollinating flies were to disappear, humans would have no way to pollinate plants. If we were unable to pollinate plants, we would be unable to grow them, which of course, would lead to worldwide famine and eventually human extinction as well. The good news is there are things we can do to stop honey bee extinction before it becomes devastating.

Why Honey Bees and other flies are going extinct..?

No one knows the exact reason. Biologists have several theories and the real reason is likely to be a combination of several of these theories. One such theory is based on the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides that are being ingested by honey bees as they collect pollen from plants and flowers. 

Another popular theory as to why honey bee populations have decreased is due to global warming. Though the warming of the Earth is not affecting the bees themselves, it is causing increased populations of mites, viruses and fungi, which are in turn, killing off the bees.

The third popular theory on possible bee extinction is due to vulnerability to electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic radiation is specifically caused by cell phones and wireless communication towers.

Though it is possible that honey bees can become extinct, it is imperative that we stop the process of honey bee extinction now, before the devastating results are able to set in. As you can see, taking small steps in your own yard or neighborhood can bring safety and results in the race to save bees. Since we share this Earth with other creatures, it is only fair that we offer a helping hand when possible. It could, indeed, save human-kind as well.

Bees and flowering plants have a mutually dependent relationship which has developed over the eons in such a way that it benefits both the plants and the insects; they both need each other.

The bees’ food is provided entirely by the plants they visit. To attract the bees to the plant and consequently as a reward for their pollination services, plants provide bees with nectar & pollen.  Nectar is a food source rich in energy and pollen is a source of protein, used by young bees. Honey bees turn the nectar into honey and store the pollen in the cells of the honeycomb.  Storing food allows honey bees to survive in times of scarcity and across a wide range of habitats and climatic conditions, making the honey bee one of the earth's most adaptable species.

While honey bees and other insects are visiting flowers to feed, they spread pollen from one plant to another. Bees and trees are interdependent and have been perfecting their relationship over the last 50 million years or so bringing about pollination and the production of viable seed. Trees do not need bees simply for their own reproduction but for maintenance and regeneration of the whole system within which trees exist. The more species of fruits & seeds generating within an ecosystem, the greater its diversity and the richer its life carrying capacity. Trees and bees represent a truly harmonious symbiosis. Rural people can generate income from this symbiosis while at the same time helping to safeguard natural habitats by the sustainable use of bee resources.  

In most developing countries, the main honey sources come from trees. Beekeepers can protect their honey harvest by protecting the trees and plants that give the bees both food and shelter. Many honey bearing trees have other useful purposes as well, so protecting trees not only helps the bees, but also improves & preserves the local environment and enhances other strands of the bee farmers' livelihood.

One independent study has found, the losses of wild pollinators from agricultural landscapes could threaten global crop yields. One has to understand how the losses of wild pollinators impact crop production. The more wild pollinators a field contained, the more fruit it produced. Farm should include habitat for both honeybees & wild insect.

However, great changes have taken place over the last 50 years and the over-exploitation of forest now threatens the very existence of humankind. Because the value of trees is not fully appreciated trees are often disregarded during the expansion of other agriculture. One of today's greatest challenges is to save and protect forests and find sustainable management systems that provide food and income for future generations. The loss of forest resources will result in the loss of honeybee colonies as well as other essential pollinators.

Forests worldwide are of priceless ecological value; they prevent soil erosion, control flooding, affect rainfall, store and recycle nutrients, and provide habitats for vast numbers of plant and animal species. Beekeeping is therefore central to community forestry activities. The trees are essential for the survival and production of bees. Trees provide materials for beehives as well as the parent colonies and herbal materials that aid hive colonization. Trees protect the colonies from extremes of temperature while the floral diversity within the forest provides a sound basis for a sustainable beekeeping sector. The bees pollinate the tree flowers helping to regenerate the resource and the involvement of beekeepers in community forestry projects improves people's participation and leads to greater protection of the resource. It is important to understand the multi purpose value of trees and forests if we are to have any hope of conserving existing forests or developing new forest activities. Income from bees may be one of the fastest ways to bring profitability from more long term community forest projects.

There are three things EVERYONE of us can do to help bees :-

DO provide an environment safe for bees, free from pesticides and pollution.

DO provide good food sources for bees - flower-rich, diverse, with long seasons.

DO maintain bee habitats with nest sites as well as food and water. 

The next time you see a bee buzzing around, remember that much of the food we eat depends significantly on natural insect-mediated pollination - the key ecosystem service that bees and other pollinators provide...free of cost!

Compost : From Garbage to Garden...

From last post, we have come to know that for solid waste management, there is no throwing ‘away’. The solid waste can be out of our sight, but not out of our environment. Everything we are doing to manage the waste is directly or indirectly affecting us and our ecosystem through pollution.

Composting is a great way of recycling unwanted food scraps & yard waste into a useful garden additive. There is a bit of work involved in composting, but the extra effort well is worth the resulting nutrient rich soil amendment. 

There are many different ways to make compost, with no one method being right or wrong. Many people will try to tell you the ‘proper’ way to compost. But the fact is good compost can be achieved with whatever materials you have available; provided it is biodegradable and free of chemicals, disease or other toxins.

As I previously said, there is no right or wrong way to compost. However, there are good & bad things to compost. Try your own mix of ingredients until you find a recipe that works for you.

The tree leaves that accumulate in and around your landscape represent a valuable natural resource that can be used to provide a good source of organic matter and nutrients for use in your landscape. I have seen many urban dwellers who want to get rid of these fallen leaves. Rather they consider these leaves as nuisance. Either they burn them or send these leaves to dumping yard. Being both of the ways wrong, You must remember that there is no word as ‘waste’ in Mother Nature’s dictionary. Everything that comes from Nature has to go back or it will harm us all. The leaves needs to composted and given back to our soil. It is an established fact that the trees in one acre of forest shed as much as two tons of leaves each year. You may complain that your neighborhood outdoes any forest, but be thankful. Save your leaves. And if your neighbors don’t want them, hang on to theirs. It makes no sense to send valuable treasure to the dump or to burn them!

In forests, sacred groves (देवराई) and pastures, tree leaves and other organic wastes form a natural carpet over the soil surface which conserves moisture, modifies temperatures and prevents soil erosion and crusting. In time, bacteria, fungi and other natural occurring organisms decompose or compost the leaves and other organic material, supplying the existing plants with a natural, slow release form of nutrients. You can, and must, take advantage of this same concept. 

It may be a long process, but I can’t think of any one reason not to make compost for use in your garden. It’s free, simple to do and made from a resource that is never in short supply.

There isn’t anything much easier than making leaf mold. If you have some space in your garden, this is a good way to start composting. While making leaf mold, one can add their kitchen scraps to the pile. This way, he/she can reduce the amount of waste (or a resource!) going to dumping yard.

You want to begin by making sure the leaves are thoroughly moistened. Dry leaves begin to lose nitrogen and this will slow the process of decomposition. There are a few ways to turn leafs into one of the most valuable additives you could put in your soil.

Be sure to mix more brown materials than green materials into your pile to prevent terrible odors. That means you should add more dried stuff such as dried leaves, stalks or straw than the green stuff like fresh yard trimmings, Kitchen vegetable scraps, Weeds, Dead houseplants, Garden debris and cow/horse manure. 

The materials like diseased plants, Meat, bones or fish, glossy paper etc should never be added to a compost pile.

An easy ambitious method is to make a 3 feet by 3 feet cage using stakes & wire. You just have to pile up the leaves in the cage. To ensure even decomposition it is advised to turn the pile occasionally. Always sprinkle water if pile starts to dry. Or you can also rake your leaves into a pile in your yard and leave them there for a year or so. Remember to cover green scraps by dried leaves.

If you have a proper condition for earthworm’s proliferation, then you can get your compost within a really short period of time. Vermi-composting is a way to make high quality compost using earthworms. Worms are food eating machines. Once you have an active worm bin, your kitchen scrapes will quickly become a nutrient rich organic fertilizer.

Some urbanites residing in apartments may excuse that they do not have space required for composting. They can use method which usually consisting of aerated Matkas or drums. There are many NGOs or shops selling these types of compact composting units which can easily fit in your balcony or terrace. One has to have the will, then only there will be a way! Watch this video of Vani Murthy, who composts in her own apartment.

Once the leaf mold is ready, you can use it in many ways. Leaf mold is one of the best soil conditioners, it helps to loosen the soil, making it less dense & easier for roots to penetrate and take up nutrients.

Soil Enrichment - Leaf mulch returns nutrients back to the soil. Your plants and garden will require less or no fertilizer and other additives.

Water Conservation - Leaf mulch helps retain moisture in soils. When soil is covered with leaf mulch, the mulch lowers the soil’s exposure to sun and wind which reduces evaporation.

Save Money - By managing your biodegradable waste on site, you eliminate the costs of pick up & transport and fuel to landfill, making you a more responsible earth inhabitant. 

Insulation - Mulch acts like an insulating barrier from the heat in the summer, from the cold in the winter and from the wind all year round. Mulch prevents compaction and erosion of soils from wind and rain.

Weed Control - Leaf mulch can help prevent the growth of weeds. Add a thick layer (2 to 3 inches) to gardens to reduce the need for herbicides.

With all these great uses why not turn your kitchen and yard waste into a free source of all natural nutrient rich soil additive/fertilizer..?! Composting is a growing solution to solid waste management. Today, knowledge and interest in the science of composting is increasing dramatically. Whether an ancient art or a modern science, composting is a useful and environmentally sound gardening practice for you.

Don't waste the Waste..!

Well… we all have heard, talked or read about the three R's - Reduce, Reuse and Recycling. There is nothing new about them, isn’t it?! But we hardly implement them in our day-to-day life. And that may be because we don’t know or understand the necessity to implement them and about their outcomes. What the R’s are for..?

Nashik is fast growing city. And like any other developing city, our municipal corporation is facing countless challenges due to increase in urban populations such as crowding, transportation, traffic, slums, water supply, power shortages, drainage, and above all, pollution. Pollution is the result of many variables. While air pollution and water quality get maximum share of attention, one pollution source that is largely ignored, though it often stares us in the face is Solid Waste.

Solid waste is defined as non-liquid material that no longer has any value to the person disposing it. Commonly known as garbage, rubbish or trash. Solid Waste Management (SWM) is usually the largest budget item for cities, especially in developing countries. Uncollected solid waste is often the leading contributor to local flooding, air & water pollution and can have an enormous impact on health, local environment as well as on the economy. As cities become larger, consumption of goods and services increases leading to more & more waste. Nashik generates about 450 tons/day of waste. That will be roughly around 165 Metric tons/year. Guess what will be the waste generation of whole world. We need to look at SWM quite seriously now onwards.

This is Garbage Dumping yard of Nashik located near 'Pandavleni'. Everyday, whatever Garbage Vans pick up, is dumped over here. Forget the sight, but it generates terrible smell which one can not stand even for few minutes. To add fuel to the fire, corporation started burning the garbage to create more space for more ‘garbage’, thus making it one of the most polluted area! Basically, Burning or Incineration of waste is not a solution at all! 'Worsening the waste' is what I call it! Burning releases very poisonous & harmful invisible gases Dioxins which are dangerous to human as well as birds & animals. In simple words, burning your waste will result in Landfills in the Sky. With all these, the residential area is not very far from the place. Almost all nearby societies complain about the smoke and smell from the site. The picture speaks for itself. There are people working in this horrible condition for management of this huge amount of garbage, which is increasing day by day. And most of all, the waste management is taking away huge amount of taxpayer's money.

Dumping or Land-filling is the most commonly used method for waste control in developing countries, with many of the dumps in the developing world being open dumps and unsanitary landfills, polluting nearby aquifers, water bodies and human settlements.

How much amount of garbage must be here? Guess... My camera couldn't cover every corner even in it's wide angle. Please see the following image full screen. And just try to compare the height of a human standing in blue outfit near the rising smoke with the height of the garbage mountain...

With no proper planning for waste disposal in place, there is no surprise that our precious but easy resources are over exploited and garbage mountains are being increasingly seen everywhere and the residents are slow-poisoned by the emissions of the burning.

Keeping our cities clean begins with each one of us. When we walk down the streets in our cities we see litter all around us - sometimes garbage bins have more litter around them than inside them. It is so easy to blame the litter and accuse paper, plastics, tin foil and food waste for making our environment dirty and unhealthy. But does paper, plastics, tin, foil and food waste appear magically on our streets and in our neighbourhoods? No, it’s thrown away and disposed of irresponsibly by each one of us!

Waste management in our cities continues to be a problem due to our littering habits and inadequate waste management systems. If we as responsible citizens use and dispose of waste correctly, we can contribute to protecting our environment, conserving natural resources and keeping our cities clean. A waste reduction strategy must be incorporated by each of us whether at home or at work by following the 4R's principle. Yes! Lets add one more R before rest of them.

REFUSE : I think, this is more important principle than the rest 3R. Refuse the single use or disposable products. Items with unnecessary complex packaging can also be refused and to see what can be deleted from our shopping list!

REDUCE : The best way to manage waste is to not produce it. This can be done by shopping carefully and being aware of our choices. Ex. at work, one can cut down on paper use. At home you can begin by purchasing things with lesser packaging, more durable & refillable items, carry your own shopping bag, avoid disposable items and reduce the use of plastics. 

REUSE : It makes economic and environmental sense to reuse products. Sometimes it takes creativity. You can reuse old bottles, jars as storage bins and buy reusable items rather than disposable ones.

RECYCLE : It is a series of steps that takes a used material & processes, re-manufactures and sells it as a new product. Segregate your waste for better disposal and purchase recycled/green products. A ton of paper from recycled material conserves about 7,000 gallons of water, 17-31 trees, 60 lb of air pollutants and 4,000 KWh of electricity. 

The four R's - all help not only to cut down on the amount of waste we throw away, but they also conserve natural resources, landfill space & energy.
Plus, the these R's save the soil or land and money used for landfills.

How?

We can sell unwanted newspapers, glass bottles, old electronic items to the raddiwallas and kabadiwallas (waste traders) - because there is a value in them. There is value too in the waste we dispose of everyday. We can unleash this value only if each household separates its waste into wet and dry. Then may be, we'll all come to know : Waste is actually a resource!

Wet Waste: Food, vegetable peels, egg shells and other organic materials. These are easily biodegradable and can break down and become compost or soil within a short period. Therefore, this waste should go into a compost pit. You can build your own vermi-compost pit in your colony/home and convert all wet waste into useful compost. This would reduce the pressure on our landfills also.

Dry Waste: Paper, plastics, tin, foil, glass, cloth and other materials that do not biodegrade. These materials can be recycled and made into useful products.

Better administration and public infra-structure are an immediate necessity in lower income countries. Most importantly, public attitude needs to be changed as soon as possible. And the change should start from oneself. Unless there is a shift towards a more responsible attitude, no enduring solution is possible. Public education that informs people of options to reduce waste, increase recycling and composting are a good starting point. There is also a need for the design of longer-lasting and reusable products. Municipalities can encourage people to form groups, segregate waste and process it at their end. Repairing, donating, selling and reusing products when possible, especially in the case of e-waste, is also essential. For example, only 5% of India’s electronic waste gets recycled due to absence of proper infrastructure and legislation. And last but not least, each & everyone of us should make an sincere effort to Refuse, Reduce, Reuse And Recycle..!

Today is 5th Anniversary of Gifting Trees. Let us join hands to reduce the load on dumping yard. We all must have a goal of reducing the amount of waste going into landfills by 40 percent. Everyone can help meet this goal and save natural resources, energy and money by following the four R's. Reducing waste also means conserving our limited resources.