Tuesday, June 26, 2007



The relationship between atmospheric CO2 concentration and surface temperature is shown here for the past 150 years.


The irreversibility of the warming process is a chilling truth. Reports quoting scientists say that the CO2 that is already in the air would keep the temperatures rising for centuries on, even if the entire world were to stop polluting from today.
Of late, However the stress has been shifted to 'Adaptation', in the spirit of enduring what one cannot cure. Several countries are gearing up in tune with their threat perceptions. The Netherlands, for instance, which is already below sea level, is hiking up its famous dykes. Iceland is a pioneer in capturing the CO2 in the air and burying it in the depths of the earth --a process called sequestration.
While the world over, climate concerns are major political issues, politics in India remains largely immune to it. No party, mainstream or local, seems to entertain an awareness or view!

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Feng Shui

Feng SHUI…A superstition or A religion.
Do you feel depressed very often, or are you going through a bad patch in your career inspite of giving your best perfomance? The solutions to all these problems could be found in Feng Shui. Feng Shui, which means wind and water, is an ancient Chinese study of the environment. It teaches us how to create harmony and balance around us with the help of two forces - Yin (female essence) and Yang (Male essence). It is when these two interact that the Universal life force CHI is liberated. CHI is the energy that connects people with their environment and can bestow health, happiness and prosperity. It is present everywhere in abundance including our body. When CHI is inside a home, building or a person, it remains there for sometime, and it is this energy that helps you achieve what you want. This energy is constantly changing and is essential for our emotional and physical well being, without which there will be stagnation. When CHI is blocked or stagnant, there is an imbalance of energy. In this case, CHI becomes harmful and could be responsible for bad health, financial problem, depression and ill luck among the people concerned. Feng Shui works by first identifying ailments in your living/working space and showing you how to cure them. Then, it shows you how to add energy into your space, thus into your life and to direct that energy toward your goals and dreams.The five elements - fire, earth, metal, wood and water are the critical elements to this ancient science and art. Fengshui can also be termed as the art of placement and that is the reason why some Feng Shui products are used to improve one's success in life. The products help ward off negative elements from certain positions and divert positive energy towards it. Just like how acupuncture affects your entire body through locating power areas, Fengshui affects your landscape. The way we position the things and furniture in our homes and offices influences our lives and efficiency in great many ways. Feng Shui wind chimes, Feng Shui water fountains, Bells, lights and candles and dragon are placed at the right corners of the house/work area to bring in prosperity. If you want to attract positive energy into your life, getting your home / work place done in Feng Shui style would be a great idea.

However, today we must take these into consideration when studying Feng Shui. In the West, scientific development created different disciplines that advanced in isolation from each other while providing explanations for the goings-on in the natural world. . Feng Shui has grown over centuries by trial and error, observation and superstition. There are a lot of Feng Shui rules that even die-hard skeptics have trouble disputing. Let us consider the 'THEN' & 'NOW' explanation of some pertinent issues.
A Feng Shui master suggests that you live in harmony with the elements of nature by establishing a balance in your environment. Present day focus on ecology, conservation and controlling pollution is an effort to achieve the same. A Feng Shui practitioner advises against living under or very close to a flyover, as it will direct 'sha chi' or bad chi towards you. Scientists speak of high levels of carbon monoxide from car exhausts affecting your health. A Feng Shui practitioner suggests that natural light in your house, even temperature, and a decor that establishes harmony between the materials and objects elevates the energy levels and moods of the inhabitants. Psychologists explain the depression and effect on peoples' moods due to change in weather as 'Seasonal Affective Disorder.' The cure prescribed is the same as what the Feng Shui practitioner advises.