Fixing Water Scarcity With Water Scarcity: a look into the Indian National River Linking Plan

India, due to its unique geography and geology, from the beginning of human civilization has been plagued with water scarcity.  The monsoons provide the majority of fresh water resources for most of India’s population; however, this climatic phenomenon occurs over short periods of time, providing enough water for river systems to flow for about half the year.  In comparison the northern Himalayan rivers are fed by the constant melting of glaciers from the Tibetan Plateau. These temporal and geographic differences in water distribution have led to the possibility of a national inter basin water transfer system.  This project, known as the National River Linking Plan, would connect the Himalayan rivers with excess amounts of water to the peninsular rivers that cease to flow during the dry months.   Projects like these are not uncommon around the globe.  In the United States canals were built to divert water flow from the Colorado River to supply urban centers like Las Vegas and Los Angeles, but the Colorado has been impacted severely from this development decision and currently dries up nearly 100 miles from the border of Mexico.  Despite sparking international conflict this has a major impact on the river’s ecosystem.  Before moving forward on this 120 billion USD National River Linking Plan, major environmental assessments and societal assessments need to be conducted to ensure the project is worth the efforts and capital. 

A case study of the project was conducted on a single link, the Godavari-Krishna link, to examine the effectiveness of the project intended goal of solving India’s water scarcity.  This project is a part of the much larger National River Linking Plan that bears the 120 billion dollar price tag.  The project links the Godavari River to the Krishna River through a proposed canal system through a ridge in between the two rivers.  Though the rivers are geographically located, next to one another the watershed for the Godavari originates in the mountains while the Krishna River is located in a deficit basin.  The entire National River Linking Plan is centered on the idea of taking water from surplus basins and transporting it to deficit basins.  This makes sense in theory, but in the case study of the Godavari River and the Krishna River it might be a pipedream. 

            The case study used a series of models to look into the future and see what impacts the project would actually have on water scarcity.  The author used what is known as a Water Evaluation and Planning Model to examine the current use of water in the Krishna and Godavari regions and the projected future use of the regions post basin linkage.  What is interesting is that the usage in the Krishna region is primarily irrigation for agricultural purposes.  Large irrigation projects in this fertile land are scheduled to continue to grow after the link is completed.  Farmers currently in this region can only grow two rotations of crops per year because of the water scarcity in the dry seasons.  With the increase in water supply farmers will be able to harvest one more crop every year.  However, the model showed that those living in the once surplus basin of the Godavari River will experience water shortages during the drier parts of the year.  This will possibly decrease crop yields for farmers that live within this region.  Also the current model does not show any positive change in the ground water levels that are being over exploited in the Krishna region.  The author concluded the study with the idea that the Godavari-Krishna project should be considered a deficit transfer rather than a water transfer because of negative impacts on water availability for farmers in the Godavari region. 

            The United States has already shown the world the negative impacts of inter basin transfers without proper planning and India is about to follow in our footsteps.  Areas that are supplied with more water will use more water.  Urban centers like Las Vegas have expanded as much as possible causing the water scarcity issue worse than it started.  The case study of the Godavari-Krishna link shows that the same problems will arise with these new projects if they are not properly planned.  One major impact that was not focused on in the article was the impact on local communities from a reservoir that would be a result of the project on the Godavari.  Over 250 villages will be displaced with over 145,000 people being forced to give up their lands and move.  This project on the whole seems to push the burden of water scarcity in the Krishna basin onto those living on the Godavari River.  Hundreds of projects like this one make up the National River Linking Plan and need to be re-evaluated based on their effectiveness at relieve water scarcity and its impacts on social and environmental justice.

Bharati, L., Anad, B. K., & Smakhtin, V. (n.d.). Analysis of the inter-basin water transfer scheme in india: A case study of the godavari-krishna link

Drops in Air Quality Cause Increases in Respiratory Illnesses

Air pollution in India has widespread impacts on public health throughout India ranging from respiratory infections to heart disease.  With increased industrialization India has been having major increases in air pollution from manufacturing and coal fired power plants.  Larger cities have began to see the major concerns surrounding increased air pollution and are beginning to mitigate the growing problem.  Though there have been major improvements in some large urban areas there seems to be very little that is being done on a national scale.  After visiting several major urban centers in India I will provide a brief qualitative analysis of air pollution for two of India's most important tourist destinations Agra and Delhi.

India's urban centers have begun to experience a number of health problems that can be linked to the increase air pollution.  Respiratory illnesses, asthma, heart disease, and chronic allergies are all on the rise with no peak in sight. These illnesses put even more stress on a health care system that is already overwhelmed with communicable diseases.  This switch from communicable diseases to chronic disease that is caused lifestyle changes and environmental degradation will shape the health care system in India over the next 30 years.  Groups that are most vulnerable to increases in air pollution are children and the elderly.  Asthma has been on the rise across the world and can have long term developmental impacts on children.  Because the two main groups that are at the beginning and end of life increases in air pollution can have larger impacts on overall life expectancy.  These problems are being exacerbated by the rapid increase in urbanization and are going to get worse before they get better on the national level.

As soon as we arrived in Delhi it was apparent that there were major problems with air pollution.  Many members of the group over a very short period began to have symptoms of upper respiratory distress for the remaining time in India following our arrival.  However, Delhi has not always had such intense problems with its air pollution.  Following the economic reforms of the 1990s the rapid urbanization and industrialization of Delhi has caused the extreme rise in pollution.  Particulate matter in the air is at a level that is unbearable to the members of our group.  Constant construction and burning of trash are the some of the main ounces along with major industrial sites and coal fired power plants.  Delhi has attempted to address this growing health concern by switching over the thousands of auto rickshaws and public transport over to compressed natural gas to help lower levels of smog.  There was according to multiple accounts a reduction in smog levels following this policy mandate, but there has been another drop in air quality over the past two years. 

Our group visited another major city neighboring Delhi; Agra is home to the world renowned Taj Mahal.  The Taj Mahal has actually had a unusual impact on the differences seen in air pollution between Delhi and Agra.  The white marble used in the building of the Taj Mahal has over time become yellowish because of air pollution in and around Agra.  In order to preserve this site for tourism, which is a booming industry for Agra, the city moved all factories and power plants out of the city.  This has had large positive impacts on the air quality over the past decade.  However, smog and low level ozone still exist in Agra.  The hidden impact comes from local rural communities that rely on dung bricks for cooking.  The particulate given off by the burning of these bricks as a fuel source has had a much larger impact than policy makers were expecting.  This problem exists throughout India and has it's own separate health problems associated with indoor air pollution causing woman to have an increased amount of respiratory illnesses.  Policy makers are attempting to spread the use of natural gas and electricity as fuel sources to rural communities, but the extremely low cost of the dung bricks have made this initiative more difficult than expected.

Air pollution will continue to be at the forefront of Indian environmental health issues along with water quality issues throughout its immediate future.  In order to appropriately solve complex and interconnected issues like air quality the Indian policy makers must find solutions that promote environmental, economic, and social justice in order to have lasting long term impacts.

Pondicherry Trip- Pondicherry

Here are some pictures from our free day in Pondicherry!

Pondicherry Trip- Auroville

I have been putting off this blog entry for some time now and after reading it you will know why. On our third day of the trip we visited the experimental society known as Auroville. It was founded by followers of the Sri Ashbendo Society and led by a women only known as "mother". To say the least the community is kinda creepy. They believe that "human unity" is the ultimate truth and that it can be achieved only after one has rid one's self of their ego. Which may sound good in theory but... In practice is well just strange. Formed in the late sixties the majority of the founders can be described as hippies. The goal was to create a experimental society of the future that was rid of currency, ownership, and religion. But, what Auroville has turned into isn't in my eyes exactly what the founders had in mind. The society consists of the remnants of the counter culture revolution and is divided into two main groups. On one side you have the group that focuses on the spirituality and teachings of the mother, while at the same time a group within the community could care less about a heighten sense of conscience and wants to end social and environmental injustice. We visited a advocacy group that operates inside the community that has social and environmental programs in the community and surrounding areas. In their hour or so long lecture the mother or spirituality was not mentioned once. However, when we met with the chief architect for the city it was a different story. He was in charge of building the enormous center of the city which is a 10 story high golden globe...which in the top has a room with the world's largest crystal ball sitting in the middle with a single ray of light shining in it...this is where the citizens of Auroville go to meditate...as I stated earlier I have been putting this off for a while now because every time I wrote it up it didn't make sense, this is when I realized that this is because Auroville itself doesn't really make sense. If you have any questions about the history or beliefs visit there website where they might be able to better explain their unique and strange society.




This is the site where they go for meditation. Inside on the top floor is the room with the world's largest crystal ball. Check out the bike for scale.


This is one of the twelve gardens that will surround the globe that represent the 12 vibrations that one should experience through meditation...?


The globe is plated in real gold...

Pondicherry Trip- Mamallapuram

Mamallapuram is one of the major historical and archeological sites in India. The site consists of over a dozen monolithic Hindu temples that tell many of the classic stories of Hinduism. We pulled up to the site and from the very beginning I could tell this was going to be a long day. As soon as we stepped out of the bus we began to be accosted by the "tour guides" that insisted that we couldn't visit the structures with our own private guide...this being Suri our friend and professor of history at MCC. After intense negotiations and almost having my camera confiscated because I snagged a picture of Dr. Khandke telling off the tour guides we moved on to all of the sites. Each site told a different story and was carved out of the huge gneiss boulders that were strewn out across the entire area. I took a TON of pictures so I can't put them all up, but the following photos show some of the stories that were depicted.






This picture about got my camera stolen!



This carving was on the side of the road where we had our little scuffle. The man who is standing on one leg is a king who is protesting to the gods for rain. His kingdom had been experiencing a drought so he began to fast, meditate, and practice yoga to get the gods attention. Lord Shiva seen with the mace has finally arrived because he couldn't take the king torturing himself any more and brings the rains for his people.






Here is a story of a great flood that threatened Mother Earth. The Earth was being flooded with water and turned to Vishnu to save her. The figure in the center with the boars face is a avatar of Lord Vishnu the protector who has put Mother Earth on his knee. You can see that Vishnu has put his foot on the head of a water goddess that represents the great flood. Lord Vishnu has come to save the world 10 times in Hindu history. Interestingly enough his incarnations follow the evolutionary path of life on Earth. Starting with a fish and working up to human form. Also there is a connection to this story and the Christian story of Noah's Ark.



In this sculpture you can see Vishnu lying on the coils of a cobra at the point of creation. Brama during creation will emerge from Vishnu's belly button. But, two demons on the right are attempting to disrupt this process and so Vishnu sends his weapons to kill them. In this panel the weapons are in human form which is common in Hindu sculptures. The weapons including Vishnu's conch are the two figures flying in the center. It is clear that the demons are defeated because they are turned around to run away from the weapons.


This is the most elaborate and beautiful panel in all of Mamallapuram. It depicts the story of Shakti killing the Demon Bull King. According to the story the Bull King could not be killed by man, so the gods each gave there weapons to Shakti to slay the Bull King. A few of the weapons in her arsenal include Vishnu's conch, Rama's bow, and Shiva's mace. I recommend clicking on this and viewing it in it's full extent.



Here is a the coast line temple that we visited last on our trip. It is experiencing a high rate of weathering because of salt crystal precipitation on the rock. This is causing the structure to lose much of the fine detail that once existed.



Here you can see the extent of the weathering. The left side is the side close to the ocean. The right side is shielded from the majority of the weathering and can be seen in it's full detail.



After a long day of dodging beggars, hot sweaty lectures, and some epic storytelling we settled down at the Dune Eco-Resort...so sick. It was a super hippy eco village that was right on the beach and had a sick pool. I think that I could live here forever.......

Pondicherry Trip- Art and Cobras

We have left MCC on a six day trip to the south near Pondicherry and so far it has been really fun! After driving for an hour we reached Dakshina Chitra. This is a non profit that aims to preserve art and architecture in south India, since much of it is being destroyed by urbanization. They have a model town that has different buildings from different states all over the south. Inside each house is representative art work from each region. After spending the morning here we continued o. Our journey southward to a crocodile zoo that had all kinds of reptiles from all over the globe. The main attraction was the venomous snake exhibit. There was two snake handlers that showed our group the four venomous snakes of India, the cobra, russels viper, sawtooth viper, and krait. The snake handlers were super sketchy considering they were in a big pit with extremely dangerous snakes and one was in sandals. Also one of our students was coaxed into holding the sawtooth viper in her hand by the handler... After we got tired of hanging out with all of the crocodiles we hopped back in the bus to head to the hotel.
This hotel was AMAZING! It had a huge swimming pool and was right on the coast. We spent the remainder of the afternoon chilling out by the pool and swimming in the Bay of Bengal. Here are some pictures from the highlights of the day!

Market Madness

Sensory overload is the best way to describe an Indian market. Today after breakfast Suresh led our class on our first trip to the town market. When we reached the gate at MCC we met our first challenge... A four lane highway with Indian traffic. As we dodged our way across traffic I couldn't help but think about the classic video game Frogger, except this time you only get one life. On the other side we began the short but intense trek to the market. The street was filled with people hustling to the market and beggars on the side with their hands out. Many of these beggars had only nubs for fingers, which I later found out was because they were lepers. The sun was beating down on us as we reached the train station that market the edge of the market. It took us under ground in a tunnel underneath the tracks and resurfaced in the market. As I came to the opening in the tunnel the chaos began. My senses began to overwhelm me as we began our follow the leader, Suresh, tour through the heart of the market. My ears were ringing with the different merchants calling out trying to get your attention, people haggling, and the incessant beeping of cabs that plague all of India. Spices, the original reason for trade with the Western world filled the air as we pushed deeper and deeper into the chaos. This sent was soon overtaken by a not so pleasant smell...fish. Suresh had turned down the fish street leaving us no choice but to follow. The street had tarps overhead to keep out the burning sun from spoiling the fish, but the tarps were made for Indians at about 5 feet 8 inches max height. Bending over to keep my head from destroying the relatively unstable tarp set up, the smell kicked in. It was so strong fish, fish, and more fish filled my nostrils and almost made me gag. I realized that the smell wasn't going to go away any time soon so I began to look around to take my mind off of the smell. There were all types of fish long, fat, skinny, speckled...it was like Dr. Seuss's book had come to life. As we emerged from the fish street I took a deep breath of somewhat fresh air as we turned the corner and into a small quite square. Suresh gathered us and began to tell us that the buildings around us in the square was his middle school. As we were leaving the school Tori noticed two really cool murals that were on the wall of the school that were encouraging people to help save the planet, a sort of eco-graffiti. After leaving the school we began to weave our way back through the crowds toward MCC. By this point I was beginning to feel more at ease within the chaos and made it back to campus without incident. When we arrived at the gate Suresh saw a street vendor with coconuts and bought each one of us one for 50 cents a pop. I can't wait to head back into the market this time with fewer people and a little more time, but this was am amazing first day out and about.

Location:Chennai, India

36 hours 36 minutes and 36 seconds

We made it to India, but it wasn't easy! It took two van rides, two trains, four flights, and seven in flight movies to complete our entire journey to Madras Christian College in Chennai. Every thing with our trip seemed to work without a hitch until the very last possible moment... On the flight to Chennai from Germany as our plane began to prepare for landing in India the pilot came on the overhead and announced that their was an airplane crash on the runway. We would have to circle the airport until the downed plane was removed from the tarmac. After 45 minutes of circling like a buzzard over Chennai the pilot then informed us we were running out of gas! So off to Bangalore for refueling a 30 minute one way flight. After a 4 hour detour we finally arrive at our destination. Apparently customs wasn't to thrilled to find out that we all had tourist visas, rather than student visas, but somehow we slipped our way into India without to much difficulty. As I left the airport with the group India hit me... It was hot, humid, and crowded. At 4 in the morning there was a huge crowd of people standing outside the airport waiting for loved ones to come back home or for the start of a visit... A group of American students was not what they were expecting. As we pushed through the crowd we came to our shuttle van that would take us to MCC. Our first driving experience was crazy... I have never been so confused and scared at the same time in a car! Dipping, diving, and dodging our way past motorcyclists, rickshaws, and other vans through the streets of Chennai. We finally arrived at MCC at 6:15 in the morning, only to realize that in order to beat jet lag that we would need to stay up for the remainder of the day.


In order to stay awake today we have been keeping ourselves busy with some exploring around the campus. This place is basically a jungle walled off inside of Chennai. In 5 minutes of walking from our dorms at the International Guest House we stumbled upon a huge tree full of fruit bats... These are not your typical North American bats. They were HUGE, at least a foot in length and hanging by the hundreds screeching at one another above. As we turned the corner a herd of wild deer crossed our path. Unlike the bat giants these were much smaller than the white tail deer of the southeast and all had white spots like the fawns back home. I'll be sure to snag a few photos in the coming days of these beautiful creatures. After the MCC biology tour we stumbled onto a cricket game that was just start up. One of my goals for this trip is to be able to fully understand the ins and outs of this sport, so I sat and watched for a while.


After getting thoroughly confused Luke Rogers and I headed off on another adventure! We explored a road that we hadn't seen yet and it turned out to be an awesome time. We saw a sign for a farm on campus and were determined to find out more. When we reached the gate to the farm we were welcomed by a student farmer not too much older than Luke or I that gave us free reign to look around, we think because he didn't want to have to give us a tour. The farm was old and had cows, chickens, pigs, and two geese. I took a bunch of pictures, but here are my favorites.





















Luke and I covered every inch of this farm and it defiantly has been the highlight of the day so far, but later tonight we are all going to a John Lennon tribute concert as a class. I miss everybody back home! I wish you guys could be here my pictures can't do this place justice. I have never been anywhere like it in my life.

Location:Chennai, India

Leaving on a Jet Plane

So the journey begins...our group has arrived in D.C. After a super short flight from Greenville. I am so excited for what this journey has in store, especially with all the build up of 6 weeks of classes and a summer long GIS tutorial. I can already feel how much I am going to miss everyone over the next 2.5 months, but everyone in my life has been so encouraging and I will take full advantage of this amazing opportunity. This is the first time I will be witnessing poverty on a large scale and I know it is going to be difficult to process but I will come away with an perspective of the world that is closer to the truth. I hope that in the end I will be able to find my place in this huge and complex society we live in.

We head out around 3:30 today on the 9 hour flight to Frankfurt, Germany. Hopefully I will have enough to keep myself busy on the plane; I think Stephen has enough movies on my iPad to last us for like 3 trans-Atlantic flights. I will hopefully be able to find some wifi in Germany to give everyone an update. Until then...


Stay classy.

Location:Washington D.C.

The Challenges of Global Citizenship with a Global Mining Industry

      

           Last school year Furman University declared it the Year of Global Citizenship after a grassroots movement from the students demanded that the topic be at the forefront of discussion.  But, what does “global citizenship” even mean?  This along with many other questions drove student discussions in many different venues on campus.   After a year of deliberation the student committee stated that Furman’s definition of global citizenship is the recognition that acts we engage in, at any level (as individuals, as governments, or anything in between), may impact people in other parts of our common world.  This concept has become even more important over the last half century as the world has become increasingly globalized in every aspect.  Globalization of markets has had social, economic, and environmental impacts throughout the world, but this paper focuses on the mining industry’s effects on health in India.

            India is blessed with a large supply of mineable materials including bauxite, iron ore, coal, and natural gas which have been extracted since the creation of India; however, the mining industry in India on the whole is an environmental and public heath tragedy.  Mining in India has increased over the years because of a global market demand for raw earth materials in electronics and for power production.  The mining industry has been involved in numerous corruption scandals involving politicians from all over India leading to general mistrust of the industry from the Indian people.  Certain states have better records than others for corruption and environmental degradation including Kerala, but many other states have major problems enforcing the environmental laws put in place to protect the public from the negative impacts of mining.  The environmental impacts from mining are not only limited to the act of extraction, but also the refinery process.  All of the contaminants that make their way out into the surrounding environment cause widespread environmental degradation and pose a large threat to public health.

            The article Chromium (VI) in Waters in Parts of Sukinda Chromite Valley and Health Hazards, Orissa, India studied the effects of mining in Orissa on the contamination of drinking water with chromium (VI), the most toxic form of the element.  What the study showed was widespread contamination in groundwater and surface water in the region studied.  Of all the drinking water sampled 61% of the samples had levels of contamination higher than the recommended amount.[i]  The contamination of surrounding water comes from the runoff from the open pit mines that are mining chromite for industrial use.  Large rains cause toxic materials including the oxidized chromium (VI) to become mobilized in the water where it can make its way into the drinking water of the town downstream.  Another way chromium becomes mobilized in the water supply is through landslides in and around the mine.  These landslides are caused by large amounts of rain associated with monsoon and poor management of slope stability by the mine operators.  Waste rock can then migrate outside of the mine itself and contaminate the surrounding environment.  Once chromium (VI) has contaminated the drinking water supply it can cause a wide array of health issues for anyone who ingests the water.  Hexavalent chromium ingestion can cause stomach pain, ulcers, convulsions, liver damage, and death.[ii]  Since hexavalent chromium is an oxidizing agent it has been labeled a carcinogen and linked to numerous types of cancers including stomach, liver, and other GI cancers.  Though there is not data about cancer rates for the contaminated areas, there is data showing an increase in the rates of GI issues which can be most likely attributed to the presence of chromium (VI). 

            The impacts of the mining industry on a global scale create an interesting case for discussing the role a global citizen.  The whole concept of global citizenship is focused around the idea that individual’s decisions have global impacts.  This can be seen in the article above on chromium contamination.  Parts of cars, electronic devices, and industrial alloys require the mining of chromium for their production.  As consumers, individuals make choices on whether or not to buy new products on the market.  The decision to buy a new car may not seem like it has global ramifications, but this requires more metals including chromium to be mined around the globe.  This increase in mining is driven by the consumerist nature of the current developed economy.  Though wide scale environmental protection policies have been passed in the United States to protect citizens from negative impacts from mining, the people of the developing world rarely have the luxury of protection from the environmental degradation seen from these practices.  Understanding the connections between decision making in the developed world and problems seen in the global south is at the core of global citizenship and will only increase in importance as the world continues to expand and globalize.

                                                                                                               

Dubey, C. S., Sahoo, B. K., & Nayak, N. R. (2001). Chromium (vi) in waters in parts of sukinda chromite valley and health hazards, orissa, india. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 67, 541-548.

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[i] Dubey, C. S., Sahoo, B. K., & Nayak, N. R. (2001). Chromium (vi) in waters in parts of sukinda chromite valley and health hazards, orissa, india. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 67, 541-548

[ii] Ibid

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Biofuel: Energy Independence at the Price of Global Food Security?

Biofuels have been in media and on the political agenda over the past 7 years.  American politicians, including President Bush and President Obama have stressed the importance of energy independence and the prospects of using cellulosic crops to create ethanol for domestic consumption in automobiles.  The current talks revolving around the use of biofuels as a means of achieving energy independence are ignoring a fundamental component.  How will the use of crops that were grown for food consumption affect the global food system?  This key question could have huge implications to those living on less than one dollar a day around the world.

Globally there has been a trend of food price reduction which has helped to alleviate hunger in many areas by making food more affordable.   The linking of the global agriculture system directly to the energy sector could unbalance the global trend of food price reduction and cause the more than 1 billion people living on less than one dollar a day in jeopardy of a food crisis.  One of the big questions is whether or not the food prices would follow the variability of the energy sector especially of oil if biofuels were used widely.  Over the last 35 years crude oil prices have been twice as variable as global maize prices.[i]  This connection could cause the price of basic food commodities to increase as the demand for oil increases.  In 2006 these price fluctuations were seen in maize prices globally when the US rapidly increased its biofuels program.[ii]  The cost per bushel rose from $2.60 in 2006 to $4.25 in 2007.[iii]  This increase in price had both positive and negative effects on the global system.  Farmers were able to make more off their crops which helped rural low income farmers around the globe increase their income; however,  this increase in price put a greater stress on impoverished low income families to obtain enough food.  At the same time other crops are also seeing a rise in price without decrease in yields because farmers in the US and around the globe began to plant more corn on their land decreasing land used for the other crops.  This decreased the supply of these other crops where there still was high demand leading to more increases in food prices.  This has a huge impact on people living in chronic hunger conditions because 1/3 of their caloric intake comes from crops that are being used for cellulosic ethanol production.[iv]  The long and short term implications global food prices are still yet to be fully understood, but the preliminary indicators show a major potential for food inequality to be effected. 

The price increases on the crops used for cellulosic ethanol production has an unexpected environmental impact.  When there are price increases on certain crops in past related to drought or low yields in other parts of the world farmers growing that crop have an economic incentive to maximize yields as much as possible.   Farmers turn to increasing their fertilizer use on their crops in hopes of slightly increasing yields.  This over application of fertilizer to crops has detrimental impacts of water chemistry and ecosystems.  The run-off from these farms makes its way into the rivers and streams surrounding it and from there makes its way to the ocean.  Along the way the excess nutrients found in the water from the excess fertilizer causes uninhibited growth of algae which upon decomposition kills off all other species.  Eutrophication has huge impacts on marine ecosystems and has led to a loss in biodiversity in our oceans and coastal areas.  A key component to fertilizer is phosphorus.  With this increase in fertilizer use and run-off large amounts of phosphorus is lost to the ocean where it is no longer recoverable for human use.  This poses a problem since phosphorus sources around the globe are running out.  Estimates put “peak phosphorus” around 2033 which means that we are quickly depleting our resource with no solution in sight. 

The use of biofuels as an energy source would only exacerbate the problems we face with fertilizer use and our limited amounts of phosphorus.  With an increase in the amount of crops needed to be produced to provide the US with ethanol there would also be an increase in the amount of fertilizer needed.  It also has great potential to cause food crisis around the developing world especially in areas where hunger is already a rampant issue.  Price increases in food would have profound and lasting impacts on nearly every country around the globe ranging from increased rates of malnutrition to drops in average birth weights.  The decision to use biofuels as a possible solution to our energy problems is a complex and highly political issue that needs to be thought out very carefully by lawmakers.  One of the main reasons for energy independence is national security, but the outcomes of a global food crisis would potentially have more of an impact on our national security than our dependence on foreign oil.

Cordell, D., Drangert, J., & White, S. (2009). The story of phosphorus: global food security and food for thought. Global Environmental Change, 19, 292-305.

Filippelli, G. M. (2008). The global phosphorus cycle: past, present, and future. Elements, 4, 88-95

Naylor, R. L., Liska, A., Burke, M. B., Falcon, W. P., & Gaskell, J. C. (2007). The ripple effect: biofuels, food security, and the environment. Environment, 49(9), 30-43.

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[i] Naylor, R. L., Liska, A., Burke, M. B., Falcon, W. P., & Gaskell, J. C. (2007)

[ii]  Ibid

[iii] Ibid

[iv] Ibid

Generalizing the Model of Development: Assuming Western Development Strategies are the Best for Developing Nations

Kerala is one of India’s most successful states, but I am not talking about income.  This state has been the most effective at combating poverty since India’s independence in 1947.  From a glance statistics about Kerala seems to almost be a mistake.  Across the world we view per capita income as a staple statistic for judging the state of poverty in a state, region, or nation; however, Kerala had a life expectancy of 72 years old, an infant mortality rate of 13, and an astronomically high literacy rate of 91% in the late 1990s (Veron, 2001).  How could it be that a state in India has such high social indicators while also having very low, most cases below India’s average, economic indicators?

                When you examine Kerala’s political structure and history is that it has been dominated by the presence of the Communist Party of India; but, this is not your typical version of communism that was seen in Russia, China, and Cuba.  This party was democratically elected and has held its power on and off through the decades peacefully and with support of the people of Kerala.  The party’s main goal has been to eradicate poverty and class warfare.  The very anti-imperialist ideology and lack of pro-industrialization has kept most economic developments out of Kerala until the 1990s when India as a whole began to open up economically.  Still with-out industrialization Kerala by the 1990s was the fore runner of social development and standard of living in India.  The work of the Communist Party of India helped to propel the social reform and provided the framework for the development model seen in Kerala. Though the achievements seen in Kerala can be partially attributed to the involvement of the Communist Party the participation of Kerala’s population in civil society plays an arguably bigger role in the achievements in social reform.  By pressuring their elected officials to tackle these challenges and holding them accountable with very high voter participation rates of upwards of 70% (Veron, 2001).  These two variables combined are the reason Kerala has had such success at tackling these social issues up until the 1990s. 

                After the economic reforms of 1991 Kerala’s government began to feel the pressure from outside to open up economically and industrialize.  Instead of pushing large scale industrialization that would harm the environment, Kerala’s government upon the push of the national government began to decentralize power away from the state government down to the community level.  They began projects that supported existing and created new community based management systems that ranged from conservation to local economic development.  These community based political systems encourages participation in developmental planning (Veron, 2001).  This gave the people the power to be the driving force behind development and also helped to minimize damage to common pool resources e.g. watersheds (Veron, 2001).  These planning committees are committed to solving problems on the local level to ensure social, economic, and environmental sustainable outcomes while at the same time creating an environment for civil society to flourish. 

                After using Kerala as a case study for an alternative development model it is hard to understand why major development plans for the developed world is usually solely based on the western path to development.  The current push from organizations like the World Bank to develop the Global South with the same tactics and mold as the western nations can not be sustainable or effective since it ignores the strengths and weaknesses of different regions.  It almost seems like a form of neo-imperialism to force our model of development on countries while also violating fundamental concepts of self determination and sovereignty.  We should begin to incorporate fundamentals of democracy into development by bring citizens to the table to plan and form the best path that fits their community, region, state, and nation.  Through this process the outcome is more likely to be successful because it is a plan that was created by the people not an outside body.  In places like Afghanistan where development is being dictated to them it would be interesting to see how development would look to the average Afghan citizen. The international community, including nation-states, IGOs, and NGOs, needs to end the strategy of a one size fits all approach to development because it does not support democracy and is a form of neo-imperialism

                The Kerala model for development is a testament to the rest of the world that there is another path out there besides the western way.  Community management in many social systems provides an environment that fosters sustainable development and civil society.  Development should fit the region that it is being applied in and can be an aid to democracy by providing pathways for citizens to be active in government if done through community planning.  The benefits for allowing a nation or a state in this case to determine its own path toward development far outweigh the perceived benefits of forcing them through a process of industrialization.

Veron, R. (2001). The "new" kerala model: lessons for sustainable development. World Development, 29(4), 601-617.

Systems that Govern Monsoons and Systems that are Governed by Monsoons

After discussing the Orographic Controls on Climate and Paleoclimate of Asia: Thermal and Mechanical Roles for the Tibetan Plateau article I became intrigued with the methods being used by the authors to study paleoclimate and paleoaltimetry. Not having much formal training in climatology this new field was surprisingly related to geology.  The scientists were using concentrations of an isotope of oxygen, δ¹⁸O, in carbonate sediments to estimate paleoelevations from up to 39 million years ago.[i] Paleoaltimetry of the region helped the team of scientists give a relative date for the collision between the Indian sub-continent and the Eurasian continent.  After finding this relative date the group could see how the monsoon changed over time during the uplifting of the Tibetan plateau and formation of the Himalayas.

Upon further investigation of the techniques used I stumbled upon a really interesting article titled Interaction Between the ENSO and the Asian Monsoon in a Coral Record of Tropical Climate.  The previous article mentioned that El Nino did have an effect on the South Asian monsoon, but did not go into any detail beyond that.  The other interesting thing is that this article also used δ¹⁸O in their methods to examine paleoclimate.  However, this new article did not measure the isotope in carbonate rocks or sediment, instead they used coral. 

The Interaction Between the ENSO and the Asian Monsoon in a Coral Record of Tropical Climate article studies the relationship between the El Nino and the South Asian monsoon by examining δ¹⁸O levels in coral to measure SST (sea surface temperature) anomalies in the Indian Ocean for the past 150 years.  The researchers were able to drill a core from a coral colony that was 3 meters tall from an atoll in the Indian Ocean.  The resolution of the data that the coral provides is according to the researchers good enough to look back at the SST of the Indian Ocean with great detail.[ii]  The scientists were hoping to show the link between El Nino and the monsoon, but their study failed to make this connection.  Their results showed that there was not statistically significant relation between variations of monsoon rainfall and El Nino, but they found an interesting correlation between the South Asia monsoon and Indian Ocean SST.[iii]  From this they are able to have a better understanding of the cycle the monsoon intensity and its timing.

The benefits from a greater understanding of the factors that influence the South Asia monsoon range from increased crop yields to better water management systems.  Monsoon is such an integral part of the system which is India.  Farmers depend on the monsoon to grow crops that will sustain their families and provide an income.  Without an understanding of monsoons, farmers would not know when to plant seed or till the soil.  Today forecasting for the monsoon provides farmers with up to date information on when and where the monsoon is going to be that year.  What if the prediction was wrong off by just a week or so?  The impacts of not understanding the cycles of monsoon could play out like in a scenario much like this one.  Farmers use predictions for the monsoon this year, but the prediction turns out to be wrong and the monsoon comes early.  The farmers would not have been prepared and there would be a drop in crop yields.  This drop causes the farmers to have fewer crops to sell at market which cuts into their own income.  The families now have less money to spend in the local economy and local businesses begin to have to cut back on employment.  One of these workers has a wife at home that is expecting his first born in 5 months.  Without a job he cannot provide adequate pre-natal care for his wife and cannot provide nutritious foods for her during the remainder of the pregnancy.  When the baby is born it is dangerously underweight and the mother has suffered greatly from not having a proper diet.  The baby ends up not making it to its first birthday. These connections are not far from reality in the World.  One single event can ripple through the system and cause instability and chaos.  This is just a look at the impacts of two families on a large scale this event would affect global food prices, farmer suicide rates, and infant mortality etc. This is a testament to the importance of all natural world phenomenon and the human systems in which they interact. 

Charles, C.D., Hunter, D.E., & Fairbanks, R.G. (1997). Interaction between the enso and the asian monsoon in a coral record of tropical climate. Science, 277(5328), 925-928.

Molnar, P, Boos, W.R., & Battisti, D.S. (2010). Orographic controls on climate and paleoclimate of asia: thermal and mechanical roles for the tibetan plateau. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences , 38, 77-102.

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[i] Molnar, Boos, & Battisti, 2010

[ii] Charles, Hunter, & Fairbanks, 1997

[iii] Charles, Hunter, & Fairbanks, 1997