Blog Update- Happy New Year 2014

Hello, and a Happy New Year to everyone! Its been a long time since I signed in and wrote a post. Anyways, lots of things going on from my end, like working for a LEED GOLD certification for a garments industry as an engineer and on top of that, have some interesting ideas for the blog. I am currently on rebranding the blog and as it seems my domain http://www.bdpollution.com has been taken by someone else, I am unable to use that for now. So I have decided on rebranding the blog completely. So if any interesting names pops along on your mind, I would love to hear about them. So send me a message about a new name for the blog and what else you would want from it.

Cheers

Blog Update 2013 - Possible comeback

Its been almost a year since my last post and as I write this, I am wondering if this blog has the potential to become any bigger. Over the past few months I have been considering in expanding this blog further, not only to increase content but to use it in a way to have an impact. 

When I started this blog back in 2005, I had always dreamed off using it as a tool to make a difference. I started it while studying my A'levels and blogged throughout university. Thankfully I was able to use my experience and knowledge as a blogger to initiate the 10:10 campaign in Bangladesh. Currently its been 3 (three) years that the campaign is running, though it is not under my supervision anymore, it is under someone who has done a marvelous job so far.

Any how, when I read an article a few weeks back, stating that the global CO2 emissions had crossed 400ppm (parts per million), it struck me that it finally happened. I have been blogging for 7 years now, and considering the time-frame, I thought we could make a difference enough not to let that happen or at least slow it down. Even with all the current green technology that is being implemented, we still could not keep the CO2 levels at check. 

Now that I am unemployed and looking for work, I have decided to come back and continue with my efforts to making this blog a tool for difference, to help those that need it and mostly importantly trying to protect what is left. 

The blog will now also focus on Bangladeshi news, different organizations working in the field regarding the environment, their activities, local policies being implemented and so forth.I will also have writers too, so if you are interested to write, do a guest post, just give me a knock. 

There is also another cause which I will try supporting from this blog and will share those details over the next couple of months.

Till my next post..

Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change

As bloggers all over the globe join in the global movement to make the stance in climate change, Blog Action Day has targeted this year to select Climate Change as this year's topic. Currently there are some 8,872 blogs registered for this movement and 148 countries involved. Also as October 24th nears , the International Day of Climate Action, this is just adds to it.

In Bangladesh, recently they initiated a project to offset climate conference emissions where all outdated brick kilns are to be replaced which will reduce 50,000 tonnes of CO2 hoping to make the COP 15 carbon neutral.

Some southern regions of Bangladesh are losing ground due to the rising sea-levels. Now according to current CO2 emissions of 400-450ppm of C02, it is expected that sea-levels would rise by 25-40m. So that would mean most of Bangladesh would be under-water. For a developing nation which highly depends on its agricultural output, rising sea-levels will reduce agricultural land to a minimum. This resulting in food crisis. As poverty is still a problem, inflation in this sector will create, one of the largest hunger nation.

Aside from the food problem, habitable land will reduce making living for over 162,221,000 people quite impossible. It is quite noticeably that weather patterns in Bangladesh have changed. Our monsoon season has shifted forward by a certain time. In fact this year 2009, our popular Kal Bohshaikh was shifted by more than 15 days. Kal Boishaikh is basically the time when the monsoon season begins which is sometime in April.

Also we hardly have any winters. The winter of 2008-2009 only lasted over a month which started late-December and ended sometime in early February. Surprisingly also before it would not rain in the winters, it would remain dry. However as I noticed it over 12 years starting from 1997 to 2009, there is a tendency of rain in the winters for the last 2 or 3 years.

For us Climate Change is already in motion, we are facing it and in the near future it will become worse. Even though our CO2 emissions are in the thousands, we still need to be prepared. As a low-lying country, floods are really not a big deal. It is kind of a norm and people are used to it. But in the near future, floods will become devastating, even for us it will be difficult. As we lack infastructure it will be very difficult to sustain regular flooding. It is estimated that it would cost $100bn to tackle climate change and most of the money will go into water protection systems but we would require more than that. As it is impossible for our country to generate that much money, we would then become highly dependent on foreign aid, thinking about it we are already dependent on foreign aid.

In order for Bangladesh to avoid from becoming like Maldives, I request all UN officials, diplomats,delegates to make the right decision. This is such a decision, that the fate of the entire world is in your hands.

Bioneers Conference 2009

2009 marks the 20th anniversary of this premiere sustainability "Thought Leadership" forum on environmental and social justice issues along with scientific and cultural innovations focused around positive solutions inspired by nature and human ingenuity.

Speakers include Andrew Weil, MD, Michael Pollan (Author Omnivore’s Dilemma and Co-Creator of the film Food, Inc.), Annie Leonard (Creator of The Story of Stuff), and many others. The event takes place October 16-18th at the Frank Lloyd Wright Marin Civic Center in San Rafael, California, and at 18 Satellite Beamer Locations. We’re thrilled to also be Webcasting it for the first time.

We'll be featuring these key not-to-be-missed speakers:

The conference starts this October 16 2009 to October 18 2009.

* From Small Steps to the Energy Revolution

Friday October 16, 9am-1pm, Plenary

How do we move rapidly from 1% solar and wind energy in the U.S. to 50%? To 100%? Jack Hidary, co-founder of SmartTransportation.org and chairman of Americans for CleanEnergy.org, explains what we have to do realize this necessary re-evolution.

* Rehydration Revolution

Friday October 16, 2:45-4:15

Water and carbon are two of life’s most essential elements, but managed improperly they can destroy the land. “Keyline” design is a cutting-edge system that harvests and distributes water more evenly for greater fertility, increased root growth and much higher carbon sequestration. With Brock Dolman, Occidental Arts and Ecology Center’s master permaculturalist and land management and watershed expert; and Darren Doherty, renowned Australian permaculturaist, a leading global expert of innovative “broadacre” agricultural system.

* Living Buildings; The Future of Architecture

Saturday October 17, 9am-1pm, Plenary

Jason McLennon, the leading figure in the global green architecture movement challenges us to imagine and demand buildings that operate as elegantly and efficiently as the living structures nature creates. As CEO of Cascadia Green Building Council, author of the Living Building Challenge and co-creator of Pharos (the most advanced building material rating system in North America) he shows breathtaking examples from the worldwide Challenge underway to design building that meet or exceed nature’s ecosystem services.

If your away from California then pack your bags and head for the conference. If you cant make it then keep your self updated by live telecast by dropping by this site again on the 16th.

World Habitat day: October 5th 2009

The first Monday of each October has been declared as World Habitat Day. This year, the day falls on the 5th of October and Habitat for Humanity has done a great job at providing support for the homeless. They are more than 100 million people who are homeless, according to the United Nations.


What you can do to help? Habitat for humanity have given a head's up about that:

1) Advocate
2) Educate
3) Donate

Let's stand up on World Habitat Day and let it be known that affordable, adequate housing should be a priority everywhere—in our communities, in our towns, in our country, in our world.

Show your support and take action!

South Asia feeling effects of global warming and climate change

In the past two weeks, the monsoon has spread over Asia this year but this time the monsoon is not welcoming. Heavy rains in most countries like Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal have left many as thousands of people stranded on water. In Bangladesh three-fourths of the country is under water. People in villages are left stranded, some of their houses damaged, main crops destroyed. Basically things are not good in Bangladesh. Water is entering the capital city Dhaka, but not like the rural areas.

Even if the rain had stopped, the Sun for some reason seems so concentrated, thats how I feel when I step outside the house. It seems like the Sun is burning my skin. Normally I felt this type of effect during the winter but never in summer. Other than Bangladesh, India and Nepal are heavily affected. In the mist of all these floods, fear of water-borne diseases is on everyone's mind. International organizations like WHO,Unicef ,are helping in the relief process. In Bangladesh, corporate companies like GrameenPhone, Banglalink, Warid Telecom, are helping in the relief programs. There are many more companies participating in the programs.

As most of you can guess, scientists are saying that global warming and the melting of ice in the Himalayia mountains have caused the flooding.

To know more visit these BBC sites
Health woes
Worst-hit areas
Flood Leasons
Pictures taken

A video posted by StefanSchmiederer on Youtube commented this year's flood as "South Asian floods 'worst in living memory'"



PS: I was saying in the previous posts that I will go for green hosting, unfortunately I would not be able to pay for it but in the mean time I will buy a domain and host it on a regular hosting company till I find it cost-effective to run on green hosting.

LiveEarth

Its old news about a week back but anyways there was a positive impact from this. On July 7th 2007 LiveEarth an global organization whose sole purpose it is make people participate in the climate crisis by holding concerts round the world. So yes last Saturday all round the world famous artists,bands, musicians, composers took stage to inform people about Global warming and Climate Change.

The concerts were held at New York, London, Johannesburg, Rio De Janeiro, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney and Hamburg. From the musicians James Blunt, Black-eyed Peas, The Pussycat Dolls, Shakira, Police, Madonna and many more. From the celebrities Al Gore, Cameron Diaz, Leonado Di Caprio were present. Al Gore has written a message on LiveEarth's site do visit.

This is an interview of Cameron Diaz on Live Earth concert.


This one is of Madonna



This one is of James Blunt. A singer whose name got on the top of the rankings by his hit song " You're Beautiful"



PS: I am planning to shift my blog to a new host and will also buy a domain. So does anyone have any suggestions or objections!

Chit Chat

Yeah to all my visitors. I appreciate all of you for visiting my blog and from what my stats show my total visitors is near the 10,000 mark. As it crosses I want to know your thoughts about my blog. What makes it interesting and what does not? I recently got accepted to ReviewMe and got two of my reviews accepted. To view my reviews visit here. Do you like the reviews or not? Are they boring, not interesting? Are you doing anything to stop pollution in your country and protect the environment? I have been blogging for nearly two years, my second year will be on July. I learnt a lot and appreciate all the help I got to come where I am, but for a two year old blog, the response is poor. So please give me your thoughts!