«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»«°»^«°»^«°» M A K I N G I N D I A G R E E N Vol. 1, No.2 «°» February 1, 2001 Priya Shah, Editor, mailto:Priya@makingindiagreen.com «°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»^«°»«°»^«°»^«°» Privacy Policy: Our subscriber list is confidential and we respect your privacy. This newsletter is distributed by subscription only. All subscription and unsubscription information can be found at the end of this issue. «»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«» In This Issue: «»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«» «» Editorial «» News Digest «» Your Green Recipe «» MIG Features: The genie in the test tube «» Guest Article: Wheat grass - A panacea of life Author: Dr. Sharad Nayampally (N.D.) «» Green Tips: «» Contact Details «» Subscribe/Unsubscribe «»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«» «»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«» To bring electricity to your doorstep, it takes a minimum investment of around Rs.3 to 4 crores per megawatt. A lot of it is in foreign exchange. Saving one unit of electricity is cheaper than generating one unit of electricity. Source:Department of Energy Conservation, Ministry of Power - India «»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«»^«» «»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«» Editorial «»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«» *And now every mother Can choose the colour Of her child That's not nature's way Well that's what they said yesterday There's nothing left to do but pray* - Lyrics from *Virtual Insanity* by Jamiroquai (Kay/Smith,1996) The face of the new biology is beginning to assume a sinister definition with the new genetic technologies that have invaded our soils, our food, our lives. Two recent developments in particular, have brought humanity a step closer to creating a *genetically improved* human being. The birth of the world's first genetically modified primate - a monkey called ANDi (for *Inserted DNA*, written backwards) - involved inserting a gene at the egg stage, so that it is passed on to offspring. The next step, say critics, would be a genetically modified human. In the second development, the UK became the first country to legalise the creation of cloned human embryos, for the purpose of harvesting stem cells - which could then be grown into compatible tissues for transplant. Critics believe it could pave the way to allowing cloning for reproductive purposes. For many of us, genetic engineering of humans seems repugnant, or at least something to be viewed with caution, but it does have many supporters. The celebrated British physicist Dr Stephen Hawking, is one of them. Recently, he told an audience in Mumbai that, *Genetic engineering will happen in the next millennium whether we want it or not.* Dr. Hawking believes that the complexities of the human race would require improved humans to meet new challenges. Is a future with genetically engineered human beings then inevitable? Could it be that the ultimate goal of evolution is the creation of a species that is able to direct its own evolutionary future? More importantly, is the human race ready to take over the job from Nature? The development of *improved humans* would create social and political problems, in relation to normal or *unimproved* humans, believes Dr. Hawking. Are we, as a society, prepared for the consequences? Genetic engineering is a powerful technology that has great potential for good - from life-saving gene-therapy to bioremediation of environmental pollution. But in its application, some of which are outlined in this issue's feature article, also lies great potential for harm - to our health and to the environment. Do we know what we're getting into? And where should we draw the line? Shouldn't we be allowed to make our own choices instead of letting others make them for us? Its time we took a stand and played a proactive role in decisions that involve the future of the human race. «»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«» News Digest «»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«» AUSTRALIAN RESEARCHERS STUMBLE ON DEADLY GENE Australian scientists developing a biological contraceptive to halt mouse and rat plagues have unearthed a deadly new gene with profound implications for biological warfare. The contraceptive was being developed, with goal of suppressing the plagues of mice and rats, that affect between 100,000 and 500,000 hectares of grain crops each year, and are increasing in frequency due to changes in farming practices. Scientists were trying to develop a genetically modified virus that would boost the level of the animal's immune response, so that it blocked reproduction - a process known as immuno-contraception. They found that introducing an extra gene in a mousepox virus, for a substance called interleukin-4, which affects the immune system, suppresses that part of the mouse's immune system which deals with viruses - the cell-mediated response. As a result, lab mice normally resistant to the virus died. Furthermore, the gene diminished the efficacy of vaccines used to protect mice, by about half. The scientists are concerned that in the wrong hands, the technique could be used to strengthen biological weapons based on viruses which affect humans, and are calling for the global Biological Weapons Convention to be strengthened as a result of the discovery. "The best protection against any misuse of this technique was to issue a worldwide warning. We also want researchers to use this new knowledge to help design better vaccines, " said CRC director Dr Bob Seamark. A report on the discovery will be published in the Journal of Virology's February issue. Full text: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-17-10.html PESTICIDES IN THE NEWS Insecticide Causes Mad Cow Disease Pharmaceutical interests in the UK are ignoring new scientific research that shows the insecticide used in the UK government's own warble-fly campaigns triggered the UK surge of 'Mad Cow' disease, says a new report. Of greater concern is that some lotions for scabies and head lice are now priming children and adults, for CJD and Alzheimers in later life. Full text: http://eionews.addr.com/epaper/eio001213.htm Combination of Pesticides Linked to Parkinson's Disease Here is another reason to watch what you eat. Two commonly used agricultural pesticides, when found together in humans who have been exposed to them, may lead to Parkinson's disease, a new study suggests. The report, published in the Dec. 15 issue of Neuroscience, provides the strongest evidence to date that human-induced environmental factors play a role in the development of the fatal disease. The research team examined the effects on mice of two widely used agricultural chemicals - the herbicide, paraquat, and the fungicide, maneb - both of which are known to affect the neuro-transmitter network in mice. The findings could be a warning signal that current environmental investigations on the health effects of pesticides do not cover enough ground, said the researchers. Full text: http://ens-news.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-03-06.html Pesticides linked to Gulf War illness Field sanitation sprays and other pesticides could be among thepotential contributing agents to some of the undiagnosed illnesses reported by Gulf War veterans, according to new research. It points to pesticides in a class known as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors - both organophosphates and carbamates - as being linked to the symptoms of Gulf War illness. Armed Forces personnel who served in the Gulf War in 1990 and 1991 have been complaining of health problems ever since. Gulf War veterans have died, been paralyzed, had children with birth defects, have emitted semen which burns their wives, and have been disabled with nausea and chronic fatigue. Full text: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-15-03.html DELHI ALLOWS POLLUTING INDUSTRIES TO REOPEN In a decision which angered not only environmentalists but also some government officials, India's capital district of Delhi, the fourth most polluted city in the world, allowed 372 of the 650 industrial units served with a closure notice for pollution in December, to reopen. In September 1999, India's Supreme court issued a directive to close down all units whose effluents were turning the Yamuna River into an open sewer. The Supreme Court's deadline for the installation of the effluent treatment plants ended on November 1, 1999. The chairman of the Delhi Pollution Control Board (DPCB), Rajiv Talwar, justified the decision saying that the units were allowed to reopen and start functioning only after they had provided photographs or had given affidavits stating that they were no longer polluting. But such assurances mean little in the face of accusations that a large number of polluting industries have furnished the exact same photographs to prove installation of the treatment plants. Environmentalists scoffed at the government's reassurances of better monitoring, saying that such promises have been made umpteen times by successive ministers without results. While the political wrangling continues, Delhi's ten million residents are faced with an environmental debacle. Delhi's drains are choked and overflowing, garbage lies piled and spread at every corner. Travellers on the road in the evening appear to drive through a tunnel of smoke. Yamuna, the river which was once the lifeline of the capital, today is virtually dead. AS BUSH TAKES OVER, ENVIRONMENTALISTS FEAR THE WORST For U.S. environmentalists, it was an ill wind that blew on 20 January 2001, when George W. Bush took over. With Bush's emphasis on low fuel prices and a reduction in American dependence on oil imports , greens foresee soaring pollution and drilling rigs springing up across protected lands. "It seems like it's going to be open season on the environment," says Mark Helm of Friends of the Earth. During campaigning, Bush said Kyoto was unfair to the US, and questioned the science of global warming. After talks broke down at the climate negotiations in November, Texas environmentalist Pete Altman warns that from now on foreign negotiators "should just assume they are negotiating with Exxon". Bush's support for other energy technologies - wind, biomass and solar power - might make a dent in the projected 35 per cent increase in American carbon emissions by 2010, but nobody is betting on the US meeting its Kyoto reduction targets. Bush's nominees, Norton and Abraham, have backed demands to open up large areas of American public lands to miners, loggers and oil companies. Top of their shopping list is the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Many of Clinton's last-minute environmental decisions have already been overturned and there are fears that more environmental regulations will be ditched. Full text: http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns22747 MAD COW DISEASE CALLED INTERNATIONAL THREAT The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization is warning countries around the world - not just those in Western Europe - about the risk of mad cow disease. The Organization recommends adoption of surveillance and monitoring systems to detect the disease in cattle herds, meat industries and animal feed operations. Mad cow disease is officially known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). This disease has been linked to a fatal brain disease in humans called new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (nvCJD). Little is known about the actual mechanism for transmission of the disease, but the currently held belief is that the disease agent jumps to humans who eat infected meat products. Alarm about the disease's potential has been largely confined to Western Europe up to now, but the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has issued its warning to all nations. All countries which have imported cattle or meat and bone meal from any Western European countries, particularly the United Kingdom, during and since the 1980s, can be considered at risk, the FAO wrote in a release on Friday. Within countries, FAO recommended applying the so called Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point system (HACCP) which aims at identifying potential problems and taking corrective measures throughout the food chain. The FAO and WHO are now finalizing work on a 'Code of Practice for Good Animal Feeding' to ensure that animal products do not create risks to consumers. Full text: http://ens.lycos.com/ens/jan2001/2001L-01-29-08.html POPS TREATY TO PROTECT ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH It was good news for the environment when delegates from 122 countries ended a week of negotiations in Johannesburg, South Africa, with agreement on an international treaty to eliminate persistent organic pollutants (POPs). The treaty identifies an initial list of 12 POPs slated for elimination, with various phase-out timetables for each chemical. An official signing ceremony will be held in Stockholm, Sweden in May 2001, and the treaty will go into force when ratified by 50 countries. This initial list, which includes nine pesticides, will be expanded over time according to criteria set forth in the treaty. One of the most controversial issues in the final negotiations was how the "precautionary principle" would appear in the treaty, and specifically what role it would play in the addition of new chemicals. The compromise reached involves the adoption of both a precautionary approach and a rigorous scientific review of health effects of chemicals being considered. The treaty also includes provisions for financial and technical assistance to developing countries to meet treaty obligations. A limited public health exemption for continued use of DDT to control malaria was put in place, along with strong incentives to develop and adopt safer alternatives. NGO representatives following POPs issues are pleased with the strength of the POPs treaty, they note that agreement on the treaty text must be seen as the beginning rather than the end of the treaty process. These NGOs urge civil society to maintain pressure on their governments to ensure that the treaty is ratified and implementation initiated as soon as possible. Full text: http://www.gnet.org/Coldfusion/News_Page2.cfm?NewsID=13978 2001 TO BE INTERNATIONAL BIODIVERSITY YEAR The first year in the new millennium is being celebrated as International Biodiversity Observation Year (IBOY). The move will see an international team of researchers from the Natural Resource Ecology laboratory at Colorado State University in the US and other global organisations masterminding a wide range of projects to study biodiversity across the world. IBOY activities will focus on over 40 international research projects designed to make available important new information on biodiversity. These will range from surveys of life in the canopies of tropical forests to the production of the first atlas of marine life. The scientists claim that the limited awareness of biodiversity and its connections to everyday lives undermines the ability of the public and policymakers to make decisions on sustainable development. The scientists have committed to ensuring both 2001 and 2002 are breakthrough years, vowing to dramatically increase communication of their findings about the status of biodiversity and its connection to human welfare. About 1.75 million species have been described, but scientists estimate that there are over 12 million species still to be described. According to the scientists taking part in the IBOY programme, a third or more of all species could be on a path to extinction within the next few decades. The IBOY team is not providing funding for the projects, but will publicise them and provide opportunities for contact and collaboration between science, education and the media. A World Biodiversity Summit is also planned for late 2002, to provide a showcase for the new information generated in IBOY, and opportunities to learn about biodiversity. Full text: http://www.edie.net/news/Archive/3657.html PEAT BOG ENZYME PREVENTING GLOBAL RELEASE OF CO2 The activity of a single enzyme, phenol oxidase, in peat bogs from Scotland to Siberia is the only thing preventing a massive release of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, says a British scientist. But global warming could transform it from a planet-saver to a planet-wrecker, warns Chris Freeman, a biologist at the University of Wales, Bangor and discoverer of the crucial role of the enzyme. Peat bogs in northern latitudes contain an estimated 455 billion tonnes of carbon in the form of buried plant matter - equivalent to 70 years of industrial emissions. Many climate models predict that global warming will cause peat bogs to dry out. If so, says Freeman, there would be a catastrophic release of CO2, sending temperatures soaring yet further. Until now, scientists have been unclear why buried plants inside wet bogs do not decompose. Now