Archive for the ‘Environment’

The National Soil Question: Part 2

converting tea into vegetables

Read Part 1 here. The effect of clearing the forests and allowing erosion of the soil, especially on the mountain areas became obvious to scientists who visited this country. Dr. Strange, an agricultural expert to Ceylon made this observation in 1909 with respect to the clearing of the mountain forests: “It would not have been necessary to notice here the matter of soil denudation, did it not affect irrigation and water supply. The result of stripping the soil is to make the springs on tea states dry up quickly; to diminish the fair-weather flow of streams and to increase their storm flow (whereby temporary irrigation weirs are carried away) and to choke with silt the beds of the streams and the irrigation channels led from them. It is also said to reduce the fertilizing property of the water, as there is now less leaf mould in solution. Even paddy fields have been ruined by sandy deposits laid on them. When…

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The National Soil Question: Part 1

Tea Erosion

There are some very disturbing trends in the management of the land of this nation, that cries out for action, but who will hear the cry? We are ever ready to talk about and fight about land, without the slightest inkling about or concern for the land that we are so willing to fight for. Land comprised of four basic elements, its water, its rocks, its soil and its biodiversity. These elements come together on varied landscapes to give us mountains, valleys, flatlands, forests, rivers and lakes. The protection and maintenance of these landscapes is what  dedication to ones land must be measured by; the rest is politics, opportunism and greed. Land, when seen only as an abstract political or economic entity  usually results in its degradation.  To understand one’s land, we must have some measure of knowledge about its elements. A discussion on water has begun. In a similar manner we should also understand the basics of soil, then…

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Towards an Informed Water Vision: Part 2

Uda Walawe , Tank 1

Uda Walawe Tank, photo submitted by author Through the nation water quality has become a serious problem.  The Nitrate and Nitrite pollution of the groundwater on the Kalpitiya peninsula, the eutrophication of the hydroelectric reservoirs during low flow, the renal failure syndrome of the North Central province, the rise in neuromuscular diseases among vegetable farmers, are but early symptoms of the malaise that suggests the water quality of the nation being compromised. The load of organic pollutants entering surface waters has affected over 90 percent of the watersheds of the rivers of this country. Further, the decline in water quality is related to a decline in populations aquatic predators of disease bearing mosquitoes, increasing the incidence of vector borne diseases throughout the country. Though the loss of water quality in Sri Lanka has been dramatic, it is a problem that can be solved. It is still not too late, Nitrates and Nitrites can be removed using deep rooted trees; Organic…

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Towards an Informed Water Vision: Part 1

Erosion from tea 1

Erosion from tea plantation. Photo submitted by author. The three basic substances of our biosphere, Air, Water and Soil share the characteristic that they are all dynamic and vary in quality and quantity from place to place on this planet. However there is what is generally recognized as the ‘optimal range’ of values for each one of these substances, to render the environment hospitable to life.  While my comments today, are focussed on water, it should be kept in mind that they apply equally to the other two. Water is a critical element of all living things and it is the medium through which much of life is expressed, all animals and plants including humans are made mostly of water. Water is an essential material for the maintenance of global ecosystems; it is required in the right quality and quantity for each purpose that it is used for.  Water enters a landscape as rain or fog and moves across a…

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Rio+20 interview: “Green Economy should not justify Greed Economy!”

Hemantha Withanage in activist mode in Thailand

Environmental activist Hemantha Withanage talks to Nalaka Gunawardene in Rio de Janeiro Hemantha Withanage in Rio de Janeiro, photo by Nalaka Gunawardene In early June, a group of 50 Lankan civil society organisations (CSOs) active on environment, development and human rights, issued the Sri Lanka Civil Society Statement for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. The conference, also known as Rio+20, culminates at head of state level on June 20-22. The statement was produced at the end of Sri Lanka Civil Society Dialogue on Rio+20 held in Negombo on 17 – 18 May 2012. It was convened by the Centre for Environmental Justice/Friends of the Earth Sri Lanka, National Fisheries Solidarity Movement (NAFSO) and the Sri Lanka Nature Group. It urged the government of Sri Lanka to “follow the middle path in development as we proposed in 2002 for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)”. It also underlined the need to respect the basic rights of people while…

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The Green Revolution and Rio

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It has been many years of writing in the Sri Lankan media of the stupidity of the so-called Green Revolution that successive governments in Sri Lanka aided by their ‘knowledgeable ‘ scientists and bureaucrats have promoted. As it has been pointed out many times, the only winners in this deadly game were those who sold fertilizers, agrochemicals and the politicians and bureaucrats who received kickbacks from this lucrative trade. But the price that we pay as a nation is heavy, last year the fertilizer subsidy alone was over 50 billion rupees. Yet this same mob will now go to Rio to crow over what a wonderful job they have done for our nation and for the world. One supposes that being a Sri Lankan in Sri Lanka today is much like a North Korean in that country. The view of the public is totally disregarded, only the so-called ‘leaders ‘have the brains and the vision’ to take us forward. I…

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Who’s Afraid of Exotic Species, Gene Pirates and Government Babus?

Dr Ranil Senanayake, photo by Janaka Sri Jayalath

Dr Ranil Senanayake, photo by Janaka Sri Jayalath In this second part of a long interview, South Asia’s first systems ecologist Dr Ranil Senanayake shares his views on many facets of biological diversity. He looks at the challenges involved in in-situ and ex-situ conservation of plant and animal species on our already crowded and slowly warming planet. He takes stock of the Convention on Biological Diversity, adopted by governments of the world in 1992, and laments the narrow vision of old school foresters and Sri Lanka government bureaucrats who “literally miss the forest for the trees”. Dr Senanayake obtained his PhD as a Systems Ecologist from the University of California at Davis in 1978 and has had a long and illustrious career as a researcher, university teacher and activist. Author of numerous scientific papers, media articles and presentations, he has served on the UN committee that produced the authoritative Global Biodiversity Assessment. Systems Ecologist Ranil Senanayake in conversation with Science…

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  • 3 Jun, 2012
  • 10 Comments
  • Colombo,
    Development,
    Environment

Sri Lanka’s Fast-track to Post-war Development: Remember the Mahaweli’s Costly Lessons!

Ranil Senanayake (L) in conversation with Nalaka Gunawardene, 19 March 2012

Systems Ecologist Ranil Senanayake in conversation with Science Writer Nalaka Gunawardene. For Part 2 of this interview, titled Who’s Afraid of Exotic Species, Gene Pirates and Government Babus?, click here. Dr Ranil Senanayake is a rare public intellectual in Sri Lanka. He is extremely well informed, analytical, multidisciplinary — and courageous enough to speak his mind on matters of public interest in a land where many academics and professionals choose silence, or grumble privately. In particular, he has been vocal about the indiscriminate use of pesticides and chemical fertiliser in farming; the use of exotic tree species for monocultures in the name of forestry; heavy reliance of imported petroleum for developing Sri Lanka’s economy; and the erosion of biological diversity at the levels of habitats, species and genes. Besides raising these concerns at scientific fora, he has been a regular contributor of op-ed essays to newspapers and is increasingly expressive online. In 2011, he collected many of his public media…

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  • 8 May, 2012
  • 11 Comments
  • Colombo,
    Environment

Is Sri Lanka’s Road to Rio +20 Paved with Lies?

Rio logo English

March 12 1997 was a dark day when personal power was used to subjugate not only national laws  but also to subvert the international environmental obligations of this nation. On this day, the President of Sri Lanka Mrs. Chandrika Kumaranatunge issued a directive under emergency regulations which stated that neither the national Environmental act no.47 of 1990, the Urban Development Authority law no.41 of 1973, the Nuisance Ordinance (chapter 230), nor the Criminal Procedure Code Act no.16 of 1976 “shall be in force or effect in so far as they relate to the generation of power and energy”.  The public was never consulted and the move seems to stem from the insistence of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) the national power generating authority to override any environmental or social concern over their operating procedure. This unilateral action by Mrs. Chandrika Kumaranatunge acting as the President of Sri Lanka, to suspend all national legislation pertaining to the environment and public safety…

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Nurturing Public Trust in Times of Crisis: Reflections on April 11 Tsunami Warning

This is only a game, no one can create Earthquakes! Photo from Pacific Tsunami Museum, Jan 2007

Five years ago, on a visit to the Pacific Tsunami Museum in Hilo, Hawaii, I played an interesting simulation game: setting off an undersea earthquake and deciding whether or not to issue a tsunami warning to the many countries in and around the Pacific. The volunteer-run museum, based in ‘the tsunami capital of the world’, engages visitors on the science, history and sociology of tsunamis. The exhibits are mostly mechanical or use basic electronic displays, but the messages are carefully thought out. The game allowed me to imagine being Director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC), a US government scientific facility in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, where geophysicists monitor seismic activity round the clock. When the magnitude exceeds 7.5, its epicentre is located and a tsunami watch is set up. Then, combining the seismic, sea level and historical data, PTWC decides if it should be upped to a warning. The museum game allows players to choose one of three locations…

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Protecting the Enigmatic Blue Whales of Sri Lanka: In Conversation with Asha de Vos

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The largest animal on the planet, the blue whale, is found in Sri Lankan waters. Unusually, the blue whales off our coast do not to migrate to polar waters for feeding – a characteristic of other populations. We do not yet know why. In this interview, we talk about additional qualities that make them unique and interesting while highlighting the need for a scientific understanding of the population in order to manage and protect them into the future. In light of current and growing human encroachment in our oceans, Sri Lankan marine biologist Asha de Vos makes a strong case that the time is now. Asha’s Sri Lanka’s second TED Fellow (and the second TED Fellow to be featured on this site). She was awarded a Zonta Woman of Achievement award in 2011 and has coordinated and implemented projects related to marine and coastal resources in Sri Lanka in collaboration with donors and partners. As a marine biologist she has…

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  • 3 Apr, 2012
  • 10 Comments
  • Colombo,
    Development,
    Environment

Oil, Coal, Gas and Carbon: Fundamental Truths From Indigenous Peoples

Shuar territory

Indigenous people know the reality of fossil energy.   The Shuar peoples of Amazonian Ecuador, under whose territories lie huge reserves of oil. Unlike those eager to find oil in their territories, have rejected exploration, they do not want to get rich on selling oil.  They have a saying “Oil’ represents the sprits of a long dead world, that we use to satisfy our greed for power and sacrifice and our children in return.” (CESR 1996).  Here lies a truth that cannot be escaped when looking at climate change.  But in this statement there also lies wisdom, a truth, which if appreciated will clarify the actions needed to address the spectre of climate change. Their wisdom is that, they are aware of the difference between the spirits of the living world and the dead.  They know that, asking for power from the spirits of the dead world has a great price, often they seeking the lives of our own children. What…

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Desertification and Biodiversity

Photo courtesy NASA The link between land degradation and desertification has been made abundantly clear in studies conducted in Africa and Australia. A loss of natural vegetation, a loss in soil organic matter and a loss of soil stability contribute greatly to the process.  These processes are often interlinked.  Vegetation encourages soil stability by providing cover, the binding action of roots, providing root exudates and by the contribution of its biomass to the soil.  A loss of vegetation results in a corresponding loss of soil organic matter and stability. Soil organic matter and soil stability are often linked.  A soil that becomes depauperate in its content of organic matter looses the glue that holds soil particles together and becomes easily erodible.  The more a soil erodes the more difficult it becomes for the soil microorganisms to glue the particles together.  The process is analogous to a spider’s web in the wind.  A whole web can withstand the pressure.  If one…

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Sri Lanka’s massive power and energy crisis: No easy answers, no immediate relief for consumers

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Asoka Abeygunawardana, is the Executive Director of the Sri Lanka Energy Forum and an Adviser to the Minister of Power & Energy. Asoka’s articles on the Energy Forum website clearly outline the challenges facing power generation and energy policies in Sri Lanka today, the result of many years of ill-advised strategic planning, investment and delays in infrastructure construction. Asoka talks about Sri Lanka’s overwhelming dependence on oil based power generation, and referring to it as a ‘severe crisis’ notes that there isn’t a quick and easy fix for this. Speaking about the transition from a primarily hydro-electric based power generation to what is now a non-renewable fuels (oil, coal) based power generation, Asoka notes that this is not an energy mix Sri Lanka can sustain in the years to come. With the Meteorological Department forecasting that 2012 will be drier than 2011, the power generation over the course of this year will get much worse before it gets better. And…

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The Loss of Identity: Development and Agriculture

Terrace rice, SL

The ecological impact of increasing energy input into a system has been well documented.  In any ecosystem an increase in the flow of energy tends to organize and simplify that ecosystem, with the destruction of many homeostatic mechanisms of the original system.  The loss of the traditional, rice production systems and its simplification, being an example.  Further, diversity is now being realized as being important to sustainability.  In agriculture, studies of insect communities have shown that pest outbreaks are characteristic of systems with lowered species diversity. An increase in the input of energy to an ecosystem often provides a useful measure by which ecosystem modification can be addressed.  Thus in a heavily energy dependent agricultural system, the natural or biological system has been dispensed with and an artificial environment has been created to allow high levels of production.  While it can be argued that such a system of production is sustainable as long as the inputs are provided, it raises…

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About Groundviews

Located at the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Groundviews is a citizen journalism website that uses a range of genres and media to highlight critical perspectives on governance, reconciliation, human rights, the arts and literature, democracy and other issues. The site has won two international awards, including the prestigious Manthan Award South Asia in 2009. The grand jury's evaluation of the site noted, "What no media dares to report, Groundviews publicly exposes. It's a new age media for a new Sri Lanka... Free media at it's very best!"

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