Interesting Reads

Delhi Today, Your City Tomorrow.  - Times of  India

I like the concept of air pollution. I guess a man is in today's society is based on what dominates the air waves . It is just airwaves radio, internet, digital tv, any form of media etc that defines me. Be it today's fashion or the fillers/urban slang that i pick up when people use it. The best i guess for me so far is Shawty. Shawty denotes young attractive women in urban slang. Shorty in  verbal english is one dressed in short clothes. Both sound similar and may have same meaning to a extent in both urban and verbal english. I picked up something interesting reading today, I have been reminded to choose my words wisely. No one ever told me to choose your words as per the time which we live in. Blockbuster Friday is a whole new meaning in today's world but it would not mean the same in 1940. Blockbuster was actually for real a bomb.The first one produced by Britain's Royal Air Force weighed 4000 pounds and was dropped on German city of Enden in March 1941. Most shocking of is perhaps the word girl. Girl originally meant child. The word boy did not appear until the late 15 th century.  Another word used is "BIMBO". BIMBO if used today would definitely ignite a reaction from the opposite sex. Bimbo is a dumb beautiful voluptuous woman in todays urban slang. It was recently used as sarcasm in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil towards Lisa Haydon. Bimbo really didnt mean that. Its roots are Italian in origin and means baby boy and when entered in the american slang at the beginning of the 20 th century was referred to as Bully. Words i guess have evolved as per time. One word which defines most of us since ages has been apathy. Apathy is something that every human civilization has in common since ages. Hence i guess why Nietzsche had come up with sarcasm against God creation.

Well coming to air pollution 10 Indian cities rank among the Top 20 in WHOs list of worst air quality, polluted cities. The whole article dealt on Apathy held by Indian Administration in terms of air pollution. On the contrast when India promotes Yoga, air pollution is something that puts Yoga on a backburner. Baba Ramdev wont be happy if he gets sick doing Yoga. Yoga is a deep breathing exercise in which you have suck air in. If the air is polluted i dont think that will be the right thing to do. I say screw yoga, it reminds me of English during the Industrial revolution inhaling asbestos and soot and eventually ending up with Cancer.

Important point from the whole article are

1. There are 94 cities in total that have not met air quality standards since 1990. Out of which there are 29 cities that have been monitored real time. There is only 1 or few air quality monitors at most locations.  Manual monitoring machines are ineffective and inaccurate. Air pollution has touched dangerous levels in Kanpur, Delhi, Lucknow and Varanasi over the past couple of years. Regulatory bodies did nothing to ensure standards laid by the guidelines. None of the guidelines were reinforced since lately a month ago. Statuatory powers were used by the regulatory bodies to direct municipalities in NCR to take steps to curb air pollution. Apart from that the governmennt has laid certain restriction on emission standards from vehicles.

2. Study by IIT Kanpur revelaed the sources of air pollution. Vehicles, waste burning, construction, dust changes with season are the main factors. In Mumbai it is road dust, power plants and open lnd fills fires. Mumbai is triple the state limit of air quality standards. Worst months reported are  November to February.  Doctor visits increase during this period with symptoms of respiratory infection.

3. Whats is actually in the air: PM 2.5 - Tiniest most unhealthy, high levels in winter.  PM10 - Another lead pollutants on winter days. Ozone forms when nitrogen oxide reacts with volatile organic compounds in brigh sunlight. Lead polluutants dominate it i guess.
Bikes give 2.3PM. Trucks, Diesel - 14,2 PM. CNG vehicles lowest particulate matter emmision.

4. Health effects:  National Cancer Institute findings 2003, Impact of air pollution on children over 15 years had serious physical and psychological impacts. Association with certain cancers, lower birth weight of babies, premature birth, strokes and respiratory diseases take the lead. Air pollution has been linked to 6.7 lakhs premature birth.

8.5 % of GDP - Welfare cost and lost labour income due to air pollution in 2013 as per World Bank Report.

As per all these points made by the report i guess  Apathy is the word that defines us all.