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Large dams blamed for floods
WHILE floods are a perennial feature of the subcontinent, this year’s inundations have left leading environmental activists pointing fingers at the many large dams built precisely with the idea of controlling natural water systems.
“There is much to learn from the experience of floods this monsoon. Contrary to the case made out for large dams for controlling floods, the flood situation has actually been worsened by the dams,” said Medha Patkar, internationally known anti-big dam campaigner.
This year, with several downstream states accusing those upstream with improperly timed water releases, it has become particularly difficult for the champions of big dams to hit back at people like Patkar. Even officials in Nepal have accused India of not opening sluice channels in time, aggravating floods in that Himalayan country.
“Mismanagement and inefficient operations of the large reservoirs on the Tapti, Narmada, Krishna, Godavari, Mahi and Sabarmati rivers have created man-made disaster in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh,” said Himanshu Thakkar, hydrologist and coordinator for the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People. “The worst affected states are also the ones with the biggest dams.”
Thakkar has been demanding a “credible, independent inquiry as to why such a situation arose when it could have been avoided with more optimal operation of projects.” The extent of the damage caused by floods is yet to be estimated, but hundreds of thousands of people are reported to have been affected.
Some experts believe that this year’s deluge, affecting large parts of India, resulted from a failure to properly balance flood control with the other major uses of big dams — irrigation and hydro-power generation. — Dawn/IPS News Service
Orly International and OPI Products have already started selling reformulated nail polishes without the chemical, dibutyl phthalate. Sally Hansen plans to start selling similarly reformulated products in 2007.
Some studies have linked exposure to dibutyl phthalate — a plasticising ingredient that has been used to increase flexibility in nail polishes as well as medical equipment — with testicular problems in rats and humans. The chemical is banned from use in cosmetics in Europe and is considered a reproductive toxin by California.
A study that examined nail polishes and perfumes, published in 2004 in The Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, concluded that the amount of exposure to dibutyl phthalate from these cosmetics is relatively small. The study cautioned, however, that total exposure to the chemical from multiple sources may be greater and requires further investigation.
Companies are adjusting formulas even though beauty executives said the ingredient is safe in the concentrations in which it is used in cosmetics. “We are reacting here to changing consumer trends and a changing regulatory environment,” said Bruce MacKay, the vice president for scientific affairs/R&D of Del Laboratories, the maker of Sally Hansen.
“In high concentrations in lab experiments, these materials may be of concern, but there is no body of evidence that says this particular ingredient is not safe in the concentration in which it is used in nail products.” But health groups like the Breast Cancer Fund, an advocacy group in San Francisco that focuses on the environment, said that phthalates are too risky to use in consumer products. — Dawn/The New York Times News Service
“There are all kinds of robots out there doing many different things,” said Hideo Shimazu, director of the NEC System Technology Research Laboratory and a joint leader of the robot project. “But we decided to focus on wine because that seemed like a real challenge.”
At the end of the robot’s left arm is an infrared spectrometer. When objects are placed up against the sensor, the robot fires off a beam of infrared light. The reflected light is then analysed to determine the object’s chemical composition. When it has identified a wine, the robot names the brand and adds a comment or two on the taste.
Dr Shimazu said the robots could be “personalised,” or programmed to recognise the kinds of wines its owner prefers and recommend new varieties. Because it is analysing the chemical composition of the wine or food placed before it, it can also warn against fatty or salty products.
Philippe Bramaz of the Italian winemaker Calzaluga said: “I see the potential to analyse expensive and old wine to say whether it is authentic or not. Auction houses such as Sotheby’s and Christie’s could use this technology to test wine without opening it.”
The seven websites — including the country's top three political blogs Guido Fawkes, ConservativeHome.com and former Tory candidate Iain Dale — have launched an advertising sales service called MessageSpace. Its aim is to make it easier for advertisers to run campaigns on blogs, across one or more of the seven sites.
“Between us there is definitely a market. Political blogs are very popular and influential,” said Alex Hilton, the editor of Labourhome.org and author of Recess Monkey.
However, Mr Hilton, who runs the ad sales company EOS Online Media, said the service would shy away from signing up mainstream advertisers.
“We will look at the public affairs and campaigning industry — on topics such as child poverty, tax liberation and climate change,” he explained.
MessageSpace is designed to offer a “surgical strike” facility, by which ads are targeted at specific organisations such as parliament, the government, political parties and other groups. — Dawn/The Guardian News Service
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