Hello Panditji

I have heard that beneath the Earth’s crust all the inorganic minerals are separated into different layers (in viscous fluid) after being subjected to melting due earth's inside temperature. Is it possible to take all the inorganic wastes to greater depths into the earth through the abandoned oil wells won't the problem of handling the wastes become easier?

S Arun Kumar
Chennai

Dear Arunji,

You have asked a very thinking question. Well theoretically, if we can dig a hole till say the upper mantel or lower mantel or even till the core, we can thermally fuse all the waste. But, so far no gas or oil well in the world has reached those levels. Most of these wells are just few kilometres deep, in contrast to hundreds of kilometres required to reach the upper mantel. If we inject our wastes in the current wells, it will only contaminate our groundwater, which we shouldn’t do.

Also, one is not clear what will happen if we bore a hole and reach the upper mantel. Will the molten material come out as it happens in volcano? Theoretically that will happen because the pressure beneath is many times higher than the atmospheric pressure. So it might not be feasible to put the waste in mantel or core. In totality, putting the waste in the earth's core is not a feasible solution.

Namaste. I am a BSc second year student. What are the safe methods of getting rid of mosquitoes from the house?

Shankaran
Via Email

Dear Shankaranji,

When it comes to mosquitoes, prevention is better pesticides. There are many natural and safe mosquito repellents. One of the best is neem oil. You can rub this on the exposed are of your skin (wrists, neck temples, behind ears, knees and ankles) and see that it doesn't touch clothes. Other substances that work are Castor oil, Lemongrass oil and Peppermint oil. But also see that you are not allergic to these oils and that they don't get in your eyes. You can also use cucumber cubes.

Remove the skin from a cucumber. Cut into pieces and mash in a bowl. Collect the liquid and pour in ice cube tray and freeze. When frozen, rub the cucumber cube on your hands and face. You can make your own mosquito repellant if you can get hold of the following: Eucalyptus oil (20 drops), Cedarwood oil (20 drops), Tea Tree oil (10 drops), and Geranium (10 drops). Plus, mosquitoes are attracted by the following: dark clothes, carbon dioxide (candles, oil lamps), floral or fruity fragrances and sweaty bodies. So take precautions accordingly.

I want to know that if I drink milk without heating it (kachha doodh), are there any side effects?

Ashu Verma
Via email

Dear Ashuji,

Drinking milk without boiling it is not a good idea. Milk is a highly perishable product and is an excellent medium for transmitting a variety of diseases. It is also open to contamination during collection, transportation and selling. Raw milk contains a lot of bacteria that are harmful to the human body. For example, Salmonella bacteria and E.Coli are common among animals. Infections in dairy herds may lead to contamination of milk. Further, the low acidity and high nutrient content make it the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, including those which cause food poisoning (pathogens).

Boiling destroys organisms, which cause tuberculosis, typhoid, cholera, dysentery, and other non-spore organisms. Boiling also makes milk more digestible and fat emulsion is destroyed. Some people say they grew up drinking raw milk and never became sick from it. However, public health authorities know of many cases where people got sick from drinking raw milk.

I am an old friend of CSE, and a subscriber to Down to Earth. I work in the NGO sector, in Astha, Udaipur, Rajasthan. My son is getting married in May, and as is the custom, gifts are to be given by me to relatives who come for the marriage, at the time they leave for home. I want to give a subscription to Gobar Times to the children, rather than a piece of clothing, or an envelope with money in it.

Ginny Shrivastava
Via Email

I just came across the Ask Me No page while looking for something else and I feel I have to comment about something. The English in the answers you give the children is impeccable; why isn't the huge message from Pandit Gobar Ganesh also in good English? I don't assume it's there for comic relief — or am I wrong? As far as I'm concerned it just makes fun of the stereotypical English associated with Indian people and, to be honest, I find it a little offensive in their regard. I don't mean this to be rude or anything — please think of it as positive criticism. Thanks!

Elaine Lipp
Via Email

I am a regular reader of your magazine as it updates my knowledge on environmental issues. I enjoy reading your magazine.

Mrs Jacintha Mascarenhas
Nagpur

I would like to say that Gobar Times is simply great. I hope it will become more popular and that soon many more people get the message it is trying to spread.

Naomi Nandakumar
Via Email

The first time I came across Gobar Times, I was so fascinated. Your publication is a wealth of information and you have to be congratulated and commended.

Dhanushi Senanayake
Intermediate Technology Development
Group

I was a member of the Conservation Club of my previous school in which we practiced vermiculture, rain water harvesting, paper recycling etc. I shall be changing my school once again very soon, so I plan to join any club or activity which is in any way similar to what I did in my previous school, if not then I plan to get permission from the school authorities to start such a club in the school itself.

Your website is simply marvelous!! But there is still scope for improvement. One thing some of my friends and I agree on are that the links on all pages should be changed so that they open a new window when one wishes to view them.That would be very convinient. You guys are doing a marvelous job and best of luck for any forthcoming activity/event of yours !!!

Ajooni
Age 13, Jodhpur

    More Forest Fires  

I enjoyed reading the letter in Gobar Times from Anand, Alfred, Skumani and Bala, students of Sholai School in Kodaikanal, entitled "Burning Hills". I did not imagine that they suffered from forest fires in their lush valley, that I had the chance to visit two years ago with my family. The children really wrote from their hearts, and their pain and anguish was evident. Here too in Uttarakhand, whenever we suffer a prolonged spring drought, forest fires are a major problem.

February and March months were the driest and warmest I had observed in eighteen years. As a consequence there have been widespread forest fires, more in Garhwal and less in Kumaun. However the high ranges to the west of here that reach over 9,000 feet, have suffered prolonged fires. They were extinguished when at last rains arrived a few days ago.

Two weeks ago we woke up at 4.15 am to see a long line of fire that had encroached on the upper edge of our boundary. I quickly got the students up, and they took no time to gettin the fire under control. The main problem here in spring is the pine needles that fall and carpet the ground. It just takes a careless match to start a fire. It is never clear who is responsible for the fires.

Some point the finger at the resin contractors, suggesting they attempt controlled burning to protect their resin, others suggest villagers burning to encourage green grass. Sometimes it is the Forest Department carrying out 'controlled burning'. The fires are largely ground fires, but as in Kodaikanal the new seedlings and ground dwelling wild life especially suffer. The atmosphere gets terribly polluted, visibility being reduced to just a few miles, a smell of smoke ever hanging in the air.

David Hopkins
Via email