Hello Panditji,
I work for the Hindi newspaper Amar Ujala and am in charge of the health page and
children's page. We want to make children aware of various issues on the environment.
Right now I am planning to prepare an article on soda drinks. Would you please inform me
about the hazards of drinking cold drinks/soda drinks? Is it ok to take these drinks once
in a while?
Thanks,
Sumita
Via email
Dear Sumitaji,
 Most cold drinks have no
nutritional value but are more of "lifestyle" drinks, meant to be
"enjoyed". Carbonated drinks have phosphoric acid, which soften teeth and bones;
a very high sugar content; aspartame, which has multiple health side effects and caffeine,
a stimulant drug. Gobar
Times (September 15, page 77, "Red
Alert") explained that in detail (www.gobartimes.org/gt20030915/76-77.PDF). Down
To Earth also did a cover story on the dangerous levels of pesticides present in soft
drinks, which you can read on the Centre for Science and Environment website
(www.cseindia.org).
Dear
Panditji
In the August 15 issue of Gobar Times, in relation to the chaos theory, it was said
that the wing movements of a butterfly in Peru could be the cause of a hurricane in Texas.
Could you explain in more detail how this can happen.
Naomi Nandakumar
Via email
 Dear Naomiji,
The butterfly effect is a symbolic statement that tells you that a very tiny event (like
the flapping of a butterfly) can lead to a very big event (like a hurricane in Texas).
That is the essence of "chaos". It is difficult to explain how exactly such a
complex thing can happen in the limited space available here.
Please read the fascinating book
Chaos: Making a New Science by James Gleick to get a better understanding on the
subject. You can also get a good definition of the effect under "Chaos Theory"
on the website
http://whatis.techtarget.com. New
Line Cinema is releasing a movie The Butterfly Effect in January next year.
Dear
Panditji
I would like to know what exactly is groundwater and how does the ground store water.
Ria Narayanan
Delhi
Dear Riaji,
Contrary to popular belief, groundwater reserves are not in the form of lakes or streams
of water inside the ground. Water in the ground is stored in the interstices
(inter-particulate spaces) of the soil that forms the earth. It is similar to water being
stored in a sponge — it is not visible, but can be "squeezed" out (or drawn
out).
The soil or rock formations in the earth that contain
water are called groundwater aquifiers. Below a certain depth in the ground, the earth is
saturated (saturation is a state in which all the free spaces or interstices are filled
with water). This level may be just below the ground level or many hundred metres below
ground level. For example, in the Delhi area, groundwater levels vary between 3 to 60
metres below ground level.
When rain falls on the surface of the earth, some amount
of water percolates through the soil and moves downwards under the effect of gravity. When
water moves through the soil, it is said to be infiltrating, because it gets filtered in
the process of passing through the pores of the soil.
Groundwater aquifiers are formed over many years, as
infiltration from successive rains joins the existing groundwater.
Heavy extraction of groundwater leads to an imbalance in
the groundwater reserves as the withdrawal of water is more than the recharge. This leads
to depletion of the groundwater resources. Depth to water table from the surface increases
and wells become dry. That is why rainwater harvesting is necessary. |
