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Learning locally
 The Gujarat Nature Conservation Society (GNCS) has an
exciting package of camping tours for students of Classes 5 to 9 from Baroda and Rajkot.
The main theme of these camps is ‘Man shall live by the dictates of his
environment’. You can scramble up trails, splash around in running streams or
paddle in salt pans, but its not all just fun and games. Interested students explore hills
and forests, cities, coastal and marine habitats — in an effort to understand how
people have learnt to live by the dictates of their environment. Visit villages and
museums, talk to the people about local beliefs and folklore, and non-governmental
organisations working on local social and environment-related issues.
There seems to be something in it for everyone here. If its mangroves
and coast-lines that attract you,  the Experience
Kutch module helps you understand these eco-systems as well as the people inhabiting
this area, their livelihood and problems, like over-grazing, erosion, salt water ingress
and water-scarcity.
Do you know that this area produces tons of salt? That salt panning is supposed to be
destroying the habitat of species like the Indian wild ass? Who should be thrown out
— the salt-workers or the wild ass? How can you, as a student decide, unless you know
both sides of the story? The GNCS tours help you to be better equipped to observe things
and correctly intepret what they mean, to learn community living and to become a better
traveller.  And talking of travelling, light is
the keyword here, with only the bare necessities — no carrying your Philips
PowerHouse.
These lucky students get to go to Camp Ahmedabad in which they get to see a
number of unique museums, as well as the famous Harappan archaeological site at Lothal; Camp
Mozda, where they live in the Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary; Camp Pochitra
on the sea-coast; and the Urban Circuits Experience in which they see little-known
parts of their city.
For more information, contact:
Arun Patel (Coordinator)
No 5, Impala House, Vishwas Colony, Alkapuri
Baroda 390 007
Tel: 322438
ASK ME, NO?
I am knowing that lot questions are filling up in your brains. So
put them down on paper and send to me. I am bursting to answer!Do you really think I
look stupid? I tell you, I am brainful. Ask me, and find out yourself.
Pandit
Gobar Ganesh |
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HOW
did dinosaurs become extinct?
Akshay Yadav, Bhilai, Bihar
DINOSAURS ‘vanished’ from the Earth
about 65 million years ago and with them went 65% of Earth’s species. Scientists have
been guessing over the years as to how these creatures disappeared.
In 1980, Luis Alvarez, an American scientist, put forward the popular
Impact Theory in which a giant asteroid collided with the earth suddenly and wiped out the
giant lizards.
But some British and Japanese scientists feel that our solar system
passed through a giant molecular cloud  (GMC)
containing huge amounts of dust and molecular gases which reflected the sunlight back into
space and thus cooled the earth massively. They also felt that the GMC’s gravity
could have attracted several comets which were heading towards the Sun from the direction
of Pluto, which would then pose a threat to life on Earth.
A team of scientists from Britain say that dinosaurs died out because of
the impact of supercomets measuring about 100 km across. However, these scientists say the
dust generated by the impact, and not the impact itself, led to a drastic fall in
temperatures leading to extinction. The dust blocked out the sunlight leading to a gradual
cooling over thousands of years which caused the dinosaurs’ death.
Dear Pandit Gobar Ganesh, I am against all this nuclear bombing. It
badly affects the climate.The places are overheated and specially in summers any work in
the surrounding cities is difficult. Besides, the impurity in the air also increases. What
do these ministers get after all this? Self-protection is okay, but does self-protection
mean destroying your own motherland
just for the cause of some several tests? It is totally against nature.Akshay Yadav,
Student, Std.VII
Panditji replies:
Akshayji, your letter was a delight. You are right. Testing is no protection at all.
Of course, I must add that high temperatures and impurities in the air
are actually due to fossil fuels we use, like coal and petrol, that emit global warming
gases like carbon dioxide, as well as various air pollutants.
Anyhow, nuclear radiation and its effects on living things is a real
human concern. |
They were not wiped out in one blow as popularly believed.
Some scientists believe that supervolcanism, which resulted in formation
of the Deccan traps in India caused the extinction of these creatures. They say that at
the time when dinosaurs became extinct, a million cubic kilometers of lava flowed out on
to the earth’s surface. These massive eruptions released huge amounts of sulphur
dioxide which resulted in acid rain. Carbon dioxide which was also released caused
greenhouse warming. Scientists believe that this acid rain and greenhouse warming caused
the death of dinosaurs.
Many theories have been given. But no one has a definite answer. |
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A Down To
Earth Supplement
