God loved the b…

God loved the birds and invented trees.  Man loved the birds and invented cages.  ~Jacques Deval, Afin de vivre bel et bien

In Kerala there are around 750 elephants in captivity. To boast the tagline of “God’s own country”, Kerala, rich in temples, culture, arts, crafts and  festivals can be pretty cruel to Elephants. 

The just concluded season of festivals (known as Pooram, Vela, Ratholsavam) in Northern and Central Kerala which began during January and which lasts till early May has witnessed a more than usual hot and dry season. This doesn’t stop the organisers of this festivals from making the lives of captive elephants any more comfortable. 

The elephants are adorned with rich ornaments, is made to walk long distances on asphalt during middle of the day under the sun. These elephants also acts as carriage for 3 or 4 men. Soon, they will be made to witness thumping noises of intoxicated men, loud percussion and soon (vedikettu) crackers which will make 4th of July feel like a weekend party.

There are laws and regulations protecting animals, but to nobody’s notice. The cruel treatment paves way for elephants reaching musth (madness) which results them raging violent beings often resulting in property and human loss.  This season also was witness to many such bouts and these violent acts are available as videos on popular services like YouTube showing murder by these creatures only reacting to continual torture. The continual madness bouts of elephants haven’t made any change in the authorities stand fearing backlash from the community.

-FP

P.S: Elephants are intelligent beings having a brain mass to body mass ratio higher than Human beings.

Water and its potability.

Water is termed as blue gold, well many analysts and cynics have predicted that the next great war is going to be fought for it.. The dams are built. Civilizations thrive alongside its great carriers. Rain is regarded as the sign of fertility. No amount of prose or poem is sufficient for this gem of a compound.

How do you use it? Rather, the question should be,

How ‘sensibly’ do you use it?

“Snow melt water from Gallatin Valley, Bozeman, MT, USA”

Well, you have heard lots of stuff to use water sensibly. I am also going to plead a bit more to use it wisely while taking shower, washing dishes, doing laundry and so on. More than that, I want you to say ‘No’ to bottled water, Get a Camelbak, get Nalgene or any durable bottle which you can reuse for years. It will save you lots of money, but more importantly it is vital for survival and sustainability.

But, Don’t reduce the amount of water you drink. Stay Hydrated 😉

Always carry a bottle of water when you are on commute. Going back country? get a filtration system or at least, Iodine pills, its a cheap and light-weight way to get water drinkable. Remember stay hydrated all the time.

If it’s dry weather, you may not feel the need or thirst, but your internal organs are actually drying out. Help them. If its humid, you may not pee, because you are sweating. Drink more. Stay Hydrated.

Did I tell you not to buy bottled water, Not convincing enough?? Follow the link.

storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/

and hear the story in its best manner, may be you have already seen it, but its always good to watch and share it again.

“I yearn to see a time when I don’t have to see the non biodegradable waste lying next to life and its immense possibilities. Kerala, India”

-FP