Taking shot against the food items contamination

We know that laws are hardly followed in Pakistan for food items. Government has dedicated departments and authorities for this purpose but they are not doing well. As a mature citizen we should try at our end to give tough time to those who are involved in food items contamination as it is destroying us as a nation. 

I recently submitted the milk sample for testing in laboratory of UVAS. It has good testing facilities with very nominal charges. I daily buy milk from a shop who claim to have good quality of milk and i thought to test their claim for my satisfaction.

I got a sample of about 200 ML raw milk and submitted at UVAS lab. They took a day to perform tests for various contamination components in milk. Next day of submission i got the verified report and a good surprise that milk was free of contamination like urea, detergents and starch etc.

It was a good experience and just to mention that if contamination was positive then i was going to submit the report in Punjab Food Authority office. We should take interest and spend some time to deal such problems. It will mobilize the Govt authorities as well and  will have good impact.

Some simple tips to be environment friendly

The Earth has already become a dangerous place to live in for the animals and birds. Soon it might be our turn. So let's pledge to save our beautiful planet so that you and your future generations can live happily and peacefully ever after. At your end follow the simple but effective tips.

Use power button

There is a cute small round press button at the bottom right corner of almost all monitors: Please make use of this button.

Avoid printing

Stop printing out Harry Porter, Jeffrey Archer and other e-books. This is a classic example of paper wastage.

Use both sides of print paper

If you have printer with double side print facility then make use of it. If it is not so or you forgot to give double-side prints, make sure you make use of the empty sides as scribbling pads or for your kids' imposition.

Make sure to shut down

Take two minutes from your busy schedule before hurrying back home to shut down the computer.

Blackle (energy efficient search engine)

All of us are big time Googlers. Have you heard of the Blackle search engine? Blackle (Google powered) is a search engine designed all in Rich Black so that your system consumes less power. So change your homepage.

Say no to plastic bags

Plastic bags these days indeed come in bright and flamboyant colours and tempt us to take them home with us. But the saying, "Appearances are deceptive" holds true for these plastic things too. Next time, hold back or go prepared to counter temptation with a cloth bag.

Grow small plants

Roses, Jasmine, Hibiscus and Peas; All these saplings cost hardly between Rs 10 - 20 each. Can't we afford to plant these in and around our houses? Also, more importantly, caring and maintain them as they grow.

Avoid horns

Try to minimize the use of horns. Honking has drastically increased and this adds to the noise pollution and does not provide a conducive environment to live in.

Categorized waste

Try to segregate the different kinds of waste into Bio-Degradable (Fruit or vegetable waste) , Recyclable (waste Paper, paper products) and Electronics (Floppy disks, CD-ROMS ). Once you have segregated your thrash, look for specialized trash cans to throw them away.

Rechargeable Batteries

Use rechargeable batteries though it's an expensive product, it's one-time purchase. Recharge when required. (Same applies to cell-phones, MP3s, iPods and Laptops)

Ink pens and pencils

The best pens to use would be ink ones. Though if you have to use a ball point pen, buy refills instead of buying new pens. Pencils are much better for rough use!

Take care of water tap

Remember to close water taps before preening in front of the mirror. Of course you are beautiful, but Water is a precious resource!

Turn the lights off

Let's not just wake up and walk out of finished meetings and conferences with a sigh of relief, let us remember to turn off the lights and projectors too. Also make sure to off the lights when going out of rooms at home.

Do you know?

Take few minutes to learn about topics like 'Global Warming' , 'Air / Noise /Land / Water Pollution ' etc apart from constant surfing of News, Latest Gadgets, Movies and Music.

And as last tip, spread this message to your friends and colleagues. They too can make a difference.

Rock eating bateria

Bacteria can leach small amounts of valuable metals from otherwise useless ore, researchers have found.

These mineral-crunching microorganisms are a type of bacteria that use minerals as their source of energy. When the life-forms break down the matter through metabolism, they squeeze out metal ores or concentrates combined with sulfur in a process called bioleaching.

The method is emerging as an increasingly important way to extract valuable minerals when conventional methods such as smelting can't do the job cheaply enough, experts say.

Development is also being spurred by the electronics industry's brisk global demand for copper.

"Certain microbes react to metal ions and help copper be leached out of low-quality ore," said Masaru Tomita of the Institute for Advanced Biosciences at Japan's Keio University.

Selected wild life images of 2008

I have liked a lot following two images selected from best images of wild life 2008.

Animal species near to extinction according to Red List 2008 of Threatened Species

An extinction crisis continues to ravage the planet's animals and plants, according to the new Red List of Threatened Species. Roughly 38 percent of the world's known species are near extinction, according to a comprehensive survey done to create the 2008 Red List of Threatened Species.

There are 44,838 species on the 2008 Red List, compiled by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Thirty-eight percent of Red List species are close to extinction, with 25 percent of all mammals on the verge of oblivion. The Red List is an annual "health check of the planet.

For the 2008 list, for the first time, every known amphibian, mammal, and bird was assessed.Species unlucky enough to make the list are grouped into eight categories, from "least concern" (low risk of extinction) to "critically endangered" (extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the near term).

Earthwatch® Fellowships

Earthwatch is now accepting applications for 2008–2009 student and educator fellowships. Earthwatch fellowships allow teachers and students to get out of the classroom and head into the field. Fellows learn about cutting-edge research and conservation efforts, develop professional skills, and make a difference for our environment. Know someone who should apply? Nominate a teacher or student! From the words of past fellows, learn what a fellowship is like, and find more information, deadlines, and applications on the Earthwatch website.