Japan's whale meals

THIS ARTICLE MADE MY STOMACH CRINGE. THEY KILL THESE POOR CREATURES AFTERHURTING THEM WITH THREE FATAL HARPOONS, THE LAST ONE BEING THE KILLER. THESE FOLKS HAVE THE GUTS TO HUNT FOR WHALE MEAT UNDER THE GUISE OF RESEARCH. THOUGH NUMEROUS ARTICLES AND FOOTAGE PROVING THEIR ILLEGAL MEAT TRADE HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, THE KILLING HAS NOT STOPPED. PLEASE STOP THIER KILLING. THE CREATURES OF THE OCEAN MUST BE ALLOWED TO LIVE. I WONDER HOW IT WOULD BE TO KILL ANOTHER HUMAN IN THE SAME MANNER.

A meat glut after boosting catch

TOKYO: Japan has enticed children with whale burger school lunches, sung the praises of the red meat in colourful pamphlets, and declared whale hunting "a national heritage." But Tokyo has been caught in a striking dilemma: by rapidly expanding its much-criticised whaling programme, Japan now kills more of the mammals than its consumers care to eat.
The result is an unprecedented whale glut. Prices — once delicacy-high — are plunging, inventories are bursting, and promoters are scrambling to find new ways to get Japanese to eat their whale. "I have to admit prospects for whale demand don't look good at the moment," said a merchant at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market. His company has slashed whale meat prices by 25 per cent, but its freezers are still stacked with it.

Growing inventories
The plight is not unique. Some 1,035 tonnes of the meat hit the market in Japan last year, a 65 per cent increase from 1995, the Fisheries Agency says. And sluggish demand means inventories have almost doubled in five years to 2,704 tonnes in 2004.
In the same five-year period, the average price of whale plunged almost 30 per cent, to 2,560 yen (about Rs. 960) a kilogram in 2004.
But the glut has not stopped the harpoon guns. Tokyo plans to kill — under a research programme — some 1,070 minke whales in 2006, over 400 more than last year and more than double the number it hunted a decade ago. Japan will also hunt 10 fin whales, and a total of 160 Bryde's, sei and sperm whales, a fisheries official said.
The International Whaling Commission banned commercial whaling in 1986 but approved limited hunts for research purposes a year later. Opponents have called Japan's hunts merely a way for it to dodge the ban.
Tokyo says its programme is needed to establish reliable information on whale populations and habits — data that Japan says can only be gleaned by killing them.
The Government, which distributes the meat, and uses profits to fund further research, is scrambling to promote whale-eating and secure new distribution channels. "Is it OK to eat whale meat? Of course it is," reads a public relations pamphlet, titled `Delicious Whales,' distributed by the government-affiliated Japan Whaling Association. "Even if we capture 2,000 whales a year for 100 years, it's OK because whale numbers are growing," it says.
But the association acknowledges that whale is a hard sell. The meat was considered a rich source of protein in the lean years after defeat in the Second World War, but people moved on to other meats — notably beef — as they became more affluent.
Some local governments have started to tackle the challenge by promoting whale meat in school lunches. Wakayama, a prefecture with a strong whale-hunting tradition, has been aggressive in getting youngsters to indulge, introducing whale meals at 270 public schools in 2005. Nutritionists have developed child-friendly whale dishes.

Today's newspaper can save a life tomorrow (The HIndu)

"Every home that buys a daily can be a part of this cause"

MADURAI: The piled-up old newspapers at home now get a noble opportunity to save a life. They need not be sold to a hawker. Instead, they could be donated towards carrying out free heart surgeries for children.

A novel community programme called `Oor Koodi Udavuvom' was evolved in Madurai on Thursday with an objective of raising funds through collection and sale of newspapers from households and offices.

The scheme was given shape by the Vadamalayan Hospitals here involving various people, including the Member of Parliament, P.Mohan, to conduct free cardiac surgeries among children in the age group of 4 to 10 years.
While the collection campaign is to be launched on March 8, the first surgery would be carried out in the first week of April.

"This is a novel idea that will easily unite people to save a child. Every home that buys a newspaper can be a part of this cause", says Dr. V. Pugalagiri of Vadamalayan Hospitals who is a member of the special committee formed for the purpose.

Through this campaign, the hospital expects to raise up to Rs.1,50,000 with the help of students and NSS volunteers. The hospitalisation cost would be borne by the hospital while the amount collected through selling of old newspapers will be utilised for medicines/other expenses during the surgery.

The Lok Sabha MP says, "the scheme assumes importance in the wake of huge waiting list at the government hospitals and some children requiring an urgent surgery."

Modalities of collection and selling of old newspapers and the collection points are being worked out now. And, the hospital was keen that two surgeries should be done every month.

More information can be had from the hospital on phone numbers: 0452-2532180, 2532335 or 2536291.

Sharp fall in infant mortality rate in Karur (The Hindu, Feb 10, 06)

Ignorance and lack of a support group has always plagued places like Karur, where a girl child is considered a burden. So the next best move would be to end her life when her life is about to begin. However, sustained education campaigns has changed the life in Karur for better.

I have, for my part, always tried to educate my maid or other folks who are ignorant on a wide range of issues whenever the opportunity presents itself. Education is not about getting a degree and earning big bucks, but it also means empowering others who have not had the basic advantages that we take for granted.

This is an article from The Hindu, on how sustained information education campaign on family planning has brought down the IMR in Karur. However this is not an one-man effort, but it is becoming successful due to the co-operation and co-ordiantion from a lot of people.

Sustained information education campaign on family planning yielding results KARUR:

Sustained information dissemination among the masses and infrastructure development in medical establishments have helped in bringing down the infant mortality rate (IMR) in the district.
According to Health and Family Welfare Department sources, the Karur and Kulithalai headquarters hospitals have been identified under the Tamil Nadu Health System Project that provides for round-the-clock speciality services to ensure infant and maternal mortality during delivery. Infrastructure is being developed in them to function as Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and New Born Care centres for which the ultra modern CTG monitor costing Rs. 4.5 lakhs has been established.

People's movement

Under the Reproductive Child Health Programme information dissemination and awareness campaign among the masses, especially those in rural areas, is being organised. Thankfully, with proper coordination among the officials and the beneficiaries, the programme is turning into a people's movement in the district, officials say.
Also, six primary health centres, four government hospitals and 25 designated private hospitals in the district have been listed as family planning centres.
Moreover, the sustained information education campaign on family planning has started yielding results. Couples' going in for sterilization have increased in the district considerably.
In fact, Karur district ranks fifth in the State in the case of sterilisation of couples with one child and seventh in the State in case of those preferring the family planning procedure after two children.
For a district where child marriages and such other social practices constantly lurk, this showing is considered a good augury.
All these efforts on the education and improvement of infrastructure front, has resulted in the IMR coming down drastically from around 38 in 1991 to 33.8 now.
Incidentally the birth rate too has come down appreciably from 19 in 1991 to 16.8 now, which again shows that the health delivery system is on target in the district.
Incidentally, the female literacy rate in Karur district is just 56.8.
To improve that, the Adult and Continuing Education, Arivoli Iyakkam and the Literacy for All campaign are being fine-tuned.
And with that, it is hoped family planning awareness too would receive a shot in the arm in the days to come, say the Health department authorities here.

Three cheers for Greenpeace Activists

Kudos to Greenpeace activists. Holding the banner, "Keep Off India", Greepeace activists, are protesting against the French government's decision to dump toxic waste in Gujarat. The French vessel, carrying the aircraft carrier, Clemenceau, has been stopped at Egypt by the authorities there.

The last time I followed the news, I think the Supreme COurt in India has passed an order prohibiting the French vessel from dumping their waste in India.

WARNING: DISTURBING PHOTOGRAPH

WARNING: PHOTOGRAPHS ARE DISTURBING

This is heart wrenching. Most people do not know how the other half lives in hunger and poverty.

Say NO to Aerated Drinks

Even as a youngster, I was not fond of aerated drinks. I thought it tasted like chilled soap water. But my friends have been into Diet Coke/soda for as long as they can remember. This trend continues inspite of the fact that they are well aware of the harmful ingredients used in making them. In addition to this, these drinks also have a high calorie content.

I vaguely remember an experiment that was conducted to prove the dangerous side of Pepsi, Coke and other aerated drinks in the market.

Two glasses, one with an aerated drink and the other with an ordinary drink were taken. A tooth set was dropped into each one of the glasses. Within a couple of hours, the tooth set dissolved in the aerated drink! Hence it is a proven fact that soda/pop chews into your bones and is capable of eating you up alive.

For a detailed information, read the article by Mahesh Sharma, 'Beware, before you have aerted drinks'. The latest on the newsfront about Coke, is that a US Varsity has suspended the sale of Coco Cola because of its unethical practices in India and Colombia.

The Neem Tree Foundation

I chanced upon this advertisement where Jaya Bachchan speaks for afforestation. I do not remember the details very clearly, but I made it a point to put down the website address for the Neem Tree Foundation.

The website address:

http://www.neemfoundation.org/

The site actively promotes participation from the world community for a greener, safer lifestyle.

Here is an interesting piece of information that I found on the site:

Neem or Margosa is a botanical cousin of mahogany. It belongs to the family Meliaceae.

The latinized name of Neem - Azadirachta indica - is derived from the persian :Azad = Free, dirakht = Tree, i - Hind = of Indian Origin which literally means:'The Free Tree of India'.

• My grandparents used to tell me that having neem trees ensures that the area is cool and keeps away bacterial infections in the air.
• The breeze from the neem tree is excellent for the system.
• Keeping neem leaves in cupboards wards off insects.
• Applying neem paste on your hair keeps your hair lice-free.
• Eating rice with fried neem flowers cleans up your entire system.

So act now and join the Neem Tree Foundation.

An Introduction: Pay It Forward

This is my fourth blog. I finally created it after a lot of thought. Beyond cuisine and life's everyday events, I am also deeply interested in doing my bit to promote awareness on a wide range of issues that can include anything from folk lore to Saving the Pandas.

So people, Voice Your Support as loudly as you can and do your bit.