Asia 2006: Random Bozo is back in Kerala

Malasadass

After almost no sleep, it was time for Ajeesh and I to go to Thookupulam for the event he and his friends had been organising all year. Mala* means rain and sadass means meeting or gathering.
*The l is actually somewhere between the english l and r.

The boys had taken me along with them to meet the headmaster of the school where it was to take place some time in the previous week. I was utterly shattered from the weekend and found it hard to concentrate and make conversation when introduced to the other speakers (a well-known poet, the deputy director of Periyar wildlife park, Idukki district's director of education and Idukki's MLA). In any case, I thought they would have all outranked me even if I had been firing on all cylinders.

The meeting started with a speech from the MLA - he needed to get to other duties, I believe. However, because everything apart from my ramblings was spoken in Malayalam, I can't be sure. After the MLA had spoken, the speakers lit a 5-wicked lamp, presumably to ask for the gods' blessing and illumination on this meeting.

I was next to speak and did a poor job of converting my notes into clear and audible English. I'm not a good speaker at the best of times and being utterly shattered ensured that I rambled and mumbled. I'm told that the speeches were broadcast to government schools all over Idukki and while I'm proud to have been asked to influence a lot of young people, I'm sad that I may have done such a poor job of it. I later typed up what I had intended to say so that it could be sent to newspapers who were reporting on the event. Here's how it should have gone:

MLA, honoured guests and organisers, ladies and gentlemen: thank you for inviting me to speak.

You may be wondering 'what is a westerner doing here, telling you what to do?' After all, I've only been in India for four months but you've been here all your lives. So I'm not telling you what you 'must' do; I'm admitting western and western-induced mistakes in the hope that we can all learn from them and making some suggestions. The action is up to you: this is your Kerala, your India, even though the world belongs to all of us. I should add that the data I present on environmental toxicity is all taken from reports published by Greenpeace, a highly-respected environmental campaign group. However, I do not hold any position in Greenpeace and the interpretations and opinions I present are my own Ð they do not emanate from Greenpeace.

The first environmental disasters I can remember learning about happened a long time ago. In Japan, in a place called Minimata, mercury leaked from a factory, causing all sorts of problems. In my home country, Scotland, and in many other places, there have been many leaks from oil tankers. This has devastated sea life all over the world. An example that occurred when I was in school was the leak of deadly methyl isocyanate in Bhopal in Maharashtra. I'm embarrassed that the factory was owned by a western company and yet the struggle for clean-up and compensation is still continuing.

All of these appear to have been accidents. Accidents will happen; we can't eliminate all chances of accidents. But we can reduce their likelihood and their possible severity by changing our behaviour. You can't prevent car accidents but you can protect yourselves by wearing seatbelts and motorcycle helmets.

Cases of deliberate releases of chemicals into the environment (and there are very, very many) include poly-chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and diethyl phthalate (DEP). PCBs have been used as dielectric fluids for capacitors and transformers, heat transfer fluids, hydraulic fluids, lubricating and cutting oils, and as additives in pesticides, paints, carbonless copy paper, adhesives, sealants, plastics, reactive flame retardants, and as a fixative for microscopy. They have been found in samples of butter from all around the world, effen though they have been effectively banned since the 1970s. This implies that they are in our bodies, doing us harm. For example:

• people exposed to large amounts of PCBs have suffered skin conditions such as chloracne and rashes
• exposed workers and animals that ate large amounts of PCBs showed changes in blood and urine which indicate liver damage
• animals that ate smaller amounts have suffered anaemia, skin conditions, stomach and thyroid gland injuries, changes to immune systems, behavioral alterations and impaired reproduction
• women who were exposed to relatively high levels of PCBs in the workplace or ate large amounts of fish contaminated with PCBs had babies that weighed slightly less than normal and who showed abnormal responses in tests of infant behavior. Some of these behaviors, such as problems with motor skills and a decrease in short-term memory, lasted for several years
• sexual development problems were also noted: in the womb, males can be feminised or the baby may be intersex - neither a male or a female. Also, both sets of reproductive organs may develop. Biological magnification of PCBs has also led to polar bears and whales that have both male and female sex organs and males that cannot reproduce.

DEP is widely used in cosmetics and other 'personal care' products. The term 'personal care' is very ironic because DEP is known to

• decrease sperm count and hence fertility
• cause premature breast development
• affect human hearts adversely
• affect adversely fish livers, muscles and brains
• destroy red blood cells in prawns.

Although you can't be sure that what a chemical does to an animal will also be done to you, I'd suggest it's well worth being cautious!

And the reason these two chemicals are important? They are or have been been widely used in plastics and cosmetics so they all around us. Here's some very recent personal examples of plastics. Just yesterday I was shopping for some clothing in Madurai. With each purchase I was given a totally un-necessary plastic bag. Finally I bought what I thought was a nice jute bag to contain my shopping. But no, it was a plastic imitation! Today I've taken some headache pills: they're supplied in a plastic, throw-away wrapper. I remember that 30 years ago medicines came in glass bottles with metal lids. Both of these materials are easily recyclable. Recycling plastic is much harder. In fact, some plastics (such as the very common PVC) just char and give off toxic fumes when heated.

So, unnecessary and potentially harmful plastics are all around us. I can't tell you not to use them but I can ask that you don't, except where necessary, and that you think about safe disposal when you've finished with them. All over India, I've seen plastic waste littering the visual environment. Since Idukki district (along with the rest of Kerala) depends so much on tourism, and as a tourist I've been repelled by the mess, perhaps I can suggest that you are hurting yourselves financially by creating this mess, as well as hurting yourselves physically from the chemical pollution it entails.

It's up to you to decide what to do but can I make a suggestion to the married men in the audience? You can decide not to drop your cigarette packet wrappers, butts and ash on the floors of your houses. If you form this habit inside the house, you'll carry it on outside the house. And I'm sure your wives will love you a little bit more for reducing their tasks. I can promise you it's not hard to clean up after yourselves. I know because I'm a bachelor and so I have to!

Thinking about another source of visual pollution, what on earth is the statue at Ramakkalmeddu about? Can anyone explain its necessity when the natural scenery is so awe-inspiring? Better still, can someone give me some explosive so I can get rid of this eyesore? Ironically enough, it would probably have to be plastic explosive.

Now let's look at some examples that are very close to home. At Kodaikanal in nearby Tamil Nadu, hardy plants called lichens have been found to contain mercury, a highly toxic liquid metal, released from a nearby thermometer factory. The owners cleaned up to an extent in or after 2002. However Greenpeace has called for further cleanup. I don't know if this has happened. If it has, I thank the factory owners. If it hasn't, I'm very worried. Kodaikanal is near an area that's officially under state government protection and is generally set amongst what should be the Pedai Hills' pristine forest. Greenpeace recommends a total cessation of use of mercury, especially for thermometers. Other, much less toxic alternatives are available.

Here in Kerala, in 1999 Greenpeace recorded leakage of DDT and other chemicals at Udyogmandal Industrial Estate. Even though I can't deny the call for chemical pesticides, insecticides and fertilisers, there's no excuse for DDT in India. It's been banned in many other countries! So where possible, Indians could demand other, less harmful alternatives. I have to add that in my opinion, chemical fertilisers will never smell as lovely as the neem cake that perfumed my lodgings last month.

It's impossible to be in India and remain unaware of her poverty problems. I can't tell farmers on the brink of starvation what to do. Also I've experienced digging holes for planting banana and cardamom plants and trying to chop firewood. (I have to admit I was utterly useless at the latter, much to my hosts' concerned amusement.) It's will-sappingly tiring and so I can only be in awe of Indian fortitude and stamina. Instead now it's up to the rest of us to ensure that panchayat, state and central government do what is needed.

So here's an example from my life of where government action would help a lot. As a hopefully responsible tourist, I brought with me a charger and rechargeable batteries for my camera. The chemicals in ordinary batteries are not at all good for the environment. You can imagine my frustration that the electricity supply where I've been staying isn't good enough to charge the batteries properly! On many occasions the electricity supply has failed altogether. And yet Idukki dam supplies electricity for the rest of Kerala and is less than 50km away! So some work by the relevant level of government could make life easier and more sustainable for this district's citizens and benefit the tourists who provide so much of her income.

To sum up, I have to admit to and atone for many environmental 'crimes' before I can tell India what she 'must' do. (However, I hope I've made some useful suggestions for what she could do.) I'm sure the same applies to every tourist. However, we can all take responsibility because we all contribute to environmental damage: without people there would be no pollution at all. So I suggest it's time for us all to search our consciences and look for ways where we can all no longer be problems but be part of the solutions.

After I'd finished mumbling, I was asked to present the results of my research (i.e. downloads from Greenpeace's research site) to one of the audience. I felt a bit of a fraud because I hadn't done the research myself, just tried to present a bit of it in a way that would make sense to young Indian people.

The next to speak was the poet. After a few words, he started chanting in an enthralling rhythm and getting the audience to join in. I'm not sure that my videos have captured the amazing sound that resulted. It was very popular with the audience and I think helped revive the meeting.

Next was lunch: Ajeesh and the boys had yet again tried to support a local person who needed support by paying Mini to provide food, thus using their limited resources in the best way they knew how. (Mini's husband had run off ages ago, leaving her to bring up their girls on her own.) During lunch, I tried to get some peace to doze and write up my diary but kept on getting bother and I'm sorry to say I lost my temper with some of the pupils who were nosing over my shoulder at my diary.

After lunch, there were talks from the deputy director of Periyar wildlife park and Idukki district's director of education and then audience and speakers went to Ramakkalmedu to see conservation in action. The 'DD' talked for a moment and then I showed the pupils some of the plastic I'd found at the site, including some they'd dropped to try to ram home my message.

Watching events were some local guys cutting thin strips of bark into a sort of string for weaving into building materials. I can also recall some fun and games as I hung on the outside of a jeep taking a class back to Thookupulam to get their bus home and being asked to pay the jeep-driver. I was slightly annoyed that I hadn't been warned but was happy to help see the kids safely home and to help with the event.

I suppose some of what I say comes over as criticism but the truth is I'm full of admiration that five young blokes organised, with almost no budget, an event that covered an area the size of a UK county. We went back to Nedumkandam to celebrate a successful event with a few drinks at hotel Chola Huts. One of the boys, Vinod, offered to make me some food to take on my journey and to my friends back home - he later turned up with some huge bags of jackfruit and banana chips. Yet again niceness beyond Random Bozo's ken!