Project in Jaitapur

One killed and eight injured. The protests against the proposed Jaitapur nuclear plant in Maharashtra have taken a grave turn.^[1] Violence does not result in anything good, and must be condemned in any situation.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, however, is adamant about setting up this project. ^[2] Jaitapur is in an earthquake prone zone ^[3] and the technology being used here is still under review in the UK and USA.[4] For the past one year, the government of Maharashtra has used force to suppress the a non-violent and democratic struggle of the people against the proposed plant.

Mr. Chavan needs to listen to his people. He needs to know that he cannot build Jaitapur against the people's will when alternatives exist. We will deliver this petition to him on April 26, 2011, the 25th anniversary of the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, Ukraine.^[5]

You should sign this petition asking CM Prithviraj Chavan to scrap the nuclear reactors in Jaitapur.

http://www.greenpeace.in/take-action/chavan-listen-to-the-people-of-jaitapur/

Citizens across the country, and some international governments ^[6] are questioning the need for nuclear power. A large number of signatures will help show the CM that people across the country oppose the Jaitapur nuclear plant. It will help put pressure on him to stop the project.

Clean and safe renewable energy and energy efficiency can help us meet our power needs. We need to invest more in these, instead of dangerous nuclear technology.

Even after 25 years, Chernobyl is not completely free of radiation.^[7] CM Chavan is putting the environment and the lives of current and future generations at risk. Ask him to scrap the project now!

Hang in Here!!!!!

11 PEOPLE ... ON A ROPE
Eleven people were hanging on a rope, under a helicopter.

10 men and 1 woman.
The rope was not strong enough to carry them all, so they decided that one had to leave,
Because otherwise they were all going to fall.
They weren't able to choose that person, until the woman gave a very touching speech.

She said that she would voluntarily let go of the rope, because, as a woman, she was used to giving up everything for her husband and kids or for men in general, and was used to always making sacrifices with little in return.

As soon as she finished her speech, all the men started clapping . . ..... . . .

Cause of fire ..................?

A couple lost their 25year old son, Arun Gopal Ratnam, in a fire at home on June 4th.

The son who had graduated with MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, two weeks earlier had come home for a while. He had lunch with his dad at home and decided to go back to clean up his hostel room. His father told him to wait, to meet his mother, before he went back for a few days.

Arun decided to take a nap while waiting for his mom to come back home from work.

Some time later their neighbors called 911 (emergency) when they saw black smoke coming out of the house. Unfortunately, 25 years old Arun died in the three year old house.

It took several days of investigation to find out the cause of the fire. It was determined that the fire was caused by the lap top resting on the bed.

When the lap top was on the bed cooling fan did not get the air to cool the computer and that is what caused the fire. He did not even wake up to get out of the bed because he died of breathing in carbon monoxide.

The reason I am writing this to all of you is that I have seen many of us using the laptop while in bed . Let us all decide and make it a practice not to do that.

The risk is real. Let us make it a rule not to use the laptop on bed with blankets and pillows around.
PLEASE EDUCATE AS MANY PEOPLE AS YOU CAN.

Put Indian lives above foreign profits -- Stop the import of dangerous untested nuclear reactors

While the French President Nicolas Sarkozy enjoyed tourist attractions in India, people in Maharastra’s Ratnagiri district were protesting against the French nuclear reactor proposed in their village. Instead of listening to their demands the government has now signed a nuclear deal with France.

The government is going to import untested nuclear reactors from the French nuclear corporation Areva. Areva has a dirty track record of nuclear contamination in the countries where their plants were functional like the La Hague facility in Europe. Moreover, the location for this reactor is on a high earthquake zone which has been ignored by the environmental impact assessment. This raises concerns about the safety of people around the plant.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh needs to place public safety before foreign profit.The people of
Ratnagiri district and over 28,000 people from the country are not supporting the government’s plan. More and more people raising their voice against this plant will make it difficult for the PM to ignore this opposition.

Can you also sign this petition to the Prime Minister, asking him to safeguard people’s interest first?

http://www.greenpeace.org/india/en/What-We-Do/Nuclear-Unsafe/ask-manmohan-singh-to-stop-untested-nuclear-reactors/

The petition says: Put Indian lives above foreign profits -- Stop the import of dangerous nuclear reactors to Maharashtra.

A large number of signatures on the petition will show that the opposition is national and not confined to the Ratnagiri district. This will help convince the PM to put national interest before profits.

This project is being talked of as one that will hugely improve the energy situation in India, but the truth is that the 1650 MW from this plant will happen only nine years down the line at the quickest! Renewable energy and energy efficiency could replace the same in a year!

The site for the nuclear power plant is an earthquake prone zone which magnifies the harm an accident can do here. A nuclear accident here will affect the entire district and nearby cities like Mumbai The PM needs to consider the cost of people’s life before foreign profits.

Sign the petition now to help make the PM act.

http://www.greenpeace.org/india/en/What-We-Do/Nuclear-Unsafe/ask-manmohan-singh-to-stop-untested-nuclear-reactors/

Thanks a billion!



Sources:

1. France signs pact on Jaitapur N-plant, Hindustan Times, December 7th, 2010
http://www.hindustantimes.com/France-signs-pact-on-Jaitapur-N-plant/Article1-635288.aspx

2. India racing to buy an untried reactor? The Hindu, December 5, 2010.
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/article933910.ece

3. The French Nuclear Industry Is Bad Enough in France; Let's Not Expand It to the U.S., March 23rd 2009.
http://www.alternet.org/story/132852/

It's official: 'Chicken came before the egg'

It's the age-old question that has puzzled the finest minds for thousands of years - which came first: The chicken or the egg?

Now, scientists claim to have finally discovered the answer to the conundrum -- it's the chicken which came first.

A team from University of Sheffield and University of Warwick has found that a protein called ovocleidin (OC-17) is crucial in the formation of eggshells.

It is produced in the pregnant hen's ovaries so the correct reply to the egg riddle must be that the chicken came first, the scientists say.

However, the research does not come up with how the protein-producing chicken existed in the first place, the 'Daily Express' reported.

The team used a hi-tech computer, called HECToR, to look at the molecular structure of a shell.

They discovered that OC-17 acts as a catalyst, kick- starting the conversion of calcium carbonate in the chicken's body into calcite crystals.

It is these that make up the hard shell that houses the yolk and its protective fluids while the chick develops.

Lead scientist Dr Colin Freeman of Sheffield University said: "It had long been suspected that the egg came first but now we have the scientific proof that shows that in fact the chicken came first.

"The protein had been identified before and it was linked to egg formation but by examining it closely we have been able to see how it controls the process. It's very interesting to find that different types of avian species seem to have a variation of the protein that does the same job."

The scientists now hope the breakthrough could be used in industry to help develop new materials.

Team member Prof John Harding said: "Nature has found innovative solutions that work for all kinds of problems in materials science and technology. We learn a lot from them."

Calcite crystals are found in numerous bones and shells but chickens form them quicker than any other species, creating six grams (0.2oz) of shell every 24 hours. Once the shell has formed, the chicken expels the egg.

Rajinikanthism

Rajinikanth makes onions cry.

Rajinikanth can delete the Recycling Bin.

Ghosts are actually caused by Rajinikanth killing people faster than Death can process them.

Rajinikanth can strangle you with a cordless phone.

Rajinikanth can play the violin.....with a piano.

When Rajinikanth enters a room, he doesn't turn the lights on,.... he turns the dark off.

When Rajinikanth looks in a mirror the mirror shatters, because not even glass is stupid enough to get in between Rajinikanth and Rajinikanth.

Brett Favre can throw a football over 50 yards. Rajinikanth can throw Brett Favre even further.

Rajinikanth does not know where you live, but he knows where you will die.

Bullets dodge Rajinikanth.

A Handicap parking sign does not signify that this spot is for handicapped people. It is actually in fact a warning, that the spot belongs to Rajinikanth and that you will be handicapped if you park there.

Rajinikanth' calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd, no one fools Rajinikanth.

If you spell Rajinikanth wrong on Google it doesn't say, "Did you mean Rajinikanth?" It simply replies, "Run while you still have the chance."

Once a cobra bit Rajinikanth' leg. After five days of excruciating pain, the cobra died.

When Rajinikanth gives you the finger, he's telling you how many seconds you have left to live.

Rajinikanth can kill two stones with one bird.

Rajinikanth was once on Celebrity Wheel of Fortune and was the first to spin. The next 29 minutes of the show consisted of everyone standing around awkwardly, waiting for the wheel to stop.

Leading hand sanitizers claim they can kill 99.9 percent of germs. Rajinikanth can kill 100 percent of whatever he wants.

There is no such thing as global warming. Rajinikanth was cold, so he turned the sun up.

Rajinikanth can set ants on fire with a magnifying glass. At night.

It takes Rajinikanth 20 minutes to watch 60 Minutes.

Rajinikanth once shot down a German fighter plane with his finger, by yelling, "Bang!"

In an average living room there are 1,242 objects Rajinikanth could use to kill you, including the room itself.

Rajinikanth got his drivers license at the age of 16 Seconds.

With the rising cost of gasoline, Rajinikanth is beginning to worry about his drinking habit.

The square root of Rajinikanth is pain. Do not try to square Rajinikanth, the result is death.

When you say "no one's perfect", Rajinikanth takes this as a personal insult.

There is nothing like recession, its just rajnikanth started to save money.

Genetically Contaminated Food

Hi,

Soon all of us will be eating genetically contaminated food. The Cabinet has just approved the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) bill which will allow genetically modified food into the country. The bill can be tabled in the Parliament anytime.

The BRAI will be a body of technocrats whose decisions will remain unquestioned. Our state governments and people like us will not be able to question this body.

To stop this, Greenpeace, a civil society organisation working on varied issues including sustainable agriculture, is sending an open letter to the National Advisory Council (NAC) Chairperson Mrs Sonia Gandhi. The letter asks her to make the Government re-draft this bill after consulting the public. I have already signed this letter and more signatures will make the case stronger.

Can you also sign this letter to Sonia Gandhi?

www.greenpeace.in/safefood/change-brai-bill-stop-gm-food-india/

Thanks!