Festivals and the Environment

7/27/2019 Festivals and the Environment

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Festivals And The Environment

Introduction"One of the conditions of the band carrying on touring is that we do everything we can tominimise our impact on the environment. What we're trying to do now is only play in areas that have a public transport infrastructure in place. So that rules out Glastonbury for this year.

Maybe we can work out a plan for the future. Theyre probably sick of the s ight of us anyway."

This might have come as quite a shock to the Glastonbury team who have managed tosuccessfully promote public transport to the Somerset site - in 2007, 22,500 people came bycoach and another 10,000 by regular and specially organised trains.

The organisers also promote lift share - where people share cars - trying to get the audience to

help reduce the Festival's carbon footprint. In fact Glastonbury is a good example of the host of good examples put in place to minimise the environmental impact of music events.

Festivals as diverse as Reading, Latitude, Bestival, Sunrise and Download have all encompassednew ideas - concentrating on minimising waste, recycling, re-using, protecting the environmentand wildlife, saving water and reducing CO 2 emissions.

Latitude launched a successful cup deposit scheme in 2007 which vastly reduced the disposal of plastic glasses as waste; Glastonbury and a number of other festivals have composting toilets andmake compost from waste and festivals use the sun and the wind to power stages, lights and

public address systems. some festivals even have pedal powered discos!

Recent research by Buckinghamshire New University for the campaign websitewww.agreenerfestival.com made it clear that music fans were waking up to green issues - over 80% of the music fans sampled saw traffic, noise and waste as potential negative impacts of festivals - and 56% thought that CO 2 emissions were a problem - up 25% in just two years. It'stime for everyone to wake up to these issue. Many festival organisers are doing a lot to be moreenvironmentally friendly - and it seems bands are too. But the biggest contributor to CO 2 emissions from a festival are the audience - the fans - and they are the ones who can help withreducing and recycling waste too.

Glastonbury had a massive problem in 2007 with tents left on site - in fact its recycling rate

dropped from 50% to 38% as the wet conditions prevented the usually well managed recycling programme from working properly. 38% is still good, but it is not good enough and it's worthknowing that some festivals actually manage to recycle 90% plus of their waste.

There were the tens of thousands of fans coming to the festival one or two to a car - producing amassive carbon footprint. Glastonbury has a new moto - "Love the Farm, Leave no trace " andAgreenerfestival have a 'leave no trace' policy too. These moto's need to be in everyone's

psyche - everyone really needs to minimise their own environmental impact.
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So what can you do? Well, Agreenerfestival and music industry climate change group Julie'sBicycle have produced some tips for the home and small businesses and you can click on thesehere at Julie's Bicycle tips . On top of that here are some practical tips on being green at concertsand festivals in 2008.

1.

If you can, travel by public transp2. If you use a car, lift share - four to a car is really quite environmentally friendly3. Make sure the event you go to has an environmental policy or green ideas4. Reduce what you take to just what you actually need5. Take your tent home6. Buy durable products, returnable bottles and containers that can be re-filled7. Look out for recycled goods and those packaged in recycled materials8. Cut down on packaging by buying your fruit and vegetables loose9. Buy local, fair-trade and organic food, drinks and products - at stalls if possible10. use re-sealable containers to keep your food fresh11. Use rechargeable batteries

12. Avoid the queues charge your mobile with your own echarger www.echarger.co.uk 13. Smokers can take portable ashtrays the ashcan www.ashcan.co.uk

14. Do you need to take bottled water? And re-use your bottle at the taps or www.belu.org 15. Re-use whatever you can16. Recycle what you cannot re-use17. Remember - reduce - re-use - recycle18. Leave no trace just footsteps and memories

It not really that difficult and most festivals now have recycling bins as a minimum. If they dontdont go! We all love live music so we know you want to have fun, but if you just spare fiveminutes a day for the planet we are going to have a much greener future!

What do festival goers think about Environmentally Friendly Practices (EFPs)?

Comments from festival-goers did indicate a general concern for the natural environment, and amajority awareness that endeavours for its protection should be pursued. 74% agreed or stronglyagreed that all festivals should implement EFPs. 91% think that organisers should be responsiblefor minimising any damaging effects that a festival may have.

Of the specific impacts explored in the festival-goer questionnaire, traffic and waste were thetwo impacts that were most agreed upon with 70% strongly agreeing or agreeing, and 71%strongly agreeing or agreeing consecutively. Water wastage seems to be the least concerningimpact with 36% agreeing or strongly agreeing.

Results indicate that whilst festival-goers think that EFPs should be implemented by festivals,only 27% consider it to be important when choosing which event to attend.
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Of the comparison groups females, and more frequent festival attendees appeared moreenvironmentally conscious. The comparison between age groups yielded less conclusive results,although the age 24-35 age group indicated the highest concern for environmental issues.

What do festival organisers think about Environmentally Friendly Practices?

Of the festival organisers/professionals questioned 2/3 of the festivals had an environmental policy or implemented some kind of EFPs. The methods most mentioned were recycling andtraffic reduction. This is in line with the festival-goers most concerning impacts.

Most organisers believe that festival-goers are becoming more concerned about theenvironmental impact of festivals, although it was 50/50 as to whether competitive advantagecan be gained. It was suggested that headline acts are more influential in drawing a crowd asopposed to environmental management. EFPs as a marketing tool was suggested. It was

highlighted by one respondent that environmental protection is not about competition, but aboutsaving the planet.

One organiser who does implement EFPs suggested it was a competitive disadvantage due to theextra costs that could otherwise be spent on artists.

Most organisers had noticed a move towards EFPs at festivals in their experience.

The most persuasive factors for implementing EFPs were legislation, financial incentives,support from the local council and more information regarding the issues and solutions. Someorganisers also stated that they already have EFPs and do not need persuading.

Just 1/3 organisers were familiar with any environmental legislation affecting festivals. Areas of legislation raised included those regarding health and safety, noise pollution, local council ruleson pollution, litter and emissions policies and land regulations. Most believed that environmentallegislation was likely to increase in the future.

Costs associated with environmental protection were a large concern for festival organisers, andthe main reason highlighted for not implementing such. Market incentives such as labellingschemes exist and the price of disposing of waste, energy and water are increasing. This meansthe environmentally friendly option will be the cheaper option.

Outline Results and Comment 2% of the 56 festival-goers comments were to the nature that festivals are one-off events andwhilst they should be environmentally friendly, there are bigger fish to fry . This supports theargument put forward by Shone and Parry (2004) that most events have little impact, andenvironmentalism and sustainability should not be given undue attention. Jones (1993) noted thatthere were 900 festivals in the UK. The literature review revealed a trend of growth andconsolidation within the music festival industry. As Larkin (2005) pointed out UK festivals are


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experiencing continued growth. If an individual festivals impact is minimal, extrapolate this toall of the festivals that take place in the UK in one year and the impacts are increasinglysignificant.

The same principle can be applied to festivals-goers and any individual. 20% of the comments on

the festival-goer questionnaire highlighted the responsibility of visitors to festivals to minimisetheir impact. When looking at an individual visitors impact upon the environment it is certainlyvery small. If this is multiplied 100,000, 10,000 or even 500 times it starts to become moresignificant. Miquel Santos, organiser of Atlantic Waves commented that EFPs are good practice,

but because their festival is indoors it does not need an environmental policy. Santos alsosuggests that environmental concerns are a matter of concern for any outside events organisersand attendees . Indoor events do still cause waste, use power, use water etc. The major difference in this situation is that the onus may be upon the venue owner, to make provisions for sustainable resource management. Wheatley (1993) gives advice on environmental managementfor all companies, not just those who are outdoors.

Similarly, Paul Hudson, organiser of Clogfest, states that they do not have an environmental policy and the event is very small. Nick Ladd, creative director of the Glade Festival and co-organiser of the Glade at Glastonbury, states that recycling should be a legal necessity not anoption for homes, businesses and festivals! . Getz (1997) argues that smaller festivals shouldalso improve their environmental performance.

Noise Pollution

Noise pollution is considered a potential impact by 50% of respondents (Fig. 3). If the surveywas directed to local residents who do not attend the events it may be that this figure would be

higher. Defra (2002) survey revealed that this was the least worrying environmental impact of 20options.

Hannah Ross Morris, who deals with licensing and safety for Angel Festivals Ltd (GlobalGathering, HiFi Festival etc) refers to the noise controls that most Environmental Health Officers(EHOs) set and strictly enforce. Chris Kemp also describes the sound monitoring at MiltonKeynes Bowl, whereby decibel readings are taken to ensure they do not exceed that set by theEHO. Kemp also highlights the difficulties that organisers face when monitoring or controlling


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sound as weather conditions will impact upon its travel. Yoeman et al (2004), Getz (1997) andHall (1992) all suggest noise is an issue that should be monitored and controlled and the resultsof the survey indicate this is a prominent provision at festivals in the UK.

Three of the festival organisers questioned made reference to Noise pollution and local authority

controls to minimise its nuisance. The control that local authorities enforce may be a reason for the lower percentage of festival-goer respondents worried about its impact. One respondentraised the point that noise pollution at festivals is only temporary. For noise disruption over anumber of days it may be argued that any lasting damaging effects of this are negligible.However, the issue of health and safety for the hearing of those working at events comes into

play.

Traffic Congestion

Perez and Nadals (2004) study revealed that 82% of locals of the Balearic Islands believed localtourism caused traffic congestion. 70% of festival goers believed the same to be true of festivals.Yet 61% of the respondents travel by car to festivals.This highlights that traffic is one of themajor negative impacts that should be addressed.

Six of the festival organisers referred to measures they take to reduce the amount of trafficcoming to events. This includes provision of public transport, car park charges, andencouragement of car shares. One festival-goer positively highlighted the method used byShambala festival which is to charge 10 per vehicle brought to the event, the proceeds of whichare used to subsidise cheap public transport.

The degree to which people are willing to give up their vehicles is questionable. A number of festival goers highlighted that it was really not practical for them to use public transport as theywere travelling with babies and much luggage. This may explain the high negative correlation

between age and use of public transport and agreeing that inclusion in the ticket price wouldencourage use of public transport. This could be interpreted as younger generations being moreenvironmentally conscious, although difference in income and life styles would have a bearing.

Waste and Waste Management

The festival goer survey found that most festival goers agreed that this is a negativeenvironmental impact of music festivals. 20% of the comments made by festival-goers related tothis issue. and festival organisers also referred to waste as a key environmental impact with 7respondents with recycling schemes. 71% of festival-goers agreed or strongly agreed that wasteis an impact. 81% agreed or strongly agreed that if provided with separate bins they wouldseparate their rubbish. Network Recycling indicated a 30% recycling rate by festival goers as theaverage. This posses the question, were the respondent sample particularly environmentallyconscious? Has the festival going population become more environmentally aware since


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Network recycling recorded their figures? This may indicate some level of idealistic responseson the part of festival-goers.

Organisers and festival-goers themselves made comments indicating that even the most wellintending person may drop litter, especially where drugs and alcohol are consumed. This could

prove a challenge to enforcement, and is where the use of litter pickers and volunteers is needed.

Yoeman et al (2004) discussed the health risks associated with waste. The festival-goer surveyrevealed that 57% of festival-goers agree or strongly agree that re-usable crockery and cutleryshould be used instead of disposables at festivals. 2 of the 56 comments made highlightedhygiene issues with this approach, and suggested that recyclable/bio-degradable disposableswould be better. One comment referred to Glastonbury Festivals policy of using biodegradabledisposables.

Durga PujaDurga Puja is one of the auspicious occasion celebrated with great enthusiasum across India. Inmodern times, festivals are getting commercialised and taking the shape of pomp and show.Different communities set huge gigantic and attractive bright idols in order to compete with other communities. This all leads to major problem of environment pollution. Idols made by non

biodegradable material and toxic paints contaminate water making it unfit for survival of aquaticlife and drinking purposes.

The material used for idols like POP is mainly the compound of gypsum, sulphur, phosphorusand magnesium. Chemical paints comprise of mercury, cadmium; lead and carbon. Immersion of idols with such poisonous and toxic elements raises the level of acidity, solid matter, organicmatter and heavy metals in water bodies. These materi als dont dissolve readily and lowers theoxygen level in water adversely affecting the aquatic life.

In order to come out of such problems and enjoy festival with the same spirit, devotees


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themselves should give a serious thought over the methods of celebrations and should turn to ecofriendly idols for their celebrations. Even Government should also take a step towards this

burning issue and set strict guidelines for craftsmen to use eco-friendly materials andorganic paints.

Environmental Consciousness Amongst People It is a relief to notice that the awareness about the environmental impacts of celebrating Holi are beingbrought to light by various NGOs. And gradually, more and more Indians are choosing to turn to a morenatural and less wasteful way of playing Holi.

Pilgrims' Plague Destroying Himalayas

Image credit: Radified.com

If one could write a book on it, it would be called By the River Ganges I Sat Down and Wept.Each year, hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims travel by foot, train, car and bus to holy sites

in the Himalayas, believed to be the dwelling of the god Shiva and the mountainous source of many of Indias largest rivers, including the Ganges River.

Unfortunately, the rather unholy environmental impact of these pilgrimages are hastening thedestruction of these once-unspoiled areas with development, pollution and waste not tomention melting the Himalayan glaciers.

With Indias economic boom, more tour operators are offering commercialized, package tours toholy sites for Indias increasingly mobile and affluent middle class. Some even have helicopterson call.

"Plastic rubbish is found littered everywhere, nearby rivers are filled with human waste androads have been built bringing in daily buses packed with pilgrims which is contaminating theair," says Shruti Shukla from WWF India. More and more trees are also being felled to makeway for upscale hotels, restaurants and more accessible roads.

Environmentalists say that the combined effect of these activities is an accelerated melting of theglaciers.
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Earlier this month, there was cause for alarm when the ice shiva-lingam formation at the holysite of Amarnath actually melted (a lingam is short, cylindrical pillar with a rounded top and isworshipped as a symbol of Shiva).

There have been local efforts to halt the damage, but they have been ineffective at best against

the annually increasing crush. Last month, a Task Force on mountains recommended to theIndian government that a separate and more integrated ministry should be created to preserve theHimalayas.

But even so, one wonders how much longer the Himalayas have to wait, as the well-meaningdevotion of these modern days is slowly and surely defiling a once-holy place.

Throughout the months of April to November every year many of India's 800 Million Hindustake part in grand pilgrimages all around the gigantic sub continent.

The scale of these events are truly breathtaking to behold and they make for a great set of

pictures.

More recently however the pilgrimages - which have consistently expanded in sync with India'srapidly growing population - have begun to inflictsome severe consequences on infrastructure and the ecological and environmental impacts of these mass migrations (and population growth in general) are becoming more apparent.

Some cities - like Varanasi on the mighty river Ganges for example - have been accommodatingmillions of pilgrims every year for nearly a millennium.

Dried up and heavily polluted lakes and depleted over-used rivers greet many devoted pilgrims

in towns and cities that now struggle to handle such a sheer amount of people.
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Shocking Pollution during the Ganesh Festival

Yesterday was an important day. It was Anant Chaturthi the culmination of a ten-day longGanesh Festival, one of the most important festivals of western India. It was a day of great

joyousness and celebrationbut it has an ugly side. The environmental damage it causes.Thousands of idols made from harmful materials l ike plaster of paris and toxic metals, coatedwith deadly paints containing mercury, cadmium, lead and carbon enter our water bodies.These idols, some of them gigantic in size, are immersed in lakes, rivers and the sea.

Just Mumbais sea takes in a bout 1.5 lakh (1 lakh= 100,000) idols every year! Is it any wonderthen then oxygen levels in the water bodies fallby about 50 per cent immediately after the 10-day Ganeshutsav festival?

Not many care

Although there are organisations workingtowards creating awareness about the benefitsof using eco-friendly i dols and stategovernments do issue guidelines aboutimmersions, not much is happening on the

ground. Although there are specially prepared tanks for immersions, people dont prefer to usethese, and few are interested in eco-friendly idols. It was heartening to see Harsha actually try
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesha#Ganesh_Chaturthihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganeshahttp://www.cuisinecuisine.com/Festival%20of%20Ganesh%20Chathurthi.htmhttp://trak.in/Tags/Business/2007/09/19/polluting-ganesh-festival-idols/http://www.gobartimes.org/20060831/festivals_you.htmhttp://www.gobartimes.org/20060831/festivals_you.htmhttp://www.mesn.org/articles/index.php?art/id:389http://www.kalpavriksh.org/f1/f1.4/esa%20ganeshhttp://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007091559950300.htm&date=2007/09/15/&prd=th&http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1120668http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5271634.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5271634.stmhttp://gentledude.blogspot.com/http://www.cuisinecuisine.com/Festival%20of%20Ganesh%20Chathurthi.htmhttp://www.cuisinecuisine.com/Festival%20of%20Ganesh%20Chathurthi.htmhttp://gentledude.blogspot.com/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5271634.stmhttp://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1120668http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007091559950300.htm&date=2007/09/15/&prd=th&http://www.kalpavriksh.org/f1/f1.4/esa%20ganeshhttp://www.mesn.org/articles/index.php?art/id:389http://www.gobartimes.org/20060831/festivals_you.htmhttp://trak.in/Tags/Business/2007/09/19/polluting-ganesh-festival-idols/http://www.cuisinecuisine.com/Festival%20of%20Ganesh%20Chathurthi.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganeshahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganesha#Ganesh_Chaturthi


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and find out the situation on the ground. He trudged four hours in the hot sun in Pune to findout if people were using eco-friendly idols. His findings:

As I continued my search in the streets of Pune, I came across many idols-made of materials asvaried as PoP, Silver, Tin Foil and Thermocol, but not the green Ganesha. Thats what I was

looking for..an idol made of clay and a pandal that used eco- friendly materialsI must havewalked for at least 20 km, clicking hundreds of pix on the way. I could not find a single idolmade of clay, nor a pandal which didnt us e the papi materials PoP and Thermocol.

Well, finally he did find a green pandal , but no idol. This then is the reality. No one cares. Andwe are not just talking of the masses here. I have tried to convince several people I know andwhile they agreed with me in theory, none of them actually went and bought an eco-friendlyidol. In fact one lady told me point blank: When there is a law against it well do it! This eventhough they clearly see the water bodies around them getting polluted. I dont believe this isdue to religious reasons, but due to apathy and lack of civic sense.

What actually happens? Here are the results of a scientific study done on a body of water in Andhra Pradesh, theHussainsagar Lake. After examining the water before and after immersion the scientists foundthat the concentration of substances like calcium,magnesium, molybdenum and silicon concentrationsincreased significantly. Also, it was found thatconcentrations of heavy metals like arsenic, lead andmercury had increased. Metals like lead and mercuryare particularly worrisome as they are dangerous t ohealth and can damage the heart, kidneys, liver,

circulatory system and central nervous system.

Besides polluting the water, they reach humans viathe food chain, when humans consume fish and othersea-food. If the fish survive that is! Because hundredsof fish are found dead after the immersions.

The picture on the right is of a beach right after animmersion and that is what the tide has brought in.The site from where I took the photo has other veryvivid picturesif you want to see them just click onthe picture.

If people dont listen, we need the lawsThe problem is that politicians dont want to take tough action as they are afraid of upsettingthe public as this is a religious issue. But I think it isnt. Traditionally, we used mud idols andnatural colours. These polluting idols are a modern invention and nothing to do with religion!
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No one is banning immersion. Or denouncing it. To put in place laws to make it compulsory tomake idols out of an eco-friendly material should not hurt religious sentiment. All we will bedoing is going back to the way the festival was traditionally celebrated. An informationcampaign to this effect will go a long way in educating those who think that using poisonousmaterials are what God commanded or that this was how it was traditionally done. I am sure

that a public information campaign which enumerates the amount of life that is destroyed willimpact a lot of people as quite a few Hindus are vegetarians who are against killing of animalseven for food.

I wonder if it is a powerful lobby of businessmen and those in the trade of manufacturing andselling these poisonous idols who are making the politicians drag their feet on this one. Becausein this case it is only the politicians who can help us with laws.

Update: I am adding this link which talks of the dangers to flora and fauna because the idolsdont dissolve. They go to the river bed and affect the plant life. I thought this was prettyobvious and had therefore not added this link before but from some comments I realise thatpeople are not aware of this fact.

Visual pollution during the Ganesh Festival

The religious fervour and euphoria of the ten days of Ganpati Bappa is over. People who fledthe city to escape the din (there is considerable amount of sound pollution due to the use of loudspeakers) and the crowds, have come back. Politicians are conducting drives to clear thedebris on the beaches. And many of us regret the environmental damage. Another thing wewant to put behind us are the instances of intimidation /extortion before the start of thecelebrations (to collect money for the Ganesh mandals).

There are two other negative aspects. One concerns aesthetics and the other, the grosscommercialisation of the festival. I am not talking of the loud filmi music played at the mandals,but the presence of brands. Whether its Idea or Hero Honda , or Lizzat Papad, scores of brandswere given permission by the municipality to put up posters and banners and hoardings acrosssPune city, particularly on roads with the mandals. I am not sure what the financial arrangementwas here, how much the mandals got, but I am sure they got something too.

Even if they didnt, I dont see why a religious festival has to become an opportunity for thegovernment to make a few extra bucks. All billboard norms were thrown to the wind! I am notin Pune now, but I wonder if these banners have been removed or whether they have beencarelessly discarded and are rotting in some ditch! The government knows that no one willprotest because the minute anything is religious people bear it in silence. People are afraidthat if they protest others could well question their faith in God. How else to explain theuglification of a city and peoples tolerance levels? I cannot believe that anyone thinks thatpolluting the city with ad banners has anything to do with religion.
http://www.cleanindia.org/btonature/visarjan.htmhttp://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2008/09/08/the-ganpati-festival-a-slide-show/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganeshahttp://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20080915/816/tnl-priya-dutt-s-volunteers-clean-up-of.htmlhttp://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2007/09/26/shocking-pollution-during-the-ganesh-festival/http://nonsense123.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/pune-diary-celebrating-ganeshotsava/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punehttp://nonsense123.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/pune-diary-celebrating-ganeshotsava/http://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2007/09/26/shocking-pollution-during-the-ganesh-festival/http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20080915/816/tnl-priya-dutt-s-volunteers-clean-up-of.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganeshahttp://nitawriter.wordpress.com/2008/09/08/the-ganpati-festival-a-slide-show/http://www.cleanindia.org/btonature/visarjan.htm


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These are some of the pictures I took during the Ganesh Festival. They speak louder thanwords.

The brand is not visible in the picture below its Airtel.


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And do you think our politicians will pass up an opportunity to plaster their mugs on banners inthe guise of wishing the citizens Happy Ganesh Chaturthi?


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(All pictures were taken by me in Pune and are copyrighted)

Air pollution skyrockets during Indian festivals!

Festivals are becoming significant contributors to air pollution in India. We have so many

festivals and increasing commercialization a growing economy is turning every celebration

into grand occasions to splurge. Are we aware of what this is doing to our environment? Heres

a look at how all those festivities affect the air quality.

Air pollution levels in big cities are appalling at the best of times and are a growing cause for

concern. The Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM) dust, fumes, smoke, and gases

is way above permissible limits in many of our big cities. This level sees a quantum jump

during festivals, the main culprits being crackers, inflammable substances, and artificial colors.

Air pollution during Diwali

Studies by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) around Delhi conclude that this year,

RSPM levels during Diwali doubled compared to 2006. A Chandigarh Pollution Control


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Committee (CPCC) study last year showed a 6-10% percent increase in air pollution during

Diwali.

Clearly environmental groups and eco-clubs are fighting a losing battle. They come up with

awarenes s campaigns and slogans like Diwali is a festival of lights, not crackers, celebrate an

eco- sensitive Diwali this year, but nobody seems to take notice. Apart from the noise, crackers

release a lot of toxic gases like Sulfur dioxide and Nitrogen dioxide which can lead to many

health problems.

Impact of air pollution on health

Air pollution can lead to lung cancer, cardiovascular diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, and

allergies in adults. It can also cause acute respiratory infections in children.

Suspended particulate matter can cause asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory disease

Sulfur dioxide can damage lungs and lead to lung disorders like wheezing and shortness

of breath.

Oxides of Nitrogen can cause skin problems, eye irritation, and cause respiratory

problems in children.

Chemicals used in crackers like lead, magnesium, cadmium, nitrate, sodium, and others

can have various harmful effects.Festival of noise and pollution

Every Diwali, tradition, health and safety collide amidst celebrations.

Harmful effects of Chemicals Used in Crackers:

Copper: Poison to humans by ingestion. Inhalation of copper dust and fume causesirritation in the respiratory tract. Absorption of excess copper results in "Wilson'sdisease" in which excess copper is deposited in the brain, skin, liver, pancreas andmyocardium (middle muscular layer in the heart).

Cadmium: Can be poisonous to humans by inhalation, ingestion, intraperitonial, sub-cutaneous, intra-muscular and intravenous routes. Cadmium absorption can damage the


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kidneys and can cause anaemia. It is a potential human carcinogen. Cadmium causesincreased blood pressure and also a disease called "Itai--Itai", which makes bones brittleresulting in multiple fractures.

Lead: Affects the central nervous system in humans. A poison if ingested, moderatelyirritating. It can cause cancer of lungs and kidneys and an experimental teratogen. Whenheated it can emit highly toxic fumes. In inorganic form, it is a general metabolic poisonand an enzyme inhibitor. Young children can suffer mental retardation and semi-

permanent brain damage by exposure to lead. Incase of lead levels in blood, thedisturbing feature is that the natural levels are very close to the lowest safety limits.

Magnesium: Poison by ingestion, inhalation of magnesium dust and fumes can causemetal fume fever. Particles embedded in the skin can produce gaseous blebs and a gasgangrene. Dangerous fire hazard in the form of dust or flakes when exposed to flames.Manganese in the air has adverse effects on humans. Poisoning takes the form of

progressive deterioration in the central nervous system.

Manganese: An experimental carcinogen and mutagen. Human toxicity caused by dust or fumes. The main symptoms of exposure are languor, sleepiness, weakness, emotionaldisturbances, spastic gait and paralysis.

Potassium: Dangerous fire hazard. If there is any confinement, an explosion can occur. Sodium: In elemental form, it is highly reactive, particularly with moisture with which it

reacts violently and therefore can attack living tissue. When heated in air, it emits toxicfumes of sodium oxide. Dangerous fire hazard when exposed to heat and moisture.

Zinc: Human skin irritant and effects pulmonary system. Pure zinc powder is non-toxic tohumans by inhalation but difficulty arises from oxidation (burning), as it emits zincfumes. Zinc is perhaps the least toxic of all heavy metals, in fact an essential element in

animal and human nutrition, still they become toxic when absorbed in excess. Zincstimulates the sensation of vomiting. An exposure to 150 mg of zinc can stimulate the

process of vomiting in an adult male. Nitrate: Large amounts taken by mouth can have serious and even fatal effects. The

symptoms are dizziness, abdominal cramps, vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, weakness,convulsions and collapse. Small repeated doses may lead to weakness, generaldepression, headache and mental impairment. Also there is some implication of increasedcancer incidents among those exposed. Highly inflammable and on decomposition theyemit highly toxic fumes.

Nitrite: Large amounts taken by mouth may produce nausea, vomiting, cyanosis, collapseand coma. Repeated small doses can cause a fall in blood pressure, rapid pulse,headaches and visual disturbances. When heated, emit highly toxic fumes of NOx.

Phosphorous in PO4: Poison to humans. Dangerous fire hazard when exposed to heat or chemical reaction. Poison by inhalation, ingestion, skin contact and subcutaneous routes.Ingestion affects the central nervous system. Toxic quantities have an acute effect on theliver and can cause severe eye damage.


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Sulphur in SO4: Poison to humans by inhalation an eye, skin and mucous membraneirritant and corrosive, an experimental carcinogen. It chiefly affects the upper respiratorytract and the bronchi. It may cause edema of the lungs or glottis, and can producerespiratory paralysis. Source: Hazardous Chemicals Desk Reference, N.Irving Sax andRichard J.Lewis

The conflict between competing interests in society - safety, health, and calm on the one hand,and tradition on the other hand, has evolved over time, and the health effects are receivinggreater attention. Roshan Lal, owner of the New Royal Fireworks set up in 1928 in Sadar Bazar says his family has been in the trade of crackers since the days of Prthviraj Chauhan but now the

business is not profitable. A combination of political will and public support to limit health andenvironmental hazards, and at the same time maintain memorable traditions, is needed to restoreDeepawali to its pristine flavour.

Hindu Festivals Bring Pollution To Indias Waterways

As Hindus across India celebrate religious festivals in September and October, many areconcerned about the impact of toxic chemicals that are washing off of thousands of idolsimmersed in rivers and lakes.

The pollution is killing fish and contaminating crops, said experts and environmentalists on

Monday.

The decorated statues are worshipped before they are taken to the rivers, laves and the sea, wherethey are immersed in accordance with Hindu faith.

But environmentalists have raised questions about the non-biodegradable materials contained inthe idols such as plastic, cement, plaster of Paris and toxic dyes. Paints contain metals likemercury, cadmium and lead, which can pass up the food chain from fish to human beings.


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Suit Challenges Noise Pollution During Hindu Festivals In Indian City

In the Indian city of Thane, a lawsuit has been filed seeking to require the city to enforce noiseordinances against those celebrating Hindu religious festivals. According to yesterday's Times of India, political parties have reacted negatively to the public interest lawsuit filed by activist Dr.

Mahesh Bedekar, saying that restrictions will dampen the festive spirit. Police issued notices to51 mandals, most formed by politicians, that exceeded permitted decibel levels by 100% duringMonday's Dahi handi celebrations. Meanwhile, according to another Times of India article,today the Bombay High Court ordered the state to convene a meeting with mandalrepresentatives to see if the festival can be celebrated with less noise next year. In anticipation of the upcoming Ganesh festival, the court directed the mayor to meet with city corporators todiscuss noise pollution, and told police not to issue permits for loud speakers within 100 metersof major hospitals.

Chemical ColorsA visit to a doctor after the festival of colours is common in India. Diseases,specially of the skin and eye are

bound to happen with the quality of colours that are now available in themarket.

It may be noted that chemical colourscame into vogue as they were earlier thought to be harmless. Besides their

being convenient and cost effectiveoptions as against the natural colours.These days manufacturers mixharmful chemicals in colours and playwith the health of the consumers for the sake of profit. The chemicalsadded by them are so injurious that if unfortunately they enter a human body, they may causefatal infections.

These days most Holi colours sold in the market are oxidized metals or industrial dyes mixedwith engine oil. These chemicals are known to cause serious harm to persons health.

For example - Green colour is obtained from copper sulphate -which may cause allergies in eye or eventemporary blindness.

Purple is obtained from chromium iodide - which may cause bronchial asthma or other forms of allergy.
http://religionclause.blogspot.com/2011/08/suit-challenges-noise-pollution-during.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanehttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thane/51-dahi-handi-groups-get-noise-pollution-notice/articleshow/9713900.cmshttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thane/51-dahi-handi-groups-get-noise-pollution-notice/articleshow/9713900.cmshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahi_Handihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahi_Handihttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Mob-taking-part-in-fests-needs-deft-handling-HC/articleshow/9727069.cmshttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Mob-taking-part-in-fests-needs-deft-handling-HC/articleshow/9727069.cmshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dahi_Handihttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thane/51-dahi-handi-groups-get-noise-pollution-notice/articleshow/9713900.cmshttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/thane/51-dahi-handi-groups-get-noise-pollution-notice/articleshow/9713900.cmshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanehttp://religionclause.blogspot.com/2011/08/suit-challenges-noise-pollution-during.html


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Silver is obtained from aluminum bromide - a known carcinogenic.

Black is obtained from lead oxide - may cause renal failures or learning disability.

Red is obtained from mercury sulphite - may cause skin cancer or Minamata disease (mentalretardation, paralysis, impaired vision...)

Shiny Colours are a result of powdered glass being added to the colours.

Besides, many water colours have an alkaline base capable of causing severe injuries. Colours inthe form of pastes have toxic compounds mixed in a base of engine oil or other inferior qualityoil, capable of causing skin allergy, temporary blindness.

Further, when washed, these colours containing toxic chemicals enter the river, thereby soil andwater pollution.

Even the way we play Holi is becoming dangerous. Throwing water filled balloons has becomerampant, which is very harmful. People should realise, what is fun for them could cause injury tothe eyes and ears to the other person, specially when thrown from a distance and with force.

People must realise that the colours have been added to Holi to make the festival more joyousand enjoyable and not to cause inconvenience to others. So, next time you play with colours usegood quality or natural colours and play according to the convenience of others.

Festivals and the Environment

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