Raja resigned

Embattled Union telecom minister A Raja resigned on Sunday night after putting up an obstinate fight to stay put despite the mounting pressure from the opposition and the Congress to quit over the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

The resignation comes ahead of today’s Supreme Court hearing of two petitions alleging his involvement in the spectrum scam and the growing view in the UPA that his continuance was getting untenable.

What seems to have prompted his decision is the veiled threat to the DMK issued by prime minister (PM) Manmohan Singh after the Congress core committee meet at noon.

The party’s leadership, which had so far been standing solidly behind Raja, seems to have given up after Singh’s stern message that the minister must quit tonight. Raja, who had maintained that he won’t resign till a few hours ago, rushed to a meeting with the PM late in the evening and handed over the letter.

The PM has decided to retain the telecom portfolio until further orders.

Are Earthquakes On The Rise? - Part 2

Continuation of Part 1...

While sitting there, it also occurred to me that there have been a ton of earthquakes lately. Haiti was obviously a massive tremor that devastated the country. Most people think Chile was the next big one, but it was not. There was a magnitude 7.0 earthquake off the shore of Japan. Then we Chile rolls through with numbers that haven't been seen in a very long time at a staggering 8.8 on the Richter Scale. This, of course, has been followed by the earthquake in Turkey measuring “only” 5.5 that has killed at least 50 people at last count and the count has only started.

The rather obvious question facing us is whether earthquakes are on the rise? Well, earthquakes are the result of shifts in fault lines, particularly in subduction zones where one plate slides below another. Most scientist have argued that there has been a slight increase in the last 15 years, but the current spate of tremors is just a coincidence. Is this true? Well, it would seem to be. The major earthquakes that have occurred are not on the same fault lines. Only Chile and Japan are in the ring of fire. Haiti is its own area. Turkey is dramatic, but it has always been subject to significant tremors much like California has.

Is the world coming to an end or undergoing some major shift? Not likely. Then again, 2012 is only just around the corner!

The End.

Are Earthquakes On The Rise? - Part 1

We like to suggest that we know massive amounts of things about the planet we live on, but every once in a while Mother Nature reminds us who is in charge. The recent spate of earthquakes certainly is such an instance and raises the very real question of whether we are entering a time of increased seismic activity and, if so, what it means.

You and I have never met, but we may have shared a very surreal experience a few weeks back. I sat there on the weekend transfixed after the massive earthquake in Chile occurred. What were we both probably watching? Whether there was going to be a monstrous tsunami in Hawaii. It was so surreal that it was almost funny. I'll even admit I was disappointed at first when nothing much happen until I realized that a lot of people would have lost a lot of things.

To be continued...

Chile Earthquake

Chile Earthquake, the magnitude 8.5 earthquake hit Concepcion in Chile on this Saturday, approximately the size of the earthquake is between 8.3 till 8.5 magnitude. The earthquake strike was so sudden, people were unaware of it! Fox News says that the Chile Earthquake was so strong that could shaking buildings and blackouts in some area of Santiago, Chile’s capital city. Right after the earthquake strike, Tsunami warning is given for people of Chile and Perlu, also some area in Ecuador according to Warning Center. The Warning Center stated that an earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicenter within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours.Respected countries have taken steps to shift the people from coastal areas to some other regions. Let us pray for people of Chile who have suffered in the Earthquake and lets hope no tsunami strikes any region of the earth.

** Warming up-Chapter 5

Continuation of 4th Chapter
Let us also not forget that he was the recipient for Nobel Peace Prize for his work in the year 2007. Now with the climatic calamity which is, indeed, tremendously hazardous, agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol signed by various nations to reduce the emissions of various green house gases should help in fighting down this global issue.
The End.

** Warming up-Chapter 4

Continuation of 3rd Chapter
Coming to the effects of Global warming on the environment and human life, they are numerous and varied. Rising sea levels, glacier retreat, arctic shrinkage, and the altered patterns of agriculture are some of the effects of global warming. With the earth's temperature getting warmer, ice masses melt and consequently, the sea level rises several feet. Arctic shrinkage is happening as a result of changes in the regional climate, and the climatic changes associated with agriculture are also some of the undesirable effects. The effects of global warming does not end here, there are indeed so many consequences - depletion of ozone layer, harmful radiations from the sun, extinction of species and so on. Meanwhile, Al Gore, the 45th vice-president of the United States and an environmental activist, has stated in his book 'The Inconvenient Truth' that the Earth is dashing towards an immensely warmer future. He has also illustrated the various reasons and also about the ill effects of global warming and its remedies.
To be continued...

** Warming up-Chapter 3

Continuation of 2nd Chapter
Although I have alluded that the green house gases are the culprits, the chief culprit is undoubtedly the human being. Had human beings been more aware of the dangers and consequences of global warming, planet earth would have been a better place to live in now.
To be continued...