Know : List of Countries using Nuclear Energy

Nuclear power stations operate in 31 countries. Of the thirty countries in which nuclear power plants operate, only France, Belgium, Hungary and Slovakia use them as the primary source of electricity, although many other countries have a significant nuclear power generation capacity. According to the World Nuclear Association, a nuclear power advocacy group, over 45 countries are giving “serious consideration” to introducing a nuclear power capability, with Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey,Vietnam, Belarus, and Jordan at the forefront. China, South Korea and India are pursuing ambitious expansions of their nuclear power capacities

As of June 2011, Germany and Switzerland are phasing-out nuclear power which will be replaced mostly by fossil fuels, and a smaller part renewable energy.

Rank	Country	Capacity (MW) (2014)	Nuclear share of electricity production, 2013
1	United States	99,081	19.4%
2	France	63,130	73.3%
3	Japan	42,388	1.7%
4	Russia	23,643	17.5%
5	South Korea	20,721	27.6%
6	China	17,978	2.1%
7	Canada	13,538	16.0%
8	Ukraine	13,107	43.6%
9	Germany	12,068	15.4%
10	Sweden	9,474	42.7%
11	United Kingdom	9,243	18.3%
12	Spain	7,121	19.7%
13	Belgium	5,927	52.1%
14	India	5,308	3.5%
15	Taiwan	5,032	19.1%
16	Czech Republic	3,884	35.9%
17	Switzerland	3,308	36.4%
18	Finland	2,752	33.3%
19	Bulgaria	1,906	30.7%
20	Hungary	1,889	50.7%
21	Brazil	1,884	2.8%
22	South Africa	1,860	5.7%
23	Slovakia	1,815	51.7%
24	Argentina	1,627	4.4%
25	Mexico	1,570	4.6%
26	Romania	1,300	19.8%
27	Iran	915	1.5%
28	Pakistan	690	4.4%
29	Slovenia	688	33.6%
30	Netherlands	482	2.8%
31	Armenia	375	29.2%
	World	374,704

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Courtesy & Source: “Nuclear power station” by Ichabod Paleogene, Krzysztof Kori. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Documentary : ReGeneration

The huge and complex problems of today’s generation often install doubt and fear that everything is futile. Yet by analyzing how the power of our media, schooling and parenting have molded us, we can start to comprehend what we must adjust – our generation and our culture. Studies show that the average family spends around four hours a day in front of the TV… Internet and video games are not included. A huge portion of our lives we spend sitting in front of a screen… and guess what is shaping us?

Targeting an age group of adolescents, their most important sector of the population, corporations propel themselves exclusively on the desire of our generation for material goods, resulting in creation of a never-ending pile of products which will be advertised, consumed and eventually disposed of. What about the consequences this may have on our planet? But with this ever-expanding consumption of goods, how too can this influence the integrity of our generation?

Conformity is defined as a behavior in accordance with socially accepted conventions or standards. And looking at today’s generation, this means we’re living in a world where everything is infected with absolute homogeny. From advertising to commercialism, the media has played a crucial role in modeling our culture. Keep in mind the education system of our generation – what we are learning and who’s giving us the knowledge – and again the media has clouded another important institution.

The loss of tradition and the doubtful views of today’s education, by both pupils and the teachers, is accompanied by an additional obstacle of huge class sizes, and a series of catastrophic policies which systematically underfund the education system. But recent surveys show that over 80% of sophomore students still expect to continue their education to a four year college or university. But, at what cost does this post-high school education come?

Note: The documentary is shared here for educational and for sharing the insights pointed in the documentary, which are the perspective of the makers of the film only.

Alert! : River Pollution in India

India is a blessed country when we consider its rich natural sources of water in the form of numerous rivers and lakes. The country has rightly been referred to as the “Land of Rivers” and the people worship the rivers as gods and goddesses. But what is ironical is that in spite of our profound respect and reverence for our rivers, we have not been able to maintain their purity, cleanliness and the physical well-being. Be it Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra or Kaveri or any other river flowing in the soil of our motherland, not a single river is free from pollution. River pollution has been causing serious water-borne diseases and health problems affecting human population as well as animals, fish, and birds in the environment.

Causes of river pollution

River pollution is increasing day by day. In spite of various governmental projects going on in many rivers, there is no sign of water pollution being prevented or stopped. Whom do we blame? Lots of factors lead to water pollution and reducing overall quality of river water. Some of the most serious contributing factors are:

• Industrial wastes, mixtures of chemicals, heavy metals are all discharged in water and these are difficult to clean up.
• Agricultural wastes, chemicals, feritilisers, pesticides used in agriculture have made the river water bodies contaminated.
• Nature’s rain also brings with it pollutants as it falls through polluted air. We call this acid rain, which when reached the soil, releases harmful substances.
• Domestic wastes from households and the sewage that we throw into rivers increases the pollution levels.
• Regular disposal of plastic bags and plastic objects, solid wastes, flowers, garlands is another cause of pollution.
• People responding to nature’s call in open spaces near the water bodies also contribute to river pollution.
• Animals washing, car washing, clothes washing are other causes.
• Another cause of river pollution is the dumping of human remains, partially burned bodies, dead bodies, which pose serious health threats.

Some hard facts about river pollution

Surveys undertaken by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) have come up with some hard facts on river pollution, in terms of statistical figures, which makes it a matter of really serious concern:

• Out of the 445 rivers surveyed, not even a quarter of them are fit for bathing.
• Indian cities generate 10 billion gallons or 38 billion litres of municipal waste water every day, out of which only 29% of it is treated.
• The Central Pollution Control Board also stated that there were only 160 sewerage systems and sewage treatment plants in nearly 8,000 towns surveyed in 2011.
•  Only 20% out of nearly 40,000 million litres of sewage produced daily in Indian cities are treated.

Extreme cases of pollution in river Ganga and Yamuna

• Yamuna has become a garbage dump area with more than 57 % of Delhi’s waste thrown into it.
• Only 55% of Delhi’s residents are connected to a proper sewerage system.
• According to the CSE, around 80% of Yamuna’s pollution is due to raw sewage.
• Ganga is considered to be the most polluted river in India.
• Approximately 1 billion litres of raw, untreated sewage is dumped in Ganga regularly.
• Ganga contains 60,000 faecal coliform bacteria per 100 ml, which is a threat to human health.

Effects of river pollution

River pollution is a big menace to the economy, the environment and, of course, human health and the other living organisms. It is a big contributor to a number of health problems and disorders in humans. River pollution also affects aquatic life, leading to growth of unhealthy fish unsuitable for human consumption and also mass fish death. Polluted river waters have affected the lives of animals and birds as well, sometimes threatening their very existence. In the long term, continuous river pollution can lead to loss of biodiversity and even extinction of some species and can disrupt the ecosystem as a whole.

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Courtesy and Credits : This article was written by Rumani Saikia Phukan originally here and she discusses about possible solutions as well. Shared here on our blog for educational purposes only.

Documentary : Urbanized

Urbanized is a feature-length documentary about the design of cities, which looks at the issues and strategies behind urban design and features some of the world’s foremost architects, planners, policy makers, builders, and thinkers.

Story : Care for Others

There was a farm, where lived farmer John with his wife Molly. They hold pigs, cows and many animals in their farm. Also there lived a little mouse.

One day the mouse looked through a small crack in the wall and accidentally saw how the farmer was opening some package. The mouse was curious what food may it contain and discovered that it was a mousetrap.

The mouse was determined to run around the farmyard and warn all the animals regarding the danger.

First of all he met the chicken. „There is a mousetrap in the house!“ – the mouse declared with despair. But the chicken answered with indifference: „It doesn’t concern me, as this is a danger for you, but not for me. It cannot bother me“.

Then the mouse raced to the pig and the cow and told them about the mousetrap. But the pig and the cow where not impressed too. They said that there is nothing to about this and promised to pray about the mouse.

Sad and depressed, the little mouse returned to the house.

In the night the farmer‘s wife Molly heard a sound of a mousetrap. She hurried to see what was in it, but due to the darkness she did not see that it was a poisonous snake, whose tail was caught by the trap. Suddenly the snake bit Molly.

The farmer rushed with her to the hospital. Later, when they returned home, Molly still had a fever. John remembered that it is good to treat a fever with chicken soup, so he went to his farmyard to bring the main ingredient, the chicken.

Whereas Molly‘s sickness continued and many friends came to visit her, the farmer butchered the pig so he could feed all the visitors.

Unfortunately, As time went by Molly became weaker and weaker and one day she died. Many neighbours, relatives and friends have arrived to the funeral. John had to slaughter the cow to feed all of them.

The mouse has been watching all that was happing with great sorrow.

Remember, when we learn that someone is facing difficulties or danger, we all are at risk. It is better to help and encourage one another and don‘t leave anyone alone with his problems.