Since the beginning of the space age, starting with the launch of Sputnik in 1957, humans have launched thousands of rockets carrying more than ten thousand satellites into space. The last few years have seen a dramatic increase in these numbers, and over the last few decades, there has been a change in the type of mission flown, with private companies launching smaller satellites than those launched by non-commercial agencies.
What goes up nearly always comes back down!Space junk, also called Space debris, is an artificial material that is orbiting Earth but is no longer functional. This material can be as large as a discarded rocket stage or as small as a microscopic chip of paint. The causes of Space debris are dead satellites, used-up rocket stages, batteries & solar panels, fragments created by collisions, explosions, electrical problems, and even just the detachment of objects due to the harsh conditions in space. Some of the tiny space debris can travel up to 40,000 km/h in orbit, giving insight into their hazard!
Here, we explore the impact of Space debris as a rapidly growing disaster risk.
ROLE OF UNOOSA TO ANALYSE & MITIGATE RISK OF SPACE DEBRIS
To mitigate the disaster risk of Space debris, it is crucial to collect data, forecast & track the possible hazardous objects in space. The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is actively working to raise awareness about the growing danger of Space junk. It has made laws, guidelines & regulations to ensure that all satellite launching nations/companies work to keep space clean & safe. UNOOSA has collaborated with ESA and created a series of infographics and podcasts that tell the story of space debris, explain the risks and illustrate the solutions available to ensure future space exploration remains sustainable. Here is one of these interesting infographics that give importance to Re-entering debris into Earth’s atmosphere safely:
RISK OF SPACE DEBRIS RE-ENTRY
When it comes to the objects we send to space, atmospheric reentries are actually a fundamental tool in minimizing space debris and ensuring a sustainable future in space. Objects in low-Earth orbit, affected by the ‘drag’ forces caused by Earth’s atmosphere, gradually lower in altitude and then make a rapid and fiery descent towards Earth. Small objects disintegrate as they reenter due to the immense friction and heat created, but parts of larger bodies can reach the ground, so they should be controlled to land over uninhabited regions. So, if such huge objects are unregistered hence not timely detected or uncontrolled, we will surely face a huge disaster risk on Earth. The occasional impact on Earth will have detrimental effects on the environment. For example, debris from Russian Proton rockets, launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, litters the Altai region of eastern Siberia. This includes debris from old fuel tanks containing highly toxic fuel residue, unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH), a carcinogen that is harmful to plants and animals.
CHINA’S TIANHE ROCKET STAGE RE-ENTRY
A very recent example of a major space debris event was the re-entry of China’s Tianhe rocket stage. It was a huge concern for space agencies worldwide that China did not share details of the rocket stage whereabouts, such as the possible location of its re-entry & crash on Earth. The size of this debris posed a possible disaster risk. On 8 May 2021, the rocket stage plummeted into the Indian Ocean near the Maldives safely. But this event showed the possibility of a disaster caused by Space debris.
RISK IN SPACE (FOR SATELLITES & THE ISS)
Space debris is the only major cause that can impart a human catastrophe on Earth and in Space since humans have a constant presence in orbit in the International Space station. More missions are planned from 2022 onwards, such as the Chinese Space station, the Artemis Lunar mission that involves a human habitat in orbit of the Moon, are notable examples. The ISS has been hit by small space debris many times. Although these have minor damages, the upcoming habitat missions signify the need to make space a safer place by addressing space debris to prevent a big disaster.
To understand the hazardous nature of Space junk, here is an interesting infographic showing the increasing number of unregistered objects in space which makes it more challenging to identify potential dangerous Space junk:
PRESENT SOLUTIONS
The main control room for potential space collisions is the U.S. Air Force’s Space Surveillance Network to track space debris. It shares its data with other space agencies and satellite operators to avoid collisions in orbit with space debris and sends out timely alerts. With the development of similar tracking centers in other space agencies, it is expected that the overall accuracy of space debris data will improve. Some space companies have developed workable solutions to mitigate their disaster risk. These include Astroscale’s Elsa-d mission launched in March 2021. The End-of-Life Services by Astroscale-demonstration (ELSA-d) mission will test a magnetic docking technique to remove debris from the orbit. The “servicer” satellite will use GPS to locate space debris and then latch onto it using a magnetic docking plate to carry it down toward the Earth’s atmosphere, where it will burn up.
Another method is to extend the mission life of the satellite by in-orbit servicing. A mission that has already been successful is the Northrop Grumman’s Mission Extension Vehicle-2 (MEV-2) docking to the Intelsat 10-02 (IS-10-02) commercial communications satellite to deliver life-extension services. This took place in April 2021 and paved the way for minimizing space debris in orbit.
The fact is that Space debris has already become a big disaster risk in Earth’s orbit. It is set to pose a huge disaster risk detrimental for life on Earth if it is not mitigated efficiently.
Throughout its history of 4.5 billion years, Earth has been a dynamic creature breathing in and out its atmosphere. The uneven heating of the ocean surface gives rise to some of the most vibrant atmospheric disturbances that often result in high-speed winds, called storms. Characterized by the rules of physics, the storms can be seen as an attempt of a huge gust of ambient air rushing to fill up the gap, or a region of low pressure (of the atmosphere), created by the heating of the air by the sun over a given geographic region. The speed of the rush is determined by the rate of heating up of the air to be replaced. When these high-speed winds are grown enormously and fastened up, they are called Storms. And getting any bigger and potentially more hazardous makes them a cyclone. Cyclones have been one of the greatest natural hazards witnessed by humans. They can cause unimaginable devastations across lands and seas, causing the loss of lives and property.
Thanks to the advancements in technology and research, we are, up to a considerable extent, able to forecast the path, severity, and potential destructiveness of any cyclone concerning us. Science has enabled us to track, forecast a cyclone and raise early warnings, thus saving lives and property. At the time, when we cope with the Covid-19 surge in the sub-continent, the atmospheric depression over the Arabian Sea cooks up a cyclonic giant that grew up to be one of the deadliest cyclones in the near future.
Here comes ‘Tauktae’!
Extremely Severe Cyclonic Storm ‘Tauktae’ is the name given to an incredible cyclone in the Arabian Sea that turned into the most grounded cyclone to make landfall on the western shores of India. Tauktae began from a tropical aggravation, which the Indian Meteorological Department first observed on May 13. The unsettling influence drifted toward the east and coordinated into profound wretchedness by May 14. The tempest before long took a turn toward the north, proceeding to a step-by-step escalate, and the system reinforced into a cyclonic tempest and was named Tauktae later that very day. Tauktae kept strengthening into May 15, arriving at serious cyclonic tempest status soon thereafter.
Tauktae started to resemble the shoreline of the Indian provinces of Maharashtra, Kerala, and Karnataka before quickly escalating into an extreme cyclonic tempest on May 16. Almost immediately on May 17, Tauktae increased into an amazingly serious cyclonic tempest, arriving at its pinnacle power soon subsequently. Later that very day, Tauktae went through an eyewall substitution cycle and debilitated prior to strengthening as it approached the shoreline of Gujarat, making landfall. After making landfall, Tauktae steadily debilitated as it turned north-eastward, moving further inland. On May 19, Tauktae debilitated into a very much stamped low-pressure territory.
Observed track of ESCS ‘Tauktae’ over Arabian Sea during 14-19 May 2021. Source: Indian Meteorological Department
Why named ‘Tauktae’?
The term ‘cyclones’ comes from the Greek word ‘Cyclos,’ which implies a coiling snake. It is an arrangement of wind pivoting inwards around a low-pressure region. Brought about by unsettling environmental influence, cyclones are generally joined by serious climate conditions like storms. When the speed of a storm wind reaches or crosses 74 mph, then it is considered to be a Cyclone. Only when a storm becomes a Cyclone is it given a name.
The act of naming cyclones started to recognize them in warning messages. It is hard to recollect specialized numbers and terms of the cyclones for individuals. In this way, to build local area readiness if there should be an occurrence of crisis and to make it simpler for media reports to spread data, cyclones are given names.
The panel comprising 13 countries, including India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Maldives, Oman, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Iran, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, name cyclones in the region. In 2020, a new list of names was released that had 169 names of cyclones, having 13 suggested names each from 13 countries.
Table showing the cyclone naming convention used by the panel of 13 countries in the Indian sub-continent. Note that the next two cyclones would be names Yaas and Gulab recommended by Oman and Pakistan respectively. Source: Twitter
For now, List 1 is in use, where the name of the current cyclone comes from. As recommended by Myanmar, the name Tauktae, pronounced as ‘Tau-te,’ is of Burmese origin and is the name of the ‘Gecko,’ a highly vocal lizard found in the region. No wonder this nomenclature inspired by this noisy lizard has perfectly synced with the cyclone as the latter has been screaming into the shores with choking noises.
Tauktae’ Lizard- the noisy gecko found in the hilly regions of Myanmar and the North-East Indian state of Nagaland. Source: Google
The aftermath!
Tauktae carried substantial precipitation and blaze floods to zones along the coast of Kerala and on Lakshadweep. There were reports of substantial downpour in the provinces of Goa, Karnataka, and Maharashtra as well. Tauktae resulted in 101 deaths in India and left another 81 individuals missing. There were additionally five deaths reported in Pakistan. The tempest dislodged more than 200,000 individuals in Gujarat. The cyclone caused far-reaching devastation on the western shore of India. As much as 40 anglers were lost adrift when their boats were trapped in the storm. Mumbai additionally experienced effects from the tempest, with airports being shut for safety reasons. The city encountered its fastest at any point recorded breeze blast at 114 km/h (70 mph). Power blackouts and other electrical issues likewise affected locales.
This can be seen merely as a coincidence that Tauktae was devastating Gujarat through the landfall the same day. At the same time, India recorded its, at that point, most elevated single-day COVID-19 loss of life, with 4,329 deaths reported, making the day nothing sort of an Armageddon for the western part of the country. The cyclone likewise caused an enormous number of sea occurrences as it moved along the shores of western India. Hundreds went missing from different boats; nonetheless, most of them were rescued—other bigger ships likewise experienced issues. Reportedly, 37 bodies were recuperated from protected barges, with more than 40 individuals actually went missing.
Waves engulfing pavement at the historic Gateway of India in Mumbai. Source: Mid Day Magazine
In Pakistan, the external wind region of the cyclone came to the extent lower Sindh area. Because of the impact, it produced dust storms and was followed by a light downpour, which influenced the city of Karachi. The solid breezes additionally caused a rooftop to implode, killing four individuals. The residue storm likewise destroyed trees, billboards, and electric shafts. The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) recorded 7 mm (0.28 in) of downpour around there. It causes a heatwave in the city, with temperatures rising as high as 43.5 °C (110.3 °F). In the Maldives and Sri Lanka, more than 730 families were influenced by the cyclone.
Is that over yet?
Our planet is a living creature breathing through its atmosphere. Our existence depends on its wellbeing. No matter how arrogantly we claim to have tamed the forces of nature, our planet makes sure that we are reminded of its enormous powers every now and then. Cyclones are one such natural reminder for us. They are evidence of how furiously nature can treat us. They remind us of the fact that Earth is a very vulnerable place. A tiny change in the atmosphere may gradually result in the devastation of a civilization. The cyclone ‘Tauktea’ was right here above us, knocking us out and asking us to stay inside our shells of arrogance. Natural hazards are nature’s way to warn us not to take this beautiful planet for granted. While we have thrown all of our scientific achievements into coping with the global pandemic, another cyclone is churning up in the Bay of Bengal, ready to hit us in the last week of May. Behold!
Geology is mainly the study of non-human-induced changes taking place throughout earth’s history. Geologists think of the last 50 million years as the recent past, both because they represent only about one percent of the age of the earth and because plate tectonics, the geologic process that controls conditions within the solid part of the earth, has operated without significant change during that time. This is the exact period to gain an insight into the earth’s climate that can be applied to the present-day global warming debate.
Scientia Pakistan reaches out to the renowned geoscientist, Prof. Dr. Nayyar Alam Zaigham, for its exclusive ‘Natural Disaster Edition’ to gain an insight into the historical study of earth’s climate cycles and how much they impacted earth’s geographical features and its environment. We take a look at the primary reasons for the growing number of natural disasters on every part of the earth due to these climate changes.
Prof. Dr. Nayyer Alam Zaigham is currently working as Executive Director, GeoEnvoTechServices (GETS), A Research Group of Geoscientists & Environments, Karachi, Pakistan
Below are excerpts of Dr. Zaigham’s brief conversation with our editor-in-chief Saadeqa Khan.
Saadeqa: Geology is mainly the study of non-human-induced changes taking place throughout earth’s history. How could it better contribute to study climate changes?
Dr. Zaigham: It has been observed that the climate system is continually changing due to the extremely complex interactions among the various components of the Earth System as well as the external energy sources. In fact, the Earth spins around its inclined axis and simultaneously rotates around the sun. Top of it, it is further diagnosed by NASA that the sun with its whole solar system (inclusive of Earth) orbits around the center of the Milky Way Galaxy at an average velocity of 828,000 km/hr or 230 km/sec. Thus, it is deduced that the global climate variability will remain the consistent and complex phenomena controlled by these three, maybe more, movements as well as constantly varying impacts of the sun and other various celestial bodies as encountering on the orbital-way at the unknown varying periods of the very long-term orbital-journey around Milky Way Galaxy.
However, on the basis of the overall research assessment of our earth as a member of the present ‘Solar System’, it was identified that the ‘Earth System’ itself inherent four various complex functioning components or the mega “Spheres” (Figure-1), like:
the Lithosphere (i.e., solid earth) that includes all types of the exposed geological and geomorphological features and the whole inside of the earth;
the Atmosphere (i.e., the gaseous envelope surrounding the Earth) that extends about 560 km from the surface of the earth and comprises four different sub-spheres (i.e., troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, and thermosphere);
the Biosphere (all the concerning living organisms) that includes all living things, like the trees, the birds, the flies, the viruses, the animals and even the people who are the most notorious creature pocking their nose in all four the earth’s ‘spheres’; and
the Hydrosphere, that contains all the liquid, solid and gaseous water-types as rivers, lakes, snow, glaciers, icebergs, huge icecaps, ice caps, ice sheets, and ice shelves, permafrost, and seasonally frozen grounds, gulfs, seas, and oceans of earth inclusive of atmosphere & biosphere too.
A model shows Earth’s systems (spheres), energy source from the Sun & cosmic radiations from the celestial bodies of the universe. (Modified after Zaigham & Aburizaiza, 2019; Christopherson, 2005; Trewartha et al., 1977)
Interactively, all the spheres are dependent on each other, as indicated by the numbers and the arrows under the strict control of solar energy and its other cosmic radiations as well as from the other celestial bodies of the universe. Some of the nutshell deductions indicated some of the salient interactive effects, with reference to arrow and numbers plotted on the model, are described as follow:
1: the atmospheric chemistry and temperature effect the organisms on the biosphere;
2: the atmospheric chemistry and temperature effect the weathering of rocks on the lithosphere;
3: the atmospheric chemistry and temperature effect the evaporation of the hydrosphere;
4: the photosynthesis on the biosphere affects the concentration of the atmospheric CO2;
5: the plants aid weathering (physical and chemical) of rocks of the lithosphere;
6: the plants control water transfer from soil to atmosphere from the hydrosphere;
7: the weathering and erosion control nutrient supply to the life on land and in oceans;
8: the volcanic eruptions add CO2and aerosols to atmosphere;
9: the locations of continents control circulation pattern of oceans of the hydrosphere;
10: the rainfall and runoff erode the land surface;
11: the soil water limits the plants growth in biosphere;
12: the ocean circulation controls how much CO2 is removed from the atmosphere; and on and so forth.
These interconnected ‘spheres’ of the Earth System play the greatest and the most intriguing roles in describing many great things that make this planet habitable in terms of a) how the natural processes and cycles of the Earth work, and b) how human activities are effecting and changing them.
Practically, it was identified from the above discussion that all the four earth components and the external energy sources play key roles in a clear understanding of the creation of climate zones over our planet and its variability trends with respect to the passage of time periods. Thus, the earth has a variety of climatic zones right from the north-pole to the south-pole. These climatic zones have variable climatic variability trends within themselves individually too on micro, macro, and/or mega levels.
The climate of any area/region depends on the micro, macro, or regional impacts of various natural and/or anthropogenic factors, i.e., the distance from the sea, the ocean currents, the elevations (land relief or topography), latitude, atmospheric behavior (direction of prevailing winds and/or the el-Nina phenomena), distance from the equator, earth tectonic processes, celestial cosmic activities, axis inclination & rotation of the earth and other anthropogenic urban, industrial, global political interest, etc. The different combinations of these factors collectively affect the climate in short and/or long terms showing the varying climatic changes in regions accordingly.
[Note: Brief is taken and described with reference to Book entitled “Hydro-Tectonics & Fault-Zone Aquifers in Desert Terrains of Saudi Arabian Crystalline Shield”, written by Nayyer A. Zaigham & Omar S. Aburizaiza, ISBN# 9960-06-943-5, Published in 2019 by Scientific Publishing Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia]
Saadeqa: What do you think are the main reasons for earth’s climate fluctuation between cold and warm periods? How much earth’s tilt fluctuation relative to its orbital plane contributed to these changes?
Dr. Zaigham: Our knowledge about the earth’s natural system is limited, and still, we cannot claim that we have explored everything as discussed during your first question. In the past, scientific knowledge was almost blind-fated, and people were reluctant to accept new things that oppose their old traditional rigid beliefs. Today, we know that earth is moving around Sun, but in 1543, when Nicolas Copernicus detailed his radical theory of the Universe that the earth, along with the other planets, rotates around the Sun, he had to face widespread hate and outrage of some orthodox leaders over his theory.
Today we know that earth is not only revolving around Sun but also around its own axis as well as around Milky Way Galaxy. Such triple movements of Earth and the solar energy & cosmic radiations/currents from known and unknown celestial bodies may be creating a bit complicated climate & its variability trend(s). We are experiencing global climate changes and altered weather (especially the temperature and the rainfall/solid precipitation patterns in every part of the world due to new weather cycles that the earth has faced before during past geological historical periods. No doubt, the anthropogenic activities affect the Earth’s weather as well as the climate significantly, but varying region to region and human activity to activity.
The climate change effects are evident everywhere. The satellite images have helped to identify the climate changes in comparison with the past. For examples, current images show on-set of the drought in several parts of Europe and the Siberian regions.
NASA Image, released on June 26, 2020, revealed that the 2019-20 winter in Europe was the warmest on record, with little snow (Figure-2). The spring was also drier and warmer than normal, with a historic heatwave in the middle of May. Ultimately, it resulted in the long-term rainfall deficits, persisting heat waves, and increased evaporation, which have depleted some of the groundwater supply beneath central and eastern Europe.
NASA image released on June 26, 2020.
Even, eastern Siberia is famous for some of the coldest wintertime temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere, but in 2020, it has also been the region’s wildly high temperatures and wildfires as reflected by NASA Image released on June 26, 2020.
Similarly, the NASA image of March 25, 2020, shows the depleting growth trends of the Arctic sea ice as compared to long-term average levels due to regional winter warm for most of the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Nowadays, Antarctica is also being investigating for the increase of the earth’s temperature as the glaciers are melting faster than last few decades ago.
Likewise, in the 1970s and 80s, certain injurious chemicals were found to be accumulating in Earth’s stratosphere, where sunlight breaks them into components that destroy ozone. The ozone layer naturally absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the Sun, so less ozone in the stratosphere means greater risks for sunburn, skin cancer, and cataracts. The primary reason behind the increasing of severe drought periods and damage to the Ozone layer, particularly over the European & Arctic ice sea regions, is considered due to the massive industrial revolutions. However, NASA released a report on February 13, 2018, which described that the Earth’s ozone layer is slowly healing, and we now have proof that policy decisions have helped.
In the case of Pakistan, an article in ‘Nature-LETTERS/2006’ published led by Kerstin Treydte of the Swiss Federal Research Institute that identified two types of heavy oxygen trapped in the trees in northern areas. Based on the extracted cores of the trees, the yearly tree’s growth rings were assessed to estimate the ratio of normal to heavy oxygen. The end results of the study revealed that the yearly snowfall is stretching back more than 1,000-years in comparison to the local snowfall records. The phenomenon was further linked in an accompanying article in ‘Nature’ by Michael Evans of the Arizona, Tuscan, USA, who pointed out that the biggest increases in snowfall occurred in the last 150 years approximately coincident with the industrial revolution & greenhouse gas increases.
But in this connection, I gave my views in an interview-2006 to a local correspondent of SciDevNet, Aleem Ahmed, that was published on April 27, 2006. I told him that the increase in the snowfalls, as another explanation, could be the direct impact of the very huge flood-irrigation options by using the largest canal systems, barrages, dams, special linked-canal networks for the large-scale forming in the northern areas initially developed in the 1830s. It was pointed out that such that intensive irrigation practices coincide with the western ‘industrial revolution’. For more than 60-years or so, we have built, even are still building, a number of dams in the northern part of the country to retain the water there for more agriculture without adequately considering the southern part of the country. Consequently, the significant increase in the precipitations and decrease in the temperatures in the northern parts and decrease in precipitation and increase in the temperatures in the southern parts of the country were prevailing for a long time – causing the climatic discrimination by the unforeseen anthropogenic activities.
I have been working on it for several years, and my research concluded that the increasing earth’s temperature is not new; but even around 18 thousand years ago, the earth had experienced another climate cycle that completely altered its natural oldest system on the semi-global scale. We are working to figure out that what are the primary reasons behind these climate effects still.
Saadeqa: Do you agree that climate variations are mainly due to processes (man-made) occurring on earth, as contrasted to the Sun?
Dr. Zaigham: As I mentioned above, the atmosphere above the earth has different layers mainly responsible for the earth’s natural weather patterns. Humankind activities affected them directly due to which many parts of the world are experiencing little to no rainfall as compared to the past. Cyclones, tornados, and torrential rains are causing floods and massive destruction in the coastal regions.
Presently, Pakistan is also experiencing less rainfall, particularly Baluchistan (area-wise the largest province) and Sindh Province. Its economy is primarily dependent on agriculture, and thus, the low precipitation is gradually draining it out. Around 100 years ago while the discharge of Indus flow was about 150 cusecs within the delta region, there was an excellent irrigation model in & around the Indus Delta. But now, in the same areas, down to Kotri barrage, the water flow is usually much below the decided ‘limit of 10 cusecs of flow’ except the over-flooding time of Indus River. Moreover, many parts of Pakistan are experiencing much less than 100-millimeter rainfall (averaging to 50-mm) due to the onset of the climate changes due to the irrational divergence of the Indus River System to the northern parts of Indo-Pakistan in the form of huge canal networks, barrages, dams, and other much accusive water utilization option. That is why most of the northern areas of Pakistan have better climates as compared to the lower Sindh down to delta coastal region as well as the nearby areas of Baluchistan too.
The Tharparkar district, the part of the Greater Thar Desert, of Sindh province, once famous for its green-established large sand dunes, but now turned into a ‘lost desert ecosystem due to the man-made intensive interventional huge activities. We have started open-pit coal mining ventures in Thar, constructed the coal-fired power plants, and other linked urban & industrial development too. Considering the examples of such huge older urban & industrial developments in Europe, as discussed above, we will face or maybe, the verse repercussions. However, it has been assessed that these development projects will alter the total Thar’s ecosystem in terms of the annual rainfall, fauna & flora, grazing landscapes, agriculture lands, groundwater aquifers encountering from near-surface shallow down to different depth levels, even the deep-basement ones and etc. Moreover, it is also assessed that such enormous physical mining development activities may invoke strong seismicity directly within the Tharparkar region. Now, the Government, beneficiary companies, and NGOs are working to make the artificial ecosystem in Thar for irrigation and livelihood. In fact, the thing we are worst to visualize because once we, the humans, destroy a natural ecosystem, it could never be refixed.
Similarly, in our rural and mountainous regions of Pakistan, we blindly cut the forests that caused massive floods, glacier melting, and other severe climate changes accordingly. We need to learn that the earth’s natural system has its own ability to restraint. Likewise, the vivid coastal urban & industrial developments along the more than 1000-km long Pakistan coasts by reclamations of sea-lands likely appear to badly affect the coastal climate and other coastal-marine ecosystems too. The living example is the vast DHA urbanization in Karachi, as the people are now experiencing the side effects.
According to Dr. Zaigham, in our rural and mountainous regions of Pakistan, we blindly cut the forests that caused massive floods, glacier melting, and other severe climate changes accordingly.
In fact, urban development, including land-use changes, dense building developments, localized heat emissions, various human activities, etc., has a great impact on the local climate of a city. One of the best-known effects of urbanization is the urban heat island effect, which develops when urban cooling rates are slower than rural ones. Some of the main factors that may bring about the difference in temperatures between urban and rural areas, like as i: the high heat capacity of the buildings in the urban area compared to surrounding rural areas, resulting in more of the sun’s energy being absorbed and stored in urban; ii: the high-density buildings in urban areas block the view of the sky and reduce the heat release back to space; iii: the man-made heat emissions by buildings, air conditioning, transportation and industries in urban areas; and iv: the dense development in urban areas, which reduces wind speeds and inhibits causing suffocation. Ultimately, the urbanization effects collectively result in increasing the ‘greenhouse gas impacts’ causing randomness in annual precipitation. Karachi city is one of the best examples.
Saadeqa: Why do we need to implement a strict building code in Pakistan?
Dr. Zaigham: I have illustrated the situation with a minor example of the big residential built during about last decades, the 1970s-2021, along the Clifton coastal belt of Karachi, which shows that good fieldwork is essential while planning those megaprojects. Many of our planners don’t have sufficient knowledge of the risk assessment. In most cases, it is the main point of the disaster management policy worldwide. Having said that, several countries of the world including Pakistan are facing the worst disaster management. Like in Dubai, they have built shopping malls, hotels, resorts, and massive projects without giving importance to the environmental research against the business/financial plans or considering the side effects of the amazing mega-constructions within one of the worst desert ecosystems, which owe the Arabian/Persian Gulf, a very shallow marine body. Now, the climatic & other earth-related seismo-threats are gradually creeping up on the micro-macro levels. I have presented my research studies on Karachi-Clifton issues on 24th October 2007 at Urban Resource Center, Karachi and on the deterioration of the Arabian/Persian Gulf issue in 2012 at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Whether it is Karachi, Dubai, or any other big city of the world, a strict building code with proper fieldwork and risk assessment strategy is essential for the mega constructions. We can use modern computer technology for making a digital model before commencing construction work. I have worked on the groundwater system in Saudi Arabia, adjacent to these areas and still developing different climate models considering the present ongoing trends in comparison to historic to prehistoric ones – the amazing realities appear.
Moreover, in the case of Karachi, a book was written entitled “Seismic Zoning of Karachi & Recommendations for Seismic Design of Buildings in 2000 by A. Razzak Loya, Nayyer Alam Zaigham, Mushtaq A Dawood, and published jointly by the Association of Consulting Engineers, Pakistan (ACEP) and Karachi Building Control Authority (KBCA), which was taken as the approve ‘Building Codes’ for Karachi city. It is interesting to point out that in the recommendation section, it was advised to update the book-findings after five years by incorporation the precise mapping data of the land-fill areas of the mega Karachi city. So far, nobody has come forward from ACEP and/or KBCA, though the copies of the book are now out of stock and are not available for new engineers. One can imagine – how serious we are about safety issues!
Saadeqa: What is the status of geological research in Pakistan? Do our educational institutions provide modern tools and research facilities like remote sensing to the students and researchers?
Dr. Zaigham: You can figure out the status of geological research in Pakistan on your own with the statement that the geological survey of Pakistan is functional without a Director-General for more than two years. The universities are neither being providing modern research facilities and/or adequate research funds to the deserving students willing to undertake research projects on much-needed topics related to threats related to the seismotectonic and climatic change issues in the region.
Moreover, researchers and teachers are getting salaries that are insufficient to meet their basic necessities, so how could the researchers work peacefully when are trapped by the financial crisis.
It is a lacuna within under developing countries that when a senior professor got retired from a university, they toss him out like a spare part of society. The fact is different. In developed countries, the research persons of the universities are immediately taken as Emeritus Professors after having retired. I myself was appointed after retirement as Outstanding Research Professor, with full financial benefits & working facilities and high honor, by King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Still, I am linked with them and working on one or the other research issue.
However, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan can fully recharge its system with such experienced individuals to boost a research culture in Pakistan, especially in the education-cum-professional research sectors.
The image of the 6,000 years old amulet was discovered from Mehrgarh. PHOTO COURTESY: D. Bagault, C2RMF
A small amulet discovered from the ruins of Mehrgarh, an archaeological site in Balochistan, has been declared as the oldest known lost-wax cast object and its technology is still being used in the world, including by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa), to manufacture different metallic objects.
According to a PAPER published in NATURE COMMUNICATIONS – a well-cited primary research journal – the wood-wheel-shaped amulet is the first ever example of “lost-wax casting” still in practice.
The imperfect-shaped amulet looks green and rusty and was discovered in 1985 by Jean-François Jarrige, a French archaeologist who uncovered a Neolithic Mehrgarh site located near Sibi. But the discovery remained in the dark until it was shined by state-of-the-art lighting and imaging techniques.
The image shows the remains of mysterious Mehrgarh located near Sibi, Balochistan. PHOTO COURTESY: C. Jarrige, Mission Archéologique de l’Indus
By analyzing the light bounce back from the 2cm-wide amulet, physicist Mathieu Thoury from the French Synchrotron, and his colleagues concluded that the object was carved in a single piece, adding that they did not find any soldering parts even at the joints of the rods. Scientists observed the emitting lights from the amulet shows it was made by pure copper melted at 1,085 degrees Centigrade.
The lost wax casting method
Mehrgarh’s craftsmen used a simple but innovative way to mold the metals in their desired shape. First, they made a copy of the object with any material having a low melting point, most probably a lump of beeswax; encased it in soft clay to form a mold, which was then heated or baked to harden.
Finally, the molted metal, such as copper, was poured which melted the wax replaced the metal. After the cooling process and smashing the clay model, they got their once-piece metal object. This process is also called “investment casting” and is still used in the making of delicate jewelry and small parts of space crafts.
With some advancement, the process was also used to create parts of the Messenger spacecraft which orbited Mercury between 2011 and 2015. It is also used to make numerous metallic parts of the International Space Station.
Speaking to Express News, the key author of the paper, Mathieu Thoury, said: “It is a first discovery which shows the major metallurgy method of lost-wax cast and may have been adopted by other civilisations later on – such as Mesopotamia.”
According to the author, the amulet was carved from pure copper found in native areas.
Mehrgarh – the home of innovation
Mehrgarh was a remarkable site where according to some reports, first-ever dentists were found, and cotton was weaved for the first time. In April 2006, a team of French scholars revealed that the Stone Age man used flint drills for boring teeth some 9,000 years ago. French archaeologist Christophe Moulherat and his colleague analyzed a total of 11 drilled teeth collected from a Mehrgarh graveyard.
In 2002, Moulherat discovered several threads preserved by mineralisation, which are the earliest known examples of cotton thread. The cotton fibres were preserved in copper beads and the study suggested that Mehrgarh was home for textile making.
Sadly, much of the part of this important site has been destroyed due to tribal clashes.
The article was originally published in Express Tribune and re-sharing on the permission of author Suhail Yusuf.
This year has seen a lot of traffic diving and descending into the Martian Surface. The recent successful touchdown of China’s Zhurong Rover (meaning God of Fire) – a six-foot-long robot armed with different kinds of spectrophotometric and optical devices – has become the second rover to land on the surface of the red planet.
Zhurong Rover, which landed on Saturday, was released by China’s Tianwen-1 spacecraft, which was orbiting the Red planet for the last few months, studying its atmosphere and mapping its surface topography.
The successful touchdown is a remarkable achievement making China the first nation to land successfully on the Red planet in the first attempt. The milestone is difficult to achieve due to a staggering distance of 323.8 million kilometers between Earth and Mars, making remote controlling a susceptible task. This huge distance means the radio message from the lander and rover takes almost 18 minutes to reach the control room on earth. The Zhurong vehicle used a combination of different techniques to descend on the surface of our neighbor successfully. It deployed its protective capsule, a parachute, and a rocket platform to make the descend.
Before this touchdown, only the Americans had gained the mastery to land on Mars successfully. All other nations and space agencies tried either crashed or lost control or contact with their vehicles soon after touchdown.
After a time lag of 17 nerve-breaking minutes, the rover sent back the signal after successfully deploying its solar panels. Zhurong, which landed on Utopia Planitia, a vast terrain on the planet’s Northern hemisphere, will try to spend almost 90 Martian days and keep studying the planet’s geology.
Zhurong is 2000 kilometers away from NASA’s Perseverance landing site and its Ingenuity helicopter in Jezero Crater. The American and Chinese spacecraft was actually beaten by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Hope, an orbiter that reached the Martian atmosphere on February 9, a few days before it got American and Chinese companions on the red planet.
Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA’s associate administrator for science, offered his congratulations to China. “Together with the global science community, I look forward to the important contributions this mission will make to humanity’s understanding of the Red Planet,” he wrote on Twitter.
Unlike other months of Islamic calendar, every year Ramazan and Shawwal brings a lot of hustle, disturbance and of course highlight the major flaws in our system. Pakistan’s image has been severely affecting for a decade or so over multiple celebrations of Eid in different parts of the country specially in KPK, it is now a routine that they start fasting one day earlier from the entire country and celebrate Eid a day before everyone. Last night while live session of the central Royat e Hilal committee was going on but things getting complicated as its went long, in presence of no clear evidence of moon sighting from around the country the Committee continue its session and declared Eid late night. The decision has proved wrong when today people witnessed moon in different parts around the country.
Scientia Pakistan has reached out to the renowned pioneer of Astronomy in Pakistan and Former Director Institute of Space Science & Technology at the University of Karachi, Dr. M Shahid Qureshi, to analyze the situation. According to Dr. Qureshi, ”
The birth of the Shawwal moon had taken place on the night between May 11 and May 12, 6 seconds before midnight Pakistan time (May 11 at 11:59:54 PM).
The state of the crescent at sunset in Karachi on the evening of May 12 was as under:
Sunset 19:07:08
Crescent sunset 19:42:47
The difference between sunset 35 minutes 97 seconds.
Omar Hilal (age of crescent) 18 hours 59 minutes and 52 seconds.
The crescent will set in just 35 minutes and 39 seconds after sunset.
At sunset, the crescent will be only 7.5 degrees above the horizon.
In addition, the width of the crescent was only 9 arc seconds (only 9 parts out of 3600 parts of 1 degree).
In these circumstances, the crescent could not be visible in Pakistan even with the help of binoculars. However, in these circumstances, evidence of the appearance of the Eid moon often comes, especially from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as happened this year too. For some time now, similar testimonies have been coming from Gwadar and Pasni. Such testimonies need to be examined scientifically. Because scientifically, the crescent is unlikely to be visible without binoculars. From the current scientific point of view, it was nearly impossible to see the crescent from any part of Pakistan through binoculars on May 12. Further, the phase of the moon was no more than 0.5% in Pakistan. It was photographed through a telescope in Turkey with difficulty where its phase had increased to 0.7% and was not seen with the naked eye.
And on the same day, the crescent in Makkah was set in 39 minutes and 12 seconds after sunset. At sunset, the crescent was 8.4 degrees above the horizon. The crescent was likely to be seen through binoculars in Saudi Arabia this evening. Traditionally, the Saudi Council announces the appearance of the crescent in these circumstances.
The above diagram is for 2021 May 12 and exhibits more shaded regions than those found on the map for 2021 May 11. Consequently, a larger fraction of the surface of the Earth will be able to observe the crescent Moon with ease. But, not visible within Pakistan. Credits: http://astro.ukho.gov.uk/
Dr. Prof. Shahid Qureshi also delves deeper into the motions of lunar physics, how they change as beautiful celestial sightings.
The Moon phase cycle varies from 29.2 days to 29.8 days. The average is 29.53 days. However, the variation is not periodic, still, it creates a wonderful phenomenon.
There may be 3 consecutive lunar months each of 29 days. This mostly happens when the lunar phase cycle remains close to its minimum of 29.2 days.
There can be 4 consecutive lunar months each of 30 days. This happens when the lunar phase cycle remains close to its maximum of 29.8 days.
In case of 1, first of the 29 day crescent in the evening of bright and wide enough and stays longer over horizon. It looks like a 30 day crescent. The second of the 29 day crescent is less bright, less wide and stays on horizon for a shorter period. The third of the consecutive 29 day crescent is the thinnest and faintest and remains above horizon for shortest time. But this pattern of 3 consecutive 29 day crescent may not follow this sequence every time it occurs as lots of perturbations are involved. Usually people think that every 29 day crescent is like this third one which is a wrong perception.
In the case 2, first of the 30 day crescent may be thin, faint and short period. The second a brighter wider and long period and so on. Again in case of 4 consecutive 30 day crescents may not follow this sequence due to perturbations mentioned earlier.
The occurrence of such consecutive 29 day or 30 day crescents is not periodic and do not occurr very frequently.
Now lunar phase cycle variation (from minimum 29.2 to maximum 29.8) is not frequent and the period of phase cycles may remain close to its average 29.53, then mostly lunar months follow a pattern of alternate 29-day new crescent followed by a 30-day new crescent. When this occurs the 30-day new crescent is bright, wide, and stays longer in the sky and an occasional/casual observer thinks as this “OH LOOK AT THAT…IT IS 2ND DAY MOON”.
“But, in reality, it’s the 1st DAY of Moon”
For today, May 13, 2021: Below are stunning photographs we sorted out around Pakistan.
Cosmic Tribe’s Achievement Unlocked! Dark Skies Gaze Back, which is an Interdisciplinary Art & Sciences exhibition has been recognized internationally by International Dark-Sky Association. Cosmic Tribe is also the first Pakistani Associate Member organization of the International Astronomical Artist Association working on Space & Astronomical Art.
The collaborative project focused on exploring the connection between effects of lights, sustainable fashion, digital design, and surveillance. The work was executed by IAU Dark Skies Ambassador & IDA (International Dark Sky Association) Advocate – Rayan Khan (Founder of Cosmic Tribe) and Ayesha M. Ali (Visual Artist), who designed a rebellious artistic expression through facial jewelry and costumes.
The goal was to share the message of the impact of artificial lights especially on the psychological health of the post-millennial generation. “Dark Skies Gaze Back” aimed at producing a visual exploration through experimentation by fusing traditional and digital techniques to talk about abstract ideas of light and its unseen effects in our life.
The collaborative project focused on exploring the connection between effects of lights, sustainable fashion, digital design, and surveillance.
The completion and execution took 8 months but because of setbacks by COVID-19, the exhibition was postponed earlier. But the situation was also incorporated into the work especially in observing the drastic impacts of artificial lights on psychological health during the whole quarantine period of COVID-19, which disrupted the entire world including physical activities and induced the need for a virtual experience.
The inspiration is highlighted in a curatorial note, “While working for the cause of Light Pollution during the past 8 months, we tried to understand and investigate its effects on our environment and our bodies through multiple art forms and different mediums of representation. The effects include but are not limited to depression, anxiety, disturbance of biological clock and sleep patterns, irregularity of the circadian rhythm which we have tried to showcase as a journey, or a pross that we went through.”
Serotonin, also known as 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is a neurotransmitter playing an essential role in transmitting signals between the nerve cells (neurons). In the brain, serotonin is believed to be a key factor in memory building and mood regulation, for which it is widely known as the happy hormone. It is noteworthy that a major proportion of the body’s serotonin (about 90%) is found in the gut and not in the brain. The intestines are responsible for most of the body’s serotonin production, where serotonin is necessary for healthy digestion. Elsewhere in the body, serotonin also regulates sleep, sexual function, bone health, and blood clotting. It is produced by the serotonergic neurons and is responsible for transmitting signals from one nerve cell to another. This subsequently activates a secondary intracellular messenger cascade producing an excitatory or inhibitory response, relaxing the brain.4,5
Serotonin in the brain
Only 1-2% of the body’s natural production of serotonin (happy hormone) occurs in the brain. The serotonergic neurons found clustered in the middle of the brain are a unique source of serotonin forming the serotonergic system. Once produced, serotonin commonly gets stored in the presynaptic vesicles of the serotonergic neurons. Upon activation of the neuron by nerve impulses, serotonin gets released into the synaptic cleft (the space separating two neurons), subsequently binding to postsynaptic receptors. These postsynaptic receptors can be G-couple protein receptors or ligand-gated ion channels, leading to activation of another intracellular messenger cascade producing different types of excitatory or inhibitory responses in the brain.
Fig.1 Summarises the chemical cycle of serotonin and it’s behavioural impact on human body which will be discussed in detail in this paper.6
The production of these responses results in a relaxing effect in the brain, proving serotonin as the body’s natural “feel-good” chemical. It is important to note that serotonin cannot cross the blood-brain barrier, making it essential for the brain to produce its own serotonin. The latter makes it impossible to measure brain serotonin levels as they are totally independent of blood serotonin levels. Hence, mental health interventions do not supply serotonin directly but aid an increase in serotonin levels indirectly through triggering related chemical reactions.10
Several studies investigated the effect of brain serotonin levels on mood through a technique called acute tryptophan depletion (ATD). It is believed that once in the central nervous system, tryptophan gets hydroxylated to 5-hydroxytryptophan, which subsequently gets decarboxylated into serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT).11 Hence, lowering tryptophan levels in the diet would lower serotonin production in the brain allowing the ATD technique to reveal behavioral effects of brain serotonin levels.
Clinical studies have shown that healthy and never-depressed volunteers with an established familial history of depression. showed clear mood abnormalities upon depletion of dietary tryptophan.12,13 Moreover, the temporary lowering of dietary tryptophan in remitted depressed patients resulted in a relapse of acute depression.14-16 Interestingly, dietary tryptophan depletion in never-depressed healthy volunteers without familial history of depression showed little to no effect on mood.17,18 Moreover, healthy women showed more susceptibility to mood-lowering upon tryptophan depletion than healthy men.19 These findings reveal that people with pre-existing vulnerabilities in the serotonergic system were more vulnerable tryptophan challenge, making it evident that lower tryptophan and serotonin levels contribute towards lowered mood states.
Poor sleep and sexual activity, serotonin at play?
Apart from lowering the mood, low serotonin levels are also linked with poor sleep and sexual activity. The same ATD technique was used to investigate the impact of lower brain serotonin levels on sleep quality. Various studies on mice models and zebrafish showed that increased brain serotonin levels increased the body’s homeostatic sleep pressure, resulting in improved sleep compared to lower brain serotonin levels.20 Interestingly, high levels of serotonin in the brain downregulate human sexual activity.
Fig.2 Highlights the essentiality of healthy dietary intake for improved mental health as mentioned above.26
The inhibitory role of the body’s naturally produced chemical 5-HT (serotonin) and the anti-depressants that increase brain serotonin levels on human sexual activity is well-evident from different studies performed in rat and mice models as well as in humans. 5-HT is found to elevate the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) and decrease extracellular dopamine (a feel-good hormone) during sexual activity hence downregulating it. Together these findings are of great clinical value for depressed patients regularly utilizing anti-depressants and experiencing behavioral side-effects. 21
Serotonin in the Guts
It is estimated that 90% of the serotonin in the human body is stored in the Enterochromaffin (EC) cells located in gut epithelia. EC cells storing the largest 5-HT (serotonin) pool release it into the gut lumen in response to various stimuli.22 For example, nutrients such as fatty acids, glucose, and some acids and bases have been evidenced to induce the release of 5-HT (serotonin) from EC cells.23 Upon being secreted, the serotonin gets absorbed by the circulating platelets, subsequently causing intestinal contractions. The excess serotonin enters the bloodstream interacting with blood platelets, where the platelets absorb and store until the clots form. Upon clot formation, the serotonin gets re-released into the bloodstream hence regulating homeostasis and blood clotting.24 The mentioned findings highlight the essential role played by serotonin in regulating normal body functions.
Where else is the happy hormone found outside the body?
The happy hormone lies right there in tryptophan-rich protein-based foods, including meats such as salmon, and turkey which are rich tryptophan sources. It is also evident that dairy products such as eggs are boosters of blood plasma tryptophan levels. Cheese is also a great source of tryptophan. Fruits such as bananas and pineapples are also serotonin boosters. Most interestingly, all sorts of nuts and seeds are also vibrant sources of tryptophan, a raw product for serotonin production.25 Hence, apart from the body’s natural serotonin production, tryptophan intake through the mentioned foods would essentially increase serotonin levels. This would subsequently improve the body’s normal functioning and improve one’s mental health naturally without taking anti-depressants that possess various side effects when used in the long term.
References:
Frazer A, Hensler JG. Serotonin involvement in physiological function and behavior. In: Siegel GJ, Agranoff BW, Albers RW, et al., editors. Basic Neurochemistry: Molecular, Cellular, and Medical Aspects. 6th edition. Philadelphia: Lippincott-Raven; 1999.
Lv J, Liu F. The role of serotonin beyond the central nervous system during embryogenesis. Front Cell Neurosci. 2017;11. doi:10.3389/fncel.2017.00074
David DJ, Gardier AM, [The pharmacological basis of the serotonin system: Application to antidepressant response]. L’Encephale. 2016 Jun; [PubMed PMID: 27112704]
Smith C, Smith M, Cunningham R, Davis S, Recent Advances in Antiemetics: New Formulations of 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists in Adults. Cancer nursing. 2019 Jan 25; [PubMed PMID: 30688665]
Serotonin and Its Unusual Role In The Brain [Internet]. Home.hellodriven.com. Available from: https://home.hellodriven.com/serotonin-role-in-brain.html
Kling A (2013). 5-HT2A: a serotonin receptor with a possible role in joint diseases (PDF) (Thesis). Umeå Universitet. ISBN 978-91-7459-549-9.
Cao L, Hu R, Xu T, Zhang Z, Li W, Lu J. Characterization of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Human Serotonergic Neurons. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience. 2017;11.
Jenkins TA, Nguyen JC, Polglaze KE, Bertrand PP. Influence of tryptophan and serotonin on mood and cognition with a possible role of the gut-brain axis. Nutrients. 2016;8(1):56. doi:10.3390/nu8010056
Serotonin: Function, uses, SSRIs, and sources [Internet]. Medicalnewstoday.com. 2021 [cited 25 April 2021]. Available from: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232248
Fernstrom J.D., Fernstrom M.H. Exercise, serum-free tryptophan, and central fatigue. J. Nutr. 2006;136:553S–559S
Feder, A.; Skipper, J.; Blair, J.R.; Buchholz, K.; Mathew, S.J.; Schwarz, M.; Doucette, J.T.; Alonso, A.; Collins, K.A.; Neumeister, A.; et al. Tryptophan depletion and emotional processing in healthy volunteers at high risk for depression. Biol. Psychiatry 2011, 69, 804–807. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Van der Veen, F.M.; Evers, E.A.T.; Deutz, N.E.P.; Schmitt, J.A.J. Effects of acute tryptophan depletion on mood and facial emotion perception related to brain activation and performance in healthy women with and without a family history of depression. Neuropsychopharmacology2007, 32, 216–224. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
Booij, L.; van der Does, A.J.W.; Haffmans, P.M.J.; Riedel, W.J.; Fekkes, D.; Blom, M.J.B. The effects of high-dose and low-dose tryptophan depletion on mood and cognitive functions of remitted depressed patients. J. Psychopharmacol.2005, 19, 267–275. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
For a country like Pakistan, where astronomy is still not a very popular area of study, directly impacting the unawareness of the general public and on the bright side an opportunity for a somewhat industrial country to tackle and have legislation on Light Pollution.
The ‘Cosmic Tribe’, is one of the emerging and authentic social entrepreneurship startups in Pakistan. They have a lot of focus on advance and charming areas of science & arts, from aviation to astronomical education and public outreach. Most importantly, they advocate and spread awareness on the postmodern issue ofLight Pollution, which has really impacted the overall ecosystem of the Planet.
For a country like Pakistan, where astronomy is still not a very popular area of study, directly impacting the unawareness of the general public and on the bright side an opportunity for a somewhat industrial country to tackle and have legislation on Light Pollution. At this initial and crucial stage, where the country already has very low rankings on “Light Pollution”, this is what inspired by the Cosmic Tribe and its founders & community members.
Most recently, Cosmic Tribe hosted one of the first International Dark Sky Week in Pakistan virtually, where very selective, yet highly creative people were invited, to share their work and stories.
International Dark Sky Week by Cosmic Tribe
For instance, from Honk Kong, Exodus Sit (Member International Committee of International Dark-Sky Association, and National Astronomy Education Coordinator (Chair of Hong Kong) of International Astronomical Union) shared his ideas for Astropreuners, from promoting at first Astronomy as a Popular Science, talking about the theory of multiple intelligences: combing STEM and ART based interdisciplinary approach for the inclusion of all types of people, to participate and be a part of the Astro-community and using technology as a tool to go with your message individually locally and international.
The next day, Chris Wade (Member of International Association of Astronomical Artists), who is a Rocket Artist, creating masterpieces of Space-based facts with artistic illustrations, to have a huge detail in his work spreading the exploration and big thoughtful questions, of how mankind has explored the Solar System and Beyond.
Left to Right: Chris Wade (Member International Association of Astronomical Artists), Ayesha M. Ali (Co-founder Cosmic Tribe), Rayan Khan (Founder Cosmic Tribe)
Later the founder of Cosmic Tribe had the most excited person onboard “Marlin”, a future Author/Speaker and IAU Dark Skies Ambassador, who talked about his upcoming book, “Astrotourism: Star Gazers, Eclipse Chasers, and the Dark Sky Movement”, the book explores how stars are gone, when artificial lights spread all over the planet, polluting the traveling “Star Lights”, how he has been working with different communities and the Yellowstone National Park to get ‘Light’ level certified. So, Astrotourists and observatories can work and enjoy the Dark Skies in peace and tranquility.
While in Malaysia, Emma Zulaiha Zulkifi highlighted her work on Dark Skies, as Directs: Dark Sky Malaysia, how she grew up seeing the unpopularity of Dark Skies in Malaysia, how many places can be used for Astronomy Tourism, how people love seeing this all. Later how she joins IAU and Light Pollution Advocacy to spread more awareness about light pollution by hosting meteor shower events, star gazing, and including a science curriculum for schools, how schools books have water, air, noise pollution, but the absence of Light Pollution.
The Cosmic Tribe hosted all the social changes and people who are trying to secure and protect the beauty of Dark Skies, in the last days of the event, they hosted Sergio Emilio Montufar Codoner, an astrophotographer who says that unfortunately there are around 80% of the world regions are full of light pollution and it’s now the right time to certify important region as designated Dark Skies with the inclusion of Kramer Dahl, a San Fransisco based Board Certified Music Therapist, who believes that music is the way to breathe and he uses Dark Skies Yoga to better concentrate, to play and dream, how this requires him to advocate the need of Dark Skies, while he played one of the beautiful tones, that was soothing for the listers, including the traditional and ancient “OM”.
At last, the story of the Dark Sky Defender: Rayan Khan was shared starting how he educated an advance and narrowly known subject of ‘Light Pollution’ among the audience by “Wearing Black and Turning Off the Lights” making people understand experimentally and artistically.
Co-founders Cosmic Tribe together with theme costume of Darkness to spread awareness about the Light Pollution.
Further, how in Pakistan, he went on to change his career from being a successful Aircraft Maintenance Engineer to studying Astronomy formally and founding different forums and societies, till the birth of Cosmic Tribe with his artistic and stem abilities, how he couldn’t find stars while living in the so-called “City of Lights” i-e Karachi, hoe very lesser people know about the topic, how he thinks that dark places in Pakistan can be used for Dark Tourist opportunities, how he wants the bring the attention of people, in the region, how his efforts as the IAU Dark Skies Ambassador have been so far, a truly inspiring story for me as I’m writing this down, blogging this entire event.
Rayan Khan (Founder of Cosmic Tribe, IAU Dark Skies Ambassador, National Node of Light.org)
The entire week was advocating and impacting, as different interdisciplinary approaches were highlighted to spread awareness about light pollution, how people can make our Dark Skies lesser vulnerable, how humanity: people from the different regions believe in the same essence of nature, how perseverance to preserve this dark heritage is important. How we can save our Dark Skies to know the Universe astronomically and let the light of stars enter into our lives.
If you’ve missed any of the segments, you can follow up on the entire International Dark Sky Week at:
A UAE-based Pakistani Student, Aliza Ayaz, has been recently appointed as the UN envoy for sustainable development goals. United Nations Goodwill Ambassadors and Messengers of Peace are distinguished individuals, carefully selected from the fields, who have agreed to help focus worldwide attention on the work of the United Nations to improve the lives of billions of people everywhere.
Ms. Ayaz is the second Pakistani student to be selected as a United Nations Youth Ambassador for SDGs alongside Malala Yousafzai. She is also the first-ever international representative at the UK House of Lords. Aliza is a student of Masters in Infectious Disease Epidemiology in a joint program with University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Alongside, she works with NHS CCGs (Clinical Commissioning Groups) to create sustainable change across the hospital pathway through data-driven insights and on-the-ground implementation of solutions to improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare.
Below are excerpts of Aliza’s recent conversation with our team member Fouz Siddiqui:
Having lived in Abu Dhabi & Dubai, Aliza is familiar with Middle Eastern culture and local sociopolitical set-up. Outside of work, Aliza chairs the Climate Action Society and enjoys horse-riding.
How do you feel after your recent appointment as the UN’s youth ambassador to help promote their SDGs? What would be your priorities?
Aliza: “It’s a massive honor. To be given this responsibility at just 21 is incredible. It’s unreal.”
In terms of priorities: COVID-19 is spreading human suffering, destabilizing the global economy, and upending the lives of billions of people around the globe. The pandemic is an unprecedented wake-up call, laying bare deep inequalities and exposing precisely the failures addressed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Aliza is also the first-ever international representative at the UK House of Lords
Leveraging this moment of crisis, when usual policies and social norms have been disrupted, bold steps can steer the world back on track towards the Sustainable Development Goals. This is the time for a change, for a profound systemic shift to a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet. The Sustainable Development Goals are vital for a recovery that leads to greener, more inclusive economies and stronger, more resilient societies. Click on each goal to read more.
Fouz: You have been working as the student advocate for the health and the environment. What do you think Pakistani students are effectively playing their role in such activities and resolving these issues?
Aliza: I hope my experience of climate advocacy for young people is an example. This is why I put so much time, energy and effort into what I do. It’s not fluff.
I recommend that the youth try reaching audiences with an environmental message, make each interaction relatable to society as a whole. As this generation are and will be, most affected by climate change they need to be involved in the discussions on future environmental policy.
Current decision-making processes have excluded young people, but with the UK hosting COP26 later this year, we need to take the lead in putting young people center stage. Post-COVID, important decisions will be taken on future investments in infrastructure and the economy – including the next generation of leaders in this process is essential as they will need to buy into, own and drive those solutions forward. Work with companies, be it Nestle, Unilever, EFU, or Food Panda, pitch a sustainability job to them and tell them you are the asset that will make it happen:
The pandemic has exposed inequalities in society with significant negative impacts on Black and Asian communities in particular. We need to expand our understanding of why this is and develop policies to address these disparities. Such lessons are indeed relevant and translate to policymaking in climate change; we must ensure a just and equitable transition to a green economy.
Aliza presenting at a symposium organized by UCL Climate Action Society
Fouz: Major part of Pakistan has been under thick fog for more than two months due to less rain and climate changes. What steps are integral to better cope with this situation next winter? ( the Questionnaire was made at the end of February 2021, when major parts of Pakistan was under a thick blanket of fog)
Aliza: More research to dissect the fog patterns. It’s not entirely climate change, and it’s not an entirely natural change of seasons. There are few measurements of aerosol composition in Lahore’s fog water chemistry, for example. Are there studies that potentially suggest strong variations in geographic and seasonal signatures that reflect air parcel bidirectional trajectories across marine and terrestrial surfaces?
The scientific phenomenon is that fog forms as atmospheric aerosol particles absorb moisture and water condenses into droplets around these cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). CCN that readily attracts moisture can initiate droplet formation at relative humidities as low as 33%. The reactivity and degree of water affinity of fog CCN become potentially even more complex when considering back trajectories of air masses over industrial and urban landscapes. If we tap into this area, we can actually understand how to tackle fog immediately and use it to communal benefit without worrying about the massive infrastructural and slow government changes needed to reduce pollution, which by the way, are also super important.
Fouz: Do you agree with the environmental policy of Pakistan and think that we are doing great to deal with the alarming situation in the upcoming summer?
Aliza: I think it’s progressive, but has various loose ends.
The good things: Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives (MoP & SI), Government of Pakistan, Planning & Development Departments of provincial governments with the support of UNDP – Pakistan has launched a five years joint project of “National Initiative for Sustainable Development Goals to institutionalize 2030 Agenda.
At the national level, the Federal SDGs Support Unit was established at the ministry with the mandate to ensure early institutionalization of SDGs to provide coordination and advisory to respective ministries and line departments. Technical experts of relevant fields are part of the unit, including Social Advisor, Economic Advisor, I.T/ Data Analyst, Research Analyst, M&E Officer, Admin & Finance Officer, and Communications Specialist.
Aliza advises to make climate action an experience that people cannot forget about
The initiative brings together the planning, financing, and statistical institutions to work collectively to lay the foundation of SDGs implementation in the country. The institutional mechanism for coordination & oversight and management arrangements can be well explained through the below-mentioned overall structure of the project.
BUT there is no combined unit working on the actual activities to support SDGs implementation.
Fouz: What advice would you like to share with young people worldwide on Sustainability and Climate Action?
Aliza: After learning that temperatures in the Middle East were increasing more than twice the global average, I was horrified when I talked to my relatives and realized that they were unaware of the ramifications of the climate crisis. They didn’t really understand how important it was that we all work together to advocate for climate action and for our governments to be working to minimize our effects on the climate crisis. So I set about trying to educate them by translating climate material into Urdu. The large population in Pakistan speaks the local language – Urdu. A lot of the translations that I did were morally explaining in Urdu what climate change is, how it works, and why it’s so damaging. I also worked with my mum to translate articles or important information that I found online into Urdu and then sent it to them.
And, I mean, I think it was really needed because they realized, “Oh, this is an impending disaster or a disaster that’s already happening,” so they have become a lot more eco-conscious; they’ve tried to minimize their carbon footprint. They try to be a lot more sustainable overall. Most importantly, they’ve tried to educate others in their community. Iran also signed onto the Paris Climate Accord, and even though they haven’t ratified it yet, it is definitely a step forward.
I have realized that since I was able to have such a great impact by myself educating a group of people, that other people could do the same thing.
So CAS was born from my experiences translating climate information. The way that CAS works is that we give students community service hours for translating climate information into different campaigns: recycling, Veg food, urban redevelopment.
In a nutshell, my advice is to build experiences for people. Make climate action an experience that they cannot forget about. By doing all of this, I think that we’re really going to be reaching new demographics of people, especially people of color.
