|
"To
waste, to destroy our natural resources,
to skin and exhaust the land instead
of using it so as to increase its
usefulness, will result in undermining
in the days of our children the very
prosperity which we ought by right
to hand down to them amplified and
developed".
US
President Theodore Roosevelt
Seventh Annual Message
3rd December 1907
|
|
|
Gulf of Mannar
- the Last Pristine Refuge in the South
Courtesy: University of California
(UCSB)
The studies
of human impact on global oceans have just been
released. They suggest that the current patterns
of development have produced areas, which have
in effect become 'dead zones' where life just
persists. In other cases the condition of coral
reefs, sea grass ecosystems and coastal mangroves
provide the indicators of the level of degradation.
Studies by the University of California and
Stanford University have demonstrated the rate
of loss and mapped this loss globally. Read
more…
Gulf of Mannar's
Spiritual and Scientific Relevance to the Earth
The Gulf of
Mannar -- located on the southeastern tip of
India in the state of Tamil Nadu -- is one of
the world's special biodiversity hotspots with
exceptional terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
It is also important culturally, containing
Adam's Bridge, also known as Ram Sethu, which
is a partially submerged isthmus connecting
India to Sri Lanka and is sacred to the Hindu
faith. The Gulf's limestone reefs form an essential
habitat for the fabled Pearl oyster beds, source
of the fabulous treasures of ancient Egypt,
Greece and Rome.
The Gulf of
Mannar is now threatened by the Sethusamudram
Ship Channel Project (SSCP)… Were the project
to proceed, it would alter the ecology of the
region, destroy traditional livelihoods and
would challenge the survival of numerous endangered
species. Read more…
Gulf of Mannar UNESCO World Heritage Site
A growing number of environmental and cultural
organizations from across the globe are coming
together to promote an unprecedented international
campaign calling for permanent cancellation
of the SSCP and to have the Gulf of Mannar designated
as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In November
2008, the groups will be meeting for the "Gulf
of Mannar International Meeting" in London
to provide a forum for The Gulf of Mannar, and
formulate a hard hitting, ambitious campaign
for its total protection. Read
more…
|
