Need to focus on renewable energy
Environment minister Nilesh Cabral has reportedly said on Monday that Goa consumes the highest amount of fossil fuel in the country in proportion to the population. He said that if we are to reduce the use of fossil fuel, we need to focus on green energy or renewable energy. Clean energy means that which does not release pollutants into the air, and renewable energy comes from sources that are constantly being replenished, such as hydropower, wind power or solar energy.
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Using more renewable energy can lower the prices of and demand for natural gas and coal and increased reliance on renewable energy can help protect consumers when there is rise in the price of fossil fuel as was recently experienced. Renewable energy comes from infinite sources that will never run out. Environmental and economic benefits of using renewable energy include generating energy that produces no greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and reduces some types of air pollution.
It is learnt that Iceland obtains 100% of the electricity it needs from renewable energy sources. Iceland is somewhat unique since volcanic activity on the island provides a significant geothermal energy source that is utilised to provide approximately one-quarter of the country’s electricity. Atomic energy, solar energy, and energy from wind and biofuels are just a few of the promising alternatives for a cleaner and greener future.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
Foreign policy must
reflect domestic one
The BJP party has stated that it is against any ideology that insults or demeans any sect or religion and is committed to make India a great country where all are equal and everyone lives with dignity in line with our civilisation heritage and strong cultural traditions of unity in diversity. They have suspended their national spokesperson and expelled the head of their media cell whilst the MEA has called them fringe elements and disassociated India from their remarks. This only after the Gulf countries, Indonesia (reportedly 14 nations) even contemplated boycotting Indian goods and the OIC called on the UNO to take action.
Our stated policy apparently does not jell with the present forces not satisfied with the 1991 and Ram temple Babri Masjid rulings of the Supreme Court for bringing peace and stability, ending long standing animosity and religious disputes of past historical wrongs!
The domestic atmosphere is vitiated with hate speeches and minority persecution. Terrorism, death threats and fear resulting will diminish if the ruling party changes its mindset of a professed Hindu Rashtra and believes what has been stated as its policy!
What is more, the people of India can then stand together. It is high time the Prime Minister brings trust and credibility by publicly and verbally reconciling the foreign and domestic policies in word and deed to reflect reality for all the people of India.
John Eric Gomes, Porvorim
Is it the end of the
road for BSNL?
Under the BJP rule at the Centre, the functioning of various vital organisations has collapsed. BSNL is one of them with its telephone services across Goa in a state of flux. A lot of phones have been dead for the last few years. Even the telephones at many government offices are not functioning. In times when communication technology has been advancing everywhere, sadly the BSNL telephone services in Goa are in utter dire straits.
The functioning of the BSNL offices and exchanges is in shambles; an unacceptable state of affairs and a clear indication of bad governance. Nobody knows what is happening to BSNL and its future. It is high time that the now dysfunctional BSNL which has been in total disarray gets its act together. People are entitled to know as to what is in store for BSNL. Whether the government has any plans to resuscitate it.
Progress and Development claimed by the Government cannot be just on paper and mere loud talk as the people need to experience and feel that real change for the better.
Aires Rodrigues, Ribandar
Extreme red tape
The medal to mark the Grammy nomination of music composer Ricky Kej who went on to win the Best New Age Album honour at the 64th Grammy awards this year has remained elusive for the Bangalore legend for over two months now. The medal was stuck with the customs as the paper-work (the courier company was supposed to submit a ‘bill of entry’ for customs clearance) to get it released was lacking. The matter was fast tracked and sorted only after the composer highlighted the issue on social media. It is a matter of shame that bureaucratic red tape came in the way of the artist and country enjoying the highest honour in music and this is supposed to be Digital India where things purportedly move at the speed of light.
When most countries have replaced paper work with bits and bytes I don’t see the reason why physical documents have to be submitted to clear a medal, we are loving in the Stone Ages still.
Vinay Dwivedi, Benaulim
Textbook revision raising eyebrows
Following the school textbook row, the Karnataka government courted more controversy by dropping its plans to update the Pre-University (PU) course material. The government had assigned the job of revising PU textbooks to the Rohith Chakrathirtha committee, whose shoddy work on school textbooks had come in for flak. The government’s U-turn appears to be a damage control measure amid civil society and Congress’ pressure. Many facts were dropped or distorted in the school textbook revision, raising eyebrows.
N J Ravi Chander, Bengaluru
Stony silence of the
PM and HM
Though the country has been made to shed its head in shame with the most condemnable remarks on Prophet Muhammad made by Nupur Sharma and Navin Kumar Jindal of the BJP, it is shocking that Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Shah have till now maintained a stony silence on this burning issue without uttering a word which is going to affect not only our trade with the nations that have risen in clamour against the blasphemous utterance but also millions of Indians who are in employment in those countries.
It leads one to suspect whether the two accused have the blessings and patronage of the top two leaders of the country! Further news was agog that Navin Kumar Jindal was about to be awarded a Rajya Sabha seat by the BJP. Navika Kumar, a known RSS supporter who moderated the related interview and did allow the BJP participant Nupur Sharma to freely air her vile views on the Prophet with an ulterior motive also deserves condemnation and punishment. It is time the right thinking people realised the grave situation that prevails in the country.
Tharcius S. Fernando, Chennai
USA: I wonder what you are!
Although USA Supreme Court argues that it is a person’s right to bring a gun home to protect himself or herself, I feel there should be still strict laws that must be enforced in each state of USA so that children and teens of gun owners cannot use guns freely.
Reading the news recently that Joe Garcia, husband of Irma Garcia (married 24), who was killed in Uvalde, Texas, had a fatal heart attack after the death of his wife, leaving their four children I literally broke down and moistened my eyes. I really wonder that why the nation like USA is unable to stop gun violence.
The repercussions of recent gun violence for that matter any gun violences are unimaginable. It’s high time for the super power nation like USA to enact sound gun laws that instill a culture of safety for all its citizens.
To end the gun violence I think it’s important to hold the firearms industry in accountable and also monitoring the marketing and sales of firearms cautiously are also prominent ones in USA.
Vijaykumar H K, Raichur
