carbon footprint

We had an online chat on the topic "Taking responsibility for one's carbon emissions" at indianwildlifeclub.com. The chat threw up grassroot level solutions which individuals can implement to contribute one's bit to a global problem.
Read the transcript at
http://www.indianwildlifeclub.com/mainsite/ChatTranscript.asp

Traditional Chinese Medicine

The ancient healers used body parts of animals that are wild, in medicines when the animals were in large numbers and were truly wild. In the present world the truly wild tigers, lions leopards etc are simply not there. The few which are out in the forests are mostly collared, monitored, even reared by humans and sent into the wild.
In that situation how can any doctor who uses TCM vouch for its qualities? Blindly following the tradition of elders who had few other options, is misleading patients and customers of TCM.

Urban Wildlife

Observing around the tiny green space around the house can be rewarding for a wildlife lover. Here is something whic fascinated me for over two weeks.
Can you make out the pupa on the curry leaves branch? It is shaped and coloured like a curry leaf.

The second photo is a close up of the pupa.
The third one is the empty pupa. Though I kept observing the branch everyday for more than 10 days, the butterfly flew away early morning one day leaving the empty cocoon for me to document. I could not verify what the butterfly (the pupa could be that of a moth too) waslike, when it spread its wings and flew away.

I am also including the pic of a commonly seen butterfly which sits on the curry leaves tree. May be this is the butterfly whose metamorphosis I witnessed!