Humanlution Issue-I

HUMANLUTION
Human evolution for global problems

LETTER FROM CEO
‘HUMANLUTION’, kind of a weird word, right? But it becomes
the most obvious word if you understand the meaning behind it. We
will come to that. The idea about this interactive magazine came to
me after I observed and realized the privilege that I have in my life. Recently,
I have paid great attention to my surroundings and have seen
and understood things in great depth. And I can guarantee that you
see all the mishappening going on around us. We just tend to ignore
it because we think we do not have the time to tackle such problems.
The problems that I am talking about are discrimination based on
gender, race, colour, jobs, caste, preferences, wealth and the list is
infinitely long. Name a situation and you will see some kind of discrimination
going on in it. Other problems are environmental hazards,
inequality, societal pressure and yet another never ending list. The
question that came to my mind was what brought these adversities to
existence? Intriguing right? The answer is pretty simple and known by
everyone but no one wants to believe it. It’s us humans who brought
this up. The evolution of humans especially Homo sapiens (i.e., present
humans) is the root of all the mishappening. The world is a better
place without us. We are the biggest mistake on Earth. We think that
we are the superior species, we feel that we are the ultimate being but
guess what we are not, not until we stop behaving like we do.
The real question is whether we want to remain the biggest
mistake or whether we want to become the biggest asset on Earth.
I prefer the latter. We have caused a big mess of our home but you
know what the best part of creating a mess is? It is that the mess can
be cleaned up. I want to use my privilege to support minorities/less
known communities and under-privileged population; and to help the
environment. We need to act now and this magazine is the first step
by me and my wonderful team to clean up the human mess and find
the solution to the problems caused by us humans. I believe that we
are the solution to the problems caused by us. Hence, the name ‘HU-
MANLUTION=HUMAN+EVOLUTION/SOLUTION’.
I am Kautilya Srivastava, CEO/Founder of HUMANLUTION and I
urge you to come join the community. Together we will work and clear
up the mess and recreate a sustainable Earth for every creature living
on it.
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03
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A letter from the CEO
Kautilya Srivastava, CEO of Humanlution
A peek into pollution
Abhinaya Iyer, Head of Design Department
Who are the Rohingyas?
Navya Sharma, Head of Research Department
Kautilya Srivastava, CEO of Humanlution
Into a Dystopian Future
Soundaram Veerappan, Humanlution Writer
A healthy atmosphere?
Shreelakshmi Iyer, Humanlution Writer
Abhinaya Iyer, Head of Design Department
Our Contributors
Photo courtesy: Ujjawal Sharan
01
NAVIGATION

A PEEK INTO
POLLUTION
An overview into pollution, types, effect and characteristics
By: Abhinaya Iyer, Head of Design Dept.
“Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we’ve been ignorant of their value.”
-R. Buckminster Fuller
Pollution has been one of the most debated topics from the late 1900’s to current times. The aftermath of the Industrial
Revolution and the effects of our so called “technological evolution” has destroyed the environment beyond our comprehension.
And in an attempt to save it, the study of pollution has gained popularity in recent times. From the textbooks of grade
students, to introduction of fields at university level that specialize in understanding the toxicity in our environment to solving
it, understanding pollution has gained immense popularity, especially if we want to save our planet.
In simple terms pollution, is defined as the release of toxic materials or pollutants into the environment that is usually a result
from human related activities, like gases produced from mining, manufacturing of products, harvesting of biogases, so on
and so forth. The list of human activities that create pollution is endless, and if one were to be listed it, would make a book in
itself. Within the heading of pollution, we can divide it based on types, characteristics and sources, to simply put it.
Division of types of pollution
As many of you have read and heard pollution is mainly divided into five types- air, water, soil, light and noise pollution.
Like their name suggests, each type focuses on the part of the environment, or the characteristic of the environment that it
affects, or it can be seen as the different spheres within the composition of the biosphere.
Air pollution is a type of pollution that effects the atmospheric region of the biosphere, as a result of released agents into the
air.
03
Photo source: Harvard Health Magazine (July, 2020)
“
Pollution is a serious one. Water pollution,
air pollution, and then solid hazardous waste
pollution. And then beyond that, we also
have the resources issue. Not just water
resources but other natural resources, the
mining resources being consumed, and the
destruction of our ecosystem.
- Ma Jun, Chinese Environmentalist, Director of the Institute
of Public & Environmental Affairs
“

A STUDY OF SCIENTIFIC WORKINGS
“
It is unfortunately true that
our generation and that of your
parents have left you with a big
mess that will now be yours to
clean up: wars, budget challenges,
pollution, global warming,
battles of health care, natural disasters.
They’re all there for you.
We’re willing those to you. Are
you ready?
- John Morgridge, Ex- CEO of Cisco systems
“
These agents could come from burning of fuels in the air,
emission from vehicles, factory emissions and many more.
The burning of fossil fuels contributes to the formation of
smog, a dense layer of particulate matter that hangs like
a cloud over many major cities and industrial zones. This
pollution not only affects the environment, but also affects
humans through respiratory problems like asthma, bronchitis,
cancer and other lung related diseases.
Affecting the hydrosphere of the biosphere, water
pollution is waste that has been dumped into clean and
natural water sources. From the waste deposited from
industries to throwing of medical waste in water, this has
been one of the longest forms of pollution in history. From
the early 1800’s humans have been focused on reducing
water pollution, for it is a substance of survival, without
which it leads to a series of water borne, and health related
issues.
Soil pollution is the improper disposal of chemicals into the
soil. Of recent this has become a major topic of debate,
for soil has been the source of food for many animals, and
the toxicities of this natural resource has spoiled our land
masses. Common sources of soil pollution include asbestos,
lead, PCB’s and overuse of pesticides/herbicides.
Light pollution refers to the large amount of light produced
by most urban and other heavily populated areas. Light
pollution prevents citizens from seeing features of the night
sky and has also been shown to impede the migration patterns
of birds and the activities of nocturnal animals.
Unlike the above stated types of pollution, noise pollution
refers to the human-made noises that are disruptive. This
noise does not impact human life other than just irritate or
annoy humans, but on a larger impact this pollution impacts
movement of sea, mammals and many more naturally
occurring life forms.
Photo courtesy: Kautilya Srivastava
Photo courtesy: Kautilya Srivastava
06

A STUDY OF SCIENTIFIC WORKINGS
POLLUTION-
A GLOBAL CATASTROPHE
In a sum total, the various types of pollution affect
our naturally occurring biosphere, without which life on
Earth could not be sustained. Think about a world without
water, air and soil, one where no humans can survive, an
apocalyptic world of our imagination coming to life.
Characteristics
Pollution is caused by the dispersion of pollutants
(agents that contain mixtures that cannot be disposed naturally
by the environment), which can be of the simple existing
states of matter- solid, liquid, gas and a fourth type of
energy.
Gas is usually invisible to our naked eye but is one of the
largest contributing agents to pollution. It is usually created
as a byproduct of many human made cycles, burning of
fuels, the end product of industrial produce, so on and so
forth. Since it is invisible, its effects cannot be felt until later.
This is probably one of the deadlier pollutants, for its cause,
effects and results cannot be seen, felt or worked on till
much later. Liquids unlike gas can be seen and it one of
the first pollutants that human have acted upon. For without
water, humans cannot continue survival, so from history its
pollution has always been seen, acted upon and positive
results have been produced.
Solid waste is one of the most space consuming
pollutants, as well as the most visually, physically and mentally
disturbing as a characteristic pollutant. From medical
waste to industrial to everyday waste at home solid waste
is everything that is not consumed by humans that cannot
be broken down by the environment and just tend to exist.
Although we are working towards improving the overall environment
by recycling and reusing solid waste, the pace
of improvement is not equal to the amount of waste that is
being produced and has proven to be problematic.
Finally, energy-based pollutants, and like gas it cannot
be seen, but at the same time its presence can be felt
by humans in the form of waves. As a pollutant, it is most
common in urban congregations and is completely human
caused pollutant. Example are horns honking on the road,
noise made at a party, sound played from a device, light
from a bulb, unnaturally produced sounds or light can be
considered as energy pollutants.
Sources
As the name suggests, sources usually indicate the
point of origin. It is divided into two categories-point source,
which indicates the origin point which can be identified, like
fume coming out of a truck, diesel leaks, etc; the second
is a non- point source, where is hard to identify the exact
origin of the pollution, like soluble liquids in the ocean etc.
But at the same times, sources can also be seen as areas
within our daily lives from which pollution originate. It is astounding
the number of small activities that contribute to
the larger term of pollution. For simplicity, the larger focal
points are elucidated- domestic, industrial, agriculture and
transportation.
Take the time to make a list of all the activities that
actually contribute to pollution that you carry out on a daily
basis. Each and every activity we do as humans has a
way of tying back to pollution- using your phone, going to
the bathroom, brushing your teeth and the list never ends.
In the year, 2015 about 2.4 billion bottles were produced
from just wine consumption around the world. This is just
one type of alcoholic drink, if we consider the aggregate of
everything it adds up to be a significant impact on the environment.
So the next time you think about picking up a plastic
pen, or throwing away something, think if maybe you could
reuse the item for, if every person saved a little part of the
planet it could have significant improvement on the health
of the environment.The smallest of step in the right direction
could make a huge impact on the environment. Greta,
a global climate activist, started by a simple act of protest
has grown to gain awareness on all issues related to pollution
on a global scale focusing on the affects it has had on
global climate change and the aftermath it will continue to
have on the planet. As we evolve our technological gadgets
and evolve as species our fremst thought must be on how
to continue the survival of Earth as it existed in the past.
Photo source: Smart Cities Magazine (left)
Photo source: India Times Magazine (below)
08

A
HUMAN-MADE
CAUSATION ARGUED
Photo courtesy: Kautilya Srivatava
07 08

Who are the
Rohingyas?
A conversation of a disharmony among the communities of mankind
By: Navya Sharma, Head of Research Dept.
Kautilya Srivastava, CEO of Humanlution
ROHINGYAS
“World’s most Persecuted minority”,
who are they?
Here we are talking about more than one million Rohingyas, an ethnic group and primarily Muslims though a small
number are Hindus. Who predominantly live in western Myanmar province of Rakhine. (Bordered by Bangladesh) They
speak a dialect of Bengali, as opposed to the commonly spoken Burmese language.They consider themselves as indigenous
people of the region, but the Burmese government Buddhist nationalists have an opposite assumption and believe
that they are the descendants of people who migrated to their land during the British colonial administration. During the
more than 100 years of British rule (1824- 1948), there was conspicuous amount of migration of laborers to Myanmar from
today’s India and Bangladesh. According to Human Rights watch, these migrations were internal as British administered
Myanmar as province of India.
Why aren’t they acknowledged?
Shortly after Myanmar’s independence from the British in 1948, the Union Citizenship Act was passed, defining which ethnicities
could gain citizenship. According to several reports, the act did allow those whose families had lived in Myanmar
for at least two generations to apply for identity cards. During this time several Rohingyas also served in the parliament.
According to several reports, the act did allow those whose families had lived in Myanmar for at least two generations to
apply for identity cards. During this time several Rohingyas also served in the parliament.
After the 1962 military coup in Myanmar, things changed drastically for Rohingyas.
Photo source: Britannica, Peoples of Asia
12

A LOOK INTO COMMUNAL DISHARMONY
Photo source: Doctors without Borders
The state refused to recognize the identity of Rohingya. It all
started when Rohingya were excluded from the Myanmar
constitution in 1982, a citizenship law was passed and left
Rohingya identity in question by denying citizenship and effectively
rendered them stateless. According the 1982 Burmese
citizenship law, a Rohingya (or any ethnic minority) is
eligible for citizenship only if he/she provides proof that his/
her ancestors have lived in the country prior to 1823. Else,
they are classified as “resident foreigners” or as “associate
citizens” (even if one of the parents is a Myanmar citizen).
Till date, they are considered illegal immigrants. Since the
1970s, Rohingya have migrated across the region in significant
numbers. Estimates of their numbers are often much
higher than official figures. Not being identified under the
constitution has kept them off limits from basic rights such
as access to social services, education and their movement
outside of Rakhine state without government permission.
Also, Myanmar has imposed regulations that restrict the Rohingya
from marrying and having Children. The Rohingya
cannot vote, and even if they navigate the citizenship test,
they must identify as
“naturalized” as opposed to Rohingya, and limits are
placed on them entering certain professions such as
medicine or law or running for office.
How are they Oppressed?
The Persecution of the Rohingya has never been
limited to legal means only. Brutal, large- scale repressions
targeted toward the Rohingyas - like Operation
King Dragon in 1978, and Operation clean and Beautiful
Nation in 1991- forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya
to skedaddle from Burma into Bangladesh, as
well as Malaysia, Thailand and other South east Asian
countries. During such crackdowns, refugees have often
reported rape, torture, arson and murder by Myanmar
security forces.
In addition, since 2012, there have been a rising
number of villages where locals, backed by the authorities,
have implanted signboards warning Muslims not to
enter. At least 21 cases have been registered by local
activists. Illustration of messages written in these signboards
include Muslims are not allowed to stay overnight,
Muslims are not allowed to buy or rent properties,
No one is allowed to marry Muslims, If you try to feed
the tiger it will eat you. The existence of these villages is
a demonstration to the toxic effect of the prevailing narrative
that depicts Muslims as a threat that needs controlling,
leading to further segregation and hatred. After
the killings of nine border police in October 2016, the
government blamed what it claimed were fighters from
an armed Rohingya group and troops started pouring
into the villages of Rakhine State. A security crackdown
on villages where Rohingya lived ensued, during which
government troops were accused of a disposition of human
rights abuses including extrajudicial killing, rape
and arson — allegations the government denied. At least
6,700 Rohingya, including at least 730 children under the
age of five, were killed in the month after the violence
broke out, according to medical charity Médecins Sans
Frontières (MSF).
allegations of ethnic cleansing by united nations, human
right watch on numerous occasions. Adherent violence
between Rohingyas and Rakhines Buddhist natives
began flaring up in June 2012, following the rape and
murder of a Rakhine woman in a Rohingya-dominated
locality. The riots, which were triggered as a result, went
on for almost a month with causalities on both the sides.
Years of Migration
May 2012- a Rakhine woman was raped and
murdered. The week after that the angry Rakhine mob
attacked a bus with few causalities. This led to retaliatory
attacks which caused many deaths and displacement
of around 90000 people (mostly Rohingyas) to Bangladesh.
Most were not accepted by Bangladesh as tens of
thousands of Rohingyas were already living in the Coxs
bazaar.
A lot of Rohingya Muslims were expeditiously arrested
and jailed in response to clash with Buddhist Arakanese.
Another round of riots broke out in October, due to which
the government moved around a million Rohingyas
to refugee camps. Thousands of Rohingyas fled their
homes and sought refuge in neighboring Bangladesh,
a Muslim-majority nation. Some of them sought asylum
in South East Asian nations of Thailand, The Philippines,
Indonesia and Malaysia. This ethnic conflict flared up as
religious violence spreading to the other provinces of
Myanmar. It was finally contained in 2013 after military
intervention.
On 9 October 2016, there was an attack on border
posts in Maungdaw district in northern Rakhine State
left 9 officers dead. This led to a retaliatory response by
the military on Rohingyas as they were believed to be
responsible for the attack with no evident proof. There
were violent village sweeps, including the use of helicopter
gunners, summarily killing, raping and torturing
civilians and burning 430 buildings. Due to renewed violence
more than 87,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh
from October 2016 to July 2017, according to the International
Organization for Migration.
Photo source: Voice of America Magazine
13

Photo credits: Ujjawal Sharan
In the row of incidents, on August 25, 2017 Muslim militants staged a coordinated attack on 30 police Posts and an Army
base in Rakhine state. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a group previously known as Harakah al-Yaqin, who instigated
the October attacks, claimed responsibility for the attacks. In the counter attacks launched by Army at least 59 of the
insurgents and 12 security personnel were killed. The ARSA is an armed guerilla outfit, which is active since 2016, claiming to
fight for a “democratic Muslim state for the Rohingya.” The group has been targeting Myanmar armed forces. Following which
to root out ARSA militancy, Myanmar military operations once again invoked the lives of Rohingyas. many of whom have been
living in relief camps since 2012. Reports of villages being torched, civilian deaths, and Rohingya youths being picked up for
interrogation have followed the militant attack. According to the UN, 436,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh since
the humongous violence against them began in neighboring Myanmar’s Rakhine state in august 2017. Such mass exodus
has made abominable living conditions with flimsy tents made of tattered tarpaulin and plastic sheets now cover much of the
Bangladeshi port city of Coxs Bazar.
15
But heavy rains, high humidity and stifling heat have made conditions worse. The stench of human faces grows stronger
every day. Refugees must wade through ankle-deep mud, often barefoot and with minimal clothing after fleeing their homes
with few belongings. International aid agencies and local charities and local volunteers are working tirelessly to provide what
they can, but the numbers in need are overwhelming and the challenges daunting in camps without clean water or sanitation,
and where the outbreak of disease seems impending.
What does Aung San Suu Kyi and the Myanmar government respond about the Rohingya?
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate and the de facto leader of Myanmar Aung san Suu Kyi, has refused to really discuss the plight of
Rohingya. Aung San Suu Kyi and her government do not perceive the Rohingya as an ethnic group and have blamed violence
in Rakhine, and succeeding military crackdowns, on those they call “terrorists”. However, she said that she wanted to work
towards an accord, and she cannot take sides as violence has been committed by both sides.
16

A LOOK INTO COMMUNAL DISHARMONY
Photo sources: The Hindu Paper
In 2016, Aung San Suu Kyi was accused of failing to
protect Myanmar’s Rohingya Muslims during the 2016—
17 persecution. State crime experts from Queen Mary
University of London and several foreign human rights
lobbyists warned that Aung San Suu Kyi is “Authorizing
genocide” in Myanmar. The government has also repeatedly
rejected accusations of abuses. In February
2017, the UN published a report that found that government
troops “very likely” committed crimes against
humanity since renewed military crackdowns began in
October 2016. At the time, the government did not directly
address the findings of the report and said it had
the “the right to defend the country by lawful means”
against “increasing terrorist activities”, adding that a domestic
investigation was enough. Despite continued persecution
of the Rohingya well into 2017; Aung San Suu
Kyi was “not even admitting, let alone trying to stop, the
army’s well-documented campaign of rape, murder and
destruction against Rohingya villages. The government
has often restricted access to northern Rakhine State for
journalists and aid workers. Aung San Suu Kyi’s office
has also accused aid groups of helping those it considers
to be “terrorists”. The country has also denied visas to
members of a UN probe investigating the violence and
alleged abuses in Rakhine.
In 2017, critics have called for Aung San Suu Kyi’s Nobel
Prize to be revoked, citing her silence over the persecution
of Rohingya People in Myanmar. Enumerating her failure
“to condemn and stop the military’s brutal campaign”
against Rohingya Muslims several awards and Honours
were rescind. Citing the clear evidence of Genocide in
Myanmar against Rohingya, in March 2018, the “United
States Holocaust Memorial Museum” revoked Suu Kyi’s
Elie Wiesel Award, awarded in 2012, In august 2018 she
was stripped of her Freedom of Edinburgh award.
In early October 2018, both the Canadian Senate
and its House of Commons voted unanimously to revoke
Aung San Suu Kyi’s honorary citizenship. On 11 November
2018, Amnesty International announced it was revoking
her Ambassador of Conscience award. Later In
December 2019, Suu Kyi appeared in the International
Court of Justice at The Hague where she defended the
Burmese military against allegations of genocide against
“
To be called a refugee
is the opposite of an
insult; it is a badge of
strength, courage and
victory.
“
Photo sources: The New York Times
17
-Tennessee Office for Refugees

A LOOK INTO COMMUNAL DISHARMONY
the Rohingya. In a speech of over 3,000 words, Suu Kyi did not use the term “Rohingya” in describing the ethnic group. She
stated that the allegations of genocide were “incomplete and misleading”, claiming that the situation was actually a Burmese
military response to attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army.
What has the international response been?
The international community has called the Rohingya the “most persecuted minority in the world”. The UN has said
that it is “very likely” that the military committed grave human rights abuses in Rakhine that may amount to war crimes, allegations
the government denies. Human Rights Watch warned that Myanmar’s government risked getting bracketed with
“pariah states” like North Korea and Syria if it did not allow the UN to investigate alleged crimes. The International Court of
Justice case, lodged by the small Muslim-majority nation of The Gambia, in West Africa, on behalf of dozens of other Muslim
countries, called for emergency measures to be taken against the Myanmar military, until a fuller investigation could be
launched. Aung San Suu Kyi rejected allegations of genocide when she appeared at the court in December 2019.
In January 2020, the International Court of Justice decided that there was a “real and imminent risk of irreparable prejudice to
the rights” of the Rohingya. The court also took the view that the Burmese government’s efforts to remedy the situation “do
not appear sufficient” enough to protect the Rohingya. Therefore, the court ordered the Burmese government to take “all
measures within its power” to protect the Rohingya from genocidal actions. The court also instructed the Burmese government
to preserve evidence and report back to the court at timely intervals about the situation. While the ICJ only rules on
disputes between states, the International Criminal Court (ICC) have the authority to try individuals accused of war crimes or
crimes against humanity. The body approved a full investigation into the case of the Rohingya in Myanmar in November. Although
Myanmar itself is not a member of the court, the ICC ruled it had jurisdiction in the case because Bangladesh, where
victims fled to, is a member.
About India’s Say
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs there
are approximately 40,000 Rohingyas living in India.
They have reportedly reached India from Bangladesh
through the land route over the years. Ministry of Home
Affairs informed the parliament that all the Rohingyas
in India were “illegal immigrants” and they will be
deported soon, a decision that has surprised many
given the record of India accepting refugees.Without
overtly mentioning Rohingya, the Home Ministry in an
advisory to states said, “infiltration from Rakhine
State of Myanmar into Indian territory, besides being
burden on the limited resources of the country
also aggravates the security challenges posed
to the country.” A case is pending in Supreme Court
with the petitioner asking the Union government to stop
with its deportation plans.
Photo sources: Action Against Hunger Org. (left)
Time Magazine (right)
Photo source: Navya Sharma
19

A LOOK INTO COMMUNAL DISHARMONY
There are more than half a million Rohingya refugees living in mostly substitute camps in Bangladesh.
The majority remain unregistered.An estimated 87,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar to Bangladesh since late
2016. The influx has been increasing since August 25 2017. About five lakh Rohingyas have already taken shelter
in Bangladesh over the last two decades.Bangladeshs Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited a Rohingya refugee
camp in September and called on the UN and the international community to pressure Myanmars government
to allow the return of hundreds of thousands Rohingya refugees.She said that Bangladesh would offer the refugees
temporary shelter and aid, but that Myanmar should soon “take their nationals back”. “We have given
shelter to a huge number of Rohingya refugees on humanitarian grounds and its a big problem for us,” she had
said. The country has opened its border for Rohingyas upon UNHCRs request and continues to shelter Rohingya
in over-crowded refugee camps at Cox Bazar. Refugees in Bangladesh have been banned from leaving the
overcrowded border areas. Police check posts and surveillance have been set up in key transit points from stop
Rohingya from travelling to other parts of the country.
What have we seen so far? We saw how a community is being ill-treated to a great extent and this is not
a recent event but it has a long history behind it. The question is why do they have to suffer so much? No living
being on Earth deserve the atrocity that Rohingya Muslims have gone through and is still going through. No one
should be considered as ‘THE MOST PERSECUTED MINORITY’. We understand that the Rohingya has also not acted in
an appropriate way. They could have chosen a different path and avoided the violence. They are also wrong in
their own way. They are not a victim as they are part of the reason for all the violence and torture that is happening
to them. But they are the victim of stolen identity and that is what we are trying to convey from this article. For
a moment just imagine yourself in their shoe and try imagining the pain and the tough situation that they went
through for so many years. If you can even imagine a portion of their pain you will realize how it feels to be denied
of any identity and basic rights that we all enjoy on a regular basis. It is just not worth it. It’s time that we learn that
we all are the same. We belong to the same category ‘Homo sapiens’. Gender, religion, caste, preferences, jobs
etc. should not determine how a person should be treated.
“
A mass atrocity is unfloding in Asia:
boat people are fleeing concetration camps
in Myanmar, and now other countries are
pushing their boats back out to the sea so
that they drown in open ocean-
something close to mass murder
-Nicholas Kristof, New York Times
“
Photo source: CBS News
22

Into a Dystopian
Future
“And the winner of the final draw for this year is Jane
Doe,” concluded the announcement from a community
speaker. I froze, bewildered, unable to enclose my mind
around the fact that I was one of the chosen five! Billions
waited and waited for their turns to finally reach a land of
paradise. With the draw happening once in five years and
the probability of getting through being so low, most gave
up and resorted to the next best method of escape and
succumbed to salvation in death.
The world in these difficult times was not what our
ancestors once knew it to be. The planet had been polluted
beyond repair and the scope of life on a planet this
polluted was meager. With more emerging diseases and
deaths each day, hope for a better life had been shattered.
However, our primal attribute as the human species still
remains to be to fight to survive, and I guess that’s what
keeps us alive despite the lack of food, water, and an ecosystem
at all. With the unparalleled boon of the golden age
of technology came a magnanimous cross to bear in the
form of Electromagnetic Radiation. At first, what seemed to
be unconditionally harmless turned out to be a scourge in
disguise. With innovations and novelties in technology and
digital devices and the subsequent increase in availability
and affordability, electronic products were everywhere,
and with each single product, the abundance of background
electromagnetic radiation increased multifold. With
the world already deteriorating of air and water pollution,
this newcomer triggered the final blow and had eventually
led to the collapse of a once great civilization.
So, what was the solution to this problem? It was already
too late to stop using electronic devices; they were everywhere,
we depended too highly on them, and the background
radiation had already done enough damage to the
plants and animals – equivalent enough to causing extinction.
The electromagnetic radiation worked by interfering
with the living system and desynchronizing cells and organs
by means of which it caused a variety of effects on
all organisms. With all the years of exponentially increasing
exposure, plants had stopped growing, animals died of
A story by Soundaram Veerappan
23
madness, and the planet seemed to be reaching a point of
extermination once and for all and regardless of how far we
looked, we couldn’t find another suitable planet to survive
on. We, as the human species, were destined to fight to
survive, and as a final display of that primal trait we realized
that the only way forward was backward. So, what did we
do? We finally managed to invent a device that was only
known to exist in science fiction and was all but a dream
to the people of the past – a time machine. We invented
a time machine to go back in time and continue the species-line
in a time-loop.
Now the time machine was a morally unbiased
device; it did as much damage as it did good. As a high
energy device, with each teleportation through time, the resultant
electromagnetic radiation that it produced reduced
sustainability and shortened the life span of every other living
being surviving on this doomed planet. Hence, it was
concluded that it could not be used more than once in a period
of five years. The fact that something that could save us
could not save every single one of us caused enough strife
to extinguish almost half the human population in a fight
for the survival of the fittest. Regardless, only a maximum
of five people could teleport in one round and the leaders
of what was left of the world decided to set up an impartial
lottery to determine the lucky ones.
As one of the lucky ones this year, I was summoned to Station
5 to board the time machine. It was right there, my ticket
to paradise, a huge whirring metallic machine powered
by what seemed to be a gleaming blue orb. “Please take
your seats,” said the mechanically monotonic voice of a humanoid
and almost instantly, the machine shifted and an
opening appeared and five empty seats caught my eye at
the center of the humming giant. I took a seat along with the
fortunate few who managed to make this trip. As we settled
in, our salvation whirred louder and clearer, and soon, I saw
the world that I came from disappear bit-by-bit in front of
my eyes. In less than what felt like a second, I saw myself
standing in a bright green meadow. It was a shade of green
that I had never seen before.
. The colours were so bright that it hurt to look at them! I
looked up and I could see the sun and the sky! I had only
seen pictures of the sun and heard of its radiance for all my
life. Staring at something that I never thought I would see
the light of, I finally felt free! My lungs burned as I took deep
breaths of the fresh air. For once I could smell something
other than smoke! Was this what fresh plants smelled like?
Was this what was described as the smell of spring? I could
not tell. I yelled and screamed in joy and almost instantly a
flock of birds flew out of nearby trees. Birds that were big;
birds that did not fly directionless; birds that did not screech
in agony. I had never seen birds not in pain and confusion
and for the first time they looked beautiful and not terrifying.
Dizzy from all the beautiful and wonderous things that I saw,
smelled, tasted, heard, and felt, I thought, “How beautiful
would the world have been without the advent of technology?”
This brings us to a few ethical questions. Would you even
like to see, let alone live in, the future of a technology-laden
world where life no more than just exists? We already
live in a world where we use artificial lights to grow plants
and electrically powered machines to filter water. With the
current status of electromagnetic pollution on earth, it becomes
clearer that we are moving towards a future where
artificial lights and machines would become a requirement
rather than a luxury to grow food and have safe water. With
the emergence of more sophisticated technology to solve
the problems that technology in itself has created, we are
no more than running towards a world and future as described
above. Is this where we really want to go? Do you
want to be Jane Doe?
FACT: The above phenomenon, termed ‘Global Electromagnetic
Environmental Pollution’, had been recognized
and included by the WHO in its priority problems
list in 1995. The electromagnetic background degree
of the Earth currently exceeds the natural degree by
200,000 times. This large difference has been caused
as a result of human-made sources of electromagnetic
radiation.
Illustrations: Ujjawal

There’s so much pollution in
the air not that if it weren’t
for our lungs there’d be no
place to put it at all.
-Robert Orben
Photo courtesy: Kautilya Srivatava
07

Do we live in a
HEALTHY ATMOSPHERE?
A look into air pollution, its causes and effects on the biosphere
By: Shreelakshmi Iyer, Humanlution Writer
By: Abhinaya Iyer, Head of Design Dept
In today’s world, pollution has become an integral danger to our ecosystem. Among the various kinds, Air pollution
stands to be one of the more hazardous to not only our environment but also to all living organisms on the planet, including
ourselves. Unlike the other types, its effects aren’t invisible to our naked eye until much later in the future when a combination
of multiple effects bring great danger to us and the environment. For instance, refrigerators of the past used CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons)
as a cooling agent and was very successful in creating one of the refrigerated train cars, at home refrigerators,
and so on. Yet a century later, it was found to be one of the major agents responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer,
allowing for the harmful UV radiation to affect both mankind and the natural ecosystem. The importance of understanding
air pollution and its effects has become a critical topic in the discussion of pollution and global climate change. Many media
outlets, magazines, newspapers, and all forms of social media bring to our attention the various implications that air pollution
has had on our planet.
Air Pollution is the release of chemicals, toxins, and pollutants (soot, pollen, methane, fluorinated gases) into the atmosphere
that pose a threat to health and to the well-being and sustenance of our environment. The increased release of pollutants
changes the ratio of these substances to dangerous levels, thus resulting in consequences that harm the planet. According to
John Walke, Director of the Clean Air Project, part of the ‘Climate and Clean Energy program’ at NRDC, “Most air pollution
comes from energy use and production.’
While some pollutants are discharged into the
atmosphere via volcanic eruptions, and other natural disasters,
a majority of the pollutants and chemicals are
produced from the usage of energy and agriculture.
Ever since the Industrial Revolution and development of
technology, energy has become a fundamental component
of almost all human activities from the heaters in
our homes to energy production for cars. For example,
electricity is imbibed so much into our lives that the lack
of it for even a day would make our entire lives come to
a standstill. However, what’s important is the means of
generation of electricity - fossil fuels, nuclear, biomass,
geothermal and solar thermal energy. The burning of
fossil fuels is one of the major contributors to the addition
of pollutants to the atmosphere. Nitrogen oxides
that include nitrogen-related compounds, carbon monoxide,
carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide are released
from the burning of fossil fuels contributes to the formation
of smog and acid rain. The nitrogen oxides appear
as a brown haze over cities. But among the various
nitrogen oxides emitted, nitrogen dioxide is considered
to be of greatest concern to the Environment
Protection Association (EPA) as it supplies/leads to
the formation of ground-level ozone, another pollutant
that’s harmful to the environment. Unlike naturally
formed ozone in the stratosphere, ground-level
ozone is combination of vehicle exhaust, industrial
emissions, chemical solvents along with other perilous
substances containing volatile organic compounds
and nitrogen oxides in sunlight.
In the presence of nitrogen dioxide, that acts as a catalyst,
sulfur dioxide can oxidize into acid rain and like
the other chemicals result in affecting the respiratory system.
Carbon monoxide, one of the deadliest gases to
living organisms, produced majorly from mobile sources
but also from combustion processes such as from
from car exhausts, can reduce the haemoglobin’s ability
to hold and carry oxygen molecules thus reducing the
amount of oxygen dissolved in the blood, quickly leading
to death.
27
Photo source: Quartz Magazine

A STUDY OF SCIENTIFIC WORKINGS
“
Climate change and air pollution know
no borders, and antibiotics resistance
respects no boundaries. Bacteria from
Africa can make people in America
sick. The burning of Indonesian forests
can keep Asia gasping for breath..
- Rohini Nilekani, Indian Author
“
Photo source:New York Times
What really makes this gas life-threatening is its odorless,
colorless, and non-irritating property, making it practically
impossible to detect.
Although the amount and various types of toxins
might seem numerous when discussing the combustion of
fossil fuels for the generation of energy, the quantity is truly
shocking when taking all the sectors of society that use the
burning of fossil fuels as a source of energy. From transportation,
urban development to industries of various kinds,
all utilize energy obtained from the combustion of fossil fuel
due to the high values of energy emitted that’s required for
the large-scale productions of today’ world. For generations
now, in countries such as India and Ireland, agriculture has
been and still is a predominant sector. In earlier generations,
when technology was non-existent, the methods and practices
were based of traditional ones practiced by ancestors
that were natural and didn’t cause harm to the environment.
For example, once a plant has been harvested on a soil, it
requires a certain period of recovery so that it can replenish
and (regenerate) itself for the next harvest. A lack of this
practice damages and destroys the soil’s ability to restore its
Photo source: PBS News Hour
Photo source: The Week Magazine (below)
30
its richness, eventually making it no longer possible
for the soil to provide nutrient support to the harvested
plants. However, in our current world, due to the abundant
demand for vegetables, artificial means are being
utilized to add these nutrients and minerals into the soil
without providing the required grace period. But how
does this impact or even lead to air pollution you ask;
well, the answer is in order to provide these nutrients and
minerals, fertilizers and slurry are being made in largescale.
Slurry is mixture of waste products from animals
(animal feces, cow manure) and water. The properties
of slurry - the minerals and other substances - are ideal
for providing the required richness to the soil but what is
unknown is the toxic gases and chemicals released by
the production and usage of slurry.
Industrial farming, both arid and pastoral, involves the
production and usage of slurry. Cattle emit methane and
ammonia through belching, farting, and their excreted
waste products. Around 200 cattle (the avg. number
found on a mid-sized farm) produce approximately
24,000 pounds of manure, that subsequently emits
odorous, harmful hydrogen sulfide. The emission of
these poisonous gases not only pose a threat to our environment
but also subject the workers and other nearby
communities to air pollution and risk to health. In arid
farms, that largely utilizes slurry, the storage of this effluent
in large open spaces such as lagoons releases gases
such as ammonia, methane, particulate dust, hydrogen
sulfide, and nitrous oxide, which are all key greenhouse
gases. These gases trap the sun’s heat between the atmosphere
and the surface of the earth, increasing the
overall temperature of our planet. This has had adverse
effects on our planet such as climate change.
Having spoken about air pollution and its source of production,
it’s critical to understand how this is currently
impacting our biosphere, especially since this has been
occurring for a prolonged period of time. Understanding
how this exposure is impacting not only our environment
but also the health of all living organisms becomes a
subject matter of discussion not only for the current times
but as well as our future generations.

Photo courtesy: Kautilya Srivatava
07 08

Ishita Singh
Bachelor’s degree of Technology in Electronics
& Communications from Vellore
Institute of Technology
“I am Ishita and beside coding,
I am passionate about science,
physics, and love sketching
and watching anime.”
I also follow Ted Talks and for the
same reason, I am part of Golden Falcon
Toastmasters Club.
Navya Sharma
Bachelor’s degree of Technology in Electronics
& Communications from JECRC
University
“I am navya Sharma and a
defence aspirant too, and love to
read and write on national and international
issues. And that’s why
I am part of humanlution where I
can write and research..”
Apart from that I like to draw, love to
cook.
Abhinaya Iyer
Bachelor’s degree in Architecture, specializing
in Architectural History and Theory,
Minors in Urban Studies & Sociology,Illinois
Institute of Technology, USA.
“As an architect, being a
part of Humanlution gives me the
chance to grow as a designer,
considering the ambient environment
and its implications on our
future generations.”
Aside, I love to spend time photographing,
reading books and designing
for fun!
Ujjawal Sharan
Bachelor’s degree of Technology in Biotechnology
from Vellore Institute of Technology.
Pursuing Masters of Technology
in Biotechnology from Indian Institute of
Technology Mandi.
Suhasini Dokowry
Pursuing Bachelors of Arts & Creative Industries
in Digital and Social Media from
Curtin University, Western Australia.
Kautilya Srivastava
Bachelor’s degree Technology in Biotechnology
from Vellore Institute of Technology.
Pursuing a Master’s of Biotechnology
from University of Western Australia.
“I am Kautilya Srivastava. I am
a very spontaneous and adventurous
person. Treating humans
differently based on religion,
wealth, caste, preferences etc. is
one of the biggest sin that anyone
can perform. I believe first
step is spreading the awareness.
I can guarantee that after this
HUMANLUTION will do bigger
things to achieve sunstainability
and equality”
Shreelakshmi Iyer
Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, from
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.
Soundaram V
Bachelor’s degree of Technology in Biotechnology
from Vellore Institute of Technology.
Pursuing Masters in Molecular
Medicine from Eberhard Karls Universitat
Tubingen.
Kevin Daniel
Bachelors degree in Technology in Biotechnology,
Vellore Institute of Technology.
Pursuing MS in Food Science and
Technlogy
Debarati Ray
Master’s in Biotechnology from Vellore
Institute of Technology
Shruti Gupta
Bachelor’s degree of Technology in
Chemical Engineering from Vellore Institute
of Technology
33
OUR CONTRIBUTORS

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