The term Volcano emerges from the word Vulcan, the Roman god of forging and metal works, also known as Hephaestus of Greek mythology. But the volcano I will be talking about is very different than what we have in our prejudicial notions, but none the less dangerous than the one which knocked the living daylights out of Pliny the younger when it burst forth. You will be surprised at the picture:
Well, if you are surprised, then I am happy. Burning leaves leave burning holes in our atmosphere. Yes, people might question my sanity, but a poet’s mind that I have, never allows my conscience to ignore such details.
In India particularly where I live, people burn fallen leaves, everyday in fall, in amounts of thousands of burning heaps. Considering the population of India, you can foretell the amount being burned in front of their houses. I have seen much of this, and it is so irritating to watch them burn under a tree destroying the one that they came from. Why is this enmity? I have no idea.
Every morning when I wake up, I try to breathe in the fresh air, so free of pollutants and full of bright shining dew. But it is ugly to know that you need to wake before the sun in order to breathe the good one, for apparently it has been fouled by fuming heaps of burning leaves. And then comes the vehicular traffic and a day in India full of pollutants ensues. No breathers. We are trying to catch up to China aren’t we? Aren’t we trying to exceed in economic growth, basking in glory that we were least affected by the recession in global markets?
Aren’t we trying to make money and hoard it, so that we can hope to bribe God with it? It ain’t gonna work mate. No shortcuts in front of god.
Leaves, dead or alive, have been there before our ancestors learned to speak in words. In fact, it has been the first of firsts that propagated life on dry land. Yet, I don’t know why, we still are so intent to destroy them after they die. Why? Are leaves such a big nuisance? What bad have they done that we punish them, and burn them, and cut their bearers from the stem? Leaves give a natural comfy touch to whatever they cover, like a redwood forest in autumn, has inspired so many poets and authors to write memorabillia about them, notably P.B. Shelley, in his poem The West wind. However, we still try to destroy this poet’s important equipment of imagination.
Apart from these romantic ideas, burning leaves leaves the atmosphere with unhealing wounds. They, how many times have our good scientists repeated this, give away Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and when they are burned in heaps, Nitrogen dioxide. It happens so because, in heaps, the temperature at the centre can well exceed 1000K, and at such temperatures, Nirtogen can combine with oxigen to form Nitrous oxide, and Nitrogen dioxide. These oxides, as we know, are acidic in nature and float up in the atmosphere and condesnse along with water to make HNO3, Nitirc acid. It causes acid rain, and destroys a myriad of things
My countries pride, the Taj mahal, has lost its sheen, and its credit goes to these nonsense of burning leaves, and industries too.
And this is just the beginning, my friends.
We should try and limit whatever we can of the pollution, the foulery, that we do to the earth. Be it restricting the use of cars, or you know, using the bicycle while going to the supermarket, and the sort, but we must do something.
Leaves are an important part of compost, and leaf mold. The dead leaves can be used to grow more trees in a healthy manner, because all biodegradable substances can oxidise to from “compost”. Thus, if every individual can make a small compost pit, or give away the raw materials, which of course include that of dead leaves, then he makes an important contribution for Earth, not against it. It no only generates more compost for agriculture, it also makes an industry, where people can find work, and live.
So, I ask you all in a humble voice, unite against this evil! Make use of the gifts of nature! Join in with me to tell people about this problem, and explain the uses and the good things of composting and collecting dead leaves. Don’t burn leaves, and don’t allow them to be burned, except in areas where forest fires take place.
It doesn't in my backyard.
There are 6 billion people on the planet earth. If each collects even a 100 gram leaves, it gives us more than 6 million tonnes of compost every year. More trees. MORE LIFE!
Join me in this voice!
See for yourselves: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compost
