Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars, Where have you all gone ?

Pic 1 AUGUST 17, 2009 – SEA SHORE LIFE PROGRAMME

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMME

CLEANING OF EAST COAST PARK

‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars, Where have you all gone ?’, This is my Starry Climate Story and How can I correct the fault in my Stars.

I have lived in Delhi, India and I have fond memories of my childhood. Particularly so because I had the opportunities to play outside in the sun and in the rain. I have witnessed occasional power-cuts and clear skies in the 80s and I have enjoyed finding constellations in the night sky. I was a part of an Astronomy club during schooling and recall my exciting visits to Nehru Planetarium, equipped with inbuilt telescopes and daily and monthly shows of clear view of the night sky and spotting Ursa Major, Ursa Minor and Orion constellations. 

As a child, I had always waited for the festival of lights, Diwali every year. But unlike many others, I often criticised the use of crackers. Fireworks can be spectacular and I was always curious behind the chemistry of sparkling colors, But even without knowing much about the particulate pollution at that time, the suspended particles that would remain in air overnight and much the next day too, disappointed me and dissuaded me from the use of unnatural and stark means of celebration. 

Growing up, I was blessed to be an educator in a prestigious school in Delhi, Sanskriti where I explored innumerable opportunities to be an environmental warrior. From paper recycling in School to creating jute bags, trained facilitator for Green School’s Programme - An Audit on School’s Food, Water, Waste, Energy and Air to carrying awareness campaigns against burning crackers ( See Pic 3 ). I worked in Singapore Schools and was an Environment Education Advisor, National Environment Agency. I created a Go GRRReen Club for DPS International School and introduced the activities for 3Rs in CCA. I organised and facilitated several events for the students and staff including NYEC Challenge En-mazing Race ( See Pic 2 below), Snapture Photography Contest, Inhouse Teacher Workshop Treasure Hunt at Botanic Gardens and Beach Cleanups Sea Shore Life Programmes (See Pic 1)

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But things have been changing. I have been outside India from 2006 and for all my visits to Delhi, the only stars I get to see are those on Van Gogh’s painting. The rising levels of pollution and a blanket of smog makes observing stars in the sky a distant dream. The frequency of heat waves increasing could adversely affect the public health and economic productivity as vector borne diseases spread, the pathogens in mosquitoes mature faster with higher temperatures. The pest infestation and attacks are getting sharper as seen with recent locust attacks, worst that has happened after centuries. According to one of the recent reports, Air Quality Index of Delhi is so bad that it is equivalent to smoking 33 cigarettes in a day.The smog has led authorities to declare the latest air pollution crisis a health emergency. The sky, the air, the water, the land are changing. The face of earth is deteriorating and memories are fading away. To come back up is the only way forward.

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My story to be a part of The Climate Reality Project is very simple, to make a difference to the community by making wiser choices and leaving behind a green legacy, what belongs to our future generations. Being here in Singapore, I feel gratitude that I can see stars in a clear sky, sometimes other planets(Pic 4) and Milky way galaxy too .

I have had a chance to see Starry skies as a child and that is what I want my children and future generations to experience, see twinkling stars and have brightness in the eyes.