Name: Meet this Udhampur family, striving to keep the age-old bamboo craft alive
Uploaded: 2021-02-06T12:23:37.0+05:30
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Channel: editorji

Meet Surma and his wife, a family in Udhampur, striving to keep the age-old bamboo tradition alive. Bamboo is a dying craft, owing to lack of demand and cheaper

Meet this Udhampur family, striving to keep the age-old bamboo tradition alive

Meet Surma and his wife, a family in Udhampur, striving to keep the age-old bamboo craft tradition alive since the last 40 years.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Meet Surma and his wife, a family in Udhampur, striving to keep the age-old bamboo craft tradition alive.&nbsp;
Bamboo is a dying craft, owing to lack of demand and cheaper alternatives in the market. But Surma's family is doing whatever it takes to revive the art form through their bamboo baskets, since the last 40 years.
The husband and wife earn their livelihood by selling these baskets in the local market.&nbsp;
Bamboo helps mitigate the pressure on the environment as it is a good substitute to wood.&nbsp;It is one of the fastest growing and highest yielding renewable natural resources.

Inspired by Latin dancing, Zumba is a form of aerobic training that feels more like a dance party than a regular form of exercise. Grooving to the beats of salsa, flame

Inspired by Latin dancing, Zumba is a form of aerobic training that feels more like a dance party than a regular form of exercise. Grooving to the beats of salsa, flamenco, and merengue music is what makes it a popular choice of workout. Instead of making you grunt with pain, it involves clapping hands, moving your hips and occasional cheering with excitement&nbsp;amongst participants.
There are many other&nbsp;benefits of Zumba&nbsp;as well which will inspire you to try it out!
 1) It&rsquo;s fun Before getting into any technicalities, the primary reason why Zumba is popular is that it does not make you feel like you&rsquo;re exercising. Rather, it seems like a dance routine which also helps you to stay fit. It is also a great way to socialize with your group mates.
2) Improves your heart rate Zumba is designed to get your heart rate up and boost cardio endurance. A study by the National Library of Medicine found that after 12 weeks of Zumba, the participants felt decreased heart rate and blood pressure despite an increase in work load. Pain severity was also recorded to be much lower.
3) Better coordination In Zumba, the mind and the body function in coordination to ensure that you follow the beats, maintain the steps and also remain in sync with all those dancing around you.&nbsp;
 4) Helps to relieve stress Exercise is an effective way to reduce fatigue and enhance overall cognitive function. So, putting on some music and grooving to the beats will help you de-stress yourself and divert your mind from the usual grind at work.
&nbsp;

Here's why Zumba should be your new work out routine

The month of June is observed as the National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month each year. The aim is to create awareness about migraines, headaches and also a

The month of June is observed as the National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month each year.&nbsp;The aim is to create awareness about migraines, headaches and also about new ways and treatments that can help manage them.&nbsp;
In 2011, the National Headache Foundation turned the awareness week into awareness month. Later on, the coming up of the&nbsp;Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients (CHAMP) in 2017 led to the creation of a more formalised calendar for the awareness month in 2018.&nbsp;
According to NHS, UK, &ldquo;migraine is usually a moderate or severe headache felt as a throbbing pain on one side of the head. In some cases, the pain can occur on both sides of your head and may affect your neck.&rdquo; Some of the other symptoms include feeling sick, increased sensitivity to light or sound, sweating or diarrhoea. Stress, anxiety, poor quality sleep, dehydration and missed, delayed or irregular meals are some of the known triggers of migraine.&nbsp;
This year's theme is "a new era of care", an attempt to raise public knowledge and create discourses about the new advancements and therapies that can help people cope with migraines and headaches.&nbsp;&nbsp;

National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month 2021: here is all you need to know! 

Meet Surma and his wife, a family in Udhampur, striving to keep the age-old bamboo craft tradition alive. Bamboo is a dying craft, owing to lack of demand and cheaper alternatives in the market. But Surma's family is doing whatever it takes to revive the art form through their bamboo baskets, since the last 40 years. The husband and wife earn their livelihood by selling these baskets in the local market. Bamboo helps mitigate the pressure on the environment as it is a good substitute to wood. It is one of the fastest growing and highest yielding renewable natural resources.

A new analysis shows that pollution levels remained above permissible limits in Lucknow and Delhi despite lockdown-induced dips. The study by a climate communications i

A new analysis shows that pollution levels remained above permissible limits in Lucknow and Delhi despite lockdown-induced dips. The study by a climate communications initiative Climate Trends says researchers compared the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) air quality data for Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai and Kolkata over the three months of March, April and May in 2019 &ndash; when there was no lockdown and 2020 and 2021 &ndash; when there was complete lockdown in these cities.
Though Delhi&rsquo;s average PM 2.5 concentration for the three months dipped from 95.6 ug/m3 in 2019 to 69 ug/m3 in 2020, it went up to 95 ug/m3 in 2021. The study revealed that except Mumbai, all cities showed a dip in the average PM 2.5 levels during the three months in 2020. Mumbai, however, has seen a gradual increase in pollution over the years, the study revealed.
The safe upper limit for PM 2.5 (particulate matter measuring less than 2.5 microns) as prescribed by the CPCB is 40 micrograms per cubic metre (ug/m3).

Australia on Tuesday said it will strongly oppose a UNESCO plan to list the Great Barrier Reef as being "in danger" over deterioration caused by climate change. The UN

Australia on Tuesday said it will strongly oppose a UNESCO plan to list the Great Barrier Reef as being "in danger" over deterioration caused by climate change.
The UN body released a draft report on Monday recommending the reef's World Heritage status be downgraded because of its dramatic coral decline.
The reef is one of seven sites threatened with being added to the endangered heritage list over ecological damage, overdevelopment, overtourism or security concerns.
Others include the Italian city of Venice, which has been overrun with tourists, and the waterfront of the English city of Liverpool.

Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, told the Qatar Economic Forum that he plans to transform Reliance Industries aims for net-zero carbon emissions by 20

Asia&rsquo;s richest man,&nbsp;Mukesh Ambani,&nbsp;told the Qatar Economic Forum that he plans to transform Reliance Industries, aiming&nbsp;for net-zero carbon emissions by 2035. Ambani said that every unit making up Reliance would have to pivot as the conglomerate moves toward net-zero. He said Reliance India no option, as a society, as a business, but to really adopt a sustainable business model. Asked if this green push will require dialing back on some of Reliance&rsquo;s businesses, Ambani said &ldquo;it means transforming our businesses and integrating that with the future," without sharing more details. The three-day event kicked off with Qatar&rsquo;s ruler calling on countries to avoid hoarding vaccines to the 'detriment of others'.&nbsp;

A group of children came together to create a ‘Micro-Oxygen chamber’ in Ludhiana by planting 750 tree saplings of at least 60 native species. The team compr

A group of children came together to create a &lsquo;Micro-Oxygen chamber&rsquo; in Ludhiana by planting 750 tree saplings of at least 60 native species. The team comprised of 10 school-going children, calling themselves &lsquo;Green Warriors&rsquo; who attempt to create a micro forest that would be 'by the kids and for the kids&rsquo;.
The plantation drive which took place in Ludhiana&rsquo;s Rakh Bagh, was carried out under the supervision of IRS officer Rohit Mehra and his wife Geetanjali, who have taken many such green initiatives for the city.kids
The shortage of oxygen during Covid-19&rsquo;s second wave was one of the reason for these children came together and wanted to make Ludhiana an oxygen-rich city.

Environment activists staged a protest in the harbour of the coastal city of Falmouth in England to highlight the lack of climate change action from world lea

Environment activists staged a protest in the harbour of the coastal city of Falmouth&nbsp;in&nbsp;England to highlight the lack of climate change action from world leaders attending the Group of Seven summit in Cornwall.
Campaigners accused the G-7 governments of spending money on conferences and summits, but not doing enough to protect the environment, and in particular the oceans.
The activists projected their slogans on the bow of the "Silja Europa" ship, a cruise ferry currently docked in Falmouth port and hosting about 1,000 police officers tasked with the summit security.
The boat sailed from Estonia to Cornwall for that purpose.

In a first in the country, eight Asiatic lions in Hyderabad’s Nehru Zoological Park tested positive for the coronavirus last month. A lioness at Chennai's Vandal

Several instances of tigers and lions contracting the novel coronavirus&nbsp;have been reported in the past year. Are big cats particularly vulnerable to Covid-19?&nbsp;What about your pet cats? editorji&nbsp;takes a look at what some of the studies have found.&nbsp;
&nbsp;

Every year on June 5th, World Environment Day is observed to encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect the environment. It is an occasion to think about how w

World Environment Day is observed on June 5 every year across the globe to encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect the environment.&nbsp;It&rsquo;s important to care for the environment we live in, not only for our health but for our survival too.
There is a specific theme for World Environment Day, each year. The theme for 2021 is 'Ecosystem Restoration.'&nbsp;The event is hosted by a different country every year for official celebrations, this year's host is Pakistan.
The first major conference on environmental issues was held in the year 1972 from June 5-16 in Stockholm. Later that year, on December 15, the General Assembly adopted a resolution designating June 5 as World Environment Day. In 1974, the first World Environment Day was celebrated engaging governments, businesses, celebrities and citizens to focus their efforts on a pressing environmental issue.

Relish that cup of coffee or banana smoothie while you can, because it seems like some of the world’s most beloved foods might soon disappear forev

Relish that cup of coffee or banana smoothie while you can, because it seems like some of the world&rsquo;s most beloved foods&nbsp;might soon&nbsp;disappear&nbsp;forever, courtesy of&nbsp;climate change!&nbsp;&nbsp;
Climate change attacking your grocery list sounds a little dramatic but thanks to global heating and natural or man-made disasters, this may very well be our reality. Extreme weather conditions&nbsp;including&nbsp;drought, floods,&nbsp;wildfires and heatwaves, are all threatening our favourite crops and making agriculture difficult in many parts of the world, including India.&nbsp;
Global warming is making the Earth&rsquo;s environment inhospitable not just for humans but even the food they eat. Unfortunately, the foods that are most endangered by rising temperatures are also among the most popular. Let&rsquo;s take a look at some of these foods that could go extinct due to the impact of climate change on our planet.
CHICKPEAS&nbsp;&nbsp;
Chickpea or&nbsp;chhole, an important legume crop consumed widely, faces a major threat from drought and rising heat.&nbsp;As the crop requires a lot of water for production, rampant droughts have shrunk production by 40-50 per cent and scientists are actually trying to develop climate-resilient chickpeas!
BANANAS&nbsp;&nbsp;
The world&rsquo;s most convenient fruit, bananas need moderate weather and a consistent water supply for healthy production.&nbsp;Additionally, a tropical disease that is jumping continents also threatens to wipe out banana plantations across the globe.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
COFFEE&nbsp;&nbsp;
Guzzled by caffeine lovers around the world, coffee could be another victim of rising heat levels. Both the&nbsp;regions where coffee is grown and the bees that help its growth are threatened by ecological disruption. In fact,&nbsp;88&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of Latin America's coffee-suitable areas could&nbsp;deplete&nbsp;by 2050.&nbsp;&nbsp;
SEAFOOD&nbsp;
The carbon dioxide released by humans and human-related activities is absorbed by our vast oceans. An imbalance in CO2 rise is messing up marine chemistry&nbsp;and this could have a far-reaching impact on seafood.&nbsp;As the quality of&nbsp;seafood deteriorates, seafood-borne diseases are already increasing.&nbsp;&nbsp;
SOYBEANS&nbsp;&nbsp;
Could&nbsp;tofu, edamame, miso, and tempeh become a thing of the past? A 2017 crop study found that if&nbsp;the world&rsquo;s emissions are not significantly reduced,&nbsp;soybean crops could diminish by 40 per cent by 2100.&nbsp;Apart from food, soybeans are also&nbsp;a source of biofuels giving them global&nbsp;economic importance as well.&nbsp;&nbsp;
WHEAT, MAIZE &amp; RICE&nbsp;&nbsp;
In a grim revelation, a 2016 study of crops of vital dietary importance found that the production of wheat, maize, and rice is also in danger.&nbsp;Regions, where the crops are currently grown, could become obsolete, due to oscillating temperatures and unpredictable weather while the demand is projected to increase 33 per cent by 2050.&nbsp;
CHOCOLATE&nbsp;&nbsp;
Some bitter news about your favourite sweet treat, cocoa beans that are used to produce chocolate&nbsp;can only grow if a certain set of conditional requirements are met.&nbsp;A limited area of potential growth, fluctuation in humidity and lack of&nbsp;nutrient-rich&nbsp;soil&nbsp;all&nbsp;threaten chocolate&rsquo;s future.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Evidently, protecting the environment should be the world&rsquo;s top priority as it's slowly beginning to feel like whatever we do will be too little, too late.&nbsp;

Exposing the impact of climate change on human health, a new study has found that more than a third of all heat-related deaths around the world between 1991 and 20

Exposing the impact of climate change on human health, a new study has found that&nbsp;more than a third of all heat-related deaths around the world between 1991 and 2018 can be&nbsp;blamed&nbsp;on&nbsp;human-induced global heating.&nbsp;&nbsp;
What&rsquo;s worse, scientists say this is only the tip of the very damaging climate iceberg. Adding that far more people die from extreme weather conditions brought upon&nbsp;by global warming disasters such as storms, flooding and drought.&nbsp;&nbsp;
For the purpose of this study, researchers looked at heat deaths in 732 cities in 43 countries around the globe from 1991 to 2018 and calculated that 37% were caused by&nbsp;higher temperatures. Overall, the data found the largest climate change-induced contributions to be from southern and western Asia (Iran and Kuwait),&nbsp;followed by&nbsp;south-east Asia (the Philippines and Thailand) and Central and South America.
Published in the journal Nature Climate Change, the study highlights the glaring reality that climate change is already killing people in every continent, making&nbsp;it more important than ever to empower meaningful change&nbsp;through global climate agreements.

World Earth Day is observed annually on April 22nd to acknowledge climate change and spread awareness about the same all around the world. This day is an opportunity to

World Earth Day is observed annually on April 22nd to acknowledge climate change and spread awareness about the same all around the world. This day is an opportunity to bring millions to connect and discuss problems like pollution, deforestation and so much more.
The&nbsp;theme for Earth Day 2021 is "Restore Our Earth." The theme signifies that we need to start doing our bit in order to restore the planet and focus on rebuilding the world's ecosystems. As per the website, earthday.org, the theme will focus on "natural processes, emerging green technologies and innovative thinking that can restore the world&rsquo;s ecosystems."
Earth Day is being celebrated annually since the year 1970. However, this year, there is a three-day event that will take place virtually. The event will start from April 20th and will go on until April 22nd. It will be dedicated to issues about the climate crisis and there will be a few topics of discussion like climate and environmental literacy, climate restoration technologies, equity and environmental justice.

Game of Thrones actor Maisie Williams is facing criticism from online watchdogs after her appointment as the 'global sustainability ambassador' for H&M. S

Game of Thrones fame actor Maisie&nbsp;Williams is facing&nbsp;criticism from online watchdogs after her appointment as the 'global sustainability ambassador' for H&amp;M. Sharing the news on Instagram, the actor said she's joining the brand to front its campaign to use only recycled or sustainable products by 2030.&nbsp;
However, people are not happy with Williams for promoting 'greenwashing' with the fast-fashion brand. In the fashion industry, greenwashing&nbsp;refers to the practice of conveying falsified information and giving&nbsp;misleading updates about how a company's products are more environmentally safe.&nbsp;
H&amp;M's actions as one of the biggest fast fashion labels in the world have often been deemed questionable and sustainability experts are not happy with Maisie's new association with the brand.

As several forest fires rage across Uttarakhand, a video of the state’s Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat using a bush to douse the fire has gone viral on social

As several forest fires rage across Uttarakhand, a video of the state&rsquo;s Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat using a bush to douse the fire has gone viral on social media.
In the 30-second clip, Rawat is seen trying to put out the forest fire in Pauri district on Monday.
In the past six months, the state has reported over 1,000 incidents of forest fire, including over 45 on Sunday. The IAF deployed choppers on Sunday to douse the blaze.

At least 40 active fires are currently ravaging the forests of Uttarakhand. As per the state government, the fire has affected forests across the Garhwal and Kumaon reg

At least 40 active fires are currently ravaging the forests of Uttarakhand. As per the state government, the fire has affected forests across the Garhwal and Kumaon regions with Nainital, Almora, Tehri and Pauri districts being the worst-hit.
According to reports, the fire has so far destroyed property worth Rs 37 lakh and claimed the lives of at least seven animals.
The Union home ministry&nbsp;has dispatched two Indian Air Force helicopters that have been deployed in the firefighting operations.

Tokyo is dipped in hues of pink, as the cherry blossoms are in full bloom along the Meguro river. Visitors thronged to see the splendid site, as a state of emergency w

Tokyo is draped in hues of pink as the cherry trees are in full bloom along the Meguro river.
Parks in Tokyo were cordoned off as the the Japanese government has been calling upon people to refrain from holding picnic parties under the cherry blossoms.
Visitors thronged to see the splendid site as a state of emergency was lifted last week.
The cherry blossoms this year have reached their peak earlier than usual and experts suggest climate change is likely the cause.

An IIT-Delhi incubated startup, called Geliose Mobility, has developed an e-scooter that cuts travel cost to just 20 paise per kilometer. Called HOPE, the scooter is an

An IIT-Delhi incubated startup&nbsp;has developed an e-scooter that cuts travel cost to just 20 paise per kilometer. Called HOPE, the scooter is an Internet-based one and is an affordable alternative to petrol scooters that cost about Rs 2.5 per km. The scooter comes with a portable battery and a portable charger. According to an ANI report, a user can even switch between pedals for fitness and throttle for convenience.

US President Joe Biden has invited 40 countries including Russia and China to participate in the first big climate talk of his administration. The summit that will

US President Joe Biden&nbsp;has invited 40 countries including Russia and China to participate in the first big climate talks under his administration. The summit that will be held virtually on April 22 and 23 will be the US' first major international climate discussion in more than 4 years.
Biden administration officials said that the summit is about engaging at the leadership levels and sending a signal on how serious the US is on climate change.
Although the&nbsp;Biden&nbsp;administration is at loggerheads with China and Russia on election interference, cyber-attacks, human rights, and other issues, officials say that the US hopes that both countries will join the discussion.&nbsp;
China is the world's top emitter of climate-damaging pollution followed by the United States, while Russia stands at no. 4.&nbsp;

Africa's elephant populations have become more endangered, owing to threats of poaching and loss of habitat, a new report by International Union for Conservation of Nat

Africa's elephant populations have become more endangered, owing to threats of poaching and loss of habitat, a new report by International Union for Conservation of Nature has revealed. Now, the African forest elephant is critically endangered while the African savanna elephant is endangered- they were previously classified as a single species. experts suggest&nbsp;these species could face extinction in as little as 10 years. The number of African forests elephants have fallen by more than 86% over a 31 year period while savanna elephants have fallen by more than 60% over a 50 year period. Experts have warned that extinction of Africa's elephants will have consequences for the planet, since they play an important role in ecosystems and economies.

Researchers in France's Bordeaux analysed nearly a dozen bottles of Chateau Petrus Pomerol wine that spent close to a year in space. The wine, along with 320 snip

Researchers in France's Bordeaux analysed&nbsp;nearly a dozen bottles of Chateau Petrus Pomerol wine that spent close to a year in space.
The wine, along with 320 snippets of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines, came back to Earth after spending a year aboard the International Space Station for agricultural research.
Preliminary results were announced on Wednesday, when scientists said that weightlessness did not ruin the wine, and it seemed to energise it.
The initiative is a part of a larger effort to make plants on Earth more resilient to climate change by exposing them to different and newer stresses and to understand the fermentation and ageing of wine better.
While tasting, some researchers said the wine had aromas of cured leather or a campfire. Such experiments could help scientists create sturdier vines on Earth and maybe pave the way for wine-making in space.

Anonymous Indian graffiti artist, Daku's latest work sheds light on the water crisis in Chennai and the rest of India. The artist mainly uses shadow-play in his mu

Anonymous Indian graffiti artist, Daku's latest work sheds light on the water crisis in Chennai and the rest of India.&nbsp;The artist mainly uses shadow-play in his murals, and his latest piece in Chennai shows people lining up to fill up their buckets.
On June 19, 2019, officials in Chennai&nbsp;had declared 'Day Zero', indicating that water in the city had depleted. Sending a message through his art, Daku&nbsp;in an Instagram&nbsp;post wrote,&nbsp;Chennai has a long history of water crisis, the city was not meant to be the kind of metropolis it is now.
The mural is located in Kannagi Nagar and has been done for St+Art India Foundation.

To deal with the waste created by face masks, a Dutch designer Marianne de Groot-Pons creates face masks with rice paper that are filled with flower seeds. The masks,

To deal with the waste created by face masks, a Dutch designer Marianne de Groot-Pons&nbsp;has created face masks with rice paper that are filled with flower seeds.
The masks, created by her company called Marie Bee Bloom, are biodegradable and are meant to be buried into the ground after use.
Once they're buried, they bloom into stunning flowers. The glue used on the mask is also made using potato starch and water.
The artisanal masks are priced at approx. US$3.58 each and provides as much or as little protection as fabric masks, she claims.

Meet this Udhampur family, striving to keep the age-old bamboo craft alive

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