Unique Universe
Help save the world

Global warming lost hope quite a long time ago, but recent news shows some significant improvement in this calamity. Trees are still being cut; carbon dioxide emission is still there, and a huge fraction of the world still has no idea about it. But hope is still there, a hope of getting out! In a survey it is found that a large portion of the carbon dioxide emission occurs in USA. We still are the shorter portion that contributes for global warming, though.Carbon dioxide level is stated to fall, and global cooling caused Antarctic glacier to form! A team of scientists led by Yale geologists offers a new perspective on the nature of changing climatic conditions across this greenhouse-to-icehouse transitionone that refutes earlier theories and has important implications for predicting future climate changes.

A report shows that before the Southern Hemisphere ice expansion, high-latitude temperatures were at least 10°C (about 18°F) warmer than previously estimated and that there was a 5°C - 10°C drop in surface-water temperature during the climate transition.

However, there are ways by which we can help stop global warming.

Recycling is the first thing that comes on this list. Do your part to reduce waste by choosing reusable products instead of disposables. By recycling half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.

Use Less Air Conditioning
Summer is almost here, and we have a tendency of using the ac after a long tiring day. Setting your ac just 2 degrees higher in summer could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year!

Change a Light Bulb
Replacing just one 60-watt light bulb with a CFL will use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 percent less heat. It would eliminate 90 billion pounds of greenhouse gases, the same as taking 7.5 million cars off the road.

Use the "Off" Switch
Save electricity and reduce global warming by turning off lights when you leave a room, and using only as much light as you need. And remember to turn off your television, video player, stereo and computer when you're not using them.

Plant a Tree
During photosynthesis, trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen. A single tree will absorb approximately one ton of carbon dioxide during its lifetime. Start planting one tree in your house; you'll be making a huge difference!

Encourage Others to Conserve
Share the information with your friends and family, and start the awareness!

http://www.physorg.com/
Http://environment.about.com/od/globalwarming/tp/globalwarmtips.htm

By Raida Kifait Reza

Essay Competition 2009 at MLIS

Every competition starts with the anticipation of success and a feeling of anxiety. The MLIS essay competition 2009 was had quite a similar reaction, which took place on the 6th of March 2009. This was the first ever essay competition hosted by MLIS Writer's Club, and everyone was excited and looked forward to this event. It was to be held on 27th of February 2009, but due to the depressing incident occurring on 25th and 26th of February it had been delayed.

The competition was from class six to class twelve, and it started around 11:15. When it started, a student of class two came upstairs, wanting to participate in the competition! Even though the turnout was lower than expected, the organizers were happy with the people that came. Their motto was 'participation is the most important thing'. 'We are thinking that the turnout was low due to the relocation of the event after the incident', says Maliha Hasan, senior coordinator of MLIS Writer's Club. As the competition began, some of the volunteers actually wanted to compete, and some of them requested to take the papers and start writing! One of the organizer, Redwan Islam started writing, and when he was alleged to know the topics before, he stated that it was the vice president, president and the general secretary who knew the topics. Almost all of the volunteers wanted to compete in this event, and all they could regret is there was no such event when they were in lower classes.

It seemed that everyone ended before time, and their faces showed this grin of victory; suffice to expect a lot of great essays! Everyone got up on the stage and got photographed, and they were sent back home with the promise of the Award Ceremony on 26th March. The organizers are happy with the experience, but they expected a higher turnout. Taking an initiative is always hard, and at the beginning things are not as much recognized as it should be, so all we can hope is that there's better luck next year, where there won't be any bloodshed or turmoil.

By Raida Kifait Reza

Debate in honour of Women's Day

Do men really make better volunteers than women? -- That was the topic under heated discussion on 6 March 2008 at Notre Dame College. In this debate, sponsored by the 'United Nations Volunteers' (UNV) program in commemoration of Women's Day on 8 March, the boys proposition team comprising ex-Notre Dameians (Mir Nakibul Islam, Shahnoor Islam Khan and Asif from Dhaka University) faced off against a girls opposition team made of past and present European Standard School students (Faria Ahmed, Alaka Halder and Afrida Mahbub).

In this exciting debate ('Men Make Better Volunteers than Women'), the proposition highlighted the fact that as women face many barriers and risks in the field of voluntary work because of their gender, they cannot utilize their abilities to the same extent as men. However, team opposition emerged victorious after proving that despite the difficulties women face, they still show themselves as more capable, nurturing and willing volunteers in fields ranging from nursing and education to fund-raising and environmentalism. Both sides agreed that women continue to face discrimination and oppression across the world, and require our wholehearted encouragement and support.

The lively session concluded with wise words and encouragement (for both the debaters & also for the women across the globe to whom Women's Day is dedicated!) from UN members including Mr. Kazi Ali Reza (Officer-in-Charge, UN Information Centre) and also a prize-giving ceremony.

By Alaka Halder

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Students observing International Mother Language Day in Scholastica
The students of Scholastic got together to enact dramas chronicling the turbulent time in our history that secured our mother language. The settings and the hard work of the students made the event a success.