Climate Reality Guru Nobel laureate and former US vice-president Al Gore crusader of climate change.So where does India stand? Elsie Gabriel

 

 

Climate Reality Guru Nobel laureate and former US vice-president Al Gore is crusader of climate change.So where does India stand on its way to Paris?

By Climate Reality Mentor Elsie Gabriel, Mumbai, India.

I don’t know about you, but I want to share that I grew up as a child studying almost every evening under the dim light of a kerosene lantern or candles, atleast for a few hours daily. I grew up in West Bengal India and with parents who were teachers in the Irish Christian Brothers school it was a routine thing to do, study, read books or play outdoors and study some more.We had the best of amenities and the best of childhood memories playing outdoors in the wilderness, but ‘Power cuts’ and ‘Lights out’ are words which still ring in my ears, reminding me of how we would struggle to bring light into the house during study hours. This, believe me was the experience of most folks of my age during childhood, and guess what, some parts of India still go through such chronic lack of energy, un announced power cuts which paralyze industries, homes and households. Till today!!!

 And some ofcourse still do not have any power at all. Electricity consumption in our country has been increasing at such high speed due to population growth and economic development. India’s economy faces increasing challenges because energy supply is struggling to keep pace with demand and there are energy shortages (as much as 15 percent daily in some places) almost everywhere in the country as unreliable supplies still threaten India’s economic growth. This may sound strange to you because you live in a city or uptown,because we belong to only the tip of the ice berg of the Indian population, for that matter anyone reading this blog any where in the world right now.

Yet, the fact remains that our growth is constrained by energy supply and availability. Although we have seen an impressive increase in installed capacity addition, we still can not match the demand.

So, what can India do to meet the future energy demands and help eliminate wide-ranging power outages in the future? The government needs to research how best to address the power needs to meet the future growth and prevent such massive power failures. India’s ‘power blackout’’ is an opportunity to develop sustainable energy solutions. Let the ‘darkness of the power cuts’ show us the way!

We are a sun shining country, the source is for free, we as a country have always been eco friendly, using sunlight to dry our clothes and tumble dry our utensils out on the racks outdoors. More so, use earthen pots made of clay to set our curd and drink water or hot ‘chai’ tea from. We stored water in earthen vessels.We have mostly used'pital' 'tamba' or steel plates which could be recycled like forever...we used bio degradable ‘patals’ or plates made from leaves. It was auspicious to eat from them during marriages or religious functions. May be the newer generation may not but believe me, we Indians had parents and grandparents who used a set of cloth bags all their lives. One for the fish market, another for the vegetables and rations so on, they were washed after each use and reused!!

All these memories came flashing back during a meet led by former US Vice President  Al Gore which aimed to focus on the renewable energy potential for India and the key role that the country plays in the lead up to the discussions in France later this year. High-profile leaders in renewable energy joined Nobel laureate and former US vice-president Al Gore here to train Climate Reality Leaders here in India last month, on the science of climate change and solutions for the climate crisis while developing skills to effectively communicate about both the challenges and opportunities.

The speakers included  Ken Berlin, president & CEO, Climate Reality Project; Ajay Mathur, director general, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, Dr. Henry Pollack, Professor Emeritus, University of Michigan and Angela Rutter, director of strategic engagement, Australian Conservation Foundation, among many others.

"There are many reasons to be optimistic about our ability to solve the climate crisis," said Gore, chairman and founder of the Climate Reality Project, who outlined the details, graphs and statistics as well as the wrath of climate change, asking the world to wake up.

"The Climate Reality Leadership  training brought together committed activists and citizens from all over India and from several others nations, it gives me yet another reason to be hopeful." he added. Al Gore is the guru of Climate Change education and awareness, his effects on people are deep and his message will spread far and wide. India was indeed blessed to have him visit, train and resurrect the mission to fight climate change tooth and nail.

Today, I feel empowered with the best tools possible to communicate this message of hope. If we educators can teach the next generation about the climate reality we will be equipping the future. Please do get in touch with us for Climate Change educational presentations. Together we can fight climate change.

With awareness of climate change having grown exponentially, Evangelist of Climate Change Education Al Gore also announced that songwriter and singer Pharrel Williams will together present the  Live Earth concerts to take place June 18 at various venues across the world. Live Earth Road to Paris 2015 seeks to build momentum heading into the UN Climate Summit in Paris in December.

Reduce, Reuse, Rethink, Replenish, Recycle and Renew!! I repeat this daily to all my colleagues, friends and students, it is the like the holy grail of the basics that can help bring back planet Earth to the greener planet she was and to fight climate change.

So, where does India stand and where can we go from here? Renewable energy is the most attractive investment because it will provide long-term economic growth for India. A favorable renewable energy policy could create millions of new jobs and an economic stimulus.

India has no better option than to reach out and soak in the sun. Solar energy is the most cost-effective option for India to reduce 'energy poverty' without having to extend national grid services to provide power for individual homes and buildings.

 Aggressively expand large-scale distribution of  renewable energy including solar and  wind, hydro and  biomass to ease the strain on the present transmission.

Yes, Solar is getting cheaper world wide but in India, the government must develop favorable  policies to ease the project permitting process, and to provide startup funds to promote the exponential growth of renewable energy. We already have solar, we are progressing but lets promote solar more among the public users, so that it does not have to compete with conventional energy generation.

Once  research institutions are tapped, industry, government and civil society will follow the path to solar, to guide technology development. A corresponding investment will be required in transmission and distribution.

The country  is hopefully shutting down coal slowly and now knows that pursuing a fossil fuel-led growth strategy which is already bogged down by environmental concerns is not the way out! So, while bridging the gap lets get clean energy, sustainable and renewable sources.

With countries coming to Paris this December to reach a new climate change agreement, lets hope bigger polluters commit to goals as against to saving their country from economic growth.
Hopefully a balance will be drawn somewhere in peace.

 Here is hoping that India will also continue to move forward because they realize the benefits of action which  is not only the health of the planet but the health of their citizens.

We as a country know that India already has the lowest per-capita emissions among major nations but this is what can make us leaders, world leaders in solar if the government would provide a predictable policy regime with standard guidelines for approving renewable energy developments.

Each country, agreed, will have different responsibilities in fighting the climate change threats, it is no use comparing India to other countries but to collaborate and co-operate.

India can be the true contender of climate leadership!

“Elsie Gabriel, attended the event as a Climate Reality Mentor from Mumbai mentoring two groups of trainees, She is founder of the Young Environmentalists Programme Trust an NGO dedicated over the last decade in educating  the youth and community on Climate change,environment education and green living habits as a certified green teacher.She is also the award winning author of the book called Get Out Get Going Outdoors which has chapters on climate change. The Climate Reality Project is an organization involved in education and advocacy related to climate founded by  Al Gore. “

World Class Sula Wine and Music outdoor festival.

Elsie Gabriel.

Begun eight years ago by an industrious grape-growing brand- Sula Wines, the festival began as a way to introduce and educate the populace about the merits of wine, music and festivities. Since those early beginnings, Sula has grown in stature to become one of the top wine production houses in India, and the Sula Wine Festival has grown to become the #1 tasting event in India, featuring varieties of wine, paired with gourmet food offerings, fashion shows, and unbeatable musical entertainment.

I took in the sun, the fun, the notes of music and wine –all making a heady mixture, uplifting me to experience an unforgettable wine festival..I have been on the Australian and South African wine trails but believe me this Sula festival is a boon to India. Sula is also a pioneer in India’s wine tourism opening the country’s first winery Tasting Room in 2005 and first vineyard resort, Beyond by Sula, in 2007. With over 200,000 visitors last year, Sula is one of the most visited wineries in the world and the #1 spot where Indians first taste wine.

Firmly committed to remaining at the forefront of Indian wines, Sula continues to experiment with new varietals, engage in sustainable agriculture and support the local rural economy. Sula is well on its way to becoming one of the world’s most sustainable wine producers.

The fest on the 7^th and 8^th of February this year saw close to 11,000 fest-goers who had a weekend to remember and this year was a grander production with even more amazing memories.

A huge Greek-style amphitheater was bathed in sunshine rays, truly making it a world class Music festival by itself, with thousands of music lovers sipping wine and enjoying a mix of nationwide and internationally celebrated artists. In the distance you could see white tents dotting the wine farmlands offering exotic accommodation for the festival, that’s if you didn’t already book the hotels around the Sula vinyards.

 I enjoyed the groups that performed, Young The Giant, Gentlemans Dub Club, Will abd the People, Yes Sir Boss, Speed Caravan, Cuban Beats, Kefaya, Sandunes, Hamza Feat but Lucky Ali still stole my heart along with Bombay Basement and Swarathma and Manuidhira some good fusion Indian music there floated around with quite the right beats.

The Sula wine festival is one of the largest outdoor wine festivals in the state/country! This beautiful city of Nasik is the original home of the wine festival with a spectacular gathering of wine, food, music and fun – at the interiors of the farmlands of Maharashtra, just few hours away from Mumbai! A hip crowd of thousands of wine lovers flock to the two day Festival, making this one of the most desirable wine consumer event of the year!

If you want to celebrate the spring season with wine and food pairing, simply visit the Sula wineries! Wine appreciation and evaluation is done by understanding a wine through its colour, aroma, flavour, texture and body.

Wine tasting sessions help you broaden your horizons on wine and also help you know how to pair food and wine, how to serve wines or how to know which wine is perfect for gifting.

 

Well, I came away happy with taste buds tingling with a thousand flavours, ranging from mild citrus hints with strawberry notes, creamy mousse, dry Citrus  - lemon zest, nectarines, rose petals and lychees,  crisp, light-bodied, woody and oak and not to mention smoky, acidic and aromatic.

 

 

 

World Class Sula Wine and Music outdoor festival.Elsie Gabriel

World Class Sula Wine and Music outdoor festival.

Elsie Gabriel.

Begun eight years ago by an industrious grape-growing brand- Sula Wines, the festival began as a way to introduce and educate the populace about the merits of wine, music and festivities. Since those early beginnings, Sula has grown in stature to become one of the top wine production houses in India, and the Sula Wine Festival has grown to become the #1 tasting event in India, featuring varieties of wine, paired with gourmet food offerings, fashion shows, and unbeatable musical entertainment.

I took in the sun, the fun, the notes of music and wine –all making a heady mixture, uplifting me to experience an unforgettable wine festival..I have been on the Australian and South African wine trails but believe me this Sula festival is a boon to India.

Sula is also a pioneer in India’s wine tourism opening the country’s first winery Tasting Room in 2005 and first vineyard resort, Beyond by Sula, in 2007. With over 200,000 visitors last year, Sula is one of the most visited wineries in the world and the #1 spot where Indians first taste wine.

Firmly committed to remaining at the forefront of Indian wines, Sula continues to experiment with new varietals, engage in sustainable agriculture and support the local rural economy. Sula is well on its way to becoming one of the world’s most sustainable wine producers.

The fest on the 7^th and 8^th of February this year saw close to 11,000 fest-goers who had a weekend to remember and this year was a grander production with even more amazing memories.

A huge Greek-style amphitheater was bathed in sunshine rays, truly making it a world class Music festival by itself, with thousands of music lovers sipping wine and enjoying a mix of nationwide and internationally celebrated artists. In the distance you could see white tents dotting the wine farmlands offering exotic accommodation for the festival, that’s if you didn’t already book the hotels around the Sula vinyards.

 I enjoyed the groups that performed, Young The Giant, Gentlemans Dub Club, Will abd the People, Yes Sir Boss, Speed Caravan, Cuban Beats, Kefaya, Sandunes, Hamza Feat but Lucky Ali still stole my heart along with Bombay Basement and Swarathma and Manuidhira some good fusion Indian music there floated around with quite the right beats.

The Sula wine festival is one of the largest outdoor wine festivals in the state/country! This beautiful city of Nasik is the original home of the wine festival with a spectacular gathering of wine, food, music and fun – at the interiors of the farmlands of Maharashtra, just few hours away from Mumbai! A hip crowd of thousands of wine lovers flock to the two day Festival, making this one of the most desirable wine consumer event of the year!

If you want to celebrate the spring season with wine and food pairing, simply visit the Sula wineries! Wine appreciation and evaluation is done by understanding a wine through its colour, aroma, flavour, texture and body.

Wine tasting sessions help you broaden your horizons on wine and also help you know how to pair food and wine, how to serve wines or how to know which wine is perfect for gifting.

 

Well, I came away happy with taste buds tingling with a thousand flavours, ranging from mild citrus hints with strawberry notes, creamy mousse, dry Citrus  - lemon zest, nectarines, rose petals and lychees,  crisp, light-bodied, woody and oak and not to mention smoky, acidic and aromatic.

The Mercado Municipal Market place in São Paulo,Brazil is a gourmet-food lover’s paradise.

The Mercado Municipal Market place in São Paulo,Brazil is a gourmet-food lover’s paradise.

Elsie Gabriel

The Mercado Municipal Market place in São Paulo,Brazil is a gourmet-food lover’s paradise. It sure does have a top rank place in my pantheon of great markets that I have visited the world over. A trip to the Mercadão, meaning "big market' is a must while touring Sao Paulo. Your gourmet tour starts and ends here in fact.You can pack your basket for a wild picnic or home cooking, all here.

 

The Mercado Municipal is a huge two storied building market illuminated by stained-glass windows and houses not only stands selling pickles, flowers, canned stuff, fruits, vegetables, spices, meat, poultry and seafood, but also a mezzanine floor lined with vibrant restaurants overlooking the shopping and tasting action below and offering everything from simple snacks and home-cooking samples.

To me it was an exotic offering to all my senses involving me in all the flavor s of Brazil, avant-garde contemporary gastronomy at its best.

 If you like markets with fresh food and local produce, fresh colours and smells, happy faces buying and satisfied faces selling,  this is a really fun place that is packed, lively, delicious and affordable. I enjoyed tasting over a dozen cheeses, wines and sausages of all sorts. I was in gourmet heaven.

You can pick Mortadella sandwiches, fresh local fruit and inexpensive souvenirs, this place is great. I love the humdrum of a market, the dizziness which goes into the haggling and offerings, the mundane becomes the absolutely supreme essential necessity. It is exquisite gastronomic experience here at Mercado.

I ate a Hocca's Pastel  which is a pastel,  a rectangle-shaped thin crust pie with assorted fillings, fried in vegetable oil. The result is a crispy, brownish fried pie either with shrimp, or codfish, or chicken or other flavors..Every bite is crispy heaven, drooool, slruppp….mine was filled with a soft flacky fresh fish fillet...

The Mercado was built in a somewhat eclectic classical style designed by architect Francisco Ramos de Azevedo in 1928 but it was only on January 25, 1933, the birthday of the city of Sao Paulo, that the market finally opened for its original purpose.

The huge central space of the Mercado Municipal is light and airy thanks to the high clerestory windows which allows free flowing breeze, fresh air constantly rotating, abundant daylight to reach even into the center aisles of the market. Along the front facade ranges a series of enormous colourfully paterned stained-glass windows which are the work of German-Brazilian artist Conrado Sorgenicht Filho and which celebrate the daily lives of agricultural workers during the golden age of São Paulo's coffee economy.

All pictures copyrighted Elsie Gabriel.

For me the market, infact any market -represents- Mother Earths offerings and that’s how it becomes heaven to me, just walking down each aisle and letting all that the earth has to offer into your very being, every sense being awakened.You can honour all that the earth grows and helps feed us...

I can still feel the Empanada burst in my mouth,with every juicy bite....

Empanadas are made by folding dough or bread around stuffing, which usually consists of a variety of meat, cheese, fish,vegetables or fruits, among others. Like fritters, samosas or patties known the world over they are filled with happiness always ,what say?

 

Make Ginger Wine with Elsie Gabriel….. each gulp is fiery and spicy just right for a cold winter evening…

Come let me take you with me on the wine making journey at home….I have always been passionate about making wine, when I first started out of course they came out like vinegar used for cooking but now I have learned the art and would like to share them with you…so read on if you wish to make good ginger wine at home during the festive season, do not forget to write in and tell me how it all turned out…

 

Make  Ginger Wine with Elsie Gabriel….. each gulp is fiery and spicy just right for a cold winter evening…

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons dried ginger or four pieces of ginger root.
3 to 5 KGs raisins
2 oranges
2 lemons

5 Red dried chilies
1,500 grams sugar/ caramelized for color
Wine yeast
1 gallon of water/ Almost 4 liters

METHOD
Add cleaned ginger to a saucepan of boiling water and allow to simmer. Also add the oranges which are peeled and sliced, together with lemon zest and simmer for approximately 30 minutes. When it is luke-warm, add the yeast and leave overnight. Add diced raisins or dried grapes in the morning along with the dried red chilies. I make a spicy flavored ginger wine, its unique and savory…

Strain ginger wine mixture and transfer to a clean plastic large bottle container or  winemaking fermentation bucket. Keep the original strained solids and boil once more in more water to ensure that maximum  flavor has been extracted, again simmering for another 15 minutes.
Place everything in any suitable vessel as long as it is very clean. If you want your ginger wine to be red in color just add caramelized sugar syrup if the dried grapes do not give it sufficient colour.

Stir each morning and evening, for ten days. Strain carefully and transfer ginger wine  into a clear winemaking bottle/jar or any airtight container will do, ensure its airlock. Ferment for six weeks. Drink ginger wine after waiting one year, or longer.

If Christmas is around the corner, and you are in a hurry to say Cheers-simply add Brandy to the mixture and use after you have let the wine settle down and clear. You may use bits of raw papaya to clear the wine hazy look.

I find making wine a terrific hobby. Not only will you have fun making it, you will have fun drinking it!

A bottle of wine makes a wonderful gift. Whether you are going to a friend’s house for dinner or in need of a small holiday gift, a bottle of wine is always a nice touch.

Of course always keep one at home for impromptu guests!The non alcaholic wine is tasty and served to the entire family as well. Enjoy and cheers –happy Holidays.

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Life is a Cachaca!! Cheers!! Elsie Gabriel

Life is a Cachaca!!

I kept staring at the ‘Cachaca’ in front of me....and guess what I kept thinking about?? Is sugarcane a fruit or a vegetable!! Hah, gottcha.... I was on my second glass now and  guess what I was thinking about?? Why don’t they make this in India!!

 

We have so much sugarcane in India and may be I could think of making Cachaca!! Well let me tell ya.. I was in the middle of the Amazon jungle tropical hotel, with beautiful soothing music around , all you could think of was....wow life is a Cachaca....

The cocktail Caipirinha is Brazil's national drink made with cachaça, ice, sugar, and lime. It is the drink most commonly associated with  Cachaça. The humble cane,grass, tropical gift to mankind..call it what you wish,but this cane drink was gooood...

Slim slices of lime floating in my drink, topped with ice, well stirred with some sugar grains in lemon juice and a good portion of this sugarcane raw brew......amazing..quenching every thirst after a good whole days trek up into the forest jungle......so now you get it..you want one, dont ya....slurrppp....

Didn’t ever imagine this Sugarcane  production could turn out so good. I believe that sugancane was brought in from the Mediera islands into Brazil by the Portuguese in the 16 ^th century.God bless the sugarcane farmers...of the 16^th C that is.....

 In Brazil everything starts and ends with a Cachaca...you are on the Copacabana beach and God its Cachaca doing the rounds with shiny ice cubes dancing in the glasses being sold on the beach every where.....  

If vodka is used instead of cachaça, it is called a Caipiroska or caipivodka; if rum is used it is called a caipiríssima; if strawberry or some other fruit is used instead of lime, it is usually called a batida or caipifruta.

 1.5 billion liters are consumed annually, Brazil is one happy state, people are polite and happy. It is a sun shine country alright....

Get yourself a good aged Cachaca bottle, smoothly blended when aged to perfection, do not go for the younger cheap offerings...Next time follow me into a trail of a lot more local Brazilian brews...amazing ....

The dark variety, is aged in wood barrels and is meant to be drunk straight .But never mind the history of Cachaca, come join me in a drink, celebrate life and celebrate sugarcane!!! Cheers......make it a large, this time!!!

Stadium Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho.Electric experience at Soccer stadium Sao Paulo - Pele glorified.Elsie Gabriel

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                                       Goalllll ....  aand its am amzing win for Brazill....

                                     Stadium Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho

[ Copyright all pictures Elsie Gabriel.Lifting and copying photos is a legal offence.]

Electric experience at Soccer stadium Sao Paulo-Pele glorified.

I'm not a huge football fan but toured this brand new football museum while visiting Sao Paulo. The Football Museum is a thematic museum, located in the Stadium Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho. My husband took me there in celebration of our wedding anniversary, I relented because there was a Brazilian gourmet tour agenda following. I have not a single regret believe me…

The three storied building enclave explains Pele's life and achievements. There is an entire wing which is "interactive" and you'll be challenged to beat Pele's scoring, dribbling and running feats. I have never seen so much footage on the game and past World Cups.  The historical data is impeccably documented and illustrated. It is a fabulous collection and you can see how much hard work has gone into the setup.

The museum features many highly ultra modern and state of the art technology in interactive audiovisual resources. Pictures of great players such as Pelé, Zico and Ronaldo are projected on large screens, and narrated displays introduce their life stories in the history of the sport.

Club histories are also represented with every intricate memorabilia, flags, banners, posters, and other personal life photographs.

My Son Ridge who loves hi end technology, a “virtual field” was God sent. It allows visitors to kick an imaginary ball into a 3D goal. He took a shot, ofcourse he didn’t beat Pele but am sure he felt what it was to experience an international field virtually.

Very high and assorted incredible content on all the ABCs of football is on display. It's a must-see for anyone visiting Sao Paulo.

 

They have Pele's entire foot balling history there, in almost every format. You can take your time and find out all about him, interesting facts and quotes. I remember my Uncle who is a reverend priest, who first introduced me to a Pele film as a tribute to me finishing my ICSE exams as a teenager and then Pele has stuck in my mind ever since. He is inspirational and after a visit here…God you want to play football for sure…

The history of Brazilian football is exhaustive and impressive, highlights of each and every world cup competition since 1930, videos and portraits of Brazilian former players dominate the areanas. The best audio show were the radio sound bites which covered the matches were replayed to bring back life like memories of each goal on full volume speakers which transport you to the game. Tickets aren’t very expensive but you can always show your student ID card to get a very good discount.
Keep almost three hours for the tour, and if you have kids remember to keep your wallet full as the souvenir shop is highly rated and you can’t come away with out a FIFA replica ball or T shirt, can you!!