Technology that converts watewater sludge into soil-enrichment products!!!

The biggest threat that is posing a great challenge to earth and the humanity inhabiting the planet is hazardous wastes that are produced as a result of human activities. With the evolution of human race our lifestyle, nutrition, and professional needs have spurred us to exploit earth's natural resources more and more. Over the years this exploitation has led to the depletion of vital resources such as fresh water, fertile soil, minerals, oxygen, etc.

Of course when humans can destroy, there are those who think of rejuvenation also. There are scientists and organizations in various parts of the world that are working towards researching and developing technologies that help minimize waste, convert hazardous wastes into productive material. One such entity is http://www.nviro.com, the home page of N-Vitro International Corporation. This research organization is involved in developing and licensing technologies that convert waste water sludge and other bio-organic wastes into bio-mineral agricultural and soil-enrichment products.



This technology is useful for municipalities and private companies. The processes use lime and mineral-rich combustion byproducts to treat, pasteurize, immobilize and convert the wastes into useful products. In a very short time since its promotion the company has attained a sales revenue of over $40 million. In October 1993, the company went public with underwriting by Robertson Stephens, Raymond James, Oppenheimer & Co., and Paine Webber.

Dry Zone in Dallas

Yesterday I got the biggest surprise of my life since I arrived in the US. There are areas in DFW Metro and rest of the US where prohibition is in force. Yes stores in these jurisdictions can't sell alcoholic beverages including Wine and Beer. And if you want to have a drink with your meal at a fancy restaurant, you will have to get a Unicard - basically fill up some paperwork. The restaurant will take care of your paperwork. Much like the Permit Room system in Maharashtra, India.

We were trying to buy a bottle of wine to take to a friend's birthday party. The area was unfamiliar but we thought that every grocery store should have a wine section. But to our surprise we discovered this is indeed untrue and after visiting two grocery and couple of convenience stores at gas stations, intrigued we asked the last store why nobody seems to want to sell wine. Then the store executive explained that we were in the dry zone and we had to travel few more miles to get into a wet zone so as to be able to buy wine.

However there is no prohibition at home, one can drive to the next city buy as much wine and bring it back home. It is only that stores can't retail alcohol, and restaurants need Unicard to serve Alcohol.

Finding this type of zoning regulations in the US was a huge surprise. There are strange laws here too. I am definitely surprised.

Justin, Texas - An American Village

Yesterday we had to travel to a small town known as Justin, about 35 miles from Carrollton, Tx. When I first heard the name Justin, my mind immediately went back to Bangalore, India where our office assistant was named Justin. So I wondered what kind of a city this was named Justin... Nevertheless we drove down the highway to reach the rickety town of Justin dominated by horse and cattle ranches.

According to the city website, this area was originally settled by a band of French colonists who in 1848 established the Icarian Colony. The community was abandoned a year later, and the area remained sparsely populated until the early 1880's. The formation of the city started in 1883, when one Chet Helm and Riley started selling town lots. At that time there was no name to this settlement/ community. A year later an enterprising individual opened a general store and four years later, the Santa Fe extended its rail line from Fort Worth to Purcell, Oklahoma. The tracks were laid contiguous to this yet unnamed community.

In January 1887, the 100-strong community petitioned postal authorities for a post office to be named Justin, in honor of Justin Sherman, chief engineer of the Santa Fe rail line. Since then the population of the city has not grown much, today Justin is still a small city of about 3,000 people. It looks like any small town in India, for example Tumkur, Ramnagar but only the infrastructure is a shade better. There are quite a few leisure facilities such a tennis court, athletic track and of course a large Church.

Of course the biggest difference is perhaps the basic civic infrastructure, smooth roads (though narrow), good drainage system and clean drinking water piped to every home. If these things could be achieved in India we would not be far behind the rest of the First-World nations. What needs to be done to achieve this is hard working people and corruption free establishment.

City Park, Justin

Trading Post (Antique Store), Justin

Water Supply location for Justin city

Any city in US must have a church....

Teenagers elected to run two US Cities

What is common between Bedford (Tx)-based Chris Brown (19) and Muskogee (Ok)-based John Tyler Hammons (19)? They both are going to cast vote to elect the American president later this year. They both are underaged to buy alcohol or enter into a nightclub in the US. They both are in their college and studying hard for future careers. This is what most young people of their age are doing anyway, what is special about these two?

For one thing both of them were recently elected to the City Council and Mayor positions in their cities, with thumping majorities. While John Tyler Hammons won the Mayor's post with 57 percent of the vote over former Mayor Hershel Ray McBride, Chris Brown, successfully won a heavily-contested race for the Bedford City Council by an overwhelming margin. Hammons is a freshman in at the University of Oklahoma and Brown is a political science major in University of North Texas.

Commendable achievements considering the youngsters age. These young men have swayed huge populations (Bedford: 48,000 and Muskagee 38,000) in their respective cities to win with overwhelming majorities which even seasoned politicians find difficult to achieve. What is the secret of these victories? I would say a combination of self-confidence, enthusiasm and hardwork.

According to newsreports Brown worked diligently on his campaign, including spending several days going door-to-door to meet voters. He also raised about $5,000 – much of it in contributions of $5 or $10 from college friends. The results paid off, with Brown sweeping to victory in the Place 6 race with 83.7 percent of the vote. Opponent Jim Wallace, a closed-captioning editor, took 16.3 percent.

What is impressive about these young men is that though they have been elected to key city positions, they retain their youthful humility. Brown will take a break from school during the summer and return to his part-time job as a waiter at Raven's Grille at Texas Star Golf Course in Euless. And Hammons will continue with his studies at the University.

I think this kind of opportunity will help give confidence and enterprise to youth and should be emulated in other parts of the world. This is the only way we could make sure that the world is in safe hands.

Read more on: Houston Chronicle and Dallas Morning News