Kenya approves commercial farming of GM cotton

BY TONNY ABET

Cabinet of Kenya government yesterday approved the commercial farming of BT cotton following successful completion of field trials conducted for five years.

Bt cotton is a genetically modified pest resistant plant cotton variety, which produces an insecticide to combat bollworm

According to yesterday’s press release, the commercial farming of BT cotton is set to ensure farmers earn more from the crop through increased production.

“It will also boost the manufacturing pillar of the Big 4 Agenda where Kenya seeks to establish itself as a regional leader in textile and apparel production,” read the press release.

Museveni Tips Farmers How To Succeed In The Face Of Climate Change

“Plan for the rains and climate changes, but do not entirely rely on nature in farming,” Museveni tells farmers.

In a Facebook post on last Sunday, the president wrote sharing with farmers his insights on how to succeed in farming in the face of changing climate.

In the post, Museveni articulated that modern farming requires a whole new way of thinking and new sets of tactics for one to thrive.

“Water and pasture can be permanently harnessed and preserved in one place,” Museveni wrote.

He emphasized that farmers need to grow and preserve food for animals just like they do for themselves irrespective of the weather pattern.

According to Museveni, modern agriculture is about seizing and bringing nature under control.

“Modern farming demands that humanity must tame nature and preserve water at all times both for their animals and for irrigation to ensure the growth of pasture and foodstuffs,” the president highlighted.

He added that preserving these will guarantee the feeding of their stock irrespective of the changing climate.

The president's insight comes at a time when heavy down pour is being experienced in most parts of the country. 

According to the information from Rain Water Harvesting Handbook of Uganda's Ministry of Water and Environment, water harvesting is lowly practiced in the country despite the high annual precipitation in most regions.

Rain water harvesting is highly practiced in developed countries like German and Australia.

Different Water Harvesting Technologies in Uganda

Rain Barrels

This is one of the commonest methods in Uganda which involves installing a barrel at a gutter down pour to collect water.

·         Whereas this method is easily implemented because of the availability of barrels and the fact that they don't take up much space, the carrying capacity of barrels are usually very low.

"Dry" System                                                                                                                                 

This is a form of rain barrel set up only differing in the fact that it involves a larger storage volume. In this widely used technology, collection pipe dries after each rain event since it empties directly into top of the tank. This method allows for huge volumes of water to be stored and is thus good for areas where rainfall pattern is unpredictable.

However, the size of your roof being the determining factor for the maximum possible volume of water, it is always hard to fill the tanks which are either plastics or concrete constructions.

"Wet" System

This is spreading technology in Uganda. The method involves locating the collection pipes underground. The tanks are always concrete made constructed underground.

The rain water will fill the underground piping and the water will rise in the vertical pipes until it spills into the tank.

The ability to collect from your entire collection surface and multiple gutters makes this method the choicest. However, the technology is very expensive especially the construction process for underground tanks.

Top 7 Fruits that Boost Memory and Sustain Focus

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The road to success can get bumpy and life-sapping to wind along. But with constant acquisition of knowledge, self-optimisation and determination, one can become unstoppable. Having clear focus and a robust memory are some of the unrivalled secrets of the super-achievers.

So whether you want to hasten your career development, improve your general work performance, hit the project reporting deadline with a sparkling write up, or perform better in class, having a robust memory is going to be pivotal. And this is going to be a great read for you.

The researchers in Naturopathy have discovered foods that have nutrients which improve brain power and optimise memeory. Naturopathy is a system of the alternative approaches that treat diseases without the use of synthetic drugs.

Kamukama Kabikiire, a Makerere University alumnus is a renown Ugandan researcher in alternative medicine and he unveils some of the best foods for your improved brain efficiency.

"There are manifold brain foods locally available in Uganda that you should be eating to feed both your body and brain," says the researcher. "With a mix of fruits, vegetables, oils, and even chocolate, there's definitely something for everyone."

Avocado

According to Kamukama, these green powerhouses are not only packed with good fats _monosaturated fats_ which keep your skin glowing but they are also amazingly rich in vitamin K and folate which ensure a good flow of blood to the brain. "A good flow of blood to the brain means your brain gets enough nourishment of sugar and other essential nutrients to optimise its alertness," explains Kamukama.

Beets

"Eaten as salads or blended with other fruits to make a natural juice, nutrients in beets help beat up inflammation in the brain," says Kamukama, continuing,"The beets are also very rich in antioxidants." He explains that these antioxidants help rid your blood of toxins making blood entering your brain clean enough for its perfect working.

The researcher also revealed that cow-hoof -locally known as Molokony or ekigere in Uganda; Broccoli; Groundnut (Peanut); Silverfish oil and Tumeric -locally known as ebinzaali are other great brain-boosting packets of nutrients you should consider in your food menu.



Article by Abet Tonny
Tonny is science writer in Uganda with interest in health and the environment.


Source:
1. Book: Self Medication with Foods and Herbs that Fight Diseases by Kamukama Kabikiire

Limited Support from Husbands Fueling Maternal Mortality in Uganda

Photo Credit: weforum.org

No woman should die while giving life. But at the current rate of 336 deaths per 100,000 live births, Uganda does not only have one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world but it is also manifesting as a very risky corner of the planet for one to be a fertile woman. 

A number of factors continue to sustain the maternal mortality rate in Uganda as one of the highest in the global scale. According to the Uganda Health Alliance, an advocacy group for health, poor policy implementation; inadequate financing; inadequate lifesaving commodities; inadequate human resources in terms of numbers, skill, and quality of care are leading factors fueling maternal deaths in the country.

The Alliance further position some cultural practices and social norms and beliefs such as the unsupportiveness of husbands to be contributing prodigiously to maternal mortality as the country rank as 11th out of 183 countries.

In Uganda, husbands are key decision-makers in the household, effectively determining women's access to health services. When husbands retract from taking active role in antenatal care, such as refusing to provide the transport fair to the pregnant wife, the chance that the woman endures to go for all the required hospital visits can be greatly compromised. 

A recent research study in Kabale District

A recent research study conducted in Kabale District, Western Uganda by prominent researchers, Florence Muheirwe and Said Nuhu, had some shocking findings which are stimulating health experts and policymakers to rethink programmes that reach out to men for the maternal and child health agenda. 

In a quest to explore the community perspective towards the participation of men in maternal and child health care, the researchers immersed themselves in the remote areas of Kabale District to dig out the reality.

Household questioners, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, direct field observation and document review were employed to reach the goal of the research study.

Key in the intriguing report published in the BMC Public Health journal, hospital issues were generally perceived as women's affairs among the male study participants. Out of 124 respondents, the largest portion, 55% (66) defended that male participation in Maternal and Child Health (MCH) care was irrelevant.

 "Most men do not accompany their partners to family planning, antenatal care and during labour, or delivery," the scientists wrote in the report. "The scene of childbirth is considered as so shameful for husbands to witness." The researchers further revealed that the influence of peers also plays a key role in discouraging supportive husbands.

On the other side of the focus group discussion: experts at health centre revealed that the major challenge of male involvement in MCH is the fact that a number of men in the area live a careless life of drinking in bars and yet always claiming to be so busy to offer any attention or care to the expecting mother.

“This is a maternity ward for women, what will I be doing there as a man since men do not get pregnant? Even this facility is full of female nurses; I cannot tell them my health problems.” A husband in Kabale District.

And with the newly devised approach where antenatal care service is primarily accorded to expecting mothers accompanied by their partners will only mean more women shall be left out disheartened and unattended to. This will simply mean more pregnancy and delivery-related complications and deaths in the country.

In their summary, the researchers advised that community education and health sensitisation to change the prevailing socio-cultural attitudes and perceptions of men should be prioritised by the Ministry of Health and other players in the health sector. 

"Making use of community social gatherings would be helpful in demystifying misconceptions, change perceptions and attitude, consequently encouraging male participation over time," the researchers wrote in their recommendation.

Article by Abet Tonny, a Science Writer in Uganda.

How Captain Lugard first detected Uganda's Albertine oil in 1891

The inspiring reality that oil is in Uganda can be dated back to 1891. Around this time, Captain F. Lugard, the British colonial administrator, was in perfect term with the Kabaka of Buganda except for Omukama Kabalega of Bunyoro who was becoming counterproductive to his effort of imposing full British control over the beautiful land, Uganda.

And during one of his furious military attacks on Omukama Kabalega, Captain Lugard finds himself in a very uncommon scene, strange surface seeps of black sticky liquid painting the rocky soils of the northern part of the Lake Albert region. Releasing his arm and dipping his fingers in the black thing and then jacking it back for thorough discernment closely against his eyes, the sticky stuff, with experience was real oil. This mega stun would usher in Lugard's perplexing declaration of ownership over the Albertine oil deposit. A lot has since happened from that historical discovery.

On 28th August 2014, the government of Uganda announced that the oil resources in the Lake Albert region are 6.5 billion barrels in volume. And at least 1 billion barrels is the recoverable oil of those 6.5 billion barrels in the underground shelves. Recoverable oil is technically and economically possible extract from the ground.

At the prevailing global price of US$60 per barrel, Uganda's recoverable oil reserve will potentially turn around the country's economy and see the standard of living for millions of its nationals raised if well managed.

How was the oil formed?

Well, Uganda's Albertine oil was formed millions of years ago when dead plant material drifted down through the renown Lake Albert. The plant material was then buried on the lake floor as minute organic material. And while confined in the rocks on the lake floor, this organic material was then transformed over a long period of time by the immense underground heat and pressure into the crude oil of today. Scientists call the oil formed this way ''fossil oil."

How geologists currently locate the fossil oil

Fossil oils occur in the range of 1.5km to 3km depth in the ground concentrated in isolated deposits. Logically, discovering the precious black gold thus requires a lot of knowledge, use of technology,  and is not only very costly but also time-consuming.

Often, oil can be spotted as seeps on the surface as a black sticky liquid the way Captain Lugard did with the Albertine. But in most cases, geologists start by studying surface features, rock and soil types in the area. These features are by experience closely identical in all areas where oil deposit is.

The next step involves taking a seismic survey. Here, a sound wave is sent into the ground by exploding dynamite. Then the returning sound to the surface is measured using a machine. The particular behaviours of the returning of sound to the surface are then profiled by a simple computer program. As backed up by a number of scientific evidence, the profiling is very predictive of the possibility of oil and is one of the last steps to confirm whether there is oil underneath.

Finally, to confirm beyond any dot of doubt, petroleum engineers will drill small wells deep into the ground and the discovery of black sticky liquid in good quantity would call this a successful oil exploration.

Written by Abet Tonny, a Freelance Science Writer in Uganda.


Sources:
1. Uganda oil timeline
2. Uganda Petroleum Authority
3. Environment: Science behind the stories

The World Set to Lose 1 Million more Species, UN Biodiversity Conference in Nairobi

"As we lose this species diversity, we lose the food, water, energy, raw materials, medicine, and cultural and spiritual wellbeing it provides," said Hamadalla Zedan, senior advisor to the Minister of Environment of Egypt, who currently holds the presidency of UN Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD.

Running from 27th to 30th August 2019 in Nairobi, the four-day conference which focused on forging an agreement for better nature conservation, attracted over 500 delegates from 100 countries.  A wide range of organizations from indigenous groups, civil society, government authorities, and the private sector, participated in the official discussions for a new global biodiversity framework.

Referring to the four most recent global scale reports on species diversity, Zedan said the rates at which habit for wild species is being destroyed is petrifying. "These reports tell us, in no uncertain terms, that we are losing species and land and marine spaces that support the species at terrifying rates," he said.

Hamadalla Zedan; reigning CBD President

Earlier in May this year 2019, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), released its Global Assesment report. This report including the 6th Global Environment Outlook, the Global Resources Outlook and IPCC report on Climate Change had very intriguing findings that have provided the much needed "strong scientific and political basis" for developing the biodiversity framework.

The CBD boss further revealed that in the above eye-opening reports, the populations of mammals, birds, and fish fell 60% between 1970 and 2014. "We are set to lose at least one million out of the eight million species on earth," stressed the CBD president, continuing that the key drivers of the species diversity loss include habitat conversion, over-exploitation, pollution and climate change.

Hamadalla, however, proposed tangible way outs to the heightening threat on global species diversity. "There is a need to set biodiversity frameworks with measurable targets and clear indicators," adding that the targets set should have buy-in from those sectors that largely cause species diversity loss.

Tourism sector and nature conservationists have always found themselves in endless ideological debates with sectors like the oil and gas, pesticide and urban development.

The multi-stakeholder conference that ended on the 30th August 2019 in Kenya's capital city of Nairobi, leaves much to be expected in the fight to preserve and conserve nature not only for economic reseasons but also for the future generation.


Article by Abet Tonny, a Freelance Science Writer in Uganda.

1. Click here to read Hamadalla Zedan's full speech.

2. You may also love to read>>Why Uganda is becoming the world's topnotch destination for "Birding"

Uganda; The World's Finest Destination for Bird-Watching

"Some birds are not meant to be caged, that's all. Their feathers are too bright, their songs too sweet and wild." Stephen King in his book: A story from Different Seasons.

Birds are some of the most fascinating creatures on the face of the earth. Though we may spot some around our home yard, forests remain the biggest home comforting multiplicity of some of the world's spectacular birds. The number of bird species is estimated at around 18,000 for the entire world.

Presenting in multiple shades of feather coloration, the incredible beauty of birds reveal to us the sacred richness of nature. Have you ever imagined this, that despite being removed from the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, the human soul's affinity for nature seems untamed? And that wild tours, hiking, bird-watching, hunting, and backpacking are still the most envied and enjoyed mind replenishing outdoor activities treasured worldwide by humans of all races?

Nature has countless of beautiful treasures. Birds are some of the epitomes. Bird-watching is one incredible way we re-connect with nature to gain back the peace of heart and mind.

Birds are well spread globally. But Uganda continues to attract huge number of ecotourists exposing the beautiful nation as one of the topnotch destinations for bird lovers. Her matchless richness in bird species and very hospitable people seems to be the enduring secret. Uganda Tourism Center estimates the number of bird species to be around 1,061 in Uganda. Recently, Uganda was named the friendliest country in the world following research conducted among expatriates globally.

Birds like Doherty's Bushshrike, African Green Broadbill, Saddle-billed, and Great Blue Turaco among other breathtakingly beautiful birds continue to sustain Uganda as the world's most charming destination for bird-watching.

Topmost popular birding places in Uganda include Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Bwindi Impentrable National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Written by Abet Tonny, an experienced Science Writer in Uganda.

Tonny enjoys wild tours, meeting new people and photography

Nature&Religion: "Multiply and Subdue the Earth."

"If the human population of the world continues increasing at its current rate, there will soon be no room for either wildlife or wild places." The immortal words of Sir Peter Scott, the founder of WWF. 

The United Nations Population Division estimates that the global population will be hitting 7.79 billion by 2020. The environmental impacts of increasing pressure on land due to the bulging population size are visible.

Wisdom-filled and logical as Sir Peter's words may be perceived, most religions have always had a reverse view. The world's religions command some of the largest audiences. Their decision thus matters a lot.

Insight as that of the WWF's founder in a religious angle can be viewed as "being worldly-minded." And sometimes, radical religious leaders in heartily safeguard of their faithful from being tainted by men who are focused on earthly things may go ahead advising the followers to stay away from those men.

According to Dr Douglas A. Sylva, the cause of environmental degradation does not appear to be the base number of people in a country, but how those people produce and consume goods, as well as how they are organised politically. Dr Sylva was the director of research at the recently renamed Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute. 

Banking on the case of Russia where one million fewer births than deaths were recorded in the previous year, the Institute's director of research wonders why fertility decline, not fertility growth is emerging as the most serious population problem. "About half of the earth's nations now have below-replacement rate, "further argues Douglas, adding that the world's governments do not have an interest in further reducing fertility. "Nor should they have the authority to do so," remarks the senior researcher.

Whilst Douglas's argument carries intriguing ideas that better enlighten the current discussions around preservation and conservation of the environment, it also exposes one other crucial factor -the contribution of religion to the state of the global environment.  His writing brought to light some of the cornerstone doctrines of the Christian religion. Touching on the subject of fertility, a key determinant of population growth. 

It's also arguably true that a number of programs attempting to control population growth by the use of natural methods like abstinence from sex and mastering the unfolding of the menstruation cycle have always failed in yielding the desired result. 

According to a published investigation report by the BBC, the general Christian acceptance of contraception is relatively new; all churches disapproved of artificial contraception until the start of the 20th century. More in the investigation report, "Modern time Christian churches hold different views about the rightness and wrongness of using birth control." 

"The Roman Catholic church only allows 'natural' birth control," partly reads the report continuing, "artificial birth control is banned." And according to the writer, this means couples should only have sex during the infertile period of a woman's monthly cycle.  

This doctrinal stand presents with no surprise, much catholic faithful having some of the largest numbers of children in the developing countries. Several other Christian sects have the same doctrine as the Catholics on fertility and birth control. It presents with no surprise that prominent critics of artificial contraception emerge from these Christian sects.

These religious critics of artificial contraception will always argue that the issue of fertility should not even be discussed reclining, "God created humans to multiply and subdue the earth." Their interpretation of the word 'subdue' is something "use it the way you like." Their arguments are always inspired by scriptural text Genesis 1:8 in the Judeo-Christian Bible which reads: "God blessed them and said, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it."

The Forerunner Bible Commentary, one of the most reliable Bible commentaries interprets the above scripture, Genesis 1:28, much differently: "God did not give man the authority to degrade and destroy the earth but He the authority to be the vocal stewards over nature." Unsurprisingly, the Forerunner, quietens the environmentalists writing, "They (environmentalists) are wrong, however, to blame God for the earth's ecological problems; He is not responsible for man's destruction of the natural world."

Analysis by Abet Tonny, a Ugandan Science Writer.

Oil Exploitation Activities Shrinking Wildlife Diversity in Murchison Park, New Research

Recently; Tourists crossing Murchison Falls

By Abet Tonny

“Observed animals’ reactions included avoidance, migration and a few cases of death," reads the major findings of the research continuing that only some limited number of animals on very rare occasions was sighted near sites where oil wells have been drilled, suggesting that oil and gas exploration created unsuitable conditions in their natural habitat. 

The concern about the possible environmental impacts of the oil exploration and drilling activities taking place in the Albertine region of Uganda has been high among environmental scientists and naturalists from near and far. The interest being inspired by lessons from other countries where oil and gas exploitation has and is ongoing. Logically, the blessing of oil extraction often comes with sizable damage to the natural environment due to its invasiveness on land, forests and multitudes of inhabiting wild organisms like the guerrillas, antelopes and birds.

In 2018, three experienced Ugandan scientists: Pius Mbuyo and Lavine Awino with Elizabeth Diamond Kamara as the Lead researcher rolled out to discover the true reality. They were in for a quest to understand the impacts of oil and gas exploration on wildlife in the Albertine Rift species diversity hotspots within Murchison Falls National Park.

The data collection involved both direct observation at four different sites which were approximately 4 km apart and use of interview techniques to unveil the realities. According to the report, 140 respondents were interviewed. Their intriguing findings were recently published in a research report in the African Journal of Environment and Natural Science Research. 

Major highlights from the report

The largest portion of the locals interviewed -57%, were concerned that the visibly of wild animals reduced drastically during and after oil exploration. However, the other 35% of the respondents were rather happy that after the oil exploration and onset of drilling, some more animals have been attracted to the area thus raising the numbers of different animal species higher above the previous.

In their conclusion, “Maintaining the Conservation & Tourism Value of Protected Areas in Petroleum Development Zones of the Albertine Rift should be treated with great importance,” the scientists emphasized.

The oil and gas exploration in Uganda has reached the production phase. Yet it should be appreciated that the event is operational in an ecologically sensitive and biodiversity hotspot area -the Albertine Rift which houses the precious Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP).

A previous survey by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) showed that MFNP is one of the richest in species diversity of great economic importance. Of the valuable animal, bird, and species in MFNP, there are a number of them about to go extinct.

The last year 2018, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics revealed that Uganda received 1.8 million tourists in 2018, up from 1.4 million in 2017. In 2017, the 1.4 million arrivals injected about $1.4billion into the economy. Additionally, the sector contributes at least 592,500 jobs to the country’s nationals. Conservation and preservation of nature are the primary tools to guarantee the future of the tourism industry.

Naturalists, however, argue that the importance of nature should be viewed beyond the limited angle of economic return or tourism; but that the preservation of nature is a moral obligation that one generation secures the species diversity for the forthcoming one. But whether some activities of the ongoing lucrative oil and gas business should be limited for the sake of wild animals and plants is the never-ending debate issue.

The Vanishing of Bees

GETTY IMAGES

Of all insect-pollinated crops across the global agricultural community, bees contribute 73% of the pollination success. However, the population of these incredible honey-making insects is shrinking at such a drastic rate. Ecologists forecast a great hit on the agricultural sector as nutritionists worry over a skyrocketing price of honey -the nature's ultimate sweet health hub. 

In the U.S, National Agricultural Statistics show a honey bee decline from about 6 million hives in 1947 to 2,4 million in 2008, a 60 % reduction barely in the last 60 years.

Pest management is such a major issue in the agricultural sector. The pests are estimated to be causing at least some 55% crop losses annually. This is a huge loss to the farmers -the sustainers of humanity. Cases of pest attacks such as the fall armyworm caused up to 100% crop losses among some farmers in Africa's Uganda in 2017.

In many instances, the garden infestation of pests is one of the top upsetting incidences that farmers face in their entire gardening career. The pests attacks often get so overwhelming that the farmers start to view every insect as some bad or dangerous crop devourer evil enough to be killed. And the pesticide has always brought farmers such great relieve. A one time spray often guarantees a week or two of a peaceful mind. The assurance that the crops are pest-free and that the nightmare of economic loss has been paused and eliminated is so rewarding to the mind of a farmer whether subsistence or commercial in practicing.

Unfortunately, during the application of these pesticides, the farmers both voluntarily and ignorantly never recognise that whilst there're numerous of those bad insects flickering around in their garden, but also, there're some absolutely essential ones. The pollinators are these essential insects. A number of our crops rely on these pollinators to form their fruits -that we'll inturn call harvest. Soybean, beans, cabbages, tomatoes, cotton, sunflower, and over 800 other crops depend on these pollinators.

Why pollination is not only a scientific term but is central to the success of your farming 

So what is pollination? Well, this is the process by which male sex cells of a plant fertilizes female sex cells of a plant -it's some sort of sexual intercourse between plants or their flowers occurring without your notice. This human-nutrition-sustaining intercourse, however, requires intermediaries to make it a success. The bees are most crucial of many insects that make pollination possible.

How pollination happens

Crop plants that rely on insects bloom out with beautiful coloured flowers. Just as flowers fascinate humans, so are bees thrilled by them as they fly around.  The vast shades of tempting colours and irresistible sweet scents win the heart of the bee into paying a courtesy visit to the flower. Upon successfully being lured into the flower, the flower goes ahead to reward the bee with sweet nectar. This reward of nectar has sustained the bee-flower relationship since plants emerged on the face of the earth.  After sucking the nectar from the flower, the bee flies back to the hive or their colonies.

Strangely, during the struggle to suck as much, the extra sweet nectar for making honey, the bee will transfer the pollen -a male sex cell we talked about earlier -often seen as a yellowish powdery material in a flower, to the stigma -the part of the flower with female sex cell. When this phenomenal transfer is made, a child called a seed and eventually a fruit is unsurprisingly conceived. The fruit then grows into harvest we pick at the end of the season in tomatoes or soybean.

A poorly pollinated watermelon looks like that on the right and a farmer loses. This happens when the bees were too scarce to pollinate the flowers. Pesticide sprays can scare away the bees from coming to pollinate of crops and the economic impact can be high. Sadly, more farmers are experiencing pollinator scarcity.

The threat

Unfortunately, the bees are vanishing and crop pollination is going down. This is leading to shrinking volume in crop harvest. There is also a great increase in volumes of low-grade grains and unmarketable-sized fruits. The major cause is pesticide use. The pesticides not only kill the pests like fruit flies or aphids destroying our crops but they also kill the bees -our ultimate crop pollinator.

How can we protect the population of bees? Let's reduce and where possible stop synthetic pesticide usage. They kill the bees, the innocent and highly valuable insect for our gardens.

There are great alternatives like use of organic repellants. Leaves of the neem tree, cloves of garlic, oranges, and onions (learn how this works) will keep our crops safe from the pests whilst keeping the population of the bees rising to assure us of better crop yield every season. Ozone Biotech does international sales of organic pesticides -pesticides that never kill bees.

The second way is to plant more flowers around our homes and town areas to keep the bees replenished.

The last and most incredible way is to spare some little space and put beehives. Not only will you be harvesting fresh natural honey every after 3 months but you will be sustaining the population of bees to heighten your crop yields seasonally.

The article is written by Abet Tonny, a Ugandan science writer.
Also, feel free to write to me tonnyabet@gmail.com.

Biodiversity and Pesticide; will there ever be a trade-off?

This writer of this article examines the global trend of pesticide usage and its heightening threat to biodiversity. And it ends with the proposition of a more pragmatic approach to quicken the drive to conserve the world's environment. The writer assumes that the reader understands the various forms of pesticide; the insecticide we use at home to those used in our gardens make part of pesticide.

December 2, 1984, is one of those dark days remembered in India, all because of pesticide. Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), American owned chemical manufacturer based in India threw into irreversible despair, the locals in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The incident where supposed negligence from a Corporation employee led to the explosion of highly toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) -a gas used in the manufacture of carbamate pesticide.

At least 40 tons of MIC gas was released into the atmosphere, a venomous gas that settled above as thick cloud covering over 78 square kilometers of India's Bhopal. Tragically, while in the atmosphere, the MIC gas would eventually turn into a severely lethal hydrogen cyanide gas. At least 5,100 people perished by the gas and over 50,000 more locals got permanently injured with blindness and lung damage.

The compensation for victims has not only been too low but not fully met either. Dow Chemical Company would later buy off UCC in 2001. The psychological and economic impacts of Bhopal disaster are still felt to date in India.

The global trend of pesticide 

Pesticides revolution started way back in 1939 when the German entomologist, Paul Muller discovered that DDT could actually be used as an insecticide. Muller's revelation would see DDT used in the second portion of World War II to control malaria and typhus among civilians and troops. And by the end of World War, DDT was available in several countries for sale as agricultural and household pesticide.

Since Muller's discovery, over 1,055 other pesticide ingredients have since been introduced by scientists into the world commerce.

The world is experiencing an unrelenting rise in the volume of pesticide manufactured and used. Agricultural production has been the major inducer and sustainer of this, besides the public health sector. FAO has some amazing visuals to illustrate the trend. The global pesticide market stood at $58.46 billion in 2015 and in 2017, BBC Research, estimated it at $61.2 billion projecting a terrifying rise to $79.3 billion by 2022. Several million tons of pesticide are thus expected to be thrown into the world's already hurting and helpless ecosystem. This pains the environmental activists but somehow they keep the fight on!

Aside from the lamentation, let's examine why pesticide has enjoyed this jolly ride amidst decades of outcry from naturalists and environmental activists for its terrible damages to the precious ecosystem.

Whether a product or service gains or loses dominance in any market system is always attributable to the extent by which its users feel the sense of satisfaction. Though possessing multiple flaws, the pesticide has built a powerful name for itself by consistently satisfying its users. Whether in killing fruit flies on watermelon crops in the garden or riding off the bedbugs in a home, the pesticide has always been handy with multiple varieties to choose from.

This brings us to the fundamental question, are the alternatives being offered in a logical confrontation of pesticides economically more viable and capable of out-competing its rival?  The answers will always waver. Organic repellants, pest vacuuming technology and other biological solution propositions by naturalists and environmental activists have arguably not made it to market dominance because of their low economic viability to attract large investments.

Let's briefly explore what the proponents of pesticide usage (PPU) have always believed.

"Pesticides are faster acting compared to most of the alternatives presented by pro-environment campaigners," argue the PPU as their primary stand. Perhaps you can weigh it, but I think it has some substance.

Secondly, the PPU says the synthetic pesticides have demonstrated unmatched value by preventing insect-transmitted diseases like malaria and sleeping sickness. Several million premature deaths from malaria have been prevented through indoor residual sprays. I leave this to your verification.

Thirdly, these proponents postulate that these pesticides have also increased food supplies and lowered food costs globally through stopping the crop-damaging pests. Crop pests destroy up to 55% of the world's potential human food. A lot to argue about here!

And finally, they back up their product saying, "Synthetic pesticides have also increased profits of the farmer," adding,  "a $1 investment in pesticide results in $4 yield in terms of harvest." There is a lot to argue about here.

From an unbiased point of view, a number of these claims from the PPU have logical and statistical evidence to back up. Pragmatically commenting, pulling down volumes of pesticide usage with scientific arguments will be slow.  I mean by showcasing dangers it has and is causing to our environment will achieve very slowly, the greatly yearned mass action to save the global environment. This is partly because, for decades, the world has used these "toxic" pesticides and somehow with the usual belief of "better with the devil you know than an angel you don't know," the global community is a bit so reluctant to learn newer and "safer" methods even as environmental activists pitch alarms.

We all appreciate the flip side of these pesticides. They do not only kill the target pests, but several millions of beneficial non-target organisms like bees and soil microbes are also destroyed annually from the pesticide sprays and fumigations. The pesticide residues directly consumed by a man from pesticide-treated or exposed fruits, vegetables, and grains account for multiple other cases of cancer, reproductive and neurological disorders entangling the current human population.

Scientists have been at the forefront talking about biodiversity and the matchless need to conserve nature, but with very limited success to showcase as the bulging pesticide market confirms. Yet, the much-desired global revolution or major reforms to protect the living environment of humanity should be handled as an emergency.

A more realistic proposition

I uphold the fight to conserve the environment, banning or posing a stronger restriction on pesticide usage should be conceived with centrality. But somehow, I still find myself restrained because the many alternatives to pesticides have a number of unanswered questions to address before one can confidently bank on. Questions about their boundless and mass applicability, and the economic viability can never be underrated. A class of people fears that banning or raising stronger restrictions on pesticide may worsen global food insecurity, public health problems and above all rural poverty.

Now, this is the point I'm driving home: better environmental safeguard will be faster and better achieved with a stronger moral/ethical proposition, but with a mild back up of scientific evidence. By moral proposition, I mean bringing humans to grasp ecocentrism where they appreciate that the environment is not only made for them to sap and devour but that they make part of it. In that those wild trees, birds, animals, rivers and oceans are equally so important to sustain each other as non-conflicting members of a divine system called an ecosystem. Use of dangerous pesticide, though cheap will thus mean they're destabilizing the rewarding system. Though it will take a little more cost, investing in environmentally friendly pest control approaches thus means securing the peace of the living environment we form part.

The moral or ethical proposition tables a win-win situation for both humans and the environment. For instance, linked to heightened pesticide use, the population of bees and other beneficial insects have drastically reduced and this is posing great threat to global crop yield and overall food security as the pollinators for our crops vanish.

With a moral proposition, programs and projects advocating for environmental protection will require religious, cultural and political leaders be brought to the center stage, in a multi-stakeholder approach along with scientists. A moral or ethical approach to environmental conservation is solely a trade-off between science and humanity. Scientists are excellent in their 'science' and these religious, cultural and religious leaders have carved unmatched history moving humanity to action. Perfectly good actions and extremely bad ones like genocide have always been made possible by and through these class of people.

There is also much that the developing world has been able to change or achieve through involving this class of people more closely. Fighting HIV in Africa had to employ much of their input for better statistical outcomes.

Communicating to cause 'change' is just as important as having the knowledge of why that 'change' is needed. Environmental scientists have much of the knowledge bit. The religious, cultural and political leaders have both the people (audience) and prowess in change communication.


Essay by Abet Tonny, a Ugandan science writer.

SCIENCE JOURNAL AFRICA: Top 3 signs of Liver Problem to Watch Out For

SCIENCE JOURNAL AFRICA: Top 3 signs of Liver Problem to Watch Out For: Photo credit: fastprovenhealth.com Article by Abet Tonny Earlier, we discovered five incredible things that make the liver a very es...

Top 3 signs of Liver Problem to Watch Out For

Photo credit: fastprovenhealth.com

Article by Abet Tonny

Earlier, we discovered five incredible things that make the liver a very essential body organ. And well, in the next 3 minutes we are unearthing red-light signs you could be having a liver problem -better call it a disease. Wasting no time let's kick start.

Nausea & Vomiting

It's obvious for some people to feel nausea and or vomit a bit if they're traveling, this is a medical condition called motion sickness. Utterly annoying to fellow passengers in a bus, but as humans, we ought to sympathize with these chronic sufferers of motion sickness! Motion sickness is caused by disturbance of the inner ear by the movement of a vehicle or any other movements that the brain receives conflicting messages from the inner ear and other body receptors like eyes and skin. We shall discuss motion sickness in depth later.

Depression and anxiety also illicit nausea and vomiting urge, avoid these two always.

What about the one caused by liver disease? When nausea and vomiting occur separately or together without any known reason, you ought to get really concerned. Persistent feeling of nausea arises from the diminished ability of the liver to process and eliminate toxins engulfing our body.

General weakness & Tiredness

We discovered the liver is very important in break down of food nutrients into required energy packages to sustain the activeness, vigor, and energy we need to push on with life either at work or chatting with loved ones.

Unfortunately, when diseased, the energy packages become fewer reflected as a weakness. This condition is worsened by the increase in toxic products in the blood through junk foods, consuming pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits and the likes. This ''worsened state" is because the damaged liver with only a few portions of it functioning can't eliminate these toxins efficiently.

Loss of Appetite 

Undigested food causes a loss of appetite. And this loss of appetite is one of the early signs of a liver problem. We earlier learned the liver produces an important substance called bile; bile is essential in the break down of fat so that it can be made useful to the body. When fat or any other food we've eaten lies dormant in the stomach or intestine not broken down, the body deliberately refuses to yearn for any more food...and we call it the loss of appetite. And why the body decides to act this way still perplexes scientists.


Other notable signs of a diseased liver include changes in urine colour, abdominal cramp and fluid retention manifesting as swelling of feet and ankles.

When these signs manifest uniformly, it's high time you consult your doctor. You may also love to see Best 3 foods of all time for cleansing the liver.


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About the Writer: Abet Tonny is a health professional, specialist science writer, and digital marketing. He enjoys wild tours and celebrating Man Utd wins.

Best 3 Liver cleansing foods of all time in Uganda

Written by Abet Tonny

The liver is one of the most endangered organs in the body of a 21st-century human. Weighing just about 1.5 kg in healthy adults, the liver is one of the body's most vital organs. But as people's lifestyle and diet change, hepatologists -liver specialists, forecast a darker destiny for human liver. To these hepatologists, the liver is getting greatly overworked making the human liver dreadfully inefficient in guaranteeing the vastly pursued -higher life expectancy for humanity.

Obesity is one lifestyle disease which has dramatically increased in the last three decades. Obesity crashes the liver's proper functioning and lowers its general efficiency through deposition of unnecessary fat.

However, some people's liver is ill-functioning and inefficient because of medications -side effects. Pain killers, drugs for heart diseases and antipsychotic drugs have been linked to causation of liver diseases and thus lower its efficiency.

Briefly, let's see why the liver is considered paramount in a human body:

• Removing toxins from the body. We are exposed to some much toxic substances like residues of pesticide on the tomatoes from we purchase from local markets, those from prescription drugs and food additives among others.
• Ensuring the fat we enjoy in fried chicken and pork is properly digested and transformed into tiny materials used to generate energy, insulate our body and improve our reproduction functioning.
• Producing the energy for the body.
• Improving body immunity.
• Storing nutrients for future use in the body.

It is thus obvious that your liver is so important for longer life. And here are the top 3 foods that nutritionists have proven effective in cleansing the liver of toxins and increasing its general efficiency.

1. Garlic

Rich in glutathione -a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals and detoxifies the liver, the working of garlic in liver cleansing is excellent.

Eat 2-3 garlic cloves daily. Also, use garlic in your daily cooking whenever possible.

2. Grapefruit or Orange

This fruit is very rich in vitamin C, pectin and antioxidants. These substances enclosed in grapefruit are very efficient in ridding of toxins tormenting the liver.

Drink a small glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice or enjoy the whole fruit with your breakfast daily to preserve you energized and healthy.

3. Beetroots

High in flavonoids and beta-carotene, the two substances that stimulate and improve general liver functioning. 

Add fresh beetroots or juice to your daily meals.

Make a super-liver-cleansing salad with 1 cup of chopped or blended beetroots, 2 tablespoonfuls of olive oil and the juice of 1/2 lemon. Mix well, enjoy 3 times daily to perfect your liver health and efficiency.

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About the writer: Abet Tonny is a health professional and long-time science writer in Uganda.

SCIENCE JAF: Top 8 ways to prevent breast cancer

SCIENCE JAF: Top 8 ways to prevent breast cancer:   Top 8 ways to prevent breast cancer Written by   Abet Tonny Long before they get their first pimple, budding breasts remind ...

Top 8 ways to prevent breast cancer

 Top 8 ways to prevent breast cancer

Written by  Abet Tonny

Long before they get their first pimple, budding breasts remind them they're women in training. They want them to grow bigger, they wish they would stop growing. It can be mind-twisting seeing others too small others flatter whilst others are round like ball -and definitely why even responsible family-men can't resist staring at them.

Bigger or smaller, breasts still remain an incredible part of a female -one of the most fascinating occurrences on females that do not only define their feminism but symbolize the magnificent out-pour of a woman's beauty. 

"I remember crying in the bathtub. I took a washcloth, made it hot, put it over my chest and prayed, ‘Please don't let them grow any bigger. They're embarrassing me.' I was the first girl in my class to wear a bra. All my friends were super skinny, and that just wasn't my body type. But I watched my mum, who was always comfortable with herself, and she helped me with my outlook.'' Kim Kardashian -American celebrity in one of her stunning revelations.

According to WHO, 7.6 million people died from cancer in 2008, and in 2018, 9.6 million deaths from cancer were recorded. This is a sharp increase in the number of deaths by over 2 million -a lot of people! And WHO projects nearly 11 million people dying from cancer annually by 2030. 

But there is a way out! So here are the top 8 bullets that will save you from breast cancer.

1. Keep Weight in Check

It’s easy to tune out because it gets said so often, but maintaining a healthy weight is an important goal for everyone. Being overweight can increase the risk of many different cancers, including breast cancer, especially after menopause.

2. Be Physically Active

Exercise is as close to a silver bullet for good health as there is, and women who are physically active for at least 30 minutes a day have a lower risk of breast cancer. Regular exercise is also one of the best ways to help keep weight in check.

3. Eat Nuts, Fruits & Vegetables 

A healthy diet can help lower the risk of breast cancer.  Try to eat nuts, a lot of fruits and vegetables and keep alcohol at moderate levels or lower.

4. Don’t Smoke

Smokers and non-smokers alike know how unhealthy smoking is.  On top of lowering quality of life and increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, and at least 15 cancers – including breast cancer – it also causes smelly breath, bad teeth, and wrinkles. Now that’s motivation to stay smoke-free or work to get smoke-free.

5. Breastfeed, If Possible

Breastfeeding for a total of one year or more (combined for all children) lowers the risk of breast cancer. It also has great health benefits for the child.

6. Avoid Birth Control Pills, Particularly After Age 35 or If You Smoke

Birth control pills have both risks and benefits. The younger a woman is, the lower the risks are. While women are taking birth control pills, they have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. This risk goes away quickly, though, after stopping the pill. The risk of stroke and heart attack is also increased while on the pill – particularly if a woman smokes. However, long-term use can also have important benefits, like lowering the risk of ovarian cancer, colon cancer, and uterine cancer – not to mention unwanted pregnancy – so there’s also a lot in its favor. If you’re very concerned about breast cancer, avoiding birth control pills is one option to lower risk.

7. Avoid Post-Menopausal Hormones

Post-menopausal hormones shouldn’t be taken a long term to prevent chronic diseases, like osteoporosis and heart disease. Studies show they have a mixed effect on health, increasing the risk of some diseases and lowering the risk of others, and both estrogen-only hormones and estrogen-plus-progestin hormones increase the risk of breast cancer. If women do take post-menopausal hormones, it should be for the shortest time possible. The best person to talk to about the risks and benefits of post-menopausal hormones is your doctor.

8. Tamoxifen and Raloxifene for Women at High Risk

Although not commonly thought of as a “healthy

behavior,” taking the prescription drugs tamoxifen

and raloxifene can significantly lower the risk of

breast cancer in the woman at high risk of the disease.

Approved by the Drugs Authority for breast cancer prevention,

these powerful drugs can have side effects, so

they aren’t right for everyone. If you think you’re

at high risk, talk to your doctor to see if tamoxifen or raloxifene may be right for you.

About the Author: Abet Tonny is a science communication strategist and writer
You can write to him-tonnyabet@gmail.com