DARWIN NOW……EXCELLENT EXHIBITION

When the world is facing with climate change. Population of the world is facing adaptation problems with climate change. Remembering the work of Darwin, the father of evolution is necessary, on his 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his book ‘The Origin of Species’.The British Council has organized exhibition” DARWIN NOW”in Hyderabad.

Darwin theory, “the survival of the fittest”, Struggle for Existence” “Natural Selection” are important and played significant role in past, present and will play significant role in future also.

Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, published 24 November 1859, is a seminal work of scientific literature considered to be the foundation of evolutionary biology. Its full title was On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. For the sixth edition of 1872, the short title was changed to The Origin of Species. Darwin's book introduced the theory that populations evolve over the course of generations through a process of natural selection, and presented a body of evidence that the diversity of life arose through a branching pattern of evolution and common descent. He included evidence that he had accumulated on the voyage of the Beagle in the 1830s, and his subsequent findings from research, correspondence, and experimentation.

This theory was updated in the twentieth century through the incorporation of Gregor Mendel's theory of inherited characteristics, now called genes. The combination of Darwin's theory of natural selection and Mendel's theory of genetics is called the modern synthesis. In the modern synthesis, "evolution" means a change in the frequency of an allele within a gene pool. This change may be caused by a number of different mechanisms: natural selection, genetic drift or changes in population structure (gene flow).

Darwin Now is a stunning exhibition created by the British Council to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his book ‘On the Origin of Species’. The exhibition explores the origins of Darwin’s book origin of Species, outlines his central ideas and explains how those ideas are as important to us today as they were when they were first published.

The exhibition at Hyderabad was inaugurated by Smt Amala Akkineni, eminent film actress and founder Blue Cross, Sri Charles Walker, Director Programmes British Council.

The British Council, Hyderabad has done excellent job by organizing the exhibition in the heart of Hyderabad City Centre mall, Banjara Hills, so that people of all walks of life can visit the exhibition.

Don’t miss the Darwin Now exhibition from 25 September to 5, October 2009, at City Centre mall, Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.

Climate biggest issue in US's ties with India, China: Obama

President Barack Obama warned time is running out to fight global warming but said the US was determined to act and that climate was the biggest issue in its ties with countries like India and China often blamed for the stalled talks. Addressing a gathering of 100 world leaders at the UN climate change summit, Obama also pressed rapidly growing developing nations to "do their part as well", a veiled reference to emerging economies like India and China. He said no country alone can meet the challenges on climate change.

Obama however offered no new proposals that could serve as a catalyst to push the stalled talks on a UN climate pact. "We have put climate at the top of our diplomatic agenda when it comes to our relationships with countries as varied as China and Brazil, India and Mexico from the corner of Africa to the corner of Europe," he said.

His comments came shortly after the UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon said talks were moving too slowly and admonished the countries ahead of the Copenhagen summit of 190 countries in December aimed at sealing a deal to slow climate change. "Failure to reach broad agreement in Copenhagen would be morally inexcusable, economically short-sighted and politically unwise," Ban said.

Continuing, Obama said, "We understand the gravity of the climate threat. We are determined to act and we will meet our responsibility to future generations." He also warned there would be tough talking ahead of the Copenhagen climate change conference. "There should be no illusions that the hardest part of our journey is in front of us."

"But those rapidly growing developing nations that will produce nearly all the growth in global carbon emissions in the decades ahead must do their part as well," Obama said.

If not here then where, if not us then who?

A 13-year-old Indian girl, speaking on behalf of the world’s three billion children, asked world leaders here, including the Presidents of United States and China, for urgent action on climate change.

“I am so much concerned about climate change because I don’t want our future generations to question us just as I am questioning the need of more concrete action on climate change today,” Yugratna Srivastava from Lucknow said at the Summit on Climate Change in the United Nations.

“The Himalayas are melting, polar bears are dying, 2 of every 5 people don’t have access to clean drinking water, earth’s temperature is increasing, we are losing the untapped information and potential of plant species, Pacific’s water level has risen, Is this what we are going to hand over to our future generations? Please......no!”

The ninth grader from St Fidelis College spoke at the high-level summit convened by the U.N. Chief Ban Ki-moon. India was represented by Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna and Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.

The summit is being held to mobilise political will ahead of the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December, which is expected to yield a climate treaty to succeed the Kyoto Protocol.

“We need to call for an action now. We have to protect the earth not just for us but for our future generations,” Ms. Srivastava told an audience consisting of U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao.

“If not here then where, if not now then when and if not us then who?” she asked.

The student from Lucknow is also on the youth advisory board of United Nations Environment Program’s (UNEP) youth organisation called ‘Tunza ‘(to nurture).

Noting that climate change knew no political or geographical boundaries she said, “When you all make policies sitting in air conditioned rooms, please think of a child suffering in greenhouse heat and think of the species craving to survive.”

“Mahatma Gandhi said Earth has enough to satisfy everyone’s need but no one’s greed,” she added.