The Pipette Warrior

by Zaira Hira The first fully synthetic plastic also known as bakelite was created in the early 20th century. Bakelite was not only a good insulator; it was also durable, heat resistant, and, Bakelite was mouldable into almost anything. It was a revolutionary invention. The demand for plastic plummeted during the World War II where it was used in helmet linings, body armour, parachutes and ropes. Since then, the demand for plastics has increased till present day. While having numerous uses in homes, industries and market, plastic's uncontrolled production has led to a troublesome situation for our planet. The worst property of plastic is its inability to decompose. They stay in the environment forever. Biodegradable plastics may decompose but only under controlled conditions. A few months ago, an image of a seahorse took over the internet like storm. It was captured by Justin Hofman. Seahorses grab onto sea weeds so that they may carried away by currents. This seah...

The United Nations recognizes 19 th November as International Toilet Day. International Toilet Day may strike as humorous to certain people, whereas others might choose to overlook its existence. Almost, 2.5 billion people on the planet are deprived of access to clean sanitation. This not only impacts their day to day lives but also exposes them to preventable diseases like cholera and typhoid. Unfortunately, Pakistan is the 7 th worst country in terms of availability of basic sanitation facilities. Within the country, 42% of the total population is lacks access to basic sanitation, whereas 37% do not have a working wastewater disposal system in place. According to a report by United Nation’s children agency, 22 million Pakistanis relieve themselves in the open. Pakistani women and children are the ones greatly affected by the lack of decent sanitation and proper working toilets. The condition worsens in rural areas, where only 48% of the people have acces...