Drought Plagues Iran

While Hassan Rouhani closes out his term as President of Iran, the Islamic Republic is facing a serious water shortage. Rouhani has enlisted the government to aid areas that have been the most seriously impacted by the drought. Many report that the drought is a direct cause of global warming. I found it interesting that Iran, a country that supplies much of the world's oil (a fossil fuel), is experiencing first hand the effects of climate change, something that is caused- in part- by the burning of fossil fuels around the world. The drilling required to harness the oil has also impacted the natural landscape of the country, disrupting ecosystems and artificially carving away at the land. Because Iran’s economy, as well as the world’s oil needs rely so heavily on the exportation and distribution of oil, it is not as though Iran will implement tactics to minimize the exportation of this oil in the face of the drought. While the drought is certainly a result of environmental factors, it is not a surprise to Iran. For years now, international environmental experts have said that there is a high probability that much of Iran's population will be displaced if the government does not begin to reverse the shortage. As of now, there is a general feeling of disappointment surrounding the Iranian government's action or inaction surrounding the impending water crisis. Isa Kalantari, the Vice-President and Head of Iran's Environmental Protection Organisation called out the Iranian government for their "incorrect water management policies" which resulted in "bankruptcy to the water sector". According to her, this mismanagement has spanned over the last three decades, and still continues today.

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Vishakha Desai Offers the Poly a New Perspective on Identity

On November 11, the Poly community was lucky enough to speak with and hear from the distinguished author and intellect, Vishakha Desai. With her book, World as Family as the framework for the discussion, Poly students were given the opportunity to engage with Desai through the Q&A structured event. I was deeply moved by Desai’s perspective on identity. When reading her book, I found myself having a difficult time understanding how her mother was able to be both an ardent feminist and advocate and a woman who maintained her cultural tradition. To me, it seemed as though Desai’s mother’s feminism would be hindered by practices and values she chose to maintain. When given the chance to ask Desai about this dichotomy, she explained that identity does not have to be so clearly defined. We all have many identities, she shared. For Desai, she is an American-Indian, an Indian-American, a New Yorker, a woman from India living in New York, and so on and so forth. None of these i...

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