They Said It
The Arizona football program will hire three new coordinators after going 4-8 in head coach Brent Brennan's first season. The Wildcats won't retain offensive coordinator Dino Babers, who was on a one-year deal, and will reassign defensive coordinator Duane Akina to coach the UA defensive secondary. Linebackers coach and special teams coordinator Danny Gonzales will also remain on the staff, but in a role that will be announced in the future. Before meeting with media on Thursday, Brennan said in a news release: “This season did not come close to meeting the standards that we have as a program and no one is more disappointed than me. "As the head coach, it is my responsibility to evaluate all areas of the program and I felt these changes will positively impact the long-term success of the program. I want to thank Dino for his hard work dedication to the University of Arizona, our program and our student-athletes.” Arizona offensive coordinator Dino Babers answers questions during a preseason media luncheon at Arizona Stadium on July 30. Brennan said, "It was always a one-year deal with (Babers)," who joined Arizona's staff after multiple head coaching stints at Eastern Illinois, Bowling Green and Syracuse. Babers was previously an offensive assistant under former head coach Dick Tomey for six seasons from 1995-2000. "Where we are right now allows us take the next step," added Brennan. "That part of it is exciting. It's my job to exhaust all options and all possibilities and do whatever we have to do to give us the best chance to play football at Arizona." Arizona's offense dropped from 18th nationally in total offense in 2023 to 115th this season. After producing 53 touchdowns last season, the Wildcats only scored 29 this season and had the second-worst red zone offense in FBS. Following Arizona's 24-point loss to Kansas State in Manhattan, Babers relinquished play-calling duties to tight ends coach and passing game coordinator Matt Adkins. Arizona won its first game against 10th-ranked Utah with Adkins as offensive play-caller but the Wildcats won only one game for the remainder of the season. Arizona had the second-lowest scoring offense in the Big 12 — averaging 21.8 points per game — and rushing offense. Arizona had five games this season with fewer than 100 net rushing yards. "This is a result-oriented business," Brennan said. "We didn't score enough points. In the simplest offensive football terms, we needed to be more productive that way. It was challenging for (quarterback Noah Fifita) because we had issues running the football and we had issues protecting him. If you can protect him, then he can deliver the ball and we've seen how awesome he is at that. "If you can run the ball, that also takes a little bit of pressure off the protection in the pass game, so we've got a lot to fix." Fifita had a 23:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio last season; this year, he finished with 18:12. A season after Fifita became the only Wildcat in school history to have a completion rate (73.6%) higher than 70%, he dropped to 60.5% in the new system. Fifita had the most throwaways (37) in college football this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita, jogs off the field after a loss to BYU Oct. 12, 2024, in Provo, Utah. A "big part" of hiring Arizona's next offensive coordinator, which will be an external applicant, will be tied to the development of Fifita. The Arizona quarterback "has every intention of returning but I think who we hire here is going to have an impact on that," Brennan said. "He has to be excited about the person we bring in to be the play-caller ... because there's no position more important in all of sports than the quarterback position," Brennan said. "The development there, the consistency there, that is going to translate into us winning football games next fall. And that's what Noah wants, too. Noah wants to play great football. I'm hellbent on finding the best person to help move this offense forward with Noah Fifita as the guy playing quarterback." Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (11) talks with his head coach Brent Brennan before a game against New Mexico, Aug. 31, 2024, in Tucson. Brennan said his ideal offensive coordinator is also someone with "a track record of calling plays and can coordinate the run and pass game," he said. Arizona's defense was plagued with injuries this season and played without three defensive captains in linebacker Jacob Manu, safety Gunner Maldonado and nickel back Treydan Stukes — who all suffered season-ending leg injuries — in the second half of the season. Due to the accumulated injuries, the Wildcats relied on several inexperienced players and shifted their 4-2-5 base defense to a dime package. The Wildcats had the third-worst scoring defense in the Big 12 and surrendered 31.8 points per game. Arizona also had the second-worst rushing defense in the conference and allowed 175.3 rushing yards per game. The Wildcats lost eight games by a combined 191 points this season. Arizona defensive coordinator Duane Akina answers questions during a preseason media luncheon in Tucson on July 30, 2024. After the season, Brennan and Akina met and decided "he's going to back to producing NFL defensive backs," said the Arizona head coach. Akina has coached three Jim Thorpe Award winners between his time at Texas and Arizona. "No one is better at teaching and coaching the secondary than he is, and I think that's going to be incredibly valuable for us," Brennan said. Akina's role won't heavily impact the roles of cornerbacks coach Chip Viney and nickel backs coach Brett Arce. "I'm really excited about how that's going to work with those three, because I think you have a great mix of experience with Duane, then the youth and energy of Chip and Coach Arce," said Brennan. Arizona's special teams units hit some bumps this season. Kicker Tyler Loop set a school record with a 62-yard field goal, but the Wildcats had blunders throughout the season, including missed PATs and chip-shot field goals due to a shaky hold, Kansas State returning a punt 73 yards for a touchdown, a failed onside kick to begin the Colorado game, Texas Tech converting a 2-point conversion on a "swinging gate" play and West Virginia scoring a touchdown with a fake field goal. Arizona will hire a full-time special teams coordinator instead of a coach with dual titles like Gonzales, who is also linebackers coach. "I'm looking for someone that is narrowly focused on that," Brennan said. "This is where we're heading. I'm excited about the future, excited about what we're going to do and the people we're going to talk to in this process." The decision to move on from Akina and Gonzales as coordinators goes back to football being "a result-oriented business," Brennan said. Arizona linebackers coach Danny Gonzales, far right, shown during spring football practice in March 2024. "There's a fine line in seeing the value in what they bring because they're both outstanding coaches and I think we all know that," Brennan said. "But what we were doing was obviously not working. ... As we look at the possibilities that are out there, it doesn't mean we won't take into consideration Danny's track record as a defensive play-caller. In the mean time, it's my job to explore these options and see what is out there that gives us the chance to be where we want to be." Gonzales was a defensive coordinator at San Diego State and Arizona State for two seasons under former ASU head coach Herm Edwards. Brennan hinted at the possibility of hiring Gonzales as the next defensive coordinator, "but in the short term, I have to look at everything I can," he said. Whether it's Gonzales or someone else, the next defensive coordinator will be Arizona's sixth one since 2019. Brennan declined to comment on Arizona dismissing other position coaches "because we're still figuring out who's coming in." "There could be some other things that happen down the road or maybe not. ... Whoever we bring in for (the offensive coordinator job) will want to talk about the guys that are here, possibly interview them," Brennan said. "Sure, he may have a guy or two that he wants to be a part of this and thinks he can be successful — and that's something I have to listen to. I have to entertain that and see if it works." Some of Arizona's coordinator candidates are coaching in conference championship games this weekend. Notable offensive coordinators leading their respective teams this week include Boise State's Dirk Koetter, who has Power 4 and NFL experience, and "go-go" offensive play-caller Brennan Marion (UNLV), whose name has surfaced for multiple Power 4 jobs. Arizona head coach Brent Brennan during a game against Texas Tech onOct. 5, 2024, in Tucson. Between the time between games this weekend and the transfer portal opening on Monday, Brennan hopes to hire new coordinators soon, but isn't clamoring to have a final decision by Monday. "I think the most important thing is that we hire the best person we can for the job," Brennan said. "I don't want to accelerate that. ... The most important thing is that I am diligent about this process to find the best person we can bring in for Arizona football. "I'm trying to do it on an accelerated timeline but I also understand the portal will be open for a good stretch. We can get done whatever we need to get done." Extra points • Brennan said he talks to Arizona athletic director Desireé Reed-Francois "about three times a day" regarding the UA's new coordinators. Said Brennan: "She's been great. You want to work in alignment with your athletic director. ... It's an ongoing discussion." • Brennan said positions of need in the transfer portal are offensive line, wide receivers and defensive line. Contact Justin Spears, the Star's Arizona football beat reporter, at jspears@tucson.com . On X(Twitter): @JustinESports Respond: Write a letter to the editor | Write a guest opinion Subscribe to stay connected to Tucson. A subscription helps you access more of the local stories that keep you connected to the community. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sports Reporter
IN 2021, NOT long after they began this venture, a GAA streaming site was facing extinction. The coverage of two games had not gone well due to technical faults. Prospects weren’t looking favourable. For Jimmy Doyle and his crew at Clubber, this was entirely new territory. The ways of TV and broadcasting were not his skillset. Doyle, a Tipperary native, was a tech guy with computer studies and economics qualifications, who had worked in Microsoft for 25 years. He identified a gap in the market, one that could serve GAA fans in a revolutionary way. And since he always wanted to run his own business, he made his move. He was initially tinkering with technology for GAA analysis and still has plans to go further into that field. But more on that later. His innovation led to the birth of Clubber in 2020, a GAA streaming site with a few games on their books to break them into the industry. The hard launch followed in 2021. But that was just the introduction. Now they were taking on bigger matches, and bigger expectations. Bearing the hostility of the unsatisfied sports fan would be the cost if he wanted to persist with this project. “It’s a brutal market,” he says reflecting back on the lessons he gained from those wobbles in 2021. “If fans can’t get access to a game, there’s hell to pay.” The streaming of GAA games was a much-needed tonic for fans during the Covid pandemic. Crowds were banished from the grounds due to the risks of spreading the virus, but people could still watch the games through services like Clubber, and their competitor Streamsport. As restrictions eased, and fans had permission to attend matches again, one would presume that the public appetite for the streaming option would lessen. Or perhaps fade out entirely. But here we are, some three years on from the last Covid lockdown in Ireland, and these companies are still thriving. If anything, the audience number has swelled. It lines up with Jimmy Doyle’s vision. He never saw this as something that would survive on a temporary demand. He knew that GAA fans were hungry for more content. Currently, Clubber has GAA streaming deals with 11 counties, a number that has grown steadily since their first foray into the racket. Last weekend, they hit the 1,000-game mark when they streamed the Offaly U20 hurling final between Kilcormac Killoughey and Shinrone. For Streamsport owner Raffaele Rocca, he suspected that the viewership figures might “level off” in a post-Covid world, but different factors have allowed the business to soar. Similar to Doyle, technology has always appealed to him although he does have a background in media. A newsreader in his younger days, he holds a Masters in Journalism from UL before later becoming the editor of Sporting Limerick. Streamsport is a derivative of that outlet. His interesting name came from his Italian father who emigrated to Ireland in the 1970s and opened a Fish & Chip shop which Raffaele continues to run with his sister. Streamsport’s aim is to increase their audience number by 5% every year but they’ve surpassed that goal by hitting the 10% mark. Galway and Mayo are two major clients of theirs. Streamsport also collaborate with local media outlets including Galway Bay FM and MidWest Radio. The familiarity of voices like Mike Finnerty and Seán Walsh on the stream, along with the big general interest in those county championships, makes for a successful product. “We’re very lucky that the Galway and Mayo championships have massive interest,” says Rocca. “In a sense, a lot of the hard work is done for us. It’s up to us then to make use of it. “Clubber are a competitor of ourselves but I think we do a relatively good job of promoting the games that we’re currently streaming, in terms of in-game clips. Some of it is organic audience growth, some of it is audience growth but putting those clips on social media and promoting the games that you’re doing.” The diaspora form a crucial part of that GAA viewership community as it keeps people engaged with their home club despite the vast distance from where they reside now. They represent about 10% of Streamsport’s audience number. At home however, streaming can be a divisive word. Many will argue that it discourages fans from attending the games in person, thereby compromising the matchday atmosphere and reducing gate receipts for county boards. It’s the “age old concern” that Doyle hears about. But both Rocca and Doyle stress that putting the games on an online platform enables the GAA to draw in more fans, and ultimately, grow as a sport. “If a person is determined to go to a match,” says Rocca, “they’re going to go to it. If it’s absolutely bucketing outside, and just watch it at home, that’s a different argument. “There’s a good chance that if it wasn’t being streamed, they might not go at all because the weather is too bad. But if they watch it at home, I think you’ve gained a viewer rather than losing one.” Although streaming GAA games is proving to be viable for both Clubber and Streamsport, Doyle notes that the profit margins “are tight.” In terms of the cost involved in covering a typical game, Clubber could spend anything from a few hundred euro up to €2,000. It all depends on the number of cameras and commentators that are required to provide adequate coverage. Clubber hopes to expand operations and explore opportunities outside of Ireland. Doyle opted not to divulge on the details but says they’re “working on a few things” that will bring them into the global market. GAA analysis remains a major passion project for Doyle too, and Clubber aim to launch a product that enables teams to study the game more deeply. “The three key things it offers are: using AI in the background to automatically tag the game for you. Here’s all your kickouts, wides, scores and turnovers. The second thing is, as we build our portfolio of games that we cover, we will have a rounded view of all games so you can go in to analyse your own game and the opposition’s game. “And the third thing, which most analysis systems have, is a nice easy interface to cut clips for your players, have individual conversations with players on clips. We’re conscious that there’s a marketplace out there where there’s a lot of analysts doing this for a lot of clubs. We want to see ourselves as an addition to them rather than taking their jobs away.” Streamsport has expansion plans to work towards too. Rocca wants to cover more schools rugby and boxing, and has also worked with the Connacht and Munster provincial rugby bodies. For the latter side, they covered Munster v All Blacks XV for Access Munster in October. He’s veering into podcasting too, as well as building on the number of Ladies Football games they’ve covered by targeting some of the LGFA league games that aren’t being televised in the new year. Women’s sport is an area that Clubber also wants to branch into, a personal ambition for Doyle who has four daughters. Now that he has a better understanding of what providing a good viewing experience entails, he’s long past the days of worrying about the company’s future. Looking at what lies ahead for GAA streaming, Doyle feels the margins are too tight for many other companies to find a place in the market. Rocca believes that the GAA could become more involved in regulating the industry. “I could see the GAA looking to take a bit more control over streaming. “County boards would still have autonomy but it would be the GAA’s own official platform, kind of like an expansion of GAA GO. Would that be an issue for us? No, not necessarily. Whichever way we operate, it doesn’t matter to us. We just want to produce a quality product for our viewers. Whether that’s through county boards or through an overarching streaming arm, then that’s no issue.”Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh govt signed an MoU with Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture on Monday in the fields of industrial cooperation, tourism, and vocational education. The MoUs were exchanged between chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh and director general of the Governor's Policy Planning Bureau of Yamanashi Junichi Ishidera, in the presence of CM Yogi Adityanath. Welcoming the Japanese delegation led by Governor of Yamanashi Prefecture Kotaro Nagasaki, the CM, who also spoke a few sentences to the delegation in Japanese, said that India and Japan have shared friendly relations for centuries, with strategic, cultural and global cooperation. "India and Japan are major economies with similar priorities in social-economic development, democratic values and strategic perspectives. The strong relationship between PM Narendra Modi and Japan's former PM Shinzo Abe has elevated the political, economic, and business ties between the two nations. The state govt is keen to collaborate with Japanese companies," he said. The CM said that over 1,400 Japanese companies are currently operating in India, including seven major ones in UP. The bilateral trade between India and Japan in 2023-24 amounted to USD 22.854 billion, with Japan exporting USD 17.69 billion to India and importing USD 5.15 billion. He added that UP, as the most populous state, had the country's largest labour and consumer market with 25 crore residents. Over the past eight years, he said, the state had created an excellent investment environment with improved connectivity through rail, road, air and waterways, enhanced logistics for industries to access global and domestic markets. He said UP was the world's youngest state and its youth could gain skills through training in Japan, which would prepare them to contribute to industries globally. The current population under 15 will join the workforce in the coming decade. Governor of Japan's Yamanashi Prefecture, Kotaro Nagasaki, acknowledged the spiritual and historical ties between Yamanashi and UP. Expressing happiness at the MoU, he said that Japan would work towards mutual cooperation in labour skill development, renewable energy, hydropower, and knowledge and technology exchange, elevating strategic relations between India and Japan. He invited Yogi Adityanath to consider Japan as his second home and expressed gratitude to all by inviting them to Yamanashi Prefecture. Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India . Don't miss daily games like Crossword , Sudoku , and Mini Crossword . Spread love this holiday season with these Christmas wishes , messages , and quotes.
Lightchain AI- 5 Features That Make It the Top Token of 2025
Transport minister visits Hamad Port food security facilitiesMountains that reach to the skies complemented by cascading tresses of waterfalls and trees, and at its feet, hemmed like frills in a dress made for a fancy ball parade, the tiers of vegetable cultivation where one witnesses the producing of a diverse range of vegetation. Police personnel on horses doing their rounds across the city, more as an exercise for the animals than a security inspection, following a tradition that was enforced during British colonial rule where the identity of ‘Little England’ was established in Nuwara Eliya. Abandoned looking ponies and cows wandering aimless along the roads and often getting drenched in the rain and frisking about in the sun. The mist that wraps the mountain tops and the almost perpetual iconic Nuwara Eliya drizzle that seams up the skies with the earth, punctuated by the sharp bursts of sunshine that light up this marvellous district which boasts of the highest altitude in Shanthipura and the incredible view point in adjoining Kalapura which are comparatively lesser populated than the vicinities close to the Nuwara Eliya town. Nuwara Eliya is a vegetable and fruit cultivation base more than tea but there are locations where tea is grown such as near the Lovers Leap waterfall area and the above mentioned Kalapura and Shanthipura locations. Nuwara Eliya is a haven where city tired folk, Sri Lankan or otherwise, can feast their eyes upon and rejuvenate their spirits. Hikers around the world are attracted by hiking spots such as the Lovers’ Leap waterfall as they climb to the top which is non arduous for a seasoned mountaineer. The two chief income generating avenues for the residents of Nuwara Eliya are cultivation and tourism. Many families have home stays which are popular because of their cheaper rates and these attract both the local and foreign tourists alike. Nuwara Eliya has the potential to be one of the best competing idyllic tourist spots in the world. Now let us travel down the long road towards that potential and accost one of the most unpleasant sights that is the bane of Nuwara Eliya, beginning with the trash strewn, pothole ridden bus stand which is a terrible sight during rains. For someone who comes in expectation of mother earth’s pristine beauty and finds instead at every yard abandoned, anonymous bags of garbage with mounds of burning plastic and food refuse strewn across the road, it will be clear that we Sri Lankans have to begin from scratch to develop a far thinking garbage clearance policy aimed at changing a national mindset that makes it a ‘normal’ everyday practice to just dispose of household refuse at whim anywhere, often in front of other people’s houses. We publish here self-explanatory photographs that will speak better than words of the urgency that is required for an authentically working central, district and provincial governance system that address this issue in a multi-pronged way. Any social issue is best explained by the voice of the people as they are told and we below cite them verbatim. We begin with the words of a woman around 70 years of age who was seen happily kicking at plastic strewn across a mountainous range that is bordered by crowded unplanned housing with weak sanitation. In many locations across Nuwara Eliya such as this it is a common sight for the residents who had populated the area on permit land (without legal deeds) to throw their garbage into the base of bordering waterfalls, mountain ridges or roadways. Are you not living in Sri Lanka? This is how the conversation and the interesting outburst of the woman went. A: No. Why should I have a problem? A: No. What should be the problem? A: No. What nonsense you are talking about. Are you not living in Sri Lanka? The whole of Sri Lanka is like this. A: Of course. This is how it is here. At this point I intervene that it is ignorance as opposed to wise action and use the terms ‘Nugath’ (ignorance) and ‘Gnana’ (wisdom) to juxtapose the mentality of a people destroying the mother earth bounty of a country that is probably one of the most diversely beautiful in the world. In a quite hilarious but potentially dangerous interlude that follows this woman is heard telling another woman, who also it is learnt daily burns her household refuse including batteries and plastic, as follows: “Kawda meki. Mekiwa Gahala Elawanna One.” (Who is this woman, she should be assaulted and thrown out). This of course led to this writer telephoning a senior police personnel on the interview list for this media research related to the garbage menace of Nuwara Eliya. He was thereby informed of the above mentioned verbal threat in case I need to make a formal police complaint if activated by this uncouth grandmother who had apparently misheard and confused the Sinhala word ‘Gnana’ – Wisdom with ‘Jana,” cells and thus understood as ‘Ignorant cells,” which I believe was taken as an insult to her family DNA heritage! Not quite knowing whether to laugh or to cry I then proceed to my next interview which is with Shashidaran Rasalingam whose livelihood is gained by driving a trishaw also referred to as three-wheeler. He is stationed along with about five other drivers in front of the Grama Sevaka office near the Gayathri Kovil eatery called Gayathri Mess. From last Saturday to last Monday the gate of the Grama Sevaka office was completely obstructed by garbage. Sights such as this are common to Shashidaran who is an exasperated young man. He is often found with mammootty in hand cleaning up garbage dumped daily in front of this three-wheeler park which can be also described as being dumped in front of the Grama Sevaka office. He gets abused in choice language when he objects to people dumping bags of trash on the adjoining roadside which are promptly torn out by dogs and where with the food, the plastic is also consumed. Then this meal of human despicability is shared by cows, ponies and horses alike. “Miss, there were times when I have received death threats when I protested against the throwing of rubbish here. Myself and the other boys here have given up. We just sit in our three-wheelers and shut our eyes and pray to the gods that our people will change. There are locations in the Lovers Leap area where one cannot step foot into. I will take you there next week and you can see for yourself.” By this time my eyes are sore. The sight of roadside garbage and the confetti of multifarious plastic that dots place only contributes to the rising blood pressure of an environmentally sensitive visitor who comes to the incredibly beautiful hilly areas of Sri Lanka to relax and then is confronted by the daily public rampage of indiscipline. “This is a problem that I have tried to address several times by mobilising the youth of the Daham Pasal (Sunday schools) run by this temple,” states Ven. Kotmale Dhammadhassi Thero, the current Chief Buddhist Monk of the Jethiyagiri Maha Viharaya of Shanthipura. Below is what this Venerable Thero has to say. “Shanthipura is a village that was established between 1960 and 1970 by William Fernando, a former store keeper of a tea estate who entered politics and rose to the level of Governor. In 1960 there were only six families and now there are hundreds. There are 31 guest houses in this village. I doubt how many of these would have a responsible way of segmenting between biodegradable and non-biodegradable and then disposing of trash in a manner where it can be recycled. When the license of operation is given to these guest houses it should be determined very clearly that they take necessary action to dispose of garbage in a responsible manner with the necessary awareness and monitoring. The burning of plastic which happens daily should be stopped.” I travel to this Buddhist temple with Karen Knipp-Rentrap, a German national working in the development sector in Austria whose career has involved much experience in African countries where there are international projects and awareness on recycling, merged with aspects such as empowerment of women and community integration.” Karen, a friend of a friend and an ardent hiker enthralled with the beauty of this country carried a chocolate wrapper across several Lankan districts and not finding a dustbin texted me en route to Nuwara Eliya as to where she can find one and finally was triumphant that she found a small public bin. Keen to learn about Buddhism she wanted to meet a Buddhist monk and was very happy to travel with me and meet Ven. Dhammadassi who availed himself freely of his time and what resulted was a vibrant sharing of ideas, concepts and solutions to a problem that the world faces equally; how man can live in harmony with this generous planet earth without poisoning and polluting it. As Karen shared her experiences in countries such as Uganda and Rwanda where small community groups take strong leadership to combine entrepreneurship promotion with sustainability factors, she also added in how Austria and Germany are moving into cardboard, hardboard and paper packaging for food items and supporting research that will promote reducing environment pollution. And she pointed to a moving photograph – that of a tortoise with a straw up its nose that is used in Europe through billboards to sensitise people on the impact each plastic item we discard unthinkingly has upon this planet. The discussion then goes on for over three hours on how each action of an individual has a snowballing effect in ‘normalising’ such an action and how a world religion such as Buddhism could be directly used as a global lesson in sustainability promotion. Discussing how it is ‘normal’ now, for nationals in countries across Europe to carry their cloth bags to the market (Karen brought hers to Sri Lanka) we look at the many integrated ways that the reverse of throwing out household refuse indiscriminately on the road can impact change making. Ven. Dhammadhassi goes on to point out that officials such as Public Health Inspectors (PHI) and Grama Sevakas should take their duties beyond their desks. “A PHI has to be continually on the field. It is by being daily on the field that he has to ensure that public health is protected. Garbage on the road is not only an unpleasant sight but it also directly or indirectly impacts public health. We have to develop integrated awareness among children, youth, career persons of diverse strata, and old persons that what we have been accustomed to our entire lifetime in this country is not according to our Buddhist wisdom. The Lord Buddha’s journey to seeking the truth was inveigled with the natural world. When he left the palace as a prince it was the forest that housed him, nurtured him and was his first university in seeking wisdom. It is in this backdrop that we study the Buddha’s advice to fellow monks on how to use the robe sustainably – first to cover the body, then as a cover to aid sleeping comfortably, then when it is worn further and torn, as a foot-mat or for cleaning and finally to be churned in with clay for sustainable housing construction. Buddhism equals nature and in a world where nature is threatened we must revive these teachings,” he notes. The conversation shifts to ancient wisdom such as those of the Celts and the Driuds, who lived in isolated mountainous and nature based locations across Europe, before the Roman armies vanquished them and had their beliefs labelled as sorcery. We discuss how these ancient earth integrated traditions could be compared and contrasted with philosophies such as Buddhism and then used to understand the need to merge the ancient with the modern and save our planet from our age of development. Ven. Dhammadhassi, an activist in mobilising youth in his area to prevent public littering, details out how the divisional and district secretariats and the municipal councils should adopt grass root based approaches. Approaches that will develop small steps towards policy hallmarks aimed at comprehensively resurrecting Sri Lanka from mindless garbage disposal. And thereby discipline the nation to sort their garbage diligently and thereafter encourage to innovate on entrepreneurship and invention models linked around this. We discuss how garbage clearing has to be systemised very strictly with different days for plastic, paper, food items and batteries and for special attention on hospital waste. The topic moves to why we have government ministries and ministers. We discard the squandered 76 years and instead look to the future. The Ven. Thero then cites an experience at the general hospital in Nuwara Eliya where the reception and the mortuary are side by side and where the smell emanating from decaying bodies assail the nostrils of those still alive. He draws attention to how Sri Lanka has no mechanism to deal with hospital waste and how overall all substances including injections are disposed of in the normal way. “Who would take responsibility if an injection used on a patient with a communicable disease accidentally pricks a worker who cleans this garbage?” he queries. “These are the things that we have accepted as normal. At least now these should change and we must collectively not be apathetic anymore,” he states emphatically. In a different location in Nuwara Eliya I am accosted by a woman who runs after me and breathlessly tells me to come to her house. Someone has seen me interviewing some municipal workers and she wants to tell me how nameless people dump garbage in boxes and bags in front of her gate. “There are pampers and used sanitary wear. When we open the gate these are there. There are fights with neighbours when I go to ask who could have done this. The municipal lorries come once a week to our areas. This is not enough. They do not come up mountains. We need easily accessible public dustbins so that we can learn to separate what we discard from our households and put them away easily. There are many garbage fights everywhere where those across the road accuse each other and where neighbours accuse each other.” Our next week’s edition will focus on a list of recommendations and interviews with those such as entrepreneurs and inventors of Sri Lanka who have tried to solve the problem of unsustainable living with their talent but who have hitherto been ignored by respective regimes.