Climate Change
Biogas from household waste – The Hindu column highlights potential
Today’s Urban Jungle column in The Hindu highlights the potential of using vegetable waste from municipal garbage to run biogas plants at the level of individual houses and beyond. Read the column here. A related story that appeared in Engadget a couple of years ago is here, but the biogas idea now seems more attractive [...]
The Hindu Editorial on Protecting the Western Ghats
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/article2769353.ece The Hindu has a leader comment today, endorsing the view of scientists that the entire Western Ghats should be declared ecologically sensitive, and mining in Goa halted. In particular, the editorial calls for scrapping of the destructive Athirapilly and Gundia hydroelectric projects in Kerala and Karnataka respectively. If you believe the Western Ghats deserve [...]
Life in the Himalaya, and how to save it
Book Review : Protection of Himalayan Biodiversity – International Environmental Law and a Regional Legal Framework. By Ananda Mohan Bhattarai, Sage Publications, B1/I-1, Mohan Cooperative Industrial Area, Mathura Road, New Delhi 110 044, India, 382 pp, Price not stated All geographical regions of the world have a role to play in the sustenance of humanity, but [...]
A decisive turn for India at Durban Climate Conference
A notable positive outcome of the Durban Climate Change Conference is the fixing of a second commitment period for rich countries to cut carbon emissions under the Kyoto Protocol, beyond the first that expires next year. The emerging economies led by India and China fought commendably to press the equity principle that underpins burden sharing [...]
Copenhagen: Will India take the green path?
Regardless of the outcome at the Copenhagen climate conference, India has the historic opportunity to reorient itself towards a green path of economic growth. The key factor that should influence national policy is the iniquitous nature of current emissions. At an estimated 1.2 tonnes equivalent of carbon dioxide, India’s per capita emissions of greenhouse gases [...]
Now, Dr. Manmohan Singh and UPA Co, get down to work !
Now that the 79-member Ministry of the UPA is in place, Dr. Manmohan Singh and his colleagues would do well to get down to work. Such is the level of degradation and non-performance in various Ministries, that it would take his Ministries 22-hour work days to even get the various policies initiated during the last [...]
Be happy, old fruit – and do some good!
A strong inclination towards gardening, particularly of the organic variety may draw smirks from friends these days. Maintaining close links with nature is unfortunately seen as a sign of approaching geriatric obsolescence. So be it. My near-obsession with the natural way of life finds expression in different ways. Last year, I told Mr. M.B.Nirmal of Exnora [...]
The end of ‘cheap’ food?
Slowly but surely, politics in this country is acquiring a foundation in contemporary issues, rather than one of mere rhetoric, alliances and muscle power. It is not that the shift is sharp, or that all core issues are being addressed — education and healthcare access are glaring examples – but there is hope that the reality of economics will [...]
Chennai’s unusual March downpour
It is unusual, to say the least, for Chennai to experience extreme weather events in March. This is after all a period between the two monsoons when the semi-arid landscape is just being warmed up for the torrid summer. Some radio jockeys are actually thrilled that the weather has changed for ‘the better’ except for the nuisance caused by the [...]
North Usman Road flyover: why is it the first?
If you are looking for news about the flyover opened at Panagal Park point on August 14, that post is here. The post below pertains to the older one opened at Mahalingapuram. A number of flyover projects are under implementation in Chennai, and one has been hanging fire now for seven years. So why is [...]
