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Clifford Polycarp
Clifford Polycarp
UK's minister of state for environment and agri-environment
Articles by the Author
2005-1-15
10th climate change meet shows how weak the will to combat global warming has become
2002-9-30
The needs of many were once again compromised to accommodate the demands of a powerful few. Given the alarming tilt towards self-interest and unilateralism by the rich, will the concerns of poor countries ever be addressed in global negotiations?
Battle of the brackets
World's biggest trade fair
"Let's put our cards on the table"
2004-12-15
Environment leaders to decide the future of the climate change convention
2004-10-31
Sustainable forest management is a concept hostage to many global players
2004-9-30
India unveils its National Environment Policy 2004. Is it possible to smell a rat?
2004-6-30
Gruelling discussions bear fruit. World Health Assembly formulates health strategy
2004-4-15
Environment ministry begins preparing environment policy amid unwarranted secrecy
2004-3-31
The conservation and sustainable management of biological resources was high on the international agenda in February 2004. Representatives of more than 160 countries converged on Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia over three weeks to discuss a host of important matters dealing with the subject. The seventh meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP-7) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), which took place from February 9-20, set the ball rolling. The activity culminated with the first Meeting of Parties (MoP-1) to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety from February 23-27
2004-3-31
In 1995, many in India were outraged to learn that a university in the US was granted a patent to make and sell haldi (turmeric) for its wound healing properties. Patents are usually given to creations that are deemed 'useful' and 'involve an inventive step'. Haldi's utility was never in doubtbut in no way could the US university claim to have invented its wound-healing properties. Indians have known these properties for centuries. But published information on such usage was difficult to get. After extensive search32 references to the turmeric's use -- some dating back to more than 100 years -- were ferreted out from Sanskrit, Urdu and Hindi texts
2004-3-31
Plan chalked out to keep marine aliens at bay, but implementation unlikely soon
2004-2-29
But Indian communities may lose out due to lack of official preparedness
2004-2-15
A closer-knit South Asian community is not beyond the realms of possibility now. At the 12th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit in Islamabad from January 4-6, leaders of the region took some of the boldest steps ever since the grouping was first created in 1985. They agreed to make poverty alleviation their topmost priority
2004-1-15
It has been nine months since the US began its search for chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Although nothing was found, yet the US' paranoia over bioterrorism attacks has not waned. In fact, two new regulations to prevent such an incident came into force on December 12, putting additional burden on all food and feed producers whose goods are destined for the US
2003-12-31
From being a net exporter of timber, India has turned into its net importer. The reversal stems from the country's soaring demand for industrial roundwood. This was highlighted at the 35th session of the International Tropical Timber Council (ITTC-35) in Tokyo from November 3-8
2003-10-31
The earth is hotter than it has been in the past 2000 years and the largest ice shelf in the Artic has broken into two after having existed for 3000 years. But all that Russia does is procrastinate over endorsing the Kyoto Protocol
2003-8-31
What liberalising trade on environmental goods and services in the WTO is about
2003-8-15
Indian exporters of chilli products are smarting. The EU has all but shut the door on them after recently detecting the presence of Sudan red 1, a carcinogenic industrial dye, in one of their consignments to France. And the Spices Board of India has cracked the whip on the three export companies whose products were found contaminated. The unsavoury row has thrown up serious questions regarding the domestic market, too, where adulteration is said to be rampant
2003-7-31
Bid to revive morality, transparency issues in patents regime amid stiff resistance
2003-7-15
The only semblance of fairness that exists in the various agreements of the World Trade Organization is contained in their 155 "special and differential treatment" provisions. These are meant to benefit developing countries exclusively by giving them preferential access to developed country markets on suitable terms, and allowing deviations from their own obligations...
2003-6-30
The US pharmaceutical industry -- which has so far prevented its government from endorsing a prescription for change -- is now directly engaging its counterparts in other nations on the issue of giving poor countries access to cheap medicines. But as the Fifth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference draws near, an immediate cure for the problem remains elusive
2003-6-15
why should four per cent of the agricultural workforce (mostly affluent) in high-income countries reap the rich harvest of an international trade regime, when 70 per cent farmers (predominantly indigent) in developing countries get a raw deal under the same pact?
2003-3-31
At a time when the threat of war looms large over Iraq, here's more ammunition for peaceniks to confront warmongers with. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recently released the findings of assessments conducted in the violence-wracked Occupied Palestinian Territories and Afghanistan
2003-3-31
Asbestos-related litigation in the us runs into billions of dollars today. So much so that the amount is estimated to exceed the combined cost of destruction caused by 9/11 and Hurricane Andrew
2003-2-28
Manufacturers sign declaration at the Sixth Conference of Parties (CoP-6) to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal
Good job bringing this to light. People won't realise how huge the problem is and municipalities are woefully ill equipped to...
Agreed; mining can never be sustainable, but then how do you get the metals to make all the things you need in the course of...
Very good piece.