Reservoir of corruption

Billionth carbon credit issued

THE clean development mechanism (CDM)—the world’s largest carbon offset mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol—has issued its billionth carbon credit. It was given to a company in Alwar, Rajasthan, which switched its fuel source from coal to biomass.

Discoms bailed out

THE Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a bailout package for the state power distribution companies, or discoms, that have failed to clear their debts. According to the package, made public on September 24, half of the debts of the discoms will be transferred to their respective state governments and the other half will be paid by the companies themselves over next few years.

Irongate opened

No balanced package for Doha

Polluting units shut in Kaziranga

High-speed derailment

Rush for new development goals

Industry shadow on forest panel

THREE days after protests by environmentalists, a non-official member of the newly-constituted Forest Advisory Committee (FAC), accused of having conflict of interest, has resigned. The committee, under the Union environment ministry, grants clearances for diversion of forestland for non-forest purposes.

Pitfalls of a uniform food regime

AS SEVERE drought sweeps parts of India, Russia and the US, fanning fears of a repeat of the 2007-2008 food crisis, attention has shifted to local foodgrains, vegetables and shrinking food diversity.