'Bollywood stars could act in the romances around nuclear contamination'

How did you come up with the idea for this festival? The idea occurred to us in 2010. I live in Rio De Janeiro. The city will be the hub of energy of the future. It has been also called Latin America's capital of nuclear energy as Brazil National Commission for Energy is situated here. There are two nuclear power plants that power the city, while another one is under construction.

Joker in the pack of stars

Human beings have been fascinated with night and day skies ever since they have existed. Almost every civilisation has its stories on planets and galaxies. Even more fascinating are dead celestial objects. We, however, cannot see these objects. When stars start to die, they collapse and become almost infinitely dense. Their gravity increases to an extent where nothing can escape, not even light.

Interrogating the city

Over half the world's population now lives in an urban area, and 75 per cent will call a city home by 2050. But while some cities are experiencing explosive growth, others are shrinking. The challenges of balancing housing, mobility, public space, civic engagement, economic development, and environmental policy are fast becoming universal concerns.

When the ice melts

The book under review is titled somewhat inappropriately. Going by it, one would assume The Future History of the Arctic is a prognosis of the icy realm’s geopolitics. But the book also has a rich description of the Arctic’s past.

Back to the roots

With barely 200 mm of average annual rainfall, the Thar Desert is one of the most water-stressed areas in India. The recent vagaries of climate has brought to the fore even more disturbing questions of survival. In the Thar, women walk unimaginable distances. Hours of waiting in long queues barely yield a pot of saline water.

Hackers—good and bad

In 2009, a group of hackers—or hacktivists, depending on one’s political position—broke into the websites of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. The industry body which claims to safeguard recording artists’ rights had just won a landmark case against the downloading site Pirate Bay.

Timbaktu

Timbaktu, a film by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, Produced by Black Ticket Films, 30 mins This is a film about a unique initiative. It narrates how a small group of development activists, committed to developmental and ecological regeneration, found ways to heal and regenerate a piece of dry, degraded land, and create an agro forest habitat in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district.

Farmers' troubles

Internationally acclaimed cinematographer Santosh Sivan takes the documentary route to highlight the problems faced by farmers in Kerala's wetlands.

Changing nature

This volume examines the interrelationship between nature and society in South Asia. It focuses on four points: perception of natural resources during colonial rule, conservation of nature, role of governments in administering the environment, and transformation of nature as a result of development or industrial projects.

Development and indigenous peoples

This book suggests that the benefits of increased connectivity and market-facilitating interventions correspond to an increase in production and improvement in the well being of these peoples.