Paying farmers for ecological services

MGNREGA 2.0 has the potential but its realisation needs course correction Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee programme is being refurbished as MGNREGA 2.0. Within two months, the country will have a rural employment programme that will pay people for the work they usually do for sustenance.

Climate change conference- World leaders fail to act again

Little headway was made at the un climate change conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, from November 6 to 17, 2006. The most important issue, mandating commitments to cutting carbon emissions, was stonewalled, with the us refusing to budge from its stated positions, as expected, and the European Union pushing for emission cuts across the board.

Changing basic nature

ON A pleasant morning when fifty-four-year-old Australian marine diver David Hannan was gearing to plunge into the deep sea, a bunch of American scientists were ready to set sail for the Arctic Ocean. In another corner of the world at Dona Paula in Goa oceanographers were contemplating plans to measure coastal pH along the entire Indian coastline.

Afforestation not so cool

AFFORESTATION, a key climate change reduction strategy recommended by the United Nations, will not have much effect on global temperatures. Instead, if carried out in high altitudes, it may lead to climate warming, according to a study carried out by scientists in Canada.

Organic v conservative

AT A time when the world is pushing for organic farming, the US is advocating the no-till method.

News 360°- Briefs

Health Now cholera rocks haiti

Science & Technology - Briefs

FORENSIC SCIENCES Whodunit The bacteria that feed on a murderer’s skin could now be as incriminating as blood and semen. Biologists in the US have developed a technology that helps isolate the DNA from bacteria left on surfaces such as computer key boards and compare it with the genetic material from bacteria on hands. These bacteria lingered on the keyboard surface for nearly two weeks. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, March 15, 2010 (online)

CO2 sequestration plan

Double afforestation in 10 years Sequester 6.35 per cent of India’s greenhouse gas emissions equalling 43 million tonnes CO2 every year Improving degraded forests Protect existing forests Promote private forests Promote sustainable management of ecosystems

Green Mission: raise forests, sink CO2

ON MAY 25, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) released the draft Green India Mission.

Power plant with zero emission

Jharkhand may get a coal-fired power plant with zero carbon emission in a few years. A private company in Delhi, Urja Global Limited (ugl), has offered to set up a 100 MW power plant that would sequester carbon dioxide and other pollutants emitted by burning coal. “We’ll import the technology from a US company that holds its patent,” said Aditya Venkatesh, executive director of ugl.