With a pinch of salt

Claims made by fast food giants that they cannot reduce the high salt content in their products, which is a serious health concern, have been belied by a study.

Fertiliser’s true climate impact

NITROUS oxide is a potent greenhouse gas—it is 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in causing global warming. Though it reaches the environment through different sources like sewage treatment, livestock, vehicles and industries, use of fertilisers in agriculture is its biggest contributor.

Water wise

THERE is hope for wheat farmers whose crop yields are affected by soil salinity. A team of researchers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Waite Research Institute in Australia have developed a salt-tolerant strain of durum wheat which yields 25 per cent more grains in saline soil conditions.

Mother of Machiavellianism

INVASIVE animals or plants are known for their devastating impact on the ecosystem, often pushing some native species to extinction. But Australian researchers have spotted an invasive plant which is preparing local predators for the arrival of another invasive species—the notorious cane toad.

A cosmetic leap of faith

The latest Sunsilk advert doing rounds on TV showcases its new range of hair care products. Sunsilk’s breakthrough formulations claim to provide root-to-tip nourishment to each strand. Its patented formula entails nanoparticles with a highly concentrated protein compound which coats every strand and supposedly provides even deposition across the strand.

Why fish go crazy

IT HAS been known that rising carbon dioxide concentrations in oceans—better known as ocean acidification—can cause changes in the behaviour of fish. However, the reason for it was not understood well.

Secretive tribunals, hidden damages

The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) appears to have generated the most number of investor-state treaties and shows that rich countries are as much at risk as developing countries. Would you agree?  Interviewee:  Gus Van Harten

India’s many investment treaties make it vulnerable

Would it be correct to say that all countries are at risk from BITs and FTAs although the treaties are targeted at developing countries? Interviewee:  Nathalie Bernas...

Invasive Alien Species

70 years ago, a species called the yellow crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes) turned up at the Christmas Islands off Australia, perhaps stuck to a piece of timber. For a long time, it remained dormant. Then in the mid 1990s, its population began to explode. Yellow crazy ants began to form super colonies, some as grotesquely large as 700 hectares (ha). The species swarmed the island, colonising -- by 2003 -- 2000 ha of tropical forest.

Ecotourism: Scrambling for paradise

Seeking nirvana Rich, restless and willing to pay