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Contents page
Jul 1-15, 2001

Cover Story

Cities without cars, pollution and traffic. A movement is spreading across Europe to drive cars out. People are beginning to say no to cars

Editor's page

Petroleum minister Ram Naik typifies everything that is wrong with our political system today -- a system which formulates public policies not because of public good but because of political lobbies. In the last few days, newspapers have carried articles by Ram Naik praising the use of ethanol as a blend for petrol and possibly even for diesel. This step will help sugar farmers, the sugar industry, foreign exchange outflows (by cutting down on imports) and will also be environment-friendly, Naik tells us as glibly as he can.

News

The Union government goes for another field trial of Bt cotton, and another round of confusion

Tobacco giant Philip Morris pays a record compensation to a smoker suffering from lung cancer

Unilever shuts down its mercury concentration camp in Kodaikanal

Two people were killed in Pakistan during protests against water scarcity

China cuts down its carbon dioxide emissions

More whale meat will be available in Japanese markets

Rapid industrialisation poses a threat to the Arctic region

A US boutique is fined for selling shahtoosh shawls. In India, the government plans to ban its sale

Interview

HAKIM MOHAMMED KHALID SIDDIQUI, director of Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine, New Delhi, tells VIBHA VARSHNEY...

Science & Technology

Children exposed to DDT attain early puberty

Is the new Indian anti-cancer drug any good?

Pollution causes heart attack

Use of forestland for agriculture causes climate change

Pesticide resistant flies are observed

Dust aggravates drought in Africa

Pollution killing atmosphere's self-cleansing mechanism

Accurate descriptions of cell demise offer treatments for diseases such as cancer

Fish speciate to have food to their taste

Ants have sophisticated odometers

Installation of solar panels have made life comfortable

Analysis

The Bush administration unveils new energy policy with an intention to revive nuclear reactors and to build new plants. Joining hands with nuclear lobbyists the administration skips uncomfortable issues like nuclear power being costly, unsafe and environmentally unsound

Special Report

Hospital waste management suffers from poor understanding and even poorer implementation

Grants have been approved to facilitate the use of fuel cell buses in the developing countries

Feature

Traditional water harvesters recount their success stories

Leader

Caution is good but it should not take the place of good policy making. By refusing environmental clearance to genetically modified cotton from Monsanto, the government of India has treaded the path of caution but not necessarily the path of good science and good policy. This should also not be viewed as a victory for the opponents of genetically modified crops for sooner or later their cultivation will begin. But the decision has given rise to three issues.

In a move representing an important step to focus on the need for sustainable use of hilly regions' resources of water, forests, soils, minerals, conservation of biodiversity and ecotourism, the United Nations has declared the year 2002 as the International Year of the Mountains. It is not surprising that the Food and Agriculture Organisation has been made the lead agency to coordinate the activities concerning the decision.

Grassroots

A school near Kodaikanal nurtures children for an ecofriendly future

Letters

Indian salamander

The threat to our environment and endangered species is a matter of grave concern (Scared to Leap, Down To Earth, Vol 10, No 1; May 31). Among all the animal species, the amphibians are given least attention from the point of study and conservation.

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