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Cover Story

Future shock

As the world continues to pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the global temperatures could rise by 3°C by mid-century, says a soon-to-be-released report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Extreme weather events will become even more intense. Erratic monsoons and severe cyclones have already battered large parts of India this century.

Should we still blame the increasing disasters on unpreparedness of governments and bad planning? Down To Earth investigates

Editor's page

Diesel: when bad policy makes for toxic hell

Just consider. Every time petrol prices are raised, oil companies end up losing more money. Simply because the price differential between petrol and diesel increases further, and people gravitate towards diesel vehicles. More the use of diesel, more the oil companies bleed. Worse, we all bleed because diesel vehicles add to toxic pollution in our cities, which, in turn, adds to ill health and treatment costs.

News

Out of control

Parts of India still struggle to stabilise population growth

Polavaram in tender turmoil

Court questions awarding of tender for mega dam to a disqualified consortium

Rajasthan scraps seed pacts

ICAR tells Rajasthan to wait for guidelines on benefit sharing, biosafety

Liability sans facility

Draft rules ask health centres to ensure their waste is treated

Interview

‘Dual contraception is a must to avert HIV infection’

Hormonal contraceptives, promoted in developed nations, put health at risk, says a study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. Sonal Matharu talks to...

Patently Absurd

WHO OWNS OUR VEGGIES?

The patenting of a broccoli developed through conventional breeding in Europe is a disturbing trend since it violates the law on plant life

Science & Technology

Science and Technology - Briefs

Not so hard to crack

A rare fungus threatens Indian walnuts

How to curb neuro disorders

Inhibiting a brain enzyme provides protection, says study

Seaweeds threaten corals

Release chemicals that cause bleaching

Hail yoga, stretching

Better option than modern medicine for back pain

Ground reality

Animal diversity in the soil mapped for the first time

Web Check

On Harmonious Urbanism

BIG cities are suffocating under their own weight. Growing population and shrinking spaces, expanding transport fleet and worsening pollution, less greenery and more concrete.

Special Report

Serious inquiry

Environment ministry categorises offences relating to environmental clearances

Faulty formula

New drug pricing policy proposes bringing all essential medicines under price control, but makes them expensive

Lost in woods

Environmentalists see red over wildlife bill in Bangladesh

Unhappy Bani

March of real estate threatens one of the last patches of native Aravalli forest near Delhi

Stinking for two decades

Industrial effluent is contaminating Gujarat villages, but the authorities have not nailed the culprits

Crosscurrent

An urge to act

Will the new animal welfare Act balance interests of animals and humans?

Review

Understanding the bug

In the Steven Soderbergh film Contagion business executive Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) becomes inexplicably sick after a trip to Hong Kong. Her condition deteriorates and Emhoff succumbs to a mystery disease, which then claims her young one. Dismissed as a minor bug in the beginning of the film, the virus spreads alarmingly, with no treatment protocol or vaccine. Investigations trace the bug to a bat whose nest was destroyed during forest clearing by a mining company. The homeless bat then infects a pig, which is slaughtered and a chef in Hong Kong, who carries the pig blood on his hands, passes it on to the unsuspecting Emhoff.

From the blurbs

C V Raman: A Biography by Uma Parameswaran, Penguin Books India, Rs 350

Media

Right gesture

A new unified sign language dictionary has gone on sale in Zimbabwe to end the confusion caused by the country’s various sign dialects. For example, the sign for “shoe” in the capital Harare means “pig” in the country’s second largest city, Bulawayo. And in Bulawayo you say “good” by giving two thumbs up but in Harare the sign is putting four fingers on top of the thumb.

Australians downloading a copy of mob thriller Kill The Irishman could have their Internet connection cut and face legal action.

Facelift

A group of 16 photographers displayed about 1,000 mugshots of residents of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico’s murder capital, to improve the border city’s image. The photographs are placed on the walls that run along Rio Grande river, separating Mexico from USA, to show the world the “beautiful and happy” faces of Juarez’s residents, project coordinator Monica Lozano said.

News Snippets

>> Google has started a pilot project allowing the public to look inside shops and business houses found on its maps. The feature is an extension of its Street View technology, which lets users view 360° exterior images.

Uber-Stone Age

Unprocessed meat, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts and herbs, lists the menu of a Berlin restaurant, which serves dishes made of ingredients that would have been available to hunter-gatherers of the Paleolithic or Stone Age. Sugar, bread, rice and dairy products are prohibited in this café, Sauvage. With a caveman logo, it claims to be the first Stone Age café in Eurasia. In an interview with German magazine Der Spiegel Sauvage’s owner Boris Leite-Poco said the “Paleo diet” results in greater energy levels, increased muscle mass, clearer skin and even an enhanced sex drive.

Whales’ killer ways

ABBC film crew has captured footage of killer whales working together to create waves to sweep their vulnerable prey into the water. Scientists who worked with the film crew said the sequence filmed for BBC documentary Frozen Planet offers new insights into killer whale ecology.

Editors’ appeal

Armenia is debating the repeal of controversial legislation that has led to a sharp increase in libel suits filed against media organisations. The country’s human rights ombudsman Karen Andreasian has urged the court to consider declaring the law unconstitutional after protests from editors of leading publications. Amendments to Armenia’s libel laws last year decriminalised libel, but toughened financial penalties. After that at least 15 libel suits have been filed by government officials, including former president Robert Kocharian, and businessmen with government connections.

Letters

Literacy Panorama

CSE WEBNET

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