Choking the gene pool

GENETICS presents a strange dilemma. Manipulations in this field have greatly increased the yields of crops, animals and trees. Witness the green and white revolutions and the large commercial timber and fruit plantations. Ironically, this cloning threatens the global gene pool itself. It is important to conserve the global gene pool so that there are an adequate number of varieties to fall back on, both for future food production as well as regenerating degraded areas.

Evaluators of nature

Environmental economists hold the brief that the best way to put environment on the agenda of various countries is to make them realise its economic value.

Drought Action

THE current drought across central and western India and Kerala is forcing attention once again on how to deal with the problem. Ecologists have always had a deep interest in the problem, their argument being that societal susceptibility to drought increases with ecological degradation. And, through ecological improvement, this susceptibility can be reduced. A number of groups across India are working on drought issues.

Environet

Honey bee THIS honeycomb is at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad. The worker bee is Anil Gupta, a professor at the institute who specialises in socio-ecological studies of communities living in dry areas. His product is a publication called Honey Bee: an informal newsletter for documentation and experimentation of local innovations developed by farmers, pastoralists, artisans, horticulturist men and women. Quite an amazing publication coming out of an institution welfare most students look for the honey in corporate careers.