Snippets

• Environmentalists and commercial fishers in Tasmania, Australia have welcomed a recent ban on net fishing at night. This activity of recreational fishers was deemed harmful for birds and marine mammals. • Timber giant Gunns Limited has filed a US $4.8 million lawsuit against Australian environmentalists and legislators for conducting protest campaigns that damaged its business. The case was lodged in the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Chakachak

Chakachak Directed by Sai Paranjpye 90 minutes 2004 Environmental degradation has a new champion in Sai Paranjpye. The noted director of brilliant films like Sparsh, Chashme Buddoor and Katha has a forte for turning serious "development" subjects into thought-provoking yet thoroughly enjoyable cinema (as seen in her Angootha Chhap on adult literacy). She has now come up with a spanking new children's film on environmental conservation.

South asia

Unique coast guard: The Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) is working for the formation of a monitoring and liaison committee to improve the dismal environmental condition in the islands off the Karachi coast and check the unhindered discharge of effluents into the sea.

News Snippets

• Environmental and development groups in London boycotted a World Bank financial consultation meet on November 1, 2004. The groups have taken umbrage at the way the Bank is carrying out consultations on relaxing environmental and social standards. The London boycott is part of an international movement, which has seen boycotts in Tokyo, Washington, Rio de Janeiro, and Manila.

Time to take stock

As the world's environment leaders gather for the tenth anniversary of the un Framework Convention on Climate Change (unfccc) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from December 15-17, they will approach the problem of changing climatic conditions due to global warming with the belief that the scale of the problem is measured in centuries.

FORESTS: Losing its soul

WATER: Fading glories

status: Most of the major lakes are dying potential: Just three lakes provide economic sustenance for close to 500 villages strategy: Revive these water bodies to generate livelihood

TOURISM & HANDICRAFTS: Backs to the wall

status: Almost no tourism; crafts trade only Rs 900 crore potential: Eco- and religious tourism can generate Rs 1,000 crore revenue, while handicrafts can turn in Rs 3,500 crore strategy: Revive confidence by reviving governance

The key: empowerment

As an economy, reviving Kashmir is not a difficult proposition. The new government, instead of exploring the more difficult option of sourcing resources from outside, has to look inwards. It has to bring about a basic change in the state's policy: from that of dependence to self-dependence. While the government -- to its credit -- is making an effort to harness the state's resources (vis--vis the new power policy and forest policy), what is also imperative is a simultaneous revival of governance.

Why bother about environment?

The us administration's proposed budget has raised the hackles of the country's environmentalists. To be sure, a sum of us $30.4 billion -- an increase of about us $1 billion over last year -- has been earmarked for environmental management. But the greens feel that the government is bent on rolling back environmental protection measures, and exposing public lands for exploitation.