No wood is waste

ACROSS the globe hundreds of tonnes of wood enters the waste stream daily. Some of it finds use in the renewable energy sector, pulp and paper industry, wood-based boards and animal bedding; the rest goes into landfills. Indian researchers have now found a new use for waste wood—as a vehicle for delivering nutrients to plants.

Science and Technology - Briefs

CLIMATE SCIENCES On thin ice

Once poachers now guards

A forest guard sets out on his nightly patrol in the Periyar Tiger Reserve (ptr) in Kerala's Idukki district with the most unlikely companion: a former smuggler of vayana, the bark of the cinnamon tree. The two appear to get along well especially that now both are on the same side of the law. After a while, the ex-poacher suddenly stops and motions to his senior colleague. They can hear the almost inaudible thud of an axe.

On paper

The Top 3 What makes these companies the best #1 ITC Ltd-Bhadrachalam Unit For technology leapfrog -- for eliminating toxic chlorine from the bleaching process; proactively reaching farmers, exhorting them to grow wood. Mind, water use in this plant is still too high; effluent disposal still pollutes the river.

Phulmai's walk - a day in the life of a headloader

Wielding the green whip

GLOBAL trade wars are turning green and, across the world, battles are raging to enforce environmental decisions through the power of trade restrictions and embargoes on the countries deemed responsible for environmentally unfriendly products.

Chopping down the future

ARUNACHAL Pradesh is one of the greenest states in India. Yet today, despite having only seven persons to a square kilometre and about 8.4 million ha of rich vegetation, the state is gravely threatened by deforestation.

Roundtable on Minor Forest Produce: Introduction

Sunita Narain, Director of the Centre for Science and Environment, discusses the confusion surrounding the Forest Rights Act and forest management.

Rs 11,000 crore lost in woods

   The drama over Indian forests from a price fix in 2002 to being shortchanged of Rs 11, 000 crore in 2009 Read more...

South Asia

Refugees clash For the first time in 16 years, a violent confrontation took place in the third week of February between Bhutanese refugees and villagers in Pathari, 600 km east of Nepal's capital Kathmandu. The clash happened when the latter tried to stop the Bhutanese refugees from taking wood from a forest near the Sanischare refugee camp. One refugee was killed and several others injured during the clash. Following this, the villagers called for an indefinite strike and demanded the authorities close the camp and refugees no longer