Director General of CSE and editor of Down To Earth, an environmentalist who pushes for changes in policies, practices and mindsets
Do not just single out coal
Why should countries of the western world, which have already appropriated the giant share of the carbon budget, be given a free pass on the …
Budget 2023-24: Marks of a circular economy
Budget 2023-24 provides clear shifts in programme direction that need to be applauded. The real test will be our ability to operationalise those …
Joshimath, a well-engineered calamity
Sinking of the Himalayan town shows we have completely lost the ability to plan keeping in mind the ecological uniqueness of fragile areas
2023: Cheer for dissent and dialogue
We have to recognise that an alternative exists
COP27 was a mirage in the deserts of the Sinai
COP27 was a grand spectacle; it created a sense of hyper-action, when it actually was about reversing the little gains made till now to combat …
Delhi dilemma: End this routine air pollution crisis
The bottom line is that air pollution knows no boundaries. So this politics of finger-pointing and scoring points will not lead to cooperation or …
COP27: Only together can we win
At COP27, loss and damage must not to be pushed away with another puny promise of a fund that never materialises but be accepted as a legitimate …
Make steel future-ready
We can emit even less than what we do today; it needs planning, technology & funds
Ripe for a green economy
Forests are home, say women of Kodalpali, Sinduria and neighbouring villages in Odisha’s Nayagarh; they can build the economy of the future
Value your local water system
Bengaluru floods should draw our attention to how the same tragic story of loss of waterbodies in almost all Indian cities. But will it?&…
New energy conundrum
As countries reconcile their energy supply options with climate change, will they reinvent the fossil fuel-based system or reinvest in it?
Need of the hour: Reinvent economic growth model
Future actions must accept the reality of climate equity and use it to drive economic growth
Water-wisdom for climate change: We must become much more efficient with every drop
The country has learnt critical water lessons through the years — now is the time to put it to practice
Are we inured to weather crises?
Not the number of natural disasters; we now need to keep an account of losses and damages
Reset to restore
As the world meets to discuss the next decade of biodiversity conservation, lessons from the past will be critical
A prickly poser
There are inconvenient truths about rich countries and global greenhouse gas emissions; and the world is not listening
Of shaping opinions: Down To Earth at 30
Global non-cooperative movement
Insecurity in the supply of basic materials, from energy to food, is making countries shun global interdependence and shut doors
Take waste out of water
We cannot manage our rivers sustainably unless we fix our waste management system
LNG, but not for rich world
Industrial countries need deep decarbonisation; they can’t re-invest in fossil fuels and call it clean & green
Will climate action be a casualty?
Have we learnt the lessons on the impact of burning fossil fuels yet?
Embrace disruption and keep walking the green way
Too much time has been wasted in looking for answers that are convenient, not real
Consolidate clearances: 4 steps for effective green governance
An effective system, working for environmental integrity, will ensure we find a balance between the ecology and development
Our broken system of environmental clearance
Environmental impact assessment has become a convoluted exercise, designed for futility
We are not at peace with nature
What can I wish for in the middle of a pandemic? It is not going to be a “new” year if we continue with our foolish ways of managing …