The march of isolationism

Is Donald Trump's victory a win for anti-free-market forces? Is it the death knell for capitalism and globalisation?

The dirty truth

On the occasion of the World Toilet Day, we present some stark truths about sanitation challenges in India, including the progress report of the government and experts’ observations

Enough is enough

For over a week after Diwali, Delhi breathed poison. Air pollution peaked to unprecedented levels. Public anger forced emergency measures. But they are not enough. How can we avoid this annual mayhem? A report by Vivek Chattopadhyaya, Usman Nasim, Polash Mukerjee, Rajeshwari Ganesan, Anupam Chakravartty, Shambhavi Shukla, Anisha Raman AND Anu K Soman

2011-2015: mighty hot five-year period

A study by the World Meteorological Organization analyses this five-year period for a better understanding of multi-year warming trends and extreme events

Mr Trump, please don’t set a bad precedent

Despite the signs of climate change, Donald Trump administration can derail the modest progress that the US has made towards tackling it

What's in store for US climate agenda after Obama?

The success of Paris Climate deal depends largely on the political willingness of one of the largest emitters in the world

Seeds of decline

Frequent pest attacks, rising seed costs and declining returns are forcing farmers to abandon India's first genetically modified (GM) crop, Bt cotton. The trend is catching up worldwide with GM crops. Darshan Desai accesses an exclusive government evaluation and reports from Gujarat; Jitendra explores the fate of farmers in northern India's cotton belt; Mukund Kulkarni tracks rising debt …

Through the thick air

This Diwali, PM 10 and PM 2.5 reached eight times the safe limit. Its not the first time and it won't be the last. Burning of crop stubble, road dust and vehicular emissions are main culprits

Transformation in agriculture needed to cope with climate change

A FAO report points out that a “business as usual” scenario can increase the number of poor by between 35 and 122 million by 2030 relative to a future without climate change

Bleached to death

The current mass bleaching of corals across the world appears to be the most severe ever. It threatens the very existence of coral reefs. Shreeshan Venkatesh finds out what's driving the event and why the world should care

Dying too soon or living long with disability

The Lancet report on state of the world's health identifies key drivers of ill health, disability and death in countries to help governments identify national health challenges

World Food Day: our agriculture must keep pace with changing climate

To feed the world, agriculture, along with forestry, fisheries and livestock, needs to become more resilient and productive

Cities free their roads of cars to fight air pollution

Bikers and pedestrians are slowly reclaiming their space in metropolises as well as other urban centres to reduce vehicle emission and toxicity of the air

Safeguarding Ozone and Earth

As we celebrate the 22nd International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, Down To Earth takes a look at what should be done to protect Earth's shield without heating up the planet  

Sweet ’n’ sour

Moringa and tamarind are popularly known as the trees of life for Indians. Moringa is in fashion as the world eyes India to feed its frenzy for the new superfood. Hardy tamarind shares the same versatility but struggles to find its way out of the wood. Karnika Bahuguna and Shreeshan Venkatesh travel to the hinterland of eastern and southern India to make sense of this dichotomy

Are we losing the war on dengue, chikungunya and mystery fever?

Be it heavy breeding, unplanned construction or possible virus mutation, the dengue and chikungunya cases have spiraled out of control this year. Emergence of mystery fever makes the situation worse

A fishy business

The fish you eat possibly contains a cocktail of antibiotics, fed to it for reasons other than disease treatment, shows an investigation by Rajeshwari Sinha and Amit Khurana. They visit 22 fish farms in West Bengal to find out how rampant is the use of antibiotics and why it goes unnoticed

Deluge despite deficit

This year, floods have occurred even in areas that are arid or have received less than normal rainfall. As erratic weather events become more common with climate change, India urgently needs to formulate a national flood management policy

Stung by Aedes

Incidence of dengue and chikungunya has grown dramatically in recent years. Let’s understand the impact of climate change on virus transmission and expansion of geographical areas at risk

When superstition gets under the skin

In Africa, people living with albinism are perceived as ghosts and live with constant fear of being killed. Down To Earth talks to those who sensitise the world about this medical condition

The cloud

Beyond the romance, clouds are an enduring scientific mystery that must be unravelled