Famine in the rainforest
The idea of a desert in the middle of the Western Ghats sounds unbelievable, but it may be on the cards
Managing malaria
The case of malaria is an example of how excessive reliance on insecticides has damaged the environment and harmed public health
In Search of the Forgotten Rice Varieties
If the current trend towards genetic uniformity in rice varities continues, our food security will be severely imperilled
Another plague in the offing
The rash of leptospirosis cases in Mumbai during the current monsoon points towards the gradual breakdown of health services in burgeoning …
Chulhas vs LPG: Which is the cleaner fuel?
Five experts debate the economics, science, efficiency and effects on women's health...
For common sense
Down To Earth articles on shahtoosh and Veerappan provoke comment. We decided to excerpt them. But first, the editor's rejoinder
Industries get long rope to rein pollution
There is a green tinge to Manmohan Singh's proposals, but he has failed to counter fallouts from liberalisation, such as waste from the food-…
Cupfuls of misery
Nothing more than a vote-catcher, Andhra Pradesh's cheap rice scheme has resulted in an ecological disaster in its drought-prone areas
Descent of man
The troubling aspect is that religious fundamentalism encourages the rejection of modern scientific thinking
In defence of ostrich farming
Promoting ostrich and emu farming in India's drought-prone districts could be a boon to farmers
Don’t just count the trees
Quality of forests is as important as tree cover
Guardians for the future
World Future Council calls for an ombudsperson to secure the environment for future generations
The world isn't just Big Macs and Coke
How many people can the earth sustain? While the world feverishly computes the answer, it must not forget that sustainability is not just feeding …
An ecological triumph goes sour
Kerala celebrates silver jubilee of the Silent Valley project, but dismisses conservation measures
Lack of governance agenda
The disconnect between Left’s politics at the Centre and the states is clear—and a problem
Curse of the urban boom
Real estate sector in India has serious environmental implications. How effective are regulatory agencies?
Miffed with the greens
Conscious of the pressure upon them, representatives of industry discuss environmental matters at length in the automobile manufacturers' annual meet
The flip side of agricultural growth in Madhya Pradesh
Agricultural growth rate figures in the state appear to be unrealistic if one considers farm suicides and increase in number of landless farm …
The legendary Gandhian
Pakistani social scientist Akhtar Hameed Khan, is remembered, on his first death anniversary, for his achievements in the field of urban management
Silenced to death
The media and the government keep mum on pollution-cancer linkages and the abysmal medical help available in India against the menace
Technosolutions
The need of the hour is technological innovation that helps tackle both poverty and environmental degradation
Who is protected?
The Lok Sabha passed Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Bill with complete amendments on August 9, 2001, twenty months after it …
The relation between tanks and trees
For survival of the traditional water management structures, one must understand the linkages between the tanks and trees
Wishful thinking
The finance minister's budget speech has come and gone. As analysts sit down to shred it to bits, Down To Earth looks at a wish list of …
Reform for reform’s sake
Without bottom-up rehauling National Environment Protection Agency will be more of the same