Pilgrims' distress

Better infrastructure planning and upgrade needed for mega events like Kumbh to avert stampedes

Catching them young

Every year, the Indian Science Congress Association awards young scientists of the country. Down To Earth spoke to some of the winners about …

Perfect model

Biologists use a variety of animal models for experiments. But a mouse or a fruitfly cannot truly represent a human being. Jessica Bolker, …

Why we are bugged

Book>> Spillover • by David Quammen • W Norton and Company • Rs 1,550

USA faces up to the biodiversity challenge

The US President reiterates that the one world, one environment theme is the only way to protect the planet.

Green issues need equitable entitlements

Now that the Cold War is over, concern for the environment will play a vital role in international relations in the foreseeable future.

Revitalised role forecast for people's movements

It is becoming possible to utilise the capacities that exist outside the state -- such as non-governmental organisations -- to influence state …

Being accountable

The reluctance of financial institutions to be made answerable will stymie progress on implementing the Earth Summit agreentents.

North - South tussle over SDC

The proposal for setting up a Commission for Sustainable Development, considered one of Rio's successes, is already caught in a dispute over size,…

Awareness growing about Amazon destruction

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North deserts initiative on desertification

Africa's success at Rio summit in securing international support for a proposed desertification convention seems to be short-lived as Northern …

Rio has not changed the North-South equation

The UNCED deliberations have to be viewed in the context of northern attempts to maintain hegemony over the rest of the world

Commission of omissions

After prolonged negotiations, what the Rio summit has produced is a weak and poorly represented commission on sustainable development

Did Riocentro learn anything from Flamengo park?

While heads of state deliberated on the future of the world at the Riocentro, social activists and NGOs expressed their sense of frustration …

Forests of global contention

The South's determined efforts to scuttle the forest convention that the North was adamant on pushing through was a major triumph. A blow-by-…

Stockholm and Rio: Bigger, but was it better?

Stockholm wasn't as big as Rio, but I think it had a soul. I expect Rio's soul was there too, somewhere

Passing USA's laugh test

Helping George Bush gain political mileage seemed to be the overriding concern at the recent climate convention negotiations in New York. India …

The Curious Case of Golden Peacock

An international gathering...desi style tamasha. A DowntoEarth exclusive on what happened at the award ceremony at Palampur

California's rare earths mine set to meet a third of global demand

Until the 1980s, the Mountain Pass mine in California provided most of the rare earth materials to the world before China overtook it. China, …

Science and Technology - Briefs

Scientists find new mechanism that contributes to Arctic warming

New research says the Arctic Ocean traps more energy from far infrared radiation than previously estimated

Quake sickness

Full of treasure

Cyclone Hudhud is landing near Visakhapatnam

Highest winds and rains blow as eyewall of cyclone hits Vizag

People march for climate in Delhi

Communities take out massive rally to fight climate change