Warming bad for rice
Rice is a staple diet for many. But a recent study by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) under the United States department of agriculture has …
‘Need balanced criteria to judge backwardness’
Following Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s campaign for special status for Bihar, a panel of six experts chosen by the Union Finance Ministry …
‘BRAI will benefit both private and public sectors’
Introduction of the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill has brought cheers to the agri-biotechnology industry that was facing …
Flash floods are man-made
Environmental geologist K S Valdiya lives in Uttarakhand and keeps a tab on the changing geological processes in the Himalayan region. He was …
The benefits of organic farming far outweigh the costs
HAY SOREE , economist and director of Yardi and Sore, a New Delhi-based company involved in organic farming and marketing, spoke to Down To …
Sudev Barar on open-source software
Nuchem is a company in Delhi that develops and sells water/effluent treatment technologies, chemicals and laminated panels. Sudev Barar, its …
Let the journey choose the vehicle
Heather Allen looks at issues related to sustainable development at the International Association of Public Transport, Brussels. Pradip Saha …
‘EIAs of mining projects have become a farce’
Christopher Albin-Lackey, senior researcher with New York-based non-profit Human Rights Watch (HRW), has documented the large-scale environmental …
Bt brinjal has no history of safe use
Jack A. Heinemann, professor of molecular biology and genetics at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, has expertise in genetic …
"The DANGER to FORESTS is not over"
The subsidiary bodies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UN FCCC) met from June 2-12 1998 in Bonn, Germany. A good …
"The management did not adhere to safety norms"
It is 15 years since 60 tonnes of methyl isocyanate (MIC) leaked outfrom Union Carbide Corporation's (UCC) plant in Bhopal, killing 5,000 people …
‘How can India be a defendant, and not a claimant in the Bhopal case’
Union law minister, Veerappa Moily, on October 27, announced the government will not pursue the ongoing lawsuit in the US for compensating Bhopal …
Dividing the developing countries will spell disaster for Copenhagen and future climate negotiations
"Sometimes, cost is not at all an issue"
The World Bank pumps in US $1 billion into Asia for environmental purposes every year. In India, the bank has been financing projects to control …
US, epicentre of unequal wealth
As the US completes 50 years of its "war on poverty", the country does not have much to celebrate, thinks JOEL BERG, an expert on …
'Mars mission will push new frontiers in technology'
K Radhakrishnan, chairperson of ISRO, says if Mars Orbiter Mission is successful, the organisation will look at a larger mission, possibly …
‘Don’t buy our coal’
John Gordon believes a song can get people thinking. He spends the better part of a year teaching musicians from Australia’s aboriginal …
'We are confusing national pride with nuclear safety'
Adinarayana Gopalakrishnan , former chairperson of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, submitted a report to the prime minister's office listing …
Bureaucracy has no idea about health care trends
T Jacob John , professor of virology and paediatrics at Christian Medical College, Vellore, speaks to Raj Kishor Khaware on the state of health …
Community forest management is the future
It has been 10 years since the Joint Forest Management (jfm) was officially started in India. Ajit Banerjee, who first experimented with the …
"Forests are the main source of herbs"
Meghalaya's abundant flora is the basis of its traditional healthcare system. Now, rapid urbanisation and breakdown of the community structure …
"Industries are not for the welfare of the consumer"
In the context of the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) study on pesticides in bottled water, Sharad Yadav, Union minister …
U R Rao on measures to save the Antarctic
The two-week long 30th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting concluded on May 11 in New Delhi. Among other resolutions, India's proposal to set …
'I don't want subsidies'
For five years the non-profit Centre for Renewable Energy has been promoting and selling expensive solar lamps to poor families in Nepal. Today …
Biotech is not just GM
Michael Antoniou teaches Molecular Genetics at King's College, London. In his spare time, he likes to help non-profits with information on the …