New map of Earth’s tectonic plates to help understand quakes, volcanoes better
The study, of which the map is a part, sheds light on how past continents were formed by tectonic movements; new microplates have been added with …
Petro to Electro: A new transition that will change the world, has begun
The geopolitics of the world will shift from oil producing countries to the rare earth and other critical mineral producing countries in the …
Revival story: How Mookaneri lake became a welcome green patch for Salem
A group of concerned citizens revived a British-era lake in Salem that had turned into a garbage dump
Earth getting greener, NASA's new maps confirm
A significant increase in green cover in boreal and Arctic regions was observed in the updated maps
10 good news we got in 2018
As this year nears its end, here’s a look at stories by Down To Earth that brought some relief to an otherwise climate change-ravaged period
The Earth has not one, but three moons
New research confirms a 1961 discovery of two new moons, made up of extremely tiny dust particles and located at the same distance as the Earth&…
How Machilipatnam became site of a pioneering discovery in 19th century
It was in Machilipatnam that the world caught the first glimpse of light from a new material - helium
NASA camera captures Earth’s entire sunlit side
The image shows the effect of sunlight scattered by air molecules which gives it an overall bluish tint
High prices of food lead to malnutrition, says study
Poorer households have the smallest food reserves and are therefore hardest hit by rising food prices: study
UN food agency launches digital platform on family farming
The move will allow governments to build stronger policies in favour of family farmers across the world
Celebration of life
In a first, a Bollywood commercial flick delves into a differently abled person's sexuality
Nepal earthquake: reminder for India on structural safety
It is not enough to have codes for making buildings earthquake-resistant, these have to be enforced on ground
How to love farmers-the Modi way
Like its other policies, the BJP government's Land Acquisition Ordinance favours industry at the cost of farmers
A review of the draft Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2015
The new rules propose to increase the thickness of plastic bags to 50 microns so that their cost discourages people from using them. But …
Bihar’s earthquake toll due to poor condition of houses
Census data shows Bihar among the three states with lowest proportion of houses which can be categorised ‘good’
Swine flu: shortage of lab facilities adds to people’s woes
Government hospitals testing only those patients who are in poor condition, complain patients
Unpacking europium, the mainstay of the lighting industry
The rare earth metal is all around us—in flouorescent lamps, display screens, televisions to smart tablets and phones. But is deep mining …
Amount of mercury in environment grossly underestimated
Quantity released in the environment since 1850 is over twice more than previously estimated, says a study
Is the warming Pacific Ocean finally signalling an El Niño?
After cooling down suddenly in July, the Pacific Ocean is warming up once again but it could be another mischief played by the 'Little Boy'
Moody monsoon floods Bihar, Northeast, keeps rest of India dry
The erratic nature of the monsoon coupled with the faulty methodology of presenting rainfall statistics are misleading people
Heavy rains in Nepal may threaten Bihar again
Water levels in the Kosi and other rivers are likely to rise further this week because of heavy rains in Nepal from August 13. Heavy rainfall …
Meeting called by health ministry to regulate e-cigarettes inconclusive
There is abundance of evidence that e-cigarettes are harmful but no progress made in 'national consultations' as some participants demanded more …
Wait for the monsoon continues
Stalled since about 10 days in a crucial agricultural month like June, the 'mood swings' of the south-west monsoon continue to keep half of India …
Unaware and unprepared
More than 26 asteroids entered Earth's atmosphere between 2000 and 2013. None of them was detected in advance
WHO estimate on air pollution shows Indian cities are death traps
Analysis of database indicates that all 124 Indian cities assessed exceed the WHO guideline for particulate matter levels; Delhi, Patna exceed …