Fuming over food

The US food industry tries hard to dilute dietary guidelines. A story that repeats itself across the world

Countries complain about slow pace of progress at Bonn

Session co-chairs reiterate the principles that will guide negotiations in the three days that remain in this ADP session

Can carbon-negative be the next step?

Carbon-negative technologies sequester more carbon than they release. But experts say they cannot be a substitute for reduction of greenhouse gases

Real threats of virtual world

Spending too much time on the Internet is causing mental health disorders. Is India prepared to tackle the addiction?

Acta is trade terrorism

India’s generic medicines export faces a huge threat from the anti-counterfeiting law which creates barriers to global trade

Seven disasters have cost the US $19 billion in 2023: NOAA

Each disaster caused damages of over a billion dollars; only 2017 and 2020 had more disasters in this timeframe

Avoiding climate breakdown depends on protecting Earth’s biodiversity — can the COP15 summit deliver?

COP15 brings together parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) with a goal of negotiating this decade’s biodiversity …

Who is really afraid of the TRIPS agreement? 

India has not shown the grit to fully use the inbuilt flexibilities in the WTO’s TRIPS pact to protect public health

Why Cuban doctors deserve the Nobel Peace Prize

Cuban medical workers are risking their health to break the chain of COVID-19 infection. They have also developed drugs to help fight the disease

Business as usual or sustainable model: What is post-COVID-19 dilemma?

World leaders are at crossroads — and they need to take hard measures to push for a green economy 

The US takes on a drug giant

The US government's patent lawsuit against Gilead Sciences indicates it is tired of being milked by pharma companies

Are signs on the wall signalling the death of diesel cars?

Mayors of 20 European cities have signed a petition to the European Union denouncing a loophole in diesel cars’ pollution limits

Domestic industrial emissions in decline as US relies on imports

Sixty per cent of everything a US consumer bought in 2004 came from imports. In the last 15 years, imports of capital and consumer goods have doubled

Antarctica may hold the key to regulating mining in space

If we're going to mine asteroids, then we need an international treaty to prevent it becoming a wild west. …

Why do we need patents?

There is no empirical evidence that patents serve to increase innovation and productivity

Nuclear shield for MNCs

The new Indo-US agreement protects American companies from being held liable for nuclear accidents

Time for some ‘sustainable charity’

Water and electricity wasted because of the Ice Bucket Challenge could have provided water to 17,777 households and lighted up 16 million households

Tesla's `insane' move to free up patents

The electric carmaker's decision could spur a revolution in green vehicles and in the way patents are viewed

Where is antimatter?

Scientists create heaviest antimatter. It will help understand evolution of the universe

The thalidomide story explained

How a drug prescribed for nausea in pregnant women led to severe limb defects in their babies  

Zero-emission mass transport in hills: Lessons from Himachal

Hill states need a different demand-aggregation model for procurement of electric buses to meet their unique requirements

COVID-19 update: Over 1,000 daily cases in India for first time in 2023

Over 665,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported in the last seven days worldwide, along with 4,178 deaths

COP27 diary (November 10): Rich countries admit funding gap in addressing loss & damage

A round-up of what went on at the Sharm El-Sheikh summit    

Global Eco Watch: How climate may have helped exacerbate Spanish Flu

Down To Earth brings you the top happenings in the world of global ecology  

COVID-19 to Black Lives Matter: How the Columbian Exchange still shapes lives

Down To Earth talks with American journalist and author Charles C Mann about the relevance of the Columbian Exchange in today’s pandemic-…