First Food Recipes: beat the heat with Palash Sherbet

Palash or flame of the forest is a flowering tree native to the Indian subcontinent. Its flowers were traditionally used to make colours for Holi. Many do not know they can be made into a sherbet which is particularly healthy during summer

First Food recipes: peepal ki bhaji with kokum

Peepal tree or Ficus Religiosa is native to India and is considered holy in Hinduism and Buddhism. Leaves of peepal are known to cure asthma, diabetes, diarrhoea, epilepsy, gastric problems, inflammatory disorders and infections.

Life in the dry Thar desert

In the dry Sam region of Jaisalmer district in Rajasthan, there are villages which rely on water harvesting structures for regular water needs. These are called "beris" that can store enough water to last 9-10 months a year. Traditional structures like these are keeping villages like Khadero ki Dhaani alive. But is the ancinet wisdom dying?

First Food recipies: makhane ka raita

This is the easiest way to incorporate Makhana or lotus seeds a super food into you diet. Health benefits of Makhana include good for the heart, cures leucorrhoea, enhances blood circulation and good for post-delivery care. It is also helpful for weightloss

IMD scientist on long-range monsoon forecast

The India Meteorological Department issued the first stage long-range forecast of the Indian summer monsoon, predicting normal rains for the country. D S Pai, scientist at IMD’s climate prediction team, talks to Down To Earth about it

Easy tips to increase AC efficiency: EP5 New Vastu with Ashok B Lall

Ashok B Lall shares quick fixes on how to reduce the load on air conditioners during peak summer. Some of these are very easy, like shading your roof to basic cross ventilation. Lall has practised sustainable architecture for over 3 decades

We will protest against mining through gram sabhas: Lalasu Nogoti

Lalasu Nogoti is a lawyer and human rights activist from Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. He was recently elected as a zila parishad member from Arevada-Nilgunda in Bhamragad tehsil of Gadchiroli

Climate-resilient farming in Sikkim

Climate change has altered rainfall patterns in Sikkim, situated in the eastern Himalayas. The state is witnessing decreased rainfall during the winter months of December and January and extreme rainfall in March

Watch: "5-year-plan was a good method to measure growth"

The March 31, 2017 marks the end of the five-year-planning method. Former planning commission member B K Chaturvedi explains why India needs to plan with a medium-term perspective

Watch: rethinking territories according to ecology

Didier Prost is a French architect and an advocate of the ideology of bioregionalism, which calls for a focus on local populations, knowledge and solutions

Cool roofs: episode 3 New Vastu with Ashok B Lall

Top floors can be excruciating during the Indian summers. But there are ways to stay comfortable on top floor houses. Ashok B Lall gives his tips on how to beat the heat

Watch: Who will miss India's five-year-plans?

Former member of the planning commission N C Saxena explains what the end of five year planning means and if Niti Aayog can fill the gap

Right design for windows for green homes: Episode 2 New Vaastu with Ashok B Lall

A good window design can do wonders to the climate inside a house. The material that is used to make windows also plays an important part in how much heat it lets in from the outside. In this episode, Ashok B Lall describes the different window designs and the material that will optimally help to keep the house cool.

First Food: Celebrating India's Food Biodiversity

Down to Earth collaborated with Chor Bizarre, an Indian restaurant chain, to celebrate an evening of traditional Indian food. Chef Rajiv Malhotra and his team cooked 20 recipes from 10 states. All these recipes were picked up from the book called First Food—Culture of Taste

Geomorphologist Robert James Wasson discusses flood risk reduction in India

In this video, Robert James Wasson from National University of Singapore points out that India is the second most flood-prone country in the world after Bangladesh. He says that communities should be prepared to handle disasters better

Trawlers push small fisherfolk out of business

Bottom trawling has spelt doom for small-scale fishermen in Bengal's East Midnapore district. Faced with a bleak future due to reduced fish catch, traditional fisherfolk is experimenting with alternate livelihood options

Sunita Narain talks about good food

Food is becoming sterile and processed, says Sunita Narain at the launch of the First Food: Culture of Taste, a Down To Earth publication

India's forgotten Africans

Down To Earth speaks to Beheroze Shroff, Lecturer at the Department of Asian American Studies, University of California, Irvine about the current-day condition of the Siddis, the unique African tribe of India

Recipe from First Food: Goolar Ka Chokha

Goolar or country fig is a super food. It is known to cure stomach ailments such as diarrhoea, is rich in fibre, and modern research shows that it can help to reduce cholesterol in the body

Green Schools Award 2017

Green Schools award is given by Centre for Science and Environment to the top eco-friendly schools in India. The award ceremony was held on February 15, 2017 at India Habitat Centre