In this issue

HOW HOT IS TOO HOT - What’s the human tolerance level for heat? Concrete landscapes and diminishing greens make cities a perfect testing ground

INVISIBLE THREAT

Significant presence of microplastics in Puducherry’s agricultural soil raises concerns for soil and crop health

3 mins

Feeding off each other

VEGETARIAN MOVEMENTS IN SOUTH ASIA AND THE WEST GREW WITH MUTUAL SUPPORT AND VALIDATION

3 mins

India's unhealthy patent amendments

Despite strong pleas, the Modi regime has changed the rules to impose a cost on those who challenge faulty patents

4 mins

URBAN DISCOMFORT

Poorly planned, heat-trapping infrastructure, along with dwindling natural spaces, turn up the temperatures in major Indian cities

10+ mins

BLAZING SUN IS ON

Rising temperatures are testing the limits of human tolerance to heat. With their predominantly built-up landscape, urban areas offer no respite. A study by the Centre for Science and Environment on the morphology and heat patterns of nine Indian cities over the past decade shows how these urban centres are turning into heat islands with a potentially serious impact on human health. An analysis by Rajneesh Sareen, Mitashi Singh and Nimish Gupta, with Shagun in Haryana and Kiran Pandey

5 mins

"H5N1 may be more severe than COVID-19"

In early April, the US confirmed the first case of avian influenza in livestock, along with cow-to-human transmission of the virus disease.

3 mins

A PSYCHEDELIC HIGH

Driven by surge in global trials and low success rate of current medications in treating mental health problems, researchers call for home-grown clinical trials of psychedelic drugs

8 mins

Locked out

Two years after becoming the only state to be excluded from the Centre's ruralemployment guarantee scheme, villages in West Bengal grapple with distress migration and debt traps

5 mins

'Protection from climate change part of right to life'

The Supreme Court of India, on April 5, recognised that citizens have a right to be free from the adverse effects of climate change, saying it is intertwined with the fundamental rights to life and equality. Here are the key arguments articulated by the three-judge bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra in their judgement

4 mins

Weaving dreams

Tribal communities in West Bengal slowly embrace traditional weaving to ensure sustainable livelihood

2 mins

The Pill That's Roiling US Drug Regulation

The hard right is challenging FDA's authority to regulate drugs with its lawsuit to ban America's most used abortion pill

4 mins

TURN OVER A NEW LEAF

The young leaves of pilkhan free are a worthy alternative to leafy vegetables in the spring season

3 mins

FAIR PRICE

Using a calculator, Uttar Pradesh scientifically fixes fee for transporting faecal sludge to treatment plants

3 mins

THE FOREVER POLLUTANT

From production to usage to disposal, plastic is a threat to those who come in its contact SIDDHARTH GHANSHYAM SINGH

7 mins

Seeds from the past

For a decade,200 villages in Odisha have conserved and grown 190 indigenous rice and millet varieties with proven climate resilience

6 mins

TESTING TIMES

While the world is trying to identify uniform tests to measure soil biodiversity, it still needs investment and infrastructure to make them available to all

4 mins

BREAKING NEW GROUND

Soil health is typically measured by its nutrient content, by presence of elements like nitrogen and phosphorus. No country in the world measures it in terms of soil biodiversity-a counting of underground faunal populations and microorganisms.

8 mins

PRIME TRIGGER

Heat stress dominates debate on the causes of a mysterious chronic kidney disease that continues to baffle health experts and is on the rise globally

5 mins

Coral catastrophe

Consistent ocean heating puts global corals at risk of mass bleaching in 2024

4 mins

CHIPKO A DISTANT MEMORY

Whenever a dictionary of green terms is written, no matter in what language, it will contain at least one Hindi word-Chipko, which means to hug.

6 mins

India set to see warmer temperatures

A DEADLY tornado struck the Mainaguri area of Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, on March 31.

1 min

Organic experiments

Women of Maharashtra village experiment with organic farming to improve incomes DAKSHIANI PALICHA

2 mins

IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT

West Bengal's Bhanga Mela (scrap fair) has pushed the limits of recycling. Organised every January at Mathurapur village in 24 South Parganas district, shops at the fair sell discarded electronic items, antiques and even non-functional goods that are in repairable condition.

2 mins

A wild chase

BASED ON A 2015 PROBE THAT BUST A MAJOR IVORY SMUGGLING RACKET IN INDIA, POACHER PROVIDES A RARE GLIMPSE INTO THE WORK OF FOREST OFFICIALS

3 mins

Suspect claims in Teva's suit against Cipla

The US Federal Trade Commission has warned the Israeli drug firm its patents are wrongful as it sues Cipla aggressively

4 mins

WATER SCARREDCITY

Bengaluru's water crisis was long in the making. The city has grown at the cost of its lakes and ponds that are key to its water security. Over 93 per cent of the city is built-up, which makes groundwater recharge difficult. Inadequate sewage systems pollute the limited water available. Over the decades, the city has become dependent on the Cauvery, 100 km away, for 70 per cent of its water needs. This makes water unaffordable. It's time Bengaluru broadened its water resource base beyond the Cauvery and focused on recharging groundwater and reusing treated wastewater.

10+ mins

On guard

Communities in Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh reduce human-elephant conflicts using technology and proactive on-ground monitoring

4 mins

Overlooked crisis

While there is much talk about climate migration, the world is without a legal framework to protect people displaced by weather disasters

6 mins

Taking charge for water

A young sarpanch in Maharashtra helps his village residents avail drinking water at home

2 mins

International Women's Day Special SHE

In India, women self-help groups have been a source of empowerment, fostering economic independence, social stature and community resilience.

10 mins

Read all stories from Down To Earth

Down To Earth Magazine Description:

Down To Earth is a fortnightly magazine published by the Society for Environmental Comm, a non-profit research and advocacy organization based in New Delhi, India. It is one of the most respected environmental magazines in the country.

The magazine covers a wide range of topics related to the environment and sustainable development, including:

* Climate change: DTE provides in-depth coverage of climate change, including its causes, impacts, and mitigation and adaptation strategies.
* Energy: DTE covers a variety of energy topics, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, and fossil fuels.
* Water: DTE covers a variety of water topics, including water pollution, water scarcity, and water management.
* Pollution: DTE covers a variety of pollution topics, including air pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution.
* Biodiversity: DTE covers a variety of biodiversity topics, including forests, wildlife, and conservation.
* Sustainable development: DTE covers a variety of sustainable development topics, including green economy, sustainable agriculture, and sustainable transportation.

Down To Earth magazine is known for its high-quality journalism and its commitment to environmental protection. It is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the environment and sustainable development in India and around the world.