Antibiotic Misuse In Poultry Farms - Leading To Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria

Misuse of antibiotics in poultry farms is leading to a proliferation of multidrug-resistant bacteria. To make matters worse, these bacteria are now spreading in the environment because of unsafe disposal of poultry litter and waste in agricultural fields—this has a potential to infect human beings, says a new study from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

Waste Equals Food A Case For A Circular Economy

At a philosophical level, humans have always believed that life is cyclical in nature—what goes around, comes around; or in more relevant terms, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Quite literally, waste generated from one process can well act as fodder for another process elsewhere. Why then do we continue to live our lives in this linear manner?

Fipronil​ - Pesticide In Eggs

Europe has destroyed millions of eggs because they contained traces of a dangerous insecticide Fipronil. But Maneka Sanjay Gandhi says that India's poultry and milk industry uses this freely, inspite of an international ban.

India's Vivid Wildlife Diurnal And Nocturnal

M Krishnan was a pioneering Indian wildlife photographer, writer, and naturalist. Krishnan was awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian government in 1960 for his work and the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship in 1968. Here, N Kalyani reviews M Krishnan’s book Nights & Days: My Book of India's Wildlife. Although the book was written more than 30 years ago in 1985, N Kalyani feels that nature literature of the past lets us take stock of wildlife and their habitats in time series.

Rhinos Find A Second Home At Dudhwa National Park

Three female and one male greater one-horned rhinoceros have been introduced to a rehabilitation area in Dudhwa National Park by the Uttar Pradesh Forest Department, in partnership with WWF-India. Keep reading to know more…

Navigating Uncertainty Today For A Better Tomorrow

We live in a world of great political, economic, and environmental flux.

Flooded Cities

Is it the Weather or a Mismanaged System?

Living Close To Green Spaces - Associated With Better Attention In Children

An ISGlobal study analyses for the first time the impacts of lifelong residential exposure to greenness in children. In the current study, the authors expanded on this finding by evaluating the impact of greenness surrounding all the residential addresses of children since birth and characterizing cognitive development at earlier stages in life.

Youth And Conservation​ - Active Real World Experiences

Declaration‘As MAB Youth Forum delegates, we ask all Biosphere Reserves to commit to creating attractive and long-term employment opportunities linked to the values of Biosphere Reserves (in particular conservation of Biodiversity and habitat restoration), involving local enterprises and cooperating with local stakeholders….’(Excerpt from the MAB 2017 Youth Forum Deceleration)

Elements Of A Market-Based Energy Access Intervention A Basic Insight

In spite of being very progressive on the universal energy access goal, the world is home to billions of people who are still reliant on traditional fuels and inefficient technologies for lighting and cooking. In this article, Martand Shardul and P B Singh discuss that in the context of social justice, economic development, and climate change mitigation, facilitating the transition of communities to cleaner and efficient solutions is a must. For a community to transition from grants to a market-linked system, complementary interventions will be helpful.

Horticulture For A Green And Beautiful Environment

Horticulturist Shiv Kumar Sharma headed the horticulture department as director in NDMC, before he retired in 2012. Sharma was also part of the design, development, and landscaping work of Delhi’s stadia and has made notable contributions in the field. Here, N Kalyani tells us about the remarkable work done by Shiv Kumar Sharma in making Delhi’s landscape more beautiful.

Advocating Sustainable Agriculture Practices In Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve Villages

Agrarian distress due to poor rainfall in successive years, compounded by a shift in cropping patterns and the widespread use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, as well as loss of onfarm diversity were some of the important issues affecting the farmers in Tamil Nadu. With an aim to address these issues, and promote sustainable agriculture and secure livelihoods for the locals, WWF-India, in 2017, extended their support to communities living under Gundri and Koothampalayam Panchayats of Erode district in Tamil Nadu.

Predators Under Threat March 3: World Wildlife Day

In December 2013, the United Nations declared March 3 as the World Wildlife Day—a day every year when the threat to wild animals, birds, and plants are highlighted in as many ways as possible.

Water Scarcity In India A Grim Reality

World Water Day, on March 22 every year, is about focussing attention on the importance of water. The theme for World Water Day 2018 is ‘Nature for Water’—exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century. In this article, Viraj Desai highlights the distressing scenario of water scarcity in India as rapid urbanization and industrialization is expected to take a toll on the water availability in India in the future. He also discusses initiatives by the government and corporate companies for water conservation.

Green Energy From Garden Grass-A Sustainable Source of Hydrogen

A new way of deriving hydrogen from grass has now been developed using just sunlight and a cheap catalyst. Garden grass could become a source of cheap and clean renewable energy, scientists have claimed in a new report.

The Indo-Gangetic Plain as a Vital Link - Prospects for India's Food Security

We are bound to face unprecedented competition for food due to the world’s increasing population. Feeding the world’s growing population is a great challenge of the present times. In this regard, Monika Kumari and Md Maroof Azam assess the present scenario of food security in India highlighting the current situation of the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) that not only fulfils the food needs of the vast majority of Indians but also generates employment and is a source of livelihood for millions of people. They analyse what needs to be done to mitigate the effects of global environmental change to ensure India’s food security.  

Respect for Wildlife- Need to Shirk Unruly Tourism with Ethics

Tourism and wildlife viewing in protected areas are intricately linked to each other. We in India especially need to understand, as human beings, that there is a need to give proper respect and space to wild animals while we amuse ourselves watching them as tourists in the wild. Subir Ghosh feels that we must learn to observe wildlife through quiet observation so that they are not scared or forced to flee their habitats. He also examines the developments that have taken place in the sphere of ecotourism since the United Nations’ Rio Summit in 1992 and also dwells on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) involving tourism and wildlife protection.

Alternative Products from Mahu -Ensuring its Future in Liquor-Banned Regions

In early April this year, Bihar was declared a ‘dry’ state with the government imposing a total ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol, including liquor, made from mahua. Dr Chandra Prakash Kala says that the need of the hour today is to produce alternate products from mahua so that mahua’s demand remains in the market and it continues providing livelihood opportunities to the rural population in liquor-banned states such as Bihar.  

Climate Services For Farmers In India

The Rise and Ensuing DevelopmentsSince climate variability induced by climate change is so uncertain, climate-informed advisory services can help Indian farmers in managing risks and ensure means of their livelihoods in a better manner. In this article, Mihir Mathur discusses the development of various climate services for farmers in India and also informs that TERI has also been studying climate services system in India through its Indo-Norwegian Research Project on Governance of Climate Services (GovClimServices).

Rare Mineral Vaterite

Discovered in Plants for the First TimeA rare mineral (vaterite) with potential industrial and medical applications has been discovered on alpine plants at Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

Citizen Science: Promoting Active Citizenship

Citizen science is defined as scientific work undertaken by the members of the general public, often in collaboration with or under the direction of professional scientists and scientific institutions. Studies have shown that citizen science has a major impact in research related to biology, conservation, and ecology. Here, Biba Jasmine says that citizen science is a discipline in its own right and has promoted active citizenship around the globe. She also feels that the efforts to consolidate and strengthen citizen science could help support and upscale projects for science, society, education, and environmental policymaking.

Up in Arms Against Noise

Having fought and won several long, drawn-out battles against noise pollution, Sumaira Abdulali, has won many awards and honours for her commendable work for the environment. Though extremely soft spoken, she is a fierce environmentalist who will stop at nothing to take the bull by its horn. Her interview with Namrata Gulati Sapra for TerraGreen is a testimony to her grit and perseverance…

Environmental Impacts On Epidemics: A Case Study Of Dengue

Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. It is spread by several species of mosquitoes of the Aedes type, principally A. aegypti. The last few years have seen particularly severe dengue epidemics in the metropolitan cities of India with several deaths due to the different strains of dengue. Here, Dr Rina Mukherji discusses the spread and factors responsible for the rising cases of dengue in India. She highlights that climate change in the form of vagaries in weather patterns (particularly monsoon) have a definite role in the increasing prevalence of dengue as conditions become ideal for the breeding of disease vectors during the post-monsoon period resulting in epidemics in urban and peri-urban areas.

Human–Animal Conflict In Urban Areas

The burgeoning urbanization has intensified the conflict between humans and animals in India's urban areas. Due to increasing population of stray animals, our cities are grappling with canine and simian menace. In this article, Dr Surya Prakash highlights the grave situation of the man–animal conflict in the urban areas and points out that we all must join hands on this serious issue and think beyond translocation, relocation, and sterilization of the stray animals as these measures have neither proved to be effective in controlling the population of these animals nor the menace.

Bring Back Good Food With Organic Seeds

Women warriors don't go to the border to fight wars nor is culture dissemination restricted to the arts. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi talks about women who change bad farming practices and work hard among local farmers to disseminate organic seeds of forgotten vegetable and grain varieties that don't need pesticides and chemical fertilizers to grow. Their effort is to restore heritage plants and get people to eat pure food.

Perceptions Amidst Conflict

People and Voices from the Sundarbans

Students As e-Waste Warriors: Sensitizing About Reducing And Safe Disposal Of E-Waste

The Paris Agreement is perhaps the most well-known agreement on climate change mobilizing all the nations under one pact, but what about efforts at an individual level? How will the world even know about the steps that are being taken to combat the growing problems of climate change and waste management? Acknowledging the importance of rewarding and recognizing such efforts, TERI introduced the ‘Green Heroes Contest’ to honour such initiatives. Kirti Lakhanpal, a ‘green hero’ herself, shares her experience with e-waste management and how being a part of this campaign has been truly rewarding for her. Kirti started a small movement amongst her students who went back to sensitize their parents and neighbourhoods on reducing e-waste and the need for safe disposal. As part of this effort, students have educated nearly 80 ragpickers on the health hazards of unsafe dismantling of e-waste and convinced them to sell it judiciously to the organized sector.

Service Companies For Dog Care

Is it difficult for you to find time to take care of your pet dog? Maneka Sanjay Gandhi suggests a dog walking service company that could help. It is also a good business idea for young people.

Capturing The Wild - Moments And Movements In The Wilderness

A coffee table book on the wildlife of the Indian and the African jungles, Roar is a luxuriously produced tome running into two hundred odd pages that brings together a collection of photographs taken by Kamal Morarka. Keep reading to know more about this book…

Mars InSight Mission - To Be Launched By NASA In May 2018

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has set a new launch opportunity, beginning May 5, 2018, for the InSight mission to Mars. NASA is moving forward with a spring 2018 launch of its InSight mission to study the deep interior of Mars, following final approval by the agency’s Science Mission Directorate.