Conserving Rich Avian Biodiversity - Kerala Agricultural University Shows the Way

We all know that forests, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves are the regular choices for conserving biodiversity. Bhavya Khullar informs us that a study from the Kerala Agricultural University in India has opened the possibility of conserving the rich avian biodiversity of the region on its campus.

The Kaziranga Debate - Wildlife Cringes Or The View From The Fringes?

Nestled in the heart of Assam, Kaziranga National Park was recently mired in a bitter controversy regarding the killing of tribal people in the name of wildlife conservation. To what extent is this kind of security justified, if at all? On their part, the Kaziranga authorities and the government feel they need to strengthen their security, and by no means is Kaziranga the only rhino-bearing area where gun battles between the forest security and well-armed poachers occur resulting in casualties. In this article, Nava Thakuria narrates both sides of the story and gives an account of the series of events and developments that have emerged in this regard.

The Vanishing Grasslands of India: A Threat to Biodiversity

It has been ten years since the Planning Commission Task Force on grasslands suggested various policy initiatives on saving these critical habitats, as well as communities dependent on them. Today, India’s ecologically-fragile grasslands remain degraded and more areas are falling prey to anthropogenic activities. Subir Ghosh highlights the reasons why grasslands are highly important ecosystems and the current status of these ecologically-fragile habitats, particularly in India.

New Discovery by Spitzer

Largest Batch of Earth-Size, Habitable-Zone Planets around Single Star Revealed by NASA Telescope.

Sushant Kalra

Parwarish Institute of Parenting.

The Myntdu and Lukha Blues: The Acidic Rivers of Meghalaya

As indicated by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board in 2008, the bluish hue accumulating in the Myntdu and Lukha rivers, although picturesque, is anything but benign. Having destroyed the aquatic life, the toxic waters have resulted in ruining the livelihoods of the communities living in the surrounding areas. Jonathan Donald Syiemlieh points out that these contaminated rivers are unfit for sustenance or consumption, and have, therefore, emerged as a formidable health and national challenge.

Sustainable Future Starts with Sustainable Habitats

Shri Rajeev Kapoor, Secretary, MNRE, GoI, at the 8th GRIHA Summit.

GRIHA Rating For Existing Buildings- Enhancing Resource Efficiency In EBs

Whilst there is a lot of focus on making the new construction resource efficient and sustainable, the potential opportunities to save energy and water in the existing building stock remain largely unexplored. In this article, Ar. Namrata Mahal and Ms Shabnam Bassi talk about the need for transforming existing buildings through ‘GRIHA for Existing Buildings’ that has been developed by the GRIHA Council as a cohesive tool to evaluate performance of the existing building and at the same time provide solutions for energy and water efficiencies, enhanced thermal and visual comfort, and reduced operational and maintenance costs.

Live A Green Life - Advantages Of Energy-Efficient Appliances

Amongst the barrage of technological advancements, home-improvement appliances constitute a considerable portion demanding its own share of investors and consumers. While there is no denying the numerous advantages that have indeed facilitated a better standard of life, the flip side, however, is rather grim. In our urgency to outdo ourselves by creating faster gizmos that hardly seem to take any time to complete tasks, not all is well and balanced in this technologically driven cityscape. Sadly, our environment is at the receiving end of this story, and, in this article, Guy C Noronha draws our attention to the damage caused to our environment on a daily basis. He also suggests some methods or practices by which we could try and improve the energy efficiency of our gadgets, such as refrigerators, washing machines, and air conditioners.

Sacred Groves

For Conservation of Ecosystems

Killing Animals For Superstition - It Needs To Be Stopped!

A superstition is any irrational belief or practice that arises from ignorance or fear of the unknown and faith in magic or luck. Thousands of animals are killed every year . Maneka Sanjay Gandhi says that we must do something about it very soon.

‘Protectors Of The Environment'

Connecting Children with Nature

Is India Ready to Protect Urban Biodiversity?

Is India Ready to Protect Urban Biodiversity?

Enabling Suaba with Light and Education

It is hard to find the Suaba village of Odisha on maps. Suaba had little access to electricity for a long time and the only school in the village had been dysfunctional for years. Paromita Pain highlights the pioneering efforts of Varun Sharma who helped the residents of this remote village to gain access to basic needs, such as education and electricity. Keep reading to know more…

Marine Species And Deep-sea Mining - The Related Threats

Underwater mining poses a great danger to animals inhabiting the seafloors. A new research study describes the most abundant species, a sponge, which can now be used to regulate mining operations and help us better understand their environmental impacts.

Microplastic Pollution In Coastal Ecosystems - A Serious Threat To Human Health And Marine Ecosystems

Microplastics, oceanic contaminants, are widely distributed in the marine environment. In this article, Dr Fraddry D’Souza and Ms Sanam Gaonkar investigate the abundance of microplastics in various coastal ecosystems of Goa and raise the issues of potential impacts on marine organisms and environment.

Inspired By Nature - Indian Scientists Converting Water Into Hydrogen

Recently, researchers at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)–National Chemical Laboratory in Pune were in spotlight for developing an artificial leaf that is capable of absorbing sunlight and using it to turn water into hydrogen. The research team is led by Dr C S Gopinath, Senior Principal Scientist at Catalysis Division and Center of Excellence on Surface Science, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory in Pune. Here, he is in an exclusive email conversation with Abhas Mukherjee, for TerraGreen.

Sand Mining In The River Ganga​ - Destroying Ecology, Devastating Environment

Sand mining in riverbeds is a practice that is used to extract sand through mining from riverbeds. Sand mining is a direct cause of erosion and also impacts the local wildlife. Here, Dr Rakesh Agrawal ‘Ridh’ points out the adverse impacts of sand mining in the River Ganga on the ecology and environment of Uttarakhand and particularly low-lying regions such as Haridwar. Excessive instream sand and gravel mining causes the degradation of rivers. He also highlights the struggle undertaken by the religious leaders of a Haridwar-based Ashram, Matri Sadan, to protest against the sand mining activities imposed by the State Government.

Municipal Solid Waste Management in India: The Challenges and Solutions

The daily generation of municipal solid waste per day is enormously large in India due to the burgeoning population and the country being one of the fastest growing urban settlements. Presently, there is a lot being reported in media about the municipal garbage disposal issue not only in the metropolitan cities of the country but other cities as well. Here, A K Agnihotri and Dr Banwari Lal come out with the root cause analysis of municipal solid waste management in India.

Coral Gardening - Benefitting Caribbean Reefs

Researchers have found that Caribbean reefs are benefitting from ‘coral gardening’ process. They have provided scientific benchmarks for the restoration and recovery of threatened corals.

Sparking Conversations On Sustainability

Mr Ankush Patel, Co-Founder and CEO, Treeni Sustainability Solutions and Dr Sunita Purushottam, Head of Sustainability Consulting, Treeni Sustainability Solutions, in an exclusive email conversation with Abhas Mukherjee for TerraGreen.

Harnessing Solar Potential In India - The Developments And Challenges

Given its pollution-free nature, virtually inexhaustible supply of light and warmth, and a remarkable global distribution—solar energy is an apposite and attractive energy resource; more so for India as the country is blessed with abundant sunlight for most parts of the year. In this context, Harun Trikha examines the growth of solar energy in India as the Government of India has set an ambitious target of 175 GW renewable power installed capacity by the end of 2022, which includes 100 GW from solar power. While the cumulative solar energy capacity installed in India so far is encouraging, there are certain grey areas brought to light by the author that need to be addressed if India is to effectively make the most of this wonderful energy resource.

The Spiti Challenge

Nestled in the Himalayan valleys in the north-eastern part of Himachal Pradesh, Spiti, literally translating as ‘middle land’, is as challenging a terrain as it is picturesque. Known for its pristine beauty, Spiti, thanks to the relentless efforts of young pioneers to bring sustainable livelihood opportunities to its people, is on its way to becoming a unique hub of alternative practices that are compatible with the ecology. In this article, Dr Rakesh Agrawal ‘Ridh’, talks about how local resources, for example, the underrated sea buckthorn berry, are mobilized to generate not just income, but an interest in the ways in which the communities cope with the intermittent difficulties.

Coexisting With Elephants - One Fence At A Time

Conflict between animals migrating or foraging for food, and local communities are reported from many parts of India, with crop raiding as the main form of conflict. WWF-India has been working to conserve elephant population by securing elephant habitats and addressing human–elephant conflict across four of its landscapes—Western Ghats Nilgiris in southern India, the northern bank of the Brahmaputra, Kaziranga and Karbi-Anglong, and in parts of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

Fostering Biodiversity

Pankaj Satija, GM (Ores, Mines, and Quarries) Tata Steel/Biodiversity, in conversation with Sapna Gopal for TerraGreen, details on the initiatives which will add impetus to the company’s sustainability drive.

Towards Sustainable Citiesand Habitats - Averting the Global Crisis

As countries celebrate yet another World Habitat Day on October 3, 2016, homelessness remains a critical global crisis with nearly 100 million people having no roof over their heads. An additional 1.6 billion people worldwide are living in substandard housing, according to the United Nations (UN) statistics. Nitin Jugran Bahuguna dwells into the present trends and challenges of rapid urbanization and highlights the initiatives that would go a long way to realize a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient urban future.

Snakebite Mitigation Project In Gujarat

Snakebite Mitigation Project In Gujarat

Women's Leadership Schools Empowering Indian Women

Sarah Berry talks about a pioneering initiative by S M Sehgal Foundation, Gurugram, Haryana, that empowers women in a few Indian states to become advocates of their own development, by providing them information and support and making them aware of government programmes to ensure better delivery of public services. At Women’s Leadership Schools, women learn about crucial issues, such as food security, health and nutrition, their right to information, and social security programmes.

Whiz Mantra & Build A Class Initiative

Whiz Mantra & Build A Class Initiative

Test Driving! Absolute Freedom Behind Wheels

Driving in India is not easy, in fact, it has always been dangerous, but the recent statistics show that Indian roads are getting worse. The number of road accidents and the fatalities are rising steadily. In this article, Dr Elsa Lycias Joel discusses the mindset of an average Indian driver and what needs to be done to improve the situation.