Common Man On A Mission To Save Trees

Anadish Pal is a prime example of what a citizen should do every time a precious tree is slayed. An inventor by profession, Anadish rose to popularity as an environmentalist in 2008 when he gathered the courage to fight tooth and nail against the girdling of a tree in his locality. Ten years later, he continues to plant trees and raise awareness on the importance of saving trees. As this interview with Namrata Gulati Sapra will reveal, the passionate environmentalist does not mince his words when it comes to issues concerning the environment, particularly trees.

Pesticides, Poor Nutrition Damage Animal Health Combined Effects On Bee Survival

The combined effects of pesticides and a lack of nutrition form a deadly punch for many living beings, a new research from biologists at the University of California San Diego has shown for the first time. The study is the first to demonstrate the combined effects of pesticides and poor nutrition on bee survival.

Meat Is Water - The World Cannot Have Both

You can live without pork. But, you cannot live without water. The time has come for you to make a choice, says Maneka Sanjay Gandhi.

Towards A Peaceful Co-existence

Sikkim’s Lower Kitam and Talkhadka districts shift towards newer practices to reduce the human–wildlife conflict.

Promoting Better Cooling Technologies - For Lowering Environmental Footprint

Mr George Koutsaftes is President of Honeywell Advanced Materials, part of the Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies (PMT) strategic business group. Advanced Materials businesses manufacture a wide variety of high-performance products, including environmentally preferable refrigerants and materials used to manufacture end products, such as bullet-resistant armour, computer chips, and pharmaceutical packaging. Here, he is in an exclusive interaction with Abhas Mukherjee for TerraGreen.

Large Volcanic Eruptions In The Tropics - Could Trigger El Niño Events

The El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the leading mode of natural interannual climate variability. It is associated with large-scale sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the central and eastern Pacific. According to a new study, explosive volcanic eruptions in the tropics can lead to El Niño events, those notorious warming periods in the Pacific Ocean with dramatic global impacts on the climate.

Sparrows: An Important Emotional Link In Nature Conservation

Mohammed Dilawar, the founder of Nature Forever Society, has been working extensively in the field of conservation. The environmentalist, who has been listed by the Time Magazine as one of the 30 ‘Heroes of the Environment’, gets candid in an interview with Namrata Gulati Sapra for TerraGreen.

So, It's All A Game? - Impacts Of Game Theory In The Environmental Arena

Game theory is ‘the study of mathematical models of conflict and cooperation between intelligent and rational decision-makers.’ Today, game theory applies to a wide range of behavioural relations, and is now an umbrella term for the science of logical decision-making. It has emerged as a powerful new tool in environmental economics, especially in the study of transboundary pollution problems, such as global warming and acid rain. Here, Mahazareen Dastur looks at how a very clever blend of economics and mathematics can help answer some of the most vexing environmental issues. She dwells on the nitty-gritties and nuances the game theory and illustrates with suitable examples of how the game theory influences environmental issues.

Smart Cities Missionin Rajasthan - The Focus Areas And Challenges

A smart city is an urban area that uses different types of electronic data collection/ sensors to supply information used to manage assets and resources efficiently. This includes data collected from citizens, devices, and assets that is processed and analysed to monitor and manage traffic and transportation systems, power plants, water supply networks, waste management, law enforcement, information systems, schools, libraries, hospitals, and other community services. Here, Saurabh Somani discusses the focus areas and the challenges in implementing the smart cities mission in Rajasthan.

Ascending The Learning Curve With GRIHA

The Rise And Ensuing Developments. Prof. Ian Jacobs, Vice Chancellor and President, UNSW and Dr Ajay Mathur, President, GRIHA Council recently announced that the 10th edition of the GRIHA Summit will be co-hosted by UNSW and GRIHA Council in December, 2018 at New Delhi, India. In this article, Namrata Mahal and Shabnam Bassi discuss the increasing significance of GRIHA Council’s work as the year 2018 marks the 10th edition of the GRIHA Summit. GRIHA has been acknowledged as a national tool to evaluate reduction in emissions intensity through habitats, as part of mitigation strategy for combating climate change in India's NDCs submitted to the UNFCCC. The authors also discuss other instruments that GRIHA uses to further ascend the learning curve.

Climate Change Is Wreaking

On the Delicate Relationship between Orchids and BeesHavoc The first definitive demonstration of climate change upsetting the vital interdependent relationships between species has been revealed, thanks to a study led by the University of Sussex.

Biodiesel From Animal Fat

An Environment-Friendly Alternative to Conventional Fuel Animal fats and oils are lipid materials derived from animals. This includes beef tallow, pork lard, and chicken fat. Animal fat is currently added to pet food and animal feed, and used for industrial purposes such as soap making. In this article, Dr S Talukder, Dr Arvind Soni, and Dr Sagar Chand discuss that animal fats are attractive feedstocks for biodiesel because their cost is substantially lower than the cost of vegetable oil. Animal fat feedstocks can be made into high-quality biodiesel that meets the standard specifications for biodiesel. The authors also briefly discuss the process of biodiesel production from animal fat while also highlighting the drawbacks and challenges to using animal fat feedstocks for producing biodiesel.

Climate Finance

For Helping India’s Clean Energy SectorA consultant with Climate Policy Initiative’s India office, Charith Konda supports the India Innovation Lab for Green Finance. He speaks to Sapna Gopal for TerraGreen on why it is the need of the hour.

The Disappearing River Island Of Majuli

Is There a Glimmer of Hope? Majuli is the world's biggest river island in the Brahmaputra River, Assam, and in 2016 it became the first island to be made a district in India. In this article, Namrata Gulati Sapra says that unfortunately the river island of Majuli is facing an existential crisis as we stand the risk of losing this biodiversity heritage site due to large-scale industrialization and the perils of climate change. But, she further says that there is a ray of hope as the government is leaving no stone unturned to conserve Majuli and if things go as planned, India will have its first ever carbon neutral district in the form of Majuli. She also highlights the societal efforts at spreading awareness and impacting change as there is a realistic chance of it being granted the UNESCO World Heritage Site status in the near future.

Is Farming A Curse For Indian Farmers?

Potential Ways to Find Solutions India is predominantly an agrarian economy but our farmers have to deal with extremely distressing conditions of poverty, extreme mental pressure, and the subsequent suicides. Poor return on cultivation and absence of non-farming opportunities are indicators of the greater socio-economic illness in rural India. Moreover, the increasing cases of farmers’ suicides are symptomatic of a larger crisis, which is evident in the Indian society today. In this article, Dr Arvind Bijalwan and Dr Manmohan J R Dobriyal have discussed the ordeal that Indian farmers have to go through, the things that plague the agriculture sector in India today, and the possible ways to find solutions to this national problem.

Pench Tiger Reserve

Memoirs of the Mowgli’s LandPench National Park or Tiger Reserve is one of the premier tiger reserves of India and the only one to straddle across two states—Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Here, Dr Chandra Prakash Kala reminiscences his visit to the tiger reserve and shares his experiences with us.

Is It Worth It?

Maneka Sanjay Gandhi says that when you eat meat, you are actually consuming vast amounts of water and polluting the rest. You need to reduce your water footprint and becoming vegetarian is the first step.

Climate Resilient Infrastructure Services in Coastal Cities of India

Climate change presents a unique challenge for coastal cities. In this regard, Riya Rahiman and Raina Singh highlight TERI’s study on ‘Climate Resilient Infrastructure Services’ in two Indian coastal cities—Panaji in Goa and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. This year-long study was supported by USAID as part of their Climate Change Resilient Development (CCRD) project.

'Inspired by Nature and Driven by Innovation and Simplicity'

Sonam Wangchuk is a mechanical engineer turned education reformer from Ladakh. His achievements as an innovator and reformer span the areas of education, environment, and energy. His work has won him widespread acclaim both in India and different parts of the world. Sonam’s capacity to motivate people and bring about fundamental changes is what marks him as a unique personality. Here, he is in an exclusive conversation with Abhas Mukherjee for TerraGreen.

Birding in IARI: The Vital Green amidst Urbanization

Dear children, those of you who live in Delhi must have noticed the dense urbanization in the city. But, do you know that our capital city has some vital green areas that serve as the ‘green lungs’ of the city? Here, Jitender Dhir talks about the premises of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), also known as Pusa Institute, which is India's premier national institute for agricultural research, education, and extension. Read on to know about some uncommon and exotic species of birds (especially raptors) for whom the IARI has been a significant habitat since a long time.

Camel Milk​​​​​​​: Panacea for Diabetes

Maneka Sanjay Gandhi says that we should consume camel milk due to its nutritional and medicinal values, and moreover, it is a superfood for diabetics.

The Green School - Promoting Environmental Stewardship In Students

‘The Green School’ is an education programme for schools initiated by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in association with Tata Steel, to create awareness and sensitize students, teachers, and the community on issues related to the environment. In this article, Neha highlights that this project promotes environmental stewardship in identified schools through classroom and outdoor activities to improve critical, interdisciplinary, and holistic thinking.

‘Wildlife Entertainment' Tourism - Delight Or Plight?

From Thailand’s tiger zoos to elephant rides at India’s Amer Fort, animal cruelty continues to thrive in the name of tourism. Tourists, unaware of the harsh living conditions of these animals, unknowingly support such cruelty by visiting such places. Sharada Balasubramanian writes on the ways in which this ostensibly benign industry needs to be exposed for what it does to its animals for the sake of catering to growing tourist demands, thereby stressing the need to create more awareness regarding the inhuman practices.

A Lady With Green Skill

Each year, during plantation drives across the country, millions of saplings are planted but no statistics are available on the actual survival rate of these saplings. Perhaps many saplings do not survive due to unsuitable environmental conditions. Dr Chandra Prakash Kala says that environmental inventiveness is the need of the hour as shown by Leelawati Kala, who successfully planted several oak saplings in her village in Uttarakhand, despite the conditions being unfavourable for their growth.

Hybrid Solar System - End Of ‘Power' Struggle For Varanasi Weavers

For many weavers in Varanasi, the home of the fabled silk weavers, life seems to be turning for the better after years of struggle. In this article, Kishor Kumar Choudhary, Jitendra Tiwari, and Swarup Mallik discuss that after fighting grid power supply shortage and paying for expensive diesel generated supply for long, many weavers in Varanasi are now shifting to a hybrid solar system (solar energy + grid) backed by cleaner, smaller, and more powerful lithium batteries.

Ecological Air Conditioning - Nature Is The Best Defence Against Climate Change

Nature itself can be the best defence against climate change for many species—at least in the short term—according to a study published in the journal Ecology Letters from the University of California, Davis. It has been found that ecological air conditioning offers shortterm protection from a warming climate.

Rickshawbank - Banking On Rickshaws For Greener Journeys

They are a part and parcel of life in small towns, and the best guarantee for easy mobility in several congested old neighbourhoods in many metropolitan cities of India. Yet, they are shunned by municipalities and police alike as slow-moving traffic. In this feature, Dr Rina Mukherji highlights Dr Pradeep Sarmah’s persistent efforts in promoting the cause of cycle-rickshaws and rickshaw-pullers in the country.

Shiksha

Bringing Education To Underprivileged Children And Youth

Coastal Water Absorbs More CO 2

As more carbon dioxide (CO 2) enters the atmosphere, the global ocean soaks up much of the excess, storing roughly 30 per cent of the carbon dioxide emissions coming from human activities. In this sense, the ocean has acted as a buffer to slow down the greenhouse gas accumulation in the atmosphere and, thus, global warming. However, this process also increases the acidity of seawater and can affect the health of marine organisms and the ocean ecosystem.

Microbes May Help Astronauts Transform Human Waste Into Food

Human waste may one day be a valuable resource for astronauts on deep-space missions. Now, a Penn State research team has shown that it is possible to rapidly break down solid and liquid waste to grow food with a series of microbial reactors, while simultaneously minimizing pathogen growth.