'So many problems with the Anthropocene definition'

The world recently got closer to accepting that it is in the Anthropocene-the age of humans. On July 28, the Anthropocene Working Group, set up in 2009 by a UNESCO subcommission to assess geological \"reality\" and the most suitable timing of the epoch's beginning, announced 1950 to be the starting year. The group's study on a dozen sites found the presence of radionuclides, especially plutonium, in geological materials of early 1950s, showing the impact of nuclear tests by nations in the period, and indicating a date to mark the transformative effect humanity has had on Earth's ecology and climate. While the final acceptance of the Anthropocene Epoch is subject to its ratification at the International Geological Congress in South Korea next year, author AMITAV GHOSH is conflicted about the development. At the launch of his book, Smoke and Ashes: A Writer's Journey Through Opium's Hidden Histories, in Delhi, Ghosh talks to RAJAT GHAI about the problems in the framing of the issue, the narrowness of the definition, the missing voices and histories in the narrative, and his latest book. Excerpts:

DON'T SHIFT THE CONFLICT

Translocating elephants from their home range does not end the human-animal conflict, but intensifies it

A NEW ERA FOR INDIAN RESEARCH?

The Union Cabinet on June 28 approved introduction of the National Research Foundation Bill, 2023, in the Parliament. The Bill aims to facilitate setting up of the National Research Foundation (NRF), as recommended by the National Education Policy 2020, to foster better research and innovation in the country. NRF will be governed by a board presided by the prime minister, while its functions will be overseen by an executive council chaired by the country's principal scientific advisor. The government has announced a budget of ₹50,000 crore for NRF over the next five years, more than half of which it plans to raise from public sector enterprises, industries and international research organisations. What do these proposals mean for the future of research and development in India, where investment and engagement of human capital in the sector is among the lowest in the world? ROHINI KRISHNAMURTHY speaks to scientists and academics about their expectations from the NRF Bill as well as about their concerns.

When a drug giant ties up with a non-profit

J&J's pact with Stop TB Partnership to supply generic versions of bedaquiline promises hope, but falls short in many ways

SAVAGE MODE

In a warmer and wetter world, pests are multiplying at a faster rate, expanding territories and damaging crops more severely

Futile deadlines

An afforestation drive in five states along the banks of the Ganga is over with just 22 per cent of the target being met

Moon-bound

The moon is more than Earth's natural satellite, having impacted its every aspect, from origin of life to climate change

'We may have tracked one of the sources of the gravitational waves'

Earth is not big enough for the apparatus required to sense gravitational waves of the kind scientists announced having detected on June 28. In fact, the solar system is not big enough for it. Scientists overcame the problem by turning the Milky Way galaxy into an observatory

FAUX FISH

A herb that tastes and smells like fish, and has traditionally recognised health benefits

COOL SOLUTIONS

India can significantly reduce the energy consumed by its building and construction sector by promoting contextual cooling mechanisms

HASTE MAKES WASTE

Non-profits and civil society organisations are increasingly opting for quick-fix solutions to all issues, a tendency that needs to be moderated

More give than take in secret trade deals

The tight secrecy over trade negotiations means citizens are not privy to the deals that affect them directly

A DEVELOPING CRISIS

Most big pharmaceutical companies have all but quit research and development of new antibiotics since it is a low-return venture. Rapid rise of antimicrobial resistance means the old ammunition is misfiring. Without effective antibiotics, global healthcare will lose the treatment framework it stands on. A report by AMIT KHURANA, RAJESHWARI SINHA and GAURI ARORA on the precipitating global health crisis

Watered down

Most states have recently started reviving their small rivers, but the progress remains far from satisfactory

Heal the system

Hurdles in practising Ayurveda are limiting its potential to help India improve healthcare access

A job not done

As multiple states launch urban employment guarantee schemes, the need for a Central Act similar to MGNREGA becomes stronger

Al Throws The Patent System Into Turmoil

Artificial intelligence is overturning the conventional idea of intellectual property rights, especially in drug discovery

Should India Cap Tiger Population

In April 2023, India announced that its wild tiger population has increased to a healthy 3,167 from just 1,400 in 2006. However, almost 30 per cent of the tigers roam outside the protected areas and regularly enter human habitations. There is also concern over shrinking tiger corridors-patches that connect two large areas of forest-due to the construction of linear infrastructure such as railway lines, highways and canals. Moreover, tigers are believed to be leaving forests in pursuit of herbivores that are increasingly foraying into human-dominated landscapes since the natural flora on which they survive is overtaken by invasive species such as lantana, a plant introduced to India by the British. Does this mean that India's forests are nearing their carrying capacity to support tigers, who are apex predators? Should the country consider capping its tiger population or look at other solutions?

Engage

Time we solved the population question

Empowered by water

Access to water in households helps women save time to earn additional income and improve their quality of life RUBY SARKAR

Third pole melting away

Himalayan glaciers disappearing 65% faster since 2010. This will drastically reduce water flows in the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra

GREEN PROMISE

Although a weed, silver cockscomb is high in nutrients and shows potential for use as a leafy vegetable

Fix at source

Bengaluru must close data gaps, rope in bulk waste generators to cope with its growing piles of rubbish

TIME AFRICA SWITCHED

Africa has always been energy-poor, and the scenario has gotten worse in the past decade. The continent must leapfrog to renewables to become energy-secure, and the West would do well to aid the transition.

ALARMING TRENDS

Cyclone Biparjoy in the Arabian Sea provides yet another example of the changes that storm systems are exhibiting due to warmer waters

Writing on the wall

Excessive groundwater extraction is triggering subsidence in the Indo-Gangetic plain

Money matters

The last meeting before COP28 gets little work done as developed and developing countries fight over climate finance

TOXIC TRAIL

How a polluted seasonal rivulet in Ludhiana causes cancer, cognitive impairment and organ damage cases in districts 200 km away