Your Home's Indoor Air Quality - Ways To Improve It For Better Health

The air in your home could be at times much dirtier than the air outside, and it can make you sick. Here’s what makes it so dirty and how to improve your indoor air quality, elaborates Lorena Romo. She presents it from the perspective of the environment in the USA and we in India could also learn from her experience.

Hope On Climate Change - Reasons to Be Optimistic

The total commitments made under the Paris Agreement were too little to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius, whereas scientists agree that limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is vital. Ajay Shankar says that recent developments give cause for optimism for the first time as the President of the USA has brought the USA back into the Paris Agreement and is providing leadership for a net carbon-neutral global economy. Also, India could set an example in the deployment of renewable energy installations as it is already leading the way with the dramatic increase in renewable energy generation in the last decade. Keep reading to know more about the latest developments…

Bottles for Change - PET Recycling Initiatives by Soft Drink/Drinking Water Giants

In this article Anita Khuller talks about PET bottle recycling initiatives of some major organizations, which proves that with responsible disposal, PET bottles can be recycled or upcycled, and cause less strain on other natural resources. Despite such environment-friendly initiatives, the biggest challenge faced by bottled water companies in India is counterfeiting, especially in the case of 1-litre bottles. She talks about such challenges in this article.

Hyderabad Metro Follows Delhi Instance - Opts for Solar

Even as the number of railway stations using solar power is on the rise in India, metro trains are following their example as well—after Delhi metro, the Hyderabad metro will utilize solar, thereby reducing emissions and paving the way for cleaner air.

Returning Glass Bottles - For a Sustainable Future

Today, glass is one of the primary domestic and business waste streams in the country. For the same, Carlsberg India has initiated conversation on the grave danger glass poses to the environment. By returning a glass bottle, one can do their bit in reducing carbon footprint, saving energy and even creating job opportunities. Returning a glass bottle is different than reusing one, as reusing does not solve the purpose. Returning a glass bottle after consumption ensures proper handling and reduces single-use glass substance.

Smart Water Management in Ladakh - Results and Outcomes of a Project

In this article, Neha Upadhyay and Enoch Spalbar discuss smart water management in high-elevation villages in Ladakh to transform them into a vibrant land-based economy with diversity of crops grown. They have compiled this article based on the work done by them under the project, ‘Solar technology for post-harvest processes and sustainable agriculture for income enhancement of tribal communities living in Cold Desert Region of Ladakh, Kargil’, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.

Artificial Insemination in Poultry - Unclean, Unsafe

Most chickens in India are born through artificial insemination. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi highlights how both sexes of birds are caused extreme pain through a dirty, rough process that spreads disease.

Elvira Rat - Can We Reverse the Disturbing Decline in Its Population?

Rats! Someone out there needs a bit of help. Is there a Pied Piper who can reverse the disappearance of a rodent? The Elvira rat needs a little magic to help it survive, says Benita Sen.

Sultanpur National Park - A Paradise for Birds and Birdwatchers

In this series of articles, Amarjeetsingh Bishnoi and Shakti Bishnoi share their wonderful experiences with their family in the lap of nature in Sultanpur National Park in Haryana. So far, you have read about their experiences in the winter and summer season. In this concluding part, read more about their vivid experiences during the monsoon season. They also discuss various challenges faced by this Sanctuary.

Sunderlal Bahuguna - The Earth Warrior Who Devoted His Entire Life to Save the Environment

Noted environmentalist and Padma Vibhushan Sunderlal Bahuguna, who was being treated for COVID-19 at AIIMS hospital in Rishikesh, passed away on May 21 this year. We pay homage to the great environmentalist by remembering his life and pioneering work.

Are We Ready For A Circular Economy?

Challenges and Solutions On the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5, Ram Ramprasad presents his views on circular economy and feels that it is time for all stakeholders, individual citizens, companies, and global leaders to start dismantling old paradigms of thought and action. Building a circular economy is the responsibility of every individual, not just governments.

River Yamuna to Get Bubble Curtain

Geocycle—the global waste management arm of Lafarge-Holcim, that manufactures building materials, will implement the innovative ‘bubble curtain’ technology for the first time in India to stop plastic from entering the Yamuna River.

Sustainable Nitrogen Management

Desideratum of the Decade and Afar. In this article, Dr Anil Pratap Singh highligths that there is an urgent need for sustainable nitrogen management as nitrogen pollution threatens to become a major environmental challenge in the years to come.

Vegan Leather

Prevents Pollution and Animal Cruelty. The leather industry is not only death for animals but also extremely dangerous for us as the rivers are polluted with toxic chemicals. The industry is a major contributor to global warming. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi writes about plant-based leather or vegan leather, the ethical and cruelty-free alternative to traditional leather.

New NASA Earth System Observatory to Help Address Climate Change

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will design a new set of Earth-focused missions to provide key information to guide efforts related to climate change, disaster mitigation, fighting forest fires, and improving real-time agricultural processes.

‘Paani Bachao, Paisa Kamao' Scheme

Another Innovation in Punjab. To address the electricity–water–agriculture nexus problem in Punjab that has long confined the farmers, power utilities, consumers, and governments, an innovative approach was the need of the hour. In this article, Apoorva Bamal, Prajnasish Swain, and Amit Kumar tell us about the innovative ‘Paani Bachao, Paisa Kamao’ scheme in Punjab.

Who Killed Assam's 18 Asiatic Elephants?

Thunderbolt or Man–Animal Conflict? Can a herd of wild Asiatic elephants be killed by a thunderbolt? What would be its impact on the soil and trees if such a massive lightning strike at all hit the planet? Why the surrounding villages could not experience the sound of thunder along with bright rays of light? In this article, Nava Thakuria tries to find answers to these questions.

Restore Land; Sustain Lives; Promote Equality

World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. In this article, Biba Jasmine helps deconstruct various ways in which the rate of land degradation and desertification can be seized. Given an understanding, desertification has an impact on the land area causing poverty rise, food insecurity, and high mortality rates, among other hardships, further leading to impoverishment, migration, and conflict. It is imperative to gauge ways in which land degradation and desertification have implications on ecosystem functioning and livelihoods. Let us come together this World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought and identify need for the concurrent attainment of social equity, environmental health, and economic wealth through addressing the challenge of land desertification, and degradation.

“CDRI Promotes Resilient Infrastructure to Withstand Climate and Disaster Risks”

Sandeep Poundrik is the Director-General, Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI). Here, he is in an exclusive email conversation with Abhas Mukherjee for TerraGreen.

Inviting Birds of All Feathers

What We Must Do for the Birds. Urbanization poses a major threat to bird diversity. Preeti Mehra tells us about a study backed by Azim Premji University that suggests ways to help combat it.

Sultanpur National Park

A Paradise for Birds and Birdwatchers. In this series of articles, Amarjeetsingh Bishnoi and Shakti Bishnoi share their wonderful experiences with their family in the lap of nature in Sultanpur National Park in Haryana. Last month, you read that they went to visit the sanctuary from their home in Delhi during the winter season. Now, read more about their vivid experiences there from winter to summer season…

Green Warrior

Risking Life and Limb to Save Plants. Amid the chaos caused by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, only a handful of ‘unsung’ green warriors such as Dharmesh Barai have risen to the occasion to ensure lives, beyond human, stay protected too. Read on to know more about his green endeavour…

Antarctica Gives Birth to World's Largest Iceberg

A giant slab of ice bigger than the Spanish island of Majorca has sheared off from the frozen edge of Antarctica into the Weddell Sea, becoming the largest iceberg currently afloat in the world, the European Space Agency said recently.

Altered River Flows and Nature's Fury

Need for Efficient Water Resources Management The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is Ecosystem Restoration. Ecosystem restoration can take many forms, such as growing trees, greening cities, rewilding gardens, changing diets or cleaning up rivers and coasts. In this regard, Simi S Nair says that human-induced drivers, such as dams, sand mining, over-extraction of groundwater, land use land cover changes, and indiscriminate disposal of untreated non-biodegradable solid wastes have significantly altered river ecosystems, impaired river water quality, and simultaneously increased the severity of disasters, such as droughts and floods.

Electronic Pollution - An Environmental Monster

Air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution—these forms of pollution have been widely written about and spoken on. Ironically, not many know about electronic pollution, that poses a major challenge to the environment. What makes it even more detrimental for the environment is that it significantly contributes to all the other forms of pollution. Namrata Gulati Sapra talks about the monster called electronic pollution, which has been digging its toxic claws throughout Planet Earth and feeding off its energy more rapidly than the mind can imagine…

‘Heat Hampers Productivity at Work'

While weather conditions are known to impact productivity, a recent study has revealed that it gets harder for people to work when it gets hot, and this may lead to a reduction in national output in warmer years. Dr Anant Sudarshan, South Asia Director of the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), co-authored this study with E Somanathan of the Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi; Rohini Somanathan of Delhi School of Economics; and Meenu Tewari of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Sweet and Sticky Success - Sundarbans' Honey, for Nature and People

This article talks about an initiative by WWF India with the support of multiple partners across 16 villages of Sundarbans, which is enabling the moulis in the region to reduce incidents of human–tiger conflict with innovative apiary management practices. From collecting wild honey inside mangrove forests, members of the cooperatives are now harvesting apiary honey from Sundarbans forest camps and packaging bottles of honey, which are sold under the brand name Bonphool Natural Mangrove Honey

Sultanpur National Park - A Paradise for Birds and Birdwatchers

In this series of articles starting this month, Amarjeetsingh Bishnoi and Shakti Bishnoi share their wonderful experiences with their family in the lap of nature in Sultanpur National Park in Haryana.

Rejuvenating Kedia - Using Multipoint Intervention

Although the Ganga–Yamuna doab is known to be the most fertile region of India, one is persistently struck at the impoverishment among agriculturists here. Delving into the problem some years ago, Greenpeace activists decided to look into the dynamics that lie at the root of it. Dr Rina Mukherji brings out the fact that it is to Kedia village’s credit that her farmers and householders are showing the way by fighting climate change, using re-discovered, time-tested, home-grown methods on small landholdings.

Rajaji National Park - A Biodiversity-rich Landscape in the Lap of River Ganga

Rajaji National Park is a magnificent ecosystem nestled in the Shivalik range and the beginning of the vast Indo-Gangetic Plains, representing rich floral and faunal diversity. The Park constitutes an important repository of the wild fauna and the last refuge of a number of threatened animal species in the lesser Himalayan zone and upper Gangetic plains. Considering the abundance of nature’s bounties heaped in and around the Park, the area attracts a large number of wildlife conservationists, nature lovers, and eco-tourists. On the occasion of International Day for Biological Diversity (May 22), Dr Ritesh Joshi and Kanchan Puri have expressed their views about the wilderness and biodiversity of the Rajaji’s landscape, which is also a haven for Asian elephants.