Cannot cut trees on one"s own land
When Bijaya Chandra Panda wanted to cut down a few trees on his 8 hectare (ha) plot he thought he was well within his rights to do so. Little did he realize that it would take him 300
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Companies preparing to rule 'climate ready' crop market -- report
Some of the world's largest biotechnology companies have filed hundreds of patents on "climate ready" gene-altered crops, hoping to dominate a market expected to emerge as farmers respond to environmental stresses caused by global warming, an advocacy group for subsistence farmers said in a report today. BASF, Monsanto, Bayer, Syngenta, Dupont and biotech partners have filed 532 patent documents around the world for crops genetically altered to adapt to rising temperatures, the ETC Group's report says.
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MCX ropes in global co for carbon mkt
The government's ban on four agricultural commodities may have hit commodity exchanges hard, but that did not stop the Multi Commodity Exchange of India (MCX) from trying to induce vibrancy in its carbon credit trading platform. MCX has roped in IDEAcarbon as its global strategic advisor on climate change policy.
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US declares polar bears threatened
Polar bears were declared a threatened species by the US government today, ending a court battle over protecting the animals from melting sea ice caused by climate change. The Bush administration was given a deadline of tomorrow to decide on protecting the bears after environmental campaigners filed a lawsuit. Yet US officials remained defiant in warning that the bears' status was not intended to help regulate emissions in the Arctic.
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Inflation, interest rate to hit car sales'
Japanese carmaker Honda on Tuesday cautioned that high interest rates and inflation would impact car sales in India this financial year, though said premium segment would manage a double digit growth. The company, that rolled out its next-generation Accord sedan after the model was discontinued a few months back, said market conditions appear to be tough for the first two quarters of 2007-08.
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Mayor drops legal battle over desalination plant
London's new mayor has withdrawn a legal challenge launched by his predecessor over a desalination plant. The new
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Three Gorges Dam unaffected
Operations at the Three Gorges Dam, China's water conservancy project on the Yangtze River, was not affected despite Monday's quake. In the dam area, about 1,000 km from the epicentre, the quake measured about 4. The dam was designed to withstand quakes up to 7 on the Richter Scale, said a spokesman with China Three Gorges Project Corporation.
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Coca-Cola seeks more acquisitions
Coca-Cola Co is seeking more acquisition opportunities in the fastgrowing soft drinks market to expand its revenue, the company's CEO-in-waiting said. Sales of soft drinks are declining in the US as people opt for the likes of bottled water and tea, which they see as healthier. REUTERS
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Defra grant for emissions study
Five local authorities in Devon are carrying out a two-part study into vehicle emissions in the county following a
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India's industry corridor on track
India's $90 billion industrial corridor project is on track, and rising prices of steel and cement will not hamper work, industry minister said. It includes high speed rail freight lines, power plants to supply an additional 4,000 megawatt, three sea ports and six airports, 12 industrial clusters, 10 logistic parks and agricultural hubs. REUTERS
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20m recycling facility opens
Waste management company Greenstar has opened a new Euro 20m recycling facility in Bray, County Wicklow. The site will divert 135,000 tonnes from landfill every year and features an automated dry mix recyclables line to automatically separate aluminium and steel cans, paper, cardboard and plastics. Greenstar says the facility will be able to process 25,000 tonnes of commercial and household waste a year.
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Govt may scrap steel export duty
Government is considering to withdraw the export duty on steel that it had notified on May 10, after a request towards this end has come from the steel ministry. Steel secretary RS Pandey said the demand of the steel producers on rolling back the export duty is under consideration and a decision is expected soon. He said inter-ministerial consultations are on regarding this issue.
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NI Water fined for river pollution
Northern Ireland Water has been fined
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Nissan plans an entry-level car
A day after announcing a low-cost $2500 car in partnership with Bajaj, Nissan has chalked out plans to also go solo and introduce an entrylevel car in India by early 2010. The car, with 90% localisation, will be priced aggressively in the volume segment. "Nissan will compete in the entrycar with a dedicated platform that will be used for at least three models built in five leading competitive countries (LCCs), the first of which will be produced in Thailand and India in early 2010,' Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of Nissan, said.
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A race against time
Rescuers are racing against time in the search for survivors on Tuesday, a day after a quake struck China's south-western province of Sichuan. The death toll has surpassed 12,000. Premier Wen Jiabao, who flew to Sichuan on Monday, urged the public to have "composure, confidence and courage' in the face of the catastrophe. Mr. Wen is heading a temporary disaster relief headquarters.
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Water Trading in China: A Step Toward Sustainability
In recent years, scarcity and pollution of water have become the paramount environmental woe in China. Numerous reports and books have exposed China's water crisis, depicting a nation suffering in the face of black-running rivers and dried-up waterways. Nationwide, the per capita availability of fresh water is only one-quarter of the world average.
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Myanmar accused of hoarding aid
Yangon: The United Nations said on Tuesday that only a tiny portion of international aid needed for Myanmar's cyclone victims is making it into the country, amid reports that the military regime is hoarding good-quality foreign aid for itself and doling out rotten food. The country's isolated military regime has agreed to accept relief shipments from the UN and foreign countries, but has largely refused entry to aidworkers who might distribute the aid.
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29,000 are still buried in China quake debris
Official Figure Of Dead Stands At 12,000 Saibal Dasgupta & Agencies Beijing: The full scale of Monday's earthquake began to emerge even as rescuers managed to get to the epicentre of the quake and other uncovered areas in southwest Sichuan province. Official sources confirmed 12,000 deaths and said that 29,000 more people were buried in the debris of fallen buildings.
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We're becoming active choreographers of nature'
New York: His new book, Physics of the Impossible, has been on the New York Times Best Seller's list for more than four weeks now. Michio Kaku, co-founder of string field theory and professor of theoretical physics at City University, New York, talks to Narayani Ganesh about the future potential of cutting-edge science: Why do you say we're in transition between the Age of Discovery and the Age of Mastery?
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Aid not reaching cyclone victims: U.N.
The U.N. on Tuesday said only a tiny portion of international relief is reaching Myanmar's cyclone victims, amid fears that the military regime is hoarding high-quality foreign aid for itself while people make do with rotten food.