Japan considers nuclear-free future
It’s official: nuclear power will have a much smaller role in Japan’s energy future than was once thought. Since the meltdowns and gas explosions at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in March
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Rio report card
The world has failed to deliver on many of the promises it made 20 years ago at the Earth summit in Brazil.
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Approaching a state shift in Earth’s biosphere
Localized ecological systems are known to shift abruptly and irreversibly from one state to another when they are forced across critical thresholds. Here we review evidence that the global ecosystem as
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Biodiversity loss and its impact on humanity
Two decades ago the first Earth Summit raised the question of how biological diversity loss alters ecosystem functioning and affects humanity; this Review looks at the progress made towards answering this
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Securing natural capital and expanding equity to rescale civilization
Increasing population size and per capita impacts are making sustainability a difficult to goal to achieve; this Review explores possibilities for sustainable development.
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Late Miocene decoupling of oceanic warmth and atmospheric carbon dioxide forcing
Measurements from several ocean cores reveal that ocean warmth persisted throughout the late Miocene epoch despite CO2 levels of only 200–350 p.p.m.v., probably driven by a deep thermocline that isolated
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A global synthesis reveals biodiversity loss as a major driver of ecosystem change
Although loss of biodiversity is known to cause reduction in ecosystem function, it is not known how this threat compares to other environmental alterations such as climate change; this analysis of the
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Motivations for slum dweller social movement participation in urban Africa: a study of mobilization in Kurasini, Dar es Salaam
This paper examines what motivates the participation of African slum(1) dwellers in urban social movement activities. This issue is analyzed through a case study of grassroots mobilization around evictions
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Developing an informal settlement upgrading protocol in Zimbabwe – the Epworth story
This paper describes how a settlement profile, mapping and enumeration of Magada, an informal settlement in the town of Epworth just outside Harare, provided the basis for an upgrading programme. This
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US helps Pakistani farmers produce more
Lahore—A delegation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA/FAS) visited the Punjab last week as part of a larger visit to the country to assess the progress of USDA’s
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Heat wave in West Bengal kills 15 more
Heat-related death toll reaches 48; rain in North India brings temperature down Showers in most parts of North India brought the mercury down on Wednesday providing relief to the people bearing the brunt of the heat wave even as the toll due to scorching weather in West Bengal peaked to 48. The temperature in Delhi remained at below normal levels throughout Wednesday with the maximum at 38.7 degrees Celsius due to light showers in the last 24 hours.
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Revised draft National Water Policy 2012
<p>Draft national water policy (2012) as recommended by National Water Board in its 14th meeting held on 7th June, 2012. The objective of the National Water Policy is to take cognizance of the existing
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International trade drives biodiversity threats in developing nations
<p>Biodiversity threats from Red Lists are linked with patterns of international trade, identifying the ultimate instigators of the threats; developed countries tend to be net importers of implicated commodities,
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PC: 3 states refused disposal of toxic waste
Union home minister P. Chidambaram said on Tuesday that the toxic waste lying at the abandoned Union Carbide pesticide plant in the state capital has not been disposed of till now since three state governments refused to allow the disposal of hundreds of tonnes of hazardous waste in their territory. Mr Chidambaram was addressing a press conference in the state capital after visiting the Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (BMHRC) set up for the victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster along with Union ministers — Salman Khurshid and V. Narayanasamy. Outside BMHRC, the home minister was shown black flags by some Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parsihad activists.
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Centre relaunches rural urbanisation project
After the pet project of the former President PURA (provision of urban amenities in rural areas) failed to take off, the Centre has restructured it into PURA 2.0 to focus on rapidly urbanising rural areas, which are not being administered by municipal bodies. Unveiling PURA 2.0, Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh said the scheme would focus on Trishanku, a term he coined to describe neither rural nor urban, areas.
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Assess noise level to set speed limit on highways
Driving fast on highways not only increases noise levels, but also doesn’t help you reach your destination really fast. A recent experiment by the expressway administration and highway traffic authorities
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Less than 5 pc of total e-waste in India recycled: Assocham
Less than five per cent of India's total electronic waste (e-waste) gets recycled due to absence of proper infrastructure, legislation and framework, industry body Assocham said today. In its analysis on the World Environment Day, it said that India, growing at a compounded annual growth rate of about 20 per cent, annually generates over 4.4 lakh tonnes of e-waste.
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Plan panel proposes duty changes for petrochem industry
The Planning Commission has proposed a slew of changes in the prevalent duty structure for the petrochemical industry for the new Plan period (2012-17). To begin with, it has urged the central government to establish single national level value-added tax (VAT)/ goods and services tax (GST) on plastic and articles of states at a uniform four per cent. This could include prime petrochemical feedstock, naphtha and natural gas.
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RMC plants come under MPCB scanner
In what could prove a breather to lakhs of people, who are forced to live with thick layers of cement dust generated by ready mix concrete (RMC) plants, minister of state for environment Sachin Ahir has
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India offers sops to push exports of green products
New Delhi India has offered key incentives to exporters to tap the growing demand for clean energy equipment and non-polluting electric vehicles in overseas market, which would help it overcome the rising trade deficit. The commerce ministry has identified a total of 16 green products including solar power equipment for export promotion after a mid-term review of its 2009-14 foreign trade policy. The list also includes equipment like windmills, bio-mass gassifier, waste boiler as well as electric vehicles.