Good Food is First Food. It is not junk food. It is the food that connects nature and nutrition with livelihoods. This food is good for our health; it comes from the rich biodiversity of our regions; it provides employment to people. Most importantly, cooking and eating give us pleasure. …
The future adequacy of freshwater resources is difficult to assess, owing to a complex and rapidly changing geography of water supply and use. Numerical experiments combining climate model outputs, water budgets, and socioeconomic information along digitized river networks demonstrate that (i) a large proportion of the world's population is currently …
in march 1997 when the heavy drilling machines ploughed into the barren land of the desert village Sanawada, just a few kilometres from India's nuclear weapons testing site, Pokran, officials of the public sector Mineral Exploration Corporation Ltd ( mecl ) told the residents, "There are precious stones beneath the …
nine nations have ratified a historic agreement to protect the Caribbean Sea flora and fauna under the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife (spaw) Protocol. The protocol is now legally binding for these nine member nations, namely Saint Lucia, Columbia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Panama, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad …
The government has launched an investigation to determine the cause that led to the release of radioactive waste into the Crocodile River from the Pelindaba nuclear facility. The move was triggered by reports that the facility had released more than the stipulated amount of radioactive liquid into the river last …
there are parched river beds as well as flowing rivulets; water at depths of 3-5 metres and dry wells even at 60 metres; hectares of land filled with cacti and areas lush with mango, lime, even water melon: the contrasts cannot be more stark among villages in Gujarat. On a …
a huge underground reservoir filled with water has been discovered by a mining company in West Australia. According to the company's officials, there is enough water in the reservoir to supply Perth for the next 4,000 years. Anaconda Nickel Ltd ( anl ), the mining company that came upon the …
The slump in rainfall, as experienced in most parts of South Africa, will result in a severe spell of prolonged drought, according to a warning issued by the Kenya Meteorological Department ( kmd ). They have predicted that the severity of this drought, which commenced last year, will be worse …
the crisis over the availability of water for humans has never assumed graver proportions than during present times. It is, therefore, natural for scientists to think of conservation and efficient utilisation. With respect to the flora, obtaining water for a handful of plants does not pose a problem. The dilemma …
A public hearing will be held to decidethe future of the KlongDan water treatmentproject in Samut Prakan, Thailand. Science minister Arthit Ourairat said, "Two technical hearings have been arranged to see whether the project has a future. However, academics were viewing it differently and the hearing's conclusion is being synthesised.' …
some us scientists have tried to find out how the cells identify and move in a favourable direction. The dynamics of cellular preferences for a particular direction has puzzled the scientists for a long time. Especially so when such preferences are made on minute cellular scales. Tiang Jin and colleagues …
sectarian violence is passe. In keeping with the latest trends today, blood is being spilt over water - an inalienable right which can no longer be taken for granted. The daily news contains harrowing accounts of people facing the drought in Gujarat. With the worst days still ahead, the situation …
The recently-concluded meeting held in the German capital of Bonn has failed to address the issue of persistent organic pollutants ( pop ), deadly chemical pollutants that can enter the foodchain and play havoc with life forms. It has also failed to address the issue of setting up a mechanism …
through advances in medicine have made some kinds of organ transplant possible, the biggest hurdle for transplanting organs for the hundreds of thousands of needy patients is the lack of donors. Scientists have experimented with several materials to develop artificial organs that are accepted by the body's immune system. But …
There is no doubt in the minds of anybody that the world is steadily heading towards a global water crisis. For one water was always a scarce resource and of late the scarcity is growing. Coupled to this is the problem of pollution of water sources by domestic sewage, agricultural …
water is scarce in Mauritania, one of the countries in Africa which is worst-hit by drought and desertification. Even in areas where water is available, overgrazing by livestock has led to an acute water scarcity. In a bid to provide water to its people, the government of Mauritania has set …
THE reds are being forced to turn green in the Nizamabad, Adilabad and Warangal districts of the Telangana region where the people have embraced the Andhra Pradesh government's joint forest management (JFM) programme in a big way. What is unusual is that forest officials move around freely in the remote …
politicians and builders have joined hands in an attempt to destroy a water body which is the lifeline of residents of Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh. Though work has been stopped, the builders have succeeded in partially filling the 200-year-old Devi talab situated in the heart of the town, with the …
Wildlife authorities in Assam are set to conduct a week-long census at all wildlife habitats in the state to estimate the tiger population. This is part of a countrywide tiger census to be taken up in the current year. Monkeys have become an endangered species in the Northeast due to …
fresh water is, perhaps, the most important of all natural resources affected by uncontrolled economic growth. In large parts of India, people face scarcity of water for both drinking and irrigation purposes. Take the case of Tamil Nadu. There are 34 river basins in Tamil Nadu. The Institute of Water …
Beware of dogs. The dog, a human’s best friend after brewer’s yeast, tends to think with its nose and its tongue. If it finds a tasty morsel of unknown origin it will first smell it then lick it. Such contact may lead to dangerous consequences. Dogs, however, are unaware of …
