SARS Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome is making the world sneeze. Even as the global health community struggles to unmask a new, deadly, organism, it faces a 21st century dilemma: the speed at which its human carriers have travelled is faster than the
Last fortnight I wrote about the different models of water privatisation. Questions continue to haunt me, but let me try and work towards some resolution. Firstly, there is the issue of pricing of
<font class='UCASE'>Vo Quy</font> is semi retired, but still officially heads the Center for Natural Resources Management and Environmental Studies at the University of Hanoi in Vietnam. Vietnam s leading ecologist, he has played an instrumental role in
two years ago the Supreme Court fixed 31 March 2003 as the deadline for cleaning the Yamuna. It s April 2003 now and unbelievably, the river that passes through India s capital city is actually dirtier. One frightening indication: this river has 118 milli
Excessive heat and little light is how I would describe discussions on privatisation of water. Protagonists say this is the magic bullet that will deliver safe water for all. Antagonists insist the
More great discoveries in the realm of science get stumbled upon by the unprepared mind than untangled by methodical research. <font class='UCASE'>dna</font> fingerprinting, which has revolutionised forensic science since its development in the mid 1980s,
the timing, and background, of the recently concluded 3rd World Water Forum in Japan ensured that water be seen through the lens of conflict. Most debates centred around privatisation of water and large infrastructural developments in water management.
In the context of the New Delhi based Centre for Science and Environment CSE study on pesticides in bottled water, <font class='UCASE'>Sharad Yadav</font>, Union minister of consumer affairs, spoke to Down To Earth about issues of regulation in publ
On march 6, 2003 all of us came to know what Parbati Barua had done. It made sensational news: she had sin of sins killed an elephant. As with any news flash, the context was made invisible. In September last year, 40 elephants strayed into Chattisgar
The Union budget provides cancer stick manufacturers and sellers huge reasons to feel puffed. The excise duty on nicotine the narcotic used to spike tobacco with has been reduced from 16 per cent to 8 per cent. An excise duty has been levied on chewing
Recently, I met some senior British diplomats. Conversa tion moved to the impending war in Iraq and its rationa lity . It became heated. I wish to share a piece of Bushspeak the discussion ended
Last time I wrote about the cycle of poison, where one toxic substance is replaced with another, equally toxic, one. This cycle, I wrote, is exactly like the modern eco nomy where business is
People s relationship to the forest
Prime Minister Vajpayee is terribly interested in rural development these days. On his birthday he inaugurated Swajaldhara, a nation wide water conservation programme, and promised a drought stricken rural populace that every village would have water by 2
After we released our study on pesticide residues on bottled water, an experienced science journalist called me to verify something I had said in the press conference. He wanted to know if it was
Optimism is a great friend but a bad guide. The Asian Social Forum meeting in Hyderabad, India, deliberately avoided this truism while proclaiming grandly: "Another world is possible". Another world is definitely possible. In fact it exists. The numerous
What is wrong with us? Over 800 people have died in north India, another 500 in Bangladesh, only because it is colder this winter. And these are government estimates. Who knows what the real human
<font class='UCASE'>David Miller</font> is an expert in psychosocial management of <font class='UCASE'>hiv</font>/<font class='UCASE'>aids</font>. He has worked in developing countries since 1986 and is currently the Country Programme Adviser of <font
DAVID HATHAWAY is a social scientist who has worked in Brazil on issues such as transnational corporations, pesticides, genetically engineered crops, patents and biopiracy. He tells T V JAYAN why Brazil s proposed seed bill will hurt farmers
