The Global Gender Gap Index annually benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions (Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment). It is the longest-standing index tracking the progress of numerous countries’ efforts towards closing these gaps over time since …
With pressure mounting on the US establishment to take climate change seriously, the US House of Representatives has hit upon an ingenious solution: buying carbon credits to offset emissions from an antiquated power plant that services the Capitol's needs. The credits, worth US $89,000, were purchased on November 5 through …
The us House of Representatives approved the Water Resources Development Bill on November 6, after Republicans joined Democrats challenging president George W Bush. The 361-54 verdict, well over the two-thirds majority, is the first override of Bush's presidential veto. Bush vetoed the us $23.2-billion measure on November 2, calling it …
a sudden spurt in public discussion in Delhi over worsening air quality over the last few years has brought into focus a few interesting points about controlling urban air pollution. This is not to lament over the capital's foul air, because Delhi's air quality still remains much better than that …
In a major legal action against a us federal agency, an environmental organisation has filed a notice of intent against the agency's political interference in protecting endangered species. At stake are 55 endangered species in 28 us states together with the restoration of around 3.5 million hectares of protected habitat. …
new York City is set to go green. Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently announced his ambitious "planyc-2030' for a "greener and greater' New York. The following are the highpoints of the plan: Reduce 30 per cent greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 Plant 1 million trees in next decade Charge trucks us …
GEORGE W Bush won, and won quite emphatically at that. John Kerry, his Democratic Party rival, lost. But the greater loss is that of the US electorate: it has abdicated all rights to scrutinise its government's ability to manage the environment. In fact, the US election results are symptomatic of …
A NATIONAL environment policy is on the anvil. The Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has drafted a version and placed it in the public domain for all to review in two months. But the draft has made the civil society sulk. Their grouse: MoEF has become insular. It's …
orissa might well be at the receiving end of one of Chhattisgarh chief minister (cm) Ajit Jogi's pre-poll sops meant to benefit his own states's forest dwellers. With elections on the anvil in Chhattisgarh, Jogi has announced a procurement price of Rs 5 per kilogramme (kg) of sal seeds from …
the United Nation Development Programme's (undp) latest Human Development Report (hdr 2002) has reiterated what we have always talked about: that mere democracy is not enough, deepening of democracy through the empowerment of people is the real route to development. And also that democracy and equity are words that the …
A novel method has been devised to shame politicians in Canada, who have not taken action to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. Global non-governmental organisation (ngo) Greenpeace is naming excessively smoggy days after such leaders. The christening system started with Smog Day Augustine, named after parliament member Jean …
the South African government seems to be in reverse gear in context of their environmental policies. While countries the world over are increasingly prohibiting the use of thin plastics, South Africa has modified its proposed ban on polythene bags by reducing their thickness from 80 microns to 30 microns. Reducing …
"don't consider this as a big disaster' said Emil Salim referring to the fourth preparatory committee (prepcom) for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (wssd), that was held in Bali from May 27 to June 7, 2002, of which the former Indonesian minister was the chair. This, the latest instalment …
Votes of dissent The rise of the far right is related in complex patterns to the failure of the elite political establishment to catch the popular pulseWhat on earth is going on in Europe? The question is motivated. Recent elections in countries like Austria, Denmark and France have seen the …
World opinion has been like a pendulum where us president George W Bush is concerned. If last week Bush was a rogue because of his extremely crazy nuclear policy, this week he is seen as a good guy after he promised at the just ended Monterrey conference on Financing for …
We need to give the devil his due. Finance minister, Yashwant Sinha, has drawn flak from almost all sides for his nightmare budget 2002. But there was one item, which missed most eyes, which said that the budget would provide deduction for afforestation projects on degraded non-forest land. The crucial …
As always , in the run up to Budget 2002-2003, there was much speculation about what the budget would or would not contain, and what finance minister Yashwant Sinha might or might not say in his speech. February 28 has come and gone, and the speculation is over. Budget pundits …
EVER since BJP's Manohar Parrikar became the chief minister (CM) of defection-prone Goa, he has managed to win over several potential critics - ranging from a section of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and one-time rivals, to former student radical groups. But his plan to get an apolitical environmental campaigner to approve …
It is now inevitable that Tehri will be submerged. The 185-year-old Himalayan town's fate was sealed on December 5, 2001, when the gates of two tunnels were shut to terminate the flow of the Bhagirathi river. This major step towards completion of the controversy-ridden Tehri dam also marked the petering …
