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 long-awaited us energy policy is finally out and its contents have come as no surprise. For people in the oil and gas industry, it is a dream come true. But for environmentalists, it is a disaster waiting to happen. The reliance on fossil fuels rather than renewable energy is …
dolphins can recognise their own reflections, say researchers in the us . This shows a level of self-awareness never seen before in the animals and credited only to humans and apes. "This is a very rare ability, which up until now has been seen only in humans and great apes,' …
the first two weeks of May 2001, served as a reality check for the more idealist un reformists who envision a truly autonomous un body. In a couple of unexpected moves, that some might say were a result of the us' bullying and inconsiderate actions, two un governing bodies voted …
A national plan for the elimination of polyclorinated biphenyls (pcbs) was recently adopted by the Argentine government. This has been done to phase out the harmful chemicals by 2025. "Once we conduct an inventory of the existing pcbs we will introduce a bill banning their use,' said Oscar Massei, secretary …
plants seem to have learnt it to. How do you overcome a strong enemy? Find an even stronger one of his and befriend it. And that is exactly what wild tobacco plants do when attacked by insects, according to a new study. Plants are constantly struggling to ward off a …
the structure of the brain is ultimately governed by natural selection. Samuel Wang, neuroscientist at Princeton University, usa, has worked out what percentage of the total brain volume is taken up by different brain regions in different species and how species evolution in the primates is related with change in …
the first genetically altered human babies have been born and are healthy, claim researchers in the us . These babies have dna (deoxyribonucleic acid) of three parents, instead of two. The children were born to infertile mothers who were treated using a technique called ooplasmic transfer. This technique involves taking …
By dislodging every attempt for progressive green legislation from very early on in his presidency, George Bush is proclaiming his disregard for the environment and open support for expanding energy supplies. He is making no attempt to balance the two. He is also proving to be a poor role model …
You were a professor of computer sciences at the University of Arizona, usa , how did you move to the field of genomics and bioinformatics? In 1994, I read about Craig Venter ( acknowledged as the guru of the shotgun sequencing approach ) and his team at The Institute of …
Several countries reap benefits from sustainable culling of crocodiles. Not India. The Indian government has banned export of crocodile skins. James Perran Ross, executive officer of the Crocodile Specialist Group in Florida Museum of Natural History, USA, says, "Our representatives [in India] have been endeavouring to open possibilities for well …
children, in the us, exposed to lead at levels now deemed safe in the us scored substantially lower on intelligence tests, according to researchers who suggest that one in every 30 children in the us suffers harmful effects from the metal. Children with lead concentration of less than 10 microgrammes …
environmental justice is the main theme of a website recently launched by Environmental Defence, a us conservation society. The website www.scorecard.org provides information on how and to what extent low income and discriminated communities bear more than their fair share of the pollution burden. The website lists environmental inequities in …
Children whose parents smoke are more likely to develop cavities, says a recent study. Doctors at the University of Rochester's Strong Children's Research Center, in the US, studied nearly 4,000 children with cavities and discovered a relationship between second-hand smoke and cavities. The children underwent dental exams and blood testing …
scientists at the us -based Scripps Research Institute have developed a screening method, similar to a home pregnancy test, that can detect mercury contamination in fish. Inventors of the device say that the method is fast and inexpensive. Mercury contamination in fish is a serious health concern, especially for children …
the researchers in us have uncovered evidence of a new route by which dangerous antibiotic-resistance genes can spread. The bacteria in the soil and groundwater beneath farms seem to be acquiring tetracycline-resistant genes from bacteria originating in pig guts. Once transferred, the resistance genes can persist in the hardier soil …
The National Wilderness Institute, a Washington DC-based conservation organisation, has urged the US federal court to grant an injunction to prevent the US Army Corps of Engineers from dumping effluents into the Potomac river, which runs through the city. The Washington Aqueduct, a federally owned and operated public water supply …
greenhouse gas emissions have caused the world's oceans to heat up significantly over the last 50 years, according to two latest studies. The Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans have collectively warmed an average of 0.06
The world's largest windfarm, made up of 450 giant turbines, is to be be built on the Washington-Oregon border in the US. The state of the art technology used will produce 300 mw of power, which will be pooled with the power produced from hydroelectric dams and sold to 11 …
