Making forests 'friendlier'
The UK Forestry Commission is brightening p its forests because it thinks people are scared by dark woods. It's likely to mean the appearance of cleared paths, neatly manicured glens and strategically places water features. Psychologists have told the commissions that folklore, fairytales and films like the Blair Witch Project …
New Zealand ends rainforest logging on public lands
Two hundred environmentalists from across New Zealand spent the Easter weekend celebrating a government decision to add 130,000 hectares of rainforests, previously slated for logging, to national parks and other conservation reserves.
Revenue Dept. to take over land in Dubare forests
The Coorg Deputy Commissioner (DC) has directed the Forest and Revenue Departments to acquire 12 acres of an island in the Dubare forests, Somawarpet taluk, Coorg district, Karnataka, where a religious institution took up construction work, claiming propriety over the property. The land belongs to the Government and the Revenue …
Water crisis triggers migrations
Acute shortage of drinking water is forcing the residents of Kurnool city in Andhra Pradesh to migrate even as district authorities find themselves helpless to provide alternative arrangements.
Forest officials have their way with WB fund
Andhra Pradesh Forest Department officials spent more than the allocated public money on development of greenery on private lands violating the norms of the World Bank aided Forestry Project.
Policy to focus on futuristic vision : Peerzada
The Jammu and Kashmir state is offing a new forest policy which will take care of the forth coming challenges in preserving green gold and maintaining eco-balance. Besides, the policy will also streamline the functioning of various wings of the forest department in the state.
Illegal felling of trees continues
The illegal business of felling trees and digging of boulders from he forest areas continues unabated. Similarly, a mafia gang has felled many green trees to make roads inside the forest.
Homage paid to tree cut for Holi
Every year to mark the occasion of Holi thousands of green plants are ruthlessly sacrificed. To regret the cruelty meted out to them and offer condolences, the Jan Chetna Manch, Vile Parle (W) planted as may as 15 trees in a ceremony organised to pay homage to the sacrificed trees.
Delhi gets a helpline for trees
In an effort to save roadside trees threatened by concrete tiling of pavements and repeated digging, the Delhi Government has set up two committees to look into conservation of roadside trees. The Department of Forests and Wildlife has made available to the city residents a "Tree Helpline" functional on all …
Lion's share to water supply in BMC budget
Admist heavy protest by Opposition BJP corporators, mayor Vibha Patel tabled BMC annual budget for year 2002-03 in Bhopal on Saturday giving water problem and development the top most priorities.
Chief secretary enmeshed in tree felling row
Chief secretary V. Ranganathan is embroiled in a controversy on the allotment of a plot of land to a housing society of which he is a member. A complaint has been made before the Lok Ayukta against the chief secretary and municipal commissioner K.C. Srivastava by IPS officer Y.P. Singh. …
Forest Act affects diamond production : Government
The Madhya Pradesh state government has claimed that due to Forest Conservation Act 190, there was a decline in diamond production. In response to the zero hour notice given by Rasaal Singh, the government said that it cannot be held responsible for the decline and pointed out that due to …
State moots Forest Act amendment
Forest Minister Ayyanna Patrudu said the government was contemplating to amend the Andhra Pradesh Forest Act of 1967, by making more stringent provisions for protecting forest wealth. Last year, the department had booked 13,400 cases.
15 Million trees planted for carbon sequestration
Environmental Synergy, Inc. (ESI), an Atlanta based environmental services company, has this month planted its 15 millionth tree in the Lower Mississippi River Valley under a mission to restore bottomland hardwood habitat and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Gulmohars expose MCS's lax methods of marking trees
The recent controversy over choosing wrong trees for felling in Gulmohar Park shows that there's something wrong with the process of identifying diseased trees. According to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi horticulture department director D P Singh a local body first sends a list of trees it feels are diseased …
Gulmohar tress open up Pandora's box
V C Tandon is getting calls from other Delhities who share his concern for environment. The callers are highly appreciative of the cause for which he raised his frail voice. The cause being to save trees from the apathy of officialdom. Recently the MCD had identified some Gulmohar trees in …
Think before you drink
In response to the crisis of water and subsequent threat of water privatisation, the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology along with two NGOs, Navdanya and Diverse Women For Diversity, organised a Paani Panchayat - a national water parliament. Leading environmental activists, Dr. Vandana Shiva, Anna Hazare and Rajinder …
Domestic stem-cell creation approved
A Kyoto University plan to create embryonic stem cells from fertilized eggs left unused from fertility treatment was approved by a Japan government panel. The approval, the first in Japan related to research on human embryonic stem cells, allows researchers here to enter the global regenerative medicine race using domestically …
India's forest preservation skills lauded
India has made remarkable progress in finding new ways to preserve forests, according to an international forest body. As a part of preservation policy, ' India is projected to require a tripling of forest product importers in the next few decades.'
IMF policies encourage timber exploitation
The International Monetary Fund's(IMF) policies are said to be responsible for excessive deforestation in heavily indebted countries that are pressured into reducing environmental protection budgets or increasing exports at the expense of the environment.
