The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
IN-A bid to crack the elusive ways of the giant squid, the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) under the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, us, is mounting a giant expedition in the south Pacific near New Zealand, to study the creature in its natural habitat. Marine biologists from New Zealand …
THE increase of debilitating disorders, like asthma, may have sent shock waves amongst the human population worldwide, but has resulted in a windfall for the pharmaceutical industries the world over. The year past - 1995 - saw drug sales soaring to record levels: markets in the top nine countries including …
A Hong Kong- based company finally got out of an unsavoury situation when the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) gave it permission to dump 43 million cartons of soured soy milk and fruit juices. The company, Vitasoy International Holdings Ltd, could not despatch these from its warehouses in early January after …
THE blasting Of Chandardinga hills source of granite rocks - situated on the banks of Brahmaputra in Dhubri district of Assam has blown up into a big issue (Down To Earth, Vol 4, No 18). The matter has now been dragged to the Guwahati High Court by the Appropriate Technology …
With a power crisis looming over the island nation, Sri Lankans may have to contend with a hot and power-less summer this year. Such is the crisis that power cuts may he in place for 10- 12 hours each day which could affect ki various sectors. Engineers at the Ceylon …
A meningitis epidemic has broken out in the country claiming more than 2,655 lives, most of them children, says a recent World Health Organization (WHO) report. At least 20 million Nigerians are reported to be at risk. The disease, identified as spinal meningitis, is highly contagious and is spread by …
The island of San Miguel De Cozumel, which lies off the Yucatan peninsula, is up in arms against a proposed 550 m pier for cruise liners near its famous Paradise reef. The reef is home to thousands of colourful sea creatures and a diving treat for committed scuba divers. The …
DO ECO-MARKS and green logos endorsed on products really help the consumer to make an environment-friendly choice? May be not. A recent survey by the National Consumer Council in UK has found that green claims on products had the consumers baffled. Sample a few: Dishwasher liquid: "Easy on the environment"- …
Designers at the Building Research Establishment of Hertfordshire in the UK have carried the notion of environment consciousness right down to the foundations of buildings. Crushed concrete is being used in the construction of the Energy Efficient Office of the Future in Hertfordshire. The remains of the demolition of a …
THE Centre for Ecological Research (CER) was set up at Kyoto University in April, 1991, to "promote fundamental research in various ecological topics, and provide facilities for the collaborative utilisation by ecologists throughout Japan and the rest of the world." In December 1991, the Indian Academy of Sciences -brought out …
RIGHT now in the US, all eyes are glued on the presidential contenders for the forthcoming elections. Too bad, because (Bill Clinton being a jellyfish) it makes little difference who sits in the White House than which party dominates the Congress. One of the vital hinges in that difference is …
THE mantra which turned a two-man shoestring-budget operation called Microsoft Corporation into a l7,000- employee-strong global giant, whose sales touch US $6 billion a year, is all there for you to lap kip in The Road Ahead written by the guru himself - Bill Gates. The book is about Gates, …
NATURE which inspires keen sentiments in many a poet and environmental activist, is now the subject of an annual report of the World Bank (WB) group. Reading the tedious report, one gets the impression that institutions concerned with the environment are now all- pervasive. Indeed, the report is an outcry …
Kenya and Sri Lanka are an ocean apart. But they are also wide apart from each other in their strategies for wildlife conservation. While the former is moving towards involving the community, the latter remains stuck in anti-people conservationist strategies. In order to protect the world's biodiversity, the Sri Lankan …
The Singrauli region, which produces 10% of India's electric power, has experienced rapid industrialization and urbanization over the last 30 years. Along with this growth has come environmental degradation in terms of coal cycle and industrial pollution, displacement of populations, housing and occupational hazards, related health effects, and land degradation. …
THE disused Brent Spar oil storage platform, whose possible disposal at sea caused a major storm last summer, has yet to find a resting place. Shell, its owner, has now come up with a plan which includes several options to dismantle the rig at sea before being completely broken up …
The growth of industrial. agricultural and other human activities has pumped a lot of chemicals into the environment leading to pollution problems. With the increase in public awareness. agencies are carrying out quantitative measurements on pollutants. As pollutants are never present in their pure form. but form a complex matrix …
THE post -World War II period witnessed the rapid development of many parts of the world. Burgeoning town apd cityscapes ~parkled witl.I millions of lights. And consequently, the night sky over a typical suburb in the us shines five-10 times brighter than the natural night sky, and that above a …
INFLICTING eco-taxes may not be the right way to curb pollution, the European Commission has declared. In its policy paper on trade and environment released in the last week of February, it says that "Economic performance and environmental performance are not incompatible". More in favour of ecodeals, it believes that …
The government's decision to change the way of distributing urea aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in rice production, has boomeranged. There is wide-spread food shortage and some rural areas are facing the threat of malnutrition. Indonesia's rice farms. ravaged by wrong -policies It all began with the government deciding to promote …
