More than a fifth of the world's migrating species are at risk of going extinct as a result of climate change and human encroachment, according to this report by the United Nations. Migratory species globally are facing critical challenges, with nearly half in decline and over 20 per cent threatened …
the us Mars Odyssey spacecraft has discovered massive ice fields on the planet. Scientists already know that water exists on Mars, but these latest images showing that ice may be abundant on the planet bolster theories that life exists or once existed on Mars. "The signal we have been getting …
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 …
a controversy is a raging over the efficacy of Alqueva dam in southern Portugal. While ecologists and villagers say Europe's biggest man-made reservoir would displace many people, the planners contend that it is "an inspired quest to save a forgotten region from perpetual drought and poverty'. Recently, the gates of …
degradation of the natural Missouri river ecosystem is clear and continuing, says a new report from the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. Chairperson of the committee which made the report, Steven Gloss, says that from an ecological perspective, the river is in "a serious state of …
for years the rainforests of Assam have suffered the ignominy of isolation and neglect. Attempts are now underway to conserve this national heritage with active public participation. As a measure of this enterprise, a three-day festival rejoicing the cultural and spiritual links between these rainforests and the local communities was …
A proposed aluminium project in remote Aysen region of southern Chile has run into rough weather with the Chilean salmon farmers intensifying their protest. Environmentalists and farmers claim that the us $ 2.75 billion project, planned by the Canadian base metals group, Noranda Inc., would cause irreparable damage to the …
at first glance, the photographs on display fail to stir one's imagination. The vast mangrove forests along the Orissa coastline are just as picturesque as any other, with little pretension of offering a novel experience. In other words, the work focussing on the natural and supernatural, appears to be nothing …
biocontrol may not be as ecofriendly as agriculturists think, scientists have found out recently. They were studying the behaviour of a parasitic insect imported by farmers to combat invasive weeds and pests
All ecosystems are exposed to gradual changes in climate, nutrient loading, habitat fragmentation or biotic exploitation. Nature is usually assumed to respond to gradual change in a smooth way. However, studies on lakes, coral reefs, oceans, forests and arid lands have shown that smooth change can be interrupted by sudden …
the biggest coral structure in the world might be threatened very soon. The Australian government has left the option of future oil drilling open near the Great Barrier Reef. tgs nopec Geophysical, a Houston-based multinational company, has recently proposed to carry out exploration for oil near the world heritage area …
can detergents and ecosafety go hand in hand? Well, this might happen in Europe if the proposals of the European Commission's industry directorate are accepted. The proposals, aimed to amend the detergents legislation of the European Union (eu), include stringent standards for biodegradability and mandatory labelling of products causing skin …
in the early 1980s, an illegal battery-disposal operation in Hong Kong's Junk Bay was releasing large amounts of polychlorinated biphenyls, lead and zinc into the water. But the crime did not escape everyone's vigil. The barnacles and mussels in the bay concentrated the pollutants in their tissues. The evidence they …
High levels of ‘ecological poverty’ – defined as the lack of a healthy natural resource which is essential for human society’s survival and development – are a key cause of the economic poverty of the world’s rural poor. Conversely, healthy lands and ecosystems, when used sustainably, can provide all the …
over the past 50 years the population of Antarctic emperor penguins has declined by 50 per cent. And, global warming could be to blame. Christophe Barbraud and Henri Weimerskirch, researchers at the French National Centre for Scientific Research in Villers en Bois, France, have shown that an abnormally long warm …
Memories are interactive. As the country debates over the selling of the public sector Bharat Aluminium Company ( balco ) to a private company, memories bring the Gandhamardan hills in western Orissa into national imagination. Fifteen years ago, the Gandhamardan hills, rich in biodiversity and bauxite equally, were the platform …
The magic of the Himalaya is heady. It has led many researchers and travelers to record their impression of this mountain range. Himalaya : Life on the edge of the world, is one such labour of love by David Zurick and PP Karan both professors of geography at the Eastern …
Illegal mining of Coltan is threatening the protected areas of Congo Kinshasa ( drc ) town. Coltan is a hardening agent for metal used by a number of industries. According to the World Conservation Union ( iucn ), the mining activities are damaging the ecosystem of two important world heritage …
A delegation of New Yorkers headed by George Pataki, the city's governor, recently visited the Puerto Rican island of Vieques to witness the harmful effects of the us navy's combat training programme being conducted on the island. The delegation met local residents and community leaders on Vieques, who are striving …
This book was initiated in 1989 and went into incubation for 11 long years. Over all, the book is good but has its share of imperfections. It successfully highlights the important relationship of birds and plants, but has many flaws. These, I hope will be removed in the next edition. …
