This report summarizes the findings of a review aimed at understanding emerging approaches to energy subsidy reform, discerning trends, and identifying major strands of thinking and research in the field, as reflected in major policy and academic journals relevant to the subject. The review was initiated in early 2020 as …
IS THE world's environment really in crisisor is thecrisis simply in the imagination of environmental groupsresearchers andthe media? In The Skeptical EnvironmentalistBj
Two home truths about irrigation departments across India: they are a fountainhead of corruption and run on huge losses. But July 2002 may prove to be a watershed for rural water supply management. Around that time, the Maharashtra government will hand over control of irrigation facilities to the state's farmers
the choice of venue was clever and the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center added to the security paranoia. The result was that it combined to give trade negotiators somewhat of a breather when they met in Doha, Qatar, for the fourth ministerial conference of the World Trade …
However, the Doha declaration does not take a decision on whether countries with insufficient or no manufacturing capacities in the pharmaceutical sector will be allowed to import generic drugs to deal with a health crisis. Instead, it calls upon the trips council to
agriculture remains the biggest source of inequity in the world trading system. Unlike telecom, financial, and legal services, farming practices in the North have stoutly resisted the logic of market forces. Farming in the North thrives on prodigious subsidies and price support systems combined with coddling protection through high tariffs …
Developing countries also fear the huge costs associated with greener technologies, which will be unbearable by their domestic industries. It could make their goods uncompetitive in western markets. This unequivocal opposition to greening of trade is what brings the motley crew of poor countries together. “If there’s one thing that …
giving impetus to non-conventional energy, the parliamentary budget committee of Germany decided to raise subsidies for solar, thermal, biogas and geothermal energy to 400 million marks from 300 million in 2001. Earlier, the Economics minister, Werner Mueller, wanted to cut this budget by 100 million marks. He also wanted to …
according to a recent study by the us based non-governmental organisation Natural Resources Defense Council (nrdc), China has reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 17 per cent in the four-year period from 1996 to 2000, even as its economy grew by 36 per cent. This reduction was the result of …
The Swiss take pride in their lush landscapes, and Bolly wood buffs know why. The breathtaking alpine pastures of this small mountain country have replaced strife-torn Sri nagar and polluted and overpopulated Ooty as a backdrop for frolicking fantasies as our buxom actresses and burly actors join Heidi in yodeling …
In what can be termed a landmark ruling, the European court of justice has decided that Germany's legislation that concerns subsidising renewable energies does not violate trade laws of the European Union (EU). The ruling clearly indicates that free trade is not as important as EU's obligation to cut greenhouse …
hailed as a "bold' step to create the right environment for economic reforms, the Union Budget, presented by Union finance minister Yashwant Sinha on February 28, totally ignores the real environment. Rather, it creates an atmosphere to pollute the environment in more ways than one. At a time when there …
"A new politics that stands for consumer protection, improved food safety and natural environment friendly agriculture by reversing the age old practice is needed,' said German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder while creating a powerful new consumer protection ministry. Renate Kunast, co-chairperson of the Green Party, will head the new ministry. "We …
It was very strange indeed. Nuclear babus at an environment meeting. During the negotiations for the Kyoto Protocol - the legally binding protocol for reducing greenhouse gas emissions - in The Hague recently, one issue, among others, that would constantly hold up progress was nuclear power. And every time the …
In our January 15, 2000 issue, Down To Earth had highlighted the situation in drought-struck areas of Gujarat. The conclusion was that villages with structures to harvest rainwater were faring much better than villages which had forgotten the value of rain (see:
Achampet mandal of Mahabubnagar district, Andhra Pradesh (AP), was in the clutch of drought six years ago. But it is doing well at present. “Satellite images show an improvement of about 300 per cent between February 1994 and March 1998 with regard to the groundwater table,” says Ramesh Reddy, head …
SEVERAL messages emerge from the analysis of crash programmes to harvest rainwater in Gujarat and ap. It is amply clear that the government of Gujarat has been much more successful in addressing the need of the hour than the AP government. POLITICIANS' RESPONSE: The way the political establishment has gone …
It was quite visible in several districts, whether it was Rajkot, Junagadh or Jamnagar in Saurashtra or Bhuj in Kachchh. People in several villages of these drought-prone regions looked a lot more confident in September 2000 about dealing with drought in the future. Barely four months ago, they had looked …
As the international crude oil crisis worsensits tremors are being felt in India. Seventy per cent of India’s oil is imported. The country’s oil import bill which was Rs 530crore in 1999is expected to be more than Rs 800crore this year. Most of this is due to the international oil …
The Indian government subsidises certain petroleum products like diesel This encourages consumers to switch from expensive petrol to cheap diesel Diesel emissions are more harmful than petrol emissions Increase in diesel vehicles means more pollution More pollution will only results in more health problems Subsidy keeps fuel use inefficient. Freight …
steel industry: To produce one tonne of steel, India spends 9.5 million kilocalories. In Italy it is 4.3 million kilocalories and for Japan it is only 4.1 million kilocalories. cement industry: Over 2 million kilocalories are used to produce one tonne of cement in India. In Germany it is 0.82 …
