Think India Foundation

New techniques to help trees grow

MUMBAI: World Environment Day 2013 is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of a 'green' economy in improving human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. It is also an opportunity to think about how we are progressing as a nation towards a clean and renewable energy future. 

In one such sustainable solutions initiative, Siemens India, through a paper innovation is celebrating the World Environment Day 2013 in a unique way. This is an idea which allows actual seeds to be embedded in a piece of paper. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Conserving urban ecosystems for sustainable development

AHMEDABAD: While Gangtok, a picturesque town in Sikkim, is fighting with urbanization to conserve fragile Himalayan ecosystem, Kozhikode in Kerala wants to preserve the wetlands in heart of the city that is under threat from constant urbanization.

It were some of the cases that got represented at a meet at Center for Environment Education (CEE) on Monday as a part of the Supporting Urban Sustainability (SUS) program being conducted by Swedish International Centre of Education for Sustainable Development (SWEDESD), CEE and International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) South Asia. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Ban mining and thermal plants in 37% of western ghats: govt panel

New Delhi : A high level environment ministry committee has asked the government to declare 37 % of 160,000 sq kms of Western Ghats area as ecological sensitive area where no mining or thermal plants should be allowed. 

Other industrial activities should be allowed, the panel said, with restrictions in the 1,600 km long Western Ghats across Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Industrial waste polluting Sundarbans ecosystem: Report

KOLKATA: Industries located along the Gangetic delta in Haldia, Kolkata and its outskirts are polluting the fragile ecosystem of Sundarbans, home to 40 lakh people and the Royal Bengal Tiger, a latest study says.

Industries located along the Gangetic delta in Haldia, Kolkata and its outskirts are polluting the fragile ecosystem of Sundarbans.

The research, conducted by a group of scientists from Calcutta University and Techno India University, says there has been a steady increase in the percentage of toxic heavy metals leading to the gradual deterioration of water there. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Sustain ecology while developing Sunderbans, says expert

KOLKATA : Development projects in the Sunderbans should be ecologically sustainable, R. K. Pachauri, Chairman, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said here on Sunday.

Asked about the sustainability of the single-largest tidal mangrove forest, Pachauri said, “As a society, we have to be responsible for that very fragile ecology. We have to be very careful about the economic activity that we introduce over there.” Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

Environment protection a challenge in Uttarakhand: Qureshi

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand governor Aziz Qureshi said today the conservation of the environment has become a challenge in the state which needs to be taken seriously. 

"Conserving the fragile ecology of this hill state is a tough challenge that needs to be tackled on a priority basis," Qureshi said while honouring Sampoornand Bharti with the 'Green Award' at a function organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries here. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com 

Energy alternatives

CEEP doctoral student studies Thane, India, as potential 'solar city'

UD doctoral student Sanjay Gopal studies Thane, India, as a possible "solar city."

According to census reports, the population in Thane, India, has more than doubled in 20 years — from just over 800,000 in 1991 to more than 1.8 million in 2011.

The University of Delaware’s Sanjay Gopal believes this exploding urbanization — in India, as well as in China and Indonesia — is creating new opportunities to consider renewable technologies in these burgeoning cities, which otherwise would consume a disproportionate amount of energy and contribute excessively to ecological degradation. Read more

Source : www.udel.edu

E-waste, a growing concern for India!

Even as India is trying to devise environmental friendly ways to dispose garbage, the specter of Electronical-waste (E-waste) destroying the balance of the nation’s ecological health has already started looming over. More worrying is the absence of a regulatory framework to dispose or recycle e-waste further compounded by a lack of general awareness. 

According to a report named “E-waste in India” by Rajya Sabha Secretariat, E-waste from old computers would jump by 400 per cent on 2007 levels in China and by 500 per cent in India by 2020. In addition, E-waste from discarded mobile phones would be about seven times higher than 2007 levels and, in India, 18 times higher by 2020. Such predictions highlight the urgent need to address the problem of E-waste in developing countries like India where the collection and management of E-waste and the recycling process is yet to be properly regulated. The Rajya Sabha Secretariat has culled this data from a report called “E-waste a growing problem for China and India” by Computing, a UK based business technology publication. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Puthuvype’s mangroves losing ground to rampant urbanisation

KOCHI : Island among the fast depleting wetlands in Kerala

Dangerous co-existence: Storage tanks set up at the LNG terminal on Puthuvype Island. File Photo

If massive reclamation of land for infrastructure projects continues in Puthuvype, then the island will soon be bereft of its ecological green shield — mangroves. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

16th Birding Fair to draw attention on urban lakes' conservation

JAIPUR: The Man Sagar is teeming with birds these days and it's time again for the annual bird fair in Pink City. Compared to previous years, the lake has significantly improved. The stench is now a thing of the past, but there is still a lot that needs to be done to restore the eco-system of the lake. Though the lake is restored for its visual and aesthetic attributes, the aquatic ecology is dismal and has led to over 25% decline in the population of migratory as well as local birds at this time of the year.

Meanwhile, the two-day 16th Birding Fair devoted to Urban Lakes' Conservation in Rajasthan will be start on February 1 2, 2013 at the Man Sagar dam led by Rani Vidya Devi of Jaipur's erstwhile royal family. About 2,500 migratory birds can be seen against 10,000 birds reported a few years back. Diving shovellers, pintails, coots, resident ducks like spot-bill duck and common moorhen, and four species of egrets too can be seen though barely 400 in number. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Indian cities must act now on city climate resilience plans

Cities across the world, due to their rapid population growth and large-scale developmental and economic investments, are at high risk from the impacts of climate change. According to the United Nations World Urbanisation Prospects 2011 report, the population living in urban areas is projected to increase from 3.6 billion currently to 6.3 billion by 2050. Cities need to start thinking about addressing these impacts which will become more evident in the coming times given their high vulnerability.

Cities across the world are at high risk from the impacts of climate change.

Indian cities are facing multiple challenges: rapid urbanisation, inadequate urban services and infrastructure, migration, ecological degradation etc. which makes them all the more vulnerable in an uncertain and changing climate regime. In India, 53 cities have populations of more than one million people. By the 2060s, it is expected that there will be approximately 500 million additional people in an estimated 7,000- 12,000 urban settlements in India. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Govt will protect Western Ghats: Minister

BICHOLIM: Inaugurating the new office of the round forester in Bicholim on Monday, environment minister Alina Saldanha said the government is keen about protecting the Western Ghats in Goa, which is why it has given its nod for their inclusion in Unesco's World Heritage Site. 

The core area of the Western Ghats in Goa includes the Mhadei, Netravali, Mahavir and Cotigao wildlife sanctuaries and the Mollem national park. The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel, headed by Madhav Gadgil, has already identified 20.5% of Goa's geographical area as ecologically sensitive on account of the rich biological wealth there. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Mynahs fast disappearing from Bengaluru

Bangalore: If you needed more confirmation that the city is getting urbanised at the cost of its ecology, you only need to consider this latest discovery of bird lovers : Mynahs that were commonly found in Bengaluru have begun disappearing from the heart of the city over the last few months.

The flight of the mynahs has come as yet another blow to nature lovers lamenting the dwindling population of sparrows in many central parts of Bengaluru. Read more

Source : www.deccanchronicle.com

Union green ministry to help protect Pulicat, Pallikaranai

CHENNAI: Efforts would be taken to identify Asia's second largest brackish water lagoon, the Pulicat Lake, as a Ramsar site, said minister for environment and forests Jayanthi Natarajan. This will open up funds from the World Wide Fund for Nature-India. India became a signatory to the Ramsar convention held at San Jose (Costa Rica) in 1999. It is an intergovernmental treaty by which member countries are encouraged to maintain ecological character of their wetlands. 

Pulicat lake was identified as one of the sites that could be designated as a Ramsar site in 2000. However, it did not receive benefits or protection. The lake, with its rich marine diversity, is the main source of livelihood for fishermen in the area. The water body is said to have 17 endemic species including red crab, prawns and crabs. Located in Thiruvalluvar district, the lake is affected by dumping of garbage, open defecation and release of effluents in the last few years. Quality of water deteriorated and marine life reduced because of pollution. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Matheran casino plan may hit ecological roadblock

MUMBAI: Maharashtra government's plan to revive Matheran as a leisure hub could run into a hurdle. According to environmentalists, uncontrolled development in and around Matheran could well turn it into another Lonvala. Locals say the development must be systematic. 

The Union ministry for environment and forests (MoEF) has stressed the need for having a tourism master plan to assess the hill station's capacity. Currently, the area has a population of 4,000 and 12,000 tourists visit the hill station every day during the peak season. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Kanha, Pench tourist inflow halved

NAGPUR: At a time when parks in the world are integrating conservation with economic development of locals and nurturing environment, premium tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh seem to be heading the other way.

The main focus of ecotourism policy framed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is to benefit locals but curtailed tourism in reserves like Kanha and Pench in MP after the Supreme Court judgment has badly hit stakeholders. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Plan untenable, impractical, say urban planners

THANE: Why have a buffer zone at all around protected parks located around dense urban metros or growing suburbs? That's the question being raised by urban planners and residential groups in response to the move by the Centrally Empowered Committee (CEC) to restrict the eco-sensitive zone cover to anywhere between 100 m to 2 km. Arguing that such a huge green ring is "untenable and impractical", especially around the Sanjay Gandhi National Park(SGNP) or the Phansad wildlife sanctuary near Alibaug, these groups favour a zero buffer zone outside forest boundaries.

"It is anti-social to deny development along the periphery of forest boundaries. The protective ring should in fact be drawn inside the forest boundaries as it will then reduce human interference in the forest area. Outside the boundary wall, the forest department should not have any role to play and tamper with the city's development plan," said Prakash Paddikal, president of the Hillside Residents' Welfare Association (HIRWA), who had taken up the case against the state's decision to declare major chunks of residential properties in Mulund (west) as private forest and therefore a zero development zone. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Unplanned urbanisation on hills hurting ecology

GUWAHATI – The rapid urbanisation of Guwahati and the consequent boom in population and construction activities since the last couple of decades has pushed the city's fragile eco-system comprising its forested hills to the brink.

Guwahati has 18 hills right within its municipal area. Apart from adding to the natural beauty of the city landscape, these hills are also crucial for the maintenance of a sound environment. Read more

Source : www.assamtribune.com

India’s poor most vulnerable to rapid biodiversity loss

HYDERABAD – India’s poorest fishing, forest and farming communities will be worst hit by rapid losses of nature as well as efforts to conserve it. They are at risk of losing their lands to erosion and mining or being displaced by government policies to protect forests and coasts. This trend will play out across the globe.

Tribal villagers from the Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh state in central India are fighting against the expansion of coal mines near their forests. They voiced their concerns at the U.N. Conference on Biodiversity, which concluded on October 20 in the southern city of Hyderabad. Read more

Source : www.smartplanet.com

25 primate species reported on brink of extinction

NEW DELHI: Twenty-five species of monkeys, langurs, lemurs and gorillas are on the brink of extinction and need global action to protect them from increasing deforestation and illegal trafficking, researchers said Monday.

(In this undated file photo…)

Six of the severely threatened species live in the island nation of Madagascar, off southeast Africa. Five more from mainland Africa, five from South America and nine species in Asia are among those listed as most threatened. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Hyderabad to be first Indian city with a biodiversity index

Hyderabad (IANS) : The city of the Charminar became the first in India to have a City Biodiversity Index. The index is meant to be used as a self-assessment and monitoring tool in matters relating to biodiversity in urban areas.

The historic city has scored 36 of a possible 92 points in the City Biodiversity Index (CBI), also known as the Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity. Read more

Source : www.newstrackindia.com

India, France to cooperate in the field of sustainable urban development

New Delhi : India and France have entered into an agreement to share knowledge and cooperate in the field of sustainable urban development. Urban development minister Kamal Nath and Nicole Bricq, minister for foreign trade of France signed an administrative agreement in the field of sustainable urban development in Paris, an official statement released in New Delhi on Monday said. 

The implementation of this agreement will take place under the aegis of the Indo-French Joint Working Group on urban development comprising representatives from urban development ministry and the ministry of regional equality and housing and the ministry of ecology, sustainable development and energy of the French government. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

West Bengal Forest Minister Points to State's 'Mammoth' Problem

Kolkata (IANS): West Bengal Forest Minister Hiten Barman Friday expressed concern over the growing population of some wild animals, including elephants, and said it could potentially harm the ecological balance.

"There has been steady growth in the population of several wild animals including elephants, rhinoceroses and buffaloes, in comparison to the forest cover in the state," Barman told mediapersons. Read more

Source : www.daijiworld.com

Heat is on for thermal power too

The threat of environmental damage by coal-fired plants has triggered protests similar to those against the Kudankulam project

MOKE SIGNALS: NTPC’s Simhadri Super Thermal Power Plant at Parawada in Visakhapatnam district. Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

While villagers in a part of coastal Tamil Nadu are protesting against a nuclear power plant, in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh a more conventional method of energy production has been the trigger for widespread protests. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

WB Govt joins project to protect lake

KOLKATA: Santragachi jheel, which was cleaned up last year by locals and NGOs after TOI reported of its pitiable condition, has finally drawn the attention of the state environment department. The latter has now joined hands with Nature Mates Nature Club, an NGO, and the Institute of Wetland Management and Ecological Design to start off a project to conserve and protect the lake.

"We are planning to start off with the project as soon as possible, preferably before the onset of winter. According to initial estimates, around Rs 30 lakh will be required for the project. The detail project report has been prepared and work can start off as soon as we can get the funds," said a senior environment department official. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Powai residents research on lakes and water bodies

MUMBAI: The very survival of humanity is largely dependent on the existence of lakes and similar water bodies. Lakes perform the function of water warehousing purification and distribution without which humanity would perish.

But not well-known to all are the hidden contributions to survival that lakes account for. Lakes provide 'green lungs' to urban development, they support aquatic life like fish which are rich sources of food, they support a wide range of fauna and flora essential for a proper ecological balance and healthy environmental conditions. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

'Environment degradation enhancing poverty in northeast'

SHILLONG: Environmental degradation is a major factor in perpetuating poverty, particularly among the rural poor in the bio-rich northeastern region of the country, experts have pointed out.

Experts on matters relating to the environment and ecology point out that environmental degradation has adverse effects on soil fertility, quality and quality of water, forests, wildlife and fisheries and makes air all the more impure. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Steelmakers in Bengal flouting environmental norms: CSE

Kolkata : Steel plants in West Bengal are blatantly "flouting environmental norms" by polluting land, water and air, according to a green rating survey. New Delhi-based research body Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) studied 21 large steelmakers, 16 of which are from the eastern part of the country, to find out how green and clean the sector is.

"West Bengal accounts for three of these, and all three have fared miserably in the rating," said Chandra Bhushan, CSE's deputy director general and the head of the project. The report was released here on Friday by state Environment Minister Sudarshan Ghosh Dastidar. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

The ugly side of Musi beautification project

HYDERABAD: A revamped Musi envisaged by the Save Musi Campaign could have enthralled delegates visiting Hyderabad in October for the COP 11 but that is not to be, thanks to land acquisition problems and slow paced technical works.

The 'Save Musi Campaign' was taken up in 2005 on the river from Tipu Khan Bridge to Nagole Bridge. The campaign was divided into three precincts - the 7.28 km ecological precinct from Tippu Khan Bridge to Puranapul, the 3.98 km heritage precinct from Puranapul to Chaderghat and the metropolitan precinct from Chaderghat to Nagole Bridge measuring 8.64 km. The heritage precinct, meant for development as a tourist attraction, is being handled by the GHMC under a JNNURM scheme and is called the Musi Revitalization project. The other two precincts are being handled by the HMDA. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Bengal power plant fails to get MoEF panel’s approval

New Delhi : The Union Environment Ministry’s expert appraisal committee has objected to West Bengal’s Super Critical Imported Coal Based Thermal Power Plant at Nayachar Island, saying that it stands on ecologically fragile ground.

For the Mamata Banerjee government, the objection to this project near Haldia in East Medinipur district brings bigger worries because West Bengal has announced plans to set up an industrial park and an eco-tourism hub in the same region. Read more

Source : www.indianexpress.com

Jora for bringing new destinations on tourist map

20 SPOTS IDENTIFIED: WANI

Kokernag : Emphasizing upon striking a balance between preservation of environment and development of tourism infrastructure, Minister of Tourism, Nawang Rigzin Jora, Saturday said that new tourist destinations need to be bought on the tourist map.

The minister was speaking during a seminar “Tourism Promotion with Preservation” organized by Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Alliance (JKTA) in collaboration with District Administration Anantnag and Kokernag Development Authority (KDA) here. Read more

Source : www.greaterkashmir.com

Krishna land now an Urban Disaster

Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) (IANS): Lord Krishna, arguably Hinduism's most popular divinity, was said to be a nature lover who is forever associated with the Yamuna, worshipped Goverdhan hill and saved forests. But his birthplace (Janamasthami was celebrated last week) has turned into an urban disaster today.

The boom in the construction industry has badly impacted the ecology of what is still known as Krishna's 'Leela Bhoomi', the Uttar Pradesh towns of Mathura and Vrinadavan and their surrounding areas, about 135 km from the national capital. Read more

Source : www.daijiworld.com

Three ecotourism destinations in Maharashtra pass into safe hands

PUNE: Tadoba Andhari and Pench tiger reserves, Nagzira wildlife sanctuary in Bhandara district and Bor wildlife sanctuary in Wardha district will be ecotourism destinations managed by the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra.

The tourism will be ecologically sustainable and benefit the local communities while providing a wildlife experience to target groups of high-end tourists, families and students. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Karnataka: Govt policies destroying Western Ghats, says ecologist Gadgil

Bangalore: Comparing Western Ghats to the character of Draupadi in Mahabharata, Ecologist Madhav Gadgil on Wednesday said the ‘inappropriate’ government policies are stripping the Western Ghats of all their resources. He was speaking at Bio Diversity Asia 2012, a gathering of ecologists from around the world. “The Dushyasana here is bad governance. There is no Krishna to save the Western Ghats. It is just wasteful consumption in order to show off,” Gadgil said.

Madhav Gadgil said the 'inappropriate' government policies are stripping the Western Ghats of all their resources.

Lashing out at the ‘skewed’ government policies which permitted setting up of a windmill at Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary area in Maharastra, Gadgil pointed out that the initial report of the Range Forest Officer, which recommended the area to be declared an ecologically sensitive zone was overruled by his superior. Gadgil accused the forest officer of submitting a false report to permit the windmill project. “The CF (Territorial) completely falsified his report by stating there was no wildlife and only bushy growth in the area,” he said while showing pictures to prove his point. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

River-linking project 'quite a nightmare'

India's river-linking project would be an economic, social and ecological disaster, said Jairam Ramesh, Indian minister for rural development, drinking water and sanitation.

Large-scale inter-linking of rivers, which is “the vision of some romantic engineers, is ecologically and even from economic point of view quite a nightmare,” Ramesh said in an exclusive interview with The Daily Star. Read more

Source : www.thedailystar.net

K'taka to initiate debate on heritage tag for Western Ghats

Bangalore: Karnataka government would initiate a debate on UNESCO heritage tag to ecologically fragile Western Ghats and educate the people about its repercussions on development activities, Forest Minister C P Yogeshwar told the Legislative Council today. 

Replying to the issue raised by M C Nanaiah (JDS), the minister said government had shot off two letters to the UPA Government opposing the tag as it would disrupt lives of people including tribals living in Western Ghats. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Vohra for special sanitation drive along Amarnath route

Srinagar : Amidst concern over polythene bags left by pilgrims along the Amarnath yatra track, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra has directed that a special sanitation drive be launched to safeguard the ecology of the valley.

"A special sanitation drive should be launched by Pahalgam and Sonamarg development authorities to ensure cleanliness along the tracks and around the camps," Vohra said addressing a high-level meeting here last evening. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Forest meet in Jaisalmer in July end

JAISALMER: The forest meeting of the committee constituted under the chairmanship of district collector Shuchi Tyagi to decide on the eco-sensitive zone around the Desert National Park will be held in the last week of this month.

According to Tyagi, the first meeting of this committee will be held on the last day of July, in which limits of eco-sensitive zone of the park will be decided and problems, if any, will also be resolved. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Coastal body withheld green nod to Sea Rock plan

MUMBAI: Plans to build a luxury hotel where the landmark Sea Rock Hotel once stood at Bandra Bandstand have been stalled. State government sources said the 5.5 FSI project has received neither the environmental clearance nor approval under the Coastal Regulation Zone(CRZ) notification. The Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) raised queries about the project and refused to endorse it. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) too has not granted the 5.5 FSI project the mandatory commencement certificate, TOI has learnt.

There is also the contentious issue of how much Floor Space Index (FSI) the new tower is entitled to. FSI defines how much built-up area there can be on a plot. The state government had earlier sanctioned an FSI of 2.5, so for every square metre of plot there could be 2.5 square metres of built-up area. However, in 2009, then chief minister Ashok Chavan permitted additional FSI of 3, thereby allowing the project to get a humongous FSI of 5.5. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Solar escape from power rangers

The reason you do not see more solar power rooftops is because of lack of knowledge and a perception that it is unaffordable and expensive to set up

 

Shyamal Banerjee/Mint

The target for power generation set in the 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-2012) has been revised downward (78,700MW to 62,374MW) and even that will be missed by a long shot when the term ends. That would be in keeping with tradition since only 50% of the target for power has been met in the 8th, 9th and 10th Five-Year Plans as well. The reason cited is shortage of coal as more than half of India’s power is thermally generated. Coal extraction is a monopoly of the public sector giant Coal India Ltd, whose output has been stagnant for several years now. They have issues of coal mafia, corruption and usual public sector inefficiencies. But their defence is that they are not allowed to mine in many areas because the environment ministry terms it ecologically untenable to dig there. The next important source of power is hydroelectricity. If the rains are delayed, as they are this year, the water in the dams fall and generation of hydro power is affected. As I write this, the water in the Bhakra Nangal and seven reservoirs in north India has reached a critical level. 

This is about generation of power. Read more

Source : www.livemint.com

Implement ecology report on Western Ghats swiftly: Gadgil

MUMBAI: Madhav Gadgil, lead author of the ecology expert panel report on the Western Ghats, wants its recommendations to be discussed at public forums. 

"The recommendations are not the final voice. They are the starting point for public discussion in deciding how natural resources must be utilized," Gadgil said. "The 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution mandate that locals must be involved in decision-making but the government has been reluctant to do this," he added. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Future tense: Kolkata fails sustainability test by miles

KOLKATA: The three-centuries-old City of Joy may find it tough to survive another century if civic authorities do not act decisively to make Kolkata sustainable.

A report card on Kolkata's sustainability prepared by Joyashree Roy, a member of the Nobel prize-winning IPCC team and professor of economics at Jadavpur University, indicates that a majority of current practices are unsustainable. Not only is the city woefully inefficient in the use of natural resources like water, land and open spaces, the transportation system as it exists currently in unsustainable. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Right practices can transform agriculture: M S Swaminathan

KOCHI: Investing in agro-ecological agricultural practices, backed by the right technology, balanced against traditional wisdom would help ensure food security, said eminent agricultural scientist M S Swaminathan here on Monday.

Delivering the 11th Joseph Cardinal Parecattil Commemorative Lecture 2012, on the theme, 'Rio+20 - Green Economy With Inclusive Growth', Swaminathan said modern practices like precision farming and climate-resilient farming or 'smart farming', would help convert the concept of 'evergreen agriculture revolution' into a reality. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Don’t burn garbage: Court

The Madras high court on Friday directed the state government, Chennai corporation and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to immediately stop burning garbage at Pallikaranai yard.

The bird population at Pallikaranai marshland has dropped due to pollution. — DC

The first bench comprising chief justice M. Y. Eqbal and justice T. S. Sivagnanam also directed the advocate general to immediately take instructions from TNPCB and the Mayor of Chennai corporation and filed the counter affidavit on June 27. Read more

Source : www.deccanchronicle.com

Activists slam Maharashtra govt for nod to new hill station in Pune

MUMBAI: The proposal to develop a hill station in Mulshi taluka of Pune district has drawn the ire of environmentalists, all the more because a recent independent committee on the Western Ghats marked this area as "ecologically sensitive zone 1" or an area of "highest" ecological sensitivity.

Madhav Gadgil, who headed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), told TOI that Mulshi would fall under the forest areas of Paud and Wadgaon. The panel's report recommends that there should be "no special economic zones and no new hill stations" in ESZ 1. The Union ministry of environment and forests is yet to take a final decision on the report. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Plan panel, green ministry spar over W Ghats report

NEW DELHI: The environment ministry has been irked by the Planning Commission's attempt to start a parallel process on the review of the Western Ghats report, based on demands of state governments at a time when the ministry has just called for wider public consultations on the controversial report. 

The member secretary of the Plan panel Sindhushree Khullar has written to the environment ministry demanding a roadmap on how the ministry intends to reconcile the strict recommendations of the report with the demands of the state governments for more industrialization and development in the biodiversity hotspot. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Going green makes business sense

The telecom industry has a huge potential to contribute to the reduction in greenhouse gases. Although the telecom tower market is highly fragmented, the major six firms have around 90% of the total market

After the Copenhagen climate summit in 2009, India agreed to cut carbon emissions intensity by 20–25% below the 2005 level by 2020. In India, around 20 million tonnes annually (mta) of CO2 emissions are from the telecom industry. In line with the challenges of global warming, India has begun to take small but decisive steps to address the problem as greenhouse gases are increasing the carbon footprint. Read more

Source : www.livemint.com

Shillong seminar stresses eco-friendly tourism in northeast

SHILLONG: Academicians and intellectuals from across the region came together at a seminar on the occasion of World Environment Day on Tuesday and stressed that tourism in northeast India, one of the top bio-hotspots in the world, should be promoted in an eco-friendly, pro-poor and sustainable manner in order to secure the future of the people and the environment.

"Human intervention is increasing pollution, deforestation, encroachment and depleting water resources, due to which tourist places in the region have been losing their charm over the years," said a paper presented at a national seminar on 'Tourism: Economic and Environment in Northeast India', organized by the North-East India Council for Social Science Research here on Tuesday. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

You too can be part of our green revolution

Bangalore Mirror Earth Warriors, a campaign which focuses on environmental issues in the city, offers each of us an opportunity to do our bit for our city. Log on to www.bangaloremirror.com to sign up as an Earth Warrior

One of the biggest talking points over the last couple of months in the city has been just how hot this summer has been. Quite unlike the Bangalore of old, is the refrain. Climate change is the most noticeable symptom of environmental degradation, but there are other effects which go largely unnoticed. Rising incidence of man-animal conflict, the increasing levels of pollution, dwindling fresh water resources and the acute shortage of power which plague our city all stem from a lack of respect for the environment. 

The city is at a crossroads. We can either turn the clock back or remain mute spectators even as the wanton destruction of the ecology engulfs us. Read more

Source : www.bangaloremirror.com

Trouble with tourism

A solar heating system, water recycling unit or use of paper bags has become reason enough for establishments to lay claim to the eco-tourism label. True benefits to the environment and society will accrue only when local communities are made central to the tourism enterprise

The shocking incident of drunk tourists beating up an official of the Forest Department, Madan Nayak in Dandeli – because he objected to them feeding wild crocodiles – and his subsequent death, is a harsh reminder of the often overlooked problems of tourism. Read more

Source : www.deccanherald.com