Down To Earth Magazine - June 16, 2021

In this issue

SET IT RIGHT - Epidemiology, not geopolitics, should guide the world’s COVID-19 vaccination drive

PLAN FOR THE WORSE

A slew of administrative and land reforms initiated in Lakshadweep pose an existential threat to the islands and have provoked widespread protests

10+ mins

MAY GET LOST IN DETAILS

That’s the concern among environmentalists as Uttarakhand sets the gross environmental product in motion

8 mins

CAUGHT UNAWARES

Even as India attempts to understand the sudden rise of COVID-related mucormycosis, its treatment throws up a different set of challenges BANJOT KAUR NEW DELHI

7 mins

COVID-19. MAD SCRAMBLE

Inequitable distribution amid acute shortage has derailed the global vaccination drive against We need to act fast to win the race against emerging virus variants

10+ mins

Why is India afraid of compulsory licences?

While rich nations are discovering virtues of CLs, India has turned its back on this tool despite nudges from the court

5 mins

‘Vapour on Venus will tell us if it's alive'

More than two-and-a-half decades after its last missions to Venus, NASA has planned a trip to Earth’s nearest neighbour. On June 2, the US space agency announced DAVINCI+ and VERITAS missions to the planet in 2028-30 under its Discovery Program, going on since 1992. Space agencies have explored Venus since the 1960s, but focus shifted around mid-1990s. Venus regained interest after researchers from the UK detected phosphine, a gas released through organic processes, in the Venusian atmosphere. A week after NASA, the European Space Agency announced a Venus mission later this decade. India and Russia, too, have been planning Venus probes. Described as Earth’s twin due to its similar size and density, Venus’s atmosphere is full of carbon dioxide and clouds of sulphuric acid with a surface temperature hot enough to melt lead. NASA’s DAVINCI+ (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) will drop a descent sphere to measure the gases in Venus’ air, while VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy) will orbit the planet to map its geological features. We’ll also learn about phosphine, THOMAS P WAGNER, who leads the Discovery Program, tells DAKSHIANI PALICHA in an interview. Excerpts:

5 mins

WAGING CHANGE

Guaranteed employment is an effective poverty alleviation tool. But it works only when governments know how to use it

4 mins

Talking, thinking trees

Can trees communicate, have consciousness or memories? German forester PETER WOHLLEBEN’S new book explores the latest research in the field. Excerpts from the book:

4 mins

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Down To Earth Magazine Description:

Down To Earth is a fortnightly magazine published by the Society for Environmental Comm, a non-profit research and advocacy organization based in New Delhi, India. It is one of the most respected environmental magazines in the country.

The magazine covers a wide range of topics related to the environment and sustainable development, including:

* Climate change: DTE provides in-depth coverage of climate change, including its causes, impacts, and mitigation and adaptation strategies.
* Energy: DTE covers a variety of energy topics, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, and fossil fuels.
* Water: DTE covers a variety of water topics, including water pollution, water scarcity, and water management.
* Pollution: DTE covers a variety of pollution topics, including air pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution.
* Biodiversity: DTE covers a variety of biodiversity topics, including forests, wildlife, and conservation.
* Sustainable development: DTE covers a variety of sustainable development topics, including green economy, sustainable agriculture, and sustainable transportation.

Down To Earth magazine is known for its high-quality journalism and its commitment to environmental protection. It is a must-read for anyone who is interested in the environment and sustainable development in India and around the world.