Pathogen benefit-sharing pact thwarted again

Deep political rifts at WHO leave a critical pandemic treaty hanging in limbo as rich nations baulk at equitable vaccine sharing

LOCAL SOLUTIONS

The solution to Sangam Vihar's water supply, sanitation and stormwater problems could lie in decentralised management, suggests a Centre for Science and Environment survey in the unplanned settlement

Insured against heat

States and private firms are implementing insurance schemes fo protect livestock rearers against milk production losses caused by heat stress

BRACE FOR STILL WINDS

Wind circulations are slowing down across the globe. It may not be immediately apparent in terms of wind speed, which is a local phenomenon. But scientists say global stilling of wind affects almost every aspect of our lives—from unpredictable rainfall to excess heatwaves to frequent or missing storms. It even affects wind energy production and the aviation sector. Evidence shows a clear connection between global warming and wind stilling. Could this be the missing piece in climate models?

THE NEW EXTREME EVENT

Wind circulations are slowing in a warming world, adding to the frequency and intensity of extreme events

Ground rules

Space agencies and private players must adhere to exploration norms to ensure integrity of space research

CATCHING THE WIND

Wind is the missing piece of the climate change puzzle. But lack of data makes it difficult to model wind systems

Business of dirt

The waste management ecosystem is rooted in poverty, politics, colonialism, corporate greed and environmental injustice, with serious consequences to human health

The Next Pandemic

Buoyed by climate change and global trade, pathogens that cause disease outbreaks in food crops are spreading far and wide. They are also evolving fast to reproduce quickly and infect new hosts

India capitulates on key accord at WIPO

The WIPO treaty on genetic resources is historic, but it will override vital safeguards in India's law to prevent bad patents

POWER OF PAAN

Betel leaves are not just an integral part of India's culture, but also hold many benefits. Add them to your list of healthy greens

A local national verdict

Issues of unemployment, price rise and agrarian distress seem to have shifted voter sentiment in the recent general elections

Native nutrition

THE LUNCH menu at the Rani Kajal Jeevan Shala School in Kakrana village of Madhya Pradesh shows a healthy mix of pulses, vegetables and millets.

Wild guess

Despite being a significant source of greenhouse gases, wildfire emissions remain underestimated

'Fitness our evolutionary advantage, not longevity'

Nobel laureate VENKI RAMAKRISHNAN's latest book, Why We Die, covers a journey that starts in the 1800s, when British biologists Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace proposed natural selection, and continues to this day, as researchers investigate anti-ageing compounds. But how close are we really to cheating ageing and death? In an interview with ROHINI KRISHNAMURTHY, Ramakrishnan, who received the 2009 Nobel prize in chemistry, says the focus of research is on staying healthy for a bigger fraction of life. He also examines the causes of ageing, the drugs being explored to slow down this deterioration, the people involved in the research and a few controversial claims. Excerpts:

Look Beyond Dust

Reinvent National Clean Air Programme to focus on fine particulate matter and trans-boundary pollution

Vision 2030

Economic growth must take into account needs of energy transition, climate mitigation, with action aligned as per India's 2030 climate goals

FIX OUR FOOD

Chemical-dependent farming, lax labelling laws, rising anti-microbial resistance must top the agenda

PLAN THEM COOL

As urban India turns into a heat trap, the government must focus on improving cities' liveability

THINK LONG-TERM

India needs continued emphasis on flagship programmes, aligned to long-term planning that focusses on water security and circular economy in a climate-risked era

IT'S NOW OR NEVER

Clean energy sectors need demand-driven markets and domestic industries that can cater to the entire value chain

BATTLE THE CAR BULGE

Clean, affordable, integrated and accessible public transport the only solution

SCRAP THE DUMP

Disincentivise garbage dumping, invest in behavioural change

CONSERVE NOW

Disregard for biodiversity conservation over the past two decades needs immediate redressal

OLD AGENDA WITH NEW IMAGINATION

The new government must rebuild trust by being tolerant to ideas, opinions and information.

OVERHAUL OVERDUE

Hold polluting industries accountable for public health risks, environmental hazards, climate change; provide them support for green transition

THE AL'CHEMY OF EMOTIONS-L'UST

Love, lust, attachments are basic brain circuits. They are too primitive a system and will never change

THE AL'CHEMY OF EMOTIONS - GREED

Evolutionary biology sees greed as a way to increase your chances of survival

THE AL'CHEMY OF EMOTIONS - WRATH

Anger is an emotional programme, a part of natural selection that helps us bargain for better treatment

THE ALCHEMY OF EMOTIONS - SL'OTH

As with all personality traits, laziness is a combination of genes and environment