World of the gazer

For editor, author and bibliographer Aasheesh Pittie, birdwatching is a lifelong philosophical pursuit rather than a pastime. His latest book, The living air: The pleasures of birds and birdwatching, is a set of essays on his birding journey, written over 30 years. Excerpts:

BOOKS

Book Review

SAPLING SOLIDARITY

Punjab and Haryana are witnessing a first-of-its-kind farmer solidarity movement. Cultivators in flood-hit villages of the states have received free supply of paddy saplings from their counterparts in safer areas to tide over the losses and avoid a crop-less rice season. RAJU SAJWAN travels to the two states to document the help initiative.

Waterborne monster

A lethal marine bacterium, Vibrio vulnificus, could become a major threat to coastal populations, with warmer oceans and high rainfall creating ideal condition for its proliferation

ROAD TO CITY COOL

Urban India is a heat trap, but road orientation, building materials and zone-specific master plans can drastically enhance thermal comfort

'So many problems with the Anthropocene definition'

The world recently got closer to accepting that it is in the Anthropocene-the age of humans. On July 28, the Anthropocene Working Group, set up in 2009 by a UNESCO subcommission to assess geological \"reality\" and the most suitable timing of the epoch's beginning, announced 1950 to be the starting year. The group's study on a dozen sites found the presence of radionuclides, especially plutonium, in geological materials of early 1950s, showing the impact of nuclear tests by nations in the period, and indicating a date to mark the transformative effect humanity has had on Earth's ecology and climate. While the final acceptance of the Anthropocene Epoch is subject to its ratification at the International Geological Congress in South Korea next year, author AMITAV GHOSH is conflicted about the development. At the launch of his book, Smoke and Ashes: A Writer's Journey Through Opium's Hidden Histories, in Delhi, Ghosh talks to RAJAT GHAI about the problems in the framing of the issue, the narrowness of the definition, the missing voices and histories in the narrative, and his latest book. Excerpts:

CEMENTING POSSIBILITIES

After water, cement is the most widely used material on the planet. It is also the second largest industrial emitter of carbon dioxide. Little wonder the sector is a priority target for decarbonisation to meet India' climate commitments. But the very nature of cement production makes elimination of carbon emissions a difficult, if not impossible, task. Here is a step-by-step strategy to turn this carbon-intensive industry into a carbon-lean one.

DON'T SHIFT THE CONFLICT

Translocating elephants from their home range does not end the human-animal conflict, but intensifies it

When a drug giant ties up with a non-profit

J&J's pact with Stop TB Partnership to supply generic versions of bedaquiline promises hope, but falls short in many ways

Futile deadlines

An afforestation drive in five states along the banks of the Ganga is over with just 22 per cent of the target being met

Moon-bound

The moon is more than Earth's natural satellite, having impacted its every aspect, from origin of life to climate change

A NEW ERA FOR INDIAN RESEARCH?

The Union Cabinet on June 28 approved introduction of the National Research Foundation Bill, 2023, in the Parliament. The Bill aims to facilitate setting up of the National Research Foundation (NRF), as recommended by the National Education Policy 2020, to foster better research and innovation in the country. NRF will be governed by a board presided by the prime minister, while its functions will be overseen by an executive council chaired by the country's principal scientific advisor. The government has announced a budget of ₹50,000 crore for NRF over the next five years, more than half of which it plans to raise from public sector enterprises, industries and international research organisations. What do these proposals mean for the future of research and development in India, where investment and engagement of human capital in the sector is among the lowest in the world? ROHINI KRISHNAMURTHY speaks to scientists and academics about their expectations from the NRF Bill as well as about their concerns.

SAVAGE MODE

In a warmer and wetter world, pests are multiplying at a faster rate, expanding territories and damaging crops more severely

Onsite Labs vs. Offsite Labs: Which is Best for My Lube Program?

With facilities running on leaner staff, increased run times and the expectation of fewer failures, quality data from lubricant analysis has only grown in importance. By looking at the data contained within an oil or a grease sample, we can determine if the lubricant and the machine are still healthy and ultimately make maintenance decisions that impact one or both.

Environmental Training: How to Get Your Team Onboard

Most of the facilities we enter as consultants have pretty strict environmental standards that the facility must uphold. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does NOT play around when it comes to industrial plants.

ONSITE OIL ANALYSIS DRIVES DOWN MAINTENANCE COSTS

In a recent plant reliability survey, 60% to 70% of industrial facilities consider oil analysis an important part of their reliability programs. Oil analysis gives a snapshot of machinery health, preventing unnecessary oil changes and assisting in predicting equipment failures. This article will take a detailed look into using data to decrease maintenance costs and increase the bottom line.

Oil Cleanliness: On-line Condition Monitoring

Technology innovations and success stories

Shell India signs actor Shahid Kapoor as brand ambassador

Shell India has onboarded Bollywood versatile actor Shahid Kapoor as the brand ambassador for its Lubricants business in India. Shell is looking to expand its customer base and will bank on Kapoor's pan-India popularity and youthful energy across all age groups.

LUBE-TIPS

The \"Lube-Tips\" section of Machinery Lubrication magazine features innovative ideas submitted by our readers.

Lubricant Selection and LIS: Fight the Current Lack of Supply

Jim Fitch wrote a pretty comprehensive article recently, going into the finer minutia of what to do when you can't get the lubricants that you normally use. I wanted to take some time and give you a pretty good strategy to help mitigate some of the woes of having to swap suppliers to get the lubricants that your machines need for proper operation.

Little Known Sources of Contamination Ingression

You are probably familiar with a lot of the different ways contaminants can find their way into your machinery. For example, one of the most common ways that contaminants enter your lubricant is through poor headspace management.

To The Moon And Back - Chandrayaan-3

In a very optimistic note, the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) was working on a project to make its second attempt to land a spacecraft on the Moon.

Watered down

Most states have recently started reviving their small rivers, but the progress remains far from satisfactory

COOL SOLUTIONS

India can significantly reduce the energy consumed by its building and construction sector by promoting contextual cooling mechanisms

More give than take in secret trade deals

The tight secrecy over trade negotiations means citizens are not privy to the deals that affect them directly

BOOKS

Book review

'We may have tracked one of the sources of the gravitational waves'

Earth is not big enough for the apparatus required to sense gravitational waves of the kind scientists announced having detected on June 28. In fact, the solar system is not big enough for it. Scientists overcame the problem by turning the Milky Way galaxy into an observatory

FAUX FISH

A herb that tastes and smells like fish, and has traditionally recognised health benefits

A DEVELOPING CRISIS

Most big pharmaceutical companies have all but quit research and development of new antibiotics since it is a low-return venture. Rapid rise of antimicrobial resistance means the old ammunition is misfiring. Without effective antibiotics, global healthcare will lose the treatment framework it stands on. A report by AMIT KHURANA, RAJESHWARI SINHA and GAURI ARORA on the precipitating global health crisis

A job not done

As multiple states launch urban employment guarantee schemes, the need for a Central Act similar to MGNREGA becomes stronger