Down To Earth - June 16, 2024

In this issue

PLANT PANDEMICS - The threat is now more real than ever

Digest - Women in Madhya Pradesh revive indigenous crop varieties

General elections 2024 - Local issues play decisive role in poll outcomes

Forest fire - Emissions due to forest blazes largely underestimated

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.

2 mins

India Feels The Heat This May

INDIA WAS under an intense heatwave spell in the second half of May, with temperatures soaring over the northwest region, according to data released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

1 min

A local national verdict

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

4 mins

Wild guess

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

7 mins

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

10+ mins

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

4 mins

'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:

7 mins

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

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.