CATEGORIES

Utility Bidder’s Renewable Ready Index

In this report, experts at Utility Bidder examine the potential of countries to fulfil their Net Zero goals. This evaluation is carried out using a ‘Renewable Ready Index’, which assesses the performance of the countries based on the current and past condition, as well as the upcoming plans of their energy industries.

Emerging water contaminants

Major health and environmental threats

STEAM education

Creating lifelong learners

ENGIE to provide clean drinking water to the villages in Tamil Nadu

ENGIE Foundation, in partnership with Pavilion Water, has pledged to provide clean drinking water to a village in Tamil Nadu.

The Deccan Trotters

A chronological narrative of colonizing elephants and ensuing conflicts

Innovative Ideas towards Circular Economy in eWaste

As the third largest producer of eWaste in the world, India needs quick solutions to deal with the environmental hazard that is eWaste disposal. In this article, Raj Kumar presents the idea of creating a Circular economy for better managing eWaste. In fact, inventive policy and ingenious strategies for processing eWaste can not only mitigate the climate risks involved, but also provide benefits in terms of optimal use of the present resources.

Wetlands: Key To Tackling Climate Change And Biodiversity Loss

At the end of June 2022, we saw the breakdown of the discussions of the Open-Ended Working Group for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which have been tasked with advancing preparation of the GBF. Very little consensus was reached on clear, meaningful targets for protecting and restoring global biodiversity. As we approach CBD COP15 in December, during which the GBF will be finalized for the next decade, we must see a concerted increase in ambition if we are to avert catastrophic harm to nature and exponential loss of biodiversity over the coming decades. And this ambition must inspire the global community to tackle the rapid decline in wetlands. Keep reading to know more...

Project Palaash: A Pioneering Initiative by Enactus Aryabhatta

For years, rivers and streams have borne the brunt of urbanization. Did you know that the seemingly harmless floral waste, if not managed properly can become one of the biggest environmental hazards! Have you ever wondered what happens to the beautiful flowers that adorn the body of our gods and goddesses? Not long after these are utilized for religious worship of our deities, these very flowers end up sulking in our water bodies.

Leverage the Power of Recycling for a Circular Economy - And Clean & Healthy Environment

Today, the world is producing twice as much plastic waste as two decades ago, with the bulk of it ending up in landfills, incinerated or leaking into the environment, and only 9 per cent successfully recycled, according to a new OECD report. On the contrary, a study by CSIR-NCL reveals that India recycles 90 per cent of its polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste and outperforms Japan and the United States.

Amagarh Leopard Safari: Another Feather in Rajasthan’s Cap

Jaipur recently got a new wildlife hotspot in Amagarh Leopard Safari on World Biodiversity Day, May 22. So, now Rajasthan has got its third leopard safari after Jhalana and Jawai. This article by Saurabh Somani throws light on this new wildlife hotspot along with some aspects of this magnificent animal called leopard.

Aequs Foundation Launches “Hamara Gaon Project”

The CSR arm of Aequs rolls out early education support programme in twenty-five villages in Koppal District to create community ownership in children’s early-learning.

All Eyes on Animal Welfare in Asia: India’s Anti-cruelty Record

International non-governmental organization Sinergia Animal has released a cage-free report that tracks the efforts of several food companies to ban the use of cages for laying hens in their supply chain in Asia, including India. Of fifty companies surveyed, 70 per cent have already taken steps towards that ban globally.

Pulp and Paper Industries: Moving Towards Water Sustainability

This study was conducted on secondary literature by Bharg Modi and Sonia Grover for the water conservation of pulp and paper industries. The article talks about the challenges and reflections from best practices that could be used as learning to improve water consumption of Pulp and Paper Industries in India.

Accelerating India’s Low-cost Net-zero Transition: The Role of Smart Climate and Innovation Policy

Saswata Chaudhury and Vidhu Kapur have been working as part of the Economics of Energy Innovation and System Transition (EEIST) consortium, which is dedicated to developing tools to support government decision making around low-carbon innovation and to accelerate technological change towards a net-zero energy system. In this op-ed, Saswata and Vidhu detail how fostering synergies between actors and timely policy interventions helped to grow the LED industry in India and dramatically improve energy efficiency.

Green Hydrogen: Is It a Solution for Net Zero Emission Need of Our Planet?

Green hydrogen is hydrogen generated from renewable sources of energy. In a far-sighted move, India has launched an ambitious Hydrogen Mission in August 2021 and further the Indian government announced the Green Hydrogen Policy in February 2022. In this article, Lata Vishwanath says that production of clean/green hydrogen gas is being seen as the answer to climate change mitigation in the decades to come. Because of its vital role in oil and gas industry, refineries, fertilizers, and a host of other applications as an energy carrier the world can be made less dependent on fossil fuels.

SABIC Envisioning a True Circular Economy for Plastic

Frank Kuijpers is General Manager, Corporate Sustainability, SABIC. Here we are in conversation with him for TerraGreen magazine.

How Pandas Survive Solely on Bamboo - Evolutionary History

An ancient fossil reveals the earliest panda to survive solely on bamboo and the evolutionary history of panda’s false thumbs.

Shopping Reinvented: Zero-Waste Stores

The concept of zero-waste stores with packaging materials alternative to plastics has emerged as an innovative mechanism to overcome the problems associated with single-use plastic (SUP) waste. These stores aim to minimize plastics and non-biodegradable packaging material, which may otherwise find its way into the environment impacting both human and environmental health, says Sukrit Joshi.

Unsafe Air- Taking More Than Two Years off Global Life Expectancy

New AQLI analysis shows that in no region of the world is the deadly impact of pollution more visible than in South Asia. Since 2013, about 44 per cent of the world’s increase in pollution has come from India, which currently stands as the world’s second most polluted country.

Empowering Women and Youth of Uttarakhand - Through Skills Training

In this article, Nitin Jugran Bahuguna highlights Jan Shikshan Sansthan’s (JSS) comprehensive skill development entrepreneurship programme in Uttarakhand that has empowered women and youth in the State.

What to Do When Your Dog Chews Your Furniture

“Without proper physical stimulation, your dog could resort to chewing on your wooden furniture to ease his boredom. In order to prevent your dog from chewing on furniture, give him/her chew toys or treats. Chew toys are designed to not only keep a dog entertained but to relieve the symptoms associated with teething in puppies as well.”

Heat Waves - Could Lead to Avian Population Decline

Researchers examined how heat impacts the behaviour and physiology of zebra finches. They discovered that heat altered the activity of hundreds of genes in the testis, but fewer in the brain, suggesting that the brain may be less responsive to extreme temperatures. The study also provided some hopeful insights for birds and their ability to handle the threat of climate change.

Adani and TotalEnergies to Create the World’s Largest Green Hydrogen Ecosystem

Adani, India’s fastest growing diversified business portfolio, and energy supermajor TotalEnergies of France, have entered into a new partnership to jointly create the world’s largest green hydrogen ecosystem.

Where Did Our Birds Go? - Birds of Kashmir Valley

In this article, Baseera Rafiqi says the rich diversity of the state of Jammu and Kashmir can be seen in terms of its variety of bird populations and a history of lending home to thousands of birds every year. Read on to know more…

Devastating Floods - That Unite Assam–Meghalaya with Northern Bangladesh

As the devastating flood embraces vast areas of Assam (in northeast India) and Bangladesh, the mighty Brahmaputra comes to the focus again as the lone male river after originating in Tibet that flows through both the countries before culminating in the Bay of Bengal. Incessant rains for many days in the third week of June 2022 had inflated all the tributaries of Brahmaputra and it ended up inundating over one million hectares of land affecting millions of people in both the South Asian developing countries. Nava Thakuria apprises us about some developments in this regard.

Initiatives Related to Women’s Health and Nutrition - With Local Technologies, Skilling, Rescue, and Relief

Vishwadeep Trust is registered with the NGO Darpan portal of NITI Aayog in the areas of nutrition, food and agriculture, and renewable energy for post-harvest management as it impacts the shelf life and nutritional aspects. The Trust is named after the founder’s (Neha Upadhyaya) grandmother Smt. Deepraji Upadhyaya and Mahapandit Vishwanath Upadhyaya. Vishwadeep Trust’s work is mostly focussed on rural India and victims of flash floods and migration-affected people. Their findings suggest that rural women have limited access to productive resources, service education and employment opportunities while experiencing excessive workload and limited decision-making power. Neha Upadhyaya throws light on her vivid journey in this article.

Environmental Governance in India - Issues, Concerns and Opportunities

In this article, Biba Jasmine highlights how India maintains a cordial balance between its rich traditional heritage and modernity without negatively impacting the environment. But, she also feels that technological advances alone or smart governance alone may not be able to solve the fundamental problem that environmental governance must address. While environmental governance is becoming more comprehensive, it is clear that the path and pace of development are constantly redefining the problems it faces.

DWMPL Promoting Sustainable Waste Management, Recycling, and Disposal Methods

Deshwal Waste Management Private Limited (DWMPL) is one of the leading single-point recyclers of e-waste, battery waste, oil waste and plastic in India. The company primarily focuses on the recycling of e-waste, used batteries, plastic, oil, and other waste products from households and industries in an efficient and environment-friendly manner. Here, we are in conversation with Mr Raj Kumar - CEO, DWMPL for TerraGreen.

Sunshine Story of a Woman’s Journey to Becoming a Chief Sustainability Officer

Ram Ramprasad presents an inspirational fictional story with factual information of a girl who devoted her life to the cause of promoting sustainability, renewable energy use, and safeguarding biodiversity. Read about her tryst with sustainability.

Cleaning Yamuna River Learning from International Examples

This insightful article by Sonia Grover and Charu Bhanot is an outcome of literature survey done for a project for two basins-Yamuna and Musi rivers. The article talks about the challenges and reflections from best practices at international scale that could be used as learning to improve water quality of the basins.