Pondicherry Shark Critically Endangered

Mention a shark, and many of us think of a large creature tearing through the seas, baring serrated teeth. But there are sharks whose size may surprise you, like the critically endangered Pondicherry shark. Benita Sen finds out more about it.

Enhanced Climate Action

Neha Pahuja and Mekhala Sastry analyse the possibilities in India vis-á-vis enhanced climate action. They conclude that while India is committed to NDC till 2030, a sectoral approach is necessary to reduce emissions and broaden the ambit of climate action in the country. However, it is important to note that success of this strategy requires coordinated effort not just in sectors but across scales as well.

Ek Tara Helping Children Shine Like the Brightest of Stars

Ek Tara is a registered trust that began its journey in 2011 with a small group of marginalized children and women in the slums of Topsia and Tiljala in Kolkata, West Bengal with a vision to provide high-quality holistic education and livelihood skills to enable positive community transformation. Here, we are in an exclusive email conversation with Ek Tara’s Executive Programme Manager, Anupriya Bhattacharya, for TerraGreen.

Durga India

Dare to Understand Behaviour, Respond Appropriately and Guard Ourselves Ably

Chamurthi Horses Need for Their Conservation

Sarita Brara says Lari farm was set up for the conservation of the prized Chamurthi horses threatened with extinction. And though the population of this breed of horses has begun to increase, it is still far short of the numbers for this species to be completely out of red.

2020 Tied for Warmest Year on Record Shows NASA Analysis

Earth’s global average surface temperature in 2020 tied with 2016 as the warmest year on record, according to an analysis by NASA.

Is India Tsunami Ready? - Present And The Future

India is recognized as a tsunami service provider for the Indian Ocean region by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). IOC is a global body supporting global ocean science and services. In August 2020, the IOC recognized two coastal villages of Odisha as 'Tsunami Ready' for their tsunami preparedness. The country has a well-equipped tsunami early warning system in place since 2007, but what is it more that India needs to be fully tsunami ready? The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in Hyderabad—an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India—has been providing ocean information and advisory services to the country for nearly two decades now. This includes issuing warnings and alerts about tsunamis, high waves, swells, storm-surges, and other ocean-related phenomena through sustained ocean observations and continuous improvements through research. In an interview with Dr T Srinivasa Kumar, Director, INCOIS, we understand the present status of tsunami readiness in India and what must be done by the country to be ready to combat dangers from impending tsunamis in the future.

Plastic Waste Management - Turning Challenges into Opportunities

Plastic waste generation is expected to increase to 31.4 million tonnes by 2031 and further to 55 million tonnes by 2041 (Statista 2019), thus showcasing an urgent need to address the concerns from the growing plastic waste in our country. Dr Suneel Pandey and Sourabh Manuja tell us that a recent discussion paper, Plastic Waste Management: Turning Challenges into Opportunities, published by TERI brings forth a few recommendations to turn plastic waste management challenges into opportunities. lastics not only are enduring, tonnes of plastics in 2018–19 (PlastIndia those uneconomical for collection

The Secretive Lives of the Wild Cats of India

Did you know that living in the shadow of their famous and iconic larger relatives, there are 10 small and secretive wild cats in India? Sandesh Kadur, a National Geographic Fellow and BAFTA award-winning cameraman, has carefully documented them on film, for National Geographic Wild and for us to enjoy. Dr Marianne Furtado de Nazareth tells us about his vivid experiences in this endeavour.

Ways to Reduce Environmental Toxins at Home - To Lead a Healthy Life

In this article, Pratosh Saxena says that simple changes in our daily life can reduce our exposure to potentially harmful substances.

Turning Waste Plastic into 'Ecobricks'

In this article, Sarita Brara highlights the efforts of children of vulnerable communities towards envisioning a plastic-free society. Read on to find out more about their innovation called ‘ecobricks’.

Constitution Salvages Environment - State Ensures All-round Development

In this article, Gajanan Khergamker says apart from ensuring that the law on environment is enforced equitably across India, the State has to provide the perfect platform to balance development and environment. He cites different examples to make his point clear.

Paddy Straw

A Win-Win Fuel

Farmers Shift to Climate-resilient Crop - With Rising Cyclones in Tamil Nadu

In the recent past, the Bay of Bengal has witnessed frequent cyclones. In 2011, when Cyclone Thane struck the coasts of Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu, many farmers looked for a crop that could withstand climatic fluctuations. Sharada Balasubramanian says vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides)—a hardy grass—was found to be a suitable alternative to cashew and casuarina, which were often getting toppled by cyclone. Farmers found this not just climate-resilient, but also profitable from an income perspective.

Engineers Discover New Microbe

For Greener Wastewater Treatment

Artificial Intelligence Helps Scientists

As They Develop New General Models in Ecology

Revisit, Rethink, Redress Go Green For A Better Tomorrow

If we lift off our blinkers of insensitivity and obtuseness and prod deeper inside, we will recognize how we have been destroying the natural resources and the environment. So why not streamline our industrial/production processes in a way which reduces uncertainly and incoherence through proper implementation and prepare ourselves for any disaster hereafter. In this article, Biba Jasmine highlights how we need to come together and treat environmental protection measures as a social obligation towards each other’s well-being and as an opportunity to block brazen violations of environmental principles.

The ‘Green' Children

Meghaa Gupta reflects on the environmentalism of urban children in the midst of the pandemic.

Improving City Bus Services in India

In this thought-provoking article, Yateendra Joshi highlights effective, sustainable ways in which India’s bus systems can operate smoothly without hindrances, such as overcrowding, confusion in routes, erratic timelines, and arbitrary fares among others.

‘We Have to Change Our Expectations from Being Alive If We Are to Survive'

Eminent historian Dr Romila Thapar’s latest book Voices of Dissent, published by Seagull Books, is essential reading for the current times. In an exclusive conversation with Ipshita Mitra for TerraGreen, Dr Thapar foregrounds the connection between natural and cultural heritage, condemns humankind’s intolerance to climate change, emphasizes the importance of understanding historical events through the lens of environmental sociology, and more.

Hybrid and RTC Projects Are Boosting India's RE and Storage Industries

Being a densely populated country with a growing urban and semi-urban population, the energy needs of India are on the rise. In this regard, hybrid and energy storage projects have the potential to balance the fossil fuel-to-clean energy ratio and meet 24-hour energy needs, writes Ramya Ranganath.

Solar Cookers For a Clean Cooking Revolution in India

We are after all consuming sun’s energy in various forms such as light, heat, food. Prashnopnishad, one of the sacred texts of India, says that breath of life comes from the sun. Vedas also lay supreme emphasis on the sun based on which all life forms exist on earth. In this article, Sri Ragunath Venkatramakrishnan talks about using sun’s energy directly in solar cookers for cooking and saving domestic energy requirement.

Snow Leopards and People's Livelihoods Are their Fates Intertwined?

Traditionally, the local communities of Ladakh keep their livestock in conventional corral pens, which are simple enclosures of stone-walls open from the top. WWF-India identified the ineffectiveness of conventional corral pens, and the development of a predator-proof corral design was initiated as a part of the conflict mitigation strategy. The weak wooden doors, open rooftop, and weak walls were identified as major gaps that made these corrals vulnerable. It was identified that simple modifications in the conventional corral design could help to make it predator-proof.

Be Your Own Doctor Veganism is the Way to Health

Maneka Sanjay Gandhi throws light on some studies that confirm that a vegan diet will help you lose weight, bring your blood sugar and cholesterol down, and improve your muscle strength and stamina.

Green Home to Fight Environmental Degradation To Achieve Sustainable Development Goals

‘Buildings’ are the most pronounced elements in the fabric of any city. The housing sector in India is growing at a rapid pace and contributing immensely to the growth of the economy. The simultaneous increase in the demand for homes has caused a significantly high pressure on natural resources causing ecological imbalances such as loss of resilience to fight climate change, loss of biodiversity, and pollution. In this article, Pratiksha Baruah discusses about the tangible and intangible benefits of green buildings.

Avani Leaving the Earth Behind in a Better Shape

In Uttarakhand’s Kumaon region, Avani is a community built on the principles of sustainability and local empowerment. A global network of diverse employees, interns and volunteers give life to Avani’s community-centric rural development programmes. In this article, Dr Rakesh Agrawal ‘Ridh’ highlights the pioneering work by Avani that creates opportunities for rural people to find viable employment through a self-sufficient and environmentally sustainable supply chain that is sensitive to the cultural context of this region.

Biggest Carbon Dioxide Drop

Real-time Data Show COVID-19’s Impact on Global Emissions

The Role of Green Budgeting Some Global Approaches

Making a country’s budget green is about integrating it into every aspect of our economy and ensuring there is no wasteful use of natural resources. In this article, Arvind Kumar says that budget should navigate a country’s economy on a path to move to the low-carbon, climate-resilient development path. He succinctly gives examples of some global approaches.

Will Irumbai Be India's First Solar-powered Village?

Rural electrification challenges in India are many. In this article, Anita Khuller discusses how Irumbai, a village in Tamil Nadu, is striving to become India’ first fully solar-powered village. She highlights how this can work as a model towards realizing the dream of lighting up rural India.

‘The Arctic is Warming Much Faster Than the Rest of the Globe'

Dr M Ravichandran is Director of the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research in Goa under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, where he guides the Indian Arctic Programme that aegis India’s permanent research base ‘Himadri’ in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago since 2008. In this interaction with Bhavya Khanna for TerraGreen, he explains why Arctic amplification happens, what escalates its pace, its likely consequences for India and geographies alike, and what must be done to address this looming danger.