Desertification is perhaps not as widely publicised an environmental issue as others, but this does not take away from the severity of the threat it poses – that of a fundamental threat to our way of life. India is beset by a plethora of environmental issues – desertification looms among them. As defined in a […]
environment
Environmentalism in a time of COVID
Last year, Time magazine named Greta Thunberg their Person of the Year. The now-seventeen-year-old climate activist from Sweden has inspired a global movement, assuming the role of a bastion for environmentalism. Across the world, young people have protested for their future, for the future of their environment, and their planet – including in India. Thunberg […]
Mother Earth and how we’re failing her
March 22nd marks International Mother Earth Day – an occasion designated by the United Nations (UN) to underscore the importance of our environment. On International Mother Earth Day 2020, the occasion is poignant given the age of environmental degradation we reside in. To quote the UN, “nature is suffering.” This situ manifests, it says, in […]
Deforestation: An environmental catastrophe
“The emerging trends indicate that the rate of deforestation is likely to increase over the coming years. Major policy changes needed to reverse this trend are identified. They include increased commitment towards forest production and intensive agroforestry programmes.” Those words appeared in a 1982 paper by B. Bowonder published in the International Journal of Environmental […]
Bezos infuses US$10 billion into climate fight
The global fight against climate change is to receive a cash infusion to the tune of US$10 billion, courtesy of centibillionaire and tech magnate Jeff Bezos. However, the move has generated controversy. Climate change is undeniably a major threat to global health and development. India stands to be hard-hit by any number of environmental catastrophes […]
Child health and wellbeing: The world needs to invest
Child health and wellbeing: “The most powerful investments a society can make” What kind of country does one wish theirs to be? There are many possible answers to this question. Perhaps one of the most compelling and morally imperative answers would be that it is a country that provides for its children – in both […]
Pollution emergency continues in Delhi
The air pollution emergency persists in Delhi, where Air Quality Index (AQI) readings for the national capital continue to hover well above levels deleterious to human health. According to the centrally-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR), the AQI score for Delhi stood at 391 yesterday. An AQI score between nought […]
Natural disasters: How much do they cost?
In an era of climate change driving extreme weather patterns, natural disasters seem to be becoming the norm. Indeed, recent months have seen the eyes of the world captivated by wildfires ravaging Australia – the country’s worst in decades. India is no stranger to environmental catastrophes and extreme weather patterns, witnessing calamities ranging from heatwaves […]
Depression, suicide, and pollution
When considering the link between exposure to air pollution and health problems, mental health may not seem an obvious connection to draw to breathing toxic air. However, research has indicated a link between the two in the past – and a recent paper indicates that exposure to air pollution increases the risk of developing depression […]
Air pollution action needed: WHO official
As a report reveals the sizeable death toll due to air pollution in India, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official has urged the country to take action on it. “Urgent action” is required to address pollution, according to Dr Maria Neira, director of the WHO Department of Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants of […]