Articles
Air pollution causing heart diseases
15 Sep 2023
Air pollution is one of the five leading causes of death worldwide. An eminent cardiologist associated with the Harvard Medical School presents terrifying statistics on worldwide deaths linked to air pollution. Air pollution-linked illness was found to be seven crores globally, and 70 lakh people lost their lives, according to the WHO. Out of these deaths, about 24 lakh deaths were associated with Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD), and 13 lakh deaths were due to heart strokes, that is, a total of 37 lakh deaths from heart-ailments.
Towards a Circular Plastics Economy: India’s Actions to #BeatPlasticPollution
12 Jul 2023
| Avanti Roy-BasuWorld Environment Day 2023 serves as an important reminder that the actions we take to mitigate plastic pollution have a significant impact. Now, more than ever, we must intensify these efforts and swiftly transition to a circular economy. Avanti Roy-Basu and Girija K Bharat say that as the world celebrates World Environment Day in 2023, focusing on “solutions to plastic pollution under the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution”, it is crucial to understand that each one of us has multiple roles to play in addressing this global crisis.
Brahmapuram Landfill Fire: Points towards the Need for Decentralized Waste Management
08 Jun 2023
| Sharada BalasubramanianIn this article, Sharada Balasubramanian highlights that a series of flames have been breaking out, year after year, at the Brahmapuram landfill in Kerala. Yet, it was not taken seriously. This year, the massive uncontrollable fire breakout urged the Kochi Corporation to take serious steps to resolve this issue as it impacted the health of people and the environment. Brahmapuram is the only landfill that is a bone of contention in Kerala, where solid waste management, otherwise is decentralized and systematic.
Nano steps towards Climate Smart Agriculture
31 May 2023
| Palak KhannaIts deceptively small size is no measure of its impact. Nanotechnology may work at a small scale, but the minuscule size of nanomaterials belies their efficiency. Little wonder then that the technology is being increasingly applied in agriculture to enhance efficacy and, importantly, to shrink the adverse impact of conventional chemical fertilizers on the environment and health.
A comparative assessment of biomass pretreatment methods for the sustainable industrial upscaling of rice straw into cellulose
18 Apr 2023
| Prabhpreet Kaur| | Himadri B. Bohidar| | Frederick M. Pfeffer| | Richard Williams| | Ruchi AgrawalSource- Cellulose
Publisher- Springer Nature
Year- 18 March 2023
Weblink- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10570-023-05161-4
This paper gives a comprehensive characteristic comparison of cellulose-rich variants obtained from the rice straw using different pretreatment methods along with the preliminary cost analyses indicating their potential economic feasibility.
Mainstreaming Climate-Resilient Water and Sanitation Infrastructure For Long Lasting Impacts
17 Mar 2023
| Dr Kriti AkanshaIn this article, Manisha Jain and Dr Kriti Akansha highlight that it is necessary to support long-term thinking, transformation, flexibility and innovation while taking the associated climate risks into consideration to attain climate resilience. There is a need for a robust framework that ensures climate policies are integrated into all sectors and that planning, implementation, and evaluation are strictly followed.
International Year of Millets
10 Mar 2023
Renewed Focus on Nutrition Storehouse
The United Nations General Assembly at its 75th session in March 2021 declared 2023 the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023). In this article, Livleen K Kahlon says that with the UNGA declaring 2023 as the International Year of Millets, there’s a renewed focus on these nutritious grains. This move will serve best in the interest of developing countries, where almost 97 per cent of global millet production happens. But, it is going to take a lot of effort to change the mindset and lifestyles of consumers towards a millet-positive diet.