Ignoring the environment is bad economics
3 years, 11 months ago

Ignoring the environment is bad economics

Live Mint  

In hindsight, India’s tryst with liberalization came only a few years after a pivotal but increasingly forgotten moment in the world’s environmental history, the Bhopal Gas Tragedy of 1984. It developed a feeble framework to protect ecology and people; environment remained a mutable variable of India’s economic policy, appended to its corporate growth. Our deteriorating environment—abysmal air quality, toxin-laden water, vanishing forests and rivers, persistent cycles of epidemics and reducing productivity of farm soils—is quickly accepted as a ‘new normal’. Funds tied to ‘reverse’ environmental damage like District Mineral Fund, CAMPA and the Auto Cess Fund, among others, are flush with money, but the government clearly lacks imagination and the competence to use it for good. What is missing are large national movements like Narmada Bachao Andolan and Chipko to protest against the government’s poorly conceived policies and terribly executed projects like broadening highways, proposed interlinking of rivers, mega-energy plants or compensating the destruction of virgin evergreen forests in the Andaman Islands with afforestation in Madhya Pradesh.

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History of this topic

Echoes of nature: Frontline’s top 12 environment stories of 2024
6 days, 7 hours ago

Echoes of nature: Frontline’s top 12 environment stories of 2024

The Hindu  

Published : Dec 17, 2024 18:01 IST - 1 MIN READ Arguably one of the most disturbing headlines from the world of environment came when we rang in the New Year. In January 2024, from a pristine little island in the Indian Ocean, the Great Nicobar Island, author Pankaj Sekhsaria reported on the unimaginable havoc a proposed Rs.72,000 crore infrastructure …

A legacy of balance
1 month, 2 weeks ago

A legacy of balance

New Indian Express  

BENGALURU: In his latest book, Speaking with Nature: The Origins of Indian Environmentalism, historian Ramachandra Guha takes readers on a journey through India’s environmental past – a legacy that few are familiar with. Through their lives and writings, these figures – ranging from the poet Rabindranath Tagore to the economist J C Kumarappa – anticipated the environmental challenges we face …

Embracing Nature's Positivity: A Call to Action for a Sustainable Future
2 months ago

Embracing Nature's Positivity: A Call to Action for a Sustainable Future

Times of India  

The article emphasizes the urgency of embracing nature positivity alongside net-zero goals. It highlights the interconnectedness of biodiversity and climate action, emphasizing the need to address both issues together. The article outlines the outcomes of the COP15 summit, including the 23 targets for biodiversity conservation by 2030, which are a vision for a world where nature and humanity coexist harmoniously. …

Earth Overshoot Day to focus on sustainable life
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Earth Overshoot Day to focus on sustainable life

Deccan Chronicle  

India, with over 1.4 billion people, faces significant challenges due to population growth and increased consumption. The Global Footprint Network reports that India’s ecological footprint has grown exponentially. “Currently, India needs 2.6 times its resources to sustain its population, leading to depleted forests, reduced biodiversity, and climate change. A NITI Aayog report warns that by 2030, India’s water demand could …

Poor implementation of environment policy by Modi govt: Expert
6 months ago

Poor implementation of environment policy by Modi govt: Expert

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: The second Modi government had the right intentions in dealing with environmental degradation and climate change but there wasn't enough focus on implementation, top environmentalist Sunita Narain has said. In an interaction with PTI editors here, Narain said successive administrations have diluted the environmental clearance system to the extent it no longer works. She added that the government …

Preserving nature essential for human survival: APPCB member secretary B Sridhar
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Preserving nature essential for human survival: APPCB member secretary B Sridhar

New Indian Express  

VIJAYAWADA: Preserving nature is essential for human survival, said Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board member secretary B Sridhar. Speaking at a programme held to mark World Environment Day at NAC Kalyana Mandapam in Vijayawada on Wednesday, he called for the protection of nature, setting an example for future generations. He further urged the gathering to take a pledge to prevent …

Change in lifestyle can complement environment conservation, says Principal District Judge
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Change in lifestyle can complement environment conservation, says Principal District Judge

The Hindu  

Principal District and Sessions Judge of Udupi district Kiran Siddappa Gangannavar on Tuesday said that everyone should join hands to reduce environment pollution by changing one’s lifestyle to complement conservation. Mr. Gangannavar, who is also the chairman of the District Legal Services Authority, said environment and biodiversity play their own role in the existence of human life. Stating that children …

Climate litigation gets shot in the arm, climate justice is not far behind in India
8 months, 1 week ago

Climate litigation gets shot in the arm, climate justice is not far behind in India

Hindustan Times  

The seeds of climate justice that were sown a few years ago in several milestone judgments by the apex court, have now perhaps given rise to its first significant shoot in the form of the judgment delivered earlier this week in the now famous Great Indian Bustard case. While the apex court has to be lauded for fortifying and expanding …

Water resource inadequacy is a challenge India must take head on
11 months ago

Water resource inadequacy is a challenge India must take head on

Live Mint  

The notion of a ‘triple planetary’ crisis encompassing climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss has become outdated in the face of complexities captured by the relatively new term ‘polycrisis.’ This modern challenge involves the intertwining of climate change, environmental disruptions, widening social inequalities, pandemic effects and geopolitical polarization. India can tap the climate-development nexus by conserving and using its water …

Review of Johannes Urpelainen’s Energy and Environment in India: Fossil-free future
1 year ago

Review of Johannes Urpelainen’s Energy and Environment in India: Fossil-free future

The Hindu  

India’s environmental crisis remains unaddressed partly because the expanding middle class settles for private solutions that come at a cost to the environment, and the poor, argues Johaness Urpelainen in his new book, Energy and Environment in India. For a majority of consumers, diesel generators provide reliable source of energy; groundwater pumps ensure water supply; air purifiers counter air pollution, …

NLUAA: Call For Papers For Lex Terra [ISSN: 2455-0965] [Issue 43][Submit By Sept 20th]
1 year, 3 months ago

NLUAA: Call For Papers For Lex Terra [ISSN: 2455-0965] [Issue 43][Submit By Sept 20th]

Live Law  

The Centre for Environmental Law, Advocacy and Research of National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam, is pleased to invite scholastic submissions for Issue 43 onwards for Lex Terra, our quarterly online publication. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES General Guidelines ● Lex Terra exclusively accepts manuscripts that revolve around the themes of environmental law and policy research. ● Due to an overwhelming number …

India Leads Fight for Green Rights: Modi
1 year, 6 months ago

India Leads Fight for Green Rights: Modi

Deccan Chronicle  

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the developing and underdeveloped countries of the world are suffering from the flawed policies of a few developed countries and asserted that India had raised the issue of climate justice in front of every such country. The PM said: “Even today, developing and underdeveloped countries of the world are suffering …

India raising issue of climate justice with developed countries, says PM Modi on World Environment Day
1 year, 6 months ago

India raising issue of climate justice with developed countries, says PM Modi on World Environment Day

Firstpost  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the poor and developing countries are paying the price for the “wrong policies” of some developed nations and stressed that India has been strongly raising the issue of climate justice with all such advanced and big countries. In his video message at a World Environment Day event, the Prime Minister said that for …

World Environment Day: Arati Kumar-Rao wants you to listen to the land
1 year, 6 months ago

World Environment Day: Arati Kumar-Rao wants you to listen to the land

Live Mint  

There is an interesting anecdote from Arati Kumar-Rao’s new book, Marginlands: Indian Landscapes On The Brink, which best describes the beauty of India’s vast natural landscapes and the urgency to rescue them from the precipice of destruction. The people of the Thar get only forty cloudy days in a year, and yet they have as many names for clouds.” Many …

World Earth Day: Climate change has significant implications for health, food security, and livelihoods in India
1 year, 8 months ago

World Earth Day: Climate change has significant implications for health, food security, and livelihoods in India

Firstpost  

Multidimensional nature of the relationship between climate change and associated reverberations makes it very difficult for India to address it, especially in the context of its socio-economically vulnerable population The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasised that the global surface temperature will exceed the targets of 1.5 C and 2 C above pre-industrial levels set …

At G7 ministers' meet, India stresses need to address climate change in tandem with environmental action
1 year, 8 months ago

At G7 ministers' meet, India stresses need to address climate change in tandem with environmental action

Firstpost  

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav addressed a plenary session of the G7 ministers’ meeting and highlighted India’s emphasis on collective action to address environmental challenges, including efforts to encourage individual and community action through Mission LiFE New Delhi: India on Sunday said there is a need to holistically address climate change issues in tandem with environmental action. Union Environment Minister …

Is India doing enough to protect its environment?
1 year, 8 months ago

Is India doing enough to protect its environment?

The Hindu  

India has been slipping in the global rank in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals for the past five years, with the country dropping another place since 2021, according to a report published by the Centre for Science and Environment. The report, entitled ‘State of India’s Environment 2023’, looks at 17 goals adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015 …

India’s disputed compensatory afforestation policy at odds with new IPCC report
1 year, 9 months ago

India’s disputed compensatory afforestation policy at odds with new IPCC report

The Hindu  

Not degrading existing ecosystems in the first place will do more to lower the impact of the climate crisis than restoring ecosystems that have been destroyed – a finding that speaks to an increasingly contested policy in India that has allowed forests in one part of the country to be cut down and ‘replaced’ with those elsewhere. “We have known …

Environment conservation is commitment and not compulsion for India: PM Modi
1 year, 10 months ago

Environment conservation is commitment and not compulsion for India: PM Modi

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: Environment conservation is a commitment and not a compulsion for India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday, asserting he believes development and nature can go hand-in-hand. Modi said environment conservation is a commitment and not a compulsion for India. India's initiative to adopt a healthier and cleaner lifestyle include upgrading infrastructure to encourage electric mobility, increased use …

Environment Conservation is Commitment and Not Compulsion for India: PM Modi
1 year, 10 months ago

Environment Conservation is Commitment and Not Compulsion for India: PM Modi

News 18  

Environment conservation is a commitment and not a compulsion for India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday, asserting he believes development and nature can go hand-in-hand. With such a glorious culture and philosophy of lofty traditions of living in harmony with nature, it is only natural for India to remain at the forefront of global efforts for environment protection,” …

Climate summit: India opposed developed world's efforts to extend scope of mitigation to agriculture
2 years, 1 month ago

Climate summit: India opposed developed world's efforts to extend scope of mitigation to agriculture

Firstpost  

Expressing concern over the draft decision text on the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture, India said the developed countries are blocking a pro-poor and pro-farmer decision by insisting on expanding the scope for mitigation to agriculture, thereby compromising the foundation of food security New Delhi: India has opposed the developed world’s efforts to extend the scope of mitigation to agriculture …

India fighting climate change despite accounting for less than 4% of total emissions: Environment Minister
2 years, 1 month ago

India fighting climate change despite accounting for less than 4% of total emissions: Environment Minister

The Hindu  

India is undertaking an arduous effort to fight climate change despite accounting for less than four per cent of the world's cumulative emissions so far, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Tuesday. "India, home to 1.3 billion people, is undertaking this arduous effort despite the reality that our contribution to the world's cumulative emissions so far is less than 4 …

Environmental Performance Index rankings: India needs to create nature-based solutions for sustainable environment
2 years, 1 month ago

Environmental Performance Index rankings: India needs to create nature-based solutions for sustainable environment

Firstpost  

Our strategy for improving our EPI ranking should also include safeguarding our blue-carbon habitats, creating plans to prevent natural disasters in coastal areas, and safeguarding the fisherfolk community The Environmental Performance Index, which analyzes 180 nations based on a number of factors including air quality, sanitation, environmental health, biodiversity, and predicted emissions by 2050, provides an overview of the level …

India at 75 | Stepping back from an ecological abyss
2 years, 4 months ago

India at 75 | Stepping back from an ecological abyss

The Hindu  

Growing up in the 1970s and the early 1980s, many of us who were passionate about environmental issues were inspired by these and other movements. Ironically, a component of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat is new coal mining in central India, displacing already self-reliant Adivasi communities and rendering them dependent on government and corporations. Indeed, India’s crafts …

Climate Change | Sincere Efforts Made By Centre For Providing Better Environment: Delhi High Court
2 years, 4 months ago

Climate Change | Sincere Efforts Made By Centre For Providing Better Environment: Delhi High Court

Live Law  

This Delhi High Court has appreciated the efforts made by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change as well as other Ministries for ensuring implementation of the steps in respect of climate change and for "providing a better environment for the generations to come. This Delhi High Court has appreciated the efforts made by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, …

'India making multi-faceted efforts for environmental conservation', says PM Modi
2 years, 6 months ago

'India making multi-faceted efforts for environmental conservation', says PM Modi

Firstpost  

Speaking at the ‘Save Soil Movement’ programme, the prime minister said the average carbon footprint of the world is about 4 tonne per person per annum compared to just about 0.5 tonne per person per annum in India Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the various campaigns launched by the Centre as part of India’s multi-faceted efforts to reduce …

In her new book Watershed, climate expert Mridula Ramesh stresses on urgent need of water management in India
2 years, 11 months ago

In her new book Watershed, climate expert Mridula Ramesh stresses on urgent need of water management in India

Firstpost  

“While conscience is good for spurring a change, it is less effective in sustaining a change. and Founder of the Sundaram Climate Institute, is out with a new book titled Watershed: How We Destroyed India’s Water and How We Can Save It. As water becomes more precious going forward, water management births new sectors – sewage treatment, waste water markets, …

World Nature Conservation Day: How Corporate India is Learning to Become Eco-conscious
3 years, 4 months ago

World Nature Conservation Day: How Corporate India is Learning to Become Eco-conscious

News 18  

Environment versus development is a long-standing argument that has acquired a lot of attention in recent years. While individual activities are important in bridging the rising gap between humans and the environment, huge enterprises and start-ups must also contribute to environmental protection. Grow-Trees.com, for instance, is one such organization that has helped several individuals and businesses in contributing to environmental …

An underrated ecological crisis
3 years, 6 months ago

An underrated ecological crisis

Hindustan Times  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, reiterated that the world needs to come together to combat land degradation as a “collective responsibility” as it threatens the foundation of societies, economies, food security, health, safety, and quality of life. More than 3.2 billion people worldwide are at risk from the effects of land degradation, many of whom live in the world’s …

Concern over apathy of parties towards environmental issues
3 years, 8 months ago

Concern over apathy of parties towards environmental issues

The Hindu  

Activists are peeved at political parties sidetracking multifarious problems posed by environmental degradation and pollution in the run-up to the Assembly polls, despite the havoc caused by the 2018 floods and unprecedented threats to waterbodies and the Western Ghats. On its part, the government relaxed quarrying norms, while a prominent church group wants the extent of the buffer zone around …

India rolls back environmental regulations during the pandemic
3 years, 9 months ago

India rolls back environmental regulations during the pandemic

Live Mint  

India was among the 22 countries which has enacted or proposed changes to its environmental regulations during the covid-19 pandemic. The country along with Brazil, and the United States, which have seen heavy load of coronovirus cases, have seen the most instances of rollbacks of these regulations, stated paper, part of a wider report published by the International Union for …

Regulation redux: The Hindu Editorial on the Supreme Court query on an environment watchdog
3 years, 9 months ago

Regulation redux: The Hindu Editorial on the Supreme Court query on an environment watchdog

The Hindu  

The Supreme Court’s notice to the Centre on a public interest plea to set up a national environmental regulator under the Environment Act, 1986 revives an issue that successive governments have preferred to ignore, in spite of specific orders passed by the same court more than nine years ago. The draft Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2020, which seeks to advance …

Aligning growth, politics and climate
3 years, 10 months ago

Aligning growth, politics and climate

Hindustan Times  

As Covid-19 vaccines roll out, the focus has shifted to economic recovery. From United States President Joe Biden’s climate leaders summit, the G-7 in the United Kingdom to the United Nations’ High-Level Dialogue on Energy, G-20 meetings, and Conference of the Parties-26 climate negotiations, India will face pressure this year to announce a target year for net-zero emissions. State-run distribution …

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