How the United Nations is Struggling to Stay Relevant in a Fragmented World
Introduction There is a phrase increasingly echoed in international affairs classrooms, diplomatic circles, and policy papers: “The United Nations is facing an identity crisis.” At first glance, this seems like an exaggeration. After all, the UN is still the world’s largest international organization, with 193 member states, dozens of specialized agencies, and a global presence that influences everything from refugee aid to climate policy. Its peacekeepers are stationed on multiple...
10 min read →How Windmills Make Energy: The Science, Engineering, and Hidden Complexity Behind Wind Power
Introduction: Turning Moving Air Into Electricity Stand beneath a modern wind turbine and look up. The blades sweep across the sky with a calm grace that makes it easy to forget the engineering complexity behind them. These structures, often taller than skyscrapers, convert something seemingly gentle and inconsistent—the wind—into a steady supply of electricity. Wind turbines are not simple machines or oversized fans. They are aerodynamic devices based on principles similar to aircraft,...
8 min read →The Hidden Physics of Everyday Objects: The Science You Never Noticed
Introduction: A World Full of Invisible Forces Every time you open a door, tighten your shoelace, sip water through a straw, or pull your phone out of your pocket, you’re doing physics—without even knowing it. And not the complicated, formula-heavy physics you see in textbooks.This is gentle, everyday physics. Sneaky physics. The kind that silently shapes almost everything you touch. Most students believe physics is limited to rocket launches, light-speed experiments, or giant scientific...
6 min read →How Do Hurricanes Form and Gain Strength?
Introduction: Nature’s Most Powerful Storms Every year, millions of people around the world face the wrath of hurricanes—storms so powerful they can reshape coastlines, disrupt economies, and claim thousands of lives. Known as typhoons in Asia and cyclones in the Indian Ocean, these storms are among the most feared natural disasters. But behind the destruction lies fascinating science. How do hurricanes form and gain strength? What fuels them, and why do they vary in size and intensity? By...
6 min read →The Star in a Jar: How Nuclear Fusion Promises Infinite Energy
Introduction: The Quest for the Sun’s Power on Earth For centuries, humanity has sought to harness the power of the sun. The sun, a giant ball of plasma, is a continuous fusion reaction, releasing a torrent of energy that makes life on Earth possible. But what if we could replicate this process here, in a controlled environment? This is the grand ambition of nuclear fusion research. Unlike nuclear fission, which powers today's reactors by splitting atoms, fusion involves combining atomic...
8 min read →River Linking Projects: Solution to Floods and Droughts or Ecological Gamble?
Introduction – The Ambitious Dream of River Linking Water has always been both a blessing and a challenge for India. Every year, while some regions suffer from devastating floods, others face crippling droughts. To solve this imbalance, the concept of river interlinking projects was introduced—an ambitious engineering plan to connect rivers across the country, transferring water from surplus regions to deficit ones. Proponents argue that this could be the ultimate answer to India’s water...
6 min read →Geopolitics of Food Security
Food security today is no longer just about feeding populations. It is about maintaining stability, preserving sovereignty, and wielding influence on the world stage. Much like oil shaped geopolitics in the 20th century, food—especially grains like wheat, rice, and corn—is increasingly shaping the 21st. Nations that can produce, control, or restrict the flow of grain hold tremendous leverage over those that depend on imports. As climate change, war, and economic disruptions test the global...
6 min read →Climate Migration: How Rising Seas Redraw Borders
For centuries, borders have been drawn on maps with the assumption that land is permanent, stable, and immovable. But what happens when the land itself disappears? Rising sea levels, driven by global warming and melting ice sheets, are threatening to submerge coastal cities, fertile deltas, and even entire nations. Climate migration—the mass movement of people forced to leave their homes due to environmental collapse—is no longer a prediction of the future. It is already happening. In the...
7 min read →Deglobalization or Reglobalization? The World After Supply Chain Shocks
Globalization has long been celebrated as the invisible force knitting the world together. Cheaper goods, interdependent economies, and cultural exchange all became possible because supply chains could stretch from Shenzhen to San Francisco, from Mumbai to Manchester. Yet the cracks in this system became starkly visible in the last decade, and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Empty supermarket shelves, chip shortages paralyzing car production, and skyrocketing shipping costs brought...
5 min read →Climate Economics: Can Growth and Green Goals Coexist?
Economic growth has been the yardstick of progress for centuries. From Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations to the modern obsession with GDP, prosperity has been equated with expansion. But in the 21st century, the old formula collides with a new reality: climate change. The world now faces a critical dilemma. On one side, billions of people still aspire to better living standards, demanding jobs, infrastructure, and energy. On the other side, the carbon budget for limiting global warming is...
5 min read →Green Energy Colonialism: How the West Is Exploiting the Global South Again
1. Introduction: A Green Revolution with a Dark Underside In the 21st century, the global conversation around energy has shifted dramatically. The urgent need to reduce carbon emissions, combat climate change, and move away from fossil fuels has given rise to what many call the Green Revolution. Solar farms stretch across deserts, wind turbines spin across coastlines, and battery-powered cars are fast becoming the norm in developed nations. But beneath the glossy headlines and grand promises...
5 min read →Climate Nationalism: Is the Global Climate Fight Falling Apart?
As climate change accelerates, the world faces an unprecedented need for collective action. Rising sea levels, intensifying wildfires, droughts, and floods are no longer future threats—they are today’s reality. Despite this, cooperation on a global scale is becoming harder to achieve. A growing trend known as climate nationalism is reshaping how nations view their responsibilities and interests in the climate fight. But what exactly is climate nationalism, and is it undermining the global...
4 min read →Is Fire a Solid, Liquid, or Gas?
Fire is one of the most captivating natural phenomena known to humankind. It has lit our paths, cooked our food, forged our tools, and even shaped our mythologies. We see fire almost every day—whether in a candle, a campfire, or a gas stove. But despite its familiarity, fire remains deeply misunderstood. When asked, "Is fire a solid, liquid, or gas?", most people instinctively assign it to one of the classical states of matter. But this question, while simple on the surface, opens a...
6 min read →How Did We Go from Hunter-Gatherers to Instagram Influencers?
Roughly 300,000 years ago, early Homo sapiens roamed African grasslands, surviving on foraged berries, wild roots, and hunted game. They lived in tight-knit groups, told stories by firelight, and tracked stars by instinct. Fast forward to 2025: someone is doing a TikTok dance in their kitchen, going viral to millions of strangers, monetizing their personal brand while algorithmic feeds dictate the rhythm of global culture. What happened in between? How did humanity evolve from...
4 min read →Global Warming Is Not a Hoax: Here's the Cold, Hard Science
In an age where misinformation spreads like wildfire and science is often politicized, few topics are as controversial—or as crucial—as global warming. From political podiums to online forums, some continue to question whether climate change is even real. The phrase “Global warming is a hoax” has echoed across debates, articles, and comment sections. But here’s the truth:Global warming is not a hoax. It’s a scientifically established reality, supported by decades of data, peer-reviewed...
5 min read →Glaciers and Ice Ages: How Ice Sculpted the Modern World
The modern world is shaped by many forces—tectonics, wind, water—but few are as powerful and transformative as ice. Glaciers and ice ages have chiseled Earth’s landscapes, carved vast valleys, molded continents, and even shaped human migration. Despite their slow movement, glaciers are among the most dynamic agents of geological change. Glaciers and recurring ice ages have acted like planetary scalpels, reshaping the Earth's surface through a combination of immense pressure, weight, and time....
5 min read →The Formation of Earth’s Core, Mantle, and Crust Explained
When we look at Earth today—with its mountains, oceans, and atmosphere—it’s easy to forget the chaotic origins from which it was born. Earth formed over 4.5 billion years ago, a process marked by violent collisions, intense heat, and chemical transformations. During this early tumultuous period, Earth gradually separated into three distinct layers: the core, mantle, and crust. Understanding how these layers formed is crucial to studying everything from earthquakes to volcanoes, plate...
5 min read →The Green Revolution: Saving India from Famine or Creating Long-Term Problems?
The Green Revolution in India is often celebrated as a miracle of modern agriculture — a time when new technologies, high-yield seeds, and policy interventions turned a nation on the brink of famine into a self-sufficient food producer. For a country still recovering from colonial exploitation and facing population pressure in the 1960s, the Green Revolution appeared as the silver bullet. But over time, this miracle has come under scrutiny. Today, many are asking: Did the Green Revolution...
6 min read →Why Earth Breathes: The Planet’s Subtle Seasonal Movements
From space, Earth appears as a serene, unchanging blue marble. But beneath this calm façade, the planet pulses with an invisible rhythm. Every year, Earth “breathes” — not in the biological sense, but in a large-scale, planetary one. This breathing is most apparent in the way carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels in the atmosphere rise and fall with the seasons. The planet inhales and exhales through forests, oceans, soils, and even the Arctic tundra, reflecting a delicate dance between biology and...
6 min read →The Green Economy: Is Sustainability Profitable?
Once considered a niche concern or a public relations strategy, sustainability is now at the heart of modern business and economic policy. As climate change accelerates and resource scarcity grows, more companies are turning to the green economy—an economic system based on reducing environmental risks and promoting sustainable development. But a key question persists: Is the green economy actually profitable? The answer lies in understanding how sustainability intersects with innovation,...
5 min read →How Microplastics Are Entering Our Bloodstream
In the age of plastic convenience, we are surrounded by synthetic materials—from the packaging on our food to the fibers in our clothes. But what was once seen as revolutionary has turned insidious. Recent studies have found microplastics in human bloodstreams, marking a disturbing milestone in environmental and public health research. Microplastics, defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters, are not just clogging oceans and harming marine life—they’re now inside us. This raises...
5 min read →How Rare Earth Metals Are the New Oil
In the 20th century, the world’s power dynamics revolved around oil. Countries fought wars, struck alliances, and built empires on the back of petroleum. Today, the narrative is shifting. In the 21st century, it is rare earth metals that are becoming the linchpin of global economic and technological dominance. Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 chemically similar metals crucial for producing a wide range of high-tech devices—from smartphones and electric vehicles to wind turbines,...
7 min read →Island Nations and Rising Seas: The Case of Maldives and Kiribati
Imagine waking up one day and realizing your entire country could vanish beneath the waves. This is not science fiction—it is the alarming reality faced by low-lying island nations such as the Maldives in the Indian Ocean and Kiribati in the Pacific. As global sea levels rise, these countries—often just a few meters above sea level—are on the front lines of a climate emergency. Rising sea levels in island nations pose not just environmental risks but existential threats. These small nations...
5 min read →Himalayas in Peril: How Melting Glaciers Threaten Billions
The Himalayas, towering across South and Central Asia, are often called the “Third Pole” because they hold the largest reservoir of ice outside the Arctic and Antarctic. These majestic mountains are more than just a geographical marvel—they are life-givers. Feeding ten of the world’s major rivers—including the Ganges, Indus, Brahmaputra, and Mekong—the Himalayas provide water to over 1.5 billion people across Asia. But this crucial lifeline is under dire threat. Himalayan glaciers are melting...
5 min read →The Unseen Architects: How Pandemics Have Reshaped Human Societies
From ancient whispers of devastating plagues to the recent global upheaval of COVID-19, humanity has been locked in a persistent, often deadly, dance with infectious diseases. These widespread outbreaks, known as pandemics, are far more than just medical crises. They are powerful forces that have sculpted the very contours of our societies, leaving an indelible mark on our economies, political systems, cultural norms, and even our fundamental understanding of the world. Let's delve into the...
6 min read →The World's Longest Rivers and Their Role in Civilization
Since the dawn of humanity, rivers have served as lifelines for civilizations. They provide water, transportation, fertile soil, and trade routes, making them ideal cradles for human settlement and cultural development. Among the thousands of rivers that snake across the Earth, a few stand out not just for their staggering lengths but also for their enormous historical impact. This blog explores the world's longest rivers and their deep-rooted significance in shaping human civilization. What...
4 min read →Why Do Natural Disasters Occur More in Some Regions?
Natural disasters are a stark reminder of nature’s power, capable of reshaping landscapes, affecting millions of lives, and challenging human resilience. But these disasters don’t strike randomly across the globe. Some regions bear the brunt repeatedly, while others remain relatively safe. To understand this uneven distribution, we must delve into the complex interplay of geological forces, climatic conditions, geographical features, and human activities that together shape disaster-prone...
4 min read →The Geopolitics of Water: The Coming Resource Wars
In the 21st century, the world’s most precious resource isn’t oil or gold—it’s water. As climate change, population growth, and industrial demand escalate, freshwater scarcity has emerged as a pressing global challenge. The geopolitics of water—how access, control, and distribution of water affect international relations—is increasingly becoming a focal point for security analysts, policymakers, and environmentalists alike. . Why Water is the New Oil Unlike fossil fuels, there is no...
5 min read →The Arctic Gold Rush: Who Really Owns the North Pole?
Introduction: The Scramble for the Arctic For centuries, the Arctic was a frozen, inhospitable frontier—more a subject of explorers’ dreams than a geopolitical battleground. But today, as climate change rapidly melts the polar ice, the region has become the center of a modern-day gold rush. Beneath the ice lie vast reserves of oil, natural gas, rare minerals, and newly accessible shipping routes that could reshape global trade. The question is: Who owns the North Pole? The answer is far from...
3 min read →The Dawn of Domestication: How Humans and Animals First Became Partners
For thousands of years, humans have lived alongside domesticated animals—dogs, cats, cows, sheep, and more. But how did this incredible partnership begin? What led early humans to tame wild beasts, and how did domestication shape civilization? Let's travel back in time to explore the fascinating origins of animal domestication. The First Companions: Wolves Become Dogs The earliest and most iconic example of domestication is the dog, which descended from wolves. Scientists believe this...
2 min read →State of Forest Report of India
India's natural resources include forests, which are crucial for preserving the nation's ecological balance. The Forest Survey of India (FSI) publishes the State of Forest Report (SFR) every two years, which is a detailed report on the condition of the nation's forest resources. The Status of Forest Survey in India will be discussed in this essay, along with its significance, methodology, and major findings. The significance of India's State of Forest Survey An essential instrument for...
4 min read →Flood Governance in India
Introduction With an average of 75 million people affected by floods each year, India is one of the nations most prone to flooding in the globe. Massive economic and social disruptions brought on by floods include human casualties and property damage. In this essay, we will examine the policies, institutions, and difficulties associated with flood governance in India. Governance Policy Framework for Floods At the national, state, and local levels, several policies and frameworks control flood...
3 min read →Stockholm Declaration
What is Stockholm Declaration? The Stockholm Declaration is a United Nations (UN) resolution adopted at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden in 1972. The Stockholm Declaration is a landmark document that recognized the importance of protecting the environment and the need for international cooperation to address environmental issues. The Stockholm Declaration consists of 26 principles that outline the rights and responsibilities of states and individuals...
2 min read →What is CITES?
CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. It is an international agreement between governments that aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. CITES was first signed in 1973 and now has 183 member countries, known as Parties. These Parties agree to regulate the international trade in listed species of plants and animals and their parts and products. The CITES Secretariat,...
2 min read →What is Ecology?
Ecology is the scientific study of the relationships between living organisms and their environment. It focuses on how different species interact with each other and their surroundings, and how these interactions impact the functioning of ecosystems. Ecology also looks at how human activities, such as pollution and habitat destruction, can affect the natural world and the species that live in it. The goal of ecology is to understand the complex processes that govern the natural world, and to...
2 min read →Green Federalism
Introduction Green Federalism the most important aspects of functional federalism. It is also an incredibly difficult area for attaining the coordination and cooperation required amongst tiers of government to achieve sustainable development. Environmental protection aims are very stringent, and green federalism is an unavoidable requirement. Nowhere is this more evident than in the case of safeguarding forests and sustaining the necessary green cover. In India, forests cover about 21.71...
4 min read →Graded Response Action Plan
Introduction Worldwide, 9 out of 10 people breathe polluted air. Air pollution is among the greatest threats to human health. About 29% of lung cancer deaths and diseases, 43% of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease fatalities, and 25% of heart disease and stroke deaths are attributed to ambient air pollution. According to the 2017 Global Burden of Disease report, 1.24 million fatalities are attributable to air pollution. Air pollution has become a serious issue today. Owing to ...
3 min read →Regenerative Agriculture
Introduction The cornerstone of regenerative agriculture is that it not only "does no harm" to the land, but actually improves it through the use of technology that restore and rejuvenate the soil and the ecosystem. Regenerative agriculture produces healthy soil that is capable of producing high-quality, nutrient-dense food while simultaneously enhancing, as opposed to deteriorating, land, and ultimately leading to productive farms, healthy communities, and robust economies. It incorporates...
3 min read →Floating Treatment Wetlands - Bioremediation
Introduction Today, water pollution has become a serious issue. If left unchecked, it can have severe effects not just on the human population, but also on the entire terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity. The contamination of the water table by lead, cadmium, and mercury poses grave health problems. The agricultural runoff that is washed away into lakes cause eutrophication leading to degradation of water bodies. Freshwater lakes worldwide, particularly shallow lakes, are at risk....
3 min read →What is Net Zero?
Introduction Net zero refers to a state of neutrality in which the greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere are balanced by removal out of the atmosphere. The necessity of net zero is emphasised by the Paris Agreement. In the second half of this century, states must "establish a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases." The idea of net zero has become important in the backdrop of climate change. Evidence shows that our planet is getting...
2 min read →Ozone Hole over Tropics
Introduction Ozone is a gas that exists both in the Earth's upper atmosphere and at ground level. Depending on where it is in the atmosphere, ozone can be "good" or "bad" for ones health and the environment. Ozone can be found in two layers of the atmosphere i.e Ground level or "bad" ozone that is present in Troposphere and one that is found in the stratosphere which is called "good" ozone, the layer that shields Earth's life from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Tropical hole...
3 min read →Cold Water Corals
Introduction Coral reefs are colourful ecosystems that are brimming with life. Most thrive in tropical oceans' warm, sunny waters. Beautiful and accessible, shallow water corals are beloved and well known to scientists. Deep-sea corals, on the other hand, are often unknown and underappreciated. It is difficult and costly to study these creatures since they dwell in the frigid darkness of the abyss. In recent years, scientists have used advanced submersible and underwater sensing technology to...
3 min read →Zero Budget Natural Farming
Introduction Subhash Palekar, Maharashtra based agriculturist and Padma Shri recipient, popularised zero-budget natural farming (ZBNF), which refers to the process of growing crops without the use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, or any other external materials. Farmers instead use low-cost locally sourced natural concoctions, inoculums, and decoctions made from cow dung, urine, jaggery, lilac, green chilies, and a variety of other natural ingredients. The term 'Zero Budget' refers to the...
2 min read →Tropical Cyclone
Introduction Tropical cyclones are violent storms that form over tropical oceans and move to coastal areas, causing widespread devastation due to high winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surges. This is one of nature's most disastrous natural calamities. They are known as Cyclones in the Indian Ocean, Hurricanes in the Atlantic, Typhoons in the Western Pacific and South China Sea, and Willy-willies in the Western Australia. In the northern hemisphere, cyclones circulate in an anticlockwise...
2 min read →River Water Interlinking
Introduction India, without a doubt, suffers greatly from the unequal distribution of water resources. Water availability varies significantly between the deserts of the west and the hills of the north. However, the real water management challenge in India is that the country's climate is characterised by monsoons. Half of the annual precipitation occurs over a 15-day period. Over 90% of river run-off occurs during the four monsoon months. This results in India being both water-rich and...
4 min read →Stubble Burning
Introduction The practise of burning crop residue, particularly in North India, is a major contributor to air pollution. A major challenge is persuading farmers to abandon the practise by providing alternative methods of disposal through economically productive use of crop residues. Pollution control efforts are hampered by a lack of awareness of the negative effects of pollution. This makes it difficult to effect the necessary behavioural change in order to combat pollution. The principle...
3 min read →Mining Industry
Introduction India has enormous mineral potential, as its prospective geology is broadly similar to Western Australia's, particularly in terms of iron ore, bauxite, coal, diamonds, and heavy minerals sand. India has designated 5.71 lakh square kilometres as an area of obvious geological potential (OGP), but only 10% of it has been explored and only 1.5% is being mined. Five major mineral-producing states, namely Odisha, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Karnataka, produce nearly...
4 min read →Sustainable, Green and Smart Cities
Introduction The rapid growth of our cities, as well as the evolution of our production methods, have had a significant impact on how the urban world has evolved. It is estimated that by 2050, 66 percent of the global population will be living in cities, up from 54 percent now (UNEP, 2018). This means that 2.4 billion people could be added to the world's urban population. The growing popularity of the dispersed city model in the twentieth century not only contrasted sharply with earlier, more...
7 min read →Deserts
Introduction Deserts cover more than one-fifth of the Earth's land surface and can be found on all continents. A desert is defined as a location that receives fewer than 10 inches (25 cm) of rain each year. Deserts are part of a larger category of landforms known as drylands. These places have a "moisture deficit," which implies they lose more moisture through evaporation than they receive from annual precipitation. Vegetation Both hot and mid-latitude deserts are dominated by xerophytic or...
3 min read →Dead Zones
Introduction What are Dead Zones? Dead zones are areas of low oxygen in the world's oceans and lakes and occur when dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration falls to or below 2 mg of O₂/liter. This low level of oxygen is also referred to as Hypoxia and makes these areas unfavourable for sustaining life and that is why these areas are referred to as dead zones. Once the dissolved oxygen levels decline below 0.5 ml O₂/liter in a body of water, mass mortality occurs. Do you know that the Baltic Sea...
4 min read →Pacific Ring of Fire
Introduction The Circum-Pacific Belt, often known as the Ring of Fire, is a region along the Pacific Ocean marked by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. It is roughly 40,000 kilometres long . It traces boundaries between several tectonic plates—including the Pacific, Juan de Fuca, Cocos, Indian-Australian, Nazca, North American, and Philippine Plates. More than 450 volcanoes, or 75% of all volcanoes on Earth, are found along the Ring of Fire. Also, about 90 per cent of the world’s...
2 min read →Ethanol Blending
Introduction Global transportation sector is facing three major challenges, namely depletion of fossil fuels, volatility in crude oil prices and stringent environmental regulations. Alternative fuels specific to geographies can address these issues. Ethanol is considered to be one of most suitable alternative blending, transportation fuel due to its better fuel quality (ethanol has a higher octane number) and environmental benefits. Our nation's energy demand is increasing due to a growing...
3 min read →What is Lead Poisoning?
Introduction Lead is a toxic metal that occurs naturally in the Earth's crust. Its widespread use has resulted in widespread environmental contamination, human exposure, and serious public health issues in many parts of the world. The World Health Organisation has listed lead as one of 10 chemicals that are very dangerous to public health (WHO). The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MOEFCC) has passed a rule called "Regulation on Lead contents in Household and Decorative...
2 min read →Sagarmala Programme
Introduction In India, the maritime sector has been the backbone of the country's trade and has grown exponentially over the years. The Government of India has launched the ambitious Sagarmala Programme to promote port-led development in the country, leveraging India's 7,500 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways, and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes. On March 25, 2015, the Union Cabinet approved the Sagarmala concept. A National...
3 min read →What is Biogas?
Introduction Biogas is a renewable and environmentally benign energy source. It is produced anaerobically, when organic matter, such as food or animal waste, is broken down by microbes in the absence of oxygen. To accomplish this, the waste material must be enclosed in an atmosphere devoid of oxygen. Biogas can be produced either organically or through an industrial process for use as a fuel. Working of Biogas Plant The mixing tank is where the biomass and water are mixed together to make a...
3 min read →Monkeypox
Introduction Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by monkeypox virus infection. The monkeypox virus belongs to the same virus family as the variola virus, which causes smallpox. The symptoms of monkeypox are similar to those of smallpox, but they are milder, and monkeypox is rarely fatal. Monkeypox was discovered in 1958 after two outbreaks of a pox-like disease in research colonies of monkeys. Despite the name "monkeypox," the disease's origins are unknown. However, African rodents and...
2 min read →Ozone Layer Depletion
Introduction Ozone is a gas that exists both in the Earth's upper atmosphere and at ground level. Depending on where it is in the atmosphere, ozone can be "good" or "bad" for ones health and the environment. Ozone can be found in two layers of the atmosphere. Ground level or "bad" ozone is an air pollutant that is hazardous to one's health and harms crops, trees, and other vegetation. It is a major contributor to urban smog. The stratospheric, or "good" ozone layer, extends upward from 6 to...
4 min read →Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2022
Introduction Pollution from single-use plastic items has become a major environmental challenge for all countries. India has made a commitment to take action to reduce pollution caused by littered Single Use Plastics. Single-use plastics, also known as disposable plastics, are used only once before being discarded or recycled. Plastic is so inexpensive and convenient that it has supplanted all other materials in the packaging industry, but it takes hundreds of years to degrade. According to...
3 min read →Feminization of Agriculture
Introduction If there were four women for every ten males in the agricultural sector in 1991, there were six women for every ten men in 2011. This phenomenon of growing female engagement, especially in agricultural labour, is referred to as the feminisation of the Indian agricultural workforce. Causes of Indian Agriculture Feminisation Poverty is a key element that forces women to work as agricultural labourers to augment their family's income. Women also work as unremunerated workers in...
4 min read →Organic Farming
Introduction According to FAO “Organic agriculture is a unique production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity, and this is accomplished by using on-farm agronomic, biological and mechanical methods in exclusion of all synthetic off-farm inputs” Lord Northbourne is credited with coining the phrase "organic farming." The phrase is derived from his notion of "the farm as an...
2 min read →Types of Rocks
Introduction A rock is a natural substance made up of solid crystals of various minerals that fused together to form a solid mass. The minerals might have formed at the same time or not. What matters is the natural processes glued them all together. Igneous Rocks Because igneous rocks are formed from magma and lava from the earth's interior, they are referred to as primary rocks. Igneous rocks (Ignis - Latin for "Fire") occur when magma cools and solidifies.When magma in its upward movement...
3 min read →Agriculture Diversification: Crop Diversification
Introduction The fundamental approach to agricultural diversification should be comprehensive in character, including the traditional expertise of local farmers as well. In addition to crop components, livestock, fisheries, and other supportive measures should be included for practicability and wide-scale implementation. Diversified agriculture is essential for feeding the world's population sustainably and in perpetuity while mitigating climate change and preventing the collapse of the...
3 min read →What is Sustainable Development?
Introduction The concept of sustainable development was emphasised by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which defined it as: ‘Development that meets the need of the present generation without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs. The definition's usage of the term 'needs' refers to resource distribution. The seminal report—Our Common Future — that gave the above definition explained sustainable development as ‘meeting...
7 min read →Biodiversity
Introduction Biodiversity is all the different kinds of life you’ll find on planet earth —the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and creatures interacts in ecosystems to preserve equilibrium and sustain life, much like an intricate web. Biodiversity supplies everything humans need in nature to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter. We advocate biodiversity for biodiversity’s sake. It may...
3 min read →Types of Forests in India
Introduction A forest is a complex ecosystem. Forests are home to a wide range of living forms, including plants, animals, birds, insects, and reptiles. In addition, the woodlands are rich in bacteria and fungus, which play a vital role in decomposing decaying organic matter and nourishing the soil. Forests supply a wide range of natural services and goods. Many forest products are utilised on a daily basis. Aside from this, trees play an essential function in preserving ecological balance...
4 min read →Environmental Movements
Introduction Following the completion of the United Nations Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm in 1972, researchers paid close attention to environmental problems. By the 1980s, the "green movement" had become a global phenomenon, embraced by many nations throughout the globe, including India. These movements are concerned with issues such as tribal’s right to retain their indigenous traditional knowledge and livelihood, environmental protection, and the preservation of ecological...
3 min read →Evergreen Revolution
Introduction India is among the world's largest agricultural economies, sustaining a huge population. At the time of independence, India's economy was heavily reliant on agriculture. Nonetheless, the agricultural sector was in turmoil. Productivity was poor and heavily reliant on the monsoon, there were no irrigation facilities, no infrastructure, and no modern technologies. Agriculture plays a pivotal role in Indian society. Despite contributing 19% to the GDP, agriculture and related...
4 min read →Wetlands and Ramsar Convention
Introduction The Ramsar Convention is an international convention that establishes a framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. It is the only global treaty that focuses specifically on wetlands. The Convention was signed in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into effect in 1975. Since then, about 90 percent of UN member nations have become "Contracting Parties," pledging their support for the Convention's three pillars: Objective Work towards the...
3 min read →Earthquake
Introduction In simple terms, an earthquake is the ground shaking. This is a natural occurrence. It occurs as a result of energy being released, which causes waves that travel in all directions. Although the Earth appears to be a rather stable planet from the surface, it is actually quite busy beneath the surface. Earth is composed of four fundamental layers: a solid crust, a heated, almost solid mantle, a liquid outer core, and a solid inner core. The lithosphere is not a single chunk that...
3 min read →Volcanoes
Introduction A volcano is a fissure in the crust of a planet or moon through which molten rock, hot gases, and other substances erupt. Volcanoes frequently develop a hill or mountain as a result of the accumulation of layers of rock and ash from numerous eruptions. Volcanoes are categorized according to their state of activity: active, dormant, or extinct. Active volcanoes have recently erupted; they are quite likely to do so again. Dormant volcanoes have been dormant for an extended period...
3 min read →Wildfires
Introduction A wildfire is an uncontrolled fire that burns in the vegetation of a wilderness. Wildfires can and have burned in forests, grasslands, savannas, and other ecosystems for hundreds of millions of years. They are not geographically or environmentally restricted. Wildfires can burn in both below- and above-ground vegetation. Ground fires generally start in soil that is dense with organic stuff that can act as a fuel source for the flames, such as plant roots. Ground fires can smolder...
2 min read →Human Rights and Environment
Introduction Human rights are rights that all humans possess, regardless of race, gender, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or another status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of speech and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone, without exception, is entitled to these rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a watershed moment in human rights history. The Declaration was...
3 min read →Vertical Farming
Introduction The plants are arranged in a tower-like arrangement in the physical layout. This reduces the amount of space needed to cultivate plants. Using both natural and artificial light, the plants are then kept in a perfect habitat for their optimal development. The third parameter is the growing medium for the plants. As a substitute for soil, aeroponic, hydroponic, or aquaponic growth mediums are employed. Techniques of Vertical Farming 1. Hydroponics It is a method of growing food in...
3 min read →Permaculture
Introduction It is the harmonious integration of landscape and people — providing their food, energy, shelter, and other material and non-material needs in a sustainable way. Permaculture is a phrase that refers to a systematic method of agriculture and habitation that reflects the interdependence and sustainability of natural ecosystems. Permaculture can be contrasted with intensive agriculture, which eventually renders land unsustainable for cultivation, thus depleting available areas for...
2 min read →National Green Tribunal (NGT)
What is National Green Tribunal? The National Green Tribunal was established on October 18, 2010, under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, to resolve cases involving environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources, as well as enforcing any legal right relating to the environment and providing relief and compensation for damages to persons and property, as well as matters connected with or incidental to those cases. It is a specialised body with the...
3 min read →What is Environment?
In its most literal sense, the term "environment" refers to "surroundings" (environs). An individual's, object's, element's, or system's environment includes all other things with whom it interacts. Individuals, things, elements, and systems rarely exist in isolation; instead, they interact with their environment to varying degrees. The environment, therefore, encompasses everything that surrounds or affects an organism during the course of its life. The term "environment" refers to an...
2 min read →Biosphere
A biosphere is an area of the earth that can support life and is also referred to as the ecosphere. It is the sum total of all ecosystems such as the atmosphere (air), hydrosphere (water), and lithosphere (rock) which exist together in a highly integrated and interacting manner. The earth's biosphere is estimated to have evolved at least 3.5 billion years ago by a process known as biopoiesis (the formation of life naturally from non-living components such as simple organic molecules) or...
2 min read →What is Ecology?
In 1869, Ernest Haeckel coined the term "ecology" which is derived from two Greek words: "oikos," and "logos," roughly translating into the study of habitats. Ecology can be defined as the study of how organisms interact with their environment and how organisms adapt to their environments through effective resource utilisation. Ecology helps in understanding the life's processes of organisms in relation to its environment and how organisms adapt to their changing habitat. It also helps in...
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