What is sustainability?
— Keshav Chaturvedi Whenever we talk of sustainability, we are reminded of one line definition articulated in the report “Our Common Future” presented by the United Nations’ World Commission on…
The future of wireless charging and long-lasting batteries
— Stu Lipoff Although both solar/kinetic power and wireless charging fall under the “portable power” umbrella they should not be conflated as they are very different topics. Since you referred to…
Sir David King: India is poised for a low carbon energy future
From a political perspective, Sir David King has played an enormous role in shaping the sustainability and climate change discussion in the UK and elsewhere. Especially, when he was the…
“Rurban” a concept for languid and benign urbanisation
— Keshav Chaturvedi The new government in India is planning to replicate an attempt made by the state government (Gujarat) from where the present prime minister has been chosen. The…
The eco and social bits from President Pranab’s address
In many ways, the presidential address when the new Lok Sabha is convened is like an editorial of a magazine. It outlines broadly what will be the scope and boundaries…
Averting the climate change catastrophe
— Arvind Kumar The recently released reports by UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warn about severe negative effects of climate change, especially on food security, water supplies and…
The ephemeral goal of saving the eternal Ganga
— Keshav Chaturvedi On June 8, this year, according to Hindu calendar (lunar calendar) the devotees will celebrate Ganga Dussehra – a festival that marks the descent of Ganga from…
Divest from fossil fuels
— Claus Andersen The estimated reserves of oil, gas and coal underground will, if extracted and burned, release 3,700-7,100 Gigatons CO2 (billion tons). However, only 550-1,270 Gigatons CO2 can be…
Renewable energy – The answer to India’s emission woes
— Shashwat DC Inflection point – as defined by dictionary – corresponds to an event or a turning point after which a dramatic change, with either positive or negative results,…
From Rome to Jaisalmer: Two divergent ancient paradigms on water management
— Keshav Chaturvedi Almost two millennia ago the great city of Rome started feeling the pressure of rising demand of water due to ever increasing population. There wasn’t enough water…
Prime Minister Modi’s Green Team
While the Indian government has a dedicated ministry for environment and forests, from a holistic perspective, the issues of environment fall under the purview of various ministries. For instance, Power…
Rachel Carson’s eternal spring
Google today commemorates the 107th birthday of renowned American biologist, Rachel Louise Carson with an illustrated doodle, that has her standing by the lakeside, with a note-book and binoculars observing…
How a Naga village can teach water sharing to the world
— Keshav Chaturvedi In the North Eastern state of Nagaland, India there is a village, Kikruma, which practices a form of water sharing that can act as a global template…
Five essentials to embedding sustainability
— Carol Adams There is no ‘one size fits all’ model when it comes to embedding sustainability. It depends on your organisation – its structure, its culture, its mission and…
Rat-Hole in Meghalaya: Whose coal is it anyways?
— Abhijit Deb The blanket ban on ‘rat-hole’ mining in Meghalaya, a procedure of coal mining, unique to the state have sparked off a raging debate in the tiny hilly…
Sustainability reporting: A tool for improving returns to shareholders?
— Carol Adams Can reporting on Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) issues increase returns to shareholders? Surveys conducted by consulting firms have found that the majority of CEOs link social responsibility…
Sustainable energy security: India’s quixotic ambition and simple ways to manage it
— Keshav Chaturvedi Last year (2013), India’s petroleum minister M Veerappan Moily presented a grand vision for the country’s energy security. The peg of the entire plan was to achieve…
Green concerns on the rise of saffron Modi
— Shashwat DC While much of India celebrates, especially the business community (the record breaking sensex is an indicator), the ascension of Narendra Damodardas Modi as the 14th Prime Minister…
Sustainable urban air quality: How Delhi squandered its chances
— Keshav Chaturvedi These days India’s capital, New Delhi, is witnessing an intellectual debate thanks to two consecutive damning reports by an international agency and an US University. In January,…
Scorching summers in Mumbai & Delhi; don’t blame the sun for it
— Shashwat DC Essentially, nature in its true essence is fairly cyclical, much-less random, and measurably predictable. Left to its own, it tends to find an equilibrium that can continue…