Clear thought and action on climate change
(A version of this appeared first in Firstpost on Sep 19, 2018) Undoubtedly, the water situation of India, which asks about a fifth of the world’s population to survive on less than 1/30th of the world’s water, is precarious. This is now. What about the future? India’s population is growing, getting wealthier, and, oh yes, …
The Niti Aayog Composite Water Management Index states, “54% of India’s groundwater wells are declining, and 21 major cities are expected to run out of groundwater as soon as 2020, affecting ~100 million people.” While some claim the situation is not quite so dire, such a strong statement from the leading government policy thinktank cannot …
In South India, the conversation seems to always turn to Dengue. The neighbourhood hospitals are overflowing with dengue cases, and sachets of Nila Vembu Kashayam (a herbal remedy against fevers) are being sent home, as per government instructions, in my 5-year-old’s homework diary. Offices and factories are reeling under a wave of absenteeism as workers …
We began this mini-series within the column by talking about the Gujarat and Assam floods. Major Catastrophes? Little more than a month ago, large parts of Gujarat and Assam had been inundated by water, and lakhs of people had been displaced. Between then and now, Bihar has been devastated by the floods. Parts of Bangalore …
Continue reading Why action on flooding is less likely than an Indian GoT starring Rajinikanth?
A version of this appeared in Firstpost on Aug 20th: http://www.firstpost.com/living/climate-change-and-the-social-contract-how-our-choices-lead-to-predictable-tragedies-3950247.html A Faustian Bargain – Social Contracts, Climate Change and predictable tragedies Last time we saw how our societal choices – building over water bodies, dumping rubbish in rivers and allowing slums to come up on river banks – join hands with climate change and …
So many of us give and receive inane advice. Things usually are the way they are for good reasons. It helps to understand why. A three part series on why India is the way it is - and how we can change it? The first part appeared in Firstpost on August 6th: http://www.firstpost.com/living/gujarat-assam-floods-why-blaming-climate-change-while-customary-is-also-unhelpful-3893631.html Want to …
Pro: They are such a beautiful, rich source of life and biodiversity. Con: How are they even related to me? I care more about the jobs and the economy. Certainly, the "Pro" argument will not cut any ice with any person struggling with holding onto their jobs or finding a new job. Corals are remote, …
Continue reading Why should we care about coral reefs disappearing?
