Context: Unpaid work is crucial for development of the society and economy, but is often invisible. Women perform 75% of the world’s unpaid care work. The largest source of women’s unpaid labor is domestic work. These include household chores like grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning as well as caregiving to the children, elderly and infirm. What… Continue reading Why time banking is a crucial tool to empower women
Tag: DTE
Cleaning India’s air: What is the report card so far?
Context: An analysis of various steps taken by the government in this regard shows that much more needs to be done. What is the present situation wrt the problem of air pollution in India? Some 22 of the 30 most polluted cities in the world are in India according to the World Air Quality Report,… Continue reading Cleaning India’s air: What is the report card so far?
Air pollution kills: Study counts 100,000 premature deaths in 8 Indian cities
What is the News? According to a study published in the journal Science Advances, there is a rapid degradation in air quality and an increase in urban exposure to air pollutants hazardous to health. What are the key findings of the study? Premature Deaths due to Air Pollution Air pollution caused more than 100,000 premature… Continue reading Air pollution kills: Study counts 100,000 premature deaths in 8 Indian cities
Researchers identified over 5,500 new viruses in the ocean, including a missing link in viral evolution
What is the News? Researchers have identified more than 5,000 new RNA virus species in the world’s oceans. What are RNA Viruses? An RNA virus is a virus that has ribonucleic acid (RNA) as its genetic material. This means they carry their genetic information in RNA, rather than DNA. They also evolve at much quicker… Continue reading Researchers identified over 5,500 new viruses in the ocean, including a missing link in viral evolution
Good while it lasted – I: 6th mass extinction underway, courtesy humans
What is the News? The sixth mass extinction is underway and the earth is losing species at an unprecedented rate. Hence, this marks the beginning of the Anthropocene Epoch. Note: Anthropocene Epoch is an unofficial unit of geologic time, used to describe the most recent period in Earth’s history when the human activity started to… Continue reading Good while it lasted – I: 6th mass extinction underway, courtesy humans
Magical mushroom: Scaling up Ganoderma lucidum cultivation will benefit farmers, users
What is the News? Worldwide, attempts are being made to popularize Ganoderma lucidum (Magical Mushroom) for business and livelihood, by cultivating it on wood logs and sawdust. What is Ganoderma lucidum (Magical Mushroom)? It is a medicinal mushroom in use for centuries. It is globally known as “red reishi mushroom”. The history of consumption of… Continue reading Magical mushroom: Scaling up Ganoderma lucidum cultivation will benefit farmers, users
Biogas: A sustainable solution for curbing pollution, improving livelihoods & enhancing quality of life
News: Pollutants emitted due to the burning of fossil fuels and biomass not only affect the health of people, but are also responsible for climate change. The organic portion of the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) produces Methane, when dumped improperly, like in landfills. Disposing of organic wastes in landfills or burning trash is an environmental… Continue reading Biogas: A sustainable solution for curbing pollution, improving livelihoods & enhancing quality of life
Why India needs to bring back nature-positive farming
Context: The pandemic showed that human interventions in natural processes can have disastrous consequences. It’s time to scale up natural-positive food systems that would simultaneously promote crop, soil and human health. There is growing consensus among agri-scientists, policymakers and farmers that the Green Revolution has reached its limits and raised several issues of environmental sustainability.… Continue reading Why India needs to bring back nature-positive farming
UN takes note of global indigenous fire practices to control wildfires
What is the News? The United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) has released a report titled “Spreading like wildfire: The rising threat of extraordinary landscape fires”. The report has taken note of burning practices and techniques of indigenous peoples around the world as a method to control wildfire incidents. What are the key findings of the report?… Continue reading UN takes note of global indigenous fire practices to control wildfires
Pluto: ‘Recent’ volcanism raises puzzle — how can such a cold body power eruptions?
What is the News? The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s(NASA) New Horizons probe has reported new findings of Pluto. The probe reported that icy lava flows have recently (no more than a billion years ago) covered substantial tracts of its surface. The findings drew particular attention to a mountainous feature named Wright Mons. What is… Continue reading Pluto: ‘Recent’ volcanism raises puzzle — how can such a cold body power eruptions?
