Earlier this week, three new sites in Tamilnadu were declared wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar convention. The Pallikaranai marshland, Pichavaram mangrove forests and Karikili bird sanctuary near Vedanthangal have been newly listed as protected areas. These sites now join...
Animal carcass formed by wildlife that dies in the deep forests of Karnataka due to natural causes or in fights for territory will now rest there. Those that die closer to human habitations in the fringe areas of the forests will get dignified last rites in the form of a burial or cremation....
The precipitous slide in India’s ranking on the Environmental Performance Index this year to rock bottom at 180 has triggered anger and denial by the Union government but it can provide lessons for Chennai environment protection. “Unfounded assumptions”, “surmises” and “unscientific methods”...
The buzz around wet bulb temperature has reached the Coromandel coast with cyclone Asani turning out to be only a brief interlude. The heat wave that has swept many parts of India in recent days, surpassing previously recorded peaks in April and May of 2010, has turned scientific attention to...
Tamil Nadu recently became a major State dedicating itself to strong action on climate change. It set up the Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013, with an authorised capital of Rs 5 crore, to implement specific missions on agriculture, emissions...
Cyclone Asani, one of the recurrent severe weather systems that visit the subcontinent in the pre-monsoon period, shows that a warming world poses a serious challenge to India’s States. This system was expected to recurve along Odisha, but actually moved towards the Andhra Pradesh - Odisha...
Sandalwood trees are highly valued in many countries. A fully grown sandalwood tree is quite aromatic and is largely found in southern and eastern India. Its bark is oily. The agar that is extracted from the bark is said to have medicinal value. It cools the skin. In the southern states, use of...
It is not every day that you spot the elusive Niligiri Tahr on the slopes of the Varaiattumudi hill, one of the most picturesque landscapes of the Kanniyakumari forests. The treacherous trek up the grassy peaks and shola forests leads you to the enchanting lair of the Varrai-aadu (the word for...
There are no loud complaints against high fuel prices. Everyone gets used to misery in small daily doses, and so the average citizen remains mobile on his two-wheeler or car, as fuel prices soar: the petrol price tops Rs 110 a litre, diesel Rs100 in Chennai (more in some other States). LPG for...
The butterflies of Tamil Nadu can weave colourful tales for our policymakers. Let's see how. Although strapped for finances, this year’s Tamil Nadu budget made an expansive announcement that a Rs. 300 crore botanical garden would come up near Chennai, in partnership with London’s Kew Gardens....
