North deserts initiative on desertification
Africa's success at Rio summit in securing international support for a proposed desertification convention seems to be short-lived as Northern …
Rio has not changed the North-South equation
The UNCED deliberations have to be viewed in the context of northern attempts to maintain hegemony over the rest of the world
Commission of omissions
After prolonged negotiations, what the Rio summit has produced is a weak and poorly represented commission on sustainable development
Did Riocentro learn anything from Flamengo park?
While heads of state deliberated on the future of the world at the Riocentro, social activists and NGOs expressed their sense of frustration …
Forests of global contention
The South's determined efforts to scuttle the forest convention that the North was adamant on pushing through was a major triumph. A blow-by-…
Stockholm and Rio: Bigger, but was it better?
Stockholm wasn't as big as Rio, but I think it had a soul. I expect Rio's soul was there too, somewhere
Passing USA's laugh test
Helping George Bush gain political mileage seemed to be the overriding concern at the recent climate convention negotiations in New York. India …
The Curious Case of Golden Peacock
An international gathering...desi style tamasha. A DowntoEarth exclusive on what happened at the award ceremony at Palampur
Scientists find new mechanism that contributes to Arctic warming
New research says the Arctic Ocean traps more energy from far infrared radiation than previously estimated
10 good news we got in 2018
As this year nears its end, here’s a look at stories by Down To Earth that brought some relief to an otherwise climate change-ravaged period
The Earth has not one, but three moons
New research confirms a 1961 discovery of two new moons, made up of extremely tiny dust particles and located at the same distance as the Earth&…
How Machilipatnam became site of a pioneering discovery in 19th century
It was in Machilipatnam that the world caught the first glimpse of light from a new material - helium
Revival story: How Mookaneri lake became a welcome green patch for Salem
A group of concerned citizens revived a British-era lake in Salem that had turned into a garbage dump
Swine flu: shortage of lab facilities adds to people’s woes
Government hospitals testing only those patients who are in poor condition, complain patients
India’s population question
Population per se is not the determinant of environmental problems; it is their consumption pattern that leads to environmental degradation
Fresh twist in Moon’s genesis; lunar body likely formed within hours after collision
Moon’s composition is similar to Earth and not Mars or other objects in the solar system
New map of Earth’s tectonic plates to help understand quakes, volcanoes better
The study, of which the map is a part, sheds light on how past continents were formed by tectonic movements; new microplates have been added with …
Petro to Electro: A new transition that will change the world, has begun
The geopolitics of the world will shift from oil producing countries to the rare earth and other critical mineral producing countries in the …
Earth getting greener, NASA's new maps confirm
A significant increase in green cover in boreal and Arctic regions was observed in the updated maps
NASA camera captures Earth’s entire sunlit side
The image shows the effect of sunlight scattered by air molecules which gives it an overall bluish tint
High prices of food lead to malnutrition, says study
Poorer households have the smallest food reserves and are therefore hardest hit by rising food prices: study
UN food agency launches digital platform on family farming
The move will allow governments to build stronger policies in favour of family farmers across the world
Celebration of life
In a first, a Bollywood commercial flick delves into a differently abled person's sexuality
Nepal earthquake: reminder for India on structural safety
It is not enough to have codes for making buildings earthquake-resistant, these have to be enforced on ground
How to love farmers-the Modi way
Like its other policies, the BJP government's Land Acquisition Ordinance favours industry at the cost of farmers