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A new framework for sustainable mining
As the demand for minerals grows, the huge revenues generated from it are all too often fuelling conflicts and human rights violations, increasing poverty and undermining sustainable development. The new legislation the government is introducing must ensure transparency in allocation of mining concessions, and ensure participation of, and consultation with, communities affected by mining projects More... The power to chooseDuring the Copenhagen summit, a seminar on renewable energies was held on the island of Samsoe, entirely powered by windmills and waste-to-energy plants. But Samsoe has a population of just 4,000. What will it take to switch a substantial part of India and China to renewable energies? More... Why atrocities against dalits and adivasis continueSeveral legislations have been enacted for the protection of the scheduled castes and tribes. And yet violence and discrimination against them continues. This is hardly surprising, says K S Subramanian, since the police resorts to various machinations to discourage registration of cases, dilutes the seriousness of the offences, shields the accused persons, and often inflicts the violence itself More... Free to choose: Mental retardation and reproductive choiceIn a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court of India struck down a high court order to terminate the pregnancy of a mentally retarded woman, against her will More... How fertilisers are killing Indian agricultureThe huge government subsidy of Rs 12,000 crore is not only a financial millstone around our neck. By encouraging unrestrained use of fertilisers it is destroying our soils and agriculture More... 'Love Jihad': A challenge to the Constitution?The objection to inter-faith marriages, derisively called ‘love jihad’ by the Hindu right, goes against the very letter and spirit of the Indian Constitution, argues Arvind Narrain More... Carbon dating the World BankThe World Bank Group is poised to play a major role in managing climate change funds after Copenhagen. And yet, its lending for fossil fuels has more than doubled in the last decade. Since 1997, the Bank has financed over 26 giga tonnes of carbon emissions. The Bank’s lending to developing countries has ensured that no country will escape the carbon trap for at least 30-40 years More... Cities should be for people, not cars: Enrique PenalosaDenver, San Francisco and Seoul are demolishing their freeways and highways and attempting to return their cities to their people, not their cars, says Enrique Penalosa, former mayor of Bogota and founder of the BRTS in his city, advising India to learn from the mistakes of these cities More... Certification, corruption, and cost: The fight for a vaccine production policyIndia is a global exporter of vaccines but 50% of our children under one are not completely immunised. The government has ordered the reopening of vaccine-manufacturing PSUs, but a strategic plan on consistently meeting India's basic vaccine needs is still not clear. Venkat Srinivasan tells the story of India’s vaccine production programme, a story of politics, dishonesty and misguided priorities More... Climate change and food sovereigntyClimate change and economic policies are adversely impacting the food sovereignty of millions of people and both need to be combated. They both take away a basic human right – the right to adequate food More... Grootboom, Mayawati and the Supreme CourtsThe judiciary is always wary of intruding into the terrain of the legislature and executive. But increasingly, says Mukul Sharma, the courts in South Africa, Gambia and now in India with the Mayawati memorials case, feel it is their duty to question government’s resource allocation and policy prioritisation More... Ethics before economics: Towards ecological justiceWe are seeing the emergence of a new wave of Climate Capitalism, driven by the new market for green technology, carbon-trading, technology transfers and adaptation funds, writes John Samuel. But surely the ethics and politics of climate change need to precede the economic calculus of climate change? More... Impossible deadline for the Forest Rights ActThe December 31 deadline of the tribal affairs ministry for full implementation of the Forest Rights Act is absurd. How can implementation of such a complex Act be rushed through when issues involving processing of claims, recent encroachments, and the Act’s relationship with existing forest and wildlife laws have not yet been thought through? More... FOSS for the peopleThe Kerala government employs free and open source software. Even the BJP and CPM have announced their support of FOSS. But the Maharashtra government recently announced an MOU with Microsoft for teacher training using Microsoft programs. Wouldn’t it have been better to train the teachers in FOSS applications that are available to everyone and signify equity and democracy in society? More... Should India cut emissions?India’s stand on climate change is that our right to ‘development’ is non-negotiable. But, considering that the path to development we have adopted is neither sustainable nor equitable, it is time we took on voluntary emission cuts for our own welfare, even as we continue pressurising the West to cut its emissions substantially, says Ashish Kothari More... |
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