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Over the centuries, advances in science and technology have driven mankind to become what it is today. The wheel, the compass, the printing press, soap, the telephone, the light bulb, penicillin, electricity, the internet, … all of these inventions can be named in the same breath, given the manner in which they have transformed the way we live today. But there is much more to come! Here are (what I would like to think) possible future breakthroughs for the near and distant future that could revolutionize life (and death) as we know it today.

To read more, please click here.

The list of EPEAT registered products for India is now open to public view. Dell and HP have 171 products registered in the PC and Display category, with 150 rated at Silver level and 21 at Gold!

Purchasers in India can now confidently require EPEAT registration as a mark of sustainable purchasing. And each time a bid tender goes out that includes an EPEAT preference or requirement, it raises the environmental bar for all suppliers and drives further product improvements and registration activity.

If you are involved in an organization that procures PCs and Displays through bulk contracts, make sure to include EPEAT - to reduce your organization's environmental footprint, and to demonstrate to suppliers that purchasers care about the environmental impacts of the products they buy and use!

Biodiversity Risk & Opportunity Assessment (BROA) Tool is developed for landscape assessment. The tool takes into account different risk to diversity in Terrestrial, Soil and Water  in a landscape. It not only identifies risk but also provides opportunity to work on those risk to minimize them.

The tool is mainly for Corporate and Organizations dealing in Agriculture but can be used for watershed development planning.

The tool is available free of cost along with a Handbook and Two Pod Cost. Link is http://www.batbiodiversity.org/BROA

The Tool has been tested in more than 20 countries. Our organization provides training on BROA and at present implementing those tool with Corporate in India and Globally.

In case any assistance is required do let us know. Email: pmehtanainital@gmail.com

The Ministry is now renamed as "Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change". What does the members of "Indian Environment Network" think should be the priorities of this Ministry. What should they start fixing ....NOW!

Add your thoughts here: 

Read more at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/35651292.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

goo.gl/OVwlzh

Dear All

Please sign this petition by Toxic Links.

Its urgent

Thanks and Regards,

Prashant Rajankar

I am happy to share that it is a nice and learning experience to get acquaintance with an emerging technology of waste utilization for valorization and carbon sequestration at the University of Greenwich, UK. Apart from my research on waste management, I have also been privileged to visit woodland and bird observatory to experience the restoration studies. The School of Science at the University of Greenwich is having an advanced state-of-the-science facilities with excellent laboratory and instrumentation infrastructure. It helps to create enthusiasm to explore diverse areas of research (viz., restoration ecology and environmental conservation, remediation and waste management). Besides, the time-to-time sharing of knowledge through field demonstrations to post graduate students and researchers helps to inculcate the practical based approach and thorough understanding towards the scientific research. The friendly attitude of Professors and researchers is an added benefit for knowledge sharing. I, personally, encourage Indian students and researchers to explore the possibilities to join the University of Greenwich and come forward for collaborative research.

The importance of an Environment Officer in the industry is now well understood. Many students who complete their MSc in Environmental Sciences look for a career in the industry/ environmental consultancy however they are often lacking in certain aspects. To address this problem and to help the freshly graduated MSc students in this aspect, VSI is organizing a 5 day training program on "Industrial Pollution Control and Environmental Management". A similar program had been organized in June 2013 and had received good response. The course will cover the following broad areas

1. Important criteria for selection and designing of ETP
2. Importance of environmental monitoring and environmental laboratory
3. Methods of treatment including aerobic, anaerobic and residuals handling
4. Civil, electrical and mechanical components of ETP
5. ETP Operation and maintenance
6. Air pollution control devices, air monitoring equipment and their operation
7. Solid and hazardous waste management
8. Industrial safety
9. Procedures of CPCB/SPCB's- consent, ESR, HWR, cess returns
10. Environmental clearance- procedures and documentation
11. Green belt development

The training is ideal for students in their final semester, The training will be conducted during 16 to 21 June, 2014 at the Manjari campus of VSI and will be limited to 25 participants only. The trainees will be given a certificate of participation at the end of the course.

The fees for the training will be Rs. 5000/- per participant which will include course material, accommodation at VSI hostel and meals for the duration of the course. Registration will be on first come first served basis. Interested participants can send the Registation Form with Training Fees to VSI via Cash payment or Demand Draft (D.D.) in favor of VASANTDADA SUGR INSTITUTE payable at Pune. Cash payment will be accepted at VSI Cash Counter. Registration form can be downloaded from http://www.vsisugar.com/india/seminar_conference_workshop/index.htm#sttp-envsci

In case of any query related to training, please contact

Dr. Deepali Nimbalkar
Scientist and Head
Department of Environmental Sciences
Vasantdada Sugar Institute
Manjari Bk. Tal. Haveli
Pune 412307 INDIA
Tel: +91 20 26902343 Fax: +91 20 26902244
Email: ds.nimbalkar@vsisugar.org.in

I have completed my M.Sc. (Pollution control) from Sikkim Manipal University under distance education Plan. Now wish  to do PhD in the related field but  confused as how to go about it and how I get a good Guide while working.

Please Help

While major political parties have announced a number of green initiatives in their election manifesto for the 16th Lok Sabha, it appears that many of the promises made are not well thought of and are not detailed in achievable terms. Read on http://j.mp/1loPWbo

Almost done with my MBA Environmental Management. Plan to do PhD in the related field but totally confused with which university shall I apply n where i am eligible.

Hello All,

Looking for candidates with following background to work as full-time In-house expert in Environment consultancy.

Area of expertise: MSW or Ecology and Biodiversity

Experience: Min. 3 years in above fields contribution in EIA/EMP report preparation.

Degree: Post graduate degree in Environment/Botany/Forestry/zoology etc.

Interested and experience candidates should send their updated CV to anand.deshmukh@mespom.eu

latest by 12.00 hrs. on 7th May 2014

Thanks and Cheers!

Anand

Article Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Guwahati/Schoolkids-on-Guwahati-fringes-drink-acidic-water/articleshow/34410148.cms

GUWAHATI: In an alarming find, the state public health and engineering department (PHED) and an NGO said schoolchildren in the tribal belt along the outskirts of the city have been consuming water, which is highly acidic in nature and unfit for drinking. The source of the water for these children is a well.

A little over five per cent of the samples were found to contain iron above the permissible limit of 0.3 mg/l. The survey pointed out that long time consumption of water with a high concentration of iron could lead to liver diseases. The test was conducted to ascertain the availability of pure drinking water to the students in the Rani-Deepor Beel-Gorchuk belt bordering Meghalaya by NGO Eco Concept in collaboration with PHED.

Apart from the high pH value, the survey also found the levels of hardness, turbidity, residual chlorine, iron and bacteria high in the water. Of the 1,052 water samples tested across 129 villages, 202 or 19.20% were found to have pH above 7 while 33 samples or 3.13% had pH above 8.5 limits, which is considered unsuitable for drinking. "The pH value is a measure of the intensity of alkali or acid in water. A high value of pH hastens scale formation in water-heating apparatus and reduces the germicidal potential of chlorine. A pH level below 6.5 leads to corrosion in pipes thereby releasing toxic metals," the report said. Only 549 samples or 52.18% of the total samples were found to have pH levels within permissible limits of 6.5 to 8.5 pH. Absolutely pure water has a pH value of 7.0.

The 1st issue of the Official Scientific Journal of National Cave Research and Protection Organization "Ambient Science"  (ISSN- 2348 5191(Print version) & ISSN- 2348 8980 (Online)) is now Released. All the articles are available under Open Access Category. You can download them directly from the given link.

Further, the papers for the next Volume are currently Accepting, the authors may direct Submit their manuscript following this link or may directly mail to the editor editor@caves.res.in.

Centre for Science and Environment recognises Social Impact Assessment (SIA) as an important tool to inform decision makers, regulators and stakeholders about the possible social and economic impacts of a development project.

The programme is designed based on the new Act, “The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013”, and will be relevant and effective for SIA practitioners, officials from state land department, municipality, district collector, sub-divisional magistrate, developers, academician, students, NGOs etc.

The objective of this programme is to build a cadre of trained professional who can conduct and review SIA reports. The programme will also impart understanding of the issues and challenges in land acquisition, enhance skills in socio-economic surveys, public consultations, data collection, planning land acquisition and rehabilitation and resettlement plan. The course would also discuss applicable central/state laws such as Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), The Forest Rights Act, 2006, and the Companies Acts, 2013.

What participants will learn

1. Land conflicts, land classification, land rights and governance

2. Better understanding of SIA

• How to make Term of References (ToRs)

• Reconnaissance and baseline survey — data need, data collection, collation and interpretation

• Development of tools and instruments to conduct SIA surveys

• Effective assessment and reporting methodologies

3. Filling the Socio-Economic survey questionnaire

4. Asset evaluation

5. Preparation of entitlement matrix

6. Review of SIA reports

7. CSR framework, its reporting and case studies

8. Post monitoring.

All this would be covered through lectures, exhaustive class exercises, discussions and roleplay

SCHEDULE

Course Duration:

Date: June 23-27, 2014
Venue: CSE, 41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area, New Delhi -110062
Time: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM daily

Course fee: Rs 15,000 for developers, government officials and consultants, Rs 10,000 for academicians NGO and researcher, Rs 7,500 for students

Last Date for Applying: May 30, 2014

For Registration kindly contact: sonia@cseindia.org

OPEN FOR:
SIA practitioners, officials from state land department, municipality, district collector, sub-divisional magistrate, developers, academician, students, NGO

A certificate of participation will be awarded to all at the end of the programme.

COURSE CONTACT

Dr. Sonia Henam, Senior Research Associate
Industry & Environment Unit,
Centre for Science and Environment
Tel: + 91-11-29955124/ 6110, Extension: 281, 
Fax: + 91-11-29955879 Mob. No.: +91 8447483505
E-mail: sonia@cseindia.org

As I make last preparations for my trip to India I am very excited to see the interest and activity around EPEAT on the part of manufacturers, recyclers, purchasers and others.

I look forward to being "on the ground" in both Delhi and Bangalore over the next two weeks to be able to pursue conversations that  spread awareness and involvement even more. 

Can anyone help me find out which are the magazines in India publishing short articles related to environmental issues, cases, reports , etc.

I am in search of magazines not journals.

Biochar is a product of thermo-chemical pyrolysis of biomass, having tremendous potential to improve soil fertility and remediate heavy metal contamination from soil. After pyrolysis of biomass, the organic matter is broken into a highly stable form of carbon, which renders it to act as a slow release fertilizer and retain moisture and nutrients in soil. Addition of biochar from different organic feed stocks (e.g., wood biomass, coconut husk, poultry waste) into soil improves the physico-chemical and biological properties of soil, leading to enhanced fertility and productivity. Apart from its soil amending properties, biochar has attracted the interest of researchers to explore its carbon sequestration potential in soil. Therefore, the use of biochar as an additive with fertilizers or as a soil amendment may emerge as a cleaner and cost-effective technique ensuring food security and environmental safety. 

   image%20biochar.pdf

Dear All,

I have been fortunate to attend this important tribal gathering in the foothills of Niyamgiri, Rayagada District Odisha, to make a documentary film on the proceedings.

Please find attached detailed report and article on the Adivasi Food Festival, Feb 2014

Couple of Photos attached. Feel free to translate, distribute and share among friends and network and if possible publish in vernacular and local languages.

Film screenings can be done, with sharing of experiences, do connect with me as required- Many thanks RagunathanTribal%20Food%20Festival%20Odisha%20Feb%202014.pdf