EQ: Green News and Views With The Quint’s Environment Newsletter

EQ: Read About All Things Green, Build Your Environment Quotient

The Quint’s green newsletter. (Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

E-India

• Save the Bustards!
In just one year, the population of the Great Indian Bustards in Rajasthan has plunged from 44 to just 13. The rest of the country has only around 17 of these birds and we’re at a critical moment in the fight to save it from extinction.

The Great Indian Bustard. (Photo: iStockphoto)

• “Clean Cooking” can save millions of lives:
Every year, an estimated two million Indians prematurely die from exposure to chullah smoke. A new UN-backed initiative is supporting India’s effort to switch to cleaner stoves and fuels.
• Harvest rainwater or else!
Bangalore authorities have announced plans to impose penalties on all homes not abiding by rainwater harvesting guidelines. As urban water shortage in India gets worse by the day, such steps could play an important role in improving the situation.

E-Mage

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Dy CM Manish Sisodia participates in a cycle-rally to observe ‘Car-Free Day’ in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI) 

• Delhi pollution plummets on first car-free day
Delhi’s first car-free day saw a large number of vehicles staying off the road and the city, which has the most polluted air in the world, recorded a dip in pollution.
• 60%: The drop in particulate air pollution in Delhi’s car-free zone

E-Video

• Watch an adorable video of Koko the gorilla make new kitten friends here:

E-Economy

India to witness growth in green bond market. (Photo: iStockphoto)

• India and China leading green bond growth:
The global market for green bonds is expected to cross $40 billion and analysts believe that India’s ambitious green energy agenda will drive this growth.

E-Nature

Aerial view of a palm oil plantation in Pelalawan, Indonesia’s Riau province. (Photo: Reuters)

• Did you know that the haze covering Southeast Asia every year is partly due to high palm oil demand from China and India?
A new report highlights the connections between palm oil consumption and the clearing of Indonesian rainforests.

E-Case

Devotees immerse an idol of goddess Durga on the bank of river Ganga. (Photo: PTI)

• “Balance religious freedom and environmental protection”:
The Allahabad High Court has supported efforts by Varanasi administrators to regulate idol immersion in the Ganga.

E-International

Climate talks are scheduled for December in Paris. (Photo: iStockphoto)

• Fireworks at Climate Talks:
The last round of climate talks before the Paris meet in December witnessed bitter exchanges between developed and developing countries. Speaking on behalf of 134 developing nations, South Africa called the developed countries’ attitude “akin to apartheid”.

E-Architecture

Some of the Buddhist paintings are at risk from climate change. (Photo: iStockphoto)

• Monuments alert!
The World Monuments Fund has listed the 50 world cultural sites most at risk from climate change, natural disasters and looting. India has cause for alarm – Buddhist wall paintings in Ladakh’s Gon-Nila-Phuk Cave Temples and Fort are on the list.

E-Quiz

• Which national park in India is home to the largest number of rhinos?
(a) Manas National Park
(b) Kaziranga National Park
(c) Corbett National Park
(d) Orang National Park

(Shalini Iyengar is a lawyer and Research Associate at the International University College, Turin.)