-The Diplomat   CLIMate change is stressing an already struggling farm sector, but there is a way forward. Over the last decade, India's official position in global cLIMate negotiations has been one of opposition to agricultural mitigation. At Doha (COP18), India joined other developing countries in demanding that any talk about agriculture must be in the realm of adaptation, not mitigation. India considers the farm sector out of bounds with respect to emissions...

-Down to Earth   New minister, Prakash Javadekar, says India will present its case on cLIMate change forcefully at international forums The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and CLIMate Change (name changed by the new government) will now accept the online applications for environment clearances for the development projects. Prakash Javadekar, the new environment minister, launched the system for online applications for environment clearances after he took charge of the ministry on May...

-The Hindu   Chennai: In a fresh bid to widen access to low-cost quality food, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has ordered opening of 360 more "Amma Unavagams," the popular eateries, across Tamil Nadu. Among them 200 eateries would be set up in the Chennai Corporation LIMits. With this, the State would soon have 654 such canteens serving quality food at affordable rates. In expanding this welfare scheme which benefits the poor, daily wage earners,...

-The Hindu     In the ‘development versus environment' debate, the demand is always for a compromise on environmental concerns, never for a moderation of developmental activities There is hope in the air: years of corruption, ‘policy paralysis' and a non-functioning government are gone and there is a forceful, efficient, decisive leader at the helm. However, while joining in the national mood of hope and expectation, may one add a word of caution about...

-The United Nations   Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have crossed a new threshold, the United Nation's weather agency today confirmed, warning that time is running out to curb rising greenhouse gas emissions. In April, monthly concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere topped 400 parts per million (ppm) throughout the northern hemisphere, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported. "This threshold is of symbolic and scientific significance and reinforces evidence...