We are blind to those who walk. That's why pavements are the first casualty of street widening to accommodate cars

Have you ever noticed a footpath? Does it even exist? And if it does, what is its height above the road? What should be the ideal height that enables pedestrians to walk without the fear of being run over or breaking a leg clambering onto the footpath and, at the same time, doesn't allow cars to park and take over this public space?

Instead of becoming the messenger of the new co-operative world, solar energy is getting embroiled in battles

Last week Europe finally imposed stiff anti-dumping duties on solar panels imported from China. The Chinese have, in turn, threatened that they will take action against European exports of polysilicon, the raw material used to manufacture solar panels.

With monoculture taking over, the only biodiversity that will remain will be stored inside the cold and controlled environments of gene pool labs
Sunita Narain

Engineers require retraining, not the Ganga. This is where I left our conversation in my previous column. Why did I say this?

Hydropower is important. But how important? Is it important enough to dry out stretches of our rivers? Or is there a way to balance energy needs with the imperative of a flowing, healthy river?

I have been grappling with these issues for the past few months. But now that the committee (of which I was a member) on the hydropower projects on the Ganga has submitted its report, let me explain how I see the way ahead.

Since glass traps heat, buildings require more air conditioning. As a result, energy use goes up

Building green is definitely important. But it is equally important to know how green a green building is. Take the glitzy, glass-enveloped buildings popping up across the country. It does not matter if you are in the mild but wet and windy climate of Bangalore or in the extreme hot and dry climate of Gurgaon - glass is the in thing.

We need a food safety model based on societal objectives of nutrition, livelihood and safety.

Current policies on containing air pollution, particularly in cities, are regressive

Our health is not on anybody's agenda. Or we just don't seem to make the connections between the growing burden of disease and the deteriorating condition of our environment. We don't really believe science, which tells us each passing day how toxins affect our bodies, leading to high rates of both morbidity and mortality. It is true that it is difficult to establish cause and effect; but we know more than enough to say that air pollution is today a leading cause of both disease and death in India and other parts of South Asia.