IMPROBABLE though it may sound, an exotic fungus has triggered a gold rush of sorts in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Considered a performance enhancer, Yarchagumba is a much-sought-after ingredient in traditional medicine in China. But some trade observers suspect that the Beijing Olympics has pushed prices to a never-before high this year.

In the end, global warming is what could get us the N-deal soon

When I bought a bicycle to commute to work a few months ago, I didn't realise that I would be joining a band of eco-warriors who risk their lives, limbs and dignity on the streets of Delhi every day.

Faint Flappings Of the 78 endangered bird species in India, 13 are at extreme risk. * 1) Himalayan Quail

Even the most ardent proponents of industrialism would acknowledge that we are in the midst of an environment crisis. Rates of species extinction are 1,000 times more than what they were before human beings dominated the earth. The rate of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere today is 30 times more than when the Industrial Revolution started. Urban India is slowly waking up to this inconvenient truth.

In which we attempt to assess what average Indians living in big cities think about India's environment, and to gauge their levels of awareness, attitudes, perception and concerns Methodology

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Renew. This was once the eco-warrior's credo, recommended to consumers in Europe. Today, however, environmentalists say that more critical than the 4 Rs is a simple word that ought to become a slogan: deconsume. Deconsume sounds like Mahatma Gandhi's mantra: Live simply, so that others may simply live. Easier said than done in urban settings, where economies are built on consumption and demand. So, how about green consumerism? Every time you spend a rupee, you vote for or against the environment. Here are some ways to be eco-conscious in your everyday life:

* Air pollution in India causes 5,27,700 deaths every year (WHO) * 21% of communicable diseases in India are related to polluted water. In India, diarrhoea alone causes more than 1,600 deaths daily (WHO) * Only 22% of the wastewater generated in urban India is treated, severely polluting rivers. The total wastewater from Delhi and nearby areas flowing into the 19 drains that connect to the Yamuna is around 3,296 million litres a day, of which 630 MLD is untreated.

The former petroleum secretary feels we gradually need to move towards a full or near-full neutralisation of global prices ...... Lola Nayar interviews Probir Sengupta Probir Sengupta, distinguished fellow at TERI and former petroleum secretary, spoke to Outlook the morning after the petro-products hike. Excerpts. Was the price hike inevitable and the quantum justified?

Bad timing, shocking scale