ONGC's good work in combating climate change has won it an international recognition. An eminent jury, under the chairmanship of Justice PN Bhagwati, former Chief Justice of India and Member of UN Human Rights Commission, adjudged ONGC the winner of '2008 Golden Peacock' award for an impeccable record in the climate change mitigation.

HOTEL Raintree, a popular 5-star hotel in Chennai, was recently awarded the prestigious Golden Peacock award at a glittering function. Akash Gupta, General Manager, The Raintree Hotel, received the award from Dr Ula Ullsten, former prime minister of Sweden, and currently the Chairman, World Council for Corporate Governance. Numerous dignitaries from the worlds of industry, international affairs, ecology and eco-sensitivty were present on the occasion.

Fifteen-year-old Monali Manohar, a Standard X student in a local girls high school in Bhrampura, Gadchiroli, is not aware of the state's environmental issues, neither does she know the significance of rain-water harvesting. However, for the past one year, she has been diligently collecting and storing rain water to make paintings and greeting cards. Her stragtegy: store rain water and use it little by little with her medium, water colour.

A three-day conference on "Holistic response to climate change' began at the SM Convention Centre here today. The conference is being organised by the World Environment Foundation. Around 300 experts will discuss the issue of climate change during the three-day conference. Dr Madhev Mehra, president of World Council For Corporate Government, UK, said climate change could reduce global consumption of various products by 20 per cent. That could mean GDP reduction of 5 per cent.

With a view to promote small scale industries in the Madhya Pradesh, the State's Commerce, Industry and Employment Department has instituted State level awards to be given away annually. Under the scheme, awards would be given to the small and micro units which adopt effective system for controlling pollution and conserving environment and pay taxes regularly, an official release said. In all, three awards would be given away under the scheme. The three prizes carry cash awards of Rs.51,000, Rs. 31,000 and Rs.21,000 .

The Second ADAM Environment Award, 2008, will be conferred on the Manipur Mountaineering and Trekking Association (MMTA), Imphal, in recognition of their dedicated efforts towards promotion of adventure sports and eco-tourism in the State. The award, the first of its kind in Manipur, carries a cash prize of Rs 10,000 along with a citation and a memento.

to the deserving: Binayak Sen has been chosen for the highest international honour in global health and human rights, the Jonathan Mann Award for 2008. A doctor and a human rights activist, he

Seven anti Coca-Cola agitators in Plachimada participated in a relay hunger strike to commemorate seven years of their movement against the soft drink major. The agitation sought

The Prem Bhatia Memorial Award for the best political reporting in 2008 was presented to Nirupama Subramanian, The Hindu's correspondent in Pakistan, at a function in the Capital on Thursday. The Prem Bhatia Award for Environmental Journalism was presented to Keya Acharya, a Bangalore-based freelance journalist.