The government has started selecting environmentally friendly model cities as part of Japan's efforts to lead the world in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. Applications will be accepted until mid-May, officials said, and 10 model cities will be selected from across the nation by the end of June. The move is seen as Japan's environmental commitment ahead of the Group of Eight summit in July in Hokkaido, where Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda needs to take the initiative in working out ways to curb global warming.

Simon Jenkins thinks that we need to "make today's cities work better" to preserve the countryside and reduce emissions (Eco-towns are the greatest try-on in the history of property speculation, April 4). He's right. If the government wants to get serious about climate change, and deliver 3m new homes over the next two decades, it will take far more than a handful of small, new eco-settlements. However, there's also an economic - as well as an environmental - case for promoting denser, low-carbon city neighbourhoods.

SHOULD green lungs of the Capital like Siri Fort Sports Complex be allowed to be destroyed for just eight or nine days of Commonwealth Games?" The answer's no; and it came from the Supreme Court on Friday. Acting on apprehensions raised by advocate M L Lahoty that the proposed multi-level underground parking at the Games venue would ruin the Siri Fort complex, a Special Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan asked the government to consider an alternative.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel on Tuesday said the decision to close existing airports in Hyderabad and Bangalore, after the opening of the new airports, would be reviewed.

London is the dirtiest and most expensive city in Europe, while Brussels is the most boring, according to a British survey published on Wednesday.

London edged out Paris for the unwanted accolade of dirtiest city in the survey of more than 1100 travellers carried out by TripAdvisor.

Plans Rs 40-cr resort in Gujarat Engineering products and services major Elecon Group has diversified into hospitality business and is looking at shipping, ports and SEZs as its next destinations. The NRI-rich Kheda district and adjoining areas in Charotar region of central Gujarat is all set to get its first luxurious resort with five-star facilities by mid-2008. The resort has been developed by Elecon in a 15-acre area at a cost of Rs 40 crore to tap the huge potential in hospitality business due to large number of non-resident Gujaratis (NRGs) visiting their native places each year.

Though there have been very many reports on illegal trade, this is the probably the first on Trade in Nilgiri Bio Reserve Area. This report is the result of an extensive study conducted at odd hours for six months. No word of this report can be challenged as Vatavaran has photographic proof of the ongoing illegal trade in NBR.

Hundreds of millions of people live and work in forests across the world. One vital aspect of their lives, yet largely unexamined, is the challenge of protecting and enhancing the unique relationship between the health of forests and the health of people.

India is faced with the challenge of sustaining its rapid economic growth while dealing with the global threat of climate change. This threat emanates from accumulated greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, anthropogenically generated through long-term and intensive industrial growth and high consumption lifestyles in developed countries.

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