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.

The challenge will only become stiffer as projected sewage generation by 2021 is likely to be about 4,500 mld.

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.

Eighty percent of sewage in India is untreated and flows directly into the nation’s rivers, polluting the main sources of drinking water, a study by an environmental watchdog showed.

Is urban India drowning in its own excreta? Nearly 80 per cent of the sewage generated in India flows untreated into its rivers, lakes and ponds, turning the water sources too polluted to use.

Finance minister P Chidambaram batted for sustainable development repeatedly in his speech, marking the arrival of the phrase in mainstream political and economic lexicon.

New Delhi: With the government throwing its weight behind waste-to-energy (WTE) plants in this year’s Budget, a debate has started on the need for, and suitability of, such projects.

The FM wants credit for acting on environment, but does the wrong things

The "mool mantra" of Budget 2013 is inclusive and sustainable development, says Finance Minister P Chidambaram. But, as far as the environment is concerned, there is no substance in the Budget that tells us how the direction of growth will be environmentally sound. Instead, the finance minister talks about the Cabinet Committee on Investment, which has been set up to fast-track clearances. There is no indication in his speech that this drive for investment will be cognisant of the needs for sustainability and will strengthen, not weaken, the regulatory system that governs green clearances.

Environment has been given short shrift in the budget with finance minister P. Chidambaram concerning himself only with the thousands of tons of garbage being generated in our cities everyday.