Climate Emergency

Is Solar energy the answer to Bihar’s power shortage?

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bihar has the lowest electricity consumption per person in India, mostly due to lack of power availability. The government is now focusing on solar en...

How can we save the Himalayas?

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this final episode in the Joshimath series, Sudeshna Chowdhury speaks to an anthropologist, Lokesh Ohri who talks about how ancient rituals had alw...

Who is to be blamed for Joshimath sinking?

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Tapovan Vishnugad hydropower project undertaken by NTPC since 2006 is the biggest bone of contention between the people of Joshimath and the gover...

Why were environmental risk warnings on Joshimath ignored?

27 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Studies in the 1970s indicated that the town is located in a fragile area rendering the region unsuitable for construction of massive infrastructural ...

Why is Joshimath sinking?

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Joshimath, an ancient spiritual town in Uttarakhand, is facing an existential threat due to land subsidence or urban sinking. Future of people who cal...

Is India ready for ‘district cooling’?

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This summer, temperatures in India soared beyond 45 degrees Celsius, sparking discussions about the necessity of cooling as a fundamental need rather ...

How climate change is impacting tribals and forests in India

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the past few years, Jharkhand has seen extreme climate shifts which have affected the forests. The forests are home to various forest flowers, frui...

Can Indian cities survive the heat by urban cooling?

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Extreme heat this summer has indicated the need for a robust urban cooling system. It shows an urgent need to build community cooling centres which ca...

How heatwaves advisories fail the urban poor

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This year, Delhi faced severe heat waves with temperatures that soared past 45 degrees on several days. The most vulnerable people—those who live in...

How recycled plastic could be harmful?

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is a strong belief that recycled plastic is always good for the environment, and is safe to use. But increasing, increasing evidence shows that ...

Indian Solar Dream - How far is Ayodhya from becoming a solar city?

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As part of an aggressive push on solar, there is a strong emphasis on establishing “solar cities” in Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya is being developed as ...

Indian Solar Dream - Few takers for govt residential solar scheme

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Connecting more and more people with solar energy has become an election plank for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Under the PM Surya Ghar Muft B...

What the Supreme court verdict means for climate change action in India?

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On April 6, 2024, the Supreme Court gave a landmark judgement bringing the right to be free from adverse effects of climate change within the ambit o...

How to stay cool without warming the earth?

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The cooling industry contributes significantly to global CO2 emissions. As pressure mounts to address climate impacts, there's a crucial need for the ...

How inclusive is Delhi’s new solar policy?

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On 17th March 2024, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the Capital notified the new Delhi Solar Policy, 2024, rolling out larger incentives and s...

The Return of El-Nino- What is so hot about this summer?

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In early March 2024, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted a hot summer this year, with above-normal temperatures and an above-normal nu...

Where is Bangalore’s water?

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We're seeing what is being called one of the worst droughts in recent years in Karnataka. Bangalore has become unliveable. Bangalore has access to onl...

Can e-cooking be the future of Indian kitchens?

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Access to clean cooking has been on the radar of policymakers for several decades. With over half of rural households still using traditional, polluti...

How Uttarakhand is learning to live with leopards

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

More than 500 people lost their lives in human-wildlife conflict between January 2000 to December 2023, as per the data gathered by the forest departm...

Why does India’s ban on single-use plastic look skewed?

20 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Efforts towards fighting plastic pollution are being made by governments across the world. India is also speeding up its fight against plastic polluti...

Why are the Adivasis protesting in Chhattisgarh's Hasdeo Arand Forest?

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On 21st and 22nd December, 2023, authorities in Chhattisgarh’s Surguja district cleared thousands of trees over hundreds of hectares for the phase-2...

Youth Leading the Way- COP28 Expectations with Disha Ravi

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Rakesh Kamal, host of of the Climate Emergency Podcast sits down with Disha Ravi, a prominent voice from an environmental awareness y...

Reporters diary of COP28

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The climate change conference, COP28, where the world gathered to make agreements to solve the climate crisis, has wrapped up in Dubai. It's now a cru...

COP28 Unveiled- Decoding the Global Stocktake

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of "Climate Emergency," host Rakesh Kamal engages in a conversation with Vaibhav Chaturvedi, a fellow at the Council on Energy, Enviro...

Adapting to a Changing World- Insights from COP on Global Goal on Adaptation

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join host Rakesh Kamal in this episode of "Climate Emergency" as he sits down with Arun Krishnan from the Climate Policy Initiative to delve into one ...

Rooted Resilience- Grassroots Heroes in the COP Arena

10 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of "Climate Emergency," host Rakesh Kamal engages in a compelling conversation with Ranjan Panda environmental activist and Convenor a...

Youth Voices for Climate- Empowering Climate Action at COP28 Dubai

09 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Host Rakesh Kamal delves into a conversation with Aakash Raanison – a passionate environmentalist, content creator, influencer, Aut...

What do young climate leaders feel about global Climate Negotiations?

30 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the lead-up to COP28, the call for increased youth engagement in climate negotiations resonates more powerfully than ever. As the world gears up fo...

Can India tackle air pollution through artificial rain?

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are videos on social media suggesting that an artificial rain experiment by IIT Kanpur can tackle air pollution and drought and that this artifi...

Remembering MS Swaminathan

18 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

India lost one of its most renowned agricultural scientists, MS Swaminathan, on September 28th, 2023. He not just spearheaded the green revolution and...

Towards clean energy- Is the world transitioning the right way?

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Solar energy has been an important player in India’s energy transition. But how does the growth of solar align with the global targets of reducing e...

Why scientists dispute cloudburst as the cause of Sikkim flash floods?

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On October 4th, a glacial lake outburst event struck North Sikkim, sending shockwaves across the northeastern state. This event unfolded at Lhonak Lak...

How Can Bengaluru's Urban Poor Be Involved in Climate Change Solutions?

10 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bengaluru is currently experiencing significant and diverse forms of urban growth. Numerous environmental studies have consistently highlighted the ad...

Can solar water pumps solve water woes for Bundelkhand’s farmers?

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bundelkhand region in central India is infamous for its frequent droughts. Due to the lack of water, farmers in this region have either been aligning ...

Climate Check - How does greenwashing contribute to climate misinformation?

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Climate Emergency podcast, Editor and host for this episode Rakesh Kamal speaks with Aditi Tandon, a production editor with Mon...

Climate Check - How can media tackle climate misinformation?

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of the Climate Emergency podcast, host Rakesh Kamal talks to independent journalist and trainer Mayank aggarwal about the importance o...

Climate Check- The Global North and South

15 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Join Rakesh Kamal, Editor of Climate Emergency Podcast, in this episode as he delves deep into the intricate matter of climate misinformation and its ...

Climate check - Demystifying climate misinformation

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In India, we witness misinformation rampantly on social media platforms. Edited video clips and photographs of politicians/ celebrities without contex...

Shifting Sundarbans - In the Eye of Disaster

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The peril of climate change is not new to Sundarbans. But in recent years, climate disasters, mostly in the form of cyclones,  are occurring all too ...

Shifting Sundarbans - Hungry humans, lurking tigers

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Since time immemorial, tigers have killed hundreds of fisherfolk and honey collectors who roam the forests of Sundarbans for a living. While hunting f...

Shifting Sundarbans - Restless tides

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the public imagination, Sundarbans conjures visions of tigers, dense forests and tourism. But not many know, or perhaps care, that this region spre...

Are grassland conservation efforts facing a governance crisis in India?

09 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We all have seen big empty fields with lush green grasses. Those fields are actually called grasslands and they make up a huge chunk of India. Grassla...

How Ocean acidification threatens coral reefs

22 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Coral reefs are complex ecosystems made up of tiny coral polyps that provide shelter, food, and breeding grounds for a wide variety of marine life. Th...

Why this Desi Pan variety is threatened?

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Betel Leaf or “Paan” has been seen across all streets in contemporary India. Paan consumption has continued to be a post-meal ritual for several c...

How prepared is India for heat waves?

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

April is when we start to be serious about heat waves in India. But did you know that some sub-nationals like cities, districts and states in India ha...

How do the poor fight climate change? Lessons from an informal settlement

28 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Around the world, the impact of climate change – rising temperatures, shifting patterns of rainfall, more frequent and intense extreme weather, and ...

Why uniform food consumption patterns might threaten food security?

21 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We live in a world of food abundance, yet there is widespread food insecurity. The government policies focus on the production side to increase the ph...

The Return of El-Nino: What is so hot about this summer?

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Winters have gone and we all are gearing up to beat the heat this summer season. Heat wave warnings have already started to scare us all. The World Me...

Why fast fashion needs to slow down for the environment?

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Buying clothes has never been easier. 80 billion items are manufactured every year. Millions of tonnes of clothes end up in landfills—it’s one of ...

Putting Millets on the Food Map

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Millets, the ancient grain family of Jowar, Bajra and ragi, are to come back into India’s foodscape. Millets are not new to India’s culture or kit...

Making Sense of Microplastics

20 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Plastic has infiltrated deep into our lifestyle, it is now so widespread that it is even finding its way into the water we drink, the fruit and vegeta...

How is this agritech startup helping small farmers?

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The agricultural industry is an important part of the Indian economy, and many startups are developing new technologies and innovations to improve agr...

Budget analysis: What is in store for India’s energy transition in 2023?

06 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While presenting the annual budget last Wednesday, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman listed seven priority areas that the budget had adopted this ye...

How wildlife conservation ends up penalising adivasis/tribals

25 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Indigenous people play an important role in protecting the environment. The tribals  or adivasis as they are called in India depend on the forest for...

India at the 68th International Whaling Commission meet

17 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

At the 68th International Whaling Commission meeting held in Portoroz, Slovenia in 2022, India, as one of the member countries, spoke about the conse...

What to expect from upcoming climate conference in Egypt?

27 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The annual Climate conference COP27 is being held next month in Egypt. This is the first time the conference is being conducted in Africa and a discus...

Why are cloudbursts the new normal?

27 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In the past couple of decades, we have been hearing of cloudbursts in some part of the country or another. How is the Indian Meteorological Department...

Asia’s largest coal block sparks climate concerns but for Bengal’s Santhals it is about losing their home

13 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Ratan Hemrom, a 33-year-old rice farmer in Birbhum district, says he will lose his home, culture and community if the West Bengal government goes ahea...

Solar energy saves lives in hospital during Assam Floods

29 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

One of the main problems during the floods is the complete disconnection of essential services. Electricity disruption in hospitals and a lack of fuel...

Ivory poaching - Tech to rescue

30 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

After the ivory kingpin, Umesh Aggarwal was nabbed in 2015, there were various discussions within the Kerala forest department officials on what could...

Ivory poaching - Investigation

25 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Elephants are among the endangered species in India. Over the years, with demand for ivory, tuskers have been particularly targeted and killed. Despit...

Is clean tech the next frontier for innovation?

16 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, host Rakesh Kamal talks to Sidharth Singh and Simon Bennett who work at the International Energy Agency.  They are experts in En...

Don’t step out in a heat wave? Workers have no choice

31 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

According to the World Weather Attribution, the heatwave in India and Pakistan this year was a one-in-a-hundred-year occurrence. With global warming, ...

Why sustainable clothing matters?

31 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Historically India has been a handloom wearing country. Handlooms were not so easily available and would take time and were relatively expensive. But ...

How do you go Zero-waste?

28 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The increasing threat of climate change and the contribution of waste to the emissions is something that needs to be taken seriously. And as individua...

Why the threatened marine ecosystem is at the centre of India-Sri Lanka fishing dispute

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

To earn their daily bread, fishers from Tamil Nadu put their lives and property in peril while crossing the maritime boundary between India and Sri La...

COP26- One that failed to deliver what the moment needs

14 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Global temperatures are already 1.2 degree C higher than pre-industrial era. As the UN’s annual climate conference COP26 drew to an end with lit...

Does a firework ban solve everyone's problems?

31 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Are green crackers, the proclaimed panacea to the problem of air pollution caused due to firecrackers, solving the problem of air pollution? And can w...

Disha Ravi on youth climate activism, dissent and role of the global south

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Almost every year since 1995, politicians and representatives from all over the world have been meeting in the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP) ...

The future is ecological and biodiverse farming

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In September 2020, India passed the Farm Laws without any multi-stakeholder, multi-disciplinary consultations or parliamentary debates. There were swe...

Researchers debunk 185-year old name mix-ups in snake species

28 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

While scientists discovered a new snake species in the southern Indian state of Tamilnadu, little did they know that this discovery would unearth a 18...

Making environment political: The Save Mollem movement

08 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In April 2020 India’s environment ministry gave wildlife clearance to two infrastructure projects waiting for approval in Goa. This was another ...

Generating clean energy from vegetable waste

31 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

If you ever visit a vegetable market late in the day you will see mostly rotten vegetables and leftovers thrown around everywhere.  Some of it is...

When the Ice Melts Part 2: Climate change impact on Dokriani glacier alters river seasonality

30 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In a recent paper published in the Journal of Hydrology, scientists looked at climate change and their impact on river runoffs in the Dokriani Gl...

When the Ice Melts Part 1: Longest field data analyses regional climate change in Chhota Sigri glacier of the Himalaya

30 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In a recent paper published in the Journal of Glaciology, scientists have reported their findings from the longest ever field data from the entire Him...

Save Mollem campaign - Goan Youth speak

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

During the COVID lockdown, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change gave many virtual environmental clearances with little or no consult...

Mitigating carbon emissions with fans

30 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Fans, one of the most used electrical appliances in India, has the potential to reduce energy demand and carbon emissions. Fans consume about 20% of t...

Why this judgement against Vedanta matters?

30 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In August this year, the Madras High Court delivered a rare, but decisive victory to the people of Thoothukudi in their fight against an industrial gi...

Thoothukudi’s long fight against Vedanta

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In August this year, the Madras High Court delivered a rare, but decisive victory to the people of Thoothukudi in their fight against an industrial gi...

Conundrums of the forest owlet

21 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Forest owlets are one of the most endangered and cryptic bird species in India. These birds are found only in India and nowhere else. Though the bird ...

Govt blocks and unblocks website for campaigning against draft environmental law

25 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

At a time when the voices of youth are growing louder in the climate change campaigns because it concerns their future. Delhi police has slapped UAPA ...

‘Fluoride Warriors’ use science to fight water contamination in Madhya Pradesh

31 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Students in Madhya Pradesh are documenting excess fluoride in groundwater through a citizen science project that uses smartphones and portable fluorid...

Tales From The Coast Part 3 - Post Thane Cyclone, Cuddalore farmers shift to climate-friendly Vettiver plants

30 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In 2011, Cyclone Thane had a serious impact on the livelihood of farmers in Cuddalore, the eastern coast of Tamilnadu. The farmers in this region coul...

Tales From The Coast Part 2 - As sea turtles decline, fishermen turn conservationists

19 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Sharada Balasubramanian set off to Vanagiri, a small fishing village, in the Nagapattinam district of Tamilnadu. Every year, Olive R...

Tales from the Coast part 1- With rising sea level and overfishing, coastal communities in Tamilnadu switch to integrated fish farming

25 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Poompuhar, a quaint, ancient, port town is in the Nagapattinam district of Tamilnadu. The land has a history of a tsunami and sea-level rise, as many ...

Australian Bushfires - The role of climate change

15 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The videos of Kangaroos and koala bears being rescued in bushfires in Australia have made it headlines all over the world. This year the bushfires wer...

Climate resilient natural farming

03 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) methods are said to be more resilient to climatic changes and have more nutritious yields. It enables farmers to sh...

Dilution of FRA violates our rights, says women forest dwellers

29 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Women forest dwellers struggle to defend their rights to the forests in the wake of the Supreme Court judgement in the forest rights case as their rig...

Let’s talk climate, equity and individual responsibility

29 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Every country agrees that we need to fight Climate change but no one agrees who has to pay for it. Historically most developed countries grew unsustai...

How does air pollution impact children?

12 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On World Pneumonia Day, we bring this special episode which looks at the impact of air pollution on our health but most importantly those of our child...

Where is Delhi going wrong in fighting air pollution?

08 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Every winter Delhi turns into a gas chamber with air pollution causing severe health effects making the city go standstill. But why is Delhi failing a...

Farmers battle extreme weather in Andaman islands

29 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With over 500 islands, the Andaman and Nicobar islands, with its turquoise beaches and tropical forests has been facing extreme weather events in the ...

Reason behind Indian Government's ban of single-use plastic

26 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

On 15th August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced that India will ban single-use plastic from October 2nd of this year. But on 2nd October the g...

Meet Ridhima Pandey - The 11-year-old Climate Activist from Uttarakhand

27 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Over 4.2 million people from over 170 countries, old and young participated in the Climate March held last Friday. This week too, estimated 2 million ...

Escaping the hungry tide

25 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Sagar Island is one of the 102 Islands in the Indian Sundarban. Surrounded by Bay of Bengal on one side, and Hooghly river and Muriganga river on the ...

Desertification hits the poor hardest

15 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Desertification and land use has been in the news recently a lot more than it usually is mainly because of the UNCCD COP 14 held in Delhi recently. So...

Annual Assam Floods - Climate Change or Embankment Politics?

14 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We hear of floods in the northeastern state of Assam almost every year, sometimes multiple times in the same year! And with increasing rainfall intens...

Forested common lands along the Aravali under siege

10 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of climate emergency, we discuss how the lungs of Delhi, the Aravali hills, are being encroached using the illegal purchase of foreste...

Chennai Water Crisis

30 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Home to over 10 million people, Chennai is witnessing dried lakes & reservoirs. There is very limited availability of potable water. Some schools,...