Yogendra Anand

Illustrator, Art & Design, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi
Composting 101

Composting 101

Let’s delve into the what, why & how of composting. ave you wondered how a plastic toothbrush can lie around on Earth for hundreds of years but an apple core disappears in a few weeks? This happens when we let nature do its thing, and the superheroes that make it all possible are microorganisms or microbes. Microbes are tiny living things found all around us that are so small that they can’t be seen with naked eyes. These superheroes break down all organic matter—coming directly from plants or animals, even something as tough as a bone. Read on as we walk you through the basics of composting — from selecting materials to maintaining the compost pile. Ready to get your hands dirty and make a difference? Let’s dive in!

Letter to the Readers: A Year of Curiosity and Change

Letter to the Readers: A Year of Curiosity and Change

Celebrating a Year of Discovery, Change, and Eco-Inspiration: Stories of Wildlife, People, and Planet in Action!

When the Blue Sky Disappears

When the Blue Sky Disappears

Breathe Easy This Winter: Simple Solutions to Keep Indoor Air Fresh and Healthy Amid Hidden Pollution Sources

How COP Works

How COP Works

The simplest possible explanation of what the COP—the prime annual international event on climate politics—is all about, can be made by reimagining the entire world as a classroom of noisy and notorious countries

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Many of you have heard about COP summits. These are very big meetings that take place around the world where people gather to discuss climate change and how to manage it. COP stands for Conference of Parties. Basically, it is a group of countries...

Junking the Junk Food

Junking the Junk Food

How a student-led campaign against junk food transformed a school and inspired lifelong lessons in health and leadership.

When Smog Gives You a Day Off: Celebration or Suffocation?

When Smog Gives You a Day Off: Celebration or Suffocation?

Battling Smog: A Teen’s Perspective on Air Pollution, Its Impact, and the Urgent Need for Clean Air Solutions

Climate Conundrum

Climate Conundrum

Reflecting on climate change, and its far-reaching and worrying consequences.

Antibiotics Under Attack!

Antibiotics Under Attack!

How a little one's illness exposed the battle between superbugs and antibiotics, and what all we can do to win.

Pollution and Privilege: Environmental Injustice in Delhi

Pollution and Privilege: Environmental Injustice in Delhi

Delhi’s air pollution arrives with a paradox—as the smog reduces visibility, what becomes clear is the gap between the rich and the poor. 

Being a student living in Delhi, we have three breaks during our school session—the summer break, the winter break, and the holidays due to the rising pollution level that we Delhiites call our pollution break. As students, we see these holidays as something fun, as a timepass. Even after so many years of these breaks, we fail to realise the gravity of the situation. The main cause for this is our privilege and the rising political ignorance.

With air filters installed in our homes and private cars parked alongside, we talk about buying a petrol car for the next year as the ban on diesel cars is reimposed (How ironic!). We will never fully comprehend the impact of this air pollution because though we, the middle and upper class, cause this pollution, the less privileged residents bear the costs of our actions.

The Wonder Weeds in the Sea

The Wonder Weeds in the Sea

A fascinating account by a passionate marine environmentalist explaining why seaweeds are environmentally the most sustainable foods on our planet.

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Hi! Do you guys know what a seaweed is? It’s like the spinach of the sea. You might have eaten it in a roll of sushi or a bowl of green salad or a soup. But most likely, you wouldn’t have tasted it at all. That’s because in India, we don't have a popular tradition of seaweeds. But that's about to change—I believe as the founder of a seaweed food company called The Good Ocean...

The Green Sheen in Advertising

The Green Sheen in Advertising

Some ads are starting to do more than just sell products. They're also trying to raise awareness about environmental issues. Have you ever watched a TV commercial and felt good about a product or company? Maybe it made you laugh, or maybe it made you think. But did you ever think about how a commercial might also make you care about the environment?

That's what we're talking about here – ads that are not just about selling stuff but also about caring for our planet. It's called environmental consciousness in advertising.

Joni, Dida, and the Unforgiving Seasons

Joni, Dida, and the Unforgiving Seasons

How much can one season bring? From scorching heatwaves to raging floods, discover how extreme weather events shape our lives.

It was hot every year, but this year they had to close Joni’s school for an extra two months because of the heat. Mr Gokhale, the principal of City Public School, had looked particularly sweaty during the last morning assembly. As all the students stood in rows, Mr. Gokhale wiped his large forehead with his hanky and took the mic on the podium.

“Children, we have a special announcement. As you know, we are experiencing a difficult heatwave this year. That’s why the government has issued an order; all schools will remain closed until further notice. Your parents have been informed and your teachers will tell you about online classes. Don’t get too excited, you will still have your exams. So study hard and don’t think of this as an extended summer vacation, okay?”

Pythons, a ‘Magic’ Mound, and the Mullukurumba

Pythons, a ‘Magic’ Mound, and the Mullukurumba

The Mullukurumba tribe lives in the lower forest ranges of Wayanad and Kerala. They were originally hunters, but they never hunted for sport; only for food. Gradually, over the years as hunting came to be banned, the Mullukurumbas shifted to practising agriculture.

Veliyamuthan is the elder or head of Karikunnu village which is nestled in the forest. As a young man, he had led most of the hunts of the Mullukurumbas. He, like many of his tribe, knows everything there is to know about the animals in the surrounding jungle. He no longer hunts, but is a storehouse of knowledge about the forest and the animals that live in them. One day, when he was resting under a jackfruit tree, some children came running excitedly...

Bee-lieve It or Not

Bee-lieve It or Not

Check out some amazing honeybee facts about these nature's tiny engineers and their sweet secrets.

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How many eyes do honeybees have? Bees have FIVE EYES and SIX LEGS.

How do honeybees share information with each other? By DANCING. They do a figure of 8 dance called the ‘waggle dance’. Through this dance, they tell the other bees where pollen, water, etc. is available. 

How many flowers do honeybees have to visit to get a kilo of honey? About 40 LAKH flowers. But one bee makes only about 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime. So, you need thousands of bees to make a kilo of honey...

The Bees, the Bears, and the Kattunayakans

The Bees, the Bears, and the Kattunayakans

A fascinating narrative by Grandpa Marigan to a curious child, discovering the sacred traditions of the Kattunayakan tribe and how it honours the bees, the bears, and trees for honey.

This is the rallying call of the village elder when he invites his companions to join him in going to the forest to collect honey among other things. Marigan, the wise old Kattunayakan elder from Chembakolli village in the Gudalur Valley of the Nilgiris, has been collecting wild honey from the time he was a child.