Why is mud construction sustainable then using cement? Why are mud houses more comfortable to live in? What are the advantages of mud over cement for building and construction? Shagun Singh, the founder of GeeliMitti farms and educational research center talks about the common myths that are associated with mud houses. Most believe that mud houses are not strong enough, it's expensive to build and maintain and not suited to regions which have high rainfall.
A legendary organic farmer from Karnataka’s Sorahonase village, L Narayan Reddy breathed his last on January 14, 2019.
Reddy’s tryst with agriculture began late in life, after he had spent several years as a hotel menial, a lorry cleaner, an office attendant, and a manager.
Taking inspiration from a book titled One Straw Revolution by a Japanese organic pioneer, Masanobu Fukuoka, he switched to organic farming in 1979.
Tribal people are often potrayed as underdeveloped. But history actually shows something else. For the past few months, an uneasy calm is prevailing over the lives of Huaoranis—an Ecuadorian tribe living in the deep and dark forests of Amazon. Recently, they spot some outsiders in the forest. Not only that, the other day they saw a big bird with a deafening sound hovering over their village. This big bird was in fact a helicopter, which for us is as familiar as birds flying in the vast, blue sky. But for the Huaoranis, it only meant one thing...
Lack of personal hygiene is the reason behind the spread of many of our diseases. Even sneezing and coughing can spread germs from one person to another. From common cold to the fatal Nipah disease, all can be transmitted like this.
A group of students raise awareness to preserve the beauty of wetlands
I have always enjoyed the trips and picnics our school takes us for. They are a good break from studies and a time to refresh our minds. This year, our school decided to take us to the Ropar wetlands in Punjab. But, we were not excited. We were hoping for a trip to Jaipur or some other historical place.
The story of David and Goliath retold in a farmer’s legal battle for climate justice
It is an early morning for 18-year old B C Kaushalya Kumari and her friends. Residents of Kandy, a city surrounded by mountains in Sri Lanka, the students are on a mission. They are in a nearby village, making a list of areas where dengue mosquitoes breed. The plan is to clean up these areas and put up wastebins everywhere...
Famous French author Victor Hugo at one time described this gentleman with 355 patents as "Europe's richest vagabond" as he never married and was constantly on the move. When this Swedish businessman and inventor, Alfred Nobel, died in 1895, he left behind one of the world’s largest private fortunes.
Born in Stockholm, Sweden, on October 21, 1833, Alfred Nobel's life was full of ups and downs. The Nobel family was primarily associated with the war industry. His father, Immanuel Nobel, was also a prominent arms manufacturer. While in Paris, Alfred Nobel met Ascanio Sobrero, an Italian chemist who had invented nitroglycerine, an explosive far superior to gunpowder...
In the guise of development, what allows us to be callous with earth's resources? A study conducted by Indian Institute of Soil Science shows that majority of the soil in India is deficient in secondary nutrients, such as sulphur, and micronutrients, such as zinc, boron, iron, copper and manganese. The question then is how nutritious can our food be if it is grown on malnourished land? Many other villages are suffering, like Jaduguda and Kolaghat, because the polluter does not take the responsibility of the waste, burdening locals with unseen consequences...
Don't become couch potatoes and gadget slaves this summer. Make the best of your summer holidays, move around the house, and assess how you consume resources with the help of some interesting activities.
A science fairytale:
The home of the Butbut tribe is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Every morning, when the first rays of sunlight shower upon the steep mountains of Buscalan and its lush green rice fields, the village looks nothing less than a paradise. The Butbut is one of the 110 odd tribes which resides in Philippines, an island country made up of more than 70,000 islands.
But their home is not the only thing the Butbut are proud of...
