To burst or not to burst?’ is a question many young humans might be asking as the patakha (firecracker) season begins. Teachers and doctors tend to advice against firecrackers but there’s always a paan-chewing uncle or a macho friend who’ll bully you kids into becoming enthusiastic arsonists. It’s usually a tough choice to make. Some additional information is always a good help in firming up ones’ resolutions. Therefore, let's throw some light on the history, chemistry, and eco-friendliness of patakhas.

Carbon is a chemical element found widely in the universe. It is the basis of our life. But what about ‘blue carbon’?

We keep reading or hearing about air pollution and its deadly effect on our health and environment. More recently, we have also been hearing this new abbreviation being mentioned quite regularly: AQI – or Air Quality Index. As the name suggests, AQI is nothing but a report on the quality of air that we are breathing in a particular place – it informs us and the authorities how polluted the air is, so that a decision can be taken on the measures to control the pollution level...

Bacteria provide food to the plants by breaking complex organic compounds into simpler forms. This decomposition, part of a larger process called carbon cycle, is crucial for maintaining a stable climate on Earth. A tiny-sized organism has recently been identified as a major warrior against environmental pollution and global warming. This warrior is a new species of soil bacteria called the Paraburkholderia madseniana and has been discovered by the researchers from the Cornell University of US. But how do they exactly help us in our fight? Let us find out.

Extreme heat days caused by rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere would adversely affect labour productivity and economic growth, particularly in developing countries like India. *********************************************** The gross domestic product (GDP) stands for the net value of all goods and services produced in the country. It usually indicates the health of an economy. A healthy GDP growth rate is considered to be a good sign as it indicates the creation of jobs and increased income. Also, businesses tend to invest more in a country where the GDP growth rate is high...

In August 2019, a funeral was held for the last patch of ice atop the Ok volcano in western Iceland. The ice patch belonged to Okjökull.

What tigers eat and the space they occupy protects the health of their entire ecosystem.

Green schools are taking initiatives to clean the polluted air around us As we gear up for winter, we cannot ignore that this is the time when we experience the worst of air quality across cities and towns. The air we breathe is filled with toxic pollutants like nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM 2.5, PM 10), lead (Pb), ozone (O3), among others, arising from multiple sources such as vehicles, industries and power plants. Delhi has been infamous for its air pollution, for years, especially after the World Health Organisation reported it to be the most polluted city in …