An exhibition of innovative ideas, offering solutions in the sphere of climate change, hosted on 30 January 2024 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. ************ As part of the Green Schools Carnival 2024, the Green Schools Programme (GSP) of the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) hosted The Solutions Showcase...

An observation report made by high-schoolers in rural Maharashtra, studying the impact of climate change and the water resources installed by them a year earlier. At the cusp of the monsoon in Kharajgaon, land had laid barren for months. The countryside was tense and farmers awaited rains. Too early and the crops would die, too late and they can’t be sold. Most farmers took multiple jobs during off-season to support their families. Navin, a farmer we worked with, forced his daughters to leave school to sustain their living costs. Promised prosperous yield, they adopted inorganic fertilisers and pesticides. “We know …

Become a smart consumer by learning how to pick out the truly ‘Organic’ stuff from amongst a host of food packets carrying various complicated labels. ***************************** Hello, friends! The other day, I went grocery shopping with my niece, Prisha, for buying some chemical-free and safe food. She’s just like you, always eager to learn new things. As we walked through the store, Prisha explored all kinds of fruits, spices, chocolates, and whatnot! But something really confused her—lots of description on the products she’d picked up...

What can you do at home to pump up the oxygen levels in your surroundings? Read this motivating account of some ordinary but nature-friendly activities. ************************************* From the past few years, my family has been undertaking certain chores which have helped us in connecting with nature in a better way. For instance, we make compost from raw fruit and vegetable scrapes, using the three-tier pot method. At first, we gather a lot of green and brown waste from the kitchen. (Green waste means anything organic that can be composted...

The story of how a village got its first toilet. *********************************** G Nandakumar is a young farmer in Diguvapalem, a remote hamlet and a chronically drought-prone area in southern Andhra. In 2019, I met him on a school hiking trip, as part of our Geography classes. 'Nandu,' fondly addressed as so, was keen to upgrade his village by pursing some sustainable environmental practices, like organic farming. However, he lacked the resources to execute his vision. So, as a young student, I was very inspired by his ideas and wanted to help...

Food that is good for us and for the environment, understanding what ‘food systems’ are, how they cause climate change, and what the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit is all about. **************************************** Babbi jumped out of the car and looked around the unusual farm. There were bushes interspersed with different kinds of trees and small patches of vegetables. Nearby, was a yellow patch of mustard crops. She could hear a cow moo at a distance too...

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.  

The food we eat comes from various sources, among them, plants are the largest group of souces and our primary food producers. Can you think of the food items we get from plants?

With her hair neatly oiled and braided, wearing her green-and-white school uniform, Selvi sat on the mat waiting for Amma to get her favourite tiffin of idlis and carrot sambar. But today, as she waited she couldn’t smell the usual aroma from the kitchen. 'Here you go, Selvi, finish your tiffin and go to school!' Amma placed a plate with idlis and coconut chutney. 'Before you ask me, let me tell you, no carrot sambar...