Environment and Social Issues – NICKELED AND DIMED

What does 8 billion people mean for the planet?

The world population recently reached 8 billion, a number that is both staggering and concerning. This unprecedented level of population growth has a major impact on the environment and society. It results in an increased demand for resources and land. This leads to deforestation, soil erosion, and loss of biodiversity, which can have long-term effects…
Read more: What does 8 billion people mean for the planet?
Safeguarding the Sea: Navigating Microplastic Pollution with WasteLess Auroville

Microplastics and marine plastic pollution is a global crisis that requires immediate action. Educating people on this issue is essential to ensure that we can effectively combat it. WasteLess Auroville and the Government of Tamil Nadu launched an educational programme to raise awareness of microplastics and marine plastic pollution. This essay will explore why it…
Read more: Safeguarding the Sea: Navigating Microplastic Pollution with WasteLess Auroville
A critical analysis of the Zero Budget Natural Farming paradigm

This article analyses the Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) movement in India pioneered by Subhash Palekar. The first part of the text delves into the ecological understanding of this method and the accessibility of the ZBNF for all classes of farmers. The next section deals with how this method of farming was adopted by Andhra…
Read more: A critical analysis of the Zero Budget Natural Farming paradigm
The employability of the clean energy sector

The clean energy sector has seen a lot of progress in recent years. One highlight came when the IEA announced that for the first time, the clean energy sector created more jobs than the fossil fuel industry worldwide. This article looks at the progress India has made in the sector and the various goals they…
Read more: The employability of the clean energy sector
Is India Equipped to Deal with the Climate Refugee Crisis?

India recently unveiled its theme of the G20 Presidency as “One Earth One Family One Future” in light of its commitment towards the climate change movement but as cases of internal displacement due to environmental conditions and climate refugees rise, India lacks a framework and methodology to deal with the same. This article will attempt…
Read more: Is India Equipped to Deal with the Climate Refugee Crisis?
TRACING THE HISTORY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PERSONHOOD

Environmental entities are given the status of legal persons under the idea of environmental personhood. The idea acknowledges that nature has rights and that those rights should be upheld by a court of law. As a result, the environment has broad and strong legal safeguards, regardless of how closely it relates to human interests. This…
Read more: TRACING THE HISTORY OF ENVIRONMENTAL PERSONHOOD
Urban Flooding is more than just climate change: The case of Bangalore

This article traces Bangalore’s history of development particularly diving into the history and political evolution of storm water drains. It identifies commodification of public commons like lake beds, storm water drains, to be a strong cause of Urban flooding. Real estate capital flow in 1991 is traced in interaction with government institutions and public commons.…
Read more: Urban Flooding is more than just climate change: The case of Bangalore
Does India Need to Work Towards an Environment Taxation System?

India’s Union Government recently approved its Nationally Determined Contributions but India’s green sector is barely getting the annual financing it needs. To bridge the lacuna the paper attempts to demonstrate the need for India to increase its accountability and work towards a revenue-neutral environmental taxation system that is both punitive and incentivised. This leads to…
Read more: Does India Need to Work Towards an Environment Taxation System?
Polluter Pays Principle: An Analysis of the Indian Context

The ‘Polluter Pays Principle’, first conceptualized through the OECD Guiding Principles, is a well-established principle of law which puts an onus on the polluter responsible for causing pollution to bear the costs of his damages and to provide compensation for the restoration of the environment. It was later codified as a general principle of international…
Read more: Polluter Pays Principle: An Analysis of the Indian Context
Striving for More than the Bare Minimum in Corporate Environmental Leadership

There has been a growing need for environmentally conscious business decisions; however, we mostly only see companies trying to get away with less than the bare minimum. In an unprecedented move, Patagonia has gone above and beyond in its mission to protect the environment and do no harm, changing the company’s entire structure. This leaves…
Read more: Striving for More than the Bare Minimum in Corporate Environmental Leadership
Coral Reefs: Their Importance and Subsequent Destruction

Over the past few decades, due to various human activities, they have come under the threat of extinction. However, recently, coral reefs have bounced back across two-thirds of the Great Barrier Reef.
Read more: Coral Reefs: Their Importance and Subsequent Destruction
The Need for Scalability in Climate Change Solutions

Climate change is a problem that continues to persist and instead of finding solutions, we are discovering more ways through which human activity continues to worsen the situation. Most people blame the capitalist system for the creation of a culture of constant growth but many also look to solve these issues using certain aspects of…
Read more: The Need for Scalability in Climate Change Solutions