india

photos courtesy of The Jatropha System

India is one of the world’s leading cultivators of as a feedstock for biodiesel, with over one million hectares planted to date. That figure is set to rise slightly on the news that Hindustan Petroleum and the Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) are partnering to plant an additional 15,000 hectares.

photo by Matthew Logelin

The problems: 1) Indoor air pollution in the developing world caused by cooking fires and sooty illumination results in an estimated 1.6 million deaths per year, 2) Deforestation resulting from over use of wood as an energy source causes serious ecosystem degradation in many parts of the developing world.

A solution, as Envirofit sees it: New cookstoves, which while still burning biomass (wood, crop waste, dried animal dung) reduce indoor air pollution by 80%, reduce fuel usage by 50% and decrease cooking times by 40%.
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Tirumala temple photo by SJ Jagadeesh

I’ve often thought that way for ego-consciousness to really become ingrained in people’s lives is for it to be truly adopted by the major faiths of the world—for the interconnectedness of all life to be impressed upon everyone from a young age. Such a belief is already the foundation of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism so when Time recently ran an article about how India’s Hindu temples are increasingly embracing green ethics, it seemed a perfectly natural match.

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Aerial view of Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, site of Velankani Renewable Group’s new manufacturing complex. Photo via Wikipedia.

A well-timed announcement can be a thing of beauty. Just days after Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh said that solar energy would be a key point in his new climate plan, Bangalore-based Velankani Group announces that it will be constructing a new manufacturing complex for silicon compounds and solar cells.

Plant to be Built in Visakhapatnam, An...

photo by Colin Ashe

Last week saw California and the United Kingdom reveal plans to promote renewable energy and combat climate change. Today, India has announced its intentions in this arena.

Solar Power Will Change the Face of India
In announcing the National Action Plan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that a gradual shift towards renewable energy, in particular solar power, would enable India to “make [its] ec...

We've oohed and aahed at the Lifestraw, the cigar-sized personal point-of-use water filter produced by Vestergaard Frandsen. While it certainly has the potential to provide clean drinking water to a lot of people, a family of five would potentially need five Lifestraws to insure access to clean water. That's why they de...