Green Peace action against 'Genetic Pollution'

Genetically engineered or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are created by taking genes from organisms like bacteria or virus and inserting them into other, often unrelated, species like crops or animals. Since foods derived from GMOs are not natural, there are unpredictable health and environmental risks associated with these foods.

Bt brinjal, the first genetically modified food crop has been put on hold after serious objections were raised about the necessity and safety in the long run. Even though no GM food crop is commercially cultivated in India, more than 11 major food crops are undergoing field trials across the country, which threaten to contaminate our food chains, as do unchecked import of raw food grains.

Greenpeace believes that GMOs should not be released into the environment as there is not adequate scientific understanding of their impact on the environment and human health.

Watch the below given video:

To know more about GMOs, visit this site: http://greenpeace.in/safefood/faq/  

SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

INVITATION OF APPLICATIONS FOR THE NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (2010-11)

Applications (in English or Hindi) are invited by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment latest by 30th September, 2010 in the prescribed proforma from the persons with disabilities to award the National Scholarships for the year 2010-11 for pursuing technical and professional courses from recognized institutions. Salient features of the scheme are:-

• 500 national scholarships will be awarded to eligible students with disabilities for the year 2010-11 for pursuing technical and professional courses from recognised Institution
• Financial Assistance can be given for computer with editing software for blind/ deaf graduate and post graduate students pursuing professional courses and for support access software for cerebral palsy students.
• Scholarship of Rs.1000/-p.m. for hostellers and Rs.700/- p.m. for day scholars studying in professional courses at graduation and above level, and Rs.700/- p.m. for hostellers and Rs.400/- p.m. for day scholars pursuing Diploma /certificate level professional. Course fee is reimbursed upto ceiling of Rs.10,000/- per year.

Details containing the eligibility conditions, the prescribed proforma for the application are available on website of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India “www.socialjustice.nic.in ”.

For further details, please visit website of NHFDC “www.nhfdc.org” or contact: NHFDC, Red Cross Bhawan, Sector-12, Faridabad-121007. Tel no. 0129-2226910, 2287512, 2287513 Fax-0129-2284371, e-mail-nhfdc97@gmail.com

Promoting Sustainable Development : Challenges for Environment Policy

With its geographic, climatic and biological diversity, India has a unique environmental heritage. The country represents almost all types of habitats of the world and the land mass of the country and its water bodies sustain an extremely rich variety of plants and animals. However, development based on intense utilisation of natural resources and polluting and energy intensive industrial technology along-with pressures of population and poverty have taken a heavy toll of these environmental assets over the years.

This Paper aims at reviewing the current state of the environment and identifying policy issues for promoting sustainable development. It is broadly divided into five sections :

Environment-economy linkages;

Review of our major environmental concerns;

The underlyingcauses of environmental degradation;

Discussion on policy response and current initiatives in this area; and

The challenges/issues in environment policy which have a bearing on promoting sustainable development.

To view the entire content, visit this link

Paper on Climate change policy for India

While the global environment waits for the world to reach some form of agreement on climate policy, developing countries such as India are entering a phase of higher economic growth. The decisions on investment in energy systems that will be made in India in coming years will have an important impact on global climate change over the coming century. This paper explores how action could be undertaken in India today, in a way that commits India to longer run goals for greenhouse emissions but does not raise the short run cost to the development process in India.

The approach proposed is a modification of the McKibbin-Wilcoxen Blueprint for climate policy which relies on establishing property rights and markets in both short term and long term emission permits. The goal is to encourage long term investment decisions to move towards less carbon intensive activities. This approach could be unilaterally implemented in India. If successful it would not only reduce Indian carbon emissions but it would be an example for the entire developing world to follow and it might remove a key obstacle preventing the United States from implementing policies based on the argument that developing countries are not committed to taking action to reduce greenhouse emission.

This paper outlines the recent history and prospects for carbon emissions in India. It also explores the various alternative economic instruments that might be used. The paper presents illustrative results for the consequences of a rise in the price for carbon in India based on a new version of the G-Cubed multi-country model that includes India. This simulation illustrates that an immediate increase in the price of carbon either through taxes or from entering a Kyoto style permit trading market could be very costly for India. Thus a credible commitment such as would be possible under the Blueprint is the best way to change investment incentives in India while at the same time give India time to develop before contributing to the cost of global greenhouse abatement.

To view this paper, visit the link