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Save our forests

Date published: November 3, 2007

There can be no doubt that the Forests Rights Act and its operationalising Rules, as currently framed, will lead to massive deforestation across all of India. This will lead to the drying up of rivers from which we get drinking water. It will initiate a cycle of devastating floods and unseasonal droughts. It will increase landslides and soil erosion and reduce the fertility of agricultural land. It will emit more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than ten times the whole of our energy sector. It will wipe out valuable biodiversity.

Think pink - save lesser flamingos

Date published: November 3, 2007

Three-quarters of the world population of lesser flamingos depends on Tanzania’s Lake Natron as a breeding site. Food is plentiful, nesting sites abound – and above all, the lake is isolated and undisturbed. But in recent months, the Tanzanian Government and the Indian company Tata Chemicals have put forward proposals to build a large-scale industrial plant to extract soda ash from Lake Natron’s water, via a network of pipes across the surface of the lake. A new road and rail infrastructure would be built to serve the soda ash plant.

Keep your eyes open for the migrants

Date published: October 15, 2007

India has a rich birdlife, totalling over 1,200 species. Of these, several are endemic to areas like the Western Ghats and the Northeast. Others are migrants that spend winters here. The reason for this diversity of species is that India encompasses a variety of habitats and ecosystems. But, in the face of unprecedented global environmental change we face a critical shortage of information on the ecological consequences. How will our wild animals and plants be affected? Will there be changes in breeding, survival and migration? Get involved in Citizen Science to monitor the movements of nine species of birds that migrate to India during the winter.

Say NO to the DANCE of pain

Date published: October 15, 2007

The Indian sloth bear is accorded the same protection as the tiger under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Yet crimes against it are committed openly across India as these bears are made to "dance" for "entertainment" using tools of cruelty and torture by members of the Kalandar tribe. Since 1995, Wildlife SOS has been working to "free" the dancing bear and bring an end to this illegal trade that is rapidly depleting the wild population of sloth bears (Melursus ursinus).

Stop port construction; Save ridley sea turtles

Date published: October 13, 2007

If completed, the Dhamra port will be one of the largest in South Asia, with 17-kilometre channels dredged deep and wide enough to accommodate Panamax and Capesize vessels. Environmental organisations and local fishermen’s unions are asking the international community to help them stop construction of the Dhamra port at this location where its impacts on the olive ridley sea turtles could spell extinction and its impacts on local fishermen could spell ruin.