Elsewhere, in the Dark Continent, Kenya is seeing the light of the day! Literally! Thanks to the efforts of Evans Wadongo! The young Kenyan’s invention, the MwangaBora- a Solar Powered LED lantern, has brightened the lives of many already. Deepak Shir in conversation with the man, a CNN Hero 2010 Nominee. The MwangaBora (Swahili for “good light”), is essentially a Solar Power LED Lantern- a low-cost, high efficiency replacement to kerosene powered lanterns. So, is the MwangaBora a “Green Idea”? “Definitely”, says Wadongo. “A litre of kerosene burnt produces about 2.6 kg of soot, which is basically raw carbon emitted …

In our war against global warming, one of the battles whose outcome is under our control is the fight against transport emissions. Even on this front, we need to drastically scale up our efforts as latest measures notwithstanding, transport emissions are set to increase by 84 percent to 2030 (Tomlinson, 2009). While the current response of most governments has been to tighten mileage norms, experts and policy makers agree that automobiles powered by alternative sources of energy are the future. Such a scenario also reduces most nations’ dependence on oil imports, saving precious foreign exchange which can be diverted to …

Ask any old time resident of Bengaluru what’s changed and the answer will inevitably be – everything. This city that was once known for its sprawling gardens, open-spaces, empty-roads and amicable weather, is today a bustling metropolis. Life is fast, and the green is disappearing even faster. As the city widens, nature seems to get more and more distant and you are left wondering if the famous Lalbaugh and Cubbon Park will be the only token lush areas left. And on this melancholy strain, your eyes chance upon an elegant sandstone structure rising above Residency Road. Welcome to the ITC …

Tickled awake by morning dew; sluggish Arousal at first light. Yawning in those warm rays thus, Quivered the Mulberry with delight. The Sun, having blushed a moment, glowed anew: all bedazzling and bright. How festive the easterly hues felt, after that dreary bleak yester-night! In this growing light she beheld ‘Her’. A butterfly: quiescent betwixt moss. The cruel, cold gusts of yester-eve, rendering lifeless such lively gloss! The departed, in her last efforts, Had laid twin priceless pearls. Grieving Berry bosomed both. “Orphans you shall not be, my Girls! ” When have people of one kind but, Ever been benevolent …

India is the largest consumer of black tea; a fact that comes as no surprise to a Bengali like me, having seen the sheer amount of tea my family consumes in a week. Although ‘chai’ – the hot and sweet beverage – has been a part of our everyday life for a long time, it is only recently that its health benefits have become commonly known. Tea is rich in antioxidants and is a natural source of fluoride, which helps in controlling cholesterol, blood pressure and has been shown to inhibit cancer. Most of the tea we consume, however, is …

India is home to over a tenth of the total number of bird species that inhabit our planet. This rich diversity is spread over a wide geographical area and is scattered across a variety of landscapes and habitats. The archival of information on these species, their habits, and migration patterns has taken the collective sweat of a long line of ornithologists to whom we owe a huge debt. This article aims to profile a few of the stalwarts in the study of Indian birds. Allan Octavian Hume is popularly known as the founder of the Indian National Congress, but a …

When its time for a vacation, a serene environment beckons one and all – be it the CEO of a big-shot company or a down-to-earth labourer. The former may achieve it in a five-star hotel situated on a hill-station and the latter may achieve it in his own village. The city life doesn’t give much opportunity for people to actually be amidst some greenery. Being in a situation where you couldn’t be out for an entire day, yet manage to escape into wilderness for a short period of time – One is left with but a few choices. If you …

Sushi, an artful Japanese dish is a combination of raw, marinated or slightly smoked fish rolled or topped with vinegar fermented rice and a surprisingly spicy sauce called wasabi which tastes like a very strong cough drop. The term sushi, also seems to refer to a broad class of Japanese seafood preparations with rice and tofu.  Personally I feel that the taste of lightly cooked fish is an acquired one but there is no question about its nutritional value. It is an affordable source of protein, iron and omega 3 fatty acids and contains almost no saturated fat. Also, there …

Think Cambodia and images of ruins in the jungle, mighty stone faced temples and brilliantly carved terraces flood your mind. You think of trees and stone structures struggling to occupy the same place and of its crown jewel the massive Angkor Wat. But in all this grandeur of the ancient engineering there lies a strange paradox, how did the Khmer civilization which rose to such heights suddenly vanish? The answer to Angkor’s fall lies in Angkor’s rise. As you land in Siem-Reap (the modern-day town nearest to Angkor Thom), you cannot but help notice vast tracts of richly watered ancient …

Think Bengaluru 25 years back and you remember well planned roads, wide open spaces, no traffic and clean air. Fast-forward to today and bang! You spend a fourth of your day just in traffic. As one haplessly stares at the statistic of vehicle growth, one can’t help but wonder if there is a panacea to this problem…… Enter THE SEGWAY The Segway is a battery-operated, two-wheeled, self-balancing vehicle invented by American entrepreneur Dean Kamen. When Dean Kamen unveiled the Segway on ABC’s Good Morning America; he described the machine as “the world’s first self-balancing human transporter”. From it’s launch in …