Natural Forests versus Miyawaki Plantations

Miyawaki plantations have been touted as the easy answer to unplanned urban development, with even India's MoEFCC promoting it as a quick fix for urban greening. The science though, is drastically different from the cosy picture Miyawaki paints. Ecologists and critics of the method say that there is no substitute for natural green spaces, that there is no 'quick fix' for deforestation.

Comic from my column with Roundglass Sustain, doubling up as a Hayao Miyazaki fan comic!

In their article 'How Mr. Miyawaki Broke my Heart' in The Wire Science, authors Fazal Rashid and Somil Daga aptly refer to the Miyawaki method as 'climax without foreplay'! Read here.

Capitalism and Air Pollution

Comic from my column with Pune Mirror.

Illegal Palm Oil

Redesigned logos of some companies sourcing illegal palm oil in Indonesia. Based on the findings of an investigation in Sumatra, Indonesia by Rainforest Action Network. Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Pygmy Hog Giant Problems

Meet the world's smallest wild pig, Assam's Pygmy Hog, whose problems are anything but pygmy. From my column with Roundglass Sustain.

The Amazon Fires: A Flowchart

Cattle ranching for the Brazilian beef industry has been identified as one of the largest causes of the devastating forest fires in the Amazon. Beef exports from Brazil find their largest markets in Hong Kong, China, Egypt, the EU and USA among other countries. 

Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Threats to the Great Indian Bustard

The Great Indian Bustard is known in India by vernacular names like 'Godawan' in Rajasthan, and 'Hoom' in Maharashtra, after its booming breeding call. Here's a comic about the conservation threats that this critically endangered bird faces, from my column with Sunday Mid-Day.

Pollution and the River Ganga

Recently, the Uttarakhand High Court declared the river Ganga a living entity with the same legal rights as a person. Does it help the cause of the river, that has long suffered from sewage and waste dumping, sand-mining, illegal fishing and diversion for canals? 

From my column with Mid-Day today.

The Environment Ministry

As the PMO calls for further 'relaxation' of environmental clearance laws, here's one from my column with The Hindu Blink.