Bharati Chaturvedi is an environmentalist and writer. She is the founder and director of Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group.
Articles by Bharati Chaturvedi
Why not lead the world in phasing out zoos?
- In this era of the 6th extinction, unless it’s a conservation programme, should we still invest in zoos? What are the options?
Published on Jul 04, 2022 03:50 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, New Delhi
A climate shield for India’s small farmers
- Water evaporation and shortage apart, such long days of intense heat change how crops grow, their ability to absorb nutrients. In some cases, they burn off the plant itself.
Published on Jun 20, 2022 06:43 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, New Delhi
Greenpiece: need to create law to reduce food waste
Most middle class Indians have grown up being told not to waste food because it’s in short supply for the poor. Yet, the world wastes up to 30% of all food, increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
Published on Jun 13, 2022 07:07 AM IST
Need to create better ecosystem for animals
- The problem, scientists pointed out, was that humans were feeding coyotes so they could draw them out for photographs. Consequently, the animals lost their fear of humans over time and chased, bit and scratched them.
Published on May 30, 2022 04:48 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, New Delhi
Infusing green tradition in our cities
- Increasingly, we read about city slickers beating a leopard to death. It’s a crime? That it was seen. We dump endless plastics in our rivers, regardless of how this impacts riverine life. We watch passively as trees are lopped.
Published on May 23, 2022 12:28 AM IST
To survive heatwaves, we need a moratorium on cutting down trees
Prior to this heatwave, several workers I spoke to asked why they couldn’t start working at 5 am and ending at 1 pm? Coupled with workplaces designed for frequent rest, shade and hydration, this could be a first step.
Updated on May 17, 2022 09:24 PM IST
Rising electric scooter fires need a closer look
- Despite about 15 manufacturers in India, the quality of the batteries is unclear. Could some of them have been imported from outside, with no quality control, to meet the growing demand?
Published on Apr 25, 2022 06:02 AM IST
Need to take lessons from Sri Lanka crisis
- The world is deeply interconnected. This is exhilarating, but it exacerbates our vulnerability, especially in the context of climate change.
Published on Apr 18, 2022 05:07 AM IST
Elderly losing out to climate change talk
- According to the National Statistical Office ‘s 2021 report on the elderly, India can expect a 41% increase in the population of those above 60 in a decade, by 2031. How can we increase their resilience to climate change?
Published on Apr 11, 2022 07:06 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, New Delhi
India must eliminate toxins from the system
- An avid birder in the Ottawa region mentioned to me how rare ravens were in the area till a decade ago. Now, they are plentiful.
Updated on Mar 28, 2022 05:58 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, New Delhi
Mix modern science, indigenous wisdom to mitigate climate crisis
- During the last few years, temperatures have started shifting from high to low rapidly, which forces the snow on top to melt and freeze back into ice.
Published on Mar 14, 2022 06:41 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, New Delhi
Eco solutions must not lead to unintended consequences
- The environment cannot be governed with optimistic guesswork. Pollution control boards must urgently carry out rigorous studies and come up with guidelines, so the public can exercise informed options.
Published on Feb 28, 2022 05:59 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, New Delhi
Citizens’ science could come to forest dept aid
- The Cornell Ornithology Lab based ‘E-bird’ site allows birdwatchers to post their sightings almost anywhere in the world, with moderators for data oversight. India makes a rich contribution.
Published on Feb 07, 2022 08:08 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Greenpiece: Animal celebs and big cats can be better used for education
Dead bodies of animals in protected areas should follow the natural route-of being food and nutrients.
Published on Jan 24, 2022 03:55 AM IST
Greenpiece: Let us shift to greener ways in the fight against Covid-19
Just when we were told Omicron might be mild, the Florona combination emerged. While we collectively battle the Covid family, we must also battle the endless plastics from this pandemic.
Published on Jan 03, 2022 06:18 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, New Delhi
Greenpiece: Need mask standards to protect the people
Standardizing masks is key to public and environmental health, to saving lives. It is also key to using the appropriate resources in the most impactful manner.
Published on Dec 27, 2021 04:04 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, New Delhi
Greenpiece: The mind matters in climate crisis
- No matter how much change we plan, nobody can be prepared for the new era we are in.
Published on Dec 13, 2021 06:38 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Greenpiece: Rethinking smog and smog towers in Delhi
A smog tower is an expensive device ( ₹20 crore) that sucks in air, then blows it out. In between, particulate matter is cleaned. When the air is let out, it mixes with outside air, turning polluted again.
Published on Dec 06, 2021 05:43 AM IST
Need to save greenery amid new Covid variant
- The last year and a half has forced many of us to reduce our travel, meet only selected people and step out only if we have to.
Published on Nov 29, 2021 12:35 AM IST
Greenpiece: Lessons we can take from Baiga’s lifestyle
India’s 700 plus tribes, or indigenous people, have typically walked the earth with the lightest possible footprints, each distinct from the other.
Published on Nov 22, 2021 03:09 AM IST
Kids in north India are vulnerable to pollution
- State governments must invest in science-based protocols that can be implemented by schools, illiterate parents and the children themselves.
Published on Nov 15, 2021 04:13 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Climate finance key for developing nations
- India has asked for climate finance to meet its own goals. We lose money every time we are hit by a climate event.
Updated on Nov 08, 2021 11:16 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Need to regulate housing footprint to limit the severity of climate crisis
Many urban middle-class folks hope to own two homes. One to live, one as investment. As a result, the wealthy are expanding the housing footprint. This has severe consequences for climate change.
Updated on Nov 01, 2021 06:16 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, New Delhi
What we eat and what we eat in: Need for law on food containers
- While Indian legislation is cracking down on single use plastics, containers are a harder one.
Updated on Oct 25, 2021 04:31 AM IST
Greenpiece: This is new era, we need to be prepared for uncertainties
A big gap is knowledge about climate change. It’s easy to blame it for every crisis and sit back because it’s a meta-catastrophe.
Published on Oct 04, 2021 04:36 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, New Delhi
Let us not try to bring back Woolly Mammoth
- Touted as wonder materials, they are now globally regulated, threatening to overwhelm life in our rivers and oceans.
Published on Sep 27, 2021 02:14 AM IST
How human activities put Killer Whales in danger
- Science says there’s lots to love about Orcas. They are matriarchal, live in groups called pods and have their own private pod language.
Published on Sep 20, 2021 12:06 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
Greenpiece: Climate Crisis mitigation must be reflected at municipal level
Take the case of the waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in Gurugram’s Bhandwadi, in the ancient Aravalli forest... It is expected to handle waste from Gurugram and Faridabad.
Updated on Sep 06, 2021 01:48 PM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, New Delhi
Greenpiece: Lessons to be learnt from hurricane Ida
- The hurricane has only one lesson: fight much harder against climate change, or hurricanes, droughts, floods, lightening-these will be part of whatever life is left.
Published on Aug 30, 2021 12:21 AM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, New Delhi
IUCN must scrap ‘least concern’ species category in assessment
- As we enter the era of environmental catastrophe, how we value species deserves a rethink.
Updated on Aug 22, 2021 11:55 PM IST
Bharati Chaturvedi, Hindustan Times, New Delhi
