Everything Environment by Mongabay India

If we listen closely, a bird’s call reflects what humans have done to its landscape, and a forest soundscape tells us about habitat health. Listen to the third episode of Wild Frequencies to learn how scientists use bioacoustics to understand animals in a landscape altered by humans. Wild Frequencies is a three-part mini-series by Mongabay-India, where wildlife researchers from India share their stories of sounds from the animal world. They decode those wild frequencies for us, one song, one howl, and one chirp at a time. Follow Everything Environment by Mongabay India for more episodes. For show notes, visit our website. Guests: TR Shankar Raman, scientist, Nature Conservation Foundation Divya Mudappa, scientist, Nature Conservation Foundation Vijay Ramesh, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology Priyanka Hariharan, ecologist, University of Florida K.S. Gopi Sundar, conservation biologist Reported and written by Shreya Dasgupta and Kartik Chandramouli Editing, music, and sound design by Abhijit Shylanath Episode artwork by Hitesh Sonar Recordings from Valparai by Vijay Ramesh at the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and Project Dhvani, Meghana Srivathsa, Akshay Anand, Shankar Raman and Divya Mudappa. Recordings of sarus crane calls by Suhridam Roy.

Can we figure out animal behaviour by listening to the sounds they produce? In this episode, you’ll hear from scientists who listen closely to wildlife ranging from large mammals to insects. Wild Frequencies is a three-part mini-series by Mongabay-India in which wildlife researchers from India share their stories of sounds from the animal world. They decode those wild frequencies for us, one song, one howl, and one chirp at a time. Follow Everything Environment by Mongabay India for more episodes. For show notes, visit our website. Guests: Seema Lokhandwala,  Elephant Acoustic Project Manjari Jain, Associate Professor, Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER, Mohali) Reported and written by Shreya Dasgupta and Kartik Chandramouli Editing, music, and sound design by Abhijit Shylanath Episode artwork by Hitesh Sonar Recordings of Asian elephants by Elephant Acoustics Project, African savannah elephants by Elephantvoices.org, and cricket by Manjari Jain

Most wild animals are not easy to spot. They are often hidden, camouflaged, or just not around when you are. But instead of trying to ‘see’ them, what if we try and ‘listen’ to them? After all, animals communicate. For some researchers, all this talking and chattering is gold. They use sounds to find animals that are difficult to observe and also to count them! Wild Frequencies is a three-part mini-series by Mongabay-India, where wildlife researchers from India share their stories of sounds from the animal world. They decode those wild frequencies for us, one song, one howl, and one chirp at a time. Follow Everything Environment by Mongabay India for more episodes. For show notes, visit our website. Guests: Rohit Chakravarty, Nature Conservation Foundation Isha Bopardikar, IISER Tirupati Bilal Habib, Wildlife Institute of India Reported and written by Shreya Dasgupta and Kartik Chandramouli; Editing, music, and sound design by Abhijit Shylanath; Episode artwork by Hitesh Sonar; Sound clips by Rohit Chakravarty (NCF), Isha Bopardikar (IISER Tirupati), and Bilal Habib (WII)

Animals communicate. And some researchers listen to what they are saying. Hosts Shreya Dasgupta and Kartik Chandramouli travelled to different parts of India and spoke to multiple scientists to hear stories of sounds from the animal world. They will decode those wild frequencies for us, one song, one howl, and one chirp at a time. Wild Frequencies is a three-part mini series exploring an emerging science called bioacoustics, which is helping us learn more about wildlife and find ways to protect it. Follow Everything Environment by Mongabay-India for episode updates. Hosted by Shreya Dasgupta and Kartik Chandramouli Editing, music, and sound design by Abhijit Shylanath Artwork by Hitesh Sonar

In this sixth and final episode of Environomy, we will explore how India has dealt with issues related to biodiversity and climate change since the 1991 economic reforms. Since the national government has taken a strong position on climate change in recent years, this episode will also try to connect the past with the present and the future. Explore other episodes of Environomy where S. Gopikrishna Warrier took us through the journey of how environmental economics got interlocked after the economic reforms of 1991. This is a journey for which he had a ringside ticket as a journalist, reporting and writing on the environment for the past three decades. Writer and producer: S. Gopikrishna Warrier Production Editor: Kartik Chandramouli Audio editor: Tejas Dayanand Sagar  Subscribe to Everything Environment by Mongabay India. Follow Mongabay-India on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Subscribe to our newsletter.

Though farming contributes less than 20% of India's GDP, it provides livelihood support to nearly half of the country's population. It is an extremely challenging occupation, with many from the younger generation unwilling to pursue agriculture. When the post-economic reforms financially benefited sections of Indian society, how did the farmers feel left out? In the fifth episode of Environomy, the host discusses the impact of economic reforms on the agricultural sector. Through Environomy, S. Gopikrishna Warrier takes us through the journey of how environmental economics got interlocked after the economic reforms of 1991. This is a journey for which he had a ringside ticket as a journalist, reporting and writing on the environment for the past three decades. Writer and producer: S. Gopikrishna Warrier Production Editor: Kartik Chandramouli Audio editor: Tejas Dayanand Sagar Subscribe to Everything Environment by Mongabay India. Follow Mongabay-India on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Subscribe to our newsletter.

There are traffic jams on India’s hill stations and mountain roads across the year. It wasn’t always like this. Increased incomes of the Indian middle class after the 1991 economic reforms translated to improved mobility. Many made their way to the mountains. And the most significant impact of India's increased mobility has been on the environment of the mountains. Through Environomy, S. Gopikrishna Warrier will take you through the journey of how environmental economics got interlocked after the economic reforms of 1991. This is a journey for which he had a ringside ticket as a journalist, reporting and writing on the environment for the past three decades. Writer and producer: S. Gopikrishna Warrier Production Editor: Kartik Chandramouli Audio editor: Tejas Dayanand Sagar Subscribe to Everything Environment by Mongabay India. Follow Mongabay-India on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Subscribe to our newsletter.

The legislature, the executive, and the judiciary, form the three pillars of Indian democracy. The legislature consisting of the parliamentarians, and legislators are the policy makers who draw up acts and policies. The executive is the government, consisting of the Prime Minister, Council of Ministers, Chief Ministers, and their officials. The judiciary are the lawyers and the judges in the courts, from the lower ones to the Supreme Court and also the National Green Tribunal.  During the past three decades, the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary, recalibrated their positions. This impacted the environment. Listen to the third episode of Environomy to find out more.  Through this show, S. Gopikrishna Warrier will take you through the journey of how environmental economics got interlocked after the economic reforms of 1991. This is a journey for which he had a ringside ticket as a journalist, reporting and writing on the environment for the past three decades. Writer and producer: S. Gopikrishna Warrier Production Editor: Kartik Chandramouli Audio editor: Tejas Dayanand Sagar Subscribe to Everything Environment by Mongabay India. Follow Mongabay-India on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter.  Subscribe to our newsletter.

In the early 1990s, the anti-Tehri dam and anti-Narmada dam movements were India's most well-known environmental protests. It was not as if only environmental activists were involved with these movements. The developments in Tehri and Narmada were watched keenly by people across the country. In the coming decade, something changed. In this episode, hear about how a distinct economic and political identity for the Indian middle class after the economic reforms of 1991 changed the way in which they dealt with environmental issues. Through our show Environomy, S. Gopikrishna Warrier will take you through the journey of how environmental economics got interlocked after the economic reforms of 1991. This is a journey for which he had a ringside ticket as a journalist, reporting and writing on the environment for the past three decades. Writer and producer: S. Gopikrishna Warrier Production Editor: Kartik Chandramouli Audio editor: Tejas Dayanand Sagar Additional music and archival material courtesy the documentary film Words on Water, written and directed by Sanjay Kak; Kodaikanal Won’t, written and performed by Sofia Ashraf, produced by Justice Rocks Initiative, Vettiver Collective; and the William J. Clinton Presidential Library. Subscribe to Everything Environment by Mongabay India. Follow Mongabay-India on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Subscribe to our newsletter.  

How did the 1991 economic reforms impact the course of the Indian environment in the past three decades? Listen to Environomy's first episode, where we will look at how the Indian middle class acquired a distinct economic and political identity after the economic reforms of 1991. Through our show Environomy, S. Gopikrishna Warrier will take you through the journey of how environmental economics got interlocked after the economic reforms of 1991. This is a journey for which he had a ringside ticket as a journalist, reporting and writing on the environment for the past three decades. Writer and producer: S. Gopikrishna Warrier Production Editor: Kartik Chandramouli Audio editor: Tejas Dayanand Sagar Subscribe to Everything Environment by Mongabay India. Follow Mongabay-India on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. Subscribe to our newsletter.

Lake-hopping is Anoop Ambili’s thing. For Ambili, a paleoclimatologist, the Lonar Lake in Maharashtra, Tso Moriri in Ladakh and Renuka in Himachal Pradesh hide clues that help him reconstruct past climate changes going back to 10,000 years. Ambili is also studying microplastic pollutants in these freshwater lakes. For example, he is looking for pollutants such as microplastics in Renuka lake, a popular tourist spot and also the largest lake in Himachal Pradesh. Information about the changes in the lakes, Ambili believes, will shape how we design policies that address human-caused changes to natural ecosystems. In this episode, you’ll hear what India’s lakes tell us about our past, present and future. If you listen to Ambili’s poignant observations of lakes and the challenges they face today, I’m sure you’ll look at these water bodies from a different perspective. Guest: Anoop Ambili, Assistant Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences, IISER-Mohali Host and producer: Sahana Ghosh Co-producer and cover designer: Kartik Chandramouli Audio editor: Tejas Dayanand Sagar Copy editors: Sapna Verma and Priyanka Shankar Subscribe to Everything Environment by Mongabay India on your podcast platform. Follow Mongabay-India on Twitter and Instagram  Subscribe to our newsletter

Looking at sediment under a microscope is a window into past environments and climates. In a dot of sediment, you may find thousands of microfossils - tiny remains of bacteria, protists, fungi, animals, and plants. Rajani Panchang, an oceanographer and micropaleontologist, uses microfossils from oceans, of tiny marine organisms, to interpret how the climate and environment may have been when they were alive. Such work gives us ideas about the chemistry and temperature of the ocean, ocean currents and wind patterns of the past. Paleoclimate research eventually feeds into reports that give us the large picture of climate change and our means of recovery. It starts with studying sediments. Guest: Rajani Panchang, oceanographer and micropalaentologist, Savitribai Phule Pune University Host and producer: Sahana Ghosh Co-producer and cover designer: Kartik Chandramouli Audio editor: Tejas Dayanand Sagar Copy editors: Sapna Verma and Priyanka Shankar Subscribe to Everything Environment by Mongabay India on your podcast platform. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram  Subscribe to our newsletter

Imagine this: When modern humans arrived on the Indian subcontinent from Africa, they saw creatures such as giant prehistoric elephants, a hippopotamus and a zebra-like horse, alongside other great beasts. Infact, these large mammals stuck around in the region for at least 20,000 years after the arrival of humans. A low-magnitude extinction began about 30,000 years ago when some megafaunal species, such as the giant elephants, started disappearing. This is in contrast to the Americas, Europe and Australia, where the arrival of humans led to more rapid, large-scale extinctions of megafauna such as woolly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. So why did the megafauna persist even after the arrival of modern humans on the Indian subcontinent? Why did some species disappear? Why do we still have animals like elephants, tigers, and rhinos in India but not elsewhere on the planet? In this episode, we have paleobiologist Advait Jukar, who is trying to answer these questions. And his clues lie in fossils. His work helps us understand how biodiversity has changed through time with the arrival of humans and climate change. Guest: Advait Jukar, Gaylord Donnelley Postdoctoral Associate, Bioanthropology and Archaeology at Yale University Host and producer: Sahana Ghosh Co-producer and cover designer: Kartik Chandramouli Audio editor: Tejas Dayanand Sagar Copy editors: Sapna Verma and Priyanka Shankar Subscribe to Everything Environment by Mongabay India on your podcast platform. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram  Subscribe to our newsletter

What can shells tells us about marine paleoclimate? Shells and molluscs store a wealth of paleoclimate information. Molluscs build their shells with calcium carbonate from the sea water. Their shells record the sea water chemistry, which lets us decipher the changes that occurred in their environment. Paleoclimate scientist Devapriya Chattopadhyay studies mollusc fossils which help reconstruct the marine paleoenvironment. Her findings revealed that even periods of slight warming affected mollusc diversity in an area considered to be less affected by changes in the climate. In the context of present-day climate change, this paleoclimate research is considered to be very useful in bridging some knowledge gaps. In this episode of Imprints, Chattopadhyay talks about her fossil-hunting adventures, interesting discoveries and the people she encounters on the field. She also speaks about how infrastructure development could erase records of natural history and the challenge that India faces in setting up a museum for natural history. Guest: Devapriya Chattopadhyay, Associate Professor, Earth and Climate Science, Paleobiology and Marine Ecology, Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER) Host and producer: Sahana Ghosh, Contributing Editor, Mongabay-India Co-producer and cover designer: Kartik Chandramouli Audio editor: Tejas Dayanand Sagar Copy editors: Sapna Verma and Priyanka Shankar Subscribe to Everything Environment by Mongabay India on your podcast platform. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram  Subscribe to our newsletter Links: Colonial history and global economics distort our understanding of deep-time biodiversity Predation to climate change: what does a fossil shell tell us? Response of the Oligo-Miocene Bivalve Fauna of the Kutch Basin (Western India) to Regional Tectonic Events The Distribution Pattern of Marine Bivalve Death Assemblage From the Western Margin of Bay of Bengal and Its Oceanographic Determinants

It is fascinating how scientists unearth data for climate science in unusual locations. Atreyee Bhattacharya’s work takes her to lakebeds and libraries. She’s a paleoclimatologist who looks back at past climates to develop the context for understanding recent climate change. She analyses sediments drilled from old lakes and scours British archival records to reconstruct past rainfall changes. This aids in predictions of future climates. “Without paleoclimate research, we just wouldn't know that we are in a climate crisis.” She looks at paleoclimatology as a guidebook to human society - when did humans prosper and didn’t due to climatic factors? Using this knowledge, scientists can work with policymakers to mitigate adverse outcomes. In this episode of Imprints, Atreyee talks about the toolkit for her profession, her work with economists to understand past famines, the importance of paleoclimatology and the challenges it faces. Guest: Atreyee Bhattacharya, Research Faculty, University of Colorado, Boulder Host and producer: Sahana Ghosh Co-producer and cover designer: Kartik Chandramouli Audio editor: Tejas Dayanand Sagar Copy editors: Sapna Verma and Priyanka Shankar Subscribe to Everything Environment by Mongabay India on your podcast platform. Follow Mongabay-India on Twitter and Instagram  Subscribe to our newsletter Show notes: Atreyee Bhattacharya Most famines in south India under British rule due to minor rainfall fluctuations, rather than extreme events A paleoclimate database for the Indian subcontinent  

India's renewable energy dreams have been big since the country shifted gears post-Paris climate summit in 2015. The country is now working towards achieving 500 GW of installed capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. However, every choice has a cost. Rapid renewable energy installation and the transition have left several aspects overlooked. And they have given rise to new issues. Issues related to land availability and acquisition for mega-renewable projects, impact on biodiversity, lack of involvement of local communities and gender-based plans, lack of financing solutions, absence of waste management and recycling policies, etc. Considering its impact on society, experts fear that the clean energy sector will follow in the footsteps of the fossil-fuel industry. The shift from fossil fuels to renewables is needed eventually, but it poses loud questions: What will happen to the states that'll stop producing coal? What'll happen to the millions working in coal and related industries? Are they skilled enough to switch to the renewable sector? Also, is renewable energy coming up in coal-dependent regions in the first place, or is it happening elsewhere? How will the state departments and economy cope with this shift? In this episode, we will try to understand the challenges that this sector's rapid but probably unplanned growth has thrown. We will examine if there are solutions and what needs urgent attention. Listen to GigaWhat and explore some of the biggest questions, challenges, and opportunities in India's transition from fossil fuel to clean energy sources. Mongabay-India is an online publication dedicated to bringing you stories on science and the environment in India. Read the full Clean energy series on our website Follow us on Twitter and Instagram  Subscribe to our newsletter Guests: Bhargavi Rao, Senior Fellow and Trustee at Environment Support Group Balasubramanian Viswanathan, Policy Advisor, International Institute for Sustainable Development Selna Saji, Research Analyst, Council on Energy, Environment and Water Credits: Host: Mayank Aggarwal Writer and producer: Kartik Chandramouli Audio editor: Tejas Dayananda Sagar Copy editor: Priyanka Shankar Podcast production assistant: Sapna Verma Episode cover art: Pooja Gupta

India has an ambitious clean energy target that needs technology and innovation. While government and private sectors have their role to play, startups are critical for innovation and faster execution. They identify local, national and global problems, find opportunities and develop solutions. India is home to the third-largest startup ecosystem, with about 57,000 startups. A fraction of this number is working in sustainability and solving climate change issues. Worldwide, it’s noted that the number of government policy measures to help startups get new clean energy technologies to the market, has risen sharply since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015. From bringing solar power-based products to provide job opportunities in rural India, to companies innovating to increase the life of batteries, startups are addressing various needs of the different stages in the renewable energy journey. But are they enough ideas? Enough startups? And enough support for such startups? And more importantly, is there money to be made? Is there money to invest? In this episode, we will speak to stakeholders involved in a startup’s journey to success. A co-founder, an investor and an incubator. Listen to GigaWhat and explore some of the biggest questions, challenges, and opportunities in India’s transition from fossil fuels to clean energy sources. Guests: Pankaj Sharma , co-Founder, Log 9 Materials Smita Rakesh, Vice President and Partner at Social Alpha Arpit Agarwal, Director, Blume Ventures               Credits: Hosted by Mayank Aggarwal Produced and scripted by Kartik Chandramouli. Edited and mixed by Tejas Dayananda Sagar Copy edits by Priyanka Shankar Episode artwork is by Pooja Gupta

We are all familiar with the buzzing sound under high-voltage power lines and transmission towers. The electricity passing through it is generated from coal power plants, solar parks, wind farms, dams and other sources. It passes through transmission networks and substations to eventually reach the end users. Day by day, the share of renewable power entering this system is increasing. However, the solar and wind farms that are coming up or expanding to meet India’s renewable energy goal are concentrated within a few states. India will need to upgrade and expand its transmission infrastructure to evacuate the power generated here and feed it into the national electricity grid to be distributed across all regions. The transmission infrastructure in India needs two trillion rupees! But there isn’t enough money flowing for the development. Without adequate transmission systems in place, renewable energy plants can turn into stranded assets. And that’s a fear for project developers and investors. Listen to GigaWhat and explore some of the biggest questions, challenges, and opportunities in India's transition from fossil fuel to clean energy sources. Mongabay-India is an online publication dedicated to bringing you stories on science and the environment in India. Read the full Clean energy series on our website Follow us on Twitter and Instagram  Subscribe to our newsletter Guests: Balawant Joshi, Managing Director, Idam Infra Deepak Krishnan, Associate Director, WRI India (Energy) Links:Financial Constraints in Renewable Energy Sector, Ministry of New And Renewable Energy Power Map of India Renewable Energy Industry in India, IBEF Renewables Integration in India, IEA Renewable Energy Management Centers Credits: Host: Mayank Aggarwal Writer and producer: Kartik Chandramouli Audio editor: Tejas Dayananda Sagar Copy editor: Priyanka Shankar Podcast production assistant: Ayushi Kothari GigaWhat cover art: Pooja Gupta

The clean energy sector maintains that it is crusading the fight against climate change. But first, governments and companies have to fix the road to making clean energy technologies. The supply chain to create clean energy technologies is riddled with issues. Unsustainable mineral extraction to make solar cells, wind turbines, electric vehicle batteries and other clean technologies pose high social and environmental risks. These scenarios are visible worldwide, especially in less industrialised nations. A secure and sustainable supply chain can contribute to a clean energy transition. In this episode of GigaWhat, Mongabay-India Contributing Editor and the podcast host, Mayank Aggarwal, speaks with Jessie Cato (natural resources programme manager, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) and Saurav Goyal (founding member, Metastable Materials) about various aspects of the clean technology supply chain. Guests: Jessie Cato, Programme Manager, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre Saurav Goyal, Founding Member, Metastable Materials Links The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions, IEA Critical Minerals for India, Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) Securing Clean Energy Technology Supply Chains, IEA Climate-positive, high-tech metals are polluting Earth, but solutions await, Mongabay Corporate sustainability due diligence, EU India’s market regulator takes a step towards sustainable finance, Mongabay-India KABIL Set up to Ensure Supply of Critical Minerals GigaWhat episode 1: Clean Waste Read the full Clean energy series on our website Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Subscribe to our newsletter Credits: Produced and scripted by Kartik Chandramouli Edited and mixed by Tejas Dayananda Sagar Copy edits by Aditi Tandon Production assistance from Ayushi Kothari GigaWhat artwork by Pooja Gupta

Lack of energy access limits the rural economy. But reliable electricity creates an infrastructure for rural entrepreneurs and gives people a chance to work on their aspirations. In rural India, decentralised renewable energy options – primarily solar power – are creating livelihood and business opportunities. Decentralised renewable energy systems are primarily independent of the central power grid and the energy is generated close to its area of use. To address daily issues that arise out of lack of power, startups and organisations are creating and modifying decentralised renewable energy (DRE) solutions in India’s villages, burgeoning towns and metros. In this episode of GigaWhat, Mongabay-India Contributing Editor and the podcast host, Mayank Aggarwal, speaks with startup founders and managers to learn the innovations happening in the DRE sector that are helping to boost the livelihoods of people in India’s hinterlands.   Produced and scripted by Kartik Chandramouli Edited and mixed by Tejas Dayananda Sagar Copy edits by Priyanka Shankar Production assistance from Ayushi Kothari GigaWhat artwork by Pooja Gupta Guests: Ananth Aravamudan,  Sector Lead - Climate Action, Villgro (Powering Livelihoods Kunal Vaid, Director, Resham Sutra Abhishek Pathak, Founder, Greenwear Manish Kumar, Staff Reporter, Mongabay-India Links: Mongabay series: Clean Energy Solar mini-grids fuel women-led enterprises in Jharkhand’s Gumla district Decentralised solar setups give power access to small farmers, facilitate innovations Framework to promote decentralised RE livelihood applications Powering Livelihoods Globally through Clean Energy, a GCF-CEEW report. The Future of Distributed Renewable Energy in India