Year in Review – 2022

Continuing last year's tradition, I recorded key events, activities, book reviews, and travels of this year using Instagram stories. This is my attempt to piece them together. Key events & activities: I tried cross-country skiing for the first time since I moved to Norway in July 2021. I genuinely think it is probably one of …

December 2021- January 2022 reading list

'Dune — the graphic novel (book 1)'. I picked interest in this book after watching the 'Dune (2021)' movie directed by Denis Villeneuve. Originally written by the legendary Frank Herbert, and adapted by his elder son Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson, this book gives an extraordinary overview of the house Atreides' life on planet …

Year in Review- 2021

This year I decided to try something different. Instead of posting tonnes of stuff on my social media accounts (which I usually do), I decided to record the key events that I witnessed in 2021 as my Instagram stories. The following post is my attempt to piece them together.  History repeats itself 2021 was different. …

The Role of Hydrogen in Energy Transition

Hydrogen is the lightest element in the periodic table, and it is one of the most common chemical elements found on the Earth and in the universe (hydrogen is the chief constituent in stars). Hydrogen has a very simple atomic structure, consisting of one proton and one electron. Hydrogen is an energy carrier and not …

The Lost Forest

The Lost Forest documents a scientific expedition to a mountain forest in northern Mozambique which has never been visited before by biologists, and even the local people know of no-one who has been to the forest because one has to rock climb a vertical cliff to reach it. The series was bought by National Geographic and …

Real Heroes

Who is a hero? “A hero can be anyone. Even a man who is doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boy’s shoulders to let him know the world hadn’t ended.” – Batman, The Dark Knight Rises (2012) This is a very famous quote, from one of my favourite …

How To Replace Plastic Bags?

The ban on plastics in 17 states and Union territories in India was welcomed by everyone, but although this ban was imposed with a vision of a greater good, it led to a slight inconvenience for consumers due to the unavailability of materials that could carry all functions of plastic. An inconvenience like this led to the …

Growing Soil-less with Hydroponics

Hydroponics can play a vital role in changing the way we think about plant growth and may well be the future of gardening and farming. Have you ever wanted to grow your own vegetables or herbs at home but were unable to do so for lack of space? If so, hydroponic gardening could be the answer …

Rooted Truth: SAI Sanctuary

A couple has transformed 300 acres of denuded farmland in Karnataka into what is probably India's first private wildlife sanctuary. Pamela Malhotra walks through the forest, pointing out a spot where she and her husband saw a herd of 10 elephants a few days ago. She also shows off a giant tree nearby. "That tree …

Zero Budget Natural Farming

Subhash Palekar is a much-celebrated name in the agriculture sector. A proponent of Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), he was in Chennai recently, after conducting workshops for farmers on natural farming on the outskirts of the city. In a chat with us, he talks about natural farming and how it can address the agrarian crisis. What is ZBNF? …