By Vijay Jayaraj As host of the Sept. 9 G20 summit, India is ready to defend its use of fossil fuels despite the hostility of some of its guests toward the energy source. Speaking at a pre-summit conclave organized by local media, Union Power Minister R.K. Singh answered criticism that his country is a large emitter of… Continue Reading
In Memoriam: Dr. M.S. Swaminathan – The Visionary of India’s Green Revolution By Vijay Jayaraj There are some people who leave a lasting impression on this world. One of them is Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, who worked alongside Norman Borlaug to turn India into an agricultural haven. The legend who was instrumental in making India become… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj Various cities in the West have adopted “green” initiatives that might go unnoticed for the time being. One among them is carbon-free transportation through the transition from gasoline-and diesel-powered vehicles to ones propelled by electric motors. Electric vehicles (EVs) have been in the news lately for their disastrous sales numbers despite being… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj On August 23, India landed a craft near the Moon’s South Pole – an historic feat matched only by three other countries and made possible by the subcontinent’s largely uninhibited use of fossil fuels. The acceleration of coal usage between 2000 and 2020 played a pivotal role in bringing electricity to billions… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj There is not much new about media hyperbole in weather reporting, but July’s climate alarmism may be more breathless than usual. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media were inundated with posts containing flaming red maps of Southern Europe and Northern Africa. “July 2023 will probably be the world’s hottest month in… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj News reports of summer heatwaves often perversely misrepresent a modern climate favorable to human flourishing in order to fearmonger the false narrative of catastrophic global warming. The geological epoch of the Holocene, which roughly corresponds to the last 11,700 years, is a time of warmth that has been vital in fostering the… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo recently made headlines with its record-breaking order of Airbus passenger jets. The deal, worth an estimated $50 billion, is the largest single order in Airbus history. While the order for 500 of the A320neo aircraft is a major coup for Airbus, it is being termed a “setback” for… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj As an Indian, I don’t know whether to be more annoyed by Al Gore’s condescension or his hypocrisy when he describes my country as “the world’s third-highest emitter” of carbon dioxide in a tweet congratulating it for pausing investments in coal-fired power plants for five years. As the world’s most populous nation, India’s CO2… Continue Reading
Ranked 12th in per capita energy consumption in 2021, South Korea uses more than three times the global average. The country’s industrial sector accounts for 40 percent of total energy consumption. Particularly energy-intensive are large industrial cities such as Ulsan and Gwangyang, which is home to what claims to be the world’s largest steel manufacturing… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj On May 4, India’s capital of New Delhi recorded the third coldest May morning since 1901. At 16 degree Celsius (60 Fahrenheit), the region’s 32 million residents woke up to a relatively cold morning in what is usually the hottest month of the year. So why is there a record low temperature… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj On May 14, Cyclone Mocha made landfall near Myanmar and Bangladesh. It was not surprising to see many mainstream media blame climate change for it. The pattern has now become common. Every time there is a major cyclonic event, the media fan fear of climate change and argue that human-induced emissions of… Continue Reading
by Vijay Jayaraj Polar bear populations remain healthy in the Arctic irrespective of the once popular images of bears somehow suffering from a warming planet. Nevertheless, native people’s freedoms are being restricted by impractical government policies inspired by an irrational adherence to a doomsday vision. Canada is home to approximately two-thirds of the global polar… Continue Reading
by Vijay Jayaraj India’s unconstrained use of coal for electricity generation is helping 1.4 billion people adapt to intense heat waves that registered 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on thermometers. However, I’ve not seen a single story from the mainstream media highlighting why coal is essential to the comfort – and even survival – of… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj Reports from the mainstream media that climate change will lead to food shortages – along with all manner of other calamities – have it exactly backward. The changing climate of the last couple centuries or so is in fact a big reason why the world is fed better than ever. Warming temperature… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj Nuclear energy offers humanity the safest, most efficient approach to harnessing natural resources for its use. As the densest energy source available, nuclear fuel requires the least amount of material and land for electricity production. This is sufficient reason to support the technology. Yet, some promote it as a means to address… Continue Reading
by Vijay Jayaraj More than half the population of sub-Saharan Africa lives without reliable electricity, hindering the region’s development and economic growth. Even basic services in hospitals are a rarity due to insufficient power supplies. Offers of off-grid wind and solar energy as a solution demonstrate a lack of both a long-term vision and a proper understanding… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj It is well known that green enthusiasts in government and big business are seeking to divert financing away from the use of fossil fuels in the U.S. and other developed countries. However, the draconian pressures of this movement are now being applied in Vietnam and other members of the Association of Southeast… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj Countries around the world are imposing on agriculture outlandish taxes and restrictions on emissions of greenhouse gases. Farmers are being forced to return to primitive forms of agriculture and even to reduce the numbers of their livestock. These policies have been met with growing opposition over their negative effects on the productivity… Continue Reading
Last October, the U.S. climate envoy John Kerry suggested that the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) should abandon some oil blocks that it had put up for auction. However, for the people of the DRC — some of the poorest in the world — this could mean more years of pollution and ill-health from dirty cooking fuels… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj Vietnam of the 21st century is completely different from the war-ravaged country of the last century. An industrial hub, Vietnam now is a major exporter of finished goods and has cities that are thriving with economic activities. The major reason for the economic transformation is the country’s energy sector. However, this is… Continue Reading
by Vijay Jayaraj This week, the UK scrambled to ready its coal plants as wind turbines froze in extremely cold weather. It is no surprise as coal is one of the most reliable, affordable and abundant energy sources in the world. In fact, coal is still the largest contributor to global power generation. Leaders of… Continue Reading
Copyright free pic: Photo by Callum Shaw on Unsplash By Vijay Jayaraj It is easy for anyone to say that they are against fossil fuels. Opposition to coal, oil and natural gas is fashionable and will prompt heads to nod and even hands to applaud in most places. But are people aware of the extent… Continue Reading
by Vijay Jayaraj Countries all over the world are surpassing previous records for production of food crops. This is good news that stands in stark contrast to the apocalyptic picture that the media paints daily in reports on climate and weather. Because food is fundamental to human survival, even a slight increase in its price… Continue Reading
Featured image: Iberian lynx Worldwide, the evidence is that Earth’s 8 million species are doing well. By Vijay Jayaraj As a young graduate student, I was thrilled to have my first hands-on experience in conservation on Portugal’s pristine grassland steppe, a paradise for avian life. It was during this visit that I came to understand… Continue Reading
By Vijay Jayaraj Two beasts, which are thousands of miles apart, are making a comeback after centuries of overhunting. The iconic American bison and the greater one-horned Indian rhinoceros find themselves among the stories of conservation success in the 21st century. As is the case of many other mammalian species, overhunting – and not climate… Continue Reading