Video

“Govt’s IMF programme a day late and a dollar short” - Dr. Harsha de Silva

29 Apr 2022 - 1     - 5902

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Dr. Harsha de Silva who is vocal about economic issues takes questions in an interview with the Daily Mirror on the present....

Virus lockdown fuels timber-smuggling in Kashmir forests

12 Jun 2020 - 0     - 1691

India’s coronavirus lockdown has paved the way for a rise in illegal logging and timber-smuggling in forest-rich Indian-administered Kashmir, with guards unable to patrol and local incomes plummeting, the region’s forest officials said.

Renewables booming but not enough to meet climate targets: UN

12 Jun 2020 - 0     - 1443

The world added 12 percent more clean power capacity in 2019 than the year before, but new renewable energy planned over the next decade falls far short of what is needed to forestall dangerous global warming, the UN warned on Wednesday.

Record-warm oceans: Where do we stand?

04 Mar 2020 - 3     - 2291

All people on earth depend directly or indirectly on the ocean and cryosphere. As the earth’s largest solar energy collector, the ocean possesses a colossal heat-absorption-and-releasing capacity that places it at a central role in stabilising the climate system. A recent report published in the journal of Advances in Atmospheric Science revealed 2019 as the warmest year in the world’s oceans recorded in human history, thereby reflecting a formid

Climate change could pose ‘catastrophic’ security threat, experts warn

26 Feb 2020 - 3     - 1751

Climate change could become a “catastrophic” threat to global security as people lose their livelihoods, fall ill and battle over scarce water and food, a host of US security, military and intelligence experts warned last Monday.

Drought strikes again

20 Feb 2020 - 0     - 2024

According to the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) at least 2,449 persons in the Kegalle district namely in Ruwanwella, Bulathkohupitiya, Deraniyagala and Galigamuwa are affected by the drought. Meanwhile 7,959 persons in Eheliyagoda, Ratnapura and another 1,213 in Akurana, Kandy are affected by this prolonged dry spell.

Our Healthcare System: Challenges and Way Forward

19 Feb 2020 - 1     - 774

Protect your tropical forests

12 Feb 2020 - 0     - 824

It seems that, although Sri Lanka takes pride as a wise and moral nation, we often fail to appreciate how fortunate we are to be blessed with nature and its wonders.

Our Capital’s Vanishing Wetlands

06 Feb 2020 - 1     - 2530

Seventy-year-old Indrapala Gamarachchi looks out over one of the last remaining patches of wilderness in his neighbourhood. He believes this land in Mattegoda, just south-east of Colombo city, deserves to be a Gazetted, protected wetland. Not only is it a catchment area - the water that collects here feeds a stream that irrigates some 200 urban paddy fields downstream – but it is also one of the last remaining havens for wildlife. But it is cle

Haphazard development Jeopardises Leopard Habitat

29 Jan 2020 - 2     - 3016

There is drama surrounding the leopard these days; the black leopard in peak wilderness and released leopard in Wilpattu. This article neither intends analysing the wildlife cum conservation issue surrounding the leopard nor points...

There’s plastic in our fish!

23 Jan 2020 - 8     - 8281

A study led by a young Sri Lankan marine biologist tells us that over 90% of small fish found in samples from Negombo, Kudawella and Trincomalee contain microplastics. In other words, if your diet includes small fish, you’re most likely ingesting plastic as well. Fish is widely considered as one of the healthiest foods, vital for wellness. It is rich in nutrients such as protein, vitamin D and Omega-3 fatty acids, important elements of a hea

WALK THE TALK

22 Jan 2020 - 0     - 1777

Ananta Sustainables provides consultation services to enterprises that are keen to transition away from single-use plastic. Savera soon discovered that the biggest hurdle in their journey had been to make more people and corporates understand that there is a real need for alternatives for plastic. “In running community workshops around plastic consumption and waste,

Experiments with elephants How sustainable are elephant-holding grounds?

16 Jan 2020 - 0     - 1680

A record number of elephant deaths had been reported in Sri Lanka during the past year, according to a BBC news report. Citing conservationists, the report also highlighted that it was the highest number of elephant deaths since Sri Lanka became independent in 1948.

The good, the bad & the ugly of vertical living

08 Jan 2020 - 0     - 2317

We believe that climate change is one of the greatest threats that we, as Sri Lankans, will face in the future. Therefore, we intend to provide our readers with local and international content with the objective to educate and inspire. We would also like to learn from our valued readers about any ongoing initiatives in making Sri Lanka a more sustainable nation. We aim to

Thirst for Life

02 Jan 2020 - 0     - 738

Amarasena lives with his wife Somawathie in Madukandai, an isolated village more than 8km away from the Vavuniya city. Madukandai, located in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka is also part of the Dry Zone.

Youth bringing change to climate change in SL

01 Jan 2020 - 0     - 925

For many years, our books taught us about climate change, its causes and effects. However, we just kept learning. We learnt that climate change leads to disastrous results caused due to careless human activities such as environmental pollution and destruction of ecosystems. And yet, we kept destroying. Not many people gave thought about this or felt the need to spread

Climate Threads

19 Dec 2019 - 0     - 862

Through community enterprises established under the Climate Change Adaptation Project of the UNDP, communities in Walapane in the Nuwara Eliya District and Medirigiya in the Polonnaruwa District, are now more climate-resilient.

Poor nations pay price

04 Dec 2019 - 1     - 1810

We believe that climate change is one of the greatest threats that we, as Sri Lankans, will face in the future. Therefore, we intend to provide our readers with local and international content with the objective to educate and inspire. We would also like to learn from our valued readers about any ongoing initiatives in making Sri Lanka a more sustainable nation.

The man who saved a Spanish island from over-development

28 Nov 2019 - 0     - 1844

Roadside billboards and high-rise hotels are banned on Spain’s holiday island of Lanzarote - a legacy of visionary artist Caesar Manrique, whose birth a century ago is being celebrated this year.

World Toilet Day raises awareness on the impact of outdoor defecation

27 Nov 2019 - 0     - 1505

Unfortunately, World Toilet Day doesn’t receive as much attention as other universally recognised “days” such as World Environment Day or World Health Day. But the day November 19, was a chance to focus on an issue that millions of people worldwide suffer from - the lack of a safe and private place to go to the toilet.

Challenges Faced by the Agriculture Sector in Sri Lanka

26 Nov 2019 - 0     - 2756

Scarier than fiction

20 Nov 2019 - 0     - 999

Imagine a world where storms inundate coastal mega cities, entire species become extinct in the blink of an eye, and conflicts are fought over dwindling natural resources.

AS AUSTRALIA BURNS – is now the time to discuss climate change?

19 Nov 2019 - 0     - 1049

Greta Thunberg’s catchphrase “Our house is on fire” was never more than true than for the Australians that are currently suffering through some of the worst bushfires in history. While bushfires are an unfortunate part of life for Australians, the degree of devastation across New South Wales and Queensland has seen over 1 million hectares of land destroyed.

The most critical factors that pose a challenge to sustainable transport in Sri Lanka

14 Nov 2019 - 0     - 1081

Lab-grown diamond company MiaDonna puts purpose before profits

13 Nov 2019 - 0     - 1130

In 2007, actor turned environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio starred in the movie ‘Blood Diamond’. Depicting civil war in Sierra Leone in the 1990s, the plot saw local villagers enslaved to harvest diamonds to fund rebel forces. Although this particular storyline was fictional, the film raised awareness of a very real problem that was happening in Africa at the time.

Challenges Faced by the Energy Sector in Sri Lanka

12 Nov 2019 - 0     - 722

Animal agriculture is a nightmare for the environment, here’s why

08 Nov 2019 - 0     - 857

While the ethical and health arguments of eating animal products are much debated, there is a third consideration that is often overlooked and that’s the impact of animal agriculture on the environment.

There aren’t plenty more fish in the sea

05 Nov 2019 - 0     - 1153

Fishing is a livelihood for over 200 million people around the world. It is not only a source of income for them but also a socio-economic factor which shapes their entire lifestyle. It is believed that fishing, an ancient practice of securing food, played a major part in the development of civilization.

India’s CRY shines a light on child marriage as Diwali signals start of wedding season

31 Oct 2019 - 0     - 728

When people hear something described as sustainable, it’s usually in reference to being “environmentally friendly”. While the concept of living “sustainably” is more often than not, focused on protecting the natural resources of the earth, living sustainably isn’t only about environmental protection.

Protecting world biodiversity and ending poaching - UK pledges millions of dollars

30 Oct 2019 - 0     - 795

Currently, more than 28,000 species are threatened with extinction according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species - the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species.