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TBI Heroes: Vidya Rattan Sharma – Incorporating Modern Ways To Solve Age-Old Problems

This is the story of a remarkable man, Mr. Vidya Rattan Sharma, who started as a cook in a local NGO, and went on to create several innovative products in the area of cooking stoves, traditional medicine, organic farming and animal husbandry. His passion for finding solutions to centuries-old problems and determination to carry on his work even in the face of resistance or lack of resources is an inspiration to all.

February 21, 2013 / 1 Comment / Read More

Cycle Chalao: Mumbai’s First Bike Sharing System

October 3, 2011 6 Comments

Mumbai is one of the top ten most polluted cities in the world, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). With the rise of the middle class, more and more people are buying cars, scooters and motor bikes, and despite government efforts to limit motor rickshaws to the suburbs, their sheer number contributes to the [...]

Cities for Forests: A National Campaign where YOU can make a difference

August 25, 2011 No Comment

The forest cover in our country has been dwindling due to a variety of reasons including overpopulation, farming and environmental factors. Cities for Forests, an initiative of WWF-India, is a national level campaign focusing on raising awareness about the intrinsic link between forests and human well-being amongst the youth. What is the campaign about? This [...]

Ek Titli: Giving Wings to Green Ideas

July 27, 2011 No Comment

Do you want to know how to grow that tomato organically in your backyard? Or learn about the fresh water dolphins to be found in one of the tributaries of the Brahmaputra? Then meet Ek Titli – an organization dedicated to the promotion of organic farming and green living in the country. Through a two-pronged [...]

An illiterate Farmer designs a Water Mill to generate Electricity

April 8, 2011 6 Comments

Siddappa, an illiterate farmer from Somapur village in Gadag district of Karnataka, has designed a water mill to generate electricity. Right from conceptualizing to materialisation, the farmer has done everything on his own. He operates the water mill in the canal near his house. Using timbers, Siddappa prepared a giant wheel that joined at a [...]

African grandmothers study Solar Engineering in India

March 28, 2011 3 Comments

“We can learn things from Africa, and Africa can learn from us” At 58, Loda Okasia had rarely been out of her village in Northern Uganda. A mother and grandmother, she did whatever she could to get by. But last year her community voted to send her on the trip of a lifetime, all the [...]

How Carbon Finance is making a difference. Also, inviting applications for the atmosfair India Renewable Energy Innovation awards

March 14, 2011 4 Comments

Update: This article suggests that atmosfair was involved in the implementation of the biogas digester project in Kolar. However, upfront funding for expected carbon credits was provided by the French company Velcan to make the initial investment available to implement the project (www.adats.com/cdm/velcan.php). atmosfair now supports the project by buying carbon credits (www.atmosfair.de/en/our-projects/projekte00/india-biogas-digesters). “We would [...]

Renu’s Zoo Story: Solar Power Keeps Animals Comfy

February 25, 2011 6 Comments

Lucknow (Women’s Feature Service) Lucknow’s Prince of Wales Zoological Garden has earned the unique distinction of becoming the first zoo in the country to use solar energy. Presently, all the zoo offices, the streetlights and the kitchen run on solar power. Another six months and the entire establishment will switch to this eco-friendly fuel – [...]

Grassroots Innovation: Energy Efficient Oil Expeller

February 16, 2011 5 Comments

The National Innovation Foundation (NIF), India, was established on Feb 28th 2000 by the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The main goal of NIF is to provide institutional support in scouting, spawning, sustaining and scaling up grassroots green innovations and help their transition to self supporting activities. NIF has been supporting and incubating a [...]

Oorja Stove: Cleaner Energy for a Greener Planet

February 14, 2011 12 Comments

Try conjuring an image of an Indian village, sans its depiction in Priyadarshan movies. Chances are, you will think of green paddy fields, a bullock cart tottering along dusty pathways, womenfolk carrying a load of firewood and mud houses emitting sooty smoke from their hay-stacked rooftops. From a distance, it is an unhurried, calm and [...]