Posts

Kerala – From ‘Land of Coconuts’ to a Landscape in Crisis

-
Image
The word Kerala is believed to originate from kera (coconut) and alam (land) , reflecting a landscape once defined by endless rows of coconut palms. These trees stood along coastlines, riverbanks, homesteads, and field edges, silently shaping the ecological and cultural rhythm of the land. Coconut palms were never merely crops; they were protectors of soil, providers of livelihoods, companions in ritual life, and natural moderators of microclimate. For centuries, coconuts formed the backbone of Kerala’s daily life. Every part of the tree had purpose: the leaves for thatched roofs and ceremonial decorations, the trunk for housing and boats, the husk for ropes and brushes, the shell for utensils and lamps, and the meat and water as essential elements of diet, medicine, and spirituality. Today, this living landscape is quietly disappearing. The slow collapse of coconut palms across Kerala is not a sudden calamity, but a prolonged ecological unravelling shaped by climate change, wate...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ricin, Environmental Security, and the Castor Plant: Understanding a Silent Biothreat Through an Environmental Lens

-
Image
In an era when global security is no longer defined solely by military arsenals, border conflicts, or cyberwarfare, a new dimension of threat has steadily emerged, one rooted in the biological complexity of nature itself. Among the most notorious substances connected to this growing concern is ricin , a deadly toxin derived from the seeds of the castor plant ( Ricinus communis ). Ricin has long been recognized as one of the most lethal plant-based biotoxins known to science, capable of causing death in extremely small quantities, and historically linked to covert assassinations and bioterrorism attempts. Ricin Castor  seeds In November 2025 , ricin once again entered India’s national security discourse after the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and central agencies uncovered a disturbing plot involving the highly toxic plant-derived biotoxin. Investigators arrested three suspected ISIS-linked operatives, including a foreign-trained medical doctor, Dr. Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed (als...
Post a Comment
Location: India
Read more

Deadly Fungus Threatens Critically Endangered Tree in the Western Ghats

-
Image
A newly emerging fungal disease is endangering Dipterocarpus bourdillonii , a critically endangered tree species found only in the Western Ghats of Kerala. Researchers have identified Corynespora cassiicola , an aggressive fungal pathogen known for its broad host range, as the cause of a fast-spreading leaf spot and blight disease. This alarming discovery has prompted scientists to call for immediate conservation and disease-management measures to save one of India’s most ecologically valuable trees. An Endangered Giant of the Rainforest Dipterocarpus bourdillonii , belonging to the family Dipterocarpaceae, is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. This tall, canopy-forming tree is a cornerstone of Kerala’s evergreen rainforests, supporting a wide array of flora and fauna. Its dense hardwood has long been prized for construction and furniture, while its oleoresin holds both traditional medicinal and industrial significance. However, decades of deforestation and overe...
Post a Comment
Location: India
Read more

Saalumarada Thimmakka:The Mother of Trees

-
Image
In a world increasingly defined by climate anxiety and environmental loss, stories of hope often come from the most unexpected corners. One such story rises from a modest village in southern India, a story of a woman with no formal education, no wealth, and no scientific training, yet who left behind a legacy that environmentalists, ecologists, and world leaders revere today. Her name is Saalumarada Thimmakka , and she is celebrated as one of India’s greatest environmental heroes. A Simple Beginning in Rural India Saalumarada Thimmakka was born on 30 June 1911 in the state of Karnataka, India , in a time when women, especially those from humble families, were often excluded from education and public life. She grew up in a world where the rhythms of everyday life were governed by monsoon rains, farming seasons, and traditional customs. Poverty was common, opportunities were few, and survival required hard physical labour and relentless resilience. She married at a young age to a man na...
Post a Comment
Location: India
Read more