Rohan Chakravarty's Blog, page 28

World Pangolin Day 2022

What does pangolin news on World Pangolin Day 2022 look like?n A Pangolin takes you through the headlines in my column with Roundglass Sustain today.

Cartoons on the SHEAR Programme

Two cartoons created live for the SHEAR (Science for Humanitarian Emergencies and Resilience) Programme during a recent Cartoonathon with Cartoonstock, SHEAR and the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre. It was a pleasure of have had fellow cartoonists from around the world: Rebeka Ryvola (who also did the graphic scribing for the event), Pat Byrnes, Mangena, Felipe Galindo, and Betje as co-conspirators, with our Cartoonstock concierge Samantha Vuignier as our taskmaster! The Cartoonathon gave me a chance to understand some very regional and specific challenges humanitarian scientists and aid workers face in mitigating climate disasters and risks. 

Rann Sarovar and the Asiatic Wild Ass

Gujarat's proposed Rann Sarovar project is an impending death knell to several entities: the threatened Asiatic Wild Ass, an endemic species of prawn, the Agariya salt harvesting community, and the Little Rann of Kutchh itself. Comic from my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine. 

Gift like a Kingfisher on Valentine's Day

Is your Valentine a green-gifter like this Black-capped Kingfisher? Comic from my column with Sunday Mid-Day. (Check out www.inseasonfish.com to know more about the season calendar for Indian fish).

Mediterranean Bycatch Comics for Birdlife International

Comics on bycatch done for Birdlife International's Mediterranean Bycatch Programme, that aims to equip fish workers in the Mediterranean to significantly reduce bycatch and help conserve marine animals threatened by the fishing industry. Translated versions of the cartoons are being used in the coasts of Tunisia, Morocco and Turkey. Thanks to Daniel Mitchell of Birdlife International for making me a part of such a crucial initative!

Jonah's Icefish Breeding Colony in Antarctica

The largest breeding colony of fish in the world, comprised of the Jonah's Icefish, was recently discovered in Antarctica's Weddell Sea. A Weddell Seal brings presents this segment in my Sunday Mid-Day column. 

Threats to the Aravalli Range

As the plunder of the Aravallis continues unabated, particularly in Haryana and Delhi, here's a reminder that it is the world's oldest fold mountain range, and a treasure trove of biodiversity. Cartoon from my column with Sunday Mid-Day. Recommended reading: Newslaundry's thoroughly investigated series on encroachment in the Aravallis.

Virtual Birding Checklist

What's the unlikeliest virtual birding you have done? Comic from my column with The Hindu Weekend Magazine today, featuring accidentally, the work of Konkona Sen-Sharma, Appu N. Bhattathiri, Manmohan Desai / Amitabh Bachhan, and Shekhar Gupta.

A Great Indian Bustard Protests against Mega Solar Plants

A Great Indian Bustard protests against mega solar power plants in my column with The Hindu Sunday Magazine. Some essential reading on this issue: 'Coal, Glasgow and the future of the Bustard' by Neha Sinha in the Hindustan Times, and 'India's rooftop solar sector ignored' by Aathira Perinchery in Mongabay India. 

Birding in the Northern Plains in Winters

I have just returned from birdwatching in 7 degrees, and there couldn't be amore apt time for this cartoon to appear in my Roundglass Sustain column!