On-road transportation and more vehicles are and will be the greatest net contributor to atmospheric warming now and in the near term, with a total radiative forcing of 199 mWm^-2 in 2020. Cars, buses, and trucks release pollutants and greenhouse gases that promote global warming." These are the findings of a study conducted in 2010 at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Other studies indicate that transport contributes a noteworthy chunk to the total global greenhouse gas emissions of which CO₂ is the largest part and two-thirds of that comes from road transport. And quite strikingly, CO₂ emissions from road transport are growing twice as fast as overall CO₂ emissions. It has been estimated that by 2050 emissions from automobiles and transport could be between 30 and 50 per cent of the total global emissions.

Our cover story in this issue brings to the forefront, the role played by vehicles in compounding carbon emissions and the ensuing challenges of global warming and climate change. The figures and data related to vehicular emissions are a cause of concern throughout the world and, unfortunately, India is not an exception in this regard. Vehicular pollution has grown at an alarming rate in India due to the rapid urbanization. The vehicular emissions in urban areas, particularly in big cities, are adding to the problem of air pollution. The pollution from vehicles plying on the Indian roads has begun to tell through symptoms experienced by citizens, such as cough, headache, nausea, irritation of eyes, etc. The main cause of vehicular pollution is the fast growing number of vehicles in Indian cities.

Our cover story also highlights some solutions and improvement options for automobiles. Poor fuel quality, old and obsolete vehicles, inadequate maintenance, and old automotive technologies must be done away with to pave the way for cleaner fuels, catalytic converters, electric vehicles, better batteries, improved mass transit systems, alternative and public transportation, and stringent regulations to enforce better emission standards. Reducing transportation emissions is one of the most vital steps in fighting global warming. India needs to shift away from fossil fuel-powered automobile dependence not only for itself but also for the benefit of the planet.

The special report in this issue highlights that the spirit and fervour with which people in the hilly states of India used to observe their native festivals is fast disappearing into oblivion due to the rapid out-migration from the hills towards cities in search of better livelihoods. To prevent out-migration from hilly states, timely interventions are required to develop quality educational skill development infrastructure and encourage entrepreneurship in hilly regions for generating local livelihoods. Value-added agricultural initiatives and cultivation of exotic vegetables along with encouragement to the tourism sector would go a long way in checking the out-migration phenomenon.