As the COVID-19 cases in India continue their downward trend and vaccination rate is on the upward trend, there is enough reason to feel optimistic that the much-dreaded third wave of the pandemic can be avoided. If the general public in India continue following COVID appropriate behaviour and majority of people are vaccinated, then surely the third wave can be stopped.

The cover story this month on climate change by one of TERI’s Distinguished Fellows sheds light on the fact that the President of the United States, Joe Biden has brought the US back into the Paris Agreement and is providing leadership for a carbon-neutral global economy. This is a positive development for the whole world and we now have enough reasons to feel optimistic that there is still hope that the world will collectively succeed in minimizing the impacts of climate change. The decline in costs of renewable energy and storage over the last decade has also been amazing. Wind and solar power are the cheapest ways of producing electricity by a wide margin now. In India, the price of solar power which in 2009 was over `16 per unit has come down to around `2.5 per unit. Moreover, India could set an example in the large-scale deployment of renewable energy installations as it is already leading the way with the dramatic increase in renewable energy generation in the last decade.

Moving ahead, many of us know that indoor air in our homes can sometimes be many times dirtier than the air outside, and since most people spend majority of their time indoors, polluted air in the home can have serious risks to our health—especially for the very young, the elderly, and immunocompromised people. Indoor air pollution takes place because of potential air pollutants that build up in a closed space more than the outer space. Obviously, the health impacts of house air pollution are more than the outdoor pollution. Indoor air pollution gradually degrades indoor air quality as chemicals and other harmful substances are commonly found in household products. This month’s feature article on indoor air quality sheds light on the ways of improving indoor air quality in our households. A three-pronged approach has been suggested to improve our indoor air quality. The first prong is source control, or keeping pollutants out of our home. The second prong is ventilation, which removes polluted air from home and allows fresh outdoor air. The third prong is cleaning the air with portable machines or in-duct air cleaners.

With articles and many more stories of current interest, we hope that you enjoy reading this issue of TerraGreen. We do look forward to receiving your feedback and letters. Please stay safe and healthy.