Plastic bags are too practical to be banned, but policies to manage their use are necessary to protect the environment, says Lilia Casanova.

Feeding South-East Asia's rapidly growing population requires a second Green Revolution, says Crispin Maslog.

Pacific islands must build capacity for their own environmental monitoring to tackle both local and global problems, says Ben Ponia.

The cost of industrial accidents should be borne by the corporations responsible, says Centre for Science and Environment head Sunita Narain.

Rising temperatures, which promote algal blooms and the spread of pathogens, are setting a new agenda for microbiologists, says Bernard Dixon.

Sustainable governance in the Gulf of Mexico calls for joint action by Cuba, Mexico and the United States, argues Jorge Brenner.

Africa must strengthen engineering education and invest in infrastructure to boost economic growth, says Calestous Juma.

Sunita Narain argues that the role of science in democracy must be revisited with a new intensity.