Once in a Blue Moon Academia (OBMA)

  Keep Kolkata’s Roads Open, Safe, and Climate-Resilient (AN ONLINE MASS PETITION) Posted on 27th September, 2025 (GMT 03:47 hrs) ABSTRACT Kolkata, one of the world’s most densely populated cities, faces a critical urban crisis as its weak road network—covering only 6–7% of city land—struggles under massive congestion from festivals, religious events, political rallies, and private gatherings. This gridlock endangers lives by delaying emergency services, escalates economic costs, worsens air pollution and climate impacts, and violates the constitutional right to free movement. Case studies, including Red Road, highlight the risks of relying on ad hoc permissions in high-security zones. The city urgently needs regulated alternatives for public events, strict enforcement of road-use laws, climate-conscious urban planning, and promotion of sustainable celebrations to balance cultural vibrancy with safety, accessibility, and environmental resilience. This petition is initiated by ...

  E20 Petrol in India: Green Transition or Greenwashed Cronyism? Posted on 25th September, 2025 (GMT 01:37 hrs) ABSTRACT This article critically examines India’s nationwide rollout of E20 petrol—a fuel blend of 80% petrol and 20% ethanol—framed as a green transition but marked by structural contradictions and political capture. While the policy promises reduced fossil fuel dependence and enhanced energy security, its hasty and opaque implementation has exposed ecological, economic, and democratic fault lines. Large-scale ethanol production, dependent on sugarcane and food grains, risks intensifying food-versus-fuel conflicts, groundwater depletion, monoculture expansion, and contested lifecycle emissions, undermining its environmental rationale. At the same time, the accelerated timeline has disproportionately benefited politically connected firms, notably those linked to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari’s family, fuelling charges of dynastic capitalism and greenwashed cronyism. C...