Page 51 - Climate Change

Greenhouse gas emissions at 'all-time high', global warming at rapid rate

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been found to be "at an all-time high", with human activity resulting in the equivalent of 54 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere on average every year over the last decade. A group of 50 leading scientists have said in an analysis that human-caused global warming has continued to increase at an "unprecedented rate" since the last major assessment of the climate system published two years ago. One of the researchers said the analysis was a "timely wake-up call" and it comes as climate experts meet in Bonn, Germany, to prepare the ground for the major COP28 climate conference in the UAE in December, which will take stock of progress towards keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2050. The researchers wrote in the analysis that human-induced warming, largely caused by fossil fuel burning, reached an average of 1.14 degrees Celsius for the most recent decade (2013 to 2022) above pre-industrial levels, up from 1.0

Rockefeller Foundation to study energy transition amid rapid innovations

The Rockefeller Foundation is studying India's energy transition, especially with the fast-changing innovations and technologies that will fit into the development of low-carbon electricity systems and phase down fossil fuels. We are trying to understand what are the important things that are going to be needed in India during G20 and post-G20, Deepali Khanna, the Foundation's Vice President for Asian Office in Bangkok, said at the Ecospirity Week held June 6-8 in Singapore. India is a fast-growing economy and Khanna is confident that it is going to get to its target of Net-Zero Goal by 2070. But there is a lot that needs to happen now, she pointed out. Where and how can we provide technical assistance how can we bring about global lessons that we are learning innovations among others, said Khanna. We are keeping our eyes open to see what is there in the form of innovation. A lot is happening and a lot more needs to happen, she said of development around the energy transition ...

10 mn saplings to be planted on Gandhi Jayanti in Kamrup district: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that the people of the state will join hands to plant 100 lakh saplings on Gandhi Jayanti this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced 'Mission Life' to bring about a 'Jan Andolan' (People's movement) which will be at the forefront of the global climate action narrative, the chief minister said while participating in a tree plantation programme 'Amri Plantation' at Chandubi in Kamrup Rural district. The plantation of 100 lakh saplings on October 2 will help mitigate climate change, and expand our tree economy as the state government will offer Rs 300 per sapling and lead to a 38 per cent increase in forest cover by the year 2028, Sarma said. The temperatures have been rising and 'I sympathise with everyone experiencing the scorching heat in the state but we have to take steps to bring back temperatures to optimal level', the chief minister said. 'We will have to take steps to increase the forest cover, phase away ..

NDCs need not necessarily encompass all sectors: India at Bonn climate meet

Nationally Determined Contributions should not necessarily include all sectors or gases, India said at the ongoing Bonn climate conference, opposing a call by some developed countries, notably the US, for comprehensive, economy-wide NDCs aligned with the 1.5-degree Celsius target. NDCs are national plans aimed at limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. India also voiced skepticism regarding the existing models and scenarios used in climate science. Referring to the IPCC scenarios on global mitigation pathways, it said, "The models and scenarios currently in the scientific literature have not received the close scrutiny necessary to determine whether developing countries' needs, rights and aspirations are anywhere close to being met by their projections." "These models provide pathways that are based on constraining energy consumption and income growth in developing countries, and project a future for us that we do not want," it said. During the third and final meeting of t

Climate change could cause disease to 76.8% of corals by 2100: Report

When predicting future estimates of coral disease, the model suggested that the disease prevalence could reach 76.8 per cent in 2100 if temperatures continue to rise

Climate change: Arctic may be ice free in summer by 2030s, warn scientists

Decreased ice cover has a significant and lasting impact on weather patterns, human populations, and ecosystems

Over-emitting nations owe India $1,446 per capita as compensation: Study

Industrialised nations of the Global North, such as the US and Germany, are responsible for 90 percent of excessive levels of carbon dioxide emissions, and could be liable to pay a total of USD 170 trillion in compensation to low-emitters like India to ensure climate change targets are met by 2050, according to a new study. India is owed an annual compensation of USD 1,446 per capita until 2050 and a yearly compensation equivalent to 66 percent of its GDP in 2018, the study published in Nature Sustainability on Monday says. The researchers from University of Leeds, the UK, analysed 168 countries and quantified historical responsibility for climate breakdown, based on excess carbon dioxide emissions beyond equality-based fair shares of global carbon budgets. Climate science defines carbon budget as the amount of greenhouse gases that can be emitted for a given level of global warming (1.5 degree Celsius in this case). They proposed an evidence-based compensation mechanism that takes

India hoping to negotiate with EU on carbon tax instead of WTO complaint

India filed a discussion paper with WTO about how environmental regulations impact trade, but with respect to CBAM specifically, it hopes direct negotiations with the EU will yield speedy resolution

Menstrual cups reduce plastic waste generation by 99%: Soumya Swaminathan

According to a recent report, one woman generates around 14.1 kg of non-biodegradable waste in a lifetime if she uses commercially manufactured disposable sanitary pads

Sikkim CM Tamang urges people to plant trees, not leave any land barren

On the occasion of World Environment Day, Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang asked people to plant trees on barren land. Addressing a gathering after planting an 'Arucha' sapling on a government college campus on Monday, he said people should try to mitigate the impact of climate change and global warming by planting more trees and ensuring that no land remained barren in the state. Tamang urged people to make the state government's 'Mero Rukh Mero Santati' (My Tree, My Offspring) scheme successful by planting 100 saplings every time a baby is born. He had launched the scheme in February to strengthen the bond between nature and people. Sikkim, located in the Eastern Himalayas, has one of the highest forest cover in the country at over 47 per cent of the land mass.

'Solution to plastic pollution' on UN's agenda as planet chokes on plastic

On this World Environment Day (June 5), the UN focuses on solving the plastic pollution crisis as India plans to tackle plastic pollution as a key component of its global mass movement, Mission LiFE

India moving ahead with clear roadmap on environment, climate change: PM

India is moving ahead with a clear roadmap for environment protection and climate change, while maintaining a balance between present requirements and future vision, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday. Speaking on the occasion of the World Environment Day, he said if India has expanded its 4G and 5G telecom networks, it has also enhanced its forest cover on an equal footing. "The theme of this year's World Environment Day is to get rid of single-use plastic, an issue about which the world is talking today but India has been working on it consistently for the last four-five years. "In 2018 itself, India started working at two levels for getting rid of single-use plastic. On one hand, we banned single-use plastic and on the other hand we made the plastic waste processing mandatory," he said. He said India is focussing on environment in a big way just like any other area for its growth. "On the one hand, we have provided help to the poor and on the other hand we have also ta

Legal issues in green finance need to be cleared up

The central bank has identified renewable energy, waste management, clean transport, energy efficiency, and afforestation as projects to be funded from green deposits

Rules to promote sustainability must for mitigating climate change: HP Guv

Himachal Pradesh Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla on Sunday said stricter regulations to promote sustainable development and adoption of cleaner technologies are needed to mitigate the effects of climate change. Addressing the 'North Zone Environment Workshop' here, Shukla stressed the need for protected and balanced development for environment protection and asserted that India today emits fewer carbon emissions as compared to the Western countries. Today, the environment in Western countries is unbalanced and it is affecting the entire world. We need to preserve our green cover and adopt chemical-free agriculture while going back to coarse grains, a statement quoted Shukla as saying. He said due to rapid urbanisation, industrialisation, population growth and uncontrolled human activities in the northern region, the environmental balance is being affected in a big way and climate change has emerged as a matter of global concern which affects everyone. He said air pollution and water ..

Hundreds of Amazon employees stage walkout of HQ over return to work policy

Hundreds of Amazon employees staged a walkout at the company's headquarters in Seattle over the company's return-to-work policy and its lack of progress on climate change initiatives

Humans exceeded 7 of 9 'safe limits' for life on planet: Research

Humans have crossed seven of the nine "safe limits" that allow for human life on earth, according to a new study.

Govt body warns of increased health threats from climate change in Germany

Germany's disease control agency warned Thursday that rising temperatures due to global warming will increase the likelihood of heat stroke, vector-borne illnesses and other health risks in the country. The Robert Koch Institute said lung diseases from forest fires and agricultural dust may become a growing problem, as will skin cancer due to increased ultraviolet radiation as Germany experiences longer periods of cloud-free weather. In the first of the institute's three reports on the impact of climate change in Germany, published in the Journal of Health Monitoring, the authors noted the recent arrival in the country of Hyalomma ticks capable of carrying bacteria responsible for typhus as an example of newly emerging disease threats. The ticks, as well as Asian tiger mosquitoes that can spread dengue, yellow fever and Zika virus, are migrating to new regions that were previously too cold for the species. Another risk comes from Vibrio bacteria that flourish in brackish water ab

Demand for green jobs to rise 15-20% every year in next decade: Report

If reports and studies are to be believed, India can generate 30-32 million green jobs by 2050

Greenland glaciers melting 3 times faster than 20th Century: Research

There has been widespread and intense mass loss of glaciers and ice caps in Greenland at a rate that is three times faster than seen in the 20th Century, finds an alarming study

Impact of population growth poses threat to India's water security: Experts

The combination of climate change and population growth poses a serious threat to India's water security, and without adequate measures to address these challenges, water scarcity will worsen with social, economic and environmental impacts, experts have warned. According to the United Nations (UN), India might have already become the most populous country in the world with over 142 crore people. However, the government is yet to conduct a census to give an official figure. Experts highlighted the urgent need for better water management, policy reforms, and protection of natural ecosystems to address the combined challenge of climate change and population growth on water security. Climate change further exacerbates the challenges, they said, with rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and sea-level rise intensifying the water scarcity problem. According to Aditi Mukherjee, an Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) author, poor water management due to distorte