Page 64 - Climate Change

Climate change: What would a more sustainable Fifa World Cup look like?

The Paris 2024 Olympics will be climate positive, organizers claim. The men's World Cup in 2026 to be held in Mexico, the U.S. and Canada will be the lowest-carbon FIFA World Cup of the modern era, if promises pan out. Qatar's World Cup is ending on Sunday, but climate pledges like its promise of a carbon-neutral event central to the gas-rich Gulf nation's hosting bid are staying with the world of mega sporting events. Real differences among host countries affect how polluting one event is versus another. A country's size, how many stadiums it builds, whether public transit reaches the venues, and how clean or dirty the electric grid is, all factor into the climate impact. But scientists, environmental advocates and other experts say that sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympics have grown to such a scale that efforts to make them more sustainable need to go far beyond what was done in Qatar. We have to change the structure of these events, said Walker Ross, a .

UN may run out of food for Pakistan flood victims due to lack of funds

The UN World Food Programme will run out of funds to feed 2.7 million people by Jan. 15, Chris Kaye, the agency's representative in Pakistan said

Global coal consumption set to hit new high this yr despite ambitious goals

Coal usage looks likely to increase by 1.2% in 2022, surpassing 8 billion tons in a single year for the first time, according to an International Energy Agency report

COP15: Over 3 mn sign petition for protection of 50% of world biodiversity

As countries iron out a deal to protect nature at the COP15 biodiversity conference here, a petition backed by 3.2 million citizens worldwide has called for a more ambitious target of at least 50 per cent conservation and protection of lands and oceans by 2030. Most of the 196 countries meeting in Montreal, including India, have backed a 30 per cent figure for protecting lands and oceans. However, a final agreement is due to be completed on December 19. "We are already well beyond 30 per cent conservation of the planet, if only our governments recognise the rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities over their territories, lands and waters, Oscar Soria, Campaign Director, Avaaz said in a press briefing here. They are de facto the ones conserving biodiversity. Now's the time to strive for a higher target, of half the Earth. Any other number will put vital forests in jeopardy, and are clearly not enough to kickstart the necessary revolution to rebuild our relationship with ...

Environmental group casts doubt on Amazon's claims of reducing plastic

A report by environmental group Oceana has found that plastic waste from Amazon packages went up by 18 per cent last year, but Amazon says it has reduced its use of single-use plastic across its network. According to the Oceana's estimates, released Thursday, Amazon's plastic waste jumped from 599 million pounds in 2020 to 709 million pounds last year an amount that can circle the planet more than 800 times in the form of air pillows, the group said. For years, the advocacy organisation has been pushing the company to release more data around its plastic footprint and commit to reducing any harmful environmental impacts that might stem from it. That idea was put up for a vote two times at Amazon's annual shareholders meetings during the past two years. The last vote, held in May, got support from 48 per cent of shareholders. But the e-commerce behemoth had resisted calls to release more data until Tuesday, when it disclosed in a blog post that it used 97,222 metric tons (over 214 .

8 forest fires rage in Chile, 25 others contained; over 4,400 ha destroyed

A forest fire in the central Santiago Metropolitan Region left one person dead and five injured, and destroyed 46 homes and 659 hectares

Rajya Sabha to discuss serious effects of global warming on Thursday

Rajya Sabha will hold a short discussion on climate change and global warming initiated by DMK leader Tiruchi Siva and Congress MP Pramod Tiwari

Parliament passes bill to mandate use of renewable energy, carbon trading

The Bill is expected to be a step for India toward fulfilling its goals of cutting emissions and the use of renewable energy

Breakthrough in fusion harnessing could be climate, energy game-changer

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm announced a major scientific breakthrough Tuesday in the decades-long quest to harness fusion, the energy that powers the sun and stars. Researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California for the first time produced more energy in a fusion reaction than was used to ignite it, something called net energy gain, the Energy Department said. The achievement will pave the way for advancements in national defense and the future of clean power, Granholm and other officials said. This is a landmark achievement for the researchers and staff at the National Ignition Facility who have dedicated their careers to seeing fusion ignition become a reality, and this milestone will undoubtedly spark even more discovery, Granholm said at a news conference in Washington. "The fusion breakthrough "will go down in the history books,'' she said. White House science adviser Arati Prabhakar, appearing with Granholm, called the fusion ignition a tremen

30% drop In Punjab's stubble burning cases: How reliable is the data?

Experts say cloudy skies in 2022 and farmers only burning part of the stubble could have led to an underestimation of this year's stubble fires

Microland launches 'Climate Smart Schools' to nurture climate champions

/ -- Microland Foundation, a dedicated social development arm of Microland Limited, in partnership with local NGOs in Coonoor is fostering and promoting Environmental stewardship, believing it to be an integral long-term medium to build a healthy, sustainable community. From integrated waste management to introducing students to concepts and ideas on sustainable food production, water and energy conservation, these programmes have been not only been manifold & multilayered but also contextual to their local communities. In partnership with Keystone Foundation & Department of Education, 10 Climate schools were inaugurated in a multi-stakeholder meet held on 12th December, 2022. Mr. Sugumar, Deputy Inspector, Department of Education, Tamil Nadu, expressed his joy on the occasion, "Nilgiris district has led the way by launching 'Climate Smart School' which is an innovative partnership between Department of Education, Microland Foundation, and Keystone Foundation. Climate Change ..

Deloittee CEO to focus on India, climate crisis solutions after retirement

Top Indian-American business executive Punit Renjen, who recently announced his retirement as Deloitte Global CEO, has said that his future endeavours would include India in particular on nature-based solutions to the climate crisis. My future endeavours are going to involve India. I'm very passionate about India, and the journey that India is on. I firmly believe that this is India's century, Renjen told PTI in a recent interview. Renjen, 61, announced his retirement from Deloitte last month. As Deloitte Global CEO since 2015, Renjen developed and executed a global strategy that resulted in Deloitte revenue growing from USD35 billion to more than USD59 billion in just seven years. Noting that India took on the presidency of the G-20, he said this is a great opportunity for India now to lead the rest of the world. My focus in India will be around climate, particularly nature-based solutions to the climate crisis that we face around sustainability and skilling and education, ...

International nature conservation agency announces new Green List sites

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced here on Saturday that it has added another 16 protected areas to its Green List

Study finds climate change can cause itchy eyes, runny nose

Researchers have discovered how the contiguous United States' two most common allergies, oak and ragweed pollen, would vary due to climate change

Himalayan Fritillary among 29 new threatened species in India: IUCN

White-cheeked Dancing Frog, Andaman Smoothhound shark and Yellow Himalayan Fritillary are among 29 new species assessed in India that are under threat, according to the latest update to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List unveiled during the COP15 biodiversity conference here in Canada. The latest update warns that a barrage of threats including illegal and unsustainable fishing, pollution, climate change and diseases is destroying sea species such as the Andaman Smoothhound shark. The IUCN Red List unveiled on Friday is a critical indicator of the health of the state of the world's biodiversity. It provides information about the global extinction risk status of species and is a key tool to help define and inform conservation targets. Over 15,000 scientists and experts from around the world are part of the IUCN Commission. They found 1,355 of over 9,472 species of plants, animals, and fungi across India's land, freshwater, and seas assessed for the

Canada sets goal to conserve 30% land-water by 2030 for sustainability

Because nature needs help in order to reverse the decline in biodiversity, better fight climate change, and maintain a strong, sustainable economy

Tamil Nadu to achieve carbon neutrality before India's 2070 target: Stalin

State govt has set up the Tamil Nadu Governing Council on Climate Change, the first such to be headed by a CM

Many marine species may go extinct before being discovered: Scientists

More than 90 per cent of marine species are undescribed and many may go extinct due to human activity before they are discovered

How world's oldest digital currency could solve climate change crisis

But what if there was an overlooked digital currency that could help to solve the climate crisis, rather than just doing less to exacerbate it?

Power giant NTPC plans nuclear expansion as India chases climate goals

The state-run company aims to install 20 to 30 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2040