Page 10 - Environment

Can Biden's hard-hat environmentalism bridge divide on clean energy future?

When John Podesta left his job as an adviser to President Barack Obama nearly a decade ago, he was confident that hundreds of miles of new power transmission lines were coming to the Southwest, expanding the reach of clean energy throughout the region. So Podesta was shocked to learn last year, as he reentered the federal government to work on climate issues for President Joe Biden, that the lines had never been built. They still hadn't even received final regulatory approval. These things get stuck and they don't get unstuck, Podesta said in an interview with The Associated Press. Podesta is now the point person for untangling one of Biden's most vexing challenges as he pursues ambitious reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. If the president cannot streamline the permitting process for power plants, transmission lines and other projects, the country is unlikely to have the infrastructure needed for a future powered by carbon-free electricity. The issue has become an unlikely ..

G20 environment working group meet on Sunday with focus on blue economy

The third Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) meeting of the G20 will be held in Mumbai from May 21 to 23 with aspects of blue economy as its focus, officials said on Saturday. The meet will commence with a side event on beach clean-up in Juhu, followed by the Ocean 20 Dialogue. The Ocean 20 platform, launched during the Indonesia Presidency Dialogue, is aimed at advancing ideation and action for ocean solutions. To ensure continuity and build on the initiative, the Indian Presidency is demonstrating active leadership by anchoring the Ocean 20 Dialogue in the 3rd ECSWG, which will focus on three significant pillars of blue economy, said a statement from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The sessions on the first day of the meeting will cover various aspects of blue economy and the first session will be on science, technology and innovation. The subsequent session will be on policy, governance and participation, with the concluding ses

UNEP suggests measures to reduce 80% of world's plastic pollution by 2040

The report highlights the magnitude and nature of changes required to end plastic pollution and to create a circular economy to replace the widespread use of single-use plastics

Global climate diplomacy: World is focusing on wrong climate scoreboard

Under the Paris Agreement, every country committed to making changes that will help keep global average temperature rise well below 2C and ideally below 1.5C

Iran blames US sanctions for causing environment, health problems

Iravani said that the US sanctions against Iran have exacerbated the country's environmental problems, posing risks to the health of Iranian citizens

Fossils or not? Nations split on how to meet global climate goals

Senior officials from dozens of nations meeting in Berlin remained divided Wednesday on how to meet international climate goals, with some pushing for a phase-out of fossil fuels and others insisting that oil and gas can continue to play a role in the future provided their emissions are somehow contained. The two-day Petersberg Climate Dialogue hosted by Germany heard calls for a new target on ramping up renewable energy to be negotiated and agreed at this year's U.N. climate summit in December. But German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock made clear that this proposal should not detract from the need to drastically cut fossil fuel use, a position shared by other European nations and vulnerable island states present at the Berlin talks. The United Arab Emirates, which will host the U.N. talks in Dubai, backed the idea of significantly boosting wind and solar power, but made clear it wants to keep fossil fuels as an option for the foreseeable future. Sultan al-Jaber, the UAE offic

Why use of refurbished mobile phones helps in environment conservation

Smartphones have become an integral part of our daily routines, but their mass production has brought damage to the environment

Ensure refinery projects don't cause harm to environment: Ajit Pawar

Amid protests by a section of locals at Barsu in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district over a proposed oil refinery, senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Saturday said one should ensure that development projects do not cause any damage to the environment. A section of residents in and around Barsu have been opposing the proposed refinery as they fear that the mega project will adversely affect the fragile biodiversity of the coastal Konkan region and also hit their livelihood. On Friday, as tempers ran high among protesters, the police used tear gas to disperse them. Talking about the issue, Pawar, who is Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly, said, "We never opposed development projects in the state...Before implementing any projects, one should keep in mind that the environment is not harmed due to it in any manner. Apart from nature, local occupations like fishing should not be impacted due to it." He urged the Maharashtra government to hold discussions

Climate change causing reduced crop yields in India, heatwaves globally: UN

The WMO's annual State of the Global Climate report, which tracks climate indicators and impacts, cited a record high for ocean heat content in 2022

Environment groups sue European Union over green label for gas, nuclear

Environmental groups have started legal action against the European Union's executive branch in a bid to block a move to include natural gas and nuclear power generation on a list of sustainable activities. The list proposed by the European Commission drew fierce criticism and accusations of greenwashing. On Tuesday, Greenpeace said that it was filing a lawsuit at the European Court of Justice, the top EU court, after the commission refused to reconsider its move. Greenpeace is asking the European Court of Justice to declare the inclusion of fossil gas and nuclear "as invalid." Separately, ClientEarth, WWF's European Policy Office, Transport & Environment (T&E), and BUND are challenging only the decision to include gas. They say the fossil fuel can't be considered sustainable because of its adverse environmental impact. The green labelling system from the European Commission defines what qualifies as an investment in sustainable energy. Initially, it didn't initially include ..

Global goal of reaching net zero requires descaling of emissions: Minister

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Saturday said the global goal of reaching net zero by 2050 requires enhanced descaling of emissions by developed countries

India cenbank puts in place framework for acceptance of green deposits

RBIndia is putting in place a framework for the acceptance of green deposits to foster and develop an environment-friendly finance ecosystem in the country, which will come into effect from June 1

The Chipko legacy

Alienating people whose identities are linked to the forest and trees around them is not only unfair, but also short-sighted

UGC initiates new curriculum to promote environmental education at UG level

The initiative aims to boost the popularity of environmental education to sensitize the students and make it a core subject instead of being offered as an elective or optional subject

The green wall

Green strip across Aravalli will have numerous benefits

Most of Himalayan glaciers analysed are retreating at varying rates: Govt

Majority of Himalayan glaciers analysed are melting or retreating at varying rates in different regions, the government has said. It has noted that melting glaciers due to any impact of climate change will not only severely affect the flow in Himalayan river system but will also give rise to natural disasters. The government's response was given to a parliamentary standing committee looking at Glacier Management in the Country - Monitoring of Glaciers/Lakes including Glacial Lake Outbursts leading to Flash-floods in the Himalayan Region. The parliamentary standing committee report was tabled in Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Explaining the problem of incessant melting and retreating of Himalayan glaciers and the estimated volume loss of glaciers between the year(s), the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation said the Geological Survey of India has conducted studies on their melting by assessment of mass balance studies on nine glaciers and also carried out

JSW Energy acquires 1,753 MW green assets of MEIPL for over Rs 10,000 crore

JSW Energy on Wednesday said it has completed the acquisition of 1,753 MW of renewable energy assets from Mytrah Energy (India) Private Limited (MEIPL) for over Rs 10,000 crore. "The transaction values the Mytrah Energy portfolio at an enterprise valuation of approximately Rs 10,150 crore after adjusting for net current assets and other adjustments under the share purchase agreements," JSW Energy said in a statement. JSW Neo Energy Limited (JSW Neo), a wholly-owned subsidiary of JSW Energy Limited, in a two-step process has completed the acquisition of 1,753 MW of renewable energy assets from Mytrah Energy, it added. The portfolio comprises 1,331 MW of wind capacity and 422 MW (487 MWp DC) of solar capacity operating primarily in the southern, western and central parts of India. The assets have a proven operational track record and long-term PPA with an average remaining life of 17 years. This is the largest acquisition made by JSW Energy since inception and will leapfrog the curr

Environmental groups slam German government's energy, climate deal

Environmental groups have criticised a deal between Germany's three governing parties on energy and climate policies, saying Wednesday that it risks watering down essential measures to curb global warming. The agreement announced Tuesday followed three days of intense haggling and weeks of discord that threatened to paralyse Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government. It eases requirements for new home heating systems and allows for the construction and expansion of Germany's highways, while also providing more money for the country's rail network. But Germany's BUND environmental group accused Scholz of giving in to expensive false solutions and ignoring warnings contained in a recent UN climate report about the need for drastic action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Accelerating the planning process for up to 144 Autobahn projects is a fatal signal at a time of climate crisis, the group's head, Olaf Brandt, said. Brandt also criticised planned subsidies for synthetic vehicle fuels,

The snack bag of the future won't be made from single-use plastic

Most bags for potato chips and other crispy snacks are made with three layers of polymer materials. Polymers are made from petroleum, and they'll never decompose

Smoke particles from wildfires can cause erosion in ozone layer: Research

A wildfire can send smoke into the stratosphere, where it can linger for up to a year. According to a new MIT study, these particles can cause chemical reactions that erode the protective ozone layer