EXPLAINED CLIMATE NEWS - Page 16

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg getting out of a car.

Meet Alvin Bragg, the man who could send Donald Trump to prisonSubscriber Only

March 31, 2023 14:26 IST

Trump's case pertains to a 2016 incident, which ties to an alleged affair with pornstar Stormy Daniels from a decade prior. Here’s how under Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, it was pursued afresh.

Scientists investigate impact of climate change on penguin colonies in Antarctica

Rising Antarctic ice melt will dramatically slow global ocean flows, study says: Why this matters

March 31, 2023 09:00 IST

The slowing down of ocean flows has global implications on multiple issues, from food security to the climate itself.

Swiss seniors sue their government over climate

Why are some Swiss women suing their govt over climate change?Subscriber Only

March 31, 2023 07:22 IST

For the first time in the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, governments are on trial for purported climate change inaction.

Vehicles wade through road amid heavy rains Lashes in Jaipur in March 2023

Why parts of northwest India are seeing excess rainfall in March

March 31, 2023 07:22 IST

On Wednesday, the IMD issued a forecast for a fresh spell of rainfall along with thunderstorms and hailstorms over northwest, east and northeast India from March 30 to April 1.

Why some tigers from India may be sent to CambodiaSubscriber Only

March 27, 2023 07:37 IST

India is considering translocating some tigers to Cambodia. How did the tiger go extinct in Cambodia and why is it trying to reintroduce them from India?

EU weighs up future of wood-burning as renewable energy sourceSubscriber Only

March 26, 2023 14:40 IST

As Europe races to replace Russian fossil fuels with cleaner power sources, EU lawmakers are weighing up the future of firewood as a renewable energy source. The debate is getting heated.

A view of the Zarchin desalination plant on the Red Sea in Eilat, Israel from 1964.

Amid an ‘imminent’ global water crisis, is the ocean a viable solution to water scarcity?Subscriber Only

March 24, 2023 07:29 IST

Desalination is highly energy intensive and environmentally toxic. But the unconventional freshwater resource is now vital for human survival in dry regions. Here are its challenges and advantages.

The High Seas Treaty: Key provisions, and the challenges it facesSubscriber Only

March 24, 2023 07:07 IST

The nations of the world have agreed on a framework for the conservation and sustainable use of resources in the open oceans that lie beyond national territorial jurisdictions. This is why the agreement is a critical step forward in saving the planet — and also why it is important to temper expectations.

Cars sit abandoned on roads as floodwaters from the Tule River inundate the area after days of heavy rain in Corcoran, California, U.S., March 21, 2023.

What California’s atmospheric rivers mean for drought, floods, fires

March 23, 2023 07:28 IST

Atmospheric rivers are vast airborne currents of dense moisture carried aloft for hundreds of miles from the Pacific and funneled over land to fall as bouts of heavy rain and snow. Here's what such storms mean for the near and long term.

coal-fired plant polluting the atmosphere, IPCC climate report

IPCC releases its Synthesis Report: What are the key takeawaysSubscriber Only

March 21, 2023 16:47 IST

The new report has urged governments and policymakers to take urgent action to avoid the worst consequences of climate change.

Why most plastic can’t be recycledSubscriber Only

March 20, 2023 08:15 IST

In the United States, which is by far the world's biggest plastics polluter, only around 5% of over 50 million tons of plastic waste produced by households in 2021 was recycled, according to Greenpeace.

French lake dries up due to winter drought, threatening farming and tourism

Water warning: How ‘vanishing’ rainfall is threatening economic stability

March 19, 2023 13:24 IST

Almost a third of people live in water-stressed countries. Water security depends on rainfall-generating forests. Water supplies, climate change and nature losses linked.

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IPCC meet in Switzerland: The significance, likely impactSubscriber Only

March 16, 2023 07:04 IST

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a UN-backed scientific body whose periodic assessments of climate science form the basis of global climate action, is set to finalise what is known as the Synthesis Report. Here's what to expect.

Proposed site of the Willow oil drilling project in Alaska

US approves Willow oil drilling project in Alaska: What is the outrage around thisSubscriber Only

March 14, 2023 17:36 IST

Experts suggested that while the Biden govt was aware approving the Willow project would cause backlash, it decided to go ahead. Here's why.

A blue whale surfaces to breathe in an undated picture from NOAA

Protecting ‘two-thirds of the world’s oceans’: What the UN High Seas Treaty draft agreement saysSubscriber Only

March 10, 2023 07:36 IST

Also referred to as the ‘Paris Agreement for the Ocean’, the treaty to deal with Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction has been under discussion for several years. Here's what the new draft says.

Representational photo of factories emitting smoke.

Meeting India’s ‘carbon sink’ targetSubscriber Only

March 9, 2023 16:10 IST

India is committed to increasing its carbon sink by 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030, but it has not formally submitted to the UNFCCC the clarification that the baseline year for this would be 2005. Despite this seeming ambiguity, the target is within reach.

Climate change might lead to more wildfire-inducing ‘hot lightning’ strikes: What a new study saysSubscriber Only

March 7, 2023 08:10 IST

"Hot lightning" or long continuing current strikes can last from around 40 milliseconds to nearly a third of a second and are more likely to ignite wildfires than typical lightning strikes. Here's why.

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Unused funds, unsuitable land: The problems with Compensatory Afforestation in IndiaSubscriber Only

March 6, 2023 07:09 IST

The showpiece effort for extending India’s forest cover has been its compensatory afforestation programme, which seeks to ensure that forest lands getting ‘diverted’ for industrial or infrastructure development is mandatorily accompanied by afforestation effort on at least an equal area of land.

Our forests are under threat — here’s how they are certifiedSubscriber Only

March 4, 2023 10:35 IST

The certification industry offers a multi-layer audit system that seeks to authenticate the origin, legality, and sustainability of forest-based products such as timber, furniture, handicraft, paper and pulp, rubber, etc. There are two major standards, FSC and PEFC. Both operate in India, but the Government is also working on its own national standards.

World Wildlife Day 2023: Why this day and the underlying CITES agreement are significantSubscriber Only

March 3, 2023 10:14 IST

March 3 marks the 50th anniversary of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1973. CITES is considered a landmark agreement on conservation that focuses on ensuring the sustainability of endangered species.

Men sitting with teak from Myanmar’s deciduous and evergreen forests

Myanmar teak trade: Highly prized, highly dodgySubscriber Only

March 4, 2023 10:36 IST

The Indian Express spoke to traders located in Myanmar and India who say the conflict on the ground and frequent change of regulations by Myanmarese authorities pose twin challenges. But what’s so special about Myanmar teak? We explain.

Coral reefs damaged: What’s the big deal?Subscriber Only

March 3, 2023 07:12 IST

Things aren't looking too good for coral reefs. They're suffering from bleaching, overfishing and are being cooked by warming oceans. But why does it matter?

The case for open, verifiable forest cover dataSubscriber Only

March 4, 2023 10:37 IST

Jay Mazoomdaar explains how India mapped its forest cover over four decades and why making the data freely available will improve the quality of this vital policy input.

IEA's report has come just weeks after energy giants such as Shell, BP, ExxonMobil and others reported record profits made last year as the Russia-Ukraine war drove up oil and natural gas prices (Reuters/Santiago Arcos)

Fossil fuels firms failed to curb methane emission: What IEA’s annual report saysSubscriber Only

February 28, 2023 17:34 IST

The report said 75 per cent of methane emissions from the energy sector can be reduced with the help of cheap and readily available technology. However, fossil fuel companies have failed to take any substantial action regarding the issue

The other victim: The environmental costs of the Russia-Ukraine WarSubscriber Only

February 27, 2023 13:31 IST

The environmental costs of the conflict are likely to far outlive the fighting itself with Ukraine’s current claims of compensation for environmental damage standing at over $ 50 billion.