Category: Premium Stories
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Global plastic production now amounts to some 400 million tonnes per year, as per United Nations Environment Programme. Yet only an estimated 12% of the plastics produced have been incinerated and only an estimated 9% have been recycled. About 8% of the world’s oil goes into plastic production and it’s going to rise to 20% […]
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By Smitha Verma
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A 2019 study, led by Dr Thava Palanisami and other researchers at the University of Newcastle, Australia, and commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature, reported that humans are gobbling upto 5 grams of microplastics in their weekly diets — or about as much as the weight of an ATM card. Recognised globally by […]
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By Smitha Verma
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We produce more than 430 million tonnes of plastic annually, two-thirds of which are short-lived products that soon become waste, filling the ocean. And often, working their way into the human food chain. Overall, 46 per cent of plastic waste is landfilled, while 22 percent is mismanaged and becomes litter, according to the UNEP. In […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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In April an international team of researchers published the study that Arctic ice algae is heavily contaminated with microplastics that seep into the food web. The research team collected samples of the algae and the surrounding water from ice floes during an expedition with the research vessel Polarstern in the summer of 2021.The team consisting […]
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By Smitha Verma
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“Imagine a bigger magnifying glass and it has a point focus that is tracking with the sun”, says Yash Tarwadi while explaining how his solar desalination plant Sol-Evo works. He has built a solar desalination plant which purifies upto 70 percent of the water that’s fed into it. It saves 5.7 lakh litres of water […]
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By Danish Alam
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You might have often heard how our forests and the oceans help in reduction of greenhouse gases. Ever wondered how? Well they act as carbon sinks and trap the excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. With climate disasters becoming more frequent and alarming, the role of carbon sinks become more significant. Carbon sinks on land […]
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By Smitha Verma
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A United Nations committee is convening on May 29 in Paris to work on a groundbreaking treaty aimed at ending global plastic pollution. However, reaching an agreement on the desired outcome remains a challenge. The theme for this year’s World Environment Day is #BeatPlasticPollution and finding solutions to this monumental challenge is the key focus […]
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By Smitha Verma
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A network of dedicated scientists researching plastic pollution warns that progress in reducing this global threat has been painfully slow, leading to escalating damage to our natural environment and human health. Their findings, published in the journal ‘Nature Communications’, reveal a critical lack of integration among four key stakeholder communities: scientists, industry, society, and policymakers. […]
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By LMB Staff
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The Electric Vehicles (EVs) Policy 2020 implemented by the Delhi government has been highly successful, with 86% of the set targets already achieved.  Over the past three years, there has been a significant increase in the sales of EVs. In 2020, the sales of EV two-wheelers stood at 1,165, which rose to 34,596 in 2022. […]
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By LMB Staff
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Every year, an estimated 11.2 billion tonnes of solid waste is collected worldwide. And decay of the organic proportion of solid waste is contributing about 5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to a UNEP report. In this episode of For Her Future, we have Divya Hegde, a climate action entrepreneur from Udupi, Karnataka. […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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A recent report by UN agencies reveals that although high-income countries contribute the most to climate change, the ones bearing the brunt of its impacts are those who have contributed the least. The report, titled ’Born Too Soon: Decade of Action on Preterm Birth’, released by World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and Partnership for Maternal […]
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By LMB Staff
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According to a UNEP report, the average person is buying 60 percent more clothing than 15 years ago, while each item is kept for only half as long.The clothing sector produces between 2 to 8 per cent of global carbon emissions, while textile dyeing is a major polluter of water. Fast fashion is responsible for […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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The Centre will soon come up with a scheme that will enable people to have easy access to livelihood applications of distributed renewable energy (DRE) technology such as those using solar and wind energy. “There is already a lot of work happening on the ground and our scheme could benefit lakhs of families across the […]
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By LMB Staff
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“They are as big as mountains”, exclaims Mukul Chhabra, the founder and CEO of ScrapUncle, while talking about the ever-increasing landfills of the National Capital Region. Everyday, the bustling city produces a staggering 11,332 tonnes of solid waste, a concerning statistic revealed by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Regrettably, 4,360 tonnes of this refuse […]
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By Danish Alam
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World Biodiversity Day, also known as the International Day for Biological Diversity, is celebrated annually on May 22. It aims to raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity and its vital role in sustaining life on Earth. The day serves as a reminder of the need to protect and conserve biodiversity for present and future […]
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By LMB Staff
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A comprehensive report released by the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) has highlighted the staggering consequences of extreme weather events over the past 50 years. The study unveils a distressing reality, with 2 million lives lost and a staggering $4.3 trillion in economic damages caused by weather-related disasters. These figures underline the urgent need […]
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By LMB Staff
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Climate change has emerged as a key factor in the global decline of biodiversity, adversely affecting marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems. The consequences include the loss of local species, increased prevalence of diseases, and alarming rates of plant and animal mortality, leading to the emergence of climate-driven extinctions. According to the 2022 State of the […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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A new report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) highlights how existing technologies and significant policy and market changes can help reduce plastic pollution by 80% by 2040. The report emphasises the importance of a circular economy and outlines specific strategies for governments and businesses to tackle the plastic pollution crisis. The report comes ahead […]
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By LMB Staff
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A dust storm accompanied by strong winds hit Delhi, on Tuesday, causing reduced visibility and impacting air quality. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts that the dust storm will continue for the next two days. The sudden gusts of wind lifted localised dust particles, exacerbating air pollution in the capital city. The IMD’s daily update […]
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By LMB Staff
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A team of researchers from Kyushu University and Asahi Kasei Corporation have developed a new technique to estimate the age of microplastics in the upper oceans. The method involves analysing plastic oxidation levels and environmental factors such as UV exposure and ambient temperature. The team applied their technique to microplastics found in nearshore and offshore […]
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By LMB Staff
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Climate change has a disproportionate impact on women farmers, who despite playing crucial roles in the rural economy, face numerous challenges and inequalities that limit their access to opportunities and productivity. According to UN data, around 68 percent of working women in extreme poverty are employed in the agricultural sector. Apart from this, women farmers […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has recently issued a heatwave warning for Mumbai and several neighbouring districts in Maharashtra’s Konkan region. This marks the first time this month and the fourth time this season that the IMD has issued such a warning for Mumbai. According to IMD scientists, this situation is likely to continue for […]
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By Smitha Verma
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So you have heard about an electric grid. Almost all of us get our electricity from this grid. But what about mini grids, smart grids or even how batteries of electric vehicles (EVs) can be used for power storage? Let’s decode what each one stands for and look at the way EVs will reshape mini […]
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By Danish Alam
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The Delhi government has launched a campaign to tackle dust pollution, a major contributor to air pollution during the summer season, according to Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai. Controlling dust pollution is an important step towards reducing air pollution and improving public health. The government has taken several measures to combat the issue, including deploying […]
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By LMB Staff
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The Indian government is considering a complete ban on diesel-powered four-wheelers to combat air pollution in the country. According to the Energy Transition Advisory Committee’s recent report, diesel-powered four-wheelers should be phased out by 2027 in all cities with a million-plus population. Last year, as many as 39 Indian cities featured on IQAir’s annual list […]
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By LMB Staff
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Laundering synthetic clothes accounts for 35% of primary microplastics released into the environment. A single laundry load of polyester clothes can discharge 700,000 microplastic fibres that can end up in the food chain, states the EU report. With a new fashion trend emerging every second, our constant need to upgrade our wardrobes is taking a […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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According to a UN report, communities are more successful in resilience and capacity-building strategies when women are part of the planning process. But women make up 80% of people displaced by climate change. They are more vulnerable to displacement due to their limited access to resources and their caretaking responsibilities such as water collection and […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra
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Plastic pollution has emerged as an urgent environmental crisis, wreaking havoc on both our planet and our well-being. In order to safeguard our surroundings and seek sustainable alternatives, it is imperative that we take decisive action to curb plastic consumption within our own households. This article highlights ten effective ways aimed at minimising plastic usage. […]
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By Danish Alam
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India will spend an estimated 85.6 lakh crore rupees ($1.05 trillion) by 2030 to adapt its various industries to be compliant with climate change norms. These figures are part of ‘Report on Currency & Finance 2022-23’ by the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Department of Economic and Policy Research (DEPR). “India has embarked on a […]
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By LMB Staff
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Each kilowatt-hour (kWh) of solar that is generated will substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide as well as other dangerous pollutants such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. According to data from the US Energy Information Administration, while solar generation has only accounted for 3% of electricity in the US in […]
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By Bhadra Mahapatra