Page 4 - Environment

6 in 10 urban Indians worried about climate change, its long-term impact

Urban Indians believe the effect of climate change is severe and likely to worsen in the next 10 years

Weigh the risks of EB-5 citizenship route

Remember, capital invested in the EB-5 programme must be "at risk", meaning no guarantees can be provided on returns, and even the investment can be lost

A blueprint for climate finance at COP28

India must advocate for reshaping the discourse on climate finance, shifting the focus from annual to cumulative emissions

You have police, why didn't you stop firecrackers: Gopal Rai questions BJP

Air quality in parts of the national capital continued in the 'Severe' category on Tuesday morning as the city woke up once again to smog that limited visibility

Don't burst crackers, light diyas: Delhi Environment Minister on Diwali

The Delhi government on Sunday issued an advisory ahead of Diwali amid concerns over 'poor' air quality in the national capital

CBAM should consider where country is going, not just where it is: Stern

For emerging markets and developing economies outside China, the total flow of climate-related investment should be $2.4 trillion, said Stern

National Boss Day 2023: Date, history, significance and best wishes

National Boss Day is celebrated every year on October 16, this day recognises the dedicated Boss whose hard work leads to personal, professional and organisational growth

Global water resources in crisis, river conditions deviate from normal: WMO

More than 50 per cent of catchment areas globally witnessed deviations from normal river discharge conditions last year, posing a significant challenge in providing water to an increasingly vulnerable world grappling with climate change, according to a report by the World Meteorological Organisation. The report titled "WMO State of Global Water Resources 2022 Report" provides an independent and consistent global-scale quantitative assessment of water resources in large river basins in comparison to the long-term average for various variables like river discharge, groundwater, evaporation, soil moisture and inflow to reservoirs. It stated that the hydrological cycle was spinning out of balance as a result of climate change and human activities. The consequences of this imbalance are devastating, with droughts and extreme rainfall events wreaking havoc on both lives and economies. The melting of snow, ice, and glaciers intensifies flood risks and jeopardises long-term water security

Meeting of rubber-producing nations discusses need to mechanise sector

The need for collective efforts to address issues of natural rubber-producing countries, such as mechanisation of the sector, increased labour costs and environmental problems, was discussed at a meeting here on Monday. Discussions on topics relevant to the sector, including the current global scenario post-COVID pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, were also held as part of the annual meeting of the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC), a statement said. India's Rubber Board chairman Sawar Dhanania inaugurated the meeting, the theme of which was 'Natural Rubber Industry: Challenges and Policy Options in the 21st Century'. Addressing the programme, Dhanania said the association should prioritise issues common for all and formulate appropriate policies. Mechanisation of the sector, promotion of sustainable agricultural practices, strengthening of the supply chain and value addition for rubber wood will ensure the existence of rubber farmers everywhere, he ...

Greenwashing in India Inc: Environment scores create a sense of suspicion

Companies' disclosures should be verified by a single unit under Sebi to avoid disparity in methods

PM Modi is leader of the world in environment, says Israeli diplomat

Shoshani actively participated in the cleanliness, and cleaned the beach with broom and also picked up the garbage with his hands to put into a dustbin

Gurdaspur district launches novel initiative to curb stubble burning

Stop stubble burning and get special treatment at government offices. The Gurdaspur district administration has come up with this novel idea to curb crop residue burning, one of the major reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution in the national capital region in October and November. Farmers who abstain from stubble burning will be recognised as environment protectors ('vatavaran de rakhe') and given appreciation certificates. By showing it, they can avoid queues at government offices. Not just farmers, villages which report zero stubble burning in the harvesting season will also get the 'vatavaran de rakhe' certificates and will be prioritised for any development project. The window for sowing wheat, a Rabi crop, is very short after paddy harvest. Hence, farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear the crop residue and prepare the sowing of the next crop. With about 31 lakh hectares of paddy sowing area, Punjab produces around 180 lakh to 200 lakh tonnes of paddy st

If Mother Nature were to come calling

Even as the world grapples with escalating climate crises, corporate priorities in India continue to favour optics over genuine environmental action in their brand building effort

PM's 'global talk' on environment at G20 at odds from 'local walk': Cong

The Congress on Sunday dubbed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks on environment at the G20 Summit as "sheer hypocrisy", and claimed his "global talk" is completely at odds from the "local walk". Congress leader Jairam Ramesh accused the Modi government of comprehensively dismantling India's environmental protections and snatching away the rights of the most vulnerable communities dependent on forests. "The PM's statements at the G20 and other summits globally are sheer hypocrisy. While destroying protections for India's forests and biodiversity, and diluting the rights of Adivasis and forest-dwelling communities, he talks of environment, climate action and equity. "The 'Global Talk' is completely at odds from the 'Local Walk'," Ramesh said in a statement. He said during a Doordarshan chat with students in 2014, the prime minister had said, The climate has not changed, we have changed. "The self-styled Vishwaguru has come a long way in hypocrisy.The prime minister has used the

G20 Summit: Global Biofuel Alliance & other initiatives launched by India

Global Biofuel Alliance, G20 Satellite Mission for Environment and Climate Observation, and Green Credit Initiative among initiatives launched under India's G20 Summit presidency

India will move ahead taking fusion of progress, environment forward: Lekhi

India will move ahead taking the fusion of progress, environment and culture forward, Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi said on Monday. Speaking on the sidelines of an event organised here by the Balipara Foundation of Assam and Conservation International, the minister of state for external affairs said there can be no culture without nature. "Protecting nature is our culture and that is what one needs to understand. India will move ahead taking the fusion of progress, environment and culture forward," she said. Lekhi said responsible consumption has to be linked to consumption patterns. "Simply talking about it will not help. It is also about responsible living, responsible consumption patterns, and that is where we will link it to life and sustain the environment and we will be able to fortify our actions," she said. The Great People's Forest of the Eastern Himalayas, one of the most significant conservation efforts in the history of South Asia, was launched at the event. The Grea

India could lose groundwater by 3 times the current rate by 2080: Study

The rate of groundwater depletion could triple by 2080, if Indian farmers continued to draw groundwater at the current rate, which could threaten the country's food and water security, according to a new study. Warming climate has compelled farmers in India to adapt by intensifying the withdrawal of groundwater used for irrigation, the study led by the University of Michigan, US, found. As a result, the reduced water availability could endanger the livelihoods of more than one-third of the country's 1.4 billion residents and thus, could have global implications, the study published in the journal Science Advances said. "This is of concern, given that India is the world's largest consumer of groundwater and is a critical resource for the regional and global food supply," said senior author Meha Jain, assistant professor at the university's School for Environment and Sustainability. The study analysed recent changes in withdrawal rates due to warming by looking at historical data on

Indian, Japanese bodies partner on waste management, environment research

The Kolkata-based International Society of Waste Management, Air and Water (ISWMAW) and the Kyoto Beyond SDGs consortium of Japan have inked an agreement on academic, research and industry collaboration between the two Asian countries on various environmental issues. ISWMAW president Sadhan Kumar Ghosh said twenty students from India and 20 others from Japan will also visit each other's country as part of an exchange programme. He said 47 educational institutes are involved in the exercise - 40 in West Bengal and seven in Japan. The MoU was signed for establishing partnerships focussing on sustainable development goals to develop human resource exchanges and information exchange and research collaboration among the industry, academia and government. "Apart from visiting different academic institutions and places of interest and participating in different programmes, every visiting student will be put up at the house of a Japanese friend of his age as part of the initiative to know

No one should teach us about environment: Goa Minister on tiger reserve

Goa Minister Subhash Phal Desai on Saturday spoke on the issue of declaring the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and surrounding areas as a tiger reserve by claiming "no one should teach us on how to protect the environment". The Goa Bench of Bombay High Court last month ordered that the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary and surrounding areas be declared as a tiger reserve. Phal Desai said the state government has already decided to challenge the HC order. Speaking about the tiger reserve issue, Phal Desai said at least 600 people from his constituency will have to be displaced after the areas are declared as a tiger reserve, adding that people living in the forest are already facing difficulties due to notification of Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary. "We can't face more difficulties. Right now even to construct houses on our own properties in these areas, we have to struggle to get permissions from the forest authorities," he claimed. "People living in the forest areas have respect for the environ

MoEFCC asked to ensure framework on industrial residue is implemented

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to "clarify and take immediate measures" to identify material generated from industrial processes or production residue as either waste or as a by-product. The tribunal was hearing a matter regarding the non-implementation of the 'Framework on Identification of Materials Generated from Industrial Processes as Wastes or By-Products' issued by the Central Pollution Control Board. The framework was issued in September 2019 after an NGT order. Its purpose was to ensure that no hazardous waste was categorised as a by-product of production and escape the strict scrutiny of the Hazardous and Other Waste Management (HOWM) Rules, 2016. According to the plea, the framework did not establish when a material generated from any production process should be considered a "by-product" and when it should be considered "waste." Thus, the purpose for issuing it stood defeated, it said. In a