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Rising temperatures can put our water security in serious jeopardy

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What does this intense heat wave that has hit large parts of India so early this summer really mean? What does this intense heat wave that has hit large parts of India so early this summer really mean? "It means that this is the age of climate change; it also means that how we deal with our water in the coming days will determine whether we will survive such extreme climatic conditions," said Sunita Narain, director general, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). "I am saying this because we all know that climate change impacts are about heat -- increased and scorching temperatures -- and about variable and extreme rain. Both have a direct correlation with the water cycle. Therefore, climate change mitigation has to be about water and its management," Narain elaborated. India is witnessing a repeat of 2021 conditions, when temperatures touched 40 degrees Celsius as early as in February in some parts of the country. Said Avantika Goswami, deputy programme manager,

Smoke from wildfires destroys Ozone layer

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Researchers cautioned that if major fires became more frequent with a changing climate, more damaging ultraviolet radiation from the sun will reach the ground. A new study led by the University of Waterloo found that smoke from wildfires can destroy the ozone layer. Researchers cautioned that if major fires became more frequent with a changing climate, more damaging ultraviolet radiation from the sun will reach the ground. The study was published in the journal, 'Science'. The ozone shield is a part of the stratosphere layer of the... read more

Do not go for short-cuts: MoS Environment to farmers on stubble burning

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He also called upon people to work for the betterment of air quality, saying it is everyone's responsibility as citizens of the country to look after 'mother nature' Against the backdrop of the hazard posed by stubble burning to air quality in the national capital region, Union Minister of State for Environment and Forest Ashwini Kumar Choubey on Tuesday urged farmers not to go for shortcuts as such measures fail to help. He also called upon people to work for the betterment of air quality, saying it is everyone's responsibility as citizens of the country to look after "mother nature". Choubey was speaking at an event, organised by the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) in association with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) to brainstorm on the issue of amelioration of air quality in the national capital region. Speaking on the issue of stubble burning, Choubey appealed to all farmers to no

World faces food emergency as Ukraine war compounds hunger crisis

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Russia's invasion of Ukraine means the food inflation that's been plaguing global consumers is now tipping into a full-blown crisis, potentially outstripping even the pandemic's blow Russia’s invasion of Ukraine means the food inflation that’s been plaguing global consumers is now tipping into a full-blown crisis, potentially outstripping even the pandemic’s blow and pushing millions more into hunger. Together, Russia and Ukraine account for a whopping portion of the world’s agricultural supplies, exporting so much wheat, corn, sunflower oil and other foods that it adds up to more than a tenth of all calories traded globally. Now, shipments from both countries have virtually dried up. Commodity markets are soaring — wheat is up about 50% in two weeks and corn just touched a decade high. The surging costs could end up weighing on currencies in emerging markets, where food represents a bigger share of consumer-price baskets. And analysts are predicting export flows will conti

If emissions not cut, India may see unsurvivable heat, food scarcity: IPCC

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From heat passing the limits of human survivability, food and water scarcity, higher sea levels to severe economic damage, India will be seriously harmed if emissions are not cut, IPCC report warned From heat passing the limits of human survivability, food and water scarcity, higher sea levels to severe economic damage, India will be seriously harmed if emissions are not cut, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned in its latest report released on Monday. The second instalment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II report on 'Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability' said that globally, heat and humidity will create conditions beyond human tolerance if emissions are not rapidly eliminated and that India is among the places that will experience these intolerable conditions. The report cautioned that climate-related risks to agriculture and food systems in Asia will progressively escalate with the changing cl