New research shows that a a key reducing extreme wintertime air pollution in China may be reducing formaldehyde emissions rather than sulfur dioxide
Monday, October 22, 2018
Antarctic ice shelf 'sings' as winds whip across it surface.
Ross ice shelf is Antartica's largest ice shelf. Winds blowing across snow dunes on it causing a vibration producing a near constant drumroll of seismic tones scientists could potentially use to monitor changes in the ice shelf from afar according to the new research. Ross ice shelf is Texas-sized ice plate fled from the icy continents that float atop the southern ocean. When ice shelves collapse, ice can flow faster from land into sea and it can cause rising sea levels. To analyse and understand the Ross ice shelf better, researchers buried 34 extremely sensitive seismic sensors under its snowy surface. The sensors allowed the researchers to monitor the ice shelves vibrations a study of its structure and movements for over two years.
Ice shelves are covered in thick blankets of snow often several meters deep that are topped with massive snow dunes like sand dunes in a desert. The researchers looked closely on the data they analyzed that winds whipping across the snow duns caused the ice sheet's snow covering to rumble. They also noticed the pitch of the seismic hum changed when weather conditions altered the snow layer's surface. The hum s too low in frequency to be audible human ears but the new findings suggest scientists could use seismic stations to continuously monitor the condition on ice shelves in near real time.
Working lands play a key role in protecting biodiversity
Diversifying working lands, including farmland, rangeland and forest may be key preserving biodiversity in the face of climate changes, says a new review article. These changes could extend the habitats of critters like bats, but also much large creatures like bears, elk and other wildlife, outside the boundaries of protected areas , while creating more sustainable and potentially more productive working lands.
BBMP in search of new quarries for landfills
- The National Green Tribunal (NGT) may have recently imposed environmetal compensation of ₹10 lakh on BBMP for not bio-mining quarry-landfills, but the civic body is neither intent on bio-mining of quarries nor ending the practice of landfills.
- NGT has asked us to biomine the quarries, which involves removing the waste, separating wet waste and RDF, extracting leachete and methane. But many experts have opined that biomining is not feasible. We have decided not to pay the fine imposed by NGT, but appeal against the order on the grounds that biomining is not feasible.
- There is no project yet to harness methane gas from quarries. Presently, BBMP is letting the gas into the atmosphere, but it is planning to use to produce electricity.
SOURCE : THE HINDU
IPCC special report: Climate adaptation needs multilevel support
According to the IPCC report on 1.5 degree Celsius climate-related risks for natural and human systems are higher for global warming of 1.5 degree Celsius than at present but lower than 2 degree Celsius. These risks depend partly on the choices and implementation of adaptation and mitigation policies. Adaptation options can reduce the vulnerability of human and natural systems, can have synergies with the objectives of sustainable devlopment.: ensuring food and water security, reducing disaster risks, improving health conditions, maintaining ecosystem services and reducing poverty and inequality. The report states that investment in social and infrastructure will enhance the resilience and adaptive capacity. But adaptation to 1.5 degree Celsius will lead to adverse impacts on sustainable development.
For example, poorly designed adaptation projects can increase in the emission of greenhouse gases, increase gender and social inequality etc. Hence adaptation efforts must pay attention to poverty and sustainable development. A participatory approach of adaptation is also needed. It is important that support for adaptation is directed into right channels. This requires a framework to identify useful adaptation interventions. Disaster risk management is one of the examples. According to the report, there is a need to integrate DRM and adaptation to reduce the vulnerability. The report also identified education adaptation options which motivate adaptation through building awareness. Another similar approach is to focus on enhancing current health services. This includes providing access to clean drinking water and improved sanitation.
Rising temperatures and human activity are increasing storm runoff and flash floods
Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that runoff extremes have been dramatically increasing in response to climate and human-induced changes. Their findings show a large increase in both precipitation and runoff extremers driven by both human and climate changes. They also found that storm runoff has a stronger response than precipitation to human induced changes( climate changes, land-use land cover changes, etc)
'Year of extremes' for shrinking Swiss glaciers in 2018: study
- Despite an exceptionally snow-filled winter, Swiss glaciers have lost 2.5 per cent of their volume this year, according to a report Tuesday which dubbed 2018 a year of extremes.
- This year's record-breaking temperatures have greatly contributed to the loss of "a fifth of (the glaciers') volume over the past decade.
- Snow acts like a protective covering that prevents glaciers from melting.
- According to the Swiss Office of Meteorology, the period between June and August ranked among the hottest on record after 2003 and 2015.
- If the planet continues warming at the same pace as today, many of Switzerland's smaller glaciers will completely disappear.
UK is endangering people's health by denying their right to clean air, says UN
The UK government is putting the health of million of its citizens at risk by failing to tackle the country's air pollution crisis, according the UN's special rapporteur on human rights and the environment.
Speaking to the guardian, he said air pollution and climate changes were change were inextricably linked and called in the UK government to take a global lead by introducing new clean air legislation to raise standards, protect its citizens and meet its climate obligations.
Last month the worlds biggest children's charity, unicef, told the guardian it had refocused its UK operation to tackle air pollution because of the scale of the health crisis facing young people in the country. It also follows a landmark UN climate report that warned we only had 12 years to avert disastrous climate breakdown.
Speaking to the guardian, he said air pollution and climate changes were change were inextricably linked and called in the UK government to take a global lead by introducing new clean air legislation to raise standards, protect its citizens and meet its climate obligations.
Last month the worlds biggest children's charity, unicef, told the guardian it had refocused its UK operation to tackle air pollution because of the scale of the health crisis facing young people in the country. It also follows a landmark UN climate report that warned we only had 12 years to avert disastrous climate breakdown.
Oslo takes bold steps to reduce air pollution, improve livability
Norway’s capital city Oslo, home to over 670,000 people, is pushing forward with a range of measures to improve air quality for the city’s inhabitants.
Oslo is one of 42 cities who take part in Breathe Life, a campaign led by the WHO, UN Environment and the Climate & Clean Air Coalition that inspires cities and individuals to protect our health and planet from the effects of air pollution.
Zero-emission vehicles play a key part in the city’s strategy to reduce carbon dioxide equivalents by 95 per cent in 2030.
All public transport in Oslo and neighbouring Akershus county is to be powered exclusively by renewable energy by 2020.
Since 2012, electric vehicles have contributed to a 35 per cent decrease in carbon dioxide emissions in the city, improving air quality and public health. Oslo now has the highest number of electric vehicles in the world per capita.
Oslo is one of 42 cities who take part in Breathe Life, a campaign led by the WHO, UN Environment and the Climate & Clean Air Coalition that inspires cities and individuals to protect our health and planet from the effects of air pollution.
Zero-emission vehicles play a key part in the city’s strategy to reduce carbon dioxide equivalents by 95 per cent in 2030.
All public transport in Oslo and neighbouring Akershus county is to be powered exclusively by renewable energy by 2020.
Since 2012, electric vehicles have contributed to a 35 per cent decrease in carbon dioxide emissions in the city, improving air quality and public health. Oslo now has the highest number of electric vehicles in the world per capita.
Work Together to Turn Greenhouse Gas Emissions into Useful Products, Urges New Report
A new report from the National Academies offers an agenda for how research can advance the technologies in order to increase the likelihood of limiting global temperature increases. The agenda includes specifics on how R&D can be used to improve specific utilization methods.
The study suggests that the green house gases can be reduced through technological advances which utilizes more than 10% of current global carbon dioxide emissions within the next several decades.
The eventual scale of carbon utilization, however, will be determined by a variety of technical, economic and policy drivers over multiple decades.
The study suggests that the green house gases can be reduced through technological advances which utilizes more than 10% of current global carbon dioxide emissions within the next several decades.
The eventual scale of carbon utilization, however, will be determined by a variety of technical, economic and policy drivers over multiple decades.
Experts blame perfume, hair gel for fuelling smog in Beijing
- Chinese experts have blamed the volatile organic compounds in hair spray, perfume and air refreshers for the recurring air pollution in the country as the dreaded smog returned to haunt the Beijing city on Monday.
- The air quality index in Beijing climbed to 213, which is categorised by the World Health Organisation, (WHO) as "very unhealthy".
- China has been fighting a tough war against smog for years. It has cut life expectancy in some Chinese regions and the government has asked its citizens to buy masks and air purifiers to protect themselves during peak pollution days.
Walmart Breaks Ground on High-Tech, Efficient Grocery Distribution Center
Walmart plans to break ground on a new high-tech grocery distribution center in Shafter, California. Computer algorithms deployed at the facility are expected to improve efficiency, lower transportation costs, and reduce food waste.
Walmart associates will use technology from global automated logistics system solutions company WITRON to manage how boxes of perishable groceries such as produce, eggs, and flowers get packed onto pallets for shipping.
A computer algorithm shows all the cases ordered for a given store and determines how to palletize them to maximize the space on a pallet or trailer.This results in fewer perishable products getting crushed during the palletizing process means a reduction in food waste.
The company is targeting zero waste in their Canada, Japan, UK, and US operations by 2025.Last year, Walmart stores in Japan established partnerships with vendors nationwide to recycle fish traces. A total 1.1 million pounds of fish waste got recycled through the program.
Walmart’s 2018 sustainability report says that by the end of 2017, the company had diverted 78% of its waste from landfills globally.
Walmart associates will use technology from global automated logistics system solutions company WITRON to manage how boxes of perishable groceries such as produce, eggs, and flowers get packed onto pallets for shipping.
A computer algorithm shows all the cases ordered for a given store and determines how to palletize them to maximize the space on a pallet or trailer.This results in fewer perishable products getting crushed during the palletizing process means a reduction in food waste.
The company is targeting zero waste in their Canada, Japan, UK, and US operations by 2025.Last year, Walmart stores in Japan established partnerships with vendors nationwide to recycle fish traces. A total 1.1 million pounds of fish waste got recycled through the program.
Walmart’s 2018 sustainability report says that by the end of 2017, the company had diverted 78% of its waste from landfills globally.
Invasive forage grass leads to grassland bird decline
With grasslands in steep decline, the birds that depend on them are also disappearing.
The researchers identified all the plants within a 16-foot radius of every dickcissel nest they found -- all 477 of them -- and the more tall fescue there was, the greater the chances of nest failure. No other plant in their surveys had significant predictive power.
But why does fescue contribute to nest failure? The researchers point to earlier studies demonstrating that tall fescue hosts fewer insects than other types of vegetation. With less food around their nests, birds may be forced to make more feeding trips, attracting the attention of potential predators with every flight.
The researchers identified all the plants within a 16-foot radius of every dickcissel nest they found -- all 477 of them -- and the more tall fescue there was, the greater the chances of nest failure. No other plant in their surveys had significant predictive power.
But why does fescue contribute to nest failure? The researchers point to earlier studies demonstrating that tall fescue hosts fewer insects than other types of vegetation. With less food around their nests, birds may be forced to make more feeding trips, attracting the attention of potential predators with every flight.
World lost 87 per cent wetlands in 300 years
A study on land degradation release at the sixth plenary session of the intergovernmental platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in Colombia. It says that world lost 87 per cent wetlands over 300 years. The report states that rapid urban expansion and unsustainable management of croplands and grazing lands is the reason for this. "Avoiding, reducing reversing the problem and restoring degraded land is an urgent priority to protect the biodiversity and ecosystem services vital to all life on earth," says Luca Montarella a co-chair from Italy at the event. The estimated cost of lost biodiversity is more than 10 per cent of annual global gross product.
The report says that the consumers those who are benefiting by exploiting the natural resources are the least affected by the effects of land degradation. For example, in case of mining metal, the people those who are extracting and the people around the area get more affected by the land degradation and the end users are the least affected people since they are in another region. If necessary steps are not taken, the study shows that by 2050, land degradation and climate change are likely to force on 50 to 700 million people.
US, China, India, Japan suffer as environment protection becomes costlier: United Nations
- The economic cost of climate-related disasters hit USD 2.25 billion over the last two decades, an increase of more than 250 per cent compared to the previous 20 years.
- (UNISDR) noted that "climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events" such as tsunamis, floods and storms.
- Between 1978-1997, total losses for climate-related disasters was USD 895 million (780 million euros).
- UNISDR counted the number of climate-related disasters between 1998-2017 at more than 6,600, with storms and floods the most common events.
SOURCE : INDIAN EXPRESS
Festive fallout: Kolkata chokes on pollutants
- The air quality in the city has deteriorated over the past f few days and experts put some of the blame on the festivities.
- The Puja drew heavy traffic, both vehicular and human, particularly at night, pollution level of the city was likely to rise in the coming days, with no prediction of rain in future.
- In the last few days, the finest particulate matter (PM2.5) count in the city has doubled
- With about a month or so to go for winter, Kolkata’s ambient air quality has already started nosediving.
SOURCE : TIMES OF INDIA
Goal For Green: Jamshedpur FC’s first match aims at sustainability
The first JFC home match of the Indian Super League (ISL) 2018-19 season played at the JRD Stadium with a big win for the cause of sustainability with a concerted effort around single use plastic reduction and waste management resulting in the first such eco-friendly event this ISL season at Jamshedpur and the harbinger of many more to come.
Meals that were earlier served in plastic box have been replaced with multi-use boxes served in cardboard box. Instead of plastic bags, paper bags have been introduced and water provided in disposable paper glasses, limiting the use of plastic bottles.
There has been complete elimination of ‘Flex’ material totaling an area of 8000 square feet. The same has been replaced with plywood and painting as alternative media.
The waste generated during the event will be managed in an environment friendly manner. Color coded bins were strategically placed to ensure waste segregation at source itself.
Australia pulls out of climate change targets agreed at Paris conference.
Embattled Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has abandoned plans to set a new emissions reduction target, following a revolt by MPs in his own government amid a potential leadership challenge.
Mr. Turnbull’s signature energy policy – the National Energy Guarantee – contained a pledge to cut Australia’s emissions by 26 percent, based on 2005 levels, by 2030. The laws would have helped the country meet its obligations under the Paris climate agreement.
But after rebel Liberal Party MPs led by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott threatened to vote against the legislation – which would have triggered a crisis of confidence in Mr. Turnbull – the PM decided to back down.
It was Mr. Abbott himself who signed Australia up to the Paris climate agreement, and it was he who at the time announced the emissions reductions target of 26 percent from 2005 levels.
In 2014 he even said Australia could reduce emissions by up to 28 percent, saying: “There’s a definite commitment to 26 percent but we believe under the policies that we’ve got, with the circumstances that we think will apply, that we can go up to 28 percent.”
Despite the boast, he was later reported to have told colleagues he was “misled” while in Paris, and recently argued that using energy policy as a means of reducing emissions is “madness”.
“Cheaper power has always been our number one priority when it comes to energy policy,” he told reporters. The current debate over the impact of energy policy on climate change has seen even greater polarization.
Mr. Turnbull’s failure to win support for the emissions target comes despite a recent history of worsening wildfires and searing temperatures. The bushfire season has typically begun during the country’s summer months, but Australia’s increasingly hotter, drier weather has seen the season brought two months earlier – well into winter.
Meanwhile, in January this year, Penrith, 30 miles west of Sydney, was the hottest place on earth, hitting 47.3 °C, while Sydney was 44 °C.
Climate scientists predict the number of days Australia sees temperatures rise above 35 °C to double from five to ten in the next 12 years, while studies have forecast heatwaves with highs of 50 °C could hit Australian cities by 2040.
Mr. Turnbull’s government claimed it should still hit the minimum emissions targets obligated by the Paris accord, despite the policy U-turn.
Off Tanzania, in one of the world’s richest seas, why is the catch getting smaller?
According to global species database FishBase, Tanzania has some of the world's richest fishing grounds, with more than 1,700 species recorded in its waters.
Of these, 47 are commercially important, 69 are found only in deep water and 171 are threatened.
With such bountiful resources, Tanzania should not need to import fish, but the government, regional agencies and the UN’s food and agriculture organisation say overfishing is rampant, depleting stocks, raising prices and threatening food security.
Despite the number of fishing boats increasing by nearly 20% in five years to 66,000, the country recorded a sharp decline in catches, from 390,000 tonnes a year on average, to 360,000 tonnes in 2017, says the government.
In 2016, Tanzania’s total demand was about 730,000 tonnes of fish, of which about 50% came from salt water and the rest from Lake Victoria and the growing number of fish farms. The shortfall is made up with fish from China and elsewhere.
Of these, 47 are commercially important, 69 are found only in deep water and 171 are threatened.
With such bountiful resources, Tanzania should not need to import fish, but the government, regional agencies and the UN’s food and agriculture organisation say overfishing is rampant, depleting stocks, raising prices and threatening food security.
Despite the number of fishing boats increasing by nearly 20% in five years to 66,000, the country recorded a sharp decline in catches, from 390,000 tonnes a year on average, to 360,000 tonnes in 2017, says the government.
In 2016, Tanzania’s total demand was about 730,000 tonnes of fish, of which about 50% came from salt water and the rest from Lake Victoria and the growing number of fish farms. The shortfall is made up with fish from China and elsewhere.
India’s green footprint will grow to 1,000 crore sq ft by 2022: IGBC
The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) is planning to increase the green footprint in the country from the current 5 per cent to 15 per cent in the next 4-5 years.
There are 4,700 projects across India currently, which covers 640 crore sq ft and by 2022 we want to reach 1,000 crore sq ft. The aim is to add around 100 crore sq ft every year.
As per the IGBC, there are 14 lakh villas, houses, apartments under the green building movement. There are around 300 IGBC projects in Delhi-NCR alone. However, capacity building is one of the major challenges while trying to adopt a green building concept in India.
The market potential of green buildings in India is around US$ 300 billion by 2025.
There are 4,700 projects across India currently, which covers 640 crore sq ft and by 2022 we want to reach 1,000 crore sq ft. The aim is to add around 100 crore sq ft every year.
As per the IGBC, there are 14 lakh villas, houses, apartments under the green building movement. There are around 300 IGBC projects in Delhi-NCR alone. However, capacity building is one of the major challenges while trying to adopt a green building concept in India.
The market potential of green buildings in India is around US$ 300 billion by 2025.
Amazon’s waste management and solar investment - the start of a sustainability journey?
Amazon announced new recycling and green energy initiatives across the US and UK, including an investment into the Closed Loop Fund and a solar energy project.
The tech giant has invested $10mn in the Closed Loop Fund, a recycling project which invests in the Circular Economy, to help improve recycling infrastructure in the US.
The second investment is the installation of 20MW worth of solar panels in the UK to help power Amazon’s fulfillment centers across the country.In addition to deploying solar arrays to its facilities, Amazon can also integrate the next generation of solar panels onto its vehicles.
Puffins are declining and climate change could become the largest cause
Overfishing, hunting, and pollution are contributing to the decline of the birds – but environmental factors may prove to be the largest concern.
Puffins have been in precipitous decline, especially since the 2000s, both in Iceland and across many of their Atlantic habitats. The potential culprits are many: fickle prey, overfishing, and pollution.
Scientists say that climate change is another underlying factor that is diminishing food supplies and is likely to become more important over time. And the fact that puffins are tasty, and thus hunted as a game in Iceland, hardly helps.
Though some puffin colonies are prospering, in Iceland – where the largest population of Atlantic puffins is found – their numbers have dropped to about 5.4 million individuals from roughly seven million.
Since 2015, the birds have been listed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, meaning they face a high risk of extinction in the wild.
Cut carbon pollution as much as possible, as fast as possible
The Paris Agreement set a target of no more than 2°C global warming above pre-industrial temperatures, but also an aspirational target of no more than 1.5°C.
That’s because many participating countries – especially island nations particularly vulnerable to sea level rise – felt that even 2°C global warming is too dangerous.
But there hadn’t been a lot of research into the climate impacts at 1.5°C vs. 2°C, and so the UN asked the IPCC to publish a special report summarizing what it would take to achieve the 1.5°C limit and what the consequences would be missing of it.
That’s because many participating countries – especially island nations particularly vulnerable to sea level rise – felt that even 2°C global warming is too dangerous.
But there hadn’t been a lot of research into the climate impacts at 1.5°C vs. 2°C, and so the UN asked the IPCC to publish a special report summarizing what it would take to achieve the 1.5°C limit and what the consequences would be missing of it.
Mammals cannot evolve fast enough to escape current extinction crisis.
The sixth mass extinction is underway, this time caused by humans. A team of researchers have calculated that species are dying out so quickly that nature's built-in defense mechanism, evolution, cannot keep up. If current conservation efforts are not improved, so many mammal species will become extinct during the next five decades that nature will need 3-5 million years to recover to current biodiversity levels. And that's a best-case scenario.
There have been five upheavals over the past 450 million years when the environment on our planet has changed so dramatically that the majority of Earth's plant and animal species became extinct. After each mass extinction, evolution has slowly filled in the gaps with new species.
The sixth mass extinction is happening now, but this time the extinctions are not being caused by natural disasters; they are the work of humans. A team of researchers from Aarhus University and the University of Gothenburg has calculated that the extinctions are moving too rapidly for evolution to keep up.
If mammals diversify at their normal rates, it will still take them 5-7 million years to restore biodiversity to its level before modern humans evolved, and 3-5 million years just to reach current biodiversity levels, according to the analysis, which was published recently in the scientific journal, PNAS.
China to ban polluting tourist vehicles near Mt Everest in Tibet
China to ban polluting vehicles to Mt Everest base camp in Tibet from next year to reduce pollution.
Eco-unfriendly transport will be banned and promote electric golf style buggies to raise the income of locals.
Job opportunities for people below the poverty line in transport and tour guiding fields.
This action will prevent the fragile environment of Mt Everest.
Eco-unfriendly transport will be banned and promote electric golf style buggies to raise the income of locals.
Job opportunities for people below the poverty line in transport and tour guiding fields.
This action will prevent the fragile environment of Mt Everest.
How a 2°C rise means even higher temperatures where we live.
Regions around the Arctic may have passed a 2°C temperature rise as far back as 2000 and, if emissions rates don't change, areas around the Mediterranean, central Brazil and the contiguous United States could see 2°C of warming by 2030.
This is despite the fact that under a business as usual scenario the world is not expected to see global average temperatures rise by 2°C compared to preindustrial times until the 2040s.
New research published in Nature led by Prof Sonia Seneviratne from ETH Zurich with researchers from Australia's ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science (ARCCSS) has quantified the change in regional extremes in a world where global average temperatures have risen by 2°C.
The research shows worldwide warming extremes over land generally exceed the rise in this scenario, in some cases by as much as 6°C. "We even see starkly different rates of extreme warming over land even when global average temperatures reach just 1.5°C, which is the limit to the rate of warming agreed to at the Paris talks," said lead author Prof Seneviratne.
"At 1.5°C we would still see temperature extremes in the Arctic rise by 4.4°C and a 2.2°C warming of extremes around the Mediterranean basin."
The extreme regional warming projected for Alaska, Canada, Northern Europe, Russia and Greenland could have global impacts, accelerating the pace of sea-level rise and increasing the likelihood of methane releases prompted by the melting of ice and permafrost regions.
"The temperature difference between global average temperatures and regional temperature extremes over land not only has direct climate impacts, it also means we may have to reconsider the amount of carbon dioxide we can emit," said co-author and Director of ARCCSS Prof Andy Pitman.
Fashion industry may use quarter of world’s carbon budget by 2050
Emissions from the fashion sector are to rise by more than 60 percent by 2030.
The fast fashion industry is set to boom, projects the State of Fashion report 2018 released by McKinsey & Company. It says that the sector will be more environmentally responsible and sustainable than 2017, but the ecological impact and especially carbon footprint of the sector remains a cause of concern.
Today, textile production is the world’s second most polluting industry after the oil industry. The total greenhouse gas emissions from textile production currently stands at 1.2 billion tonnes annually and this is more than those of all international flights and maritime shipping combined, says the journal Nature Climate Change. It is estimated that the fashion industry is responsible for 10 percent of the global carbon emissions and according to UNFCCC, the sector’s emissions are to rise by more than 60 percent by 2030 if transformation towards a sustainable fashion industry fails to materialize soon.
Manufacturing hubs China and India will increase the footprint further. More than 60 per cent of textiles are used in the clothing industry and a large proportion of clothing manufacturing occurs in China and India, countries which rely on coal-fueled power plants, increasing the footprint of each garment.
Polyester and cotton are the two most commonly used fabrics in the industry and their production has a considerable ecological impact. Amongst these, polyester along with other synthetic fibers is the most commonly used fabric, but its production results in more emissions since it is produced from fossil fuels such as crude oil.
According to estimates, 262 per cent more CO2 is emitted to produce a single polyester T-shirt than a cotton shirt. But substituting polyester with its recyclable counterpart offers up to a 90% reduction of toxic substances, a 60 percent reduction in energy usage, and up to a 40 per cent dip in emissions, says Pulse of the Fashion report 2018.
The production and consumption patterns of fast fashion affect many aspects of development. It certainly can contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda. On July 10, 2018, UN officials at the high-political forum for sustainable development, reviewed the industry’s environmental impact. They said the fashion industry does need to change the gear and it’s time to make sustainability the next fashion trend. They agreed that the fashion industry will benefit from increased collaboration and 10 UN nations came together to establish the UN Alliance on Sustainable Fashion. The UN Environment will formally launch this forum at the next Environment Assembly in March 2019. Meanwhile, this alliance will reach out to wider audiences, targeting the private sector, governments of UN member states, NGOs and other relevant stakeholders with a unified voice.
World Heritage Sites threatened by rising sea levels
In the Mediterranean region, there are numerous UNESCO World Heritage Sites in low-lying coastal areas. In the course of the 21st century, these sites will increasingly be at risk by storm surges and increasing coastal erosion due to sea-level rise.large number of the altogether 49 World Heritage Sites investigated are at risk due to rising sea levels. Up to 37 of these sites are at risk from a so-called 100-year storm surge, which has a 1 percent chance of being exceeded in any given year. 42 of the 49 sites are at risk from coastal erosion
If sea levels continue rising further, "in the Mediterranean region, the risk posed by storm surges, which are 100-year storm surges under today's conditions, may increase by up to 50 percent on average, and that from coastal erosion by up to 13 percent -- and all of this by the end of the 21st century under high-end sea-level rise. Individual World Heritage Sites could even be affected much more due to their exposed locationThe increase in flood risk of up to 50 percent and erosion risk of up to 13 percent are based on an assumed average sea-level rise in the Mediterranean region of 1.46 meters by the year 2100. This increase could occur with a five percent probability (95th percentile) under a high-end climate change scenario (RCP8.5). "Even if such a high sea-level rise has a low probability of occurring by the year 2100, this scenario cannot be ruled out, due to the high uncertainties in relation to the melting of the ice sheets," said Professor Vafeidis. "In addition, such a scenario is quite relevant from a risk management perspective, since a 5% probability in this context is not low."
If sea levels continue rising further, "in the Mediterranean region, the risk posed by storm surges, which are 100-year storm surges under today's conditions, may increase by up to 50 percent on average, and that from coastal erosion by up to 13 percent -- and all of this by the end of the 21st century under high-end sea-level rise. Individual World Heritage Sites could even be affected much more due to their exposed locationThe increase in flood risk of up to 50 percent and erosion risk of up to 13 percent are based on an assumed average sea-level rise in the Mediterranean region of 1.46 meters by the year 2100. This increase could occur with a five percent probability (95th percentile) under a high-end climate change scenario (RCP8.5). "Even if such a high sea-level rise has a low probability of occurring by the year 2100, this scenario cannot be ruled out, due to the high uncertainties in relation to the melting of the ice sheets," said Professor Vafeidis. "In addition, such a scenario is quite relevant from a risk management perspective, since a 5% probability in this context is not low."
Arctic ice sets speed limit for major ocean current
Scientists have now identified a key mechanism, which they call the 'ice-ocean governor,' that controls how fast the Beaufort Gyre spins and how much fresh water it stores. Researchers report that the Arctic's ice cover essentially sets a speed limit on the gyre's spin.
The Beaufort Gyre is an enormous, 600-mile-wide pool of swirling cold, fresh water in the Arctic Ocean, just north of Alaska and Canada. In the winter, this current is covered by a thick cap of ice. Each summer, as the ice melts away, the exposed gyre gathers up sea ice and river runoff, and draws it down to create a huge reservoir of frigid fresh water, equal to the volume of all the Great Lakes combined.
Scientists at MIT have now identified a key mechanism, which they call the "ice-ocean governor," that controls how fast the Beaufort Gyre spins and how much fresh water it stores. In a paper published today in Geophysical Research Letters, the researchers report that the Arctic's ice cover essentially sets a speed limit on the gyre's spin.
In the past two decades, as temperatures have risen globally, the Arctic's summer ice has progressively shrunk in size. The team has observed that, with less ice available to control the Beaufort Gyre's spin, the current has sped up in recent years, gathering up more sea ice and expanding in both volume and depth.
If global temperatures continue to climb, the researchers expect that the mechanism governing the gyre's spin will diminish. With no governor to limit its speed, the researchers say the gyre will likely transition into "a new regime" and eventually spill over, like an overflowing bathtub, releasing huge volumes of cold, fresh water into the North Atlantic, which could affect the global climate and ocean circulation.
India needs 2.5 countries’ resources to meet its demands
Earth dwellers have used a year’s worth of resources in seven months.
We, Earth dwellers, have managed to use up more natural resources than what the planet can renew in a year. We have already consumed all we got from nature for a year within seven months. And that’s why August 1 would mark the Earth Overshoot Day. Every day after this we would be excessively pressuring the Earth for resources. And, if India continues its current rate of consumption, the country will need resources of 2.5 countries to meet its demands, says a recent research. Global Footprint Network (GFN), an international research organization, says that in 1997 the Earth Overshoot Day fell in late September, but now it has moved up to August 1. This is proof of the unprecedented amount of pressure people are exerting on nature for its resources. The estimated level of resources and ecosystem services required to support human activities at their current rate equals 1.7 Earths, fast moving to 2 Earths by 2030.
When it comes to India we face a unique challenge in the imperative to lift millions of people out of poverty and at the same time ensure that the natural resources required to sustain development are not depleted. The future lies in development trajectories that are not as resource intensive. While India has put in place some ambitious targets for renewable energy and afforestation, much more needs to be done to translate policy into practice. Earth Overshoot Day reminds us that time is running out.
The ecological footprint of the top five countries makes up for about half the global total, says the Living Planet Report (LPR) released by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in 2016. Two of these countries are China and the USA as the former generated 16 percent and the latter 15 percent of the world’s carbon footprint, highlights an analysis done by National Footprint Accounts.
The LPR says that if India’s per capita demand is multiplied with its population, the countries position on the list of largest footprint per capita shifts from 136th to the third. Consumption pattern and growing wealth could further complicate this equation.
In all of the resources, water is one which requires India’s attention. Reports say 14 of 20 major river basins are struggling to maintain water levels and may soon dry up. This is when 70 percent of our surface water is polluted and 60 percent of groundwater resources are in a critical stage. Its high time India wakes up and saves its resources
Japan braces for super typhoon Trami
The cloud temperatures also indicate that the typhoon carries a copious amount of rainfall with it.
Japan is bracing up for a stormy weekend as Typhoon Trami is scheduled to hit the Ryukyu Islands including Okinawa on Sunday. The National Aeronautical and Space Administration’s (NASA) Earth Observatory, in a post, showed the storm moving through the Western Pacific Ocean, east of Taiwan, on September 25. NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite also captured one such photograph in the infrared spectrum which shows the temperatures within the storm system. The satellite measured the cloud top temperatures at -83.5 degree Celsius which indicates that the typhoon carries a copious amount of rainfall with it.
At the time the typhoon had wind speeds as high as 260 km/hr which is equivalent to a category 5 hurricane (wind-speed greater than 252 km/hr). That’s why it had been named a super typhoon.
However, the storm is weakening as it passes over the ocean and will make landfall with wind speeds of around 180-200 km/hr, which will make it equivalent to a category 3 hurricane (wind-speed between 178-208 Km/hr). Japan is already under a spell of rain as moisture has been pushed by the incoming storm. The rains will intensify as the typhoon moves closer and could cause landslides and flash floods in the country.
Trami is the second super typhoon to form in the Western Pacific ocean in less than two weeks. Last super typhoon Mangkhut had left a trail of destruction in the Philippines killing more than 100 people. It had also affected China and was Hong Kong’s strongest storm on record. Five super typhoons have hit the Western Pacific this year, as reported by CNN.
Plastic recycling industry's problems costing councils up to £500,000 a year
Major problems in the plastic recycling industry are costing local council up to euro 500000 extra a year, as they struggle to deal with the continuing fallout from import bans imposed by countries who are no longer able to take the UK waste.
Its clear that the ban by China on imported waste, which could soon be implemented by other countries, could have marked impact in councils ability to recycle. Two-thirds of UK plastic waste is exported and the export industry was worth more than Euro 50 m in 2017.
Data analysed by Guardian shows export firms have claimed to have shipped abroad 35,135 tonnes more plastic than HMRC has recorded leaving the country, raising fear they are exporting rouge shipments to claim payments. More than 5% of 114 exporters licensed by the environment agency to export plastic packaging waste have had their accreditation suspended as pared of investigation.
Its clear that the ban by China on imported waste, which could soon be implemented by other countries, could have marked impact in councils ability to recycle. Two-thirds of UK plastic waste is exported and the export industry was worth more than Euro 50 m in 2017.
Data analysed by Guardian shows export firms have claimed to have shipped abroad 35,135 tonnes more plastic than HMRC has recorded leaving the country, raising fear they are exporting rouge shipments to claim payments. More than 5% of 114 exporters licensed by the environment agency to export plastic packaging waste have had their accreditation suspended as pared of investigation.
Eliminating emissions in India and China could add years to people's lives
The 2.7 billion people who live in China and India—more than a third of the world's population—regularly breath some of the dirtiest air on the planet. Air pollution is one of the largest contributors to death in both countries, ranked 4th in China and 5th in India, and harmful emissions from coal-fired power plants are a major contributing factor.
In a recent study, researchers from Harvard University wanted to know how replacing coal-fired power plants in China and India with clean, renewable energy could benefit human health and save lives in the future. The researchers found that eliminating harmful emissions from power plants could save an estimated annual 15 million years of life in China and 11 million years of life in India.
'Bad news': CO2 emissions to rise in 2018, says IEA chief
Plastic recycling firms accused of abusing market
The Environment Agency, the regulator, confirmed it had set up an investigative team and was pursuing "several lines of inquiry".It comes as councils cut back their plastics recycling services amid a fall in demand for exports to China. Importers are said to be worried about high contamination levels in UK waste. Britain sends about two-thirds of its plastic packaging waste abroad every year, including plastic bottles, yoghurt pots, and other items.
§ Exporters are illegally claiming for tens of thousands of tonnes of plastic waste which might not exist
§ Plastic waste is not being recycled and is being left to leak into rivers and oceans
§ UK firms accused of shipping contaminated waste - when non-recyclable items are mixed in with recyclables items - are being allowed to continue exporting.
Water pollution in Iraq threatens Mandaean religious rites
BAGHDAD: Every Sunday in Iraq, along with a strip of the embankment on the Tigris River reserved for followers of the obscure and ancient Mandaean faith, worshippers bathe themselves in the waters to purify their souls. But unlike in ancient times, the storied river that runs through Baghdad is fouled by untreated sewage and dead carp, which float by in the fast-moving current. And water levels are falling, owing to the changing climate and damming in neighboring Turkey, Syria and Iran. About 70 percent of Iraq's water flows from upstream countries.
Trump admits climate change not a 'hoax'
Plea seeks the ban on loudspeakers
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