Trash collected from Mount Everest is set to be transformed into art and displayed in a nearby gallery to highlight the need to save the world's tallest mountain from turning into a dumping site.

Nepal to turn Everest trash into art to highlight mountain’s garbage blight

There was a moment, in the early days of the pandemic, when reports surfaced here and there of improvements in air and water quality across the world, as production and traffic abruptly diminished. Images circulated of herds of mountain goats and wild boar exploring deserted city streets and schools of dolphins exuberant in the Bosporus. Some were hoaxes, but all spoke momentarily to the idea that the disruption that had come from some sort of imbalance in human-animal relations, and could result in a rerighting in favor of nature.

In these hopes, nature was made to play a familiar role: as a haven to guarantee human well-being. Utopian thinking is full of this fantasy. The Hyperboreans of Greek legend, for example, led a perfect existence beyond the north winds in a permanent spring, and the denizens of Thomas More’s “Utopia” “cultivate their gardens with great care so that they have both vines, fruits, herbs, and flowers in them.” Later, William Morris drew nature — made almost palpable on the walls on well-furnished parlors — into his utopian counterimagining of the factories of industrial society. Today’s utopians, dreaming of shopping malls turned into wetlands, are similar in spirit.

In this view, nature guarantees cyclicality, reproduction and predictability, unlike history, with its contingency, its sudden twists and turns. But this is an illusion. Nature, of course, is very much subject to history; what seemed more or less eternal is now undergoing extinction, unstoppable melting. Nature is not settled and permanent, but always in flux. It is not something separate from humans, reliably ready to soothe our woes and restore our spirits. It is rather entangled in the web and substance of humanity, its helter-skelter activity, its ceaseless pursuits.

Human intervention in plant and animal life, for example, is legion. Take cattle. Cows’ bodies have historically served as test subjects — laboratories of future bio-intervention and all sorts of reproductive technologies. Today cows crowd together in megafarms, overseen by digital systems, including facial- and hide-recognition systems. These new factories are air-conditioned sheds where digital machinery monitors and logs the herd’s every move, emission and production. Every mouthful of milk can be traced to its source.

And it goes beyond monitoring. In 2019 on the RusMoloko research farm near Moscow, virtual reality headsets were strapped onto cattle. The cows were led, through the digital animation that played before their eyes, to imagine they were wandering in bright summer fields, not bleak wintry ones. The innovation, which was apparently successful, is designed to ward off stress: The calmer the cow, the higher the milk yield.

A cow sporting VR goggles is comedic as much as it is tragic. There’s horror, too, in that it may foretell our own alienated futures. After all, how different is our experience? We submit to emotion trackers. We log into biofeedback machines. We sign up for tracking and tracing. We let advertisers’ eyes watch us constantly and mappers store our coordinates.

Could we, like cows, be played by the machinery, our emotions swayed under ever-sunny skies, without us even knowing that we are inside the matrix? Will the rejected, unemployed and redundant be deluded into thinking that the world is beautiful, a land of milk and honey, as they interact minimally in stripped-back care homes? We may soon graze in the new pastures of digital dictatorship, frolicking while bound.

The notion of nature as something external, benevolent and consolatory might be part of the problem. Theodor Adorno, the great German philosopher and cultural critic of the mid-20th century, observes in “Aesthetic Theory” how nature that has evaded human cultivation — Alpine moraines or moonscapes — resembles the unnatural forms of industrial waste mountains and is just as terrifying.

For Adorno, idyllic nature, pristine, pretty, has more to do with oppressive sexual morality than with what nature is or can be. Against the insistence that nature should not be ravished by technology, he argues that perhaps technology could enable nature to get what “it wants” on this sad earth. And we are included in that “it.”

Nature, in truth, is not just something external on which we work, but also within us. We too are nature. “My tears well up,” wrote the German Romantic poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. “Earth, I am returning to you.” Adorno took our overawed sensations when confronted with the magnitude of untamed nature as a signal of an awareness of our natural essence. The sublime — whether encountered in the world or in art — provokes in us tears, shudders and overwhelming feeling. Our ego is reminded of its affinities with the natural realm. In our collapses into blubbering wrecks, eyes wide and wet, we become simultaneously most human and most natural.

For someone associated with the abstruseness of avant-garde music and critical theory, Adorno was surprisingly sentimental when it came to animals — for which he felt a powerful affinity. It is with them that he finds something worthy of the name Utopia. He imagines a properly human existence of doing nothing, like a beast, resting, cloud gazing, mindlessly and placidly chewing cud.

To dream, as so many Utopians do, of boundless production of goods, of busy activity in the ideal society reflects, Adorno claimed, an ingrained mentality of production as an end in itself. To detach from our historical form adapted solely to production, to work against work itself, to do nothing in a true society in which we embrace nature and ourselves as natural might deliver us to freedom.

Rejecting the notion of nature as something that would protect us, give us solace, reveals us to be inextricably within and of nature. From there, we might begin to save ourselves — along with everything else.

(Esther Leslie is a professor of political aesthetics at Birkbeck College, University of London, and the author, most recently, of “Liquid Crystals: The Science and Art of a Liquid Form.”)

There was a moment, in the early days of the pandemic, when reports surfaced here and there of improvements in air and water quality across the world, as production and traffic abruptly diminished.

There was a moment, in the early days of the pandemic, when reports surfaced here and there of improvements in air and water quality across the world, as production and traffic abruptly diminished. Images circulated of herds of mountain goats and wild boar exploring deserted city streets and schools of dolphins exuberant in the Bosporus. Some were hoaxes, but all spoke momentarily to the idea that the disruption that had come from some sort of imbalance in human-animal relations, and could result in a rerighting in favor of nature. In these hopes, nature was made to play a familiar role: as a haven to guarantee human well-being. Utopian thinking is full of this fantasy. The Hyperboreans of Greek legend, for example, led a perfect existence beyond the north winds in a permanent spring, and the denizens of Thomas More’s “Utopia” “cultivate their gardens with great care so that they have both vines, fruits, herbs, and flowers in them.” Later, William Morris drew nature — made almost palpable on the walls on well-furnished parlors — into his utopian counterimagining of the factories of industrial society. Today’s utopians, dreaming of shopping malls turned into wetlands, are similar in spirit. In this view, nature guarantees cyclicality, reproduction and predictability, unlike history, with its contingency, its sudden twists and turns. But this is an illusion. Nature, of course, is very much subject to history; what seemed more or less eternal is now undergoing extinction, unstoppable melting. Nature is not settled and permanent, but always in flux. It is not something separate from humans, reliably ready to soothe our woes and restore our spirits. It is rather entangled in the web and substance of humanity, its helter-skelter activity, its ceaseless pursuits. Human intervention in plant and animal life, for example, is legion. Take cattle. Cows’ bodies have historically served as test subjects — laboratories of future bio-intervention and all sorts of reproductive technologies. Today cows crowd together in megafarms, overseen by digital systems, including facial- and hide-recognition systems. These new factories are air-conditioned sheds where digital machinery monitors and logs the herd’s every move, emission and production. Every mouthful of milk can be traced to its source. And it goes beyond monitoring. In 2019 on the RusMoloko research farm near Moscow, virtual reality headsets were strapped onto cattle. The cows were led, through the digital animation that played before their eyes, to imagine they were wandering in bright summer fields, not bleak wintry ones. The innovation, which was apparently successful, is designed to ward off stress: The calmer the cow, the higher the milk yield. A cow sporting VR goggles is comedic as much as it is tragic. There’s horror, too, in that it may foretell our own alienated futures. After all, how different is our experience? We submit to emotion trackers. We log into biofeedback machines. We sign up for tracking and tracing. We let advertisers’ eyes watch us constantly and mappers store our coordinates. Could we, like cows, be played by the machinery, our emotions swayed under ever-sunny skies, without us even knowing that we are inside the matrix? Will the rejected, unemployed and redundant be deluded into thinking that the world is beautiful, a land of milk and honey, as they interact minimally in stripped-back care homes? We may soon graze in the new pastures of digital dictatorship, frolicking while bound. The notion of nature as something external, benevolent and consolatory might be part of the problem. Theodor Adorno, the great German philosopher and cultural critic of the mid-20th century, observes in “Aesthetic Theory” how nature that has evaded human cultivation — Alpine moraines or moonscapes — resembles the unnatural forms of industrial waste mountains and is just as terrifying. For Adorno, idyllic nature, pristine, pretty, has more to do with oppressive sexual morality than with what nature is or can be. Against the insistence that nature should not be ravished by technology, he argues that perhaps technology could enable nature to get what “it wants” on this sad earth. And we are included in that “it.” Nature, in truth, is not just something external on which we work, but also within us. We too are nature. “My tears well up,” wrote the German Romantic poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. “Earth, I am returning to you.” Adorno took our overawed sensations when confronted with the magnitude of untamed nature as a signal of an awareness of our natural essence. The sublime — whether encountered in the world or in art — provokes in us tears, shudders and overwhelming feeling. Our ego is reminded of its affinities with the natural realm. In our collapses into blubbering wrecks, eyes wide and wet, we become simultaneously most human and most natural. For someone associated with the abstruseness of avant-garde music and critical theory, Adorno was surprisingly sentimental when it came to animals — for which he felt a powerful affinity. It is with them that he finds something worthy of the name Utopia. He imagines a properly human existence of doing nothing, like a beast, resting, cloud gazing, mindlessly and placidly chewing cud. To dream, as so many Utopians do, of boundless production of goods, of busy activity in the ideal society reflects, Adorno claimed, an ingrained mentality of production as an end in itself. To detach from our historical form adapted solely to production, to work against work itself, to do nothing in a true society in which we embrace nature and ourselves as natural might deliver us to freedom. Rejecting the notion of nature as something that would protect us, give us solace, reveals us to be inextricably within and of nature. From there, we might begin to save ourselves — along with everything else. (Esther Leslie is a professor of political aesthetics at Birkbeck College, University of London, and the author, most recently, of “Liquid Crystals: The Science and Art of a Liquid Form.”)

Are we the cows of the future?

A World Economic Forum report has said that the environment could become too hot for human beings in the coming decades and we could live to experience unbearable 60°C days. 
 
“This level of extreme heat would have been almost impossible in the absence of human-caused global warming,” the report said.

Greenhouse gas emissions reached a new high last year, putting us on track for an average temperature rise of 3 degrees Celsius. 2020 could be the hottest year yet on record as temperatures continue to soar.

Some extreme weather events, such as heat- and cold-waves, intense precipitation events, and regional droughts, have become more frequent and intense.

COVID-19 lockdowns are likely to result in just a 0.01C reduction in global warming by 2050. However, green investment under government stimulus packages could cut up to 25% off emissions predicted in 2030.

The World Economic Forum also released data to illustrate the potential damage to the planet over the coming decades and stated that by 2030s – Climate change-related illnesses will kill 250,000 people each year.

According to the predictions, Up to 8 per cent of the global population will have seen a severe reduction in water availability. Bangladesh, Vietnam and Thailand will be threatened by annual floods, sparking mass migration.

By 2050s – temperatures will soar to 60°C and by 2100s – Florida will disappear and south Spain will become a desert.

The biggest challenge that our environment faces is climate change. Polar ice caps are melting six times faster than they were in the 1990s. Greenland and Antarctica have lost more than 6.4 trillion ice between 1992 and 2017. Sea levels, on average, have risen eight inches since the 1880s.&nbsp;

One of the biggest contributors to climate change is pollution. About 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions, according to a Carbon Majors report.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A World Economic Forum report has said that the environment could become too hot for human beings in the coming decades and we could live to experience unbearable 60°C days.

A World Economic Forum report has said that the environment could become too hot for human beings in the coming decades and we could live to experience unbearable 60°C days. “This level of extreme heat would have been almost impossible in the absence of human-caused global warming,” the report said. Greenhouse gas emissions reached a new high last year, putting us on track for an average temperature rise of 3 degrees Celsius. 2020 could be the hottest year yet on record as temperatures continue to soar. Some extreme weather events, such as heat- and cold-waves, intense precipitation events, and regional droughts, have become more frequent and intense. COVID-19 lockdowns are likely to result in just a 0.01C reduction in global warming by 2050. However, green investment under government stimulus packages could cut up to 25% off emissions predicted in 2030. The World Economic Forum also released data to illustrate the potential damage to the planet over the coming decades and stated that by 2030s – Climate change-related illnesses will kill 250,000 people each year. According to the predictions, Up to 8 per cent of the global population will have seen a severe reduction in water availability. Bangladesh, Vietnam and Thailand will be threatened by annual floods, sparking mass migration. By 2050s – temperatures will soar to 60°C and by 2100s – Florida will disappear and south Spain will become a desert. The biggest challenge that our environment faces is climate change. Polar ice caps are melting six times faster than they were in the 1990s. Greenland and Antarctica have lost more than 6.4 trillion ice between 1992 and 2017. Sea levels, on average, have risen eight inches since the 1880s. One of the biggest contributors to climate change is pollution. About 100 companies are responsible for 71% of global emissions, according to a Carbon Majors report. (With inputs from agencies)

Coming decades will see unbearable 60°C days, warns World Economic Forum

River Borzhava was once a stunning site but now the river is filled with hundreds of plastic bottles & other waste items. Authorities blame locals for the pollution despite warnings. WION brings you a report.

Ukraine: Borzhava river turns into garbage dumps

In the wake of a Ranthambore tiger being spotted with wire snare around its neck, the forest department of the Rajasthan government has issued a `Red Alert` till February 28, 2021 for all wildlife reserves, sanctuaries, and parks in the state.

Under the `Red Alert`, all forest officials have been directed to intensify search operations and seek local police assistance to nab hunters and criminals.

The order issued on Saturday says, "All forest officials under the `Red Alert` have been directed to intensify search operations and seek help from local police to nab hunters and criminals. The department further cancels leaves of all field officers, and directions have been issued for effective patrolling against illegal activities in protected areas," it says further.

The order also added that reports had earlier been received from the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve about animals being caught in traps laid by hunters.

"Recently, five hunters have also been arrested in Mount Abu for hunting a sambar deer, looking to which red alert has been announced till February 2021," it said.

Forest department`s senior officer Shruti Sharma gave clear orders that all officers and employees will work seriously in hunting for the hunters during the red alert.

Earlier, a total of 26 tigers have also been reported missing from Ranthambore.

The tiger T-108 spotted with wire has raised many questions, such as, have these tigers also fallen prey like T-108? What happened to them is yet to be answered by the forest department officials.

Rajsamand MP, Diya Kumari, earlier in August had sent a letter to Union Minister of Environment and Forests Prakash Javadekar and raised a demand to issue necessary guidelines to the state government for investigating the causes of the recent tiger deaths so that such incidents do not recur.

In the wake of a Ranthambore tiger being spotted with wire snare around its neck, the forest department of the Rajasthan government has issued a `Red Alert` till February 28, 2021 for all wildlife reserves, sanctuaries, and parks in the state.

In the wake of a Ranthambore tiger being spotted with wire snare around its neck, the forest department of the Rajasthan government has issued a `Red Alert` till February 28, 2021 for all wildlife reserves, sanctuaries, and parks in the state. Under the `Red Alert`, all forest officials have been directed to intensify search operations and seek local police assistance to nab hunters and criminals. The order issued on Saturday says, "All forest officials under the `Red Alert` have been directed to intensify search operations and seek help from local police to nab hunters and criminals. The department further cancels leaves of all field officers, and directions have been issued for effective patrolling against illegal activities in protected areas," it says further. The order also added that reports had earlier been received from the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve about animals being caught in traps laid by hunters. "Recently, five hunters have also been arrested in Mount Abu for hunting a sambar deer, looking to which red alert has been announced till February 2021," it said. Forest department`s senior officer Shruti Sharma gave clear orders that all officers and employees will work seriously in hunting for the hunters during the red alert. Earlier, a total of 26 tigers have also been reported missing from Ranthambore. The tiger T-108 spotted with wire has raised many questions, such as, have these tigers also fallen prey like T-108? What happened to them is yet to be answered by the forest department officials. Rajsamand MP, Diya Kumari, earlier in August had sent a letter to Union Minister of Environment and Forests Prakash Javadekar and raised a demand to issue necessary guidelines to the state government for investigating the causes of the recent tiger deaths so that such incidents do not recur.

Red alert in Rajasthan after tiger spotted with wire snare around neck

A hummingbird sanctuary is providing a picturesque respite from the stresses of big city living for people in the Colombian capital Bogota.

Colourful hummingbirds provide relief from urban blues for Bogota residents

Like every winter, the red-crowned Eurasian birds are back on Israel's Hula Lake - some for a stop-over en route from Russia, Finland and Estonia to Ethiopia's Lake Tana, and others here for the entire cold season. This year, however, some of the 100,000 cranes flew in a little late, with global warming a possible reason for the delay.

Flight delayed: Crane winter migration arrives late in Israel

Green activists Kim Yona and Lee Dong-I use the bottle caps to make a tube-squeezing device - something they hope consumers will find useful and be able to keep, rather than toss out after just one use.

South Korean "sparrows" try to cap surge of throwaway plastic

Britain's Prince William on Thursday launched the "most prestigious" environmental prize of all time, aimed at turning "pessimism into optimism" by rewarding innovative solutions to the planet's biggest problems.

The Earthshot Prize will present five £1 million ($1.3-million, 1.1-million-euro) awards each year for the next 10 years, to "incentivise change and help to repair our planet over the next ten years," said his office in London.

Kensington Palace described it as the "most prestigious global environment prize in history" and said it was inspired by US president John F. Kennedy's "Moonshot" project in the 1960s.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/prince-william-calls-for-action-on-climate-in-new-documentary-332529">Also read|&nbsp;Prince William calls for action on climate in new documentary</a>

"We need to find solutions to be able to live our lives and enjoy our lives and not feel guilty and bad about some of the things we do," the prince, who is second in line to the throne, told BBC Radio 4 in an interview aired Thursday.

"That ultimately has to change, because I also worry from a mental health point of view, the anxiety and the worry that many of these younger generations are going to have."

He said he hopes the prize will "galvanise and bring together the best minds, the best possible solutions, to fixing and tackling some of the world's greatest environmental challenges".

"The next 10 years are a critical decade for change. Time is of the essence, which is why we believe that this very ambitious global prize is the only way forward."

The project is centred around five "simple but ambitious" aims to be met by 2030: "protect and restore nature", "clean our air", "revive our oceans", "build a waste-free world", and "fix our climate".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/ruin-and-regrowth-in-david-attenborough-a-life-on-our-planet-332633">Also read|&nbsp;Ruin and Regrowth in ‘David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet’</a>

The prize is supported by a coalition of individuals, organisations and businesses with the winners to be announced each year at a ceremony in a different city around the globe, starting with London in 2021.

Prizes can be awarded to individuals or teams, whether they be scientists, activists, economists, governments, business leaders and even countries.

"The Earthshot Prize aims to turn the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism that we can rise to the biggest challenges of our time," said the palace.

"But the Prize is about much more than awarding achievement -– it is a decade of action to... inspire people all over the world to work together to repair the planet."

William praised his father Prince Charles's for his long-running environmental campaigning, joking to the BBC: "I regularly wonder what my father's banging on about. I'm sure every son thinks the same.&nbsp;

"But... he's talked about this for a long time and long before people sort of cottoned on to climate change.

"So I've always listened to and learnt and believed in what he was saying."

Britain's Prince William on Thursday launched the "most prestigious" environmental prize of all time, aimed at turning "pessimism into optimism" by rewarding innovative solutions to the planet's biggest problems.

Britain's Prince William on Thursday launched the "most prestigious" environmental prize of all time, aimed at turning "pessimism into optimism" by rewarding innovative solutions to the planet's biggest problems. The Earthshot Prize will present five £1 million ($1.3-million, 1.1-million-euro) awards each year for the next 10 years, to "incentivise change and help to repair our planet over the next ten years," said his office in London. Kensington Palace described it as the "most prestigious global environment prize in history" and said it was inspired by US president John F. Kennedy's "Moonshot" project in the 1960s. Also read| Prince William calls for action on climate in new documentary "We need to find solutions to be able to live our lives and enjoy our lives and not feel guilty and bad about some of the things we do," the prince, who is second in line to the throne, told BBC Radio 4 in an interview aired Thursday. "That ultimately has to change, because I also worry from a mental health point of view, the anxiety and the worry that many of these younger generations are going to have." He said he hopes the prize will "galvanise and bring together the best minds, the best possible solutions, to fixing and tackling some of the world's greatest environmental challenges". "The next 10 years are a critical decade for change. Time is of the essence, which is why we believe that this very ambitious global prize is the only way forward." The project is centred around five "simple but ambitious" aims to be met by 2030: "protect and restore nature", "clean our air", "revive our oceans", "build a waste-free world", and "fix our climate". Also read| Ruin and Regrowth in ‘David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet’ The prize is supported by a coalition of individuals, organisations and businesses with the winners to be announced each year at a ceremony in a different city around the globe, starting with London in 2021. Prizes can be awarded to individuals or teams, whether they be scientists, activists, economists, governments, business leaders and even countries. "The Earthshot Prize aims to turn the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism that we can rise to the biggest challenges of our time," said the palace. "But the Prize is about much more than awarding achievement -– it is a decade of action to... inspire people all over the world to work together to repair the planet." William praised his father Prince Charles's for his long-running environmental campaigning, joking to the BBC: "I regularly wonder what my father's banging on about. I'm sure every son thinks the same. "But... he's talked about this for a long time and long before people sort of cottoned on to climate change. "So I've always listened to and learnt and believed in what he was saying."

Prince William launches 'most prestigious' environment prize

The European Space Agency has revealed that two of the main&nbsp;glaciers in Antarctica,&nbsp;Pine Island and Thwaites Glaciers, are fracturing faster than ever before.

The glaciers are at&nbsp;Amundsen Sea Embayment and are one of the most important glaciers of the continent.

If these glaciers completely melt, it could lead to nearly&nbsp;3.3 feet rise in the global sea levels. As&nbsp;of now, their melting has resulted in nearly 5 per cent of&nbsp;global sea level rise.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/whats-the-matter-with-the-universe-scientists-have-the-answer-331331">Also read:&nbsp;What's the matter with the Universe? Scientists have the answer</a>

The claim has been made after observing satellite images. "'To reveal what’s really going on at Pine Island and Thwaites, we dug into imaging data from a number of different satellites,' said paper author and geoscientist Stef Lhermitte of the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

He researchers have found "structural damage at the "shear margins" of the glaciers’ ice shelves, where the ice transitions from fast- to slow-moving — large crevasses, rifts and open fractures that indicate that the ice shelves are slowly tearing apart."

"Currently, the ice shelves are a little like a slow car in traffic — they force anything behind them to slow down. Once they’re removed, ice sitting further inland will be able to speed up, which in turn will cause sea levels to rise even faster."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/hints-of-life-on-mars-scientists-find-three-lakes-buried-under-the-red-planets-surface-331094">Also read:&nbsp;Hints of life on Mars? Scientists find three lakes buried under the red planet's surface!</a>

The satellite data collected by various agencies as&nbsp;&nbsp;European Space Agency's CryoSat and Copernicus Sentinel-1, as well as the NASA/USGS Landsat program and the Japanese ASTER instrument aboard NASA’s Terra satellite, reveals that the&nbsp;deterioration has increased majorly in the last two decades as crevasses were not seen in images of the ice taken back in 1997, and were still less widespread in 2016.

To understand the impact of the damaged margins, the researchers observed the change in the topography of the glaciers and assessed the speed at which the ice had been moving.

"This fracturing appears to kick off a feedback process — it preconditions the ice shelves to disintegrate,' said paper author Thomas Nagler of Environmental Earth Observation Information Technology (ENVEO) in Innsbruck, Austria.

"As the glaciers fracture at their weak points this damage speeds up, spreads, and weakens more of the ice shelves, causing further deterioration — and making it more likely that the shelves will start crumbling apart even faster," he continued.

Through this research, the scientists are hoping the world will realise how quickly the damage is occurring in the nature, and reveal the vulnerability of glaciers to global warming.

"The results from this study highlight a pressing need to include such feedback processes in model projections of ice shelf retreat, ice sheet mass loss and sea level change,' said European Space Agency CryoSat Mission Scientist, Mark Drinkwater.

"We know that a significant amount of glacial ice in West Antarctica is currently being affected by climate change — in fact, a recent study found 24 per cent of this ice to be rapidly thinning and unstable."

"These new results underline just how quickly this damage is occurring, and reveal that Pine Island and Thwaites Glaciers are more vulnerable than ever before."

The study has been published in the&nbsp;Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.&nbsp;

The European Space Agency has revealed that two of the main glaciers in Antarctica, Pine Island and Thwaites Glaciers, are fracturing faster than ever before. The glaciers are at Amundsen Sea Embayment and are one of the most important glaciers of the continent.

The European Space Agency has revealed that two of the main glaciers in Antarctica, Pine Island and Thwaites Glaciers, are fracturing faster than ever before. The glaciers are at Amundsen Sea Embayment and are one of the most important glaciers of the continent. If these glaciers completely melt, it could lead to nearly 3.3 feet rise in the global sea levels. As of now, their melting has resulted in nearly 5 per cent of global sea level rise. Also read: What's the matter with the Universe? Scientists have the answer The claim has been made after observing satellite images. "'To reveal what’s really going on at Pine Island and Thwaites, we dug into imaging data from a number of different satellites,' said paper author and geoscientist Stef Lhermitte of the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. He researchers have found "structural damage at the "shear margins" of the glaciers’ ice shelves, where the ice transitions from fast- to slow-moving — large crevasses, rifts and open fractures that indicate that the ice shelves are slowly tearing apart." "Currently, the ice shelves are a little like a slow car in traffic — they force anything behind them to slow down. Once they’re removed, ice sitting further inland will be able to speed up, which in turn will cause sea levels to rise even faster." Also read: Hints of life on Mars? Scientists find three lakes buried under the red planet's surface! The satellite data collected by various agencies as European Space Agency's CryoSat and Copernicus Sentinel-1, as well as the NASA/USGS Landsat program and the Japanese ASTER instrument aboard NASA’s Terra satellite, reveals that the deterioration has increased majorly in the last two decades as crevasses were not seen in images of the ice taken back in 1997, and were still less widespread in 2016. To understand the impact of the damaged margins, the researchers observed the change in the topography of the glaciers and assessed the speed at which the ice had been moving. "This fracturing appears to kick off a feedback process — it preconditions the ice shelves to disintegrate,' said paper author Thomas Nagler of Environmental Earth Observation Information Technology (ENVEO) in Innsbruck, Austria. "As the glaciers fracture at their weak points this damage speeds up, spreads, and weakens more of the ice shelves, causing further deterioration — and making it more likely that the shelves will start crumbling apart even faster," he continued. Through this research, the scientists are hoping the world will realise how quickly the damage is occurring in the nature, and reveal the vulnerability of glaciers to global warming. "The results from this study highlight a pressing need to include such feedback processes in model projections of ice shelf retreat, ice sheet mass loss and sea level change,' said European Space Agency CryoSat Mission Scientist, Mark Drinkwater. "We know that a significant amount of glacial ice in West Antarctica is currently being affected by climate change — in fact, a recent study found 24 per cent of this ice to be rapidly thinning and unstable." "These new results underline just how quickly this damage is occurring, and reveal that Pine Island and Thwaites Glaciers are more vulnerable than ever before." The study has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Antarctica's most important glaciers depleting faster than ever: Study

Aiming at promoting energy-efficient and environment-friendly hydrogen fuel cell-based vehicles in the country, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Wednesday notified the standards for safety evaluation of such vehicles through an amendment to Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

The Ministry said the standards for the testing of such vehicles, which are at par with the international standards, have been made available with the prospective manufacturers and suppliers.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-proud-to-endorse-us-initiative-on-joint-statement-on-universal-declaration-of-human-rights-329826">Also read:India 'proud' to endorse US initiative on joint statement on Universal Declaration of Human Rights&nbsp;</a>

According to the draft rules, the motor vehicles of Category M and Category N, running on compressed gaseous hydrogen fuel cell, shall be in accordance with AIS 157:2020, as amended from time to time, till the corresponding Bureau of Indian Standard Act, 2016, specification is notified.

Also, the hydrogen fuel specification for fuel cell vehicles will be in accordance with ISO 14687.

Earlier, gazetted copies of the draft rules were made available to the public on July 10, but no objections or suggestions were received in this respect.&nbsp;

Aiming at promoting energy-efficient and environment-friendly hydrogen fuel cell-based vehicles in the country, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Wednesday notified the standards for safety evaluation of such vehicles through an amendment to Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989.

Aiming at promoting energy-efficient and environment-friendly hydrogen fuel cell-based vehicles in the country, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Wednesday notified the standards for safety evaluation of such vehicles through an amendment to Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. The Ministry said the standards for the testing of such vehicles, which are at par with the international standards, have been made available with the prospective manufacturers and suppliers. Also read:India 'proud' to endorse US initiative on joint statement on Universal Declaration of Human Rights According to the draft rules, the motor vehicles of Category M and Category N, running on compressed gaseous hydrogen fuel cell, shall be in accordance with AIS 157:2020, as amended from time to time, till the corresponding Bureau of Indian Standard Act, 2016, specification is notified. Also, the hydrogen fuel specification for fuel cell vehicles will be in accordance with ISO 14687. Earlier, gazetted copies of the draft rules were made available to the public on July 10, but no objections or suggestions were received in this respect.

Government notifies new evaluation standards for hydrogen cell vehicles

Wildfires have been polluting the environment for the past few weeks across the state of California — of which some were man-made and some started due to the high temperatures and lightning storms.

Video: Wildfires burn the Western U.S.

When a prominent Buddhist monk in Myanmar noticed a surge in plastic waste generated by residents in his Yangon neighborhood during the pandemic, he decided to do something about it.

But Abbot Ottamasara, who runs the Thabarwa meditation centre, was taken aback by the response to his request for plastic containers as a substitute for bowls used by his monastery to feed thousands of people in need.

Helped by dozens of volunteers, his team now receives several thousand used plastic bottles a day from the community, with some recycled as food containers and others incorporated into building materials used at the meditation centre.

“More plastic waste was being dumped on the street during the pandemic,” said Ottamasara, 51, who launched the recycling drive three months ago after seeing waste piling up on the streets during daily walks to collect food donations.

Authorities do not routinely organise recycling in Myanmar, while around 2,500 tonnes of trash are thrown out everyday in Yangon, often dumped on roads and in waterways, or burned.

“If we (the meditation centre) ask for donations, people will keep them clean,” said Ottamasara, who uses one name. “Then we can use these plastic bottles as food containers and it not only saves money, but also tackles the plastic waste issue.”

He estimates two tonnes of plastic waste, or around 200,000 plastic bottles, have been recycled so far, saving around $10,000.

The nine acre (3.6 hectare) meditation centre hosts workshops to process the plastic waste.

Volunteers use hanging plastic bottles to make sunshades and have even constructed a shelter using car tyres packed with plastic waste and cement to form the walls.

When a prominent Buddhist monk in Myanmar noticed a surge in plastic waste generated by residents in his Yangon neighborhood during the pandemic, he decided to do something about it.

When a prominent Buddhist monk in Myanmar noticed a surge in plastic waste generated by residents in his Yangon neighborhood during the pandemic, he decided to do something about it. But Abbot Ottamasara, who runs the Thabarwa meditation centre, was taken aback by the response to his request for plastic containers as a substitute for bowls used by his monastery to feed thousands of people in need. Helped by dozens of volunteers, his team now receives several thousand used plastic bottles a day from the community, with some recycled as food containers and others incorporated into building materials used at the meditation centre. “More plastic waste was being dumped on the street during the pandemic,” said Ottamasara, 51, who launched the recycling drive three months ago after seeing waste piling up on the streets during daily walks to collect food donations. Authorities do not routinely organise recycling in Myanmar, while around 2,500 tonnes of trash are thrown out everyday in Yangon, often dumped on roads and in waterways, or burned. “If we (the meditation centre) ask for donations, people will keep them clean,” said Ottamasara, who uses one name. “Then we can use these plastic bottles as food containers and it not only saves money, but also tackles the plastic waste issue.” He estimates two tonnes of plastic waste, or around 200,000 plastic bottles, have been recycled so far, saving around $10,000. The nine acre (3.6 hectare) meditation centre hosts workshops to process the plastic waste. Volunteers use hanging plastic bottles to make sunshades and have even constructed a shelter using car tyres packed with plastic waste and cement to form the walls.

Myanmar's upcycling monk leads push to cut plastic waste

Climate activists staged a protest near one of the melting glaciers in Europe's Alps mountain range on Sunday (September 6).

Climate activists mourn receding glaciers in the Alps

Environmental activists say the lure of such riches has encouraged illegal miners like Franchinis, adding to the growing deforestation in the region

Illegal miners dig for gold in Brazil | Amazon tropical rainforests | South America

Scientists warn prevalence of plastic pollution may pose risks to human and ocean health.

Plastic pollution in Atlantic ocean | Pollution 10 times more than thought

A Japanese bulk carrier that struck a coral reef off Mauritius and has leaked at least an estimated 1,000 tonnes of oil passed an annual inspection in March without any problems

Your Story: Why the Mauritius oil spill is dangerous | Japanese ship | Marine Ecosystem

Technical divers from Ghost Diving have removed more than 500kg of old fishing nets and other debris from the wreck of HMS Perseus and other Greek wrecks

Divers clean up HMS Perseus to protect marine life | 500 kg of Ghost nets | World News

Defenders of land and environment have been facing wrath from mega-companies and governments for long, but now they may also be facing persecution.

Over the last year, a record number of activists were killed for seeking land and environment protection. As the climate crisis and the dialogue around it thickens, more activists are put at risk of getting killed.

Four every week

As per data compiled by watchdog Global Witness over the last year, four activists were killed every week in 2019. This increase has also been attributed to the COVID-19 lockdown, which has made poaching of these activists easier.

In Colombia and Philippines alone, over 100 out of the total 212 people were killed last year. This accounted for over a 30 per cent increase from 164 deaths in 2018. It is also more than the record in 2017.

<h6><img alt="An environmental activist protests outside the Reichstag building housing the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) in Berlin on March 6, 2020. Protestors from Campact and Bund made themselves heard outside the building during a sitting of the Bundestag as the German federal parliament heard the first reading of the coal bill presented by the government." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6cc525d8-9d50-4623-a6c9-c3b822b4d042" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design_122.jpg" /> 
An environmental activist protests outside the Reichstag building housing the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) in Berlin on March 6, 2020. Protestors from Campact and Bund made themselves heard outside the building during a sitting of the Bundestag as the German federal parliament heard the first reading of the coal bill presented by the government. | AFP</h6>

Global Witness did warn though, that the number of deaths will actually be higher.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/curb-climate-change-protect-environment-to-prevent-more-outbreaks-united-nations-311242" hreflang="en">Curb climate change, protect environment to prevent more outbreaks: United Nations</a>

Out of these, most deaths were related to land and environment. Following which, the sectors that witnessed deaths include agriculture, logging, and criminal gangs.

However, indigenous populations or “tribals” remain at the highest risk, and accounting for 40 per cent murders in 2019.

Indigenous groups at risk

The woes of such communities have increased owing to COVID-19, which may have not brushed against such groups had environment and land been protected and demarcated. In the Amazon, Brazil continues to undertake overwhelming deforestation work.

The local groups in Brazil have claimed that they are “facing extinction”, while saying that the right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro, who himself had recently tested positive, was attempting to eliminate tribal groups. The country witnessed 24 documented deaths in 2019.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/coronavirus-an-inevitable-consequence-of-long-term-environmental-damage-report-311220" hreflang="en">Coronavirus an inevitable consequence of long-term environmental damage: Report</a>

Colombia recorded the most number of deaths at 64. This also marks the highest number coming in from any country ever. The country has witnessed an increase in the murders of local leaders.&nbsp;In the country, criminal gangs and local militias depend on drug trade, which spurs more violence.

Philippines was the most deadly country to live in for people protecting land and the environment in 2018. In 2019, 48 deaths were recorded.&nbsp;The president, Rodrigo Duterte is eyeing plans to convert huge areas of land into industrial embankments.

The report noted that Europe was the last affected continent. Over two-thirds of these killings took place in Latin America in 2019. In the Amazon region alone, 33 people were killed.

Defenders of land and environment have been facing wrath from mega-companies and governments for long, but now they may also be facing persecution. Over the last year, a record number of activists were killed for seeking land and environment protection.

Defenders of land and environment have been facing wrath from mega-companies and governments for long, but now they may also be facing persecution. Over the last year, a record number of activists were killed for seeking land and environment protection. As the climate crisis and the dialogue around it thickens, more activists are put at risk of getting killed. Four every week As per data compiled by watchdog Global Witness over the last year, four activists were killed every week in 2019. This increase has also been attributed to the COVID-19 lockdown, which has made poaching of these activists easier. In Colombia and Philippines alone, over 100 out of the total 212 people were killed last year. This accounted for over a 30 per cent increase from 164 deaths in 2018. It is also more than the record in 2017. An environmental activist protests outside the Reichstag building housing the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) in Berlin on March 6, 2020. Protestors from Campact and Bund made themselves heard outside the building during a sitting of the Bundestag as the German federal parliament heard the first reading of the coal bill presented by the government. | AFP Global Witness did warn though, that the number of deaths will actually be higher. Also read: Curb climate change, protect environment to prevent more outbreaks: United Nations Out of these, most deaths were related to land and environment. Following which, the sectors that witnessed deaths include agriculture, logging, and criminal gangs. However, indigenous populations or “tribals” remain at the highest risk, and accounting for 40 per cent murders in 2019. Indigenous groups at risk The woes of such communities have increased owing to COVID-19, which may have not brushed against such groups had environment and land been protected and demarcated. In the Amazon, Brazil continues to undertake overwhelming deforestation work. The local groups in Brazil have claimed that they are “facing extinction”, while saying that the right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro, who himself had recently tested positive, was attempting to eliminate tribal groups. The country witnessed 24 documented deaths in 2019. Also read: Coronavirus an inevitable consequence of long-term environmental damage: Report Colombia recorded the most number of deaths at 64. This also marks the highest number coming in from any country ever. The country has witnessed an increase in the murders of local leaders. In the country, criminal gangs and local militias depend on drug trade, which spurs more violence. Philippines was the most deadly country to live in for people protecting land and the environment in 2018. In 2019, 48 deaths were recorded. The president, Rodrigo Duterte is eyeing plans to convert huge areas of land into industrial embankments. The report noted that Europe was the last affected continent. Over two-thirds of these killings took place in Latin America in 2019. In the Amazon region alone, 33 people were killed.

Four environmental activists were killed every week in 2019 across the globe

Malaysia on Sunday discovered 110 containers filled with toxic waste. Reportedly, the waste came from Romania and was on its way to Indonesia.

1,864 tonnes of toxic waste

Found at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas where it was dumped last month, the containers housed 1,864 tonnes of electric arc furnace dust (EAFD), which is a deadly remnant of steel production, and contains toxic elements such as lead and chromium.

Allegedly brought from Romania, the containers were falsely declared as concentrated zinc.

You might be interested in:&nbsp;<a href="/world/air-pollution-significantly-contributes-to-rise-in-coronavirus-infections-and-deaths-study-313148" hreflang="en">Air pollution significantly contributes to rise in coronavirus infections and deaths: Study</a>

The Environment and Water Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan man called it “the biggest finding of its kind”, and suggested that the shipment was on its way to Indonesia.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/spain-to-enforce-tax-on-plastic-packaging-to-curb-pollution-302734" hreflang="en">Spain to enforce tax on plastic packaging to curb pollution</a>

Also, Malaysia is in the process of returning the shipment, while asking Interpol to investigate.

Ever since China banned import of plastic waste in 2018, other countries have become the dumping ground for Western countries. These include Cambodia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Basel Convention

In a bid to contain dumping of waste, 187 countries last year added plastic to the Basel Convention, a treaty which regulates the movement of hazardous materials from one country to another.

Under this convention, the shipment in Malaysia qualifies as toxic waste. Malaysia is a signatory of the convention.

You might be interested in:&nbsp;<a href="/world/plastic-pollution-is-booming-from-coronavirus-and-will-get-worse-after-the-pandemic-304641" hreflang="en">Plastic pollution is booming from coronavirus and will get worse after the pandemic</a>

Malaysia and the Philippines have now begun publicly naming countries that ship their trash to developing nations. In May 2019, Malaysia returned 450 tonnes of plastic waste to where it came from, including countries like the US, the UK, Canada, Japan, and the Netherlands.

"We urge the developed countries to review their management of plastic waste and stop shipping garbage to developing countries," said Yeo Bee Yin, Malaysia's then-minister of energy, science, technology, environment and climate change.

Just this year, Malaysian authorities identified and halted 28 such shipments. And with the onset of global usage of single-use masks given the coronavirus pandemic, the usage of plastic is expected to increase, creating havoc for the countries.

Malaysia on Sunday discovered 110 containers filled with toxic waste. Reportedly, the waste came from Romania and was on its way to Indonesia. 1,864 tonnes of toxic waste Found at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas where it was dumped last month, the containers housed 1,864 tonnes of electric arc furnace dust (EAFD), which is a deadly remnant of steel production, and contains toxic elements such as lead and chromium.

Malaysia on Sunday discovered 110 containers filled with toxic waste. Reportedly, the waste came from Romania and was on its way to Indonesia. 1,864 tonnes of toxic waste Found at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas where it was dumped last month, the containers housed 1,864 tonnes of electric arc furnace dust (EAFD), which is a deadly remnant of steel production, and contains toxic elements such as lead and chromium. Allegedly brought from Romania, the containers were falsely declared as concentrated zinc. You might be interested in: Air pollution significantly contributes to rise in coronavirus infections and deaths: Study The Environment and Water Minister Tuan Ibrahim Tuan man called it “the biggest finding of its kind”, and suggested that the shipment was on its way to Indonesia. Also read: Spain to enforce tax on plastic packaging to curb pollution Also, Malaysia is in the process of returning the shipment, while asking Interpol to investigate. Ever since China banned import of plastic waste in 2018, other countries have become the dumping ground for Western countries. These include Cambodia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Basel Convention In a bid to contain dumping of waste, 187 countries last year added plastic to the Basel Convention, a treaty which regulates the movement of hazardous materials from one country to another. Under this convention, the shipment in Malaysia qualifies as toxic waste. Malaysia is a signatory of the convention. You might be interested in: Plastic pollution is booming from coronavirus and will get worse after the pandemic Malaysia and the Philippines have now begun publicly naming countries that ship their trash to developing nations. In May 2019, Malaysia returned 450 tonnes of plastic waste to where it came from, including countries like the US, the UK, Canada, Japan, and the Netherlands. "We urge the developed countries to review their management of plastic waste and stop shipping garbage to developing countries," said Yeo Bee Yin, Malaysia's then-minister of energy, science, technology, environment and climate change. Just this year, Malaysian authorities identified and halted 28 such shipments. And with the onset of global usage of single-use masks given the coronavirus pandemic, the usage of plastic is expected to increase, creating havoc for the countries.

Malaysia discovers 110 containers with toxic waste shipped illegally from Romania

Methane, a planet-warming gas responsible for a major portion of Earth’s global warming has taken up a lot more space than expected over the last decade.

An international study from July 15 has ascertained that the emissions of this poisonous gas have risen by at least nine per cent in the last ten years. The study attributed this to human activity and exploitation of resources for energy and food.

More warming than any other gas!

Methane (CH4) warms the planet more than any other gas, and contributed to Earth’s warming by over 28 more times than Carbon Dioxide.

Since the Industrial Revolution, which began in Europe and the United States as early as 1760, the gas concentration in the atmosphere has more than doubled.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/videos/swiss-company-develops-animal-feed-cuts-methane-emissions-livestock-169245" hreflang="en">Swiss company develops animal feed that cuts methane emissions from livestock</a>

Over the last 20 years, the gas has gained over 80 times potency.

Methane can also occur naturally in the environment, in terrain such as wetlands and lakes. However, over 60 per cent of methane emissions are now artificially occurring in the environment, implying it is manmade.

These can be divided into three categories: extracting and burning fossil fuels to generate power and electricity. Additionally, it is also caused by agriculture which involved livestock, along with management of waste.

2 degree celsius - the upper limit

According to the 2015 Paris climate agreement, the temperature limit countries must commit to shall be “well below” two degree Celsius, which is above the Industrial Era levels.

Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, emissions will fall this year. However, atmospheric methane is increasing by 12 parts per billion every year.&nbsp;By 2100, the planet might witness warming of over 3-4 degree Celsius, as pointed out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

"Regular updates of the global methane budget are necessary ... because reducing methane emissions would have a rapid positive effect on climate," Marielle Saunois, a researcher at France's Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environment, who also headed the study, said in a briefing.&nbsp;"To meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement, not only do CO2 emissions need to be reduced but also methane emissions”, Saunois added.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/urgent-international-cooperation-needed-to-address-global-warming-impacts-wmo-251656" hreflang="en">Urgent international cooperation needed to address global warming impacts: WMO</a>

50 research institutions around the world constitute the Global Carbon Project, which has collated data from 100 observation stations.&nbsp;Compared to the time period between 2000-2006, the world has produced 50 million additional tonnes of methane every year.

Out of these, over 60 per cent emanated from agriculture and waste. Additionally, 30 per cent were a result of digestive processes of cattle and sheep.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/opinions/wion-edit-global-warming-threat-continues-to-grow-250647" hreflang="en">WION Edit: Global warming threat continues to grow</a>

Also, 22 per cent release of methane is a product of burning oil and gas, while 11 per cent is a direct consequence of leaks from the world’s coal mines.

New studies suggest how methane leaks can be spotted using satellite data. Emissions may be higher than the ones accounted for in this study, which only traced data upto 2017.

But recent studies based on new techniques for spotting methane leaks using satellite data suggest that emissions from the oil and gas sector may be significantly higher than those shown in the study, which only included data through 2017.

Methane, a planet-warming gas responsible for a major portion of Earth’s global warming has taken up a lot more space than expected over the last decade. An international study from July 15 has ascertained that the emissions of this poisonous gas have risen by at least nine per cent in the last ten years.

Methane, a planet-warming gas responsible for a major portion of Earth’s global warming has taken up a lot more space than expected over the last decade. An international study from July 15 has ascertained that the emissions of this poisonous gas have risen by at least nine per cent in the last ten years. The study attributed this to human activity and exploitation of resources for energy and food. More warming than any other gas! Methane (CH4) warms the planet more than any other gas, and contributed to Earth’s warming by over 28 more times than Carbon Dioxide. Since the Industrial Revolution, which began in Europe and the United States as early as 1760, the gas concentration in the atmosphere has more than doubled. Also read: Swiss company develops animal feed that cuts methane emissions from livestock Over the last 20 years, the gas has gained over 80 times potency. Methane can also occur naturally in the environment, in terrain such as wetlands and lakes. However, over 60 per cent of methane emissions are now artificially occurring in the environment, implying it is manmade. These can be divided into three categories: extracting and burning fossil fuels to generate power and electricity. Additionally, it is also caused by agriculture which involved livestock, along with management of waste. 2 degree celsius - the upper limit According to the 2015 Paris climate agreement, the temperature limit countries must commit to shall be “well below” two degree Celsius, which is above the Industrial Era levels. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, emissions will fall this year. However, atmospheric methane is increasing by 12 parts per billion every year. By 2100, the planet might witness warming of over 3-4 degree Celsius, as pointed out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). "Regular updates of the global methane budget are necessary ... because reducing methane emissions would have a rapid positive effect on climate," Marielle Saunois, a researcher at France's Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environment, who also headed the study, said in a briefing. "To meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement, not only do CO2 emissions need to be reduced but also methane emissions”, Saunois added. Also read: Urgent international cooperation needed to address global warming impacts: WMO 50 research institutions around the world constitute the Global Carbon Project, which has collated data from 100 observation stations. Compared to the time period between 2000-2006, the world has produced 50 million additional tonnes of methane every year. Out of these, over 60 per cent emanated from agriculture and waste. Additionally, 30 per cent were a result of digestive processes of cattle and sheep. Also read: WION Edit: Global warming threat continues to grow Also, 22 per cent release of methane is a product of burning oil and gas, while 11 per cent is a direct consequence of leaks from the world’s coal mines. New studies suggest how methane leaks can be spotted using satellite data. Emissions may be higher than the ones accounted for in this study, which only traced data upto 2017. But recent studies based on new techniques for spotting methane leaks using satellite data suggest that emissions from the oil and gas sector may be significantly higher than those shown in the study, which only included data through 2017.

Emissions of planet-warming methane have risen by 9% in the last decade

Amazon rainforest has been in the headlines lately owing to the record rate of deforestation in the region, which threatens local human and animal habitats, while increasing the risk of natural disasters.

Given the current scenario, it also makes tribal forest populations vulnerable to COVID-19. And these areas are hard to reach, with minimal healthcare in these regions.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/amazon-tribe-releases-hostages-after-body-of-leader-returned-310912" hreflang="en">Amazon tribe releases hostages after body of leader returned</a>

In the backdrop of global outcry over Bolsonaro government’s stance and policies on the Amazon forest, the administration recently fired a national space agency official. The agency, Inpe is responsible for monitoring the rainforest via satellites, which has divulged data of mass deforestation and exploitation, even as global scientists call for preservation as an immediate call of the hour.

Increased deforestation

The data from June shows how deforestation hasn’t slowed down during the pandemic, but rather increased.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://wionews.com/videos/study-fires-surge-in-brazils-amazon-forest-in-the-month-of-june-to-highest-rate-in-13-years-310606/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The official, Lubia Vinhas was the general-coordinator of Brazilian space agency Inpe’s Earth Observation Institute, which is one of the many sub-agencies responsible for tracking activity in the Amazon rainforest. They put out data to corroborate evidence of global warming induced by such actions.

Vinhas, who was supposed to hold her position for four years was fired by Marcos Pontes, Brazil’s science and technology minister just two years into her job. No explanation was offered for the same.

Bolsonaro complicit?

Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has been a staunch critic of environmentalists, and has, on multiple occasions called for economic development in the region, which roughly implies increased deforestation. Additionally, this makes way for illegal mining and logging in the region. In fact, a recent report highlighted how illegal mining had caused the transmission of COVID-19 among tribal populations from the workers, causing major distress in the region.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/brazil-deforested-10000-square-km-of-amazon-rainforest-in-2019-up-34-on-year-304867" hreflang="en">Brazil deforested 10,000 square km of Amazon rainforest in 2019, up 34% on year</a>

A firing was undertaken along similar lines last year, and activists believe this is due to the appalling data coming in from the country.

In August 2019, when the world sought answers from Bolsonaro over the wildfires in Amazon, Bolsonaro hit out at the former head of country’s space research institute, accusing him of doctoring data in order to paint his administration in a bad light. When Galvao countered the claims publicly, he was fired and replaced.

The figures released by Inpe on Friday showed over 1,034 square kilometres worth of deforestation in June alone. This is the highest area to be cleared in June ever since data collection had been initiated in 2015.

In the January-June period, the Amazon witnessed a 25 per cent spike in deforestation, when compared to the same time last year. Over 3,069 square kilometres of land has been cleared so far.

Amazon rainforest has been in the headlines lately owing to the record rate of deforestation in the region, which threatens local human and animal habitats, while increasing the risk of natural disasters.

Amazon rainforest has been in the headlines lately owing to the record rate of deforestation in the region, which threatens local human and animal habitats, while increasing the risk of natural disasters. Given the current scenario, it also makes tribal forest populations vulnerable to COVID-19. And these areas are hard to reach, with minimal healthcare in these regions. Also read: Amazon tribe releases hostages after body of leader returned In the backdrop of global outcry over Bolsonaro government’s stance and policies on the Amazon forest, the administration recently fired a national space agency official. The agency, Inpe is responsible for monitoring the rainforest via satellites, which has divulged data of mass deforestation and exploitation, even as global scientists call for preservation as an immediate call of the hour. Increased deforestation The data from June shows how deforestation hasn’t slowed down during the pandemic, but rather increased. The official, Lubia Vinhas was the general-coordinator of Brazilian space agency Inpe’s Earth Observation Institute, which is one of the many sub-agencies responsible for tracking activity in the Amazon rainforest. They put out data to corroborate evidence of global warming induced by such actions. Vinhas, who was supposed to hold her position for four years was fired by Marcos Pontes, Brazil’s science and technology minister just two years into her job. No explanation was offered for the same. Bolsonaro complicit? Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has been a staunch critic of environmentalists, and has, on multiple occasions called for economic development in the region, which roughly implies increased deforestation. Additionally, this makes way for illegal mining and logging in the region. In fact, a recent report highlighted how illegal mining had caused the transmission of COVID-19 among tribal populations from the workers, causing major distress in the region. Also read: Brazil deforested 10,000 square km of Amazon rainforest in 2019, up 34% on year A firing was undertaken along similar lines last year, and activists believe this is due to the appalling data coming in from the country. In August 2019, when the world sought answers from Bolsonaro over the wildfires in Amazon, Bolsonaro hit out at the former head of country’s space research institute, accusing him of doctoring data in order to paint his administration in a bad light. When Galvao countered the claims publicly, he was fired and replaced. The figures released by Inpe on Friday showed over 1,034 square kilometres worth of deforestation in June alone. This is the highest area to be cleared in June ever since data collection had been initiated in 2015. In the January-June period, the Amazon witnessed a 25 per cent spike in deforestation, when compared to the same time last year. Over 3,069 square kilometres of land has been cleared so far.

Brazil fires official who divulged details of record-deforestation in the Amazon

Can't embrace friends and family these days? Hug a tree instead. That's the message Israel's Nature and Parks Authority is spreading on social media to try to help people overcome the sense of detachment that coronavirus social distancing rules can bring.

Hugging a tree in Israel to beat coronavirus blues

Marine life in the Mediterranean off Italy flourished during the coronavirus lockdown as water quality improved and species moved into spaces vacated by people and ships, the Italian coastguard has found.

The strict rules halting business and movement for two months offered an unprecedented opportunity to monitor the impact of human activity on the sea that surrounds Italy.&nbsp;

Since April, the coastguard has used water samples, underwater footage filmed by remotely operated vehicles and its own divers, and a census of unusual sightings of marine species close to heavily populated areas to monitor the sea.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-induced-disruption-in-resources-may-cause-1-million-extra-deaths-due-to-other-diseases-311086" hreflang="en">Coronavirus-induced disruption in resources may cause 1 million extra deaths due to other diseases</a>

In the Secche di Tor Paterno, a protected marine reserve 8 km (5 miles) off the coast of Rome, moray eels and colourful fish crowd a forest of gorgonians, or sea fans and corals.&nbsp;

"We were able to ascertain a significant improvement in the transparency of the waters and a significant reduction in suspended material," Lieutenant Alessandro Mino, commander of the coastguard diving unit of the Campania region, told Reuters, speaking from a boat off the coast of Lazio, near Rome.

Even before the full results of the study are published in late July, improvements have been tangible.

A pod of sperm whales was spotted in the blue waters of the Sicilian sea near the port of Milazzo and dolphins replaced container ships in ports in northwestern Liguria.

"The marine environment and marine life have regained spaces that human activity had eroded," Mino said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

However, the COVID-19 pandemic is posing new threats, with masks, gloves and hand sanitizer bottles increasingly found in the sea.

The so-called "COVID waste" is adding to marine pollution made up of microplastics - tiny particles from the breakdown of everything from shopping bags to car tyres.

Since July 2019, the coastguard has recovered 75 tonnes of plastic and 5 tonnes of abandoned plastic nets.

Coastguard spokesman Cosimo Nicastro said he was optimistic the lockdown had given people more understanding of how fragile the environment is.

"This patrimony of beauty has been given to us on loan from our parents and we must preserve it and give it to our children and future generations. It is not something that belongs to us," Nicastro said.

Marine life in the Mediterranean off Italy flourished during the coronavirus lockdown as water quality improved and species moved into spaces vacated by people and ships, the Italian coastguard has found.

Marine life in the Mediterranean off Italy flourished during the coronavirus lockdown as water quality improved and species moved into spaces vacated by people and ships, the Italian coastguard has found. The strict rules halting business and movement for two months offered an unprecedented opportunity to monitor the impact of human activity on the sea that surrounds Italy. Since April, the coastguard has used water samples, underwater footage filmed by remotely operated vehicles and its own divers, and a census of unusual sightings of marine species close to heavily populated areas to monitor the sea. Also read: Coronavirus-induced disruption in resources may cause 1 million extra deaths due to other diseases In the Secche di Tor Paterno, a protected marine reserve 8 km (5 miles) off the coast of Rome, moray eels and colourful fish crowd a forest of gorgonians, or sea fans and corals. "We were able to ascertain a significant improvement in the transparency of the waters and a significant reduction in suspended material," Lieutenant Alessandro Mino, commander of the coastguard diving unit of the Campania region, told Reuters, speaking from a boat off the coast of Lazio, near Rome. Even before the full results of the study are published in late July, improvements have been tangible. A pod of sperm whales was spotted in the blue waters of the Sicilian sea near the port of Milazzo and dolphins replaced container ships in ports in northwestern Liguria. "The marine environment and marine life have regained spaces that human activity had eroded," Mino said. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is posing new threats, with masks, gloves and hand sanitizer bottles increasingly found in the sea. The so-called "COVID waste" is adding to marine pollution made up of microplastics - tiny particles from the breakdown of everything from shopping bags to car tyres. Since July 2019, the coastguard has recovered 75 tonnes of plastic and 5 tonnes of abandoned plastic nets. Coastguard spokesman Cosimo Nicastro said he was optimistic the lockdown had given people more understanding of how fragile the environment is. "This patrimony of beauty has been given to us on loan from our parents and we must preserve it and give it to our children and future generations. It is not something that belongs to us," Nicastro said.

Mediterranean marine life flourished during lockdown: Italian coastguard

The Indian unit of Amazon.com Inc has eliminated all single-use plastic in its packaging across fulfillment centers in the country, in line with its target to weed out the packaging material by June, the e-commerce giant said on Monday.

The company said in addition to replacing packaging materials such as bubble wraps and air pillows with “paper cushions”, it had also swapped out packaging tapes with other bio-degradable options.

“We have successfully eliminated single-use plastic in all our fulfillment centers a 100%,” Akhil Saxena, vice-president of customer fulfillment for the APAC, LATAM and Middle East and North Africa regions, said in an interview.

Amazon, often criticised for using too much plastic and thermocol to wrap its billions of packages of shipments, had said last September that its India unit would replace single-use plastic in its packaging by June 2020.

Saxena said on Monday the COVID-19 pandemic had slowed down some of their work, but Amazon India managed to meet its target as the unit had started on the elimination project even before the national lockdown was imposed.

Last October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called on citizens to help end the usage of single-use plastic - seen as a pollutant - by 2022.

The Asian country of 1.3 billion does not have an organized system for management of plastic waste, leading to extensive littering.

Many Indian cities rank among the world’s most polluted, and waste generated from single-use plastic has been a growing problem.

Walmart Inc’s (WMT.N) India e-commerce unit Flipkart, a local rival to Amazon, said last month that it had cut down the usage of plastic packaging in its own supply chain to about 50%.

The Indian unit of Amazon.com Inc has eliminated all single-use plastic in its packaging across fulfillment centers in the country, in line with its target to weed out the packaging material by June, the e-commerce giant said on Monday.

The Indian unit of Amazon.com Inc has eliminated all single-use plastic in its packaging across fulfillment centers in the country, in line with its target to weed out the packaging material by June, the e-commerce giant said on Monday. The company said in addition to replacing packaging materials such as bubble wraps and air pillows with “paper cushions”, it had also swapped out packaging tapes with other bio-degradable options. “We have successfully eliminated single-use plastic in all our fulfillment centers a 100%,” Akhil Saxena, vice-president of customer fulfillment for the APAC, LATAM and Middle East and North Africa regions, said in an interview. Amazon, often criticised for using too much plastic and thermocol to wrap its billions of packages of shipments, had said last September that its India unit would replace single-use plastic in its packaging by June 2020. Saxena said on Monday the COVID-19 pandemic had slowed down some of their work, but Amazon India managed to meet its target as the unit had started on the elimination project even before the national lockdown was imposed. Last October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called on citizens to help end the usage of single-use plastic - seen as a pollutant - by 2022. The Asian country of 1.3 billion does not have an organized system for management of plastic waste, leading to extensive littering. Many Indian cities rank among the world’s most polluted, and waste generated from single-use plastic has been a growing problem. Walmart Inc’s (WMT.N) India e-commerce unit Flipkart, a local rival to Amazon, said last month that it had cut down the usage of plastic packaging in its own supply chain to about 50%.

Amazon India scraps single-use plastic in packaging across centers

Provincial officials in Pakistan's southeastern Sindh province say migratory birds are flocking to wetlands in greater numbers - and lingering in them for longer - amid lockdown measures that have kept hunters and bird catchers confined to their homes.

Migratory birds catch 'a breath of relief' in Pakistan as lockdown keeps poachers away

Environmentalists and activists have lashed out at the Tamil Nadu government’s proposal to denotify Vedanthangal, a popular bird sanctuary-cum-wetland that is located in the Chengalpattu district, nearly 100kms away from Chennai.

In a virtual press conference, the experts emphasised the need to protect water bodies and such diverse ecosystems, failing which irreparable damage could be caused. It must also be noted that&nbsp;a plea which seeks the court’s intervention to scrap the denotification and help in protecting the sanctuary is pending in the Madras High Court.&nbsp;

The virtual Press Conference was addressed by senior ornithologist Dr. Asad Rahmani, Prerna Singh Bindra, former member, National Board for Wildlife, Dr. Ritesh Kumar, Director, Wetlands International South Asia, Yuvan of Madras Naturalists Society and Nityanand jayaraman from Chennai Solidarity Group.&nbsp;

M. Yuvan, of Madras Naturalists Society, says that Vedanthangal has been protected for centuries by the local population and later it got legal protection as a 'sanctuary' as well, adding that it is a towering example of ecological conservation in India. The bird droppings enrich and nourish and nearby agricultural lands and the farmers protect the sanctuary and the birds. Vedanthangal translated to&nbsp;-- a lake protected from hunters.&nbsp;

Controversy erupted in recent weeks after there were reports about a Tamil Nadu Government application that was pending before the National Board for Wildlife. The application, if approved, would would reduce the boundary of the tank from the existing 5km to 3km. This reduction of 2km would mean that nearly 50 square kilometers of the tank is out of the protection of the sanctuary.&nbsp;

Conservationists and bird enthusiasts say that 40,000-70,000 birds visit the sanctuary every year and they return with more than double that number after breeding. The sanctuary and its vicinity are made up of more than 80 interconnected lakes. While the 5km area within the sanctuary is only a nesting place, many birds fly a distance of even 30kms from the sanctuary to find food. Thus, raising demands for not just the sanctuary, but also several kilometers outside its boundaries to be declared protected, eco-sensitive zones.&nbsp;

According to environmentalists, the proposed denotification would work in favor of a few hazardous industries that are operating in the area. This includes a pharma company that is currently said to be operating illegally within the sanctuary limits. While the State Pollution Control Board and Forest Department have given a clean chit to the factory, it is said that the local villagers allege that pollutants are being emitted from the factory, which are affecting surface and ground water in the region.&nbsp;

“On inspection we learnt that Sun Pharma and two other Red category industries are in the vicinity of the sanctuary. The locals are struggling, foam and black water has badly deteriorated the condition of the coconut and mango trees in the region. Forest department is not permitted construction of toilets, petty shops or homes for the locals, but they permit red category industries which harm the people and the birds,” Yuvan pointed out.&nbsp;

In recent days, the relevant authorities in Tamil Nadu had issued press releases stating that the reports on de-notification were false. The releases also added that the current proposal was in line with Government Of India Guidelines which required States to demarcate all protected areas into Core, Buffer and Eco-Sensitive Zone(ESZ).&nbsp;

Contrary to the State government’s claim, activists pointed out that there is no directive issued by the central government to demarcate core, buffer and ESZ within sanctuaries. Core and Buffer zones apply only to tiger reserves, and Eco-Sensitive Zones are meant to be demarcated only outside a sanctuary and not within its boundary.

“De-notification is a serious matter, which requires the clearance of the State Wildlife Board, the national board and then also the Supreme Court. In this case, the State Board’s consent was not taken in a meeting, it was done without discussion and debate. It is not the forest department’s job to worry about the industry, they need to protect wildlife. Chennai’s biggest worry is water shortage and it is suicidal to de-notify the Sanctuary” said Prerna Singh Bindra, former member, National Board for Wildlife said.&nbsp;

Environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman said that even if the de-notification proposal was scrapped, the forest department must be held accountable for allowing a factory to operate in the sensitive zone. “Forest department is colluding with industries and speaking on behalf of commercial operators, there must be an enquiry against them and the factories at the highest levels," he added.&nbsp;

When WION asked about the possible reasons why the factory wanted to expand its facility, Jayaraman said, “Sun Pharma might not be procuring new tracts of land, but is expanding within their existing site, which is situated 3.72kms from the tank boundary. Rather than moving to another location and re-building, they would prefer to remain near Vedanthangal as it is just 1.5kms away from the arterial Grand Southern Trunk road”.&nbsp;

Environmentalists hope that the National Board for Wildlife takes a favorable view of the environment and ecological heritage that we have been gifted by our forefathers. Dr Ritesh Kumar, Director, South Asia, Wetlands International says that it is in the best interest of all stakeholders to level up their conservation efforts. “An aquatic system is connected to land and waterscape. When the inflowing water us disturbed, wetlands would degrade on their own. By regulating the activities, the ecological integrity in the sanctuary and its surrounding areas must be maintained.”

Environmentalists and activists have lashed out at the Tamil Nadu government’s proposal to denotify Vedanthangal, a popular bird sanctuary-cum-wetland that is located in the Chengalpattu district, nearly 100kms away from Chennai.

Environmentalists and activists have lashed out at the Tamil Nadu government’s proposal to denotify Vedanthangal, a popular bird sanctuary-cum-wetland that is located in the Chengalpattu district, nearly 100kms away from Chennai. In a virtual press conference, the experts emphasised the need to protect water bodies and such diverse ecosystems, failing which irreparable damage could be caused. It must also be noted that a plea which seeks the court’s intervention to scrap the denotification and help in protecting the sanctuary is pending in the Madras High Court. The virtual Press Conference was addressed by senior ornithologist Dr. Asad Rahmani, Prerna Singh Bindra, former member, National Board for Wildlife, Dr. Ritesh Kumar, Director, Wetlands International South Asia, Yuvan of Madras Naturalists Society and Nityanand jayaraman from Chennai Solidarity Group. M. Yuvan, of Madras Naturalists Society, says that Vedanthangal has been protected for centuries by the local population and later it got legal protection as a 'sanctuary' as well, adding that it is a towering example of ecological conservation in India. The bird droppings enrich and nourish and nearby agricultural lands and the farmers protect the sanctuary and the birds. Vedanthangal translated to -- a lake protected from hunters. Controversy erupted in recent weeks after there were reports about a Tamil Nadu Government application that was pending before the National Board for Wildlife. The application, if approved, would would reduce the boundary of the tank from the existing 5km to 3km. This reduction of 2km would mean that nearly 50 square kilometers of the tank is out of the protection of the sanctuary. Conservationists and bird enthusiasts say that 40,000-70,000 birds visit the sanctuary every year and they return with more than double that number after breeding. The sanctuary and its vicinity are made up of more than 80 interconnected lakes. While the 5km area within the sanctuary is only a nesting place, many birds fly a distance of even 30kms from the sanctuary to find food. Thus, raising demands for not just the sanctuary, but also several kilometers outside its boundaries to be declared protected, eco-sensitive zones. According to environmentalists, the proposed denotification would work in favor of a few hazardous industries that are operating in the area. This includes a pharma company that is currently said to be operating illegally within the sanctuary limits. While the State Pollution Control Board and Forest Department have given a clean chit to the factory, it is said that the local villagers allege that pollutants are being emitted from the factory, which are affecting surface and ground water in the region. “On inspection we learnt that Sun Pharma and two other Red category industries are in the vicinity of the sanctuary. The locals are struggling, foam and black water has badly deteriorated the condition of the coconut and mango trees in the region. Forest department is not permitted construction of toilets, petty shops or homes for the locals, but they permit red category industries which harm the people and the birds,” Yuvan pointed out. In recent days, the relevant authorities in Tamil Nadu had issued press releases stating that the reports on de-notification were false. The releases also added that the current proposal was in line with Government Of India Guidelines which required States to demarcate all protected areas into Core, Buffer and Eco-Sensitive Zone(ESZ). Contrary to the State government’s claim, activists pointed out that there is no directive issued by the central government to demarcate core, buffer and ESZ within sanctuaries. Core and Buffer zones apply only to tiger reserves, and Eco-Sensitive Zones are meant to be demarcated only outside a sanctuary and not within its boundary. “De-notification is a serious matter, which requires the clearance of the State Wildlife Board, the national board and then also the Supreme Court. In this case, the State Board’s consent was not taken in a meeting, it was done without discussion and debate. It is not the forest department’s job to worry about the industry, they need to protect wildlife. Chennai’s biggest worry is water shortage and it is suicidal to de-notify the Sanctuary” said Prerna Singh Bindra, former member, National Board for Wildlife said. Environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman said that even if the de-notification proposal was scrapped, the forest department must be held accountable for allowing a factory to operate in the sensitive zone. “Forest department is colluding with industries and speaking on behalf of commercial operators, there must be an enquiry against them and the factories at the highest levels," he added. When WION asked about the possible reasons why the factory wanted to expand its facility, Jayaraman said, “Sun Pharma might not be procuring new tracts of land, but is expanding within their existing site, which is situated 3.72kms from the tank boundary. Rather than moving to another location and re-building, they would prefer to remain near Vedanthangal as it is just 1.5kms away from the arterial Grand Southern Trunk road”. Environmentalists hope that the National Board for Wildlife takes a favorable view of the environment and ecological heritage that we have been gifted by our forefathers. Dr Ritesh Kumar, Director, South Asia, Wetlands International says that it is in the best interest of all stakeholders to level up their conservation efforts. “An aquatic system is connected to land and waterscape. When the inflowing water us disturbed, wetlands would degrade on their own. By regulating the activities, the ecological integrity in the sanctuary and its surrounding areas must be maintained.”

Environmentalists urge Tamil Nadu Govt to save Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary and its ecological heritage

The drastic reduction in pollution during coronavirus lockdowns around the world should lead to greater concern for the environment as restrictions are lifted, Pope Francis said on Sunday (June 21).

Pope says coronavirus should spark new environmental awareness

A new report claims that world’s biggest dairy firms release the same amount of greenhouse gases into the environment as the world’s sixth biggest economy, the United Kingdom.

The report by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) in the US claimed that thirteen dairy firms maybe responsible for a huge chunk of the emissions.

Over the last two years, the emissions have grown by over 11 per cent, in the aftermath of the 2015 Paris climate change agreement.

Reducing consumption and dairy in rich nations is important to control the climate emergency, reports have shown.

Additionally, the report claimed that milk prices have fallen below production costs for the first time int he last decade. This has majorly affected local producers.

<img alt="Dairy farmer David Witter checks on his herd of 370 Friesian Holstein cows before preparing them for milking at Carters Green Farm in Weston, near Crewe, north west England on April 20, 2020" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="eebd5f9e-5858-48f8-9969-28293e4b4871" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-4_6.jpg" /> 
Dairy farmer David Witter checks on his herd of 370 Friesian Holstein cows before preparing them for milking at Carters Green Farm in Weston, near Crewe, north west England on April 20, 2020 | AFP

According to the researchers, a cap on production needs to be reintroduced in order to protect climate.

Dairy industry’s big shots responded to the report. In a statement, Judith Bryans, the president of the International Dairy Federation, alongside Donald Moore, the Executive Director of the Global Dairy Platform claimed that “the dairy sector is committed to producing nutritious foods in environmentally sound and responsible ways.”

“It’s very easy to put out a report that criticises and tries to paint a simple picture of a sector which doesn’t contain all of the nuances or realities of how the global dairy sector nourishes the world with nutrient-rich, safe foods and does so in a manner that strives for continued environmental improvements while providing livelihoods to a large percentage of the world’s population,” the joint-statement said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/world/eat-more-cheese-it-is-your-patriotic-duty-french-dairy-industry-298075" hreflang="en">Eat more cheese, it is your patriotic duty: French dairy industry</a>

Bryans and Moore further said: “[Dairy’s] rich nutrition helps populations, particularly in developing nations, avoid malnutrition and poor health outcomes.”

In 2019, a report UNFAO and Global Dairy Platform had called for reducing greenhouse emissions from the industry.

Researchers believe soya and oat, which are also sources of milk are less harmful to the environment.

A new report claims that world’s biggest dairy firms release the same amount of greenhouse gases into the environment as the world’s sixth biggest economy, the United Kingdom.

A new report claims that world’s biggest dairy firms release the same amount of greenhouse gases into the environment as the world’s sixth biggest economy, the United Kingdom. The report by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) in the US claimed that thirteen dairy firms maybe responsible for a huge chunk of the emissions. Over the last two years, the emissions have grown by over 11 per cent, in the aftermath of the 2015 Paris climate change agreement. Reducing consumption and dairy in rich nations is important to control the climate emergency, reports have shown. Additionally, the report claimed that milk prices have fallen below production costs for the first time int he last decade. This has majorly affected local producers. Dairy farmer David Witter checks on his herd of 370 Friesian Holstein cows before preparing them for milking at Carters Green Farm in Weston, near Crewe, north west England on April 20, 2020 | AFP According to the researchers, a cap on production needs to be reintroduced in order to protect climate. Dairy industry’s big shots responded to the report. In a statement, Judith Bryans, the president of the International Dairy Federation, alongside Donald Moore, the Executive Director of the Global Dairy Platform claimed that “the dairy sector is committed to producing nutritious foods in environmentally sound and responsible ways.” “It’s very easy to put out a report that criticises and tries to paint a simple picture of a sector which doesn’t contain all of the nuances or realities of how the global dairy sector nourishes the world with nutrient-rich, safe foods and does so in a manner that strives for continued environmental improvements while providing livelihoods to a large percentage of the world’s population,” the joint-statement said. Also read: Eat more cheese, it is your patriotic duty: French dairy industry Bryans and Moore further said: “[Dairy’s] rich nutrition helps populations, particularly in developing nations, avoid malnutrition and poor health outcomes.” In 2019, a report UNFAO and Global Dairy Platform had called for reducing greenhouse emissions from the industry. Researchers believe soya and oat, which are also sources of milk are less harmful to the environment.

13 dairy firms causing more greenhouse emissions than world's sixth-largest economy

Amid the global coronavirus pandemic, more and more protective equipment is ending up in the sea, a French clean-up group warned on Tuesday (June 9).

Discarded PPE in seas a 'new type of pollution', French cleanup group says

Diesel fuel from a major spill in the Russian Arctic has reached the waters of a pristine lake that serves as the basin for a river flowing into the Arctic Ocean, a senior official said on Tuesday (June 9)

Fuel from Russian Arctic spill reaches large lake, says Governor

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