Ecologist Madhav Gadgil warns Western Ghats deterioration has reached a critical point, with landslides increasing tenfold. He blames continued mining and construction, despite his 2011 report recommending stronger ecological protections. Gadgil criticizes the subsequent Kasturirangan report for ignoring local communities and urges the government to implement his original recommendations.
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Canada Environment has issued a snow squall warning for Sault Ste Marie and St Joseph Island through Thursday, expecting heavy snowfall and reduced visibility. Predicted snowfall could reach up to 40 centimetres by Thursday night, with gusting winds worsening conditions. Motorists are advised to exercise caution due to hazardous travel conditions.
January this year was the warmest on record globally since 1850, with surface air temperatures 1.75°C above pre-industrial levels, according to the EU's Copernicus Climate Change Service. Despite La Nina conditions, January temperatures remained exceptionally high. Arctic sea ice reached its lowest extent for January, with Antarctic sea ice also significantly below average, highlighting alarming climate trends.
Residents in the Northern Plains to Maine are preparing for dangerously low temperatures and heavy snowfall as a winter storm continues to hit the East Coast. The National Weather Service has issued warnings, predicting up to 3 feet of snow in areas like western New York.
The world added the smallest amount of new coal capacity in two decades last year, a report said Thursday, but use of the fossil fuel is still surging in China and India. Last year also saw a record number of new coal proposals in India, the report warned.
A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake strikes near the Tibet-Nepal border, killing at least nine people. It causes building collapses and shakes regions across Bihar and North India. The quake's epicentre is in Tibet, about 93 km from Lobuche, Nepal. Two aftershocks were also recorded.
Ever since his first hard-won sightings of African manatees, award-winning marine biologist Aristide Takoukam Kamla has been devoted to protecting the little known and at risk aquatic mammals. Takoukam Kamla set up the African Marine Mammal Conservation Organisation which has five laboratories including in the lakeside fishing village of Dizangue.
Jordan, one of the world's driest countries, signed an agreement on Sunday with French-led investors to build one of the world's largest desalination plants. In 2013, Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians signed a memorandum of understanding on that project, which included plans to build a desalination plant at the Red Sea.
Putricia, a rare corpse flower, bloomed at the Royal Sydney Botanic Garden, drawing over 13,000 fans. Known for its foul odor, the plant flowers every 7-10 years. A live stream garnered close to a million views. The event highlighted the flower's rarity and conservation efforts.
An oil spill in northwestern Ecuador has turned a river black, prompting authorities to declare an environmental emergency amid "unprecedented" damage and to order residents to ration drinking water, officials said. The spill, believed caused when a landslide ruptured a major oil pipeline, has turned waters black in a section of the Esmeraldas River, in the province of the same name.
A village in the Philippines' capital region initiated a unique mosquito bounty plan amid a dengue outbreak. Residents are rewarded with cash for capturing mosquitoes, dead or alive. With an alarming rise in dengue cases, the initiative aims to combat the spread of the disease and incentivize proactive community involvement in mosquito control.