Month: October 2025

Meghalaya which hosts India National Citrus Gene Sanctuary, has been reconfirmed as a critical global hub of citrus diversity, though many of its unique species are now facing significant threats. A comprehensive new study conducted by a team from the ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) and regional institutes documented 13 different citrus species across the state hills including two Citrus aurantifolia (acid lime) and C. megaloxycarpa (giant wild orange) that had not been reported in previous surveys. The research collected 57 accessions from nearly every district, establishing the Garo Hills and Khasi Hills as the primary hotspots, with each area representing 10 species. This underscores the region importance, given that North Eastern India harbors 23 out of the 2...

October 5, 2025 – Glaciers around the world are retreating at an unprecedented pace driven by global warming, according to scientists who are documenting massive ice loss in regions from the Alps to the polar fringes. A recent World Meteorological Organization report revealed that glaciers outside of the colossal ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica lost a staggering 450 Billion Tonnes of ice in 2024 alone. This volume of ice is equivalent to a block 7 km tall, 7 km wide, and 7 km deep enough water to fill 180 million Olympic swimming pools. The dramatic retreat is profoundly evident in Switzerland, where glaciers have been particularly hard hit losing a quarter of their ice in the last 10 years, according to measurements released this week by Glacier Monitoring in Switzerland (GLA...

Two young students from the Zurich University of the Arts, Andrin Stocker and Luc Schweizer, have created an innovative modular terracotta brick, called "Bloc," that has been confirmed to reduce temperatures by up to 9°C in unshaded urban areas. The invention offers a simple, sustainable solution to the growing problem of "urban heat islands" and has earned the students a spot as a finalist in the prestigious James Dyson Award. The Bloc brick is not a purely modern invention but is deeply rooted in ancient passive cooling techniques. Its creators drew inspiration from the evaporative cooling of terracotta jars, the temperature-regulating architecture of termite mounds and the ventilating design of Middle Eastern Badgir (wind catchers). They further incorporated principles from cactus ge...

CHENNAI, TAMIL NADU – October 5, 2025 – The Tamil Nadu government has formally launched a new conservation initiative, sanctioning 1 Crore to protect four lesser known endangered species marking a significant strategic shift from its traditional focus on flagship animals like tigers and elephants. The scheme, announced earlier this year, aims to safeguard species that play crucial ecological roles but have historically been overlooked in conservation efforts. Tamil Nadu is recognized globally as a biodiversity hotspot, encompassing unique ecosystems across the Western and Eastern Ghats. However, numerous species face severe threats from habitat loss, poaching, road mortality, and pollution. The four species targeted under the new program are: • Lion-tailed Macaque: An endangered ...

DARJEELING, WEST BENGAL – October 5, 2025 – Continuous and extremely heavy rains triggered massive landslides across the Darjeeling and Mirik hills in West Bengal on Sunday, killing at least 20 people, including children, and injuring several others. The disaster has swept away homes, isolated numerous villages, and left thousands of tourists stranded as road links across the region were severely severed. Fatalities were reported from multiple locations, including Sarsaly, Jasbirgaon, Mirik Basti, Dhar Gaon (Mechi), Nagrakata, and the Mirik Lake area. The worst affected area appears to be Mirik, where the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reported at least 11 deaths and seven rescued individuals. In Darjeeling subdivision, seven deaths were confirmed, with rescue operations underw...

October 5, 2025 – A quiet revolution is transforming land once believed to be beyond saving in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha district. Areas around the Koradi, Khaparkheda, and Chandrapur Thermal Power Stations, which for years resembled a "lunar surface" covered in choking grey fly ash, are now lush green forests, thanks to an innovative ecological restoration method led by Dr. Lal Singh, Principal Scientist and Project Leader at the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI). Using a specialized Eco-Rejuvenation Technology (ERT), Dr. Singh team has proved that land polluted by the fine, powdery coal combustion residue fly ash can be brought back to life, creating clean air, restoring soil quality, and generating essential livelihoods for local villagers. Healing th...

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – October 5, 2025 – The Women Climate Leaders Network WCLNconvened its mid-year meeting in Brussels, gathering female business leaders from all 27 EU Member States alongside policymakers, experts, and financial institutions to urge a rapid acceleration of Europe green transition. The consensus of the meeting was clear: “The green transition is the only way Europe cannot compete on fossil fuels.” The strategic dialogue focused on unlocking green finance, advancing the decarbonisation agenda, and positioning women at the forefront of sustainable transformation. WCLN members stressed that climate ambition is not merely an environmental necessity but a crucial economic opportunity and competitive advantage for Europe. Private Sector Confidence and Policy Needs Discu...

PARIS, FRANCE – October 5, 2025 – Pioneering research by a Franco-Italian team has revealed widespread contamination of clouds over France with pesticides including several chemicals banned in Europe for more than a decade. The study, which for the first time estimated the total quantity of pesticides aloft, suggests that between 6 to 139 tonnes of pesticides are present in low and medium clouds over mainland France. The team led by chemist Angelica Bianco analysed six cloud water samples collected between 2023 and 2024 at the summit of the Puy de Dôme massif in Auvergne. They detected 32 different pesticides, and shockingly, a third of the samples contained a total pesticide concentration above the regulatory limits for drinking water. Unprecedented Findings in an Unexplored Matrix ...

NEW DELHI, INDIA – October 4, 2025 – The Capital is bracing for light rainfall on Sunday (October 5) followed by two days of heavier precipitation as a strong Western Disturbance (WD) begins to impact most of northwestern India. The weather system is expected to bring rain, strong winds, and hailstorms across the region until October 7. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast indicates that while Delhi-NCR may see light to moderate rain through October 7, the spells will be accompanied by gusty winds reaching up to 50 km/hr. The minimum temperature in Delhi is expected to dip to 22{C} by October 8, with the maximum dropping to 31{C} with the rain. A sharper fall in temperatures is expected after the disturbance departs, marking the start of a gradual winter onset. WD Bring...

Delhi towering Bhalswa landfill a long-standing symbol of the city environmental crisis is now fueling a breakthrough in sustainable construction. Engineer Vipul Singh and architect Gunraagh Talwar have successfully upcycled 100 tonnes of the landfill’s accumulated "legacy waste" into approximately 50,000 durable, eco-friendly bricks, proving that even mountains of garbage can be transformed into building blocks. Vipul Singh, who founded the 'Tapas Foundation' for environmental action launched the ‘Upcycling the Legacy Waste project in 2023 after being shocked by the sight of Bhalswa’s massive refuse mound, which contaminates local water and air. He collaborated with architect Gunraagh Talwar, who had been experimenting with turning construction and demolition (C&D) waste into build...