Month: February 2026

    In a move that blends public health, sustainability and local enterprise, the Nileshwar municipality in Kerala has declared the moringa (drumstick) tree as its official symbol and unveiled an ambitious plan to transform the town into a dedicated “Moringa hub.” Recognising the plant’s well-documented medicinal value and its expanding demand in national and international markets, the civic body has earmarked ₹5 lakh in its 2026–27 annual budget to launch the initiative. ‘Three Moringa in Every Yard’ campaign As part of the project, the municipality will introduce a “Three Moringa in Every Yard” campaign, distributing three saplings free of cost to each household. To ensure a steady supply of quality planting material, a nursery will be developed in collaboration ...

    An ancient disease that has stalked humanity for thousands of years is evolving in ways that deeply concern global health experts. The bacterium responsible for typhoid fever Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi is increasingly developing resistance to multiple antibiotics, including some of the last remaining oral treatments. Researchers say the speed at which highly resistant strains are spreading demands urgent international action. Rise of extensively drug-resistant strains A major 2022 genomic study analyzed 3,489 typhoid samples collected between 2014 and 2019 across Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. The findings, published in The Lancet Microbe, revealed a sharp rise in extensively drug-resistant (XDR) typhoid strains. These XDR strains are resista...

    The ground beneath Portugal and Spain may feel immovable, but scientists say the entire Iberian Peninsula is undergoing a subtle geological rotation a movement so slow it can only be detected with precision instruments. Using long-term GPS monitoring and satellite measurements, researchers have identified millimeter-scale shifts across the peninsula. These movements indicate that Iberia is behaving like a semi-rigid tectonic block, gradually pivoting as powerful forces build along its edges. Caught Between Two Plates The slow twist is driven by pressure between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate. As the African Plate creeps northward and collides with Eurasia, stress accumulates along fault zones, particularly near the Azores–Gibraltar fracture zone off s...

    A mother-and-daughter team has identified what scientists are calling the largest documented coral colony ever mapped a sprawling structure stretching the length of a soccer field beneath the waters of Australia’s iconic reef system. The massive coral was discovered on the Great Barrier Reef as part of the Great Reef Census, a large-scale citizen science effort that mobilizes volunteers to collect reef imagery and data. Spanning approximately 111 meters (364 feet) and covering nearly 4,000 square meters, the coral colony is now considered the largest of its kind ever recorded and mapped globally, according to conservation group Citizens of the Reef. Discovery Years in the Making The coral was first spotted late last year by Sophie Kalkowski-Pope, marine oper...

    A new scientific study has detected significant concentrations of microplastics in three high-altitude lakes in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, with pollution levels rising in areas that are more densely populated and heavily visited by tourists. Researchers examined Nainital Lake, Bhimtal Lake, and Garudtal Lake three ecologically sensitive water bodies located at high elevations. Such lakes are particularly vulnerable to environmental stress because they respond quickly to changes in their surrounding watersheds. Urban Pressure Reflected in Pollution Levels Among the three lakes, Nainital Lake recorded the highest microplastic concentrations, ranging from 200 to 1,300 particles per cubic metre. Bhimtal Lake showed levels between 60 and 960 particles per cub...

    High above the Arctic Ocean, one of Greenland’s last great floating glacier tongues is flexing, fracturing and draining in dramatic bursts offering scientists a rare, real-time window into how climate change can destabilise massive ice structures. On Greenland’s remote northeast coast lies the Nioghalvfjerdsbræ better known as the 79°N Glacier. It is one of only three remaining large floating glacier tongues in Greenland, making it critical for understanding future sea-level rise. A Lake That Vanishes Overnight In 1995, satellite imagery revealed a vast meltwater lake sitting atop the glacier tongue a 21-square-kilometre basin formed by rising air temperatures. Since then, researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI) have tracked its unusual behaviour. ...

    In a significant move to protect the fragile island ecosystem of Lakshadweep, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed that all tourism-related activities in the archipelago must operate strictly within its ecological carrying capacity and adhere to robust environmental safeguards. The order places responsibility on the Lakshadweep Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) to ensure that tourism expansion does not compromise the islands’ delicate coral atoll ecosystem. Tent City Projects Under Scrutiny The tribunal specifically addressed the “tent city” tourism project involving prefabricated structures on Bangaram Island and the northern and southern parts of Thinnakara Island. It directed that these developments must remain strictly within the ecological l...

    The words used to describe plastic recycling may be shaping public opinion more than the science itself. A new study from the University of Manchester argues that commonly used terms such as “upcycling” and “downcycling” can distort how plastic waste solutions are perceived sometimes masking their true environmental and economic impact. The research, conducted by the university’s Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub, calls for clearer, more evidence-based communication around plastic end-of-life strategies. Published in Cambridge Prisms: Plastics, the paper questions whether directional labels accurately reflect sustainability outcomes or simply imply value judgments without sufficient analysis. When Language Influences Sustainability “Upcycling” typically carr...

    Extreme ocean waves once dismissed as maritime folklore are now being captured in precise detail from space and the latest satellite data are prompting new concerns among scientists and shipping operators. Recent observations show individual waves in the Pacific reaching heights of up to 35 metres taller than a 10-storey building even in the absence of so-called “super hurricanes.” Researchers say these measurements suggest that dangerous sea states may be developing under conditions previously considered routine. For decades, rogue waves were treated as exaggerated sea tales. That perception began to shift in the 1990s when radar altimeters aboard European and American satellites started systematically recording wave heights across the globe. Today, agencies i...

    Forests do far more than store carbon or shelter wildlife. They actively regulate temperature, humidity and rainfall and when they disappear, the climate shifts almost immediately. A recent study published in Communications Earth & Environment provides striking quantitative evidence of this effect. According to the research, when forest cover drops below 60 percent, local weather patterns begin to change significantly: surface temperatures rise, evapotranspiration declines, and rainfall becomes less frequent. The Hidden Cooling System of Forests Forests function as natural climate stabilisers. Through evapotranspiration the combined process of water evaporating from soil and transpiring from plant leaves vegetation releases moisture into the atmosphere. Thi...