Month: February 2026

    India’s livestock methane emissions may be significantly lower than widely cited global estimates, according to scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, who argue that standard international methodologies overstate emissions by failing to account for the country’s diverse feeding systems and low-intensity farming practices. Methane, the second-most abundant greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, is about 28 times more potent in terms of global warming potential. Globally, livestock are estimated to emit 90–100 teragrams (Tg) of methane annually through enteric fermentation a natural digestive process in ruminants. Agriculture accounts for roughly 37% of total methane emissions worldwide. However, researchers PK Malik and Raghavendra Bhatta conten...

    New Delhi: A year-long scientific study by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has found widespread microplastic contamination in the Yamuna River as it flows through the national capital, as well as in Delhi’s open drains, groundwater and floodplain soil. The study, commissioned by the Delhi government’s environment department and conducted during 2024–25, analysed 88 samples collected across all 11 districts of the city. Researchers reported elevated microplastic concentrations in every sampled zone. Microplastics particles smaller than 5 millimetres are known to absorb and transport toxic chemicals. The report highlights that nearly 95% of detected particles were microfibres, suggesting domestic laundry effluents and textile-related discharges as major...

    PELALAWAN, Indonesia The Indonesian government has begun relocating hundreds of families from inside Tesso Nilo National Park in what officials describe as a bold new “model” for restoring degraded protected areas across the country. Forestry Minister Raja Juli Antoni said the intervention in the embattled Sumatran park would serve as a template for reclaiming conservation land lost to illegal plantations and settlement. The move comes amid a broader nationwide crackdown under President Prabowo Subianto targeting unauthorized commercial activity inside forest zones. Massive Forest Loss Sparks Drastic Action Established in 2004 and expanded in 2009, Tesso Nilo spans more than 81,000 hectares in Riau province. Yet satellite data from Global Forest Watch indicate ...

    The National Green Tribunal on Monday declined to interfere with the environmental clearances granted to the ambitious Great Nicobar Project, stating that it found “adequate safeguards” in place and acknowledging the project’s “strategic importance”. A six-member special bench disposed of petitions challenging the clearance after noting that a court-appointed committee had revisited aspects of the approval process. The tribunal directed authorities and regulatory agencies to ensure “full and strict” compliance with all conditions laid down in the environmental clearance. The ruling came in response to petitions filed by environmental activist Ashish Kothari, who alleged violations of the 2019 Island Coastal Regulation Zone notification. He had sought the exclusion...

    As the UK swings between record-breaking rainfall and increasingly severe summer droughts, Scotland’s whisky-producing Speyside region is emerging as a testing ground for a new way of managing water one that works with nature instead of against it. After the UK’s warmest and sunniest year on record in 2025 triggered droughts and hosepipe bans, several distilleries in Speyside were forced to temporarily shut down due to restrictions on water abstraction. The region, home to roughly half of Scotland’s malt whisky distilleries, depends heavily on reliable river flows for production. Now, researchers and industry leaders are asking whether the heavy winter rains currently causing flooding could instead be captured and stored to protect against future summer shortages. ...

    The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it aims to achieve 100% waste segregation at source by January 2027, setting an ambitious timeline to overhaul the capital’s solid waste management system. According to data submitted by the civic body for December 2025, Delhi is currently recording 60% segregation at source, with targets to reach 85% by February-end, 90% by August and complete segregation by early next year. In its submission dated February 16, the MCD stated that improving segregation at the household level is key to phasing out dhalaos open garbage collection points that have long drawn complaints from residents. Of the 1,494 dhalaos in the city, 985 have already been shut down. The corporation also cited 678 ...

    Australia’s Environment Minister has imposed a record $55 million penalty on US mining giant Alcoa for unlawfully clearing more than 2,000 hectares of protected northern jarrah forest in Western Australia to expand its bauxite mining operations. The move, described as “unprecedented,” marks one of the largest conservation-focused enforcement actions under national environmental law. Environment Minister Murray Watt announced that the penalty relates to land clearing carried out between 2019 and 2025 without proper approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. The affected areas include known habitats of nationally protected species in Western Australia’s northern jarrah forests, located south of Perth. Funds Directed to Conservation ...

    Tropical forests are not only vital carbon sinks and biodiversity strongholds they are also powerful “rain machines” generating billions of dollars’ worth of rainfall every year, according to new research led by the University of Leeds. The study, published in Communications Earth & Environment, calculates that each hectare of tropical forest produces around 2.4 million litres of rainfall annually roughly enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Researchers say putting a monetary value on this overlooked ecosystem service could strengthen global efforts to halt deforestation. Amazon’s Rainfall Service Valued at $20 Billion Annually To measure forest-driven rainfall, scientists combined satellite observations with next-generation climate model simulati...

    A proposal by the Lakshadweep Administration to take over Bitra, the smallest inhabited island in the Lakshadweep archipelago, has raised alarm among conservation scientists and local residents who warn that the move could disrupt one of India’s most ecologically sensitive marine landscapes. Home to just about 270 residents, Bitra is a narrow strip of sand barely 570 metres long. Yet the lagoon surrounding the island is among the richest in biodiversity in the archipelago. Marine researchers have described extraordinary aggregations of squaretail groupers along its coral reefs densities far exceeding previously recorded levels across South and Southeast Asia. For generations, islanders have depended on traditional fishing practices that many scientists say have in...

    In a creative step toward sustainable design, Recycledin has unveiled a unique poker set crafted entirely from recycled plastic collected from seas, beaches and landfills across the Mediterranean region. The eco-friendly poker chips aim to transform environmental waste into a functional, everyday product while addressing the growing global plastic crisis. The company says approximately 2.5 kilograms of recovered plastic are used to produce each set. The collected material is thoroughly cleaned, processed and melted before being molded into smooth, lightweight poker chips that resemble standard casino-grade pieces. Each set includes 300 chips in five different colours, all uniform in size, along with dedicated dealer, small blind and big blind chips. Designed for up t...