Tuesday, January 27News That Matters

Breaking News

Whales Are Changing Their Diets to Survive a Warming Earth, Scientists Find

Whales Are Changing Their Diets to Survive a Warming Earth, Scientists Find

Breaking News
    In a striking example of how climate change is reshaping marine life, scientists have found that whales are adapting to warming oceans by altering what they eat and how they share food resources. The findings, based on nearly three decades of data, suggest that rising sea temperatures and shrinking prey availability are forcing whales to adjust their feeding strategies in ways not seen for decades. The study highlights how climate change is not only warming the oceans but also reshaping marine food webs and ecosystem dynamics, with long-term consequences for ocean health. Long-Term Study Reveals Shifting Feeding Patterns The research, published in Frontiers in Marine Science analysed more than 1,100 tissue samples from fin, humpback and minke whales collected o...
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Launches Saleran Dam Eco-Tourism Project to Promote Nature-Led Growth

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Launches Saleran Dam Eco-Tourism Project to Promote Nature-Led Growth

Breaking News
    Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday inaugurated the Saleran Dam eco-tourism project, marking a renewed push towards sustainable tourism and green development in the state. Built at a cost of ₹2.80 crore, the project is aimed at attracting nature enthusiasts while creating employment opportunities and generating revenue for the state. The Saleran Dam tourism site includes four eco-friendly tree house huts two for families and two for couples along with a cafeteria that can accommodate 80 visitors, a children’s playground and boating facilities, which will be introduced in the coming days. The Chief Minister said all necessary safety measures have been incorporated into the project design. Eco-Tourism Expansion Around Small Dams and Forest Assets Highli...
Urban Sewage Emerging as a Reservoir for Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Study Warns

Urban Sewage Emerging as a Reservoir for Drug-Resistant Bacteria, Study Warns

Breaking News
Urban sewage flowing through Indian cities is rapidly becoming a breeding ground for dangerous drug-resistant bacteria, raising serious public health concerns, according to a new study published in the journal Nature. Scientists warn that untreated wastewater carrying antibiotic residues is enabling pathogens to develop resistance to commonly used medicines, pushing antimicrobial resistance beyond hospitals and into rivers and communities. The study finds that sewage systems are acting as training grounds for bacteria, where traces of antibiotics allow microbes to adapt, survive and share resistance genes. This process, researchers say, threatens the effectiveness of widely prescribed drugs such as azithromycin and amoxicillin, which are crucial for treating everyday infections. Hosp...
Forest Restoration for Carbon Credits Gains Momentum in Brazil Amid Trust and Long-Term Challenges

Forest Restoration for Carbon Credits Gains Momentum in Brazil Amid Trust and Long-Term Challenges

Breaking News
    Planting forests to generate carbon credits is emerging as a major tool for ecosystem restoration in Brazil, offering a potential pathway to revive degraded landscapes while supporting climate mitigation efforts. However, experts say the fast-growing sector still faces challenges related to credibility, long-term responsibility and the complex nature of restoring native ecosystems. Founded in 2021, Brazilian company re.green has positioned itself at the forefront of commercial forest restoration by restoring degraded land and selling carbon credits. The company currently operates across 34,000 hectares in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest regions and aims to restore one million hectares of tropical forest nationwide. Its work received global recognition after winning th...
Aging Populations Could Reduce Global Water Use by Nearly One-Third, New Study Finds

Aging Populations Could Reduce Global Water Use by Nearly One-Third, New Study Finds

Breaking News
    As water scarcity intensifies worldwide due to climate change, population growth and economic expansion, a new study offers an unexpected insight: aging populations may significantly reduce future water demand. Research published in Water Resources Research suggests that global water withdrawals could fall by as much as 31 percent by the middle of this century as societies age, potentially easing pressure on rivers, lakes and aquifers. Water scarcity has emerged as one of the most serious challenges of the 21st century. Climate-driven droughts and floods are becoming more extreme, while freshwater demand continues to rise. Traditionally, projections of water use have focused on population size, economic growth and climate trends. However, this study highlights that p...
India’s Infrastructure Spending Crosses 3% of GDP as Climate Risks Push Insurance to the Brink: Report

India’s Infrastructure Spending Crosses 3% of GDP as Climate Risks Push Insurance to the Brink: Report

Breaking News
India’s infrastructure spending has crossed three per cent of gross domestic product, but rising climate risks are increasingly threatening the insurability of critical assets such as highways, ports, hydropower projects and urban infrastructure, according to a new report by Climate Trends. The analysis warns that as climate impacts become more frequent and predictable, some regions of the country could move dangerously close to the threshold of uninsurability, raising serious fiscal and financial concerns for governments, insurers and investors. Titled Climate Risks and Insurance for India’s Infrastructure, the report finds that floods, cyclones, landslides and extreme heat are inflicting growing damage on capital-intensive infrastructure, pushing insurance premiums higher and exposing...
Snowfall and Rain Likely Across Northern India as Western Disturbance Intensifies

Snowfall and Rain Likely Across Northern India as Western Disturbance Intensifies

Breaking News
    People walking through fresh snowfall in Srinagar captured the harsh winter conditions gripping large parts of northern India as the India Meteorological Department issued a warning for another spell of rain and snowfall. According to the IMD’s forecast released on Wednesday, a western disturbance is set to bring widespread precipitation to regions that are already experiencing an intense cold wave. The weather department has predicted rain or snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh over the next two days, while Uttarakhand is likely to receive precipitation on January 27 and 28. The IMD said that a fresh wet spell with fairly widespread to widespread rainfall or snowfall is expected, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds reachi...
Roots in the Air and Returns of Over Rs 1 Crore: How a Bathinda Farmer Is Growing Potato Seeds Without Soil

Roots in the Air and Returns of Over Rs 1 Crore: How a Bathinda Farmer Is Growing Potato Seeds Without Soil

Breaking News
    At a time when Punjab’s agriculture is struggling with falling incomes, rising input costs and heavy dependence on the wheat–paddy cycle, a young farmer from Bathinda has shown how technology-driven farming can dramatically change fortunes. Thirty-year-old Ramandeep Singh from Maur Khurd village has achieved a turnover of over Rs 1 crore in his very first year of aeroponic potato seed production, a method that grows plants without soil. Using advanced aeroponic technology, Singh cultivates potato seeds with their roots suspended in the air, allowing precise control over water, nutrients, temperature and disease. His success highlights a growing shift among a small but determined group of farmers towards high-tech, high-value agriculture. From Wheat and Paddy to Hi...
Ocean That No Longer Exists May Explain How Central Asia’s Mountains Were Formed

Ocean That No Longer Exists May Explain How Central Asia’s Mountains Were Formed

Breaking News
    An ancient ocean that disappeared millions of years ago may have played a crucial role in shaping the mountains of Central Asia, according to new research by geologists from the University of Adelaide. The study suggests that the rise and fall of mountain ranges in the region were influenced not only by local tectonic forces, but by plate movements linked to the distant Tethys Ocean during the age of dinosaurs. The findings challenge long-held explanations that attribute Central Asia’s rugged landscape mainly to climate change or deep mantle processes. Instead, researchers argue that tectonic shifts triggered by the slow closure of the Tethys Ocean sent geological ripples across Eurasia, reshaping terrain thousands of kilometres away. How a Distant Ocean Influence...
Breeding Patterns of Antarctic Penguins Are Shifting at Record Speed Due to Climate Change

Breeding Patterns of Antarctic Penguins Are Shifting at Record Speed Due to Climate Change

Breaking News
    Antarctic penguins are breeding significantly earlier than before as rising temperatures rapidly alter local conditions, according to a new scientific study. Researchers warn that the unprecedented shift could intensify competition for food and nesting space, threatening the stability of fragile Antarctic ecosystems. A study published in the Journal of Animal Ecology found that penguin colonies across parts of Antarctica are experiencing local warming at nearly four times the continental average. Camera-mounted temperature loggers revealed that colony sites are warming by around 0.3 degrees Celsius per year, compared with the Antarctic-wide average of 0.07 degrees Celsius. Colonies Advancing Breeding by Up to 24 Days Per Decade Scientists observed that penguins...