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JALANDHAR: In a direct challenge to the notion that farmers burn stubble out of defiance, a new academic study argues that the practice is a direct result of systemic failures within India's agricultural marketing structure. This comes as the Supreme Court suggested penalizing farmers to curb the air pollution menace linked to stubble burning. The study, titled "Governmentality and Marketing System Failure: The Case of Stubble Burning and Climate Change in Neoliberal India," was published in the US-based Journal of Macromarketing. Authored by Sujit Raghunathrao Jagadale, Professor of Rural Marketing at IIM-Amritsar, and former IIM post-doctoral researcher Javed M Shaikh, the research cautions against penalizing farmers without addressing the economic and social realities on the ground. ...

A new academic study has reconstructed roughly 800 years of streamflow history in India's major rivers, revealing a significant increase in synchronous drought since the mid-19th century. The research suggests that this rise in multiple river basins experiencing drought simultaneously is likely caused by anthropogenic climate change, posing a serious threat to water security for the more than 2 billion people who depend on these river systems. Reconstructing Centuries of River Flow Conducted by researchers Chuphal and Mishra, the study overcame the lack of long-term streamflow data by combining several sources. They used decades of streamflow measurements from 45 gauge stations and integrated this with high-resolution temperature and precipitation data. To look farther back in time, ...

MEXICO CITY: The Mexican government has confirmed the swift and successful containment of a single case of screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite, detected in an animal in the state of Nuevo Leon. The agriculture ministry stated that due to early detection and prompt intervention, there is no risk of the screwworm fly emerging from the incident, which occurred near the U.S. border. The screwworm case was identified on September 21. Following the detection, authorities immediately enacted containment measures. Officials have assured the public that the infected animal was treated quickly, effectively neutralizing the threat of a potential outbreak. Further allaying public concerns, the ministry's statement highlighted that extensive monitoring of fly traps across northern Mexico has yield...

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has begun a controversial project to transport nearly 600 metric tonnes (MT) of the city's daily garbage to a waste-to-energy (WtE) plant in Sonipat, located about 80-100 km away. The ₹9-crore, seven-month plan aims to manage waste while operations remain stalled at the local Bandhwari landfill. Objections Raised by Critics The move has drawn sharp criticism from residents, environmentalists, and political leaders who argue it is environmentally, financially, and ethically flawed. Critics point out that unsegregated garbage is being sent for mass incineration, which is both polluting and short-sighted. Political Opposition Congress district president Vardhan Yadav called the plan a reflection of "misplaced priorities," stating that Gu...

EUROPE: Over 62,700 people died from heat-related causes in Europe during the summer of 2024, according to a new study published in Nature Medicine. This alarming figure highlights the continent's growing vulnerability to extreme weather events, with women and the elderly accounting for the majority of fatalities. The research, conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), analyzed mortality data from 32 European nations. While the 2024 death toll represents a 23% rise from 2023, it fell slightly below the 67,900 deaths recorded in the exceptionally hot summer of 2022. This brings the total heat-related deaths over the past three summers to over 181,000. Southern Europe bore the brunt of the crisis, with Italy reporting the highest number of deaths, estimated at ...

MANILA: The Philippines has halted work and classes as Super Typhoon Ragasa makes its way across the northern part of the country, bringing with it destructive winds and torrential rain. The storm, which is expected to either hit or skirt the Babuyan Islands directly, has prompted authorities to issue the highest typhoon alert and evacuate residents from vulnerable, low-lying coastal areas. Ragasa has sustained winds of up to 215 km/h and gusts reaching 295 km/h. While the storm is not expected to make a direct hit on Taiwan, its outer bands are already causing intense rainfall along the eastern coast, leading to land and sea warnings and flight cancellations. The typhoon's trajectory puts it on a collision course with southern China, with Hong Kong preparing for a powerful impact. A...

PATNA: Indigenous languages across Bihar are far more than just a means of communication; they are vast repositories of traditional knowledge forged from centuries of close relationships between people and nature. This invaluable, yet often overlooked, wisdom for water management is now threatened by the erosion of local dialects, leaving the region's water security more vulnerable than ever. The North Ganga Plain is a maze of over 200 rivers and streams, and its local dialects have evolved to capture this complex landscape in vivid detail. English, for example, has only "flood" and "deluge," while Bihar’s dialects possess a rich hierarchy of terms, including badh, boh, sah, huma, and pralay, each describing a different level of flood severity. This nuanced vocabulary reflects a time...

Dr. Shirish Alurkar a senior consultant in medical oncology at HCG Aastha Cancer Centre, Ahmedabad, warns that pollution is a significant and often overlooked contributor to India's rising cancer burden. While factors like tobacco use and genetics have long been recognized, both indoor and outdoor pollution are quietly reshaping the country's cancer landscape. India, which records over 1.4 million new cancer cases annually, is projected to see this number rise to 1.57 million in 2025. Air Pollution and Lung Cancer The oncologist highlights the particularly alarming rise of lung cancer among non-smokers, suggesting that environmental exposures are a primary cause. Doctors are reporting an increase in cases among non-smoking women and younger patients, a trend that points to the pervas...

The World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have reaffirmed and expanded their collaboration in a joint effort to address pressing global challenges, including food insecurity, climate change, and supply chain disruptions. During a Partnership Review Meeting in Geneva on September 19, 2025, the two organizations reviewed their progress since signing a Memorandum of Understanding at COP28 in December 2023 and outlined future priorities. A Partnership Built on Results The collaboration has already yielded concrete results, leveraging the WTO's global trade mandate and the FAO's technical expertise. Key achievements include: • Fisheries Subsidies: The partnership played a crucial role in the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsi...

Australia has unveiled a new, highly ambitious climate policy, committing to a 62-70% reduction in emissions by 2035, compared to 2005 levels. This new target is a major step up from its previous goal and is backed by a comprehensive Net Zero Plan designed to guide the nation toward a sustainable, low-carbon future. The government's plan outlines a series of strategies and significant financial investments to drive the energy transition. Key Pillars of the Plan The government’s strategy is built on several key pillars: • Financial Investment: The plan is supported by a significant injection of funds, including a major boost to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), Australia’s green bank. Additionally, a new $5 billion Net Zero Fund has been established to accelerate the dev...