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    Scientists are exploring a new way to tackle plastic pollution by turning milk-based materials into biodegradable plastic that naturally decomposes in soil. Researchers from Flinders University in South Australia have developed an experimental plastic film using milk proteins, starch, and nanoclay, offering a promising alternative to conventional plastic packaging. As concerns rise over environmental damage and the health risks linked to petroleum-based plastics, research into biodegradable materials is gaining momentum. The newly developed film is designed to maintain strength and flexibility while breaking down far more quickly than traditional plastic. The research team created the plastic film by blending calcium caseinate, a substance derived from casein, the...

    An underwater volcanic eruption in the Pacific Ocean has reshaped scientific understanding of how volcanoes can influence Earth’s atmosphere and climate. A new international assessment has revealed that the 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai sent material to the very edge of space, triggering long-lasting changes in the upper atmosphere and causing cooling rather than warming. Unlike typical volcanic eruptions that mainly affect land and oceans, this rare event altered atmospheric chemistry, temperature patterns, and air circulation at altitudes rarely reached by volcanoes. The Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai volcano erupted in January 2022 from a shallow underwater location in the tropical Pacific. The interaction between magma and seawater caused an unusually ...

    India produces more than a billion metric tonnes of crop waste every year, a volume that quietly rivals the country’s biggest environmental challenges. For every tonne of rice or wheat harvested, at least two tonnes of residue are left behind in fields. Beyond agriculture, factories and forests add to the burden, with large quantities of bamboo, wood, coffee, tea, beer and oil residues going unused. Forest litter such as dried pine needles and invasive plants further increases fire risks, turning waste into a widespread and often ignored hazard. A large share of this biomass is either burned in the open or left to decompose, releasing massive amounts of methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Experts warn that if all crop waste were burned, the emissions woul...

On a dark December night in the vast Pacific Ocean, far from shipping lanes and coastlines, towering waves rose without a single human witness. No ship filmed them, no camera captured their fury. Instead, the first sign of their existence appeared quietly as lines and spikes on a satellite graph. Radar instruments orbiting Earth detected waves soaring close to 35 metres high, taller than a ten-storey building, challenging long-held assumptions about how extreme the open ocean can become. As a satellite passed silently between Hawaii and the Aleutian Islands, its radar altimeter sent microwave pulses toward the ocean surface. These pulses returned with timing differences that revealed sudden, steep jumps in sea level. To scientists reviewing the data hours later, the pattern was unmistak...

Delhi residents woke up to dangerously polluted air on Tuesday morning as a thick blanket of smog and fog engulfed the national capital, pushing air quality levels deep into the severe zone. Data from the Central Pollution Control Board showed that air quality index readings crossed 400 at 27 monitoring stations across the city, while several locations slipped into the even more alarming severe plus category. At 9 am, the overall air quality index of Delhi stood at 415, marking a sharp deterioration from the very poor category recorded a day earlier. Out of 40 air quality monitoring stations, 27 reported readings above 400, a level associated with serious health risks for all age groups. Five stations recorded severe plus pollution, indicating extremely hazardous air conditions. Anan...

    In a breakthrough that links environmental protection with public health, scientists have developed a new process that converts discarded plastic bottles into paracetamol, one of the world’s most widely used pain relief medicines. The discovery suggests that plastic waste, often seen as an environmental burden, could become a valuable raw material for essential drugs. The research was carried out by a team at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, where scientists engineered bacteria capable of transforming chemicals derived from plastic into paracetamol, the active ingredient found in many over-the-counter painkillers such as Tylenol. The findings have been published in the scientific journal Nature. At the centre of the research is polyethylene terephthalate, ...

    Delhi continued to struggle with hazardous air quality and dense fog on Saturday, as a majority of the city’s air monitoring stations recorded pollution levels in the severe category. The capital also witnessed its first cold wave day of the winter season, compounding health and mobility concerns for residents. More than half of Delhi’s air quality monitoring stations showed alarming readings, underlining that the pollution crisis was spread across the city and not limited to a few pockets. Out of thirty-nine monitoring stations, twenty-two recorded an air quality index above four hundred, placing them firmly in the severe category. Areas such as Chandni Chowk, Rohini, Wazirpur, Anand Vihar and Punjabi Bagh emerged as the worst affected, with readings crossing four h...

    The central government on Sunday firmly rejected allegations that a new definition of the Aravalli mountain range would open the door to large-scale mining, asserting that more than ninety per cent of the ecologically sensitive region will continue to remain protected. The clarification comes amid growing political and environmental concerns over recent changes approved by the Supreme Court. Addressing media persons after a meeting related to wildlife conservation in the Sundarbans, Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav said the government has not relaxed any protection norms for the Aravallis. He emphasised that misinformation was being spread to create public confusion over the issue. According to the Centre, a Supreme Court-appro...

    Food on our plates is quietly changing as rising carbon dioxide levels alter the nutritional makeup of crops, according to a new international study. Researchers have found that while higher carbon dioxide concentrations can boost crop yields, they also reduce essential nutrients and may even increase toxic elements, raising fresh concerns about global food security and public health. Scientists from Leiden University in the Netherlands analysed data from nearly 60,000 measurements across 43 major food crops, including rice, wheat, potatoes and tomatoes. Their findings show that crops grown under higher carbon dioxide conditions tend to become more calorific but less nutrient-dense. Key micronutrients such as zinc, iron and protein decline, while levels of lead incre...

    Climate change is quietly erasing one of humanity’s oldest healthcare systems. Across continents, medicinal plants that traditional healing systems have relied on for centuries are vanishing, threatening the primary healthcare of millions who depend on natural remedies for survival. Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall, deforestation and overharvesting are pushing these plants toward extinction, breaking a fragile link between nature, culture and medicine. In the high mountains of Nepal’s Lo Manthang region, traditional healer Gyatso Bista remembers a time when sacks of kutki, a bitter herb used to treat fever, coughs and liver ailments, arrived in abundance from nearby hills. Decades ago, harvests touched nearly 40 kilograms. Today, barely five kilograms can be fo...