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  The Supreme Court has taken a significant step towards creating a more structured system for environmental compensation related to solid waste management in India. In its August 4, 2026 judgment in Amravati Municipal Corporation vs Ganesh Dadarao Anasane & Others the Court directed the development of a national framework for determining and collecting environmental compensation under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026. The move seeks to strengthen the implementation of the “polluter pays” principle, under which those responsible for environmental damage should bear the cost of restoration. The Court said environmental compensation should not simply function as a punishment but should primarily help restore environmental damage. Under the Solid Waste Management Rules...

  Ancient forests in what is now Wyoming took more than 100,000 years to recover after a period of intense global warming around 56 million years ago, according to a new study published in Science. Researchers examined fossil leaves and microscopic plant cuticles to reconstruct the density of forests during the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), when global temperatures rose by as much as 6°C. The study found that Wyoming forest canopy declined by about 60% as extreme heat and drought placed increasing stress on trees. As forests became more open, sunlight reached the ground more easily, while changes in vegetation also affected water and sediment movement across the landscape. Ferns and heat tolerant plants, including palms expanded as the climate warmed, replacing ...

  Researchers from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) have photographed a natural coral formation beneath the sea that appears to resemble the Indian national tricolour. The unusual underwater image was captured during a marine mammal survey near Minicoy in Lakshadweep. According to CMFRI, the formation consists of two coral colonies displaying orange, white and green colours. The species were identified as Lobophyllia corymbosa, which showed a vibrant orange colour, and Lobophyllia radians, which displayed white and green shades. Beyond its striking appearance, the image has provided researchers with valuable insights into how corals respond differently to environmental stress. One colony of Lobophyllia radians had undergone bleaching after losing its sy...

  India’s rapid expansion of solar power is reducing fossil fuel based electricity generation during the daytime but coal fired generation continues to rise after sunset as electricity demand remains high, according to an analysis by Ember. The analysis found that average fossil fuel generation at 1 pm fell to about 125 GW in the first half of 2026, compared with 135 GW during the same period in 2023. However, fossil generation between 5 pm and 7 am increased by 22 GW to an average of 168 GW. Ember said the growing gap highlights the need for battery storage and greater flexibility in India power grid. Batteries can store surplus solar electricity generated during the day and supply it during evening peak hours, reducing dependence on coal. On sunny days, coal plants are a...

  China has issued multiple weather and geological disaster alerts as heavy rainfall linked to Typhoon Dolphin continues to affect several parts of the country raising concerns over flooding, waterlogging and landslides. The National Meteorological Center issued an orange alert for heavy rain, along with blue alerts for severe convective weather and the typhoon, on August 11. The heaviest rainfall was forecast in parts of Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu and Hubei provinces. Some areas of Shandong and Henan were expected to receive between 250 and 350 millimetres of rain. As of Tuesday morning, Typhoon Dolphin was centred near Huanggang in Hubei province. The storm was moving west northwest at around 15 kilometres per hour and was gradually weakening. However, meteorolog...

  Climate disinformation is increasingly undermining climate action across Europe, with misleading claims being amplified through mainstream media and online platforms, according to an analysis in partnership with Climate Action Against Disinformation and QuotaClimat. The analysis says climate disinformation has become increasingly organised rather than remaining a collection of isolated incidents. It warns that repeated misleading narratives can influence public opinion, delay climate policies and weaken support for the transition to clean energy. According to the European Digital Media Observatory, climate was the most targeted topic by online disinformation campaigns across the European Union in August 2025. In several European countries misleading reports and claims ha...

  New Delhi, August 14: Climate change is increasing the intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall events in the Himalayan region, while human related factors are also contributing to rising disaster risks, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said assessments by weather experts, scientific institutions and state authorities indicate that changing climatic conditions have intensified extreme rainfall across the Himalayan region. The government has constituted a Multi Sectoral Central Team (MSCT) to scientifically assess the growing incidence of cloudbursts, flash floods, landslides and other extreme weather events in Himachal Pradesh. The team includes experts from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)...

  August 14, 2026: Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, experiences a weather cycle unlike anything on Earth, with scientists suggesting that some of its equatorial regions can remain dry for decades before being hit by intense methane rainstorms. Titan is the only known world besides Earth where scientists have observed a complete weather cycle involving liquid falling from the atmosphere, flowing across the surface and collecting in lakes and seas. However, because Titan’s surface temperature is around minus 179°C, the liquid is not water but methane. NASA’s Cassini spacecraft provided important evidence of Titan’s unusual rainfall. In 2010, its cameras observed a large region near Titan’s equator darkening over several days. Scientists interpreted the change as evidence of clouds...

California, August 14: A restoration project in northern California has demonstrated how structures designed to mimic natural beaver dams can improve habitat conditions and significantly increase the survival of threatened coho salmon, particularly during dry periods. According to a July 2026 study published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, mean juvenile coho salmon survival in French Creek increased from just 8% before restoration to 60% after beaver dam analogues (BDAs) were installed. The research focused on Sugar Creek and French Creek tributaries of the Scott River in California’s Klamath River watershed. The area historically supported extensive wetlands created by beavers, but trapping and land-use changes reduced these habitats over the past two centuries. To restore...

  New Delhi, August 14: The southwest monsoon is expected to remain active across several parts of India on Wednesday, August 12, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasting heavy to very heavy rainfall across a number of states. East Rajasthan is likely to witness the most intense rainfall, with isolated extremely heavy showers also possible. Heavy to very heavy rain has been forecast at isolated places in Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, West Uttar Pradesh, West Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Odisha. East Rajasthan has already experienced intense rainfall. Bakani in Jhalawar recorded 27 cm of rain in the 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on August 11, while Pirawa received 26 cm. Several other locations in Jhalawar and Kota al...