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Once a vital waterway weaving through Chennai with clean, flowing water, the Buckingham Canal now lies stagnant and choked with pollutants, revealing the dire state of urban water management. Recent water samples from the canal show dangerously high levels of fecal contamination and toxic pollutants, yet a full-scale cleanup effort is still pending. Water analysis conducted by social activist O Unnikrishnan revealed that fecal coliform levels in the canal have soared to 1,600 MPN/100 ml, nearly seven times the permissible limit of 230 MPN/100 ml as set by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in 2019. Other parameters reflect an equally grim picture: biological oxygen demand (BOD) is at 123 mg/l (standard: 10 mg/l), chemical oxygen demand (COD) at 516 mg/l (standard: 50 mg/l), and total sus...

A major new study has revealed that wildfires continue to pollute rivers and streams across the western United States for up to eight years after they occur far longer than previously believed. The research, published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment analyzed over 100,000 water samples from more than 500 watersheds and provides the first large-scale assessment of post-wildfire water quality in the region. The study found that key contaminants such as organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment remain elevated in rivers long after the fires are extinguished. In many areas, these pollutants significantly worsen water quality for several years, particularly in heavily forested regions where the impact is most severe. The research team compared data from burned wate...

At any given time nearly two-thirds of Earth surface is blanketed by clouds. These clouds play a critical role in moderating the planet’s temperature by reflecting sunlight away before it reaches the ground. But as global temperatures rise driven by the continued buildup of greenhouse gases from human activities cloud patterns are shifting in a way that is amplifying the warming trend. A recent NASA-led study from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies has found that this change in cloud behavior may be contributing significantly to the planet’s faster-than-expected temperature rise in recent years. The researchers discovered that the most reflective cloud zones are shrinking, while areas covered by less reflective, broken cloud types are expanding. This shift is allowing more sunlight...

The latest climate update paints a stark picture of a planet heating faster than previously projected with cloud feedbacks, declining aerosol pollution and persistent greenhouse gas emissions driving an accelerating imbalance in Earth climate system. This update, which builds on the findings of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), reveals that radiative forcing the measure of human-driven heat trapped in Earth’s atmosphere has risen by 9% since 2019, reaching 2.97 W/m² in 2024. This surge in radiative forcing is contributing to a rapid drawdown of the remaining carbon budget the limit of how much CO₂ can be emitted while still having a chance to stay below 1.5°C of global warming. As of early 2025, only around 130 billion tonnes of CO₂ remain in this budget. At the current pace of em...

Brazil experienced its most devastating wildfire year in 2024 with over 30.87 million hectares of land scorched an area equivalent to the size of Italy. The MapBiomas Fire Annual Report revealed that a dangerous mix of prolonged drought, high temperatures, flammable vegetation, and human-induced fire use created the perfect storm for widespread blazes across all six of Brazil’s major biomes. Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland, suffered the worst damage, with 62% of its area burned at least once since 2019. Fires consumed 93% of native vegetation, and the area burnt in 2024 rose 157% above historical averages. Recurrent droughts around the Paraguay River including one that began after the last major flood in 2018, worsened the situation. Overall, 2024 saw a 287% increase i...

The cargo vessel Morning Midas, which caught fire earlier this month while transporting nearly 3,000 vehicles including 800 electric vehicles (EVs) has sunk in the Pacific Ocean, the ship’s management confirmed. According to Zodiac Maritime, the ship's manager, the vessel went down at 16:35 local time (UTC -9) on June 23, approximately 360 nautical miles from land and in waters about 5,000 metres deep. “Damage caused by the fire, compounded by heavy weather and subsequent water ingress, caused the Morning Midas to sink,” the company stated. Timeline of the Incident The Morning Midas, a 600-foot car and truck carrier built in 2006 and sailing under the Liberian flag, was en route from Yantai, China, to Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico, when it caught fire on June 3 off the coast of Alaska’...

While the world watches the humanitarian crises unfold in Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, and Israel, a quieter yet devastating consequence of modern warfare is taking root the environmental destruction that lingers long after the bombs stop falling. From scorched oil refineries to missile-induced pollution, today’s conflicts are unleashing climate damage on a massive scale. Military activities are responsible for an estimated 5.5% of total global greenhouse gas emissions enough to make armed forces the fourth-largest polluter on Earth if counted as a single nation. Yet, these emissions are not routinely tracked or reported under global climate agreements. In June 2025, Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, including Natanz and Fordow, sparked fears of a potential radiological disaster. ...

A new report has flagged India top banks including SBI, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank for their deep financial entanglement with the coal sector, hindering the country’s transition to clean energy. The analysis by Bengaluru-based think tank Climate Risk Horizons reveals that Indian banks have poured nearly $29 billion into coal between 2016 and 2023 through loans and underwriting, placing India among the top seven nations globally in coal financing from 2021 to 2023. The State Bank of India emerged as the leading public sector lender, while private banks like Axis and ICICI played a key role in underwriting, a process that enables coal companies to raise capital without banks directly carrying long-term risks. Interestingly, public banks accounted for 68% of coal loans, while private banks ...

A moderate earthquake measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale struck the Andaman Sea in the early hours of Wednesday, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) reported. According to NCS, the tremor occurred at 1:43 AM IST at a depth of 20 kilometres, with the epicentre located at latitude 9.46°N and longitude 94.07°E. The quake was confirmed via a post on NCS's official handle on X (formerly Twitter). “EQ of M: 4.2, On: 25/06/2025 01:43:50 IST, Lat: 9.46 N, Long: 94.07 E, Depth: 20 Km, Location: Andaman Sea,” the NCS said. There have been no immediate reports of damage to property or loss of life, and further assessments are currently underway. The Andaman and Nicobar region, lying near seismic fault lines, frequently experiences mild to moderate seismic activity. Authorities contin...

As the scorching summer sun blazes across India, everyone waits for a cool, refreshing change the arrival of the monsoon. And guess where the first drops of rain fall? That’s right Kerala, the green and beautiful state often called God’s Own Country. But have you ever wondered why the monsoon begins in Kerala? Every year around June, the Southwest Monsoon begins its journey from the Indian Ocean. As the air above the Indian subcontinent heats up, it rises, creating space for cool, moist winds from the Arabian Sea to rush in. These winds are packed with rain clouds, traveling from the southwest and bringing with them the promise of rain. Why Kerala is the First Stop Kerala sits right on the southwestern edge of India, making it the first piece of land that these monsoon winds hit. B...