Breaking News Archives - Page 228 of 292

Feb12025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Doomsday Rock? NASA Flags Asteroid That Might Strike Earth in 2032

NASA has identified an asteroid, 2024 YR4, that carries a 1-in-83 chance of colliding with Earth on December 22, 2032. If the asteroid, estimated to be 130 to 300 feet in diameter, strikes a densely populated area, it could unleash devastation equivalent to 8 megatons of TNT 500 times the power of the Hiroshima bomb. Discovered on December 27, 2024, by the NASA-funded ATLAS station in Chile, 2024 YR4 quickly appeared on NASA’s Sentry risk list, which tracks potentially hazardous space rocks. However, experts emphasize that early impact probabilities often change with further observations, and there is still a 99% chance the asteroid will miss Earth. NASA continues to monitor the asteroid’s trajectory closely, collecting more data to refine its impact risk. While past asteroids have b...

Feb12025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

England Reports New Mpox Case, Risk Level Stays Low

Breaking News, Disasters, Environment

Health officials in England have confirmed a new case of the mpox variant clade Ib, bringing the total to eight since October 2024. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reported that the case was detected in London and involved a traveler returning from Uganda, a region where the variant is spreading locally. Despite concerns over mpox’s links to a WHO-declared global health emergency, UKHSA maintains that the overall risk to the public remains low. Authorities note that imported cases are expected as outbreaks persist in parts of Africa, but no direct links have been found between this patient and previous cases in England. Health officials continue to monitor the situation while urging awareness but not alarm, as containment measures remain in place. From News Desk

Feb12025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Economic Survey Flags Climate Finance Gap, Stresses Urgent Adaptation Needs

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check, Thoughts & Talks

The Economic Survey 2024-25, released on January 31, highlights India's urgent need for climate adaptation measures while criticizing the lack of international climate finance. The report warns that reliance on domestic resources could hinder development goals. The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is formulating a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) to align with sustainable development and climate resilience strategies. Meanwhile, the Initial Adaptation Communication (IAC) submitted to the UNFCCC outlines India’s vulnerability assessment and adaptation efforts across key sectors. In agriculture, India is focusing on climate-resilient crops, groundwater conservation, and soil health. Urban adaptation measures include improved water management under AMRUT, verti...

Feb12025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Bhutan Bolsters Climate Resilience with Advanced Hydromet Services

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Nestled in the heart of the Himalayas, Bhutan a nation renowned for pioneering Gross National Happiness faces growing threats from climate-induced disasters. Yet, within this challenge lies an opportunity to revolutionize its approach to weather, water, and early warning systems. Recent climate events highlight the urgency. A flash flood in August, intensified by upstream landslides, affected 70 households in Thimphu. In 2023, another flood claimed 23 lives and damaged the Yungichhu hydropower project. Severe rainfall in 2021 destroyed 2,400 metric tons of crops across 18 Dzongkhags. With 700 glaciers and 567 glacial lakes 17 posing high GLOF risks Bhutan’s vulnerability is evident, particularly for its agriculture-dependent workforce. For a decade, Bhutan’s National Centre for Hydro...

Jan312025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Earth Sixth Ocean in the Making Africa’s Dramatic Rift Signals a New Era

Breaking News, Environment, Fact Check

A stunning geological event unfolding in East Africa could forever reshape the continent and the world. The East African Rift, a massive crack running through Ethiopia and beyond, is not just a scientific curiosity; it marks the early stages of a process that will eventually split Africa in two, creating a brand-new ocean. A Rift That Could Change the World Since 2005, a 35-mile-long fissure has been expanding across Ethiopia’s deserts. Scientists confirm that this rift is caused by the slow but powerful movement of tectonic plates, the enormous slabs of Earth’s crust that have shaped the planet for billions of years. The Somalian plate is gradually drifting away from the larger Nubian plate at a rate of a few millimeters per year minuscule shift in human terms, but a monumental for...

Jan312025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

UNICEF Report Warns of Alarming Malnutrition Crisis Among Infants in Eastern, Southern Africa

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Fact Check

A new UNICEF report revealed a severe undernutrition crisis affecting 5.5 million infants under six months in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region (ESAR). The study highlights how widespread low birth weight, stunting, wasting, and underweight conditions are putting the youngest members of society at risk, with urgent calls for stronger policy interventions and healthcare improvements. Conducted by UNICEF’s Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO), the study examined the state of infant nutrition in five high-risk countries Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, and Malawi. The findings paint a dire picture, with 1.6 million infants suffering from stunting, 0.6 million classified as wasted, 0.8 million underweight, and 2.5 million born with low birth weight. However, experts...

Jan312025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Mira Bhayandar Unveils Climate Action Plan to Achieve Net-Zero by 2047

Breaking News, Climate Actions

Mira Bhayandar, a fast-growing satellite city of Greater Mumbai, has launched an ambitious Climate Action Plan aiming for net-zero emissions by 2047. This makes it the fifth city in Maharashtra after Mumbai, Sholapur, Nashik, and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar to develop a strategic roadmap for climate resilience. The Mira Bhayandar City Climate Action Plan 2024-2047, prepared jointly by the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat India and the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), was unveiled in Mumbai on January 29. It sets a target of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 36%, focusing on renewable energy, energy efficiency in buildings, and improved waste management. Rising Urbanization and Emissions Mira Bhayandar has seen a 50% increase in built-up areas since 2005, with urban ...

Jan312025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Pacific Islands Turn to Innovative Insurance for Climate Resilience

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment

Each November, Pacific communities brace for the annual cyclone season a six-month period that tests their resilience against extreme weather. For many Pacific Islanders, cyclones and floods are more than just natural disasters; they are stark reminders of a changing climate that continues to threaten lives and livelihoods. Ironically, the people least responsible for global emissions face the harshest consequences. Extreme weather events not only destroy homes and infrastructure but also push entire communities into poverty, stretching already debt-ridden governments to their limits. Yet, amid these challenges, the Pacific's renowned resilience shines through. A Region No Stranger to Disaster The Pacific has witnessed some of the most devastating tropical cyclones in history. In ...

Jan312025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Flooding After Wildfires LA Faces Growing Risk Amid Climate Change

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment

In the aftermath of devastating urban wildfires, a rainstorm might seem like a welcome relief. However, fire-scorched landscapes are highly vulnerable to floods, which can bring further destruction. Los Angeles has experienced this repeatedly, from the 1933 Griffith Park Fire to the 2009 Station Fire in the San Gabriel Mountains and the 2018 Woolsey Fire in Malibu. Mitul Luhar, an expert in fluid dynamics and associate professor of aerospace, mechanical, civil, and environmental engineering at USC, is studying these risks. At the City of Los Angeles's Hydraulic Research Laboratory in Frogtown, Luhar and his team have developed a 1:120 scale hydraulic model of a section of the L.A. River to simulate flood scenarios. Luhar explains why floods often follow wildfires and what engineers c...

Jan302025 by Editor DeskNo Comments

Climate Change Made LA Wildfires 35% More Likely, Study Finds

Breaking News, Disasters, Fact Check

Los Angeles witnessed one of its worst wildfire outbreaks in January 2025, and according to a new World Weather Attribution (WWA) report, human-induced climate change played a key role in making the conditions 35% more likely. The fires, which began on January 7 in Palisades and Eaton counties, quickly spread, fueled by dry vegetation and strong Santa Ana winds. Over the following weeks, additional fires erupted in San Diego County, ultimately burning over 57,000 acres and causing 28 deaths. For the first time in history, global temperatures surpassed 1.5°C in 2024. The WWA report warns that if temperatures rise to 2.6°C by 2100, the likelihood of such wildfire-friendly conditions will increase by another 35%. Clair Barnes, a researcher at Imperial College London, emphasized how p...