Wednesday, October 8News That Matters

Climate Actions

China Unveils Ambitious Plan to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2035

China Unveils Ambitious Plan to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2035

Climate Actions, Environment
BEIJING — China has announced a new and ambitious plan to significantly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and dramatically shift its energy consumption towards renewable sources. Unveiled by President Xi Jinping at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the plan outlines a series of key targets to be met by 2035. Key Targets for Emissions and Energy As part of its updated climate commitments, China aims to cut its economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by between 7% and 10% by 2035. This reduction is intended to be achieved through a major transition in the nation's energy mix. President Xi Jinping highlighted that by 2035, non-fossil fuels will account for more than 30% of China's total energy consumption. To meet this target, the country plans a monumental expansion o...
Communities Pay the Hidden Price of Plastic Production, Report Finds

Communities Pay the Hidden Price of Plastic Production, Report Finds

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
GENEVA — While the world's attention has focused on plastic waste polluting oceans, a new report and on-the-ground accounts reveal a hidden crisis: communities living near petrochemical plants are paying a heavy health and environmental price for plastic convenience. The findings emerge as global negotiations for a binding plastics treaty ended without consensus on capping production. A Shared Struggle from Texas to Gujarat The human cost of plastic production is evident in communities thousands of miles apart. In Houston, Texas, a resident named Yvette Arellano suffers from frequent nosebleeds, hormonal imbalances, and skin conditions linked to living near the petrochemical complex. She is not alone, as a 2024 Amnesty International report found a range of health issues, including he...
SA Sets 2035 Climate Goal Strengthens Energy Partnership with Nigeria

SA Sets 2035 Climate Goal Strengthens Energy Partnership with Nigeria

Climate Actions
South Africa has announced a new plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions, aiming to limit them to between 320 and 380 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent by 2035. This move is part of the country’s commitment to fight climate change while still protecting jobs and boosting the economy. The announcement came from Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni during a post-Cabinet briefing on Thursday. She said the government is focused on a “just energy transition”—shifting to clean energy in a way that safeguards workers and vulnerable communities. The target was set after detailed studies on future emissions, renewable energy plans, energy efficiency goals, and South Africa legal obligations under the Paris Agreement. Officials say it shows the country is serious about joining global ef...

River Yatra Rekindles Ancient Ties to Save a Dying Himalayan Lifeline to Vanishing

Breaking News, Climate Actions
In the dense Himalayan folds of Uttarakhand, where the Nayar River once flowed with grace and abundance, there is now a troubling silence. Water thins, vegetation withers, and in some places, the once-lush slopes show little new plant growth. While grazing has been absent here for decades, signs of disrupted natural regeneration are everywhere. This ecological imbalance is not isolated. Scientific studies have long suggested that regulated grazing, rather than bans, plays a crucial role in ecosystem health. A 2010 paper in Ecology Letters found that controlled grazing helps maintain biomass balance, improve nutrient cycling, and support diverse vegetation. In the Valley of Flowers in Chamoli, a blanket ban on grazing led to a troubling shift dominant grasses took over, biodiversity shr...
Heat Rising, Warnings Failing: Why Early Action Is Crucial to Combat Global Heatwaves

Heat Rising, Warnings Failing: Why Early Action Is Crucial to Combat Global Heatwaves

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
As scorching temperatures shatter records with alarming frequency, a new era of climate danger is unfolding across the globe. From the U.S. to South Asia, heatwaves are no longer rare occurrences they're becoming the new normal. Today, on Heat Action Day, as communities around the world raise awareness of the dangers of extreme heat, it is clear that awareness alone is not enough. Action must follow swiftly, inclusively, and equitably. Across every continent, extreme heat is quietly claiming lives and overwhelming systems. It spares no part of daily life: hospitals overflow, energy grids collapse, outdoor labor becomes perilous, and students struggle to learn inside sweltering classrooms. In Nepal’s rural Madesh region, a recent study by Mercy Corps lays bare the educational conseque...
Fiery Skies Over Sicily: Mount Etna Spews Ash and Lava in Spectacular Eruption

Fiery Skies Over Sicily: Mount Etna Spews Ash and Lava in Spectacular Eruption

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters
Sicily skyline turned into a dramatic display of fire and smoke early Monday morning as Mount Etna, Europe’s most active volcano, erupted with force, sending a towering cloud of ash and molten fragments into the atmosphere. The eruption which began with a sudden burst of pressure within the mountain’s crater, created a plume that stretched several kilometres into the sky and could be seen for miles. Despite the eruption’s intensity and visual spectacle, authorities reported no injuries or damage. Air travel to and from the island experienced minimal disruption, and local monitoring agencies confirmed that the volcanic activity had subsided by evening. While residents and tourists marveled at the scene, scientists observed the event with a mix of familiarity and caution. Understanding...
Mizoram delays official visits as floods and landslides disrupt lives, Tripura turns schools into shelters

Mizoram delays official visits as floods and landslides disrupt lives, Tripura turns schools into shelters

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Fact Check
June 5, 2025 — As relentless rains continue to batter India’s Northeast, the states of Mizoram and Tripura are grappling with severe weather disruptions that have triggered landslides, flash floods, and large-scale displacement. The Mizoram government has postponed all official visits, including those by dignitaries and state officials, to prioritize disaster management and public safety. In a circular issued on June 2 by Mizoram’s General Administration Department, authorities confirmed that prolonged and intense rainfall has led to widespread destruction. Key districts have been affected by landslides and mudslides, with critical infrastructure damaged and normal life severely hampered. District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs), led by Deputy Commissioners, are on high aler...
Wildfire smoke blankets one-third of U.S., raising health alarms

Wildfire smoke blankets one-third of U.S., raising health alarms

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment
June 5, 2025 A dense blanket of wildfire smoke from more than 200 fires burning across Canada has shrouded nearly one-third of the United States, triggering widespread air quality alerts and renewed concerns about public health. The smoke, drifting from blazes in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, has turned skies hazy and pushed toxic pollution levels to hazardous highs in parts of New England, New York, and the Midwest. According to the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center, the smoke has spread from the Dakotas through the Ohio Valley and into the Northeastern states, reaching as far south as Georgia. While much of the smoke remains suspended in the upper atmosphere, areas like New York and Connecticut are experiencing a heavier concentratio...
Anti-Smog Guns & AI Cameras in Delhi’s 2025 Air Pollution Mitigation Plan

Anti-Smog Guns & AI Cameras in Delhi’s 2025 Air Pollution Mitigation Plan

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Idea & Innovations, Tech
With Delhi air quality once again under global scrutiny, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday rolled out the Air Pollution Mitigation Plan 2025 a bold, tech-powered initiative to combat the capital’s perennial pollution crisis. Under the sweeping measures: ▸ Anti-smog guns are now mandatory for all high-rise commercial structures in Delhi malls, hotels, and office complexes exceeding 3,000 sq metres. ▸ Mist sprayers will be deployed at 13 identified air pollution hotspots across the city. ▸ From 1 November, only BS-VI compliant, electric, and CNG vehicles will be allowed to enter Delhi’s borders. Gupta’s announcement marks one of the most stringent efforts to date in tackling the city's toxic air, especially as Delhi braces for yet another hazardous winter season. AI Cam...
From Ashes to Action: How 175 Years of Bushfires Shaped a World-Leading Disaster Response System

From Ashes to Action: How 175 Years of Bushfires Shaped a World-Leading Disaster Response System

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment
In the searing aftermath of bushfires, Victoria has forged not just scars on its landscape but a legacy of learning. From the ferocity of Black Thursday in 1851 to the horror of Black Summer beginning in 2019, bushfires have been central to Victoria's settler history shaping its forests, institutions, communities, and consciousness. For nearly two centuries, the state’s relationship with fire has transformed from fragmented firefighting efforts to one of the most integrated and forward-looking emergency management systems in the world. The Slow Awakening: 19th Century Firefighting In the 19th and early 20th centuries, bushfires were seen as inevitable acts of nature. Local landholders and loosely organized brigades bore the burden with limited coordination or governmental oversigh...