Thursday, October 9News That Matters

Fact Check

Industrial Boilers Responsible for 7% of India Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Reveals New Report

Industrial Boilers Responsible for 7% of India Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Reveals New Report

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
A comprehensive study has revealed that industrial boilers across India contribute nearly 7% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting a critical and under-addressed source of pollution. With more emissions of particulate matter and sulphur dioxide than the entire automobile sector, the report calls for urgent reforms, including a proposed nationwide “Green Boiler Mission.” The findings underline the importance of overhauling aging industrial systems to achieve India’s climate goals, improve air quality, and enhance energy efficiency. India’s Boilers: A Hidden Climate Challenge India industrial growth has long depended on the power of boilers, especially in sectors like food processing, textiles, and chemicals. However, a new study released during the National ...
Heat Threatens Latin America Banana Industry, Puts Global Supply at Risk

Heat Threatens Latin America Banana Industry, Puts Global Supply at Risk

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment, Fact Check
Climate Pressures Shrinking Banana-Growing Zones Rising global temperatures are pushing Latin America’s banana-producing regions toward unsuitability, with new research warning that by 2080, up to 60% of current export-suitable areas could be lost without urgent climate action. Brazil’s Farmers Struggle in the Heat In Brazil’s northeastern state of Bahia, banana farmers are already facing severe impacts. Even with irrigation, plantations are showing signs of stress during prolonged heatwaves. In 2023, extreme heat reduced harvest output by 15%, and similar conditions are likely to return this year. Major Exporters Under Threat The most vulnerable areas include Colombia and Costa Rica, key banana exporters to Europe and North America. These regions are experiencing rising te...
Swiss Glaciers Face Another Tough Year as Winter Snow Cover Drops 13% Below Average

Swiss Glaciers Face Another Tough Year as Winter Snow Cover Drops 13% Below Average

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
Despite heavy snowfall in 2024, new report warns of accelerating glacier melt and rising sea-level threats due to global warming and snow deficits Switzerland glaciers are once again bracing for a tough summer as a new report reveals that winter snow cover was 13% lower than the 2010–2020 average a worrying sign of their deepening vulnerability to climate change. The finding comes from Glacier Monitoring Switzerland (Glamos), whose latest assessment shows that the glaciers continue to suffer rapid losses even in years with significant snowfall. According to Glamos data Swiss glaciers lost 10% of their total ice volume in just two years 2022 and 2023 marking the steepest decline since records began. The current snow deficit though less severe than the two previous dry winters stil...
Deep Sea Awakens: Axial Seamount’s Looming Eruption & Its Role in Shaping Ocean Life

Deep Sea Awakens: Axial Seamount’s Looming Eruption & Its Role in Shaping Ocean Life

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
Axial Seamount, an underwater volcano nearly 300 miles off the Oregon coast, is rumbling with seismic activity, hinting at an imminent eruption before the end of 2025. Known for past eruptions in 1998, 2011, and 2015, this deep-sea volcano lies at the intersection of a tectonic plate boundary and a geological hotspot. As magma accumulates beneath the surface, scientists are closely monitoring the site for what could be a spectacular yet safe eruption offering a window into Earth’s inner workings and its influence on ocean ecosystems. What Is Axial Seamount? Axial Seamount also known as Coaxial Seamount or Axial Volcano is a submarine shield volcano located on the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the Pacific Ocean. Situated about 480 kilometers west of Cannon Beach, Oregon, it rises roughly 1,100 me...
Mosquitoes, Money & Heat: Why West Nile Virus Thrives in America’s Wealthiest Neighborhoods

Mosquitoes, Money & Heat: Why West Nile Virus Thrives in America’s Wealthiest Neighborhoods

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
Each summer as warm evenings descend on American cities, a silent danger begins to stir: West Nile virus. Though often associated with tropical or rural areas, this mosquito-borne illness has quietly taken root in urban landscapes especially in the most affluent neighborhoods. In 2012, an unprecedented outbreak scorched Park Cities, a wealthy enclave within Dallas. The virus sickened 225 people, triggered 173 neuroinvasive cases like encephalitis and meningitis, and claimed 19 lives. Other major cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Sacramento have also developed persistent West Nile hot spots. Why cities? Why the rich? The key vector is Culex quinquefasciatus, the Southern house mosquito. These mosquitoes don’t travel far and breed in stagnant water found in lawns, drains, flower...
More Trees, Fewer Deaths: Study Finds Urban Greening Could Save Over 1 Million Lives

More Trees, Fewer Deaths: Study Finds Urban Greening Could Save Over 1 Million Lives

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check, Learning & Developments
A landmark global study has revealed that increasing vegetation in cities by just 30% could have prevented over one-third of all heat-related deaths between 2000 and 2019 potentially saving 1.16 million lives worldwide. The research led by Monash University Professor Yuming Guo and published in The Lancet Planetary Health provides the most detailed modeling to date of how urban greenery can cool cities and save lives. Greener Cities, Cooler Summers, Fewer Deaths The study analyzed data from 11,534 urban areas, showing that a 10%, 20%, and 30% increase in vegetation would have lowered the global population-weighted warm-season mean temperature by 0.08°C, 0.14°C, and 0.19°C, respectively. These seemingly small changes in temperature could have reduced heat-related deaths by: 0.86 ...
Heat, Health & Superbugs: Climate Crisis Could Drive Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surge, Study Warns

Heat, Health & Superbugs: Climate Crisis Could Drive Global Antimicrobial Resistance Surge, Study Warns

Breaking News, Fact Check, Learning & Developments
A major international study led by Chinese researchers has found that unchecked climate change could significantly worsen the global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), potentially raising global AMR levels by more than 2% by 2050. The burden, the study warns will fall hardest on low- and middle-income countries already grappling with poor healthcare access and fragile infrastructure. The research was conducted by a team from Peking University, using data from more than 32 million bacterial samples collected across 101 countries between 1999 and 2022. It focused on six priority drug-resistant pathogens, including carbapenem-resistant strains of E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii bacteria known to cause deadly infections that are increasingly untreatable wi...
New Study Warns Climate Crisis Could Worsen Global Antibiotic Resistance, Poorer Nations Most at Risk

New Study Warns Climate Crisis Could Worsen Global Antibiotic Resistance, Poorer Nations Most at Risk

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
A landmark forecasting study by Chinese researchers has revealed a troubling connection between climate change and the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), predicting that global AMR levels could rise significantly by 2050 if fossil fuel-heavy development continues. Published today in Nature Medicine, the study projects a 2.4% global increase in AMR under high-emission climate scenarios with low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) facing the brunt of the impact. But the study also offers a silver lining. If LMICs improve healthcare access, sanitation, and immunization, global AMR levels could fall by over 5%, more than double the projected impact of halving antibiotic use alone. Socioeconomic and Climate Pressures Driving AMR The research team, led by Peking Universi...
India’s Cooling Paradox: Toxic Air Slows Warming but Fuels a Public Health Crisis

India’s Cooling Paradox: Toxic Air Slows Warming but Fuels a Public Health Crisis

Breaking News, Environment, Fact Check, Thoughts & Talks
India has warmed at a slower rate than other parts of the Northern Hemisphere over the past several decades. While this might seem like good news amid the global climate crisis, scientists warn it's not a reason for comfort. The culprit behind this phenomenon is a thick blanket of aerosols tiny particles suspended in the air from industrial emissions, fossil fuel combustion, and crop burning. These aerosols reflect sunlight and create a temporary cooling effect, but they are also responsible for dangerous levels of air pollution, resulting in millions of deaths annually. The country now faces a dangerous trade-off between curbing toxic pollution and accelerating climate warming, with serious implications for public health, environmental sustainability, and economic development. A Climate ...
Climate vs Energy: New Global Model Warns of Looming Trade-Off

Climate vs Energy: New Global Model Warns of Looming Trade-Off

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Fact Check
A new modelling tool developed by Australian researchers has revealed a sobering reality achieving urgent climate goals could clash with avoiding a major global energy shortfall. UniSA Researchers Unveil ‘GREaSE’ Model Researchers at the University of South Australia have introduced a new open-source energy scenario tool called GREaSE (Global Renewable Energy and Sectoral Electrification), offering fresh insight into the global energy transition dilemma. Developed by Associate Professor James Hopeward and three civil engineering students Shannon O'Connor, Richard Davis, and Peter Akiki the model explores a range of “what-if” future energy scenarios often left out of mainstream discussions. "It's designed to be simple, accessible, and exploratory," said Assoc Prof Hopeward. "Most cl...