Category: Environment

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Environment Environment and WIldlife India News

Assam’s ‘Elephant Girl’ Gets Padma Shri

Parbati Baruah spent 40 years addressing and reducing human-elephant conflicts and fought against gender stereotypes in this profession….reports Asian Lite News

Parbati Baruah, aged 67, affectionately dubbed the ‘Elephant Girl’ (Hasti Kanya) in Assam, has been honoured with the Padma Shri. She holds the distinction of being India’s pioneer female mahout, or elephant keeper.

Baruah got the award in recognition of her work in animal conservation and dispelling preconceptions to make a name for women in a field that has historically been dominated by men.

Born into the Gauripur royal family in the Goalpara district of Assam, Barua and her father Prakritish Barua caught their first elephant together when Barua was 14 years old in the Kachugaon woods of Kokrajhar district.

She spent 40 years addressing and reducing human-elephant conflicts and fought against gender stereotypes in this profession. Human-elephant confrontations have a long history in Assam, and Baruah was instrumental in developing government regulations to keep them under control.

She developed into a master at taming wild elephants. Her expertise on the behavior of elephants made her well-known not just in Assam but also in nearby states — West Bengal and Odisha.

Baruah also assisted the forest authorities in driving the troublemakers back into the forests from agricultural fields.

‘Queen of the Elephants’ is the title of a book written about her by British travel writer and naturalist Mark Roland Shand, published in 1996. Later, the BBC produced a documentary that was widely praised.

Following at least 40 years of continuous service as a mahout, Parbati committed her life to animal conservation, and she is presently a part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Asian Elephant Specialist Group (IUCN).

This is her family’s second Padma honor. The central government earlier also awarded the renowned folk singer Pratima Pandey Barua, her sister, a Padma Shri.

Pramathesh Barua, an award-winning filmmaker, is also related to this family.

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-Top News Environment UAE News

UAE reaffirms commitment to sustainable future

Minister Al Mazrouei’s remarks were made on the International Day of Clean Energy, observed on 26th January each year…reports Asian Lite News

Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, emphasised the increasing global efforts towards achieving environmental sustainability. He highlighted the UAE’s outstanding global efforts in clean energy through innovative strategies and substantial investments, solidifying its position as a global hub for sustainable energy.

Minister Al Mazrouei’s remarks were made on the International Day of Clean Energy, observed on 26th January each year. The day commemorates the establishment of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in 2009, a proposal jointly submitted by the UAE and Panama and later adopted by the United Nations.

“On this day, we reaffirm our commitment to building a sustainable future. As a global leader in the energy landscape, the UAE will continue to expand on its clean energy projects,” he said.

“The resounding success of COP28 reflects the pioneering role of the UAE in shaping a future fuelled by clean energy. COP28 delivered on its promises and so will the UAE. We will continue to work diligently to meet our ambitious climate commitments.”

He added that at the centre of these commitments are the updated targets of the UAE Strategy 2050 that ensure a balanced, sustainable, affordable energy supply with the ultimate goal of reaching net-zero by 2050.

In its first stage, the strategy calls for reducing emissions from the water and energy sectors and reaching a 0% contribution of clean coal in the energy mix. The strategy seeks to increase individual and institutional energy consumption efficiency by 42-45% by 2030, compared to 2019. Also, to triple the share of renewable energy by 2030, increase the installed clean energy capacity from 14.2 GW to 19.8 GW by 2030, surge the share of installed clean energy capacity in the total energy mix to 30% by 2030, and increase the contribution of clean energy generation to 32% by 2030 to ensure the country is on track to achieve its climate change mitigation goals.

The Minister highlighted that climate action is at the heart of the UAE’s development plans. The country was the first Gulf country to sign and ratify the iconic Paris Agreement and to announce a Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative. The UAE’s leadership realised early on the importance of a gradual, pragmatic transition in the energy sector and, over 20 years ago, charted a path for diversifying the national economy.

Al Mazrouei stated, “The UAE has an impressive track record in the energy transition field. So far, it has invested over US$57 billion in clean energy projects at home and abroad. Additionally, through the UAE-US Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy (PACE), we seek to mobilise US$100 billion and deploy 100 new gigawatts of clean energy by 2035. The UAE aspires to be a role model for an ambitious, yet pragmatic transition to clean energy sources. We continue to meet today’s global energy needs, while investing heavily in the clean energy systems of tomorrow.

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Business Environment India News

India’s Coal Power Surge

This reflects a robust increase in domestic production of coal to meet the growing energy demand in the country…reports Asian Lite News

The country’s power generation based on domestic coal increased by 7.14 per cent to 872 billion units during April-December of the current financial year, compared to 813.9 billion units generated in the same period of the previous fiscal.

This reflects a robust increase in domestic production of coal to meet the growing energy demand in the country, the Ministry of Coal said in a statement on Monday.

Coal import by power plants for blending decreased substantially by 40.66 per cent to 17.08 million tonnes (MT) during April-December, from 28.78 MT in the corresponding period of the previous year, despite the escalating power demand. It showcases the nation’s commitment to self-reliance in coal production and minimising overall coal imports, the statement said.

In India, power is generated from conventional (thermal, nuclear and hydro) and renewable sources (wind, solar, biomass etc.).

However, coal is the major source of power generation, accounting for more than 70 per cent of the total electricity generated.

Coal-based power generation in the country witnessed a growth of around 10.13 per cent during April-December of the current financial year compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, while overall power generation grew 6.71 per cent during the same period, according to the official statement.

Coal-based power generation in India has played a significant role in meeting the country’s energy demands. India is currently experiencing a substantial increase in power demand, driven by a combination of factors like industrial growth, technological advancements, population growth, economic development etc.

The government persists in its efforts to further enhance coal production, aiming to increase availability and reduce dependence on imported coal, thereby safeguarding foreign reserves, the statement added.

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Environment India News

Cold wave grips Delhi: Flights, trains delayed

The minimum temperature in Delhi on Sunday morning was recorded to be 8.5 degree celsius, as per IMD….reports Asian Lite News

The National Capital woke up to another chilling morning on Sunday as the temperature was recorded in single digit, causing inconvenience to passengers as several flights and trains were delayed.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), visibility at Delhi-Palam was reduced from 400 meters at 2:00 am to 100 meters at 2:30 am on Sunday, and it further reduced to 0 meters since 3:00 am.

The minimum temperature in Delhi on Sunday morning was recorded to be 8.5 degree celsius, as per IMD.

In another post on X, the IMD said, “Fog layer is very clearly visible over the plains of north India from Punjab to Bihar across Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, northwest Rajasthan, and north Madhya Pradesh at 6:30 am today.”

“Dense to Very Dense Fog observed in isolated pockets over Delhi, North Haryana, West Uttar Pradesh, West Madhya Pradesh,” the weather department added.

Nearly a dozen passenger trains to the national capital were also running behind schedule.

As per the northern railways, around 11 trains like the Amritsar-Nanded Express, Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Exp, Ambedkarnagar-Katra, and Manikpur-Nizamuddin Express, among others, were delayed due to dense fog conditions.

Similarly, at Delhi airport, people were seen waiting for their flights that were late by several hours. Some of the flights were also announced as canceled, causing inconvenience to the passengers.

“My flight was delayed because of fog. It was supposed to land here at 4:45 am, but it landed at around 5:35 am,” said Neha Beniwal, a passenger who came from Bahrain.

Delhi airport authorities also issued an advisory, stating that passengers are requested to contact the airline concerned for updated flight operations.

Notably, the IMD has predicted Very Dense fog conditions on January 22. Foggy conditions are likely to prevail for the rest of the days until January 27.

People were seen sitting around a bonfire to keep themselves warm as the cold wave continued in Delhi.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, low visibility was recorded in several parts of Northern India, causing inconvenience to passengers traveling by train and air. (ANI)

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-Top News Environment

‘Climate change may claim 14.5 mn lives by 2050’

The report analysed six major consequences of climate change: floods, droughts, heat waves, tropical storms, wildfires and rising sea levels…reports Asian Lite News

Climate change threatens to cause an additional 14.5 million deaths and $12.5 trillion in economic losses worldwide by 2050, according to a World Economic Forum (WEF) report published here.

The report, jointly compiled by the WEF and the consulting firm Oliver Wyman, is based on “scenarios developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on the most likely trajectory for the planet’s rising average temperature, 2.5 to 2.9 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels”.

The report analysed six major consequences of climate change: floods, droughts, heat waves, tropical storms, wildfires and rising sea levels.

Flooding alone is estimated to cause 8.5 million deaths by 2050, posing “the highest acute risk of climate-induced mortality”, according to the study. Droughts, as the second leading cause of climate-related mortality, are forecast to claim 3.2 million lives.

Heat waves, on the other hand, are expected to cause the highest economic losses, an estimated $7.1 trillion by 2050. The report warned that climate crisis will further exacerbate global health inequality and the most vulnerable populations will suffer the most.

Regions such as Africa and southern Asia will remain particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, due to their limited resources such as infrastructure and essential medical equipment.

The WEF, in the report, called on global stakeholders to take decisive and strategic action to reduce emissions and mitigate the negative health impacts of climate change.

“Recent progress will be lost unless critical emission reduction and mitigation measures are improved, and decisive global action is taken to build climate resilient and adaptable health systems,” said Shyam Bishen, head of the Centre for Health and Healthcare and member of the Executive Committee at the WEF.

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Environment UAE News

UAE Hospitality Leader Pledges $2 Million to UNICEF for Climate Action

Abdulla’s continuous support over the years has played a pivotal role in advancing UNICEF’s mission…reports Asian Lite News

Abdulla Al Abdulla, Chief Operating Officer and Group General Manager of Central Hotels and Resorts, the UAE’s rapidly expanding hospitality entity, underscores his resolute dedication to combatting the Climate Crisis. He has pledged a substantial $2 million to bolster UNICEF’s programmatic response at the recently concluded COP28.

This substantial contribution will be strategically allocated to target projects addressing climate change’s direct and indirect consequences. Abdulla’s continuous support over the years has played a pivotal role in advancing UNICEF’s mission. 

His remarkable generosity underscores the importance of collective action in mitigating the impact of climate change on children worldwide. The pledged funds will be instrumental in implementing targeted projects that aim to create a sustainable future for children globally.

“In the face of the climate crisis, my commitment to UNICEF’s cause at COP28 is more than a pledge; it’s a promise to safeguard the future of our planet and the well-being of generations to come,” said Abdulla.  

Before signing the agreement, Abdulla served as a panelist moderated by Financial Times. He discussed important topics, including climate resilience and adaptation, with a specific emphasis on water security.

UNICEF acknowledges Abdulla’s significant investment as a catalyst for positive change and a vital step forward in realizing our shared vision. 

“UNICEF is grateful for the generous donation from Abdulla al Abdulla and for his commitment to help address the impacts of climate change in vulnerable communities. Over 1 billion children are at extremely high risk of severe and destructive climate hazards. This commitment will help UNICEF save and protect children’s lives,” said UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Kitty van der Heijden.

This partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration in addressing global challenges and underscores the urgent need for concerted efforts to create a more sustainable and resilient future for the next generation. 

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Environment India News

Flight Affected As Fog Cripples Delhi Airport

The 120 affected flights included 21 international departures, 23 international arrivals, 33 domestic departures, and 43 domestic arrivals….reports Asian Lite News

The national capital continues to grapple with biting cold and fog, impacting visibility and causing delays and cancellations in flight and train operations on Wednesday morning.

Flight movement to and from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport remained affected with around 120 flights including international ones getting delayed by several hours. 53 flights were also announced cancelled on Wednesday due to fog and other operational issues.

According to the Delhi Airport Flight Information Display System (FIDS) data, the 120 affected flights included 21 international departures, 23 international arrivals, 33 domestic departures, and 43 domestic arrivals.

Apart from the 120 flights affected, a total of 53 flights have been cancelled citing fog and other operational reasons, as per the FIDS data recorded till 8 am on Wednesday. This includes 21 domestic arrivals, 16 domestic departures, 13 international departures, and 3 international arrivals.

Meanwhile, around 20 passenger trains to Delhi were running behind schedule on Wednesday.

According to the Northern Railways, two trains namely Puri-Nizamuddin Purushottam Express and Hyderabad-New Delhi were delayed by around 6-6.30 hours.

Similarly, Azamgarh-Delhi Junction Kaifiyat Express and Ambedkarnagar-Katra were also running behind schedule and are likely to arrive late by around five hours.

A four-and-a-half-hour delay is expected on the arrival of the Katihar-Amritsar Express, the railways’ data mentioned.

Six trains namely, Rewa-Anand Vihar Express, Vasco-Nizamuddin Express, Bhopal-Nizamuddin Express, Khajarao-Kurukshetra, Amritsar-Mumbai and Manikpru-Nizamuddin are likely to arrive late by around 2-2.45 hours.

In addition to these, eight long-distance trains are delayed by around 1-1.30 hours, as per the railways. This included Howrah-Kalka Mail, Saharsa-New Delhi Vaishali Express, Prayagraj-New Delhi Express, Muzaffarpur-Anand Vihar, Chennai-New Delhi and Jammutawi-Ajmer, the railways said.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, visibility was recorded below 200 metres in several parts of the country including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, West Rajasthan, West and East Uttar Pradesh at around 5.30 am on Wednesday.

Further, as per IMD, dense fog was observed in isolated areas of Delhi, East Rajasthan, East Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam on Wednesday morning. (ANI)

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-Top News Environment USA

Icy winds, heavy snowfall disrupt life in US

At least 10 people have died due to weather-relation conditions, including three homeless persons in the Milwaukee area…reports Asian Lite News

A Polar Vortex in the North Pole has led to several US cities witness severe cold weather conditions with temperatures dipping in the Midwest and the Northeastern region to a freezing minus -41 degrees Celsius, while 125 million people remain under wind chill advisories.

At least 10 people have died due to weather-relation conditions, including three homeless persons in the Milwaukee area, according to media reports. The three deaths are being investigated as possible cases of hypothermia cases.

The National Weather Service said temperatures could reach minus 30 degrees, with wind chill in the Plains and minus 50 in Montana and the Dakotas. The weather in Iowa is having an effect on the presidential campaign, with several events canceled ahead of Monday’s caucuses.

State capital Des Moines is forecast to have wind chills of minus 20 to minus 30. Another surge of Arctic air is expected to drop south over the Midwest and the northern Plains states, bringing potentially hazardous weather by midweek, NBC reported.

As rough weather was freezing the East Coast, a public transit bus in Philadelphia slid backward down a city street, NBC Philadelphia reported.

The National Weather Service office that serves Philadelphia said the city was likely to get 4 inches of snow overnight. As people across most of the US turned up the heat and stayed inside amid frigid temperatures, Montana took the title for the coldest temperature in the country, media reports said.

An area 13 miles north of Sulphur Springs, Montana, recorded a temperature of minus 42 degrees, the National Weather Service said.

The warmest weather was near Sunniland, Florida, around 50 miles southeast of Fort Myers, which had a temperature of 29 degrees, according to the agency. Meanwhile, 3,071 flights within, into or out of the U.S. were canceled on Monday, according to a flight tracking website, on a day when there were ground stops at some airports due to the winter weather gripping the country.

The most canceled flights were at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, where 509 arriving or departing flights were canceled, according to the website FlightAware. The second hightest was at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, with a combined 441 cancellations, according to the site.

Both airports said that the weather was affecting travel and causing planes to de-ice. They advised passengers to budget extra time. Snow fell across the South this weekend and Monday, suddenly covering communities better known for brutal summers in a winter’s blanket, NBC said.

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-Top News Environment USA

John Kerry Resigns as US Climate Envoy

John Kerry in Brussels to renew climate cooperation

Kerry championed cooperation on global warming between the US and China, the world’s two largest polluters, during times of tension…reports Asian Lite News

US climate envoy John Kerry is reportedly planning to step down from his role and work on President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign.

80-year-old Kerry, President Biden’s special envoy for climate, plans to step down by spring, ending a three-year run in a major diplomatic role that was created especially for him and which will face an uncertain future with his departure, The New York Times reported.

He led the US negotiating team through three United Nations climate summits, reasserting American leadership after the country withdrew from the Paris climate agreement during the Trump administration.

Kerry championed cooperation on global warming between the US and China, the world’s two largest polluters, during times of tension, the media outlet reported.

As Secretary of State under former President Barack Obama, Kerry was key to brokering the crucial 2015 Paris climate agreement.

That deal saw nearly the whole world for the first time support a common strategy to cut the greenhouse gas emissions which cause global warming, the BBC reported.

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-Top News Environment USA

Powerful Storm Batters Parts of Eastern US

In Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina, as many as four deaths were reported as storms hit the states with fierce winds, rain and tornadoes….reports Asian Lite News

A powerful storm has battered large areas of the eastern US. The storm has knocked out power across several states, leading to multiple rescues. It delivered its final blow to New England on Wednesday, CNN reported.

On Wednesday, multiple rivers were at major flood stage in the eastern US, most of them in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. Flooding forced evacuations in New Jersey and Connecticut, where the Yantic River came perilously close to hitting a record high level and a dam was damaged.

In Alabama, Georgia and North Carolina, as many as four deaths were reported as storms hit the states with fierce winds, rain and tornadoes.

An 81-year-old woman was among those killed after her Cottonwood, Alabama, mobile home was flipped multiple times on Tuesday, according to Houston County Commission Chairman Brandon Shoupe.

The number of power outages dropped as the storm moved away, but more than 120,000 homes and businesses were in the dark on Wednesday night in the eastern US, primarily in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Vermont and Maine, according to PowerOutage.us. And high temperatures in the Northeast were expected to top out only in the 30s and 40s on Wednesday, leaving many without power in frigid weather, as per CNN.

The storm generated 25 tornado reports across Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina since Monday. In South Carolina, “significant damage” from a potential tornado was reported in the city of Bamberg, 60 miles south of Columbia, where the century-old City Hall building collapsed, according to city clerk-treasurer Robin Chavis.

A section of Interstate 80 in Iowa had to be closed down on Tuesday afternoon due to whiteout conditions that led to a multi-vehicle crash. In Kansas, around 30 people, including children, got stranded and had to be rescued from vehicles and taken to a high school during blizzard and whiteout conditions on Monday, CNN reported. (ANI)

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