Bombay Durpun - Nature

Plastic gobbling enzymes in worm spit may help ease pollution

Enzymes found in the saliva of wax worms can degrade one of the most common forms of plastic waste, according to research published Tuesday that could open up new ways of dealing with plastic pollution.

Australia lists small wallaby, snake among new endangered species

Australia's government vowed to stop plant and animal extinctions Tuesday as it listed the grey snake and a small wallaby among 15 new threatened species.

Rubbish reform: changes to waste management could slash emissions

Reforms to the way that societies collect and treat their waste could slash global emissions of plant-heating methane, a new report said Monday, noting that simple measures like composting were a climate solution "staring us in the face".

Tired of power cuts, blockaded Gaza turns to solar

Palestinians living in the Israeli-blockaded enclave of Gaza have long endured an unstable and costly electricity supply, so Yasser al-Hajj found a different way: solar power.

African climate summit opens in DR Congo

Environment ministers from about 50 countries will gather in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday for a "pre-COP27" climate summit, with rich nations likely to come under pressure to raise spending to combat climate change.

Germany builds new gas terminals to succeed Russian pipelines

Germany's most strategically important building site is at the end of a windswept pier on the North Sea coast, where workers are assembling the country's first terminal for the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Hurricane Ian dumped 10% more rain due to climate change: research

Climate change increased the rainfall from Hurricane Ian by more than 10 percent, according to a new quick-fire analysis, as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the United States devastated parts of Florida.

Environmental bodies concerned by new UK government's climate comments

Initial comments by British Prime Minister Liz Truss's conservative government have raised concerns about her climate policy in a country which is increasingly feeling the effects of global warming but is going through an unprecedented energy crisis.

Gas flares vastly underperform, causing greater climate impact: study

Flaring -- burning off unwanted natural gas from oil and gas wells -- releases five times more of the potent greenhouse gas methane into the atmosphere over the United States than previously assumed, according to a study published Thursday.

'Disturbing' Nord Stream leaks show danger of global methane emissions

Planet-heating methane spewing into the atmosphere from the damaged Nord Stream pipelines only has a modest impact on climate change, say scientists, but sharply highlights the risks of fossil-fuel driven greenhouse gas emissions.

Taiwan's pangolins suffer surge in feral dog attacks

In most of its habitats, the heavily trafficked pangolin's biggest threat comes from humans. But in Taiwan, the scaly mammals brave a different danger: a surging feral dog population.

Why are climate activists calling for reparations?

Pakistan's catastrophic floods have led to renewed calls for rich polluting nations, which grew their economies through heavy use of fossil fuels, to compensate developing countries for the devastating impacts caused by the climate crisis.

Indigenous activists raise climate awareness on sidelines of UNGA

Uyukar Domingo Peas, an Ecuadorian Indigenous activist, says if there are still "reservoirs of natural resources" in the world, it is "because we have protected them for thousands of years."

Pakistan's dire floods signal global crisis, PM tells UN

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned the United Nations on Friday that climate disasters will not remain confined to his country, in the wake of floods that have devastated the South Asian giant.

At UN, Vanuatu calls for fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty

Vanuatu on Friday became the first nation to launch a diplomatic push for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty, a proposed legal path to phase out coal, oil and gas globally by likening their threat to nuclear weapons.

Historic UK castle at risk from climate change: heritage body

The cliff-top ruins of an ancient castle long claimed as the birthplace of the legendary King Arthur is "at risk of being lost for ever" as climate change quickens the pace of coastal erosion, a UK heritage body warned on Friday.

S.Africa teens build solar train as power cuts haunt commuters

For years, students in a South African township have seen their parents struggle to use trains for daily commutes, the railways frequently hobbled by power outages and cable thefts.

Batteries, community spirit help California fight heat wave

Dire predictions of blackouts in California during a fearsome heat wave this month never came to pass, with technology -- and a dose of community spirit -- helping the creaking grid through its most testing period ever.

Pressure grows after World Bank chief dodges climate questions

Climate groups called Wednesday for the World Bank's president to be removed after he refused multiple times to say if he believed man-made emissions contributed to global warming.

Spain grants personhood status to threatened lagoon

Spain granted personhood status Wednesday to a large saltwater lagoon to give its threatened ecosystem better protection, the first time such a measure has been taken in Europe.

Pacific atoll nations launch global plan to preserve heritage

Pacific atoll nations on Wednesday launched a new global partnership to preserve their sovereignty and heritage as their countries disappear under rising seas triggered by climate change.

Plentiful water offers relief in Vienna

As Europe suffered its worst drought in centuries, residents in Austria's capital were feeling fortunate for their plentiful water supply that courses from streams in the green forests of the Alps.

Looking for reasons to be cheerful about climate action

With a sunny smile to the camera Alaina Wood delivers a burst of "good climate news" to her young TikTok audience, trying to reassure them that it is not too late for action on global warming.

Mass stranding kills 14 whales in Australia

Australian wildlife investigators were on Wednesday trying to piece together why more than a dozen young male sperm whales died in a mass stranding on a remote beach in the state of Tasmania.

Social media greenwashing by fossil fuel interests 'rampant': study

A commercial plane photoshopped with the tail of a shark, hashtags that misleadingly evoke sustainability, tokenistic use of minorities to distract and to signal virtue: a Harvard report published Tuesday highlights rampant greenwashing by leading companies on social media.

Change in livestock food could feed a billion people: study

Diverting grain and other feed for livestock to human consumption could boost food supply sufficiently to feed an additional billion people, according to research released on Monday.

Ecuador launches floating islands to save stinky Guayaquil estuary

On the banks of the dark and murky waters of the Guayaquil estuary, volunteers trudge through mud as they slide wooden platforms.

Plastic garbage covers Central American rivers, lakes and beaches

A blanket of multi-colored plastic waste flowing in from tributaries covers Lake Suchitlan in El Salvador.

Climate-fueled hunger more than doubles in worst-hit countries: report

From record droughts to catastrophic floods, the world's worst climate hotspots are seeing a surge in acute hunger, according to an Oxfam report that called on rich nations to drastically cut their emissions and compensate low-income countries.

Kerry urges rich-poor unity on climate effort ahead of UN talks

US climate envoy John Kerry on Thursday urged African countries to help overcome divisions between rich and poor nations at the upcoming UN COP27 talks.

Transylvanian village shines under new British king's patronage

The Romanian village of Viscri, in the picturesque region of Transylvania, won the heart of the then prince Charles when he first visited in 1998.

Biden tours Detroit Auto Show, highlighting electric vehicle push

A revived Detroit Auto Show kicked off in earnest Wednesday, with US car giants showcasing a mix of gasoline and electric vehicles (EV) ahead of an address by President Joe Biden.

Portugal awaits verdict in homicide trial, 5 years after worst wildfire

Five years after Portugal's deadliest wildfire, which claimed 63 lives, the country was due on Tuesday to hear the verdict in the trial of 11 people accused of negligent homicide over the tragedy.

In Nigeria, finding value in waste recycling

Mounds of waste scattered along roads and vast landfills are a Nigerian eyesore.

Indonesia, Norway ink deal to reward rainforest protection

Indonesia and Norway signed a deal Monday to reward deforestation reduction months after the collapse of a similar $1-billion agreement that was part of a UN-backed global initiative criticised for its ineffectiveness.

Ethereum blockchain set for 'monumental' overhaul

An army of computer programmers scattered across the globe is set to attempt one of the biggest software upgrades the crypto sector has ever seen this week to reduce its environmentally unfriendly energy consumption.

'Nobody knows where their village is': New inland sea swamps Pakistan

From a hastily erected embankment protecting Mehar city, mosque minarets and the price board of a gas station poke above a vast lake that has emerged, growing to tens of kilometres wide.

EU ministers fast-track 'unprecedented' energy plan

The EU executive pledged Friday to come up with unprecedented measures in the coming days to solve an energy price shock triggered by Russia's war on Ukraine, including a controversial gas price cap that could further anger the Kremlin.

UN chief slams climate change 'insanity' on Pakistan flood visit

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres called the lack of global attention to climate change "insanity" Friday as he visited Pakistan to mobilise help for millions of people affected by devastating monsoon floods.

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