Environment

NEW DELHI: About 33 prototypes shortlisted under the Delhi government’s ‘innovation challenge’ to find solutions for the air pollution issue are set to enter the second phase for trials, according to officials familiar with the matter.These include solar-powered pole-mounted dust traps, filterless smoke and dust carbon-capturing devices, electrostatic mist sprayers, models for smart dust-suppression and…

A wayward humpback whale has finally wriggled its way out of trouble in the Baltic Sea, ending a days-long saga that had onlookers glued to the shoreline. The 12–15 metre giant, which had been stranded in shallow waters near Wismar, managed to swim free last week, giving both officials and spectators a reason to cheer.The…

Guwahati: A rare butterfly species has been discovered in the semi-evergreen forests of the Basar region in central Arunachal Pradesh’s Lepa Rada district and named after Assamese cultural icon Zubeen Garg by its discoverers.The butterfly, scientifically christened Euthalia (Limbusa) zubeengargi and given the common name ‘Basar Duke’, is distinguished by olive-brown wings with white markings…

There was a time when March in India felt like a pause.Not winter, not summer. Not the bite of January fog, not the hard glare of May. It was the season of light shawls, flowering trees, exam mornings, cool evenings and that brief, forgiving softness between two extremes.Now, in many parts of India, that pause…

The UK government is considering granting enforcement officers of the Environment Agency (EA) police-style powers to strengthen the crackdown on waste crime, including fly-tipping and illegal dumping, ministers announced ahead of the upcoming Waste Crime Action Plan.Under the proposals, EA officials could be authorised to search premises without a warrant, seize assets and arrest suspects…

Rain lashed parts of Punjab and Haryana on Friday, with temperatures hovering below normal limits.For the second consecutive day, rain lashed Chandigarh throughout the day, and the showers led to a sharp drop in mercury here. The maximum here dropped to 18.8 degrees Celsius, ten notches below normal, according to the MeT.Ambala, Panchkula, Narnaul, Rohtak,…

WASHINGTON: Nearly every type of wild weather hit some part of the United States on Monday as the normal changing seasons clash of cold and warm air collided with a jet stream gone crazy and a possible dash of climate change, meteorologists and scientist said.A blizzard dumped snow by the feet around the Great Lakes….

People ice fish on a frozen Lake Elmore (Picture credit: AP) Elmer Brown was following two friends on his four-wheeler last November, hunting caribou across a frozen channel in northern Alaska, when the ice gave way. All three plunged into the frigid water. One friend drowned, and Brown, 45, later died of hypothermia, leaving behind…

File photo (Picture credit: AFP) BRASILIA: Brazilian leaders unveiled a new national climate plan Monday that prioritises enhanced forest protections as a key strategy in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.The Latin American giant hasn’t updated its main program to mitigate climate change since 2008, and the new plan looks forward to 2035, when Brazil is expected…

All restrictions imposed in Delhi-NCR under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) have been revoked after a significant improvement in air quality, officials said on Monday.The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) said that owing to favourable meteorological conditions, the air quality index (AQI) of Delhi was recorded at 119 on Monday. Delhi’s Air Pollution…