Break free from pollution, climate chaos and ‘biodiversity decimation’, UN chief urges
Jun 05, 2024, at 11:21 pm
The UN Secretary-General has called for safeguarding Earth’s vital ecosystems from rampant pollution, worsening climate impacts and “biodiversity decimation”.
New round of talks on global plastic pollution treaty underway in Nairobi
Nov 14, 2023, at 11:52 pm
Negotiators from around the world gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday for fresh talks over a landmark international treaty to combat plastic pollution.
North Lakhimpur district in Assam successfully clears 40 years of legacy waste
May 26, 2023, at 07:09 am
The North Lakhimpur district of Assam, India, has effectively cleared a massive accumulation of waste that had plagued the region for four decades.
New UN ‘roadmap’ shows how to drastically slash plastic pollution
May 17, 2023, at 08:26 pm
Plastic pollution could be slashed by 80 per cent by 2040 if countries and companies use existing technologies to make significant policy shifts and market adjustments, according to a new UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report released on Tuesday.
Pollution responsible for nine million deaths in 2019, with little progress in four years: Study
May 18, 2022, at 08:44 pm
New York: Pollution was responsible for nine million deaths in 2019 – equivalent to one in six deaths worldwide – a number virtually unchanged since the last analysis in 2015.
UNEP combats pollution, restores ozone and protects seas – UN chief tells 50th anniversary session
Mar 04, 2022, at 09:45 pm
For 50 years, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has offered the world a way forward “based on a vision for a better, healthier Earth built on the pillars of international cooperation,” Secretary-General António Guterres told a landmark special session on Thursday, commemorating the agency’s golden anniversary.
Improving air quality ‘key’ to confronting global environmental crises
Sep 03, 2021, at 05:57 pm
New York: With environmental events becoming increasingly interconnected, a new global report on air pollution published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on Thursday underscores that improved air quality is “key to tackling the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste”.
9 Pro Tips That Pregnant Women Must Follow To Cope-Up with Kolkata's Pollution
Feb 02, 2021, at 07:06 pm
During pregnancy, a woman has to take care of several factors so that she doesn’t end up hurting her or the child’s health. One such crucial aspect is air pollution, which can negatively impact their pregnancy. Everyone knows that the air quality in Kolkata has significantly deteriorated in the last few years. This has made it an unsafe city for pregnant women.
Cycles and other NMT will help reduce pollution and boost urban mobility in Kolkata, say experts
Jan 17, 2021, at 04:36 pm
Kolkata/IBNS: Bengal Clean Air Network under SwitchON Foundation recently organised a stakeholder consultation on sustainable urban mobility in Kolkata.
Cooking pollution lingers longer in atmosphere: Study
Dec 02, 2020, at 05:00 am
London: Particulate emissions from cooking stay in the atmosphere for longer than previously thought, making a prolonged contribution to poor air quality and human health, according to a new study.
Exported used cars ‘dumped’ on developing nations, driving up pollution, UN warns
Oct 27, 2020, at 06:54 pm
New York: Used vehicles exported from richer countries are contributing to increased air pollution in developing nations and hindering efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change, according to a report published on Monday by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
Five things you should know about disposable masks and plastic pollution
Jul 31, 2020, at 03:26 pm
New York: The fight against plastic pollution is being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the use of disposable masks, gloves and other protective equipment soars, but UN agencies and partners insist that, if effective measures are put into place, the amount of plastics discarded every year can be significantly cut, or even eliminated.
More evidence of causal link between air pollution and early death
Jul 08, 2020, at 09:40 am
Strengthening U.S. air quality standards for fine particulate pollution to be in compliance with current World Health Association (WHO) guidelines could save more than 140,000 lives over the course of a decade, according to a new study from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Jun 11, 2020, at 12:44 pm
Today, tropical monsoons influence the weather greatly. This can be seen especially clearly from mid-May to late summer. The comfortable temperature and dry air are replaced by torrential rains. Weather forecast in India for the near future: forecasters warn residents thatthenorth-east gusty wind will start blowing soon. Only in autumn it will become possible to enjoy pleasant sides of the subequatorial climate.
COVID-19 crisis causes 17 percent drop in global carbon emissions: Study
May 20, 2020, at 11:43 am
New York/IBNS: The COVID-19 global lockdown has had an “extreme” effect on daily carbon emissions, but it is unlikely to last - according to a new analysis by an international team of scientists.
Global energy demand to plunge this year: International Energy Agency
May 01, 2020, at 10:00 am
New York/IBNS: The Covid-19 pandemic represents the biggest shock to the global energy system in more than seven decades, with the drop in demand this year set to dwarf the impact of the 2008 financial crisis and result in a record annual decline in carbon emissions of almost 8 percent, International Energy Agency said.
Blueprint launched to manage Earth’s fragile peatland carbon sinks
Mar 19, 2020, at 12:59 pm
New York/IBNS: A blueprint for how countries can keep carbon in fragile land-based carbon sinks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions has been unveiled by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
USC study connects air pollution, memory problems and Alzheimer’s-like brain changes
Nov 22, 2019, at 05:26 pm
Washington/IBNS: Women in their 70s and 80s who were exposed to higher levels of air pollution experienced greater declines in memory and more Alzheimer’s-like brain atrophy than their counterparts who breathed cleaner air, according to USC researchers.
After this year’s Climate Action Summit, what happens next?
Oct 13, 2019, at 05:19 pm
New York: People across the world need to embrace “fundamental change” in order to combat climate change and meet the target of restricting the increase in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius, Claudio Forner, from UN Climate Change in Bonn, told UN News in an interview that took place following the Climate Action Summit.
‘Bicycle Kingdom’ makes a comeback, as China seeks solutions to tackle air pollution crisis
Jun 04, 2019, at 09:44 am
New York, June 4 (IBNS): Cars have replaced bicycles as the primary means of transport in many Chinese cities but, with air pollution a major problem for the country, the bike is making a comeback, thanks to digital technology, and some 21st Century thinking.
Exposure to air pollution before and after birth may hit fundamental cognitive abilities: Study
Jun 01, 2019, at 06:03 pm
Barcelona,June 1 (IBNS): A growing body of research suggests that exposure to air pollution in the earliest stages of life is associated with negative effects on cognitive abilities.
World Migratory Bird Day highlights deadly risks of plastic pollution
May 12, 2019, at 09:41 pm
New York, May 12 (IBNS): Saturday marked World Migratory Bird Day which, this year, is raising awareness about the serious threats that plastic pollution poses to bird life, with a call for urgent measures to end the problem.
Teenage psychotic experiences more common in areas with high air pollution: Study
Mar 29, 2019, at 05:34 pm
London, Mar 29 (IBNS): Research from King’s College London provides the first evidence of an association between air pollution and psychotic experiences in adolescence.
Air pollution, the ‘silent killer’ that claims seven million lives a year: Rights council hears
Mar 05, 2019, at 10:23 am
New York, Mar 5 (IBNS): Shifting to renewable energy could save up to 150 million lives by the end of the century amid concerns that six billion people regularly inhale air “so polluted that it puts their life, health and well-being at risk”, a UN-appointed independent rights expert said on Monday.
Freezing pollutants removes them from indoor air, study finds
Nov 11, 2018, at 08:00 pm
London, Nov 11 (IBNS): An international study, involving Nottingham Trent University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, aimed to address the severe effect that hazardous outdoor air pollution – which is thought to lead to more than 3m premature deaths worldwide every year – was having on indoor air quality.
Plastic-busting fungi may help tackle pollution, climate change: UN Environment
Nov 01, 2018, at 12:13 pm
New York, Nov 1 (IBNS): When it comes to helping green our world, organic mushrooms from the local market may be just the tip of the iceberg. A new United Nations-backed report reveals that fungi could help ween the world off its plastic addiction, by degrading polyurethane in just a matter of weeks.
World must unite against ‘preventable tragedy’ of ocean pollution: UN chief
Jun 09, 2018, at 08:23 am
New York, June 9 (IBNS): From carrying your own water bottle, to volunteering for a local clean-up, everybody needs to do something to stop plastic pollution from getting into the world’s oceans, said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his message for World Oceans Day.
India among top five nations with most pollution related deaths
Oct 20, 2017, at 06:28 pm
New Delhi, Oct 20 (IBNS): India is among the top five nations with most number of deaths due to pollution.
Mar 09, 2017, at 11:21 pm
London, Mar 9 (IBNS): Babies in prams accompanying older siblings on the school run are twice as likely to be exposed to harmful air pollution in the morning than in the afternoon, a new study has found.
New study reveals air pollution can alter effectiveness of antibiotics
Mar 03, 2017, at 08:33 pm
London, Mar 3 (IBNS): Researchers from the University of Leicester have for the first time discovered that bacteria that cause respiratory infections are directly affected by air pollution - increasing the potential for infection and changing the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment.