News: Many climate activists and scientists are reassuring that the climate crisis can be solved rapidly without any changes to lifestyle, society or the economy. They suggest paths such as a) Switching from fossil fuels to renewable power, electric vehicles and energy efficiency technologies, b) Adding seaweed to livestock feed to cut methane and c)… Continue reading Net Zero by 2050 will hit a major timing problem technology can’t solve. We need to talk about cutting consumption
Tag: down to earth
Climate change is real: Strong cyclones to reduce in Bay of Bengal, rise in Arabian Sea by 2050, says study
What is the News? A study has been published in the Science Advances estimating the impact of Climate Change on Cyclones. What are the key findings of the study? Increase in Tropical Cyclones Tropical cyclones could become fiercer and more frequent under current climate change. The global cyclone count could double by 2050 from the… Continue reading Climate change is real: Strong cyclones to reduce in Bay of Bengal, rise in Arabian Sea by 2050, says study
Denied & discouraged: Why youths not looking for jobs can be a crisis for India
Context: In March 2022, India’s labour participation rate (LPR) fell to 39.5% from 39.9% in February, according to a report by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). This is lower than the rate during the country’s second COVID-19 wave in June 2021, when it was 39.6%. Labour participation rate is a measure of the… Continue reading Denied & discouraged: Why youths not looking for jobs can be a crisis for India
Increase in disasters leads to spike in intentional homicides of women: UN Report
What is the News? The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has released a report titled “Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2022: Our World at Risk: Transforming Governance for a Resilient Future”. What are the key findings of the report? Disasters Every year between 350 and 500 medium to large-scale disasters took… Continue reading Increase in disasters leads to spike in intentional homicides of women: UN Report
Electric vehicles have a dark side too: Blood batteries and child labour
Context: EVs are being pitched as cleaner, greener and sustainable. But are they? Underlying the shiny exteriors of an electric vehicle lies a shocking story of blood batteries, extreme poverty and child labour. What is the usage of Cobalt in production of EVs? Electric cars use batteries. Lithium and cobalt which make up these batteries… Continue reading Electric vehicles have a dark side too: Blood batteries and child labour
Fulfilling CoP26 promises can limit global warming to 2°C: Study
What is the News? According to a study, Global warming can be limited to 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels if all the conditional and unconditional pledges to the Paris Agreement are implemented in full and on time. What is the study about? The study has analyzed 154 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and 76 long-term… Continue reading Fulfilling CoP26 promises can limit global warming to 2°C: Study
Niti Aayog’s battery swapping policy provides direction, but lacks a constructive roadmap
Context: The Niti Aayog released the first draft of the Battery Swapping Policy 2022 on April 21, 2022, to improve interoperability and push for faster adoption of electric vehicles (EV) in the two-wheeler and three-wheeler segment. Why the battery swapping segment if significant? This segment has competitive prices compared to others. Further, it also constitutes… Continue reading Niti Aayog’s battery swapping policy provides direction, but lacks a constructive roadmap
Seafloor spreading that creates crust slowed 35%, growing mountains may be driving it: Study
What is the News? According to a study that analyzed data from the last 19 million years, seafloor spreading rates have slowed down by roughly 35% globally. What is Sea Floor Spreading? Seafloor spreading is a geological process that creates crusts, the outermost shell of Earth. In this process, new oceanic crust forms continuously along… Continue reading Seafloor spreading that creates crust slowed 35%, growing mountains may be driving it: Study
Genetically modified mosquitoes for controlling vector-borne diseases? Successful trial gives hope
What is the News? Oxitec, the UK-based company, has said that the first open-air study of Genetically Modified Mosquitoes(GMM) in the United States has yielded positive results. What are Genetically Modified Mosquitoes(GMM)? These are the mosquitoes whose genome has been altered using recombinant DNA technology. Their genome is altered in a way to favour the… Continue reading Genetically modified mosquitoes for controlling vector-borne diseases? Successful trial gives hope
A new pandemic has struck the world: Food inflation
What is the News? According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Food prices have increased by almost 75% since mid-2020. What has been the trend of Food Prices worldwide? Food prices are increasing at an unprecedented rate worldwide. For instance, the FAO World food price Index averaged 159.3 points in March 2022 breaking an… Continue reading A new pandemic has struck the world: Food inflation
