Environment

Photo: TIME. PURNIMA India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - Assamese biologist Purnima Devi Barman has been recognized on Time’s Women of the Year 2025 list for her groundbreaking conservation efforts to save the greater adjutant stork, one of the world’s most endangered birds. Barman’s

GUWAHATI (ANI)- The Himalayas, often called the "Third Pole," hold the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar regions and provide fresh water for more than 1.3 billion people downstream. However, rapid glacial retreat in recent decades has raised concerns about

Photo: Wikipedia India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - The Army Corps of Engineers has identified more than 600 energy and infrastructure projects that could be expedited under former President Donald Trump’s National Energy Emergency declaration, according to data published on its website, Reuters reports. West

NEW DELHI– Yoga guru and Patanjali co-founder Ramdev has blocked tech millionaire and longevity enthusiast Bryan Johnson on X (formerly Twitter) after Johnson questioned his claims about immunity-boosting and anti-ageing products. On February 18, Ramdev shared a video of himself running

Photo: YouTube/Guardian feed. India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC – President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk are pushing back against federal efforts to curb plastic use, reigniting the debate over how best to address climate change and pollution. On February 10, Trump

Photo: EPA, California India-West Staff Reporter ALTADENA, CA – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the County of Los Angeles have signed a lease agreement for a temporary staging area at Charles S. Farnsworth Park in Altadena to support hazardous waste

India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - The Trump administration has revoked $4 billion in U.S. commitments to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), a United Nations-backed initiative supporting over 100 nations in their efforts to combat climate change, Politico reported. The fund confirmed the decision,

India-West News DeskNEW DELHI – India is ramping up its investments in Argentina’s mining, oil, and gas sectors, with a primary focus on lithium, to support its energy transition. Indian companies, including state-owned Khanij Bidesh India Ltd (KABIL), Coal India, and

India-West Staff Reporter LOS ANGELES, CA - A new initiative called the Climate and Finance Innovations (ClimaFii) Alliance is set to help microenterprises in India and sub-Saharan Africa access clean energy technologies, boosting both economic growth and climate action. The program

Photo:CalFire India-West News Desk LOS ANGELES, CA - A new report from the World Weather Attribution group found that climate change made the conditions leading to recent Southern California wildfires 35% more likely. The fires, which killed at least 29 people and destroyed more

Photo:US Geological Survey India-West News Desk HONOLULU, HI - Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcano in Hawaii, erupted for the seventh time since December 2024. The eruption began on January 27 at 6:42 p.m. local time, feeding a small lava

India-West News Desk SRINAGAR - Kashmir has launched an ambitious initiative to geo-tag thousands of Chinar trees in an effort to conserve this culturally and ecologically significant species, which faces threats from urbanization, infrastructure projects, and diseases. Under the initiative, each tree is

India-West News Desk KATHMANDU – Nepal has announced a 36% hike in permit fees for climbing Mount Everest, the first increase in nearly a decade. The new fees, effective from September 2025, are aimed at boosting government revenue, which heavily depends on

KATHMANDU, (ANI)- The sweet orange industry in Nepal’s Sindhuli district, once a vital economic pillar, faces a severe crisis as rising temperatures and the spread of citrus greening disease devastate orchards. Over 80% of the district's sweet orange trees have

India-West News Desk MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - Google announced its first venture into India’s carbon dioxide removal (CDR) sector through a deal with Varaha, an Indian supplier based in Gurugram, to purchase carbon credits. The agreement focuses on producing biochar, a type

PAMPORE, (Reuters) – Nestled in a picturesque valley beneath the snow-capped Himalayas lies Pampore, a town in the Kashmir region, celebrated as the heartland of saffron cultivation. Known for producing the world’s most expensive spice, saffron, this region is synonymous with

LOS ANGELES, CA (Reuters) - More than 30,000 people evacuated their homes as wildfire ripped through an upscale coastal area of Los Angeles overnight, with Hollywood celebrities among those fleeing by car and on foot as flames engulfed homes and

India-West News Desk LOS ANGELES, CA - On January 7, President Joe Biden cemented his environmental legacy by designating two new national monuments in California, setting a record for the most land and waters conserved by any U.S. president. With this

BHUBANESHWAR, (Reuters) – Indian authorities said on January 2 they had completed moving toxic waste from the site of the 1984 Bhopal gas leak disaster, which killed more than 5,000 people, to a disposal facility where it will take three

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - For the first time in India, a census of coastal and wader birds is being conducted at the Marine National Park and Marine Sanctuary in Jamnagar from January 3 to January 5. Known as a

NEW DELHI, (ANI) - Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing the study of how chemical mixtures in rivers affect aquatic life, offering a new path for environmental protection. Researchers at the University of Birmingham, in collaboration with the Research Centre for

WASHINGTON, DC (Reuters) - The Biden administration on December 30 took steps to protect the Ruby Mountains in northeast Nevada from oil, gas and geothermal development for 20 years. The Interior Department said it had approved an application by the U.S.

Photo: National Park Service/Tim Hauf India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - The bald eagle, a longstanding symbol of America, was officially declared the national bird on Christmas Eve when President Biden signed new legislation into law. Despite its prominent presence on coins,

NEW DELHI (WAM) - India’s forest and tree cover now spans 25.17% of the country’s total geographical area, or 827,357 sq km. Of this, 21.76% is forest cover, while 3.41% is tree cover. The latest "India State of Forest Report"

NEW DELHI, (ANI) - World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that the climate crisis threatens to deepen global divisions and polarization. Sharing his thoughts on social media, Tedros reflected on his testimony at the International Court

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - Veteran Indian ecologist Madhav Gadgil (82) was awarded the prestigious Champions of Earth award by the United Nations (UN) on December 10 for Lifetime Achievement in conservation and protection of marginalized communities. He is the

India-West News Desk MUMBAI - Bryan Johnson, the American entrepreneur famed for his anti-aging initiatives, faced significant discomfort during his recent visit to India due to Mumbai’s air pollution. Johnson, in the city to promote his book Don't Die, shared his

India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - On December 6, 2024, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Solar Alliance (ISA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance renewable energy technologies and promote sustainable energy systems. The

RIYADH (ANI) - Three-time Grammy Award-winning musician Ricky Kej recently met French President Emmanuel Macron during a lunch organized in the president's honor. The meeting took place while Kej was attending the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Conference,

Photo: Ethnic Media Services By Selen Ozturk As California’s wildlife crisis deepens amid forester job shortages, the state has launched a new initiative to build up its forestry ranks. California has 33 million acres of forest land; for the 4 million of these

CHENNAI– In a pioneering move to address rising human-elephant conflicts during migration season, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department has implemented India’s first Artificial Intelligence-triggered early warning system. The system, operational in the Hosur Forest Division, provides real-time monitoring of wild

Photo: REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra/ NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's government plans to clamp down on polluting farm fires by measuring the areas burnt instead of live blazes, after reports that farmers were burning paddy waste or stubble at times when satellites were

Photo: Reuters MUMBAI (Reuters) - Rapeseed and mustard planting in India are set to drop despite higher prices, as above-average temperatures during the sowing season prompt farmers to switch to crops less affected by heat and which offer equally good returns,

BAKU (ANI) - UNICEF India Representative Cynthia McCaffrey has emphasized the critical need for India's active involvement in global and domestic efforts to combat climate change and address pollution, particularly its impact on children. Speaking about India's role on the international

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - Former WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan has emphasized that nearly everyone in India is now vulnerable to climate change, citing its impacts on health, gender, and economic stability. She highlighted that women and children

RIO DE JANEIRO (ANI) - President Joe Biden announced major climate initiatives during his recent visit to Brazil, aimed at intensifying the fight against climate change. While attending the G20 Summit on November 18 in Rio de Janeiro, Biden became the first

BAKU (ANI) - India on November 19 emphasized the urgent need for developed countries to take leadership in mitigating climate change and providing adequate carbon space for developing nations, highlighting the disproportionate financial burden on the Global South. Delivering the national

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - Ajay Banga, Gaurav Sant, and Sandeep Nijhawan were three Indian Americans featured in TIME magazine’s 2024 list of the 100 most influential climate leaders in business. These leaders represented a growing movement of individuals driving meaningful progress in

Photo: Reuters/Dan Koeck CHICAGO, IL (Reuters) - The return of drought in U.S. cattle-producing areas is delaying ranchers' plans to expand production after the nation's herd shrank to its smallest level in seven decades, farmers and analysts said. Tight cattle supplies are

Photo: Reuters/Anushree Fadnavis NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India's government banned non-essential construction in New Delhi, the world's most polluted capital, and urged residents to avoid burning coal for heating, to combat worsening air quality that has disrupted flights and obscured the Taj

Photo: Reuters/Brendan McDermid WASHINGTON, DC (Reuters) - Donald Trump said on November 11 he will appoint Republican former Congressman Lee Zeldin, who often voted against legislation on green issues including a measure to stop oil companies from price gouging, to head

BAKU, AZERBAIJAN (Reuters) - US climate envoy John Podesta on November 11 urged governments to keep faith in the country's promise to combat global warming, saying Donald Trump can slow, not stop, the transition from fossil fuels when he returns

Photo: Reuters/Aziz Karimov BAKU, (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of people from around the globe are gathering for COP29, the annual UN climate summit, here in Azerbaijan’s capital. But as each year’s summit has produced its own set of promises, plans and

Photo: Reuters/Aziz Karimov BRUSSELS/JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) - China has put trade talks onto the proposed agenda for the COP29 summit, a U.N. document showed, raising the prospect that the issue could disrupt the start of global climate talks. The draft agenda for this

By Farwa Aamer As South Asia faces the escalating impacts of climate change, the region’s ability to respond effectively hinges on more than just access to climate finance and technical solutions. A critical yet often underexplored dimension is the political economy that

By Farwa Aamer The sixth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlights South Asia’s acute vulnerability to climate change, which is exacerbated by developmental constraints, pervasive poverty, governance challenges, and reliance on climate-sensitive livelihoods. The International Monetary Fund’s Climate Change

WASHINGTON, DC(ANI) -  A 29-year-old Tibetan environmental whistle-blower from Ngaba is currently in detention following the viral release of a video on Chinese social media exposing illegal sand and gravel mining in his hometown of Cha'erm.His video, which highlighted severe

By Valerie Volcovici and Gram Slattery WASHINGTON, DC (REUTERS) - Donald Trump has promised to gut U.S. President Joe Biden's climate subsidies if elected. But many of Trump's allies are benefiting from them thanks to big investments in solar power, electric

Photo: Reuters/Bhawika Chhabra NEW DELHI, (REUTERS) - At least 16 farmers have been arrested in Haryana for illegally burning paddy stubble to clear fields, a practice that stokes air pollution in the region around New Delhi at the onset of winter,

NEW DELHI (ANI) - As Delhi grapples with rising air pollution, toxic foam is floating on the Yamuna River in the Kalindi Kunj area. A resident said that pollution near the Akshardham area had increased a lot in the past two