Environment

BRUSSELS (IANS) - June 2025 was the world's third-warmest June on record, according to the EU-funded Copernicus Climate Change Service, trailing only 2023 and 2024. The global average surface air temperature in June reached 16.46 degrees Celsius. This figure is 0.47 degrees

India-West News Desk DALLAS, TX -  President Donald Trump has reignited criticism of renewable energy, claiming that the rapid expansion of solar and wind power has made U.S. electricity more expensive and less reliable. But new data out of Texas —

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI- The Kerala government has initiated a lawsuit against Swiss-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), seeking $1.1 billion in damages following a significant oil spill in May. The incident occurred when the Liberian-flagged container vessel MSC ELSA3 capsized

India-West News Desk SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Venture capitalist and environmental advocate Vinod Khosla has issued a sharp critique of U.S. climate policy, warning that legislative inaction is endangering lives. In a recent post on X, Khosla urged voters—particularly in Texas—to

NEW DELHI - Carrier's Indian unit has filed a lawsuit against the Modi government over new electronic waste (e-waste) recycling rules that sharply increase the fees manufacturers must pay recyclers—becoming the latest global firm to push back against the regulations. As Reuters reports,

Photo:Wikipedia India-West News Desk LOS ANGELES, CA - California lawmakers have approved sweeping changes to the state’s cornerstone environmental law, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), in a move that environmental and community advocates say prioritizes corporate interests over public health. Embedded

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - In the lush, undulating hills of Tripura, where the monsoon mist wraps the land in a gentle hush, a sweet revolution is underway—powered not by technology or infrastructure, but by fruit. Specifically, the Queen pineapple. Golden-yellow,

India-West Staff Reporter PITTSBURGH, PA — Vikas Khanna, a nationally recognized expert in sustainable systems and environmental engineering, has been appointed Interim Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at the University of Pittsburgh, effective July 1, 2025.

India-West News Desk SEATTLE, WA – A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from withholding billions in funding meant to build electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, marking a major legal setback in the administration’s broader rollback of climate initiatives. U.S.

India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - While Republican leaders continue to champion fossil fuels and vow to repeal green energy subsidies, voters and businesses in GOP strongholds have already embraced the clean energy revolution—especially solar. Since the passage of Democrat President Joe

LAMPANG, (IANS) – Fifteen mahouts and cavadis (assistants) from Tamil Nadu commenced a week-long training program on June 17 at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center (TECC) in Thailand here. This initiative, part of a broader effort by Tamil Nadu t, aims

NICE, (IANS)- The 2025 United Nations Ocean Conference concluded with more than 170 countries adopting an intergovernmental agreed declaration committing to urgent action to conserve and sustainably use the world's oceans.  The political declaration titled ‘Our ocean, Our future: United for

India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - The global fast-fashion behemoth, Shein, is facing increasing scrutiny over its environmental impact, particularly as its carbon emissions from product transportation surged by 13.7% in 2024. This notable increase was highlighted in the company's latest

MUMBAI (IANS) – Actor and environmental advocate Dia Mirza has called for replicating urban green spaces like “The Nest” across cities, emphasizing their role in children’s development and ecological restoration. Sharing visuals of a recent visit to the Mumbai Park, Mirza praised

NEW DELHI (IANS) - India is working closely with electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers to secure a stable supply of rare earth magnets, as delays in Chinese export clearances threaten to disrupt the sector’s growth, a report by Crisil Ratings revealed on

NICE, FRANCE (IANS)– India urged swift international action on ocean health at the third United Nations Ocean Conference on June 10, calling for an international ocean pact and a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty. India detailed its significant advancements in deep-sea exploration,

Photo: WMO India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, head of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), has received the prestigious United Nations Sasakawa Award 2025 for Disaster Risk Reduction. This award recognizes his exceptional work in drastically cutting down deaths from

MORIGAON, (ANI)– Over half of Assam's Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, home to the country’s densest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, has been submerged due to floodwaters from the Brahmaputra and Kopili rivers, disrupting anti-poaching efforts and forcing wildlife to seek higher ground. Forest

Photo: Instagarm MUMBAI (ANI)- The Indian documentary Turtle Walker, directed by Taira Malaney and produced by Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti, has been selected for a special screening at the United Nations Ocean Conference which will take place in Nice, France, from

Photo: www.gov.ca.gov India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other forecasters are warning of an exceptionally hot summer across the United States, with no region expected to experience cooler-than-average temperatures. According to NOAA's Climate Prediction Center, summer

Photo: Sanctuary Nature Foundation India-West News Desk NEW DELHI- Valmik Thapar, one of India’s most fearless and influential voices in wildlife conservation, passed away peacefully at his home in Delhi on May 31. He was 73 and had been battling cancer with courage

Photo: @MBGov India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - Early-season wildfires erupting across Canada’s prairie provinces are already threatening air quality across parts of the United States, raising fresh alarm about the long-term consequences of climate change and the increasing scale of fire seasons. According to The Guardian, the smoke from these

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI- Actor Dino Morea was summoned for questioning by Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing  in connection with the Rs 65 crore Mithi River desilting scam, officials confirmed. The investigation intensified after Morea’s phone number appeared in the

Photo: Indian Coast Guard India-West News Desk KOCHI – Indian authorities are racing to mitigate the environmental fallout from an oil spill off the Kerala coast following the sinking of a container ship in the Arabian Sea. The incident occurred on May

India-West News Desk FREMONT, CA- The Arunay Foundation, established by Sharmistha Chakraborty and Tarun Pruthi, has been named the 2025 Nonprofit of the Year for Assembly District 24 by Assemblymember Alex Lee. This honor coincided with National Water Safety Month and

LONDON (ANI) - Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) have found that the damage caused by the ozone hole to the Southern Ocean’s ability to absorb carbon can be reversed—but only if greenhouse gas emissions are sharply reduced. The Southern

Photo: Facebook India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - Former EPA chief Gina McCarthy says the U.S. climate movement is under siege but far from defeated, as states and businesses continue to drive clean energy progress despite a hostile federal environment under President

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY — A surge in climate-related disasters has helped push global hunger to unprecedented levels in 2024, with nearly 300 million people facing acute food insecurity, according to a new United Nations report released on Thursday. Droughts,

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - State-owned miner Coal India Ltd. announced on May 8 that it will invest approximately $3 billion in clean energy projects, marking a significant step in its efforts to decarbonize operations and support India’s broader climate

Photo: Caltrans India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - On May 7, 16 states, including California filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing the federal government of unlawfully withholding billions of dollars earmarked for building electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations. The legal action, brought

India-West News Desk NEW YORK, NY - The iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art were transformed into a vivid celebration of heritage and elegance as the Met Gala 2025 unveiled a visually arresting setting under the theme “Superfine: Tailoring Black

Photo: Fox News India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC – National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya received an unexpected gesture after announcing the closure of the agency’s last in-house beagle research lab: a bouquet of flowers from People for the

Photo: LA Zoo. India-West News Desk LOS ANGELES, CA – The Los Angeles Zoo has announced that its last two Asian elephants, Billy and Tina, will be moved to a larger, more naturalistic sanctuary at the Tulsa Zoo in Oklahoma, marking the

Photo: GovTech India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - In a move aligning with Donald Trump’s agenda of reversing everything possible that the previous Joe Biden administration had instituted, the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted on May 1 to block California's landmark

India-West News Desk SAN MATEO, CA – In a huge breakthrough for climate finance and agricultural sustainability, San Mateo, California-based Boomitra, in collaboration with the Social Carbon Foundation, has announced the first-ever issuance of soil carbon credits from smallholder farms in India. The

Photo: CEO Shantanu Agarwal (Inset) India-West News Desk HOUSTON, TX - Mati Carbon, a pioneering climate-tech company with deep ties to India, has won the $50 million grand prize in the prestigious XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition. Founded by Indian American entrepreneur Shantanu

Photo: USDA By Jon Hochschartner In the chaos of the current political moment, it’s easy — even for me, as a vegan activist — to forget about the most vulnerable and exploited group on the planet. I’m talking about animals, who we

India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC – The Trump administration has imposed steep new tariffs—reaching as high as 3,521%—on solar imports from Southeast Asian nations. Announced on April 21, the tariffs follow an investigation that found solar manufacturers in Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia,

BENGALURU (ANI)- The Art of Living Social Projects has been named Best Water NGO – Rainwater Harvesting at the Water Digest World Water Awards 2024–25. Since 2013, the initiative has helped revive more than 70 rivers and streams across eight Indian states,

Representational image. India-West News Desk NEW DELHI – Amid the rolling hills and verdant landscapes of northeastern India, the industrial town of Byrnihat is gasping for air. Once better known for its natural beauty, Byrnihat has become a cautionary tale of unchecked industrialization.

Photo: Ford's BlueOval City in Tennessee India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC — As Republican lawmakers on the House Ways and Means Committee work to extend the Trump-era tax cuts, they’re confronting a growing political challenge: billions of dollars in clean energy investments

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - In a country where over 28 million tons of sugar are consumed annually, a legal battle is brewing—not over production or pricing, but packaging. At stake: the environmental implications of choosing between traditional jute and

India-West News Desk DALLAS, TX - Mexico will immediately deliver water to Texas farmers, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced, in an effort to address its deficit under a long-standing treaty that has strained relations with the United States and triggered tariff threats

Photo (Left to right): Eshaan Patheria. Garima Raheja, Mahendra Patel (top row), Monali Priyadarshini, Vikas Dhamu (bottom row) India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - Five promising Indian researchers have been selected for the prestigious Inflection Awards, which recognize the 30 most outstanding

Photo: Screengrab from Youtube India-West News Desk SAN DIEGO, CA - As a 5.2-magnitude earthquake rattled Southern California on April 14, it wasn’t sirens or shaking buildings that captured attention — it was a small herd of elephants at the San Diego

India-West News Desk NEW DELHI - India is ramping up its efforts to address a growing e-waste problem, but major global electronics manufacturers are sounding the alarm over the financial burden of new government regulations. Companies including Daikin, Hitachi, Samsung, and others

India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC— President Donald Trump on April 9 signed an executive order rolling back federal water efficiency standards, including limits on showerhead flow rates. While signing the order in the Oval Office, Trump said it was "ridiculous" he has

Photo: ANI India-West News Desk NEW DELHI – India plans to introduce incentives for recycling 24 critical minerals, including lithium and cobalt, this year, as part of efforts to secure resources vital for the green energy transition, Reuters reports. These 24 minerals have been

Photo: Dennis Schroeder, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, DoE India-West News Desk WASHINGTON D.C- The momentum behind U.S. offshore wind energy has slowed, as economic pressures and renewed political opposition castuncertainty over the sector’s future. Once a key pillar of former President Joe Biden’s climate

Photo: NWS India-West News Desk WASHINGTON, DC - The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a dire warning on April 3 about "generational" flooding in the U.S. South and Midwest as powerful storms swept from Texas to Michigan, spawning tornadoes and claiming two