-Mongabay.com * A recent report on climate change by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that nearly 38 percent of the world’s population is vulnerable to the rise in sea level. * COVID-19 has shown that if push comes to shove, countries do take extreme measures to save lives and livelihoods, and thus answer to what can be done to tackle climate change lies in changing our approach to both...

-Down to Earth Union govt was aware of high mortality even as PM Modi played up rise in count Ninety-two Asiatic lions have died in Gujarat’s Asiatic Lion Landscape (ALL) since January 2020, according to a Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) committee report. ALL includes Gir National Park and Sanctuary and covers eight districts of Gujarat, including Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Porbandar, Rajkot, Gir-Somnath, Botad and Jamnagar, according to the...

-The Hindu Leaders should act on the climate crisis with the same alacrity they have shown towards COVID-19 Two interrelated curves began their upward trend two centuries ago with the advent of the industrial age. The first curve was the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (or, more generally, all greenhouse gases, GHGs) and the second was the average global temperature curve. An upward trend Actually, the CO2 curve began its upward march about 18,000...

-Down to Earth Less availability of meat, long-term unemployment increased instances of hunting in Tamil Nadu Wildlife hunters — seizing the opportunity provided by the nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) — have targeted animals in Tamil Nadu’s biodiversity-rich areas. The state has a lot of biodiversity: From deciduous Forests to the Western Ghats that are home to rare animals and plants. Restricted movement of transport and human...

-Down to Earth Central environment ministry reports diversion of 11,467 hectares Forest land in 2019 (up to first week of November) The diversion of Forest land for other purposes continued throughout India. A total 11,467.83 hectares (114.68 square kilometre) Forest lands were diverted in 22 states between January 1 and November 6, 2019, the Union government admitted. This diversion was for 932 non-Forestry projects under the Forest (Conservation) Act (FCA), 1980, according to...