Whales and dolphins now have legal personhood in the Pacific — but one treaty won’t be enough to protect them

The treaty was formed by Pacific Indigenous leaders from Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Aotearoa (New Zealand) & Tonga

Let’s beat plastic pollution

Single-use plastics are still available; no data on how much of it a company generates

Zero draft of global treaty to end plastic pollution released ahead of Nairobi meet

Member States will be invited to start INC-3 negotiations in Nairobi on the basis of the zero draft text

Whale of a tale? The stories about whales helping tackle climate change are overblown

We don’t know enough to say whales help carbon storage — and what we do know suggests the opposite

Plastic-free planet: ‘No ambition coalition’ hijacks Paris meet on Day 2

Oil, gas and polymer producing countries were successful in severely delaying discussions on substance

‘The ship has reached the shore’: The planet finally has a treaty to protect life in the high seas

The high seas are areas of oceans that lies beyond countries’ national waters. These are the largest habitat on Earth and home to …

Life of Plastic: India’s petrochemical industry is a part of its ‘polymer problem’, says CSE; yet it is encouraged

India plans to position itself as a major exporter of basic petrochemicals, CSE’s new report hints

Stop making plastic, green activists demand at Busan meet

Activists from Break Free From Plastic, a global movement envisioning a plastic-free future, also called on countries to stop exporting plastic waste

Missed opportunity: UN session to save biodiversity in high seas ends without consensus

Treaty would have led to rules for protecting marine biodiversity in 2/3 of the world’s ocean areas outside national jurisdictions

A month into the ban on single-use plastic, Bengaluru shops still have it

Changes like the switchover from plastic to other materials cannot be implemented in a short period of time

Oceans Great Dying 2.0: Mass extinction haunts oceans

Scientists warn an imminent mass annihilation of marine species similar to one 250 million years ago that wiped out most lives in oceans 

Plastic: How it became the ‘lubricant of globalisation’

As countries agree to forge an international, legally non-binding treaty to end plastic pollution, a walk down memory land about the rise of the …

Climate crisis: Oceans may emit more ozone-depleting gases

MIT researchers note that oceans would emit more CFC-11 by 2075 than they absorb, and emit detectable amounts of the chemical …

Famous Cuddalore beach found to have high level of microplastics: NCPOR study

The Silver Beach in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu was found to have a higher amount of coloured plastic particles, compared to fragmented and …

Can the world beat plastic?

Pollution caused by plastic is a major issue in today’s world. But solutions to tackle it and dispose plastic waste safely do exist

Voluntary commitments can protect the ocean

Since the time taken to negotiate environmental commitments is not always worth the outcome, the UN Ocean Conference is doing away with this time lag

Why eat plastic?

New research reveals animals and marine species consume plastic debris because it smells and looks like a delicious meal

Blue growth essential to combat hunger, reduce poverty: FAO DG

African nations are increasingly realising the need to diversify beyond land-based activities and build their countries’ relationship with …

Science & Technology - Briefs

Science and Technology - Briefs

According to Report

Plastic pollution in Nigeria: whose job is it to clean up the mess?

Nigeria’s rivers, lakes and ocean are also full of discarded plastic

Plastic pellets on the beaches of Maharashtra: Should we be worried?

International Maritime Organization should classify plastic pellets as environmentally hazardous due to the chemicals that are added to them and …

Tropical waters have turned green in colour, courtesy climate change: Study

The green hue comes from chlorophyll, a pigment that helps microscopic plant-like phytoplankton make food; change in ocean colour indicates …

Land-based pathogens may hitch a ride on microplastics to oceans: Study

Microplastics can either float over long distances, spreading pathogens; or they can sink to oceanic depths, where filter-feeding animals reside …