When did modern lizards originate? A beast from the Triassic Period offers answers
‘Cryptovaranoides microlanius’ lived in limestone cracks around Bristol about 250-200 million years ago
Fourth industrial revolution: World Economic Forum advocates it; others fear corporate takeover; who is right
Technology can never exist in isolation; it has to exist within social realities, say critics of 4IR
Deluged Pakistan faces significant health threats, WHO warns
Threats include malaria, dengue fever, polio, diarrhoea, COVID-19 and cholera; Maternal health to be affected and domestic violence will rise, UN says
Climate crisis: A quarter of all critical infrastructure in US may become inoperable in 2021
At least 2 million miles of road face the risk of becoming impassable due to floods
World freed from toxic leaded petrol: A global win
While global eradication of toxic lead in petrol needs to be celebrated, this also reminds us how tough it is to undo wrong if the evidence of …
West Africa records 1st death from ‘highly infectious’ Marburg virus
Case fatality rate of the infection is 24-88%
Roasted North: Why record-shattering heatwaves are burning the northern hemisphere
The heatwaves in the northern hemisphere are now frequent, early, intense and last longer as seen in Siberia last year and North America this year
Why we need a road map for ecological restoration in India
Identifying priority areas for restoration, enhancing biodiversity and preventing natural disasters should comprise areas of focus
Global warming caused over a third of heat-related deaths between 1991 and 2018: Study
The highest percentage of heat-related deaths caused by human-induced climate change (more than 50%) were in Iran, Kuwait, the Philippines, …
Accelerate efforts to end malaria: World Health Assembly adopts new resolution
7.6 million deaths, 1.5 billion cases averted since 2000, but global gains levelled off in recent years, flags WHO
Dragon in the room: Why China’s target of carbon neutrality is misleading
China contributed 27% to the world’s overall global emissions in 2019, surpassing the United States
COVID-19 has aggravated challenges to manage forests: UN Report
New UN report calls for greater sustainability and a greener, more inclusive economy to tackle the threats of COVID-19, climate change and …
Measles campaigns suspended in most countries; 140 million lives at stake, mostly children
In many countries the regular measles vaccine campaigns are delayed by over a year due to the pandemic disruptions
Biden’s climate summit: Major polluters ramp up climate ambition
The summit has put climate back on the agenda and forced leaders of major economies to confront the scale of the task ahead
How worried should you be about coronavirus variants? A virologist explains his concerns
While current vaccines may not prevent mild symptomatic COVID-19 caused by these variants, they will likely prevent moderate and severe disease, …
International Women’s Day: 10 million more girls at risk of child marriage due to COVID-19, warns UNICEF
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, as many as 100 million girls were at the risk of child marriage in the next decade
Paris Agreement goals: UN urges countries to update emission targets
Sixteen of the world's biggest emitters have not increased their emission reduction targets substantially or at all
WWF Global Futures pushes ‘nature-based solutions’ agenda
They are not only a distraction from reducing consumption and decarbonising all sectors of the domestic economy, but also promise to intensify …
Iowa caucuses did one thing right: Require paper ballots
Any problems with a paperless election would be impossible to fix, calling into public question the integrity of the whole process, and the …
Doha outcome adopted. US reserves its right to walk out later
US does a Kyoto again. It rejects the idea of equity by refusing to associate itself to any new agreement that is under the Convention.
Pact Politics
High political drama marks climate negotiations as the European Union strives to enforce the Kyoto protocol without the US. The South could play …
Focus on economic diversification imperative to cope with climate crisis: Report
Extreme weather events such as floods, hurricanes can lead to ‘physical stranding’ of natural resources, rendering them impossible …
Private sector must be engaged to restore degraded land
The onus of restoration lies on individual farmers, those organised as cooperatives and the companies that now know that long-term growth and …
Trump Administration files notice to withdraw from Paris agreement
The notice has no legal weight and does not begin the process of departure from the landmark climate agreement
Is Trump doing what his people want?
Seven in ten registered voters of the United States want the country to participate in the Paris Agreement