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Climate Change’s Silent Victims: Urgent Action Needed for Biodiversity

As the globe hurtles toward a climate tipping point, the discourse on climate change has rightly focused on rising temperatures, environmental disasters, and human displacement. Yet amidst these loud alarms, the cries of another set of victims are barely heard—the vanishing species and collapsing ecosystems that form the biodiversity of our planet.

India, one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world, is witnessing an alarming rate of species extinction and habitat loss. The situation demands not just environmental awareness, but urgent legal reform that aligns biodiversity protection with climate change mitigation.

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India-EU Relations: Charting New Vistas for Climate Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific

Following EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s 2025 visit to India, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to a free, open, and climate-resilient Indo-Pacific, building on frameworks like the EU-India Clean Energy and Climate Partnership. Both parties are positioned to collaborate on clean energy, climate adaptation, and sustainable development. While India has initiated solar projects and funding support for island nations, its impact could be significantly scaled with EU support through technology transfer, climate finance, and strategic alignment. This emerging alliance could not only address regional vulnerabilities but also help bridge the Global North-South divide in the global climate response.

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Labubu, Stanley, Matcha: Are Your “Must-Haves” Harming The Planet?

Ever thought your favorite Stanley cup or Labudu toys or matcha latte might be hurting the planet? This article may make you pause. It unpacks how even the trendiest “must-haves” like Labubu toys come with hidden climate costs—from overproduction to waste. It’s a wake-up call to rethink how our personal choices add up in the fight against climate change. As of now, nearly 80% of all toys end up in landfills, incinerators or the ocean and account for almost 6% of landfill plastics.

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New Plastic Dissolves In The Ocean Overnight, Leaving No Microplastics

A new type of plastic that dissolves in ocean water overnight without leaving microplastics? Sounds bizarre, but is now a reality. Developed by researchers in Japan, this innovative material is designed to break down quickly and safely in marine environments, addressing the growing problem of plastic pollution. Unlike conventional plastics, which can persist for centuries, this new material decomposes within hours when exposed to seawater, leaving no harmful residues. Potential applications include single-use items like packaging and fishing gear, which are major contributors to ocean pollution. The breakthrough could significantly reduce the environmental impact of plastics, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics, especially for items at risk of ending up in marine ecosystems.

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Reviving Roots: Jugaad-Driven Sustainability in India’s Old Markets

The article emphasizes how traditional trades contribute to reducing waste and conserving resources through ‘jugaad’, offering a deeply local solution to global environmental concerns. It depicts India’s fading but resilient repair and reuse culture through a visual and narrative journey across five cities, highlighting traditional artisans and marketplaces, it celebrates sustainability embedded in Indian daily life through jugaad!

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Groundwater Extraction Moved Earth’s Axis- Tubewells Changed The Planet

Excessive groundwater extraction—over 2,100 gigatons between 1993 and 2010—has shifted Earth’s axis by nearly 80 cm and contributed to rising sea levels. This human-driven change outweighs the impact of melting ice sheets on polar motion. Major contributors include western North America and northwestern India. While the tilt won’t affect seasons, it reveals how over-pumping groundwater can destabilize the planet, emphasizing the need for sustainable water use.

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Plastic in every level of food web, say scientists

A study by the Universities of Sussex and Exeter found microplastics in nearly every level of the terrestrial food web. About 12% of over 580 invertebrates examined contained plastic, with earthworms showing the highest contamination. Polyester was the most common type found. Researchers warn this pollution threatens biodiversity and highlights that plastic pollution is a serious land-based issue, not just a marine concern.

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Nothing to fear from Trumps higher tariff threat in agriculture

When I recently read that the US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick had very specifically asked India to open up its market for highly subsidized American farm produce, I am reminded of what a former Chief Economist of the World Bank, Nicholas Stern, during his travels in the country at that time, had succinctly remarked: “I agree it is a sin to provide the US farmers the kind of subsidies they get, but it will be a recipe for disaster if India does not open up.”

The same kind of hypocrisy has been exhibited time and again by successive US Secretaries of Agriculture.

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Going Bananas: How Climate Change Threatens the World’s Favourite Fruit

The climate crisis is threatening the future of the world’s most popular fruit, as almost two-thirds of banana-growing areas in Latin America and the Caribbean may no longer be suitable for growing the fruit by 2080, new research has found.
Rising temperatures, extreme weather and climate-related pests are pummeling banana-growing countries such as Guatemala, Costa Rica and Colombia, reducing yields and devastating rural communities across the region.

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Climate change is disrupting the human gut in a new path to illness

Research has already found that high atmospheric carbon dioxide levels can diminish the quantity of plant micronutrients like phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and iron, along with protein concentrations in vital crops; these effects add to the complexities that affect the gut microbiota. Climate-driven food shortage and undernourishment could affect the composition of the human gut microbiota, exacerbating the effects of climate change on human health, according to a new review article published in The Lancet Planetary Health.

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