Greenland’s vast ice enough ice melted on single day to cover Florida in two inches of water.

Greenland’s vast ice sheet is undergoing a surge in melting, with the amount of ice vanishing in a single day this week enough to cover the whole of Florida in two inches of water, researchers have found.

The deluge of melting has reached deep into Greenland’s enormous icy interior, with data from the Danish government showing that the ice sheet lost 8.5bn tons of surface mass on Tuesday (27) alone. A further 8.4bn tons was lost on Thursday (29), the Polar Portal monitoring website reported.

The scale of disappearing ice is so large that the losses on Tuesday (27) alone created enough meltwater to drown the entire US state of Florida in two inches, or 5cm, of water. Ice that melts away in Greenland flows as water into the ocean, where it adds to the ongoing increase in global sea level caused by human-induced climate change.

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The U.N. General Assembly has approved its first-ever resolution on vision.

The U.N. General Assembly has approved its first-ever resolution on vision. It calls on the assembly’s 193 member nations to ensure access to eye care for everyone in their countries, which would contribute to a global effort to help at least 1.1 billion people with vision impairment by 2030. 

The “Vision for Everyone” resolution, sponsored by Bangladesh, Antigua and Ireland, and co-sponsored by over 100 countries, was adopted Friday by consensus by the world body. According to the resolution, “at least 2 billion people are living with vision impairment or blindness” and 1.1 billion people have unaddressed vision impairment.

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Hayleys Fabric cuts carbon footprint by 15% with Sri Lanka’s largest solar roof.

• Contributes 6,241,500kWh of power per annum to the National grid
• Largest single rooftop solar installation in Sri Lanka
• 9,000 solar panels installed across 18,000 square metre rooftop
• Carbon footprint reduced by 4,065.45 tCO2.

Leading textile manufacturer, Hayleys Fabric further reduced its carbon footprint by 15% with the installation of the largest private sector rooftop solar power system in Sri Lanka, contributing 6,241,500kWh of power per annum to the National Grid.

Installed by sister company Hayleys Fentons, the rooftop solar project was set up at Hayleys Fabric’s primary manufacturing facility in Horana and is part of a broader campaign to reduce carbon emissions and align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Consisting of 9,000 solar panels installed across 18,000 square metres of the company’s primary manufacturing facility rooftop, the system has contributed 4.5 Mw to the National Grid since June 2021.

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Biodegradable lunch sheets compulsory from August 01.

The Environment Ministry has made the use of biodegradable lunch sheets compulsory from August 1, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said.

Addressing the media, he said biodegradable lunch sheets should be made available in shops from the said date.

Non-perishable lunch sheets made of polythene will be banned from August 1 and also their production and distribution.

However, a grace period of one month will be granted to sell the existing stock of lunch sheets which have already been produced. Any new production and distribution of lunch sheets made of polythene will be prohibited thereafter, the Minister said.

The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) and the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) will conduct raids to find whether the prohibited materials are still being produced. Law will be strictly enforced against the persons who manufacture and distribute in defiance of government order.

He also said a Cabinet Memorandum will be signed today (14) to submit to the Cabinet a list of banned items on eight other types of polythene and plastic products for immediate disposal.

Accordingly, the list of banned products is as follows: Single use straws and stirrers,  spoons, forks, yoghurt spoons and knives made of single plastic, volumes lesser than 400x500mm shopping bags, plastic string hopper trays, Polythene packed incense sticks and wicks, plastic garlands, plastic cups and Lunch sheets.

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EU proposes world’s 01st carbon border tax for import.

The European Commission on Wednesday 14 July 2021 put forward plans for the world’s first "carbon border tax" on imports of carbon-intensive goods, including steel, cement, fertilisers and aluminium, as part of a programme to meet its new climate target.

The border levy should be phased in from 2026, the Commission said. The measure is designed to protect European industries from competitors abroad not subject to the same carbon levies.

A transitional phase from 2023-25 will see importers monitoring and reporting their emissions.

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Human-wildlife conflict one of the greatest threats to wildlife species - WWF and UNEP report.

Conflict between people and animals, from China’s famed wandering elephants raiding farms for food and water to wolves preying on cattle in Idaho is one of the main threats to the long-term survival of some of the world’s most emblematic species, warns a new report from WWF and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), out today.

Human-wildlife conflict - when struggles arise from people and animals coming into contact - often leads to people killing animals in self-defence, or as pre-emptive or retaliatory killings, which can drive species to extinction.

The report, A future for all - the need for human-wildlife coexistence, highlights that globally, conflict-related killing affects more than 75% of the world’s wild cat species, as well as many other terrestrial and marine carnivore species such as polar bears and Mediterranean monk seals, and large herbivores such as elephants. 

The report featured contributions from 155 experts from 40 organisations based in 27 countries.

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China announced that it had removed giant pandas from its endangered list.

According to an article posted on the Ministry of Ecology and Environment's website, the population of giant pandas living in the wild in China had risen to 1,864 by 2013, up from 1,596 in 2003.

The head of the ministry's Department of Nature and Ecology Conservation told reporters that the rise "reflects their improved living conditions and China's efforts in keeping their habitats integrated."

The figures are based on a census of China's pandas carried out every decade since the 1970s in the three provinces that have the largest giant panda populations.

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The 130-Degree Fahrenheit Reading in Death Valley Ties for the Hottest Temperature Ever Reliably Recorded.

There’s one thing that many Americans can affirm right now: It’s freaking hot. In case you still had any doubts, Death Valley, California—the hottest, driest, and lowest place in the country—experienced a temperature of 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 degrees Celsius) on Friday, one of the hottest temperatures ever reliably recorded on the planet.

The National Weather Service reported the park’s searing hot temperature on Friday, adding that there was a one in four chance of Death Valley reaching 130 degrees Fahrenheit (54.4 degrees Celsius) yet again on both Saturday and Sunday. As of 12 p.m. on Saturday, the agency said that it was already 123 degrees Fahrenheit (50.6 degrees Celsius) in the Death Valley.

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Hemantha Withanage elected as new chair of Friends of the Earth International.

Hemantha Withanage, Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Justice in Sri Lanka has been elected as the chair of Friends of the Earth International. Hemantha follows Karin Nansen of Uruguay, whose two terms as chair ended in June 2021.

A science graduate from the University of Kelaniya in Sri Lanka, Hemantha joined the environmental justice movement in 1990 as an environmental officer for the Environmental Foundation Ltd. In 2004, he co-founded the Centre for Environmental Justice - the most visible environmental organisation in Sri Lanka today. From 2005-2008, Hemantha was Executive Director of the Philippines based NGO Forum on ADB, a network of civil society organisations monitoring the Asian Development Bank - for which he has also been the elected International Convenor a number of times. Hemantha has held leadership positions in number of other regional and international networks and is a leading environmental activist in the Asia Pacific region. Hemantha was an elected member of Friends of the Earth International’s Executive Committee from 2010-2018.

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Envirnment Ministry has banned all types of lunch sheets without publishing new gazette.

The Environment Minister, Mahinda Amaraweera, advised the ministry officials to take steps to ban all types of lunch wrapping sheets in the country without publishing a new gazette notification.

The decision was made by the Minister yesterday, after taking into account all steps that the Ministry had taken in the past to prohibit the use of lunch sheets.

On the earlier decision, the lunch sheet manufacturing companies have stated that they would take steps to introduce biodegradable material which would decay fast, but until now they did not honour it properly, the Minister said.

Hence, the decision was taken during a meeting at the Ministry with the Ministry Secretary and and officials from several institutions, including the Central Environmental Authority.

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The Asia Pacific Low Carbon Lifestyle Accelerator 2021-22.

The Asia Pacific Low Carbon Lifestyle Accelerator, launched by UNEP with Massive Earth Foundation supports revenue positive start-ups that make sustainable goods and services more readily available. From low carbon mobility options, to products that reduce plastic waste, to solutions that reduce the carbon footprints of our lifestyles.​

Asia is a dynamic hub for innovation and startups. The high profile of marine litter, and climate change has sparked interest among consumers to adopt more sustainable lifestyles.

Their  vision is to create a prosperous, but not wasteful society, and an economy that is self-sustaining. Individual efforts may seem like drops in the ocean. However, the impacts from the positive changes from these efforts in lifestyles and consumption patterns by millions of people will make significant contributions towards a more sustainable Earth.​

Source: https://lowcarbon.earth/

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Scientists warn of rise in sea level in Lakshadweep.

A study has projected that sea levels will rise around Lakshadweep Islands between 0.4 mm per year to 0.9 mm per year due to the impact of global warming. The study said the gradual rise in sea levels at the Lakshadweep Islands will affect airport and residential areas that are quite close to the present coastline.

A team of scientists studied the climate projections of sea-level rise and associated coastal inundation on the island. The team has projected smaller islands Chetlat and Amini are expected to have a major land loss.

Projection mapping indicated that about 60-70% of existing shorelines would experience land loss in Amini and about 70-80% in Chetlat.

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Colorado has its first litter of gray wolf pups since the 1940s.

A state biologist and district wildlife manager each spotted the litter of at least three wolf pups over the weekend with their parents, two adult wolves known to live in the state, Gov. Jared Polis announced in a news release. Most wolf litters have four to six pups, so there could be more.

The discovery comes after Colorado voters narrowly approved a ballot measure last year that requires the state to reintroduce the animal on public lands in the western part of the state by the end of 2023.

Gray wolves lost their federal protected status as an endangered species earlier this year. But they remain protected at the state level, and hunting the animals in Colorado is illegal. Penalties for violations include fines, jail time and a loss of hunting license privileges.

Gray wolves were hunted, trapped and poisoned into extermination in Colorado in the 1940s.

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Bill Gates and EU pledge $1 billion boost for green technology.

The European Union and an energy investment programme founded by Bill Gates plan to raise up to $1 billion to roll out the low-carbon technologies Europe is betting on to meet its climate change goals.

The partnership would see Gates-founded Breakthrough Energy use private capital and philanthropic funds to match funding provided by the EU. The aim is to together provide up to 820 million euros, or $1 billion, from 2022 to 2026.

Support will target hydrogen produced from renewable energy, sustainable aviation fuels, technology to suck CO2 out of the atmosphere, and long-duration energy storage.

Those technologies are seen as critical to slashing emissions from sectors like heavy industry and aviation, but remain too expensive to scale up without support and compete with cheaper fossil fuel alternatives.

The investments will focus on building large-scale commercial demonstration projects to reduce the cost of the technologies.

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Roadmap to create a green socio-economy in Sri Lanka.

Ministers presented a roadmap prepared with the aim of transforming Sri Lanka’s economy into a green socio-economy with sustainable solutions to Climate Change, to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

The plans were presented at a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat on May 24 with representatives of the “Presidential Task Force on Creating a Green Sri Lanka with Sustainable Solutions to Climate Change”.

The President instructed the relevant Ministers to prepare targeted plans to overcome the challenges in the areas of use of fertilizers, land, biodiversity, waste management, industries, renewable energy, urban and environmental education. Accordingly, the Ministries have prepared future plans following a comprehensive study.

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G7 ministers agree new steps against fossil fuels.

The world's major nations have taken further significant steps to help limit climate change.

G7 environment ministers have agreed that they will deliver climate targets in line with limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C.

That's far more ambitious than the previous 2C maximum.

Ministers also agreed to stop direct funding of coal-fired power stations in poorer nations by the end of 2021.

There's wriggle room in the statement, but the decision will send a clear message to development banks that still fund coal power in poor countries.

There's also an important commitment to safeguarding 30% of land for nature by 2030 to boost wildlife and help soak up carbon emissions.

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World’s Largest Iceberg breaks off in Antarctica.

An enormous iceberg, a little bigger than the state of Rhode Island, has broken off of Antarctica.

The finger-shaped chunk of ice, which is roughly 105 miles (170 kilometers) long and 15 miles (25 kilometers) wide, was spotted by satellites as it calved from the western side of Antarctica's Ronne Ice Shelf, according to the European Space Agency. The berg is now floating freely on the Weddell Sea, a large bay in the western Antarctic where explorer Ernest Shackleton once lost his ship, the Endurance, to pack ice.

The 1,667-square-mile (4,320 square kilometers) iceberg—which now the world’s biggest and has been called A-76, after the Antarctic quadrant where it was first spotted—was captured by the European Union's Copernicus Sentinel, a two-satellite constellation that orbits Earth's poles. The satellites confirmed an earlier observation made by the British Antarctic Survey, which was the first organization to notice the breakaway. 

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Darwin's Arch off Galapagos Islands collapses.

A famous rock formation off the Galapagos Islands known as Darwin's Arch has collapsed due to erosion, the Ecuadoran Ministry of Environment says.

It said the collapse was a "consequence of natural erosion". Images distributed by officials show only the two stone supporting columns remain. The formation, considered a premier diving location, is found in the northern part of the archipelago.

It was named after the famous English biologist Charles Darwin, whose study of the Galapagos Islands in the 19th century helped inspire his theory of evolution.

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Conservationist Nuklu Phom gets prestigious Whitley Awards 2021.

An environmentalist from Nagaland’s remote Longleng district, Nuku Phom has won this year’s Whitley Awards 2021, also known as the Green Oscar. Nuku Phom’s name, along with that of five others, was announced recently in a virtual award ceremony organized by the UK-based Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN). Nuku and his team want to offer alternatives that engage communities in conservation using the Amur falcon as a flagship.

He is the only indian to win prestigious award, annually awarding to individuals from the Global South by UK-based charity the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN). 

The award recognises Phom’s efforts at establishing a new biodiversity peace corridor changing the fate of Amur Falcons, which come to roost in Nagaland each year, from being hunted by locals. 

Worth £40,000, the award is for creating a new network of community-owned forests to protect Amur Falcons and increase biodiversity in Nagaland.

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Sir David Attenborough named COP26 People’s Advocate.

Sir David Attenborough has been named as the COP26 People’s Advocate for the UK’s Presidency of the UN climate change summit taking place in Glasgow in November 2021.

The renowned natural historian and broadcaster will address world leaders at major international events over the next six months, including the G7 Summit in Cornwall in June, to stress the need to firmly put climate and protection of nature at the top of their agenda.

He will put forward the compelling case to global leaders, key decision makers and the public for why action on climate change matters and highlight what actions need to be taken ahead of and at COP26.

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