Homes that breathe

Homes that breathe

The rapidly worsening air quality in India has a direct correlation to our housing choices. Increasing urbanisation, industrial proliferation and population growth are prompting homebuyers to prioritise the quality of their living environments. Many suburban areas with lower population density and more green open spaces offer relief from urban pollution. Planned cities such as Chandigarh, … Read more

China air pollution worsens in 2023, first time in decade: Study

China air pollution worsens in 2023, first time in decade: Study

China’s air pollution worsened in 2023, the first time it has done so in a decade, a study released on Friday said. “2023 is the first year that China’s national average PM2.5 level has increased year-on-year since the beginning of China’s ‘war on pollution’ in 2013,” a study by independent research organisation the Centre for … Read more

Can you be denied health insurance cover for pollution induced hospitalisation?

Can you be denied health insurance cover for pollution induced hospitalisation?

Pankaj Vashishtha, CEO & Co-Founder, Policy Ensure, says “group mediclaims are generally taken by the companies which are taken for their employees where normally, a sum insured is very less for each employee depending on what is the kind of role it is there and kind of a designation it is there. So, it is … Read more

Morning Digest | India lodges ‘strong protest’ with China over new map; Pragyan rover confirms sulphur at Moon’s south pole, and more

Morning Digest | India lodges ‘strong protest’ with China over new map; Pragyan rover confirms sulphur at Moon’s south pole, and more

Rollout of rover of ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 from the lander to the lunar surface, as observed by Lander Imager Camera. File. | Photo Credit: PTI India protests China’s map claiming Indian territory, MEA says it ‘complicates’ border resolution India has lodged a “strong protest” with China over the publication of a new map that was released … Read more

Thailand’s air pollution becoming a tourism issue | CNN

Thailand’s air pollution becoming a tourism issue | CNN

High pollution levels in Thailand’s northern city of Chiang Mai and surrounding provinces are keeping tourists away and alarming locals, with the government on Monday, April 10, urging residents to avoid outdoor activities. For several weeks last month the city was at the top of air quality information platform IQAir’s global chart on poor air … Read more

Smoke from forest fires blankets northern Thailand in thick pollution | CNN

Smoke from forest fires blankets northern Thailand in thick pollution | CNN

Bangkok, Thailand CNN  —  Smoke from fires in northern Thailand is making it hard to breathe, and at least one hospital in Chiang Mai says it’s reached “full ward capacity” as people present with respiratory issues from breathing air pollution. Air pollution has been a longstanding problem in Thailand, usually caused by heavy road traffic … Read more

EU was set to ban internal combustion engine cars. Then Germany suddenly changed its mind | CNN Business

EU was set to ban internal combustion engine cars. Then Germany suddenly changed its mind | CNN Business

CNN  —  When EU lawmakers voted to ban the sale of new combustion engine cars in the bloc by 2035, it was a landmark victory for climate. In February, the European Parliament approved the law. All that was needed was a rubber stamp from the bloc’s political leaders. Then Germany changed its mind. In a … Read more

Plastic waste reducing depth of Uppalapadu lake in Andhra Pradesh, harming migratory birds, say experts

Plastic waste reducing depth of Uppalapadu lake in Andhra Pradesh, harming migratory birds, say experts

Plastic waste left behind by visitors is drastically reducing the depth of the Uppalapadu Bird Sanctuary in Guntur district and harming migratory birds, say experts from Acharya Nagarjuna University. According to sources, water level in the lake has fallen considerably from what it was in 1996-97, the year it was taken over by the Andhra … Read more

A trash heap 62 meters high shows the scale of India’s climate challenge | CNN

A trash heap 62 meters high shows the scale of India’s climate challenge | CNN

New Delhi CNN  —  At the Bhalswa landfill in northwest Delhi, a steady flow of jeeps zigzag up the trash heap to dump more garbage on a pile now over 62 meters (203 feet) high. Fires caused by heat and methane gas sporadically break out – the Delhi Fire Service Department has responded to 14 … Read more

Great Barrier Reef should be placed on the ‘in danger’ list, UN-backed report shows | CNN

Great Barrier Reef should be placed on the ‘in danger’ list, UN-backed report shows | CNN

CNN  —  The Great Barrier Reef should be added to the list of world heritage sites that are “in danger”, a team of scientists concluded after conducting a mission to the world’s largest coral reef system. In a new UN-backed report released on Monday, the scientists said that the reef is facing major threats due … Read more