England on alert - the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) warns flooding from heavy rainfall could double in the next three decades

This is a wakeup call for England. The National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) cautioned that many properties could face risk of flooding from heavy rainfall. This could double in the course of the next three decades and the government has to tackle the issue on priority. The NIC says hundreds of thousands homes and businesses are already in high danger of flooding from so-called "surface water flooding" from heavy rain. The situation is serious. Rains are intensifying due to climate change and is growing. Therefore, unmanaged developments risk putting many more properties at high risk of this sort of flooding by 2055. Hence, the government has to increase investment in relevant areas. Two of these are river pollution and drought. These have dominated public discussion about water recently. The commissioners say, "But we risk ignoring a problem that can literally drop out of the sky at any moment." The head of the Environment Agency warned a failure to adapt to climate breakdown will threaten all aspects of life in Britain. English properties at risk of flooding to double in next 30 years without urgent investment, government warned. Delays in action on adaptation would mean our children would have to bear the burden.

The nature of adaptations could be to plant trees to keep cities cooler in the face of heatwaves, or develop more heat-resilient crops. Incidentally, nature of flooding from heavy rain varies from place to place. Widespread flooding in London in July 2021 damaged more than 1,500 properties, as well as health infrastructure and public transport. Another issue is concreting of roads. Concrete increases the risk of flooding because it prevents rainwater from reaching natural drains like streams. Instead, the rainwater flows down the street and into gutters. The NIC calls for adequate investment over the next 30 years to tackle risks associated with heavy rainfall.

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The Sunderbans in the delta of the Ganges in West Bengal plans to introduce home stay in order to improve tourism

Mauna Loa volcano, the world’s largest active volcano, erupts for the first time in nearly four decades

UNESCO want to assign endangered status to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia does not agree

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UNESCO want to assign endangered status to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia does not agree

In the words of UNESCO, climate change and the warming of the oceans have affected the Great Barrier Reef GBR, the world's biggest coral reef ecosystem. Hence, it is in danger. Frequent bleaching events pose a threat to the reef. There have been four incidents of bleaching over the last seven years and the first this year during a La Nina phenomenon. This typically brings cooler temperatures. Bleaching happens when the water warms, the corals lose the colorful algae living in their tissues and turn white. The UNESCO report recommended shifting the Great Barrier Reef to endangered status. It was the outcome of a 10-day mission in March to the reef off Australia's northeast coast that was added to the World Heritage list in 1981. However, Australia does not agree. Its environment minister said her government would lobby against this recommendation by a UN panel. Australia argues against Great Barrier Reef's recommended endangered status. The GBR contributes to the economy of Australia. Its heritage status attracts tourists and in case of an endangered tag, it could lose the heritage status. Prior to COVID-19, it attracted two million tourists every year and provided employment to thousands of people.

Officials from the UN cultural agency and the International Union for Conservation of Nature reported that in the absence of an "ambitious, rapid and sustained" climate action, the GBR is in peril. Environment minister Tanya Plibersek said the new centre-left Labor party government that has come to power has already addressed several of the report's concerns, including action on climate change. She said the new government has legislated to commit Australia to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent below the 2005 level by 2030. The previous government had committed to a reduction of 26 percent to 28 percent by the end of the decade. As managing director Anna Marsden said - "The Great Barrier Reef is a wonder, she's got her challenges, but she's definitely not on her last legs in any case."

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President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan quits as head of the governing Democratic Progressive Party after loss in election

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might not attend this year’s Christmas celebrations in Sandringham

Democrats retain control of the US Senate

Police arrest a student of University of Virginia suspected of shooting dead three football players of the school

An explosion in central Istanbul killed eight people wounded 81; the authorities suspect the involvement of a woman

Climate change has a direct impact on survival of insects who are necessary to maintain the ecological balance

Climate change has a direct impact on survival of insects who are necessary to maintain the ecological balance

The natural reaction when one sees an insect is of disgust. It reflects the feelings against the whole kingdom of insects. These include cockroaches, mosquitoes and creepy-crawlies of all kinds. However, ecologists say the decline in the population of insects is a matter of concern. It seems there are nearly 5.5 million species of insects on planet Earth. They are the most diverse group of animals on the planet and account for nearly 80 percent of animal life on earth. The worst part is that both the number and diversity of insects are declining around the globe. These are attributed to loss of habitat, pollution and climate change. A paper published before the ongoing COP27 commenced warns about possible consequences. These could include limiting the chances of a sustainable future with healthy ecosystems. A fading buzz: Editorial on impact of climate change on insects. The paper adds that fruit flies, butterflies, and flour beetles can survive heat waves, but are sterilised and unable to reproduce. They become zombies, the “living dead.”

The reasons for their disappearance are excessive use of pesticide by farmers, rising global temperatures, habitat fragmentation and destruction and so on. The consequences of their annihilation would be drastic. This us because insects enable plants to reproduce, through pollination, and form the base of the food pyramid. One of the fundamental mechanisms that made life on earth possible is insect-borne pollination among flowers and food crops. This is now in peril by this unfolding entomological disaster. Incidentally, species higher up the food chain get a greater attention of scientists, conservators as well as policymakers. Delegates at the COP27 will wrestle with funding, emission cuts, sustainable development goals etcetera. Their agenda should include reducing the use of pesticides.

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Midair collision between two WWII-era planes near Dallas kills at least two

Sea level rise from Hurricane Nicole washes away many beachfront homes in Florida

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Ganga Vilas cruise, the longest river journey of 50 days, will sail from Varanasi to Dibrugarh

Global carbon emission of China is lower to that of the United States

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The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 and has now banned women from using gyms

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautions planet Earth is on "the highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator"

The COP27 summit kicked off in Egypt and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautioned that planet Earth is on shaky ground. He used strong words and said our planet is on “the highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator." This summit is follows a year of violent effects of climate change. He quoted the examples of catastrophic flooding that killed more than 1,700 people in Pakistan and uprooted 1.3 million from their homes in Nigeria. He also mentioned about drought and withered crops in Europe, large scale starvation in Africa, and loss of fish from California to France to China. These are results of rise in emissions and global warming. In his words - "Humanity has a choice: cooperate or perish." Those present in the room included heads of state. They were Europe's Ursula von der Leyen, France's Emmanuel Macron and Colombia's Gustavo Francisco. The main purpose of the summit in Sharm el-Sheikh was to inject momentum into the two-week talks. Nearly 200 countries hope to agree on the collective steps necessary to slow climate breakdown. Antonio Guterres said - failing to work together will amount to a "collective suicide pact." COP27: Agree on climate action or face a 'collective suicide pact' - UN chief's ultimatum to world leaders.

Already the world faces fierce geopolitical tensions. These are due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, followed by subsequent food, energy and cost of living crises, and arguments over who should pay for the increasingly damaging impacts of climate change. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the conflict and soaring energy prices are "not a reason to go slow on climate change, they are a reason to act faster." In his words - "Climate security goes hand in hand with energy security." The PM did publicly thank Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el Sisi for his "leadership" at the talks. Simultaneously, he is pressing the Egyptian leader to release imprisoned British-Egyptian political activist Alaa Abd el Fattah. President Sisi was one of many to urge an end to the war in Ukraine. "This war must stop," he said in an emotive plea, adding that not just Egypt but likely the "entire world" was suffering as a result. However, the talks did offer some rays of hope. This is the first time that the concept of compensation made it to the agenda. This was to compensate countries for irreversible losses inflicted by climate change. Examples are - the loss of lives, collapse of jobs and sinking of islands.

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SpaceX launched the first Falcon Heavy mission in over three years

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UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres wants COP27 to close the ambition gap, the credibility gap and the solidarity gap

Speaking ahead of the COP27 climate summit in Egypt, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said the rich countries have a major responsibility. They must come forward and extend help to emerging economies to hasten their transition to renewable energy. UNSG goes on to say, unless the rich countries sign such a pact with poor countries on the climate, "we will be doomed." He adds - "COP27 must be the place to close the ambition gap, the credibility gap and the solidarity gap.” The points on the agenda should be to cut down on emissions, boost climate resilience and adaptation. They must also keep the promise on climate finance and address loss and damage from climate change. In fact, the former have emitted more than their share of heat-trapping carbon dioxide. They have done this by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas. On the other hand, in poorer countries like Pakistan, recent floods affected 33 million people. They have suffered more damage than their share of carbon emissions. https://news.sky.com/story/un-secretary-general-calls-for-climate-deal-between-rich-and-poor-countries-12738657.

Following last year's COP26 in Glasgow, the UN Environment Programme estimated that developing countries needed $70bn a year for adaptation. This figure could double by 2030. At the summit, poorer nations again requested developed countries to extend financial help. They needed these as compensation against irreparable climate-related damage. However, COP26 ended without a resolution. The commitment of $356m fell far short of expectations. The wealthy nations rejected the fund. UNSG Mr. Guterres said that getting "concrete results" on loss and damage is the "litmus test of the commitment of the governments" involved in the summit. He went on to add - "Loss and damage have been the always-postponed issue. There is no more time to postpone it.”

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Tension mounts in the Korean Peninsula as South Korea scrambles 80 of its stealth jets

Eruption of volcano in Tonga led to a plume of ash and water that went about 31 to 50 miles above the surface of the Earth

UNESCO predicts the world famous glaciers might disappear by 2050 due to global warming

Floods and stormy weather batter Britain, temperatures plummet below freezing point in many rural parts of the north

India imposed a ban on single use plastics but results are not showing even after three months

Missiles fired by North Korea leads to evacuation warning in parts of Japan

Forests of the southern Sierra Nevada become victims of climate change

North Korea fires at least 10 missiles, one lands close to the territorial waters of the South for the first time since the 1945

Greta Thunberg will not join the COP27 summit in Egypt

Forests of the southern Sierra Nevada become victims of climate change

Wildfires, drought and bark beetle infestations between 2011 and 2020 have led to the loss of nearly a third of all conifer forests in the lower half of the mountain range. This is according to a recent study published in a journal related to ecology. It puts the loss to eighty-five percent of the southern Sierra’s high-density mature forests. These have either lost density or became non-forest vegetation. Obviously, climate change is taking a heavy toll of the landscape of California. It is not only staggering but also often irreversible. Losses of this nature could have grave consequences for wildlife in the region. These include protected species like spotted owls and Pacific fishers. They rely on mature tree canopies for their habitats. In the opinion of researchers, the findings are another indication of the shifting climate regime. Moreover, these offer new insights that could help guide forest management and conservation strategies. Nearly a third of southern Sierra forests killed by drought and wildfire in last decade. The Sierra covers about a quarter of California’s land area. Hundreds of plants and animals call the region home, and the forest helps sequester carbon and store water for the state’s residents.

The problem is multifaceted. Human-caused climate change is contributing to warmer, drier conditions. These are converting once-green forests into brittle tinder and lengthening the window of time in which wildfires can burn each year. Wildfires once regularly simmered along the forest floors, today’s “megafires” are burning at high severity and searing some trees up to the top. Incidentally, the loss of forestland may be jarring to humans, but it is devastating for some creatures that call the Sierra home. California spotted owls, which typically occupy nest sites with huge canopy cover are left with fewer options in younger, sparser forests. Climate change is a “threat multiplier” and it might lead to irreversible disturbances in due course of time.

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North Korea fires at least 10 missiles, one lands close to the territorial waters of the South for the first time since the 1945

Greta Thunberg will not join the COP27 summit in Egypt

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Greta Thunberg will not join the COP27 summit in Egypt

Climate activist Greta Thunberg will not be a part of COP27 summit at Sharm el Sheikh tourist spot in Egypt. She disapproves of the country’s human rights record. In fact, she accused the forthcoming UN conference of being "held in a tourist paradise in a country that violates many basic human rights." She attended the earlier 2019 COP25 summit in Madrid when she was just 16. Later, she was there in the 2021 COP26 event in Glasgow. There was no conference in 2020 because of the pandemic. However, she has indicated she will not be attending this year’s COP27. She denounced it as an opportunity for "greenwashing, lying and cheating." In her words - "I'm not going to COP27 for many reasons, but the space for civil society this year is extremely limited.” She revealed this while promoting her new book ‘The Climate Book’ at the London Literature Festival at the Southbank Centre. She minced no words when she said - "It's important to leave space for those who need to be there. It will be difficult for activists to make their voices heard.” COP27: Greta Thunberg to boycott UN summit due to 'human rights abuses' in Egypt.

Incidentally, the venue of the conference this year is Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt. This is a country where there are nearly 60,000 political prisoners. Greta condemned Egypt's treatment of the prisoners. She took to Twitter and said - “We stand in solidarity with prisoners of conscience in Egypt & joined @copcivicspace petition urging Egypt to open civic space and release everyone arbitrarily detained ahead of #COP27." She also came to a protest in London outside the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. She stood in solidarity with a British-Egyptian free speech activist Alaa Abd el-Fattah. He has been imprisoned in the country for the past 10 years. Greta held a placard that read "Free Alaa before #COP27." COP is the Conference of the Parties – an annual UN-organised conference usually attended by world leaders and climate experts. Its aim is to discuss and take much needed action against the looming threat of climate change. However, the targets set at these summits are far off track. This is frustrating to people like Greta.

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could attend the COP27 climate summit

Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of Britain, had pulled out of COP27 Climate Talks in Egypt. The reason cited was “pressing domestic commitments” related to November 17 Autumn Statement. However, he could after all make a U-turn and attend following a major Tory backlash. It seems his rival Boris Johnson, who took a leading role at last year’s COP26 in Glasgow - was planning to go. Sources in No 10 says Rishi Sunak could make it to Egypt “if he gets enough work done.” Environment Department minister Mark Spencer told a section of the media - “He’s come into office, he’s got an inbox which is full to the brim. Clearly, he wants to concentrate on the financial statement and that’s what he’s doing. But if he’s able to get through all of that, you know, COP is very important. It’s important to the government, it’s important to our future, and so we’ll send out senior ministers. That’s yet to be decided who’s going to go.” These developments came after COP26 President Alok Sharma, a Tory minister, said he was “disappointed” while ex-Chancellor George Osborne said the PM had “mishandled” the situation. Rishi Sunak could attend COP27 climate summit in major U-turn after Tory backlash.

Mr Sunak has vowed to protect the environment as he sent congratulations to left-winger Lula da Silva for triumphing in Brazil’s presidential election. The PM tweeted they would work on “growing the global economy to protecting the planet’s natural resources and promoting democratic values.” Incidentally, King Charles agreed to host a climate change reception at Buckingham Palace after he was stopped from attending a summit in Egypt. The monarch had pulled out of the COP27 meeting on the advice of the government. It takes off in Sharm El-Sheikh next weekend. However, there was an announcement that he will hold his own gathering on Friday. Its purpose would be to bring together hundreds of business leaders and climate campaigners. The reception of the King at Buckingham Palace on November 4 will be on the eve of the UN conference in Egypt. The Palace said it will "bring together over 200 international business leaders, decision makers and NGOs to mark the end of the United Kingdom's presidency of Cop26 and look ahead to the Cop27 summit in Egypt."

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Storm Nalgae strikes the Philippines and leaves at least 72 dead

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Storm Nalgae strikes the Philippines and leaves at least 72 dead

Tropical storm Nalgae brought flash floods and landslides to provinces in the southern parts of the Philippines and left at least 72 dead. Nalgae, with maximum sustained winds of 59 miles per hour and gusts of up to 99.4 mph, made landfall in the eastern Catanduanes province. A spokesperson of the disaster agency reported the death of 67 people in the Maguindanao province. Apart from them, loss of lives was scattered in other regions. Another 33 are injured and 14 are missing. The storm could bring heavy and at times torrential rains over the capital, Manila, and nearby provinces. It will finally head towards the South China Sea. Death toll hits 72 as Tropical Storm Nalgae drenches Philippines. The capital experienced around 10 hours of continuous rain with mudslides, landslides and flash floods.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration warned that Nalgae (known locally as Paeng) will continue to cause flooding and rain-induced landslides as it crosses the country. Search and rescue teams pulled bodies out from the water and thick mud following flooding and landslides in the south of the country. The country witnesses an average of 20 tropical storms every year. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr sent condolences to those who had lost their lives in the storm. He also reassured the public that emergency services were deploying with supplies of food and other items to the hardest-hit areas. According to the civil defense authorities, evacuation completed for more than 7,000 people ahead of the storm’s landfall. The coast guard also suspended ferry services through most of the archipelago nation due to rough seas. This left hundreds of vessels and thousands of passengers stranded at ports. Civil aviation authorities canceled more than 100 flights. Scientists warned that storms of this nature kills livestock and destroys key infrastructure. These are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer because of climate change.

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Climate change a matter of concern for the security of Britain

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Climate change a matter of concern for the security of Britain

Britain is worried. Its national security appears on shaky ground. This is believed to be a fallout of the failure of the government. A parliamentary report cautions that the reasons for such a situation could be attributed extreme weather events caused by climate change. The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy consists of senior MPs and peers. It has urged the government to take control of the major security risks posed by the effects of climate change on critical national infrastructure. These include power, transport, water and communications. The world of today depends heavily on these factors. The report highlight salient issues of the recent past that could be pointers on possible repercussions in future. A few of these are – (i) loss of power to millions in parts of England and Scotland during Storm Arwen in November 2021 due to downing of power lines (ii) loss of lives in Scotland due to derailment of a train in August 2020 and (iii) heatwave of July 2022 when temperatures rose to 104F in the U.K. UK security in danger as govt fails to prepare for extreme weather sparked by climate change - report. The report mentions about finding "overwhelming evidence" that climate change is already having an impact on UK infrastructure and that "no minister has been taking responsibility" for adapting it.

The report follows a series of extreme weather events in recent years. It reveals an "extreme weakness at the centre of government." Moreover, the committee hauls up the ministers of "a severe dereliction of duty" and stresses that "even more severe weather - and consequent impacts - will be prevalent soon." These observations leads the experts to predict that high temperatures are likely to give rise to issues like sagging of electricity cables, softening of roads and increase in the frequency of flooding. These, in turn, might result in frequent failure of railway embankments. Chair of the Joint Committee, Labour MP Dame Margaret Beckett, said Rishi Sunak, the new Prime Minister “must pull all the strands of government together to mitigate against potential disasters… This government must finally recognise that prevention is better than cure and move on from their dangerously reactive approach to risk management."

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Nigeria, the West African nation, sees the worst flooding in a decade with more than 600 dead

More than 600 lives are lost in the worst flooding in Nigeria in a decade. It displaced nearly 1.3 million people and destroyed more than 200,000 homes. The flooding became an "overwhelming" disaster with many states unprepared in spite of warnings. That is what the minister for disaster management said. Forecasts indicate the flooding could continue until the end of November. The country is accustomed to seasonal flooding, but the condition this year is worse. In the opinion of the government, unusually heavy rains and climate change are to blame for such a situation. Another factor could be emergency release of excess water from dams in Nigeria and in neighboring Cameroon. Experts mention other factors like inadequate planning and poor infrastructure. The flooding that began in early summer destroyed large portions of farmland and disrupted supplies of food and fuel. Moreover, there are concerns about spread of disease. Nigeria floods: 'Overwhelming' disaster leaves more than 600 people dead. The disaster has affected 27 of Nigeria's 36 states.

Nigeria's minister for humanitarian affairs and disaster management, Sadiya Umar Farouk, requested local authorities to evacuate people living in the most high-risk areas. She added that the authorities have made provisions to provide food and other support to those affected. Incidentally, people usually come back to their homes on flood plains after the water levels recede every year. This is because many of them do not have the means to relocate. Inflation has battered the economy of Nigeria and many communities have to struggle for survival. Last month international agencies like the World Food Programme and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation revealed that Nigeria was one of six countries that face a high risk of catastrophic levels of hunger.

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Egypt will host COP27, the annual United Nations climate talks

Glasgow held COP26 last year but the world has changed considerably over the past year. The full form of COP is Conference of the Parties. There is now an energy crisis, the war in Ukraine, tensions over Taiwan apart from situations like the floods in Pakistan. These have changed the geopolitical concept dramatically. All eyes are now on Egypt where COP27 will be held in Sharm El-Sheikh between 6-18 November. Developing nations will look forward to Egypt, a middle-income developing nation, to provide a stronger platform to their demands. This is an annual event where leaders from almost 200 countries assemble. They put their heads together to evolve methods to tackle the crisis of climate change and its impacts. Apart from leaders, thousands of observers, civil society groups and media attend too. Incidentally, France hosted the 2015 talks. It led to the historic Paris Agreement where countries agreed the need to limit global warming to below 2°C, and ideally to 1.5°C, of warming above pre-industrial levels. COP27: Everything you need to know about the United Nations climate talks in Egypt. One of the attendees would be US President Joe Biden. King Charles, known for his focus on the environment when he was Prince of Wales, would not attend. He pulled out after discussions with Britain’s Prime Minister Liz Truss. As to the presence of Britain, there is no confirmation on whether the Prime Minister will attend, or whether business secretary Jacob-Rees Mogg will come instead. He supports fossil fuel expansion.

COP might not be the ideal process, but right now, it is the single biggest geopolitical forum for countries to join hands and work together to tackle a threat that has an impact on all of humanity. The violent flooding that ravaged Pakistan is a recent example of how climate change can uproot people from their homes and heap miseries on the community. A relevant issue that might come up is on whether richer countries, responsible for the vast majority of emissions, should pay reparations to poor countries. The latter suffers the worst impacts of climate change. Another contentious issue could be the untapped gas fields of Africa. In the opinion of Nick Mabey, chief executive of think tank E3G, countries could be divided over whether to exploit untapped gas or go straight from fossil fuels to clean power.

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Treaty to protect marine life on the high seas

There was no unity of thought on the subject of according protection to marine life on the high seas. Diplomats from around the world did meet but were unable to arrive at a consensus. The subject was about an agreement on a United Nations treaty meant to protect marine life on the high seas. The meetings went to a fifth round without any outcome and the U.N. headquarters in New York had to suspend the activities. These had been going on for two weeks and environmentalists had expected positive results that would go a long way to close a gap in international marine protection measures. There is no international treaty of the high seas and such a treaty is essential to grant protection to the biodiversity in two-thirds of the world's ocean. These are areas outside of national jurisdictions. Such a treaty would help protect marine lives. Nations Fail to Reach Deal on UN Treaty to Protect Sea Life. The global goal is to earmark 30 percent of ocean area as marine sanctuary.

The health of the ocean and climate change are interlinked. The oceans absorb most of the excess heat but the duration of these heat waves are getting longer and more frequent. Livelihood of people in the Caribbean depend on the health of the ocean. This is what Janine Felson, Belize's ambassador to the United Nations revealed. She said - “The ocean cannot afford further delay.” The talks centered on various aspects like how to share benefits from marine life, establish protected areas, prevent harm from human activity on the high seas and extend assistance to poor countries to acquire the skills and means for exploring the oceans. The failure to reach a deal was a disappointment for Greenpeace and others who had been campaigning but the talks will resume next year unless a special emergency session is called before the end of 2022. The goal is to protect at least 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030. In the words of U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Monica Medina - "We cannot let the tides and currents push us back. We must keep going.”

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Nearly half of the European Union faces worst drought in a 500-year record

Countries in the European Union are in a crisis. Severe drought is affecting agriculture, energy production and water supply. The picture is grim. France is handing out water; Serbia faces death of fish while Germany sees an evaporating river. In addition, Spain and Italy watch olive trees withering. This is the scenario of the EU as it suffers from the worst drought in a 500-year record. According to the EC's European Drought Observatory (EDO), nearly 47 percent of its land is now under drought conditions. Insufficient rainfall is the prime factor that led to drying out of the soil and consequent loss of plants and crops. In case dry weather continues, the situation could deteriorate. Climate crisis: Drought hitting nearly half of Europe - and it could last for months. Water levels in rivers, lakes and reservoirs across Western Europe are running low. Some have even dried up. As a result, there is stress on supplies of drinking water. This, in turn, hampers tourism and threatens the yield of crop. These have cascading effects.

These are the ill effects of global warming. Reasons of drought are many and the most serious one is lack of rainfall due to climate change. When rainfall comes in shorter and more intense bursts, the soil is unable to retain it. The result is flash floods and mudslides that wash away the soil. Moreover, the dry weather can and often does result in forest fires. These mean loss of greenery in the form of trees. The rise in temperatures lead to evaporation of water. Heatwaves are linked to global warming, and increase the demand of water as people seek to cool off. Right now, high temperatures and scant rainfall have drained the water levels of the Rhine. This is the commercial artery of Germany. Low water level is leading to delay in transporting the goods. These are pushing up freight costs several times. Moreover, low water levels in reservoirs lead to lower output of hydropower. Some countries that face this issue are Italy, Serbia, Montenegro and Norway.

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Moody on climate change – promote bullock carts and tonga (satire)

#Climatechange On his return from yet another of his foreign trips, Moody called in his men to draw up a strategy on how to contribute towards reduction of greenhouse gas effect. That was a hot topic of the day and was displayed on the notice board outside his chamber.
Present were Jet Lee, Sue Sharma, Nitty Gadcurry, Hash Budden, Baba Someday, Vicky Singh and Ranee-ji.
‘Tell me,’ Moody opened the discussions.’ How do we reduce this bad effect of greenhouse gases that are emitted by vehicles?’
‘We have to go in for alternate fuels,’ Nitty Gadcurry said. ‘We have already taken a step in that direction. We have begun work on alternate modes of transport like river transport. Once the Ganga is cleaned, there will steamers to ferry people from one place to another.’
Moody gave him a hard stare.
‘Steamers need diesel and that produces carbon dioxide gases. We must have something that does not need such fuels.’ ‘Well – we could have sailing boats,’ Sue Sharma suggested.
‘Yes. That is a solution,’ Moody said. ‘That is for water transport. How about road transport?’
‘We could reinvent the tongas and bullock carts,’ Nitty Gadcurry gave his solution. ‘They are totally pollution free.’

‘Hmm,’ Moody drew doodles on the paper in front of him. In the course of his interaction with world leaders, he had seen them doodle and he liked the idea. ‘Now – how do we go about introducing the change?’
‘Let us give them incentive,’ Jet Lee spoke for the first time. He knew all about incentives – if you want to get any job done, announce incentives.
‘What sort of incentive?’ Moody was all ears.
‘Let us announce that anyone who opts to ride to work on a horse will get an advance increment,’ Jet Lee gave an idea. Baba Someday wiped his beard and grinned.
‘If you ask me, I will say that when a group wants to come to work on a bullock cart or a tonga, they will get a paid holiday to a yoga resort in the Andaman islands.’ ‘Moreover, we can set up factories to construct tongas and bullock carts,’ Nitty Gadcurry added – ‘we can have these facilities in backward states – they will generate employment opportunities and people will see the face of acche din.’>br> ‘Yes Nitty-ji, let us begin work. I think we can get expertise to make these from abroad. Check out where these would be suitable and let me now. I’ll make my next trip there.’
Nitty Gadcurry was crestfallen. He had expected that Moody would ask him to go to that country to have discussions. (to be continued …)

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

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Lord Shiva and his take on climate change (satire)

#climatechange As is well known, Lord Shiva is a simple man with a distinct Bohemian trend – he does not worry about his dress codes, neither does he worry about food. He always has with him his trusted valet Bhringi and pet bull Nandi.
Lord Shiva is easy to please but, if annoyed, he can become a terror.
Right now, he appeared to be off mood. Bhringi stood before him with his head bowed down in shame - he could not get the dose of ganja for his master.
‘You mean to say they do not cultivate ganja anymore?’ Shiva asked.
‘They do it in a very low scale. But – the crops have withered.’
‘Why? Don’t they water the plants?’
‘They do. But – there is not enough water.’
‘What do you mean?’ Shiva banged his trishul three times on the rock.
Immediately Durga came out of the cave wiping her hands on the pallu of her saree. She was busy in the kitchen trying out a new recipe that she had seen on TV and Shiva’s summons irritated her.
‘What is this I hear?’ Shiva demanded to know. ‘I sent Bhringi to get me some ganja and he has returned empty handed. He says the ganja plants have withered due to shortage of water.’
Goddess Durga sighed.
‘It is all due to climate change,’ she said. ‘The world is turning topsy-turvy and the future looks bleak.’

‘Climate change?’ Shiva asked. ‘But – that is normal. Spring, summer, autumn and winter – there are rains and summer heats and winter colds. They have been there always. So – what is new?’
‘My dear Lord. Have you not heard the news? The meeting that world leaders held to tackle climate change? It was in all he TV channels.’
‘Sorry. I did not see the news. I was watching the promotion of those latest movies at that time. So – what is this climate change?’
‘It is to prevent global warming because the heat will melt the ice and human beings will be submerged. They must take action to ensure that such a situation does not arise. They must do away with petrol powered vehicles.’
‘How will they move about?’
‘They can walk or use cycle or use solar energy to propel their vehicles.’
‘I am relieved,’ Shiva grinned. ‘I will once again see those Pushpak raths in the air – horse drawn carriages that Ravan had used to kidnap Sita. And bullock carts on the road. I must inform Noah to keep his ark ready. In case worst comes to worst and the world is flooded, he will have to get into action. Do you have his mobile number?’ (to be continued …)

Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Lord Shiva learns of Moody’s plans to go to the Moon (satire)

The honey trap of Pat & Jolie (satire)

Baba Someday to use gobar gas and yoga for space flights (satire)


Foreign students for study in India nosedives from 13,961 in 2013 to 3,737 in 2014

Water scarcity in Prime Minister's constituency - blame it on Coca Cola

World Cup cricketer of Vadodara sells moong kachoris to make ends meet


Big B rides a scooter in Kolkata - shooting for another movie

International Jazz Festival at Stone Water Eco Resort in Goa

Ben Affleck talks on 'Batman V Superman'


Russian airstrike in Syrian town of Ariha kills at least 40

Turkey downed two Russian fighter jets - Putin says the US leaked its flight path

Gunman attacks Colorado abortion clinic - leaves 3 dead, 9 wounded