It’s a truism that water will be the cause of the next world war. But a new diplomatic agreement shows why that belief is false.
India
The 10 Most Polluted Cities in the World
Four of them are in Iran
EcocentricDisasters
A Storm and a Stampede in India Highlight the Ups and Downs of Disaster Response
A powerful storm yields only a small death toll thanks to smart response from the Indian government. But a tragic and deadly stampede shows how far the country needs to go.
EcocentricDisasters
How Shoddily Constructed Buildings Become Weapons of Mass Destruction
We tend to focus on the size of an earthquake, but death toll has more to do with the quality of buildings. A new study shows that countries in south-central Asia are on the wrong side of the disaster divide — and the costs …
EcocentricEcocentric
The War on Coal Is Being Won in the U.S., but the Real Battle Is Overseas
A new report predicts that up to 1,200 new coal plants could be built around the world. Why that would be game over for the climate
EcocentricEnergy
How Climate Change and the Monsoons Affect India’s Blackouts
India’s blackouts have left nearly 700 million people without power. The unstable monsoons are adding to demand for electricity—and climate change could disrupt the summer rains even further.
EcocentricEnergy
Bright Days: How India Is Reinventing Solar
In 2009, when policymakers in New Delhi set a goal to produce 20,000 megawatts of solar energy by 2020, few gave India more than a slim chance. The world’s solar-savvy countries put together were generating that much solar …
EcocentricWaste
Is India’s E-Waste Problem Out of Control?
Processing Indian and foreign electronic waste has become a crucial source of income for thousands of Indians working in the nations’ sprawling scrap markets, but at what cost? Despite laws that prohibit e-waste dumping, India is only growing as a repository for the rest of the world’s electronic waste, and the workers who dismantle …
EcocentricHealth
You Can Believe Your Eyes: Low Visibility Can Mean Higher Death Rates
Does it look like a bad day to go out for a run? Maybe a little too hazy out there? Here’s a tip: It is. Don’t do it.
A study released today by Hong Kong University and published in the journal Environmental Research has found that lower visibility due to pollution has a direct correlation with increased rates of mortality in Hong …
EcocentricUncategorized
Climate: Some Last Thoughts on the Cancún Summit
I’m back from Cancún, and I miss the weather there, if not the all-night hours of the assignment. You can read a longer version of my analysis of the conference over here, which includes some details on the last-minute drama as Bolivia tried to block adoption of the Cancún Agreements, only to be deftly overruled by Mexico. Juliet …