Litter generated from disposable single-use masks and latex gloves is among the many downsides of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These discarded personal medical clothing items are now seen strewn on the roads, sidewalks, and other public places. Besides being medically dangerous for humans who may come in contact with these discards and trigger another surge […]
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Green, brown and red seaweeds scattered on the beach is a normal occurrence in many coastal regions. The volume of beached seaweed biomass started to increase along the shores of industrialised nations in the 1970s and had become a major nuisance by the 1990s, when mass beaching of macroalgae started to be known as green […]
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The gradual thinning of earth’s ozone layer in the upper atmosphere caused by the release of chemical compounds from human activities and adverse impact of UV rays on various components of the environment was confirmed by scientists during 1974. The first international action was initiated in March 1977 and experts from 32 countries met in […]
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Total column ozone is the total amount of ozone in a column extending vertically from the earth’s surface to the top of the atmosphere. It is measured using ground-based stations and satellites and is reported in Dobson units (DU). The ozone hole is defined in terms of reduced total column ozone—less than 220 DU. Stratospheric […]
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For the last few years, the onset of winter in Delhi is being regarded with dread. The city is enveloped in a thick blanket of pollutants that deteriorate air quality to hazardous levels, posing grave threats to human health. This phenomenon disrupts daily activities in the city as worsening pollution levels restricts outdoor movement; even […]
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The modern era is witness to marked anthropogenic activities with rapid industrialisation, development and urbanisation. As a consequence the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and the lithosphere—all constituents of our earth, show increasing signs of pollution. While the atmosphere has shown a rise in the aerosol content and greenhouse gases, the land at most places is being […]
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Since its inception in 1957, when polystyrene was first produced, the plastic industry has grown and diversified. Currently, it employs about 4 million people in India and comprises more than 30,000 processing units, of which 85 to 90 per cent are small and medium sized enterprises (IBEF, 2017). Today, plastics have a wide range of […]
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The Indian society is a segregated one, divided along the lines of caste, class and religion. Our population crossed the one billion mark a decade ago and the demographic dividend it provides, combined with wealth accumulation and increase in gross domestic product are often cited to tout the country’s likelihood of achieving the status of […]
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For 3 days from June 13 to 15, 2018 air quality at ‘severe’ levels in the city of Delhi. The spike in pollution levels led to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi banning all construction activities in Delhi until June 17, 2018. The air quality started improving on June 15, 2018 when an AQI (Air Quality […]
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When we talk about pollution, thermal pollution rarely comes to our minds. However, with the innumerable thermal power plants and industries mushrooming everywhere, thermal pollution is a real and persistent problem of current times. Thermal pollution in the broadest sense can be defined as the abrupt change in ambient temperature of a natural water body […]
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