Environment

SYDNEY, Dec 20 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Australia’s most populous state declared its second state of state of emergency in two months on Thursday as extreme heat and strong winds were expected to fan scores of uncontrolled bushfires.

Firefighters were given broad powers to control government resources, force evacuations, close roads and shut down utilities across New South Wales state, where 100 wildfires are burning.

NEW DELHI, Dec 19 (NNN-PTI) — Dense fog engulfed the Indian capital and its surrounding areas on Thursday morning (this morning), as departures and arrivals of many flights and trains were delayed, due to poor visibility.

Regular commuters faced difficulty driving on major highways, since visibility was less than 50 metres at many places.

SYDNEY, Dec 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Fire authorities in Australia are locked in a desperate battle to save a coal mine and a power station today (Tuesday), that have come under threat from a massive bush-fire northwest of Sydney, which local media dubbed the “mega-blaze.”

Already burning through 400,000 hectares of vegetation at Gospers Mountain and the Wollemi National Park, there are now fears the wildfire could spread even further, with temperatures expected to reach 46 degrees Celsius in coming days, as an extreme heatwave bears down on the nation’s east coast.

KUWAIT, Dec 15 (NNN-XINHUA) – Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), launched on Saturday, a campaign to clean the country’s beach.

Themed “We Lead the Change,” the campaign called on people, to clean the shore of Al-Sabah Medical Area, in Kuwait City, where dozens of volunteers, including those with disabilities, participated in collecting trash, plastics and steel scraps left on the shore.

SAO PAULO, Dec 14 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon jumped to the highest level for the month of November since record-keeping began in 2015, according to preliminary government data published on Friday.

Destruction of the world’s largest tropical rainforest totalled 563 square km in November, 103 per cent more than in the same month last year, according to the country’s space research agency INPE.

LOS PALACIOS (Cuba), Dec 12 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A lack of fuel, in large part due to the US blockade, is forcing Cubans to return to horse and ox power for farming, transport and everyday travel.

In Los Palacios, 100km of the west of the capital Havana, Heriberto Piloto bellows at his oxen Montezuelo”and Pasajero as they plough a tobacco field at the La Juanita farm.

Once the fields were ploughed by tractors, plus some animal help, but now beasts of burden are the only option, meaning the job of ploughman has made a comeback too in Cuba’s fields.

New Delhi, Dec 10 (PTI) The air quality remained in the "very poor" category in the national capital for the seventh consecutive day on Tuesday as the cold weather and calm winds allowed accumulation of pollutants.

The Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city was recorded at 356 at 8.45 am.

An AQI between 0-50 is considered "good", 51-100 "satisfactory", 101-200 "moderate", 201-300 "poor", 301-400 "very poor" and 401-500 "severe". An AQI above 500 falls in the "severe plus" category.

WELLINGTON, Dec 8 (NNN-AGENCIES) – New Zealand will phase out more single-use plastics, the government announced today (Sunday).

A report, Rethinking Plastics in Aotearoa New Zealand, was released by the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Adviser, Prof Juliet Gerrard, which highlighted New Zealand’s position in plastics use, and gave recommendations for further changes.

VICTORIA FALLS (Zambia), Dec 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — For decades Victoria Falls, where southern Africa’s Zambezi river cascade down 100 metres into a gash in the earth, have drawn millions of holidaymakers to Zimbabwe and Zambia for their stunning views.

But the worst drought in a century has slowed the waterfalls to a trickle, fuelling fears that climate change could kill one of the region’s biggest tourist attractions.

SYDNEY, Dec 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Several Australian bushfires have combined to form a “mega fire” that is burning out of control across a swathe of land north of Sydney, authorities said Friday, warning they cannot contain the blaze.

New South Wales Rural Fire Service deputy commissioner, Rob Rogers said “there are probably more than eight fires in all” that have merged to form what has been dubbed a “mega fire” in an area of national park forest.