It’s no surprise that we’re shocked — a Trump Presidency seemed unthinkable a month ago. The question for all of us in the global food movement is what do we do now? No matter where you live in the world,…
Category: Green corner
Trump Won … Now What? World food movement’s concern
It’s no surprise that we’re shocked — a Trump Presidency seemed unthinkable a month ago. The question for all of us in the global food movement is what do we do now? No matter where you live in the world,…
BAU Journalists explore Sajek Valley, Rangamati
Md. Musfiqur Rahman Sifat, BAU Correspondent Mymensingh – The Bangladesh Agricultural University Journalists’ Association (BAUJA), the first university journalist association of Bangladesh held a two-day annual tour to Sajek valley in Rangamati hill district. I am a member of the…
SAARC is dead; long live SAARC
Why the cancellation of the 19th SAARC summit could mean new life for the regional grouping. By Manjari Chatterjee Miller and Bharath Gopalaswamy In less than two weeks, Pakistan was scheduled to host the 19th annual South Asian Association for…
How trees make cities healthier
Pascal Mittermaier Washington, DC – Last May, I had the dubious fortune of visiting Mumbai, India during the city’s hottest month on record. Temperatures remained at over 40°C (104°F) for days at time. The difference between standing in the shade…
Radical realism about climate change
Lili Fuhr Berlin – Mainstream politics, by definition, is ill equipped to imagine fundamental change. But last December in Paris, 196 governments agreed on the need to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels – an objective that holds…
Titas snaps 77,267 illegal natural gas connections
Dhaka – Titas Gas Transmission and Distribution Company snapped gas connections of 77,267 establishments, including one CNG station, six commercial firms and 77,260 household ovens, in the last 26 days from October 6.
Paris deal comes into force Friday
Dhaka – The entry of the Paris Climate Change Agreement into force from Friday should spur states to be more ambitious in their commitment to tackling global warming, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said on…
Offshore wind could grow more than 650% by 2030: IRENA
Tokyo, Japan – Offshore wind power has the potential to grow from just 13 gigawatts (GW) in 2015, to 100 GW in 2030, according to new analysis from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Innovation Outlook: Offshore Wind, launched Monday…
2 billion children breathe toxic air worldwide, UNICEF says
New Delhi (AP/UNB) — A new report from UNICEF says most of the 2 billion children in the world who are breathing toxic air live in northern India and neighboring countries, risking serious health effects including damage to their lungs,…
Nepal drains dangerous Everest lake
Dhaka – Nepal’s army says it has finished draining a dangerous glacial lake near Mount Everest to a safe level, reports BBC. The Imja glacial lake, at nearly 5,000m (16,400ft) high, was in danger of flooding downstream settlements, trekking trails…
The deal to create world’s largest marine park in Antarctica
By David Gilbert An “unprecedented level of international cooperation” has finally led to the creation of the world’s largest marine park, in the Southern Ocean in Antarctica. The initiative designed to help protect one of the most pristine areas of…
Green Climate Fund for proposals to access technologies
Delhi (Indrajit Bose) — The Green Climate Fund (GCF) at its 14th meeting in Songdo, South Korea, in a decision adopted by the Board to facilitate access to environmentally sound technologies (ESTs), encouraged developing countries to submit proposals in this…
Mangroves For the Future regional meet begins at Cox’s Bazar
Dhaka – A two-day international conference of 13th Regional Steering Committee meeting of environmental group Mangroves For the Future (MFF) began at Sayeman Beach Resort in Cox’s Bazar on Tuesday, UNB news agency reported. Environment and Forests Ministry and Mangroves…
Making the Brick Industry More Environmentally Sustainable
UNDP Deputy Country Director Nick Beresford gives insight into the importance of the brick industry and Bangladesh, and how it can be made more sustainable.UNDP and the House Building Research Institute (HBRI) held a joint policy dialogue about the transformation…
Move to turn Bangladesh’s brick industry green
Dhaka – UNDP Deputy Country Director Nick Beresford gives insight into the importance of the brick industry and Bangladesh, and how it can be made more sustainable. UNDP and the House Building Research Institute (HBRI) held a joint policy dialogue…
UNESCO recommends halt to Bangladesh coal plant
Washington, D.C. – The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released a seminal report recommending that development of the Orion Khulna coal plant in Bangladesh — which the Export-Import Bank of the United States is reportedly considering financing…
IPU wants MPs to respond effectively to HR violations
Dhaka – MPs from 138 countries will convene next week in Geneva to determine specific ways, in which parliaments can respond effectively to serious human rights violations and their underlying causes, including human rights situations likely to lead to conflict,…
Boosting renewables in cities vital to achieve dev goals: IRENA
Ecuador – Cities now have an unprecedented opportunity to transform and decarbonise their energy supply and use, according to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Renewable Energy in Cities, released today on the sidelines of the…
BASIC wants ‘inclusive process’ for Paris Agreement tasks
Geneva (Meena Raman) – Ministers of the BASIC countries (comprising Brazil, South Africa, India and China) emphasised the need for “an inclusive process” in completing the tasks under the Paris Agreement (PA), in preparation for its implementation. This call was…
Nations agree on phase-out of super GHGs
Kigali – Representatives from almost 200 countries reached an agreement Saturday on the phase-out of potent greenhouse gases used in refrigerators and air conditioners, a major step in curbing global warming, a Rwandan minister hosting the talks announced. “The amendment…
Small-scale agriculture threatens the rainforest
Dhaka – An extensive study led by a researcher at Lund University in Sweden has mapped the effects of small farmers on the rain forests of Southeast Asia for the first time. The findings are discouraging, with regard to environmental…
21-day ban on Hilsa netting to ensure greater breeding
Dhaka – A 21-day ban on catching, selling, transportation and hoarding of hilsa begins on Wednesday for conservation of mother fishes during its peak breeding season, UNB news agency reported. The ban imposed by the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry will…
Lionfish invasion an ‘unprecedented threat’
The population of Cuji fish (Haemulon aurolineatum), native to the southeastern coast of the United States, has dropped almost by a half (45 per cent) since 1990 — a time that coincides with the start of an invasion by lionfish…
Paris climate deal roadmap to Green Climate Fund
New York : At the recent United Nations General Assembly in New York, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon predicted the Paris Climate Change Agreement would enter into force before 2017, announcing 60 countries had now ratified its terms. This week, the…
A virtuous cycle for conservation
Arancha González and John E. Scanlon New York – Poor and rural people around the world rely on plants and animals for shelter, food, income, and medicine. In fact, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 15) on sustainable ecosystems…
Environmental crimes could warrant Int’l Criminal Court trials
GreenWatch Dhaka Desk – UN (IPS) The International Criminal Court (ICC) will pay more attention to crimes of environmental destruction and land-grabs, according to a new policy paper published by the court. This may see business executives and government officials…
Obama marks historic moment to combat climate change
Dhaka – Today (Wednesday) in the Rose Garden, President Obama announced that enough countries have acted to bring the Paris Agreement into force — a historic step forward in saving the one planet we’ve got, says a message received from…
James Beard Foundation Leadership Awards
Danielle Nierenberg The James Beard Foundation (JBF) recently announced the recipients of the sixth annual James Beard Foundation Leadership Awards. The 2016 honorees will be recognized at the annual awards dinner on October 17 at Hearst Tower as part of…
Govt plays down Unesco’s concern at Rampal
Dhaka – The State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Nasrul Hamid Bipu has said that the Department of Environment will respond to UNESCO, which has expressed its concern over the environmental impact of the Rampal thermo-electric plant on…