"UN wildlife officials have voted to ban trade in all eight species of Asian pangolins. The creature is prized for its meat and scales, which are used for medicinal purposes."
In a forthcoming paper, scientists say anaerobic decomposition of sediement and other organic material inundated by reservoirs emits a significant amount of greenhouse gases, mainly methane.
"OPEC’s 14 oil producing nations agreed on Wednesday to modestly cut their collective oil output later this year in an effort to bolster sagging prices, according to a cartel official. The decision sent global oil prices soaring by more than 5 percent."
"Fast-growing aviation powerhouse India is not ready to join the world's first climate deal to curb pollution from commercial flights because it fears that talks beginning on Tuesday may not lead to a fair agreement, its civil aviation minister said."
"Some 92% of the population live in places where air pollution exceeds WHO limits, which can contribute to lung cancer, heart disease, and strokes."
"Deals would put the majority of seeds, chemicals and GM traits in the hands of three companies, deepening poverty for small-scale farmers".
"A new study paints a picture of an Earth that is warmer than it has been in about 120,000 years, and is locked into eventually hitting its hottest mark in more than 2 million years."
"A loose coalition of more than 100 countries, including the US and European nations, is pushing for an early phase-out of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a powerful greenhouse gas that if left unchecked is set to add a potentially disastrous 0.5C to global temperatures by the end of the century."
"Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Sunday that the country will ratify the Paris Agreement early next month, giving the climate pact a major boost needed to go into effect this year.
Modi made the announcement at the Bharatiya Janata Party council meet, local outlets The Times of India and The New Indian Express reported. He said India will sign the agreement on Oct. 2, which is Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday.
"On Wednesday, the United Nations General Assembly [devoted] an entire day to a high-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance. The meeting is recognition that bacteria and other microbes are evolving to become more and more resistant to antibiotics and other antimicrobials, which means that these drugs will eventually become ineffective against even the simplest infections unless there are major changes in how they are used in medicine and agriculture."
