This paper presents a status report of the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) on two crucial development parameters—inequality and poverty—that have a significant bearing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs; especially SDG-1 and SDG-10). The paper tracks the origins and movements of absolute and relative poverty, …
The world’s leading oil producers are preparing for the possibility of oil prices halving to $20 a barrel after a second day of financial market turmoil saw a fresh slide in crude, the lowest iron ore prices in a decade, and losses on global stock markets. Benchmark Brent crude briefly …
BEIJING - Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli met with Russian natural gas company Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller here on Tuesday, calling for closer strategic energy cooperation between the two neighbors. Hailing the progress of bilateral energy cooperation under the guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir …
Following the recent launches of a communication satellite and astronomy observatory, India's space agency has announced an ambitious plan to increase satellite launches to around 12 a year, up from 4-5 annually. This will mean a launch every month. Addressing students at an event in the western city of Pune, …
In recent years, polar bears have become the lovable poster children for climate change in the Arctic. And as their preferred sea ice habitat continues to diminish year after year, thanks to warming temperatures in the region, it seems there’s no end to the polar bear’s troubles. Now, a new …
Global dimming refers to the decrease in surface solar radiation (SSR) observed from the 1960s to the 1980s at different measurement sites all around the world. It is under debate whether anthropogenic aerosols emitted from urban areas close to the measurement sites are mainly responsible for the dimming. In order …
The $3-billion Russia-India joint project of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Tamil Nadu will be unveiled soon, coinciding with the annual summit of the two countries. The first unit, at the phase of guarantee operation, is expected to be completed at the end of this year by Russian civilian …
Following the 1986 Chernobyl accident, 116,000 people were permanently evacuated from the 4,200 km Chernobyl exclusion zone. There is continuing scientific and public debate surrounding the fate of wildlife that remained in the abandoned area. Several previous studies of the Chernobyl exclusion zone indicated major radiation effects and pronounced reductions …
Air contaminated with pollutants such as ozone and tiny particles could cause the premature death of about 6.6 million people a year by 2050 if nothing is done to improve air quality, warns this study published in the journal Nature Assessment of the global burden of disease is based on …
Russia has successfully launched a Proton rocket, carrying a Russian telecoms satellite, from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in the second successful launch since the disastrous loss of a Mexican satellite in May. The Proton-M took off at 10.10 pm local time (19.10 GMT) from the desert launch site. “The …
Almost one in every seven Russians is now living in poverty, according to official data published Wednesday. In the first six months of 2015, the number of Russians living below the minimum income of 10,017 rubles ($147) a month grew to 21.7 million people -- an almost 15 percent increase …
Contributions to historical climate change have varied substantially among nations. These differences reflect underlying inequalities in wealth and development, and pose a fundamental challenge to the implementation of a globally equitable climate mitigation strategy. This Letter presents a new way to quantify historical inequalities among nations using carbon and climate …
Most accurate count to date is over seven times higher than last estimate – but almost half have been cut down since the start of civilisation, say scientists Scientists have already calculated how many fish there are in the sea (230,000 species), and how many species there are on the …
Pledges from dozens of nations to rein in carbon emissions aren’t enough so far to avoid catastrophic climate change, according to four European research centers. Plans submitted by China, the U.S., the European Union and other top polluters won’t limit global warming to the 2-degree Celsius (3.6-degree Fahrenheit) threshold that …
It turns out that allowing trawl nets to drag deep below the ocean, and other forms of deep-sea fishing that scoop up or kill many species, is a real threat to marine environments and vulnerable species. It also doesn't benefit fishermen. That is, researchers from the University of Glasgow and …
UNESCO-listed Lake Baikal contains 20 percent of world's total freshwater reserves The world's biggest freshwater lake located in Russia's Siberia is in danger by the growing number of tourists as illegal camping sites cause severe pollution. According to Russian environmental officials, both tourists as well as hotel and boat owners …
At the end of November, governments will come together in Paris to hammer out agreements for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Under the KP, there are two greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions offsetting mechanisms: joint implementation (JI) and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). JI allows countries with emissions-reduction commitments under …
The term 'carbon lock-in' refers to the tendency for certain carbon-intensive technological systems to persist over time, 'locking out' lower-carbon alternatives, and owing to a combination of linked technical, economic, and institutional factors. These technologies may be costly to build, but relatively inexpensive to operate and, over time, they reinforce …
A global scheme meant to keep atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) levels in check instead caused some 600 million tonnes of excess emissions, researchers said Monday. They blamed a loophole in the Kyoto Protocol's Joint Implementation (JI) mechanism which allowed countries to earn and sell credits for emissions cuts which were …
The vast majority of carbon credits generated by Russia and Ukraine did not represent cuts in emissions, according to a new study. The authors say that offsets created under a UN scheme "significantly undermined" efforts to tackle climate change. The credits may have increased emissions by 600 million tonnes. In …
Major UNFCCC carbon trading scheme hit by serious corruption allegations involving organised crime in Russia and Ukraine A key carbon offsetting scheme was so open to abuse that three quarters of its allowances lacked environmental integrity, a new report says. UN officials confirm the findings by the Stockholm Environment Institute …
