Climate Reporter- AP; UNCA Silver Medal 2021; Red Ink Awards 2019 (Special mention in the Environment category); Asian Environmental Journalist Award 2019; PB Enviro Journalist of the Year 2018.
Monday breaks the record for the hottest day ever on Earth
Monday was the hottest day ever globally, beating a record set the day before, as countries around the world from Japan to Bolivia to the United States continue to feel the heat, according to the European climate change service.
Provisional satellite data published by Copernicus on Wednesday shows that Monday was 0.06 degrees Celsius (0.1 degree Fahrenheit) hotter than Sunday.
Climate scientists say it’s plausible that this is the warmest it has been in 120,000 years.
India has ramped up its wind and solar energy. It now needs to expand places to store it
India currently has around 100 megawatts of storage capacity from batteries, with another 3.3 gigawatts of clean energy storage coming from hydropower. The Indian government estimates that the country will need about 74 gigawatts of energy storage from batteries, hydropower and nuclear energy by 2032, but experts think the country actually needs closer to double that amount to meet the country’s energy needs.
India is likely undercounting heat deaths, affecting its response to increasingly harsh heat waves
Months of scorching temperatures sometimes over 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit) in parts of India this year — its worst heat wave in over a decade — left hundreds dead or ill. But the official number of deaths listed in government reports barely scratches the surface of the true toll and that’s affecting future preparations for similar swelters, according to public health experts.
For India's garbage pickers, a miserable and dangerous job made worse by extreme heat
An estimated 1.5 to 4 million people who scratch out a living searching through India’s waste — and climate change is making a hazardous job more dangerous than ever.
Climate change makes India’s monsoons erratic. Can farmers still find a way to prosper?
India’s monsoon season is arguably the single most important weather phenomenon for the country, and a good monsoon can noticeably boost the nation’s economy and the livelihoods of its 120 million farmers. But human-caused climate change is making the rainfall more erratic, making it difficult for farmers to plant, grow and harvest crops on their rain-fed fields.
Extreme heat in India has killed more than 100 people in the past three and a half months
A monthslong heat wave across swathes of India has killed more than 100 people and led to over 40,000 suspected cases of heat stroke in the past three and a half months, according to data from India’s Health Ministry.
Farmers in India are weary of politicians’ lackluster response to their climate-driven water crisis
Drought-prone Marathwada is at the sharp end of India's water crisis, making life unbearable for many. As voting continues, farmers are looking for longterm solutions.
Climate change impacts millions in India. But as the country votes, some politicians skirt the issue
Climate change impacts millions in India. But as the country votes, some politicians skirt the issue
Sweltering heat across Asia was 45 times more likely because of climate change, study finds
Sizzling heat across Asia and the Middle East in late April that echoed last year’s destructive swelter was made 45 times more likely in some parts of the continent because of human-caused climate change, a study Tuesday found.
From flooding in Brazil and Houston to brutal heat in Asia, extreme weather seems nearly everywhere
From flooding in Brazil and Houston to brutal heat in Asia, extreme weather seems nearly everywhere
Why voters in southern India are more resistant to Modi’s Hindu-centric politics
Five states across southern India account for roughly 20% of the country’s population and 30% of its economy. They are the heartbeat of India’s manufacturing and high-tech sectors. They are ethnically diverse and proudly multilingual. They empower women with educational and employment opportunities and have a long history of progressive politics.
Farmers in India are hit hard by extreme weather. Some say expanding natural farming is the answer
Many farmers are calling for greater federal and state investment to help farms switch to more climate change-proof practices.
India has millions of dairy farmers. It’s creating a methane problem that’s tricky to solve
India is the world’s largest milk producer, and is home to 80 million dairy farmers who made 231 million tons of milk last year. Many farmers only have a few cows, but the industry as a whole has 303 million bovine cattle like cows and buffalo, making it the largest contributor to planet-warming methane emissions in the country. The federal government has made some positive steps to reduce methane, but wants to focus emissions cuts elsewhere. But experts say the industry can and should make more reductions that can quickly limit warming.
India’s Bengaluru is fast running out of water, and a long, scorching summer still looms
Bengaluru in southern India is witnessing an unusually hot February and March, and in the last few years, it has received little rainfall in part due to human-caused climate change. Water levels are running desperately low, particularly in poorer areas, resulting in sky-high costs for water and a quickly dwindling supply.
India seeks to boost rooftop solar, especially for its remote areas
Just a few years ago, someone who wanted to install a rooftop solar connection in India faced getting multiple approvals, finding a reliable company to install the panels and spending heavily before seeing the first surge of clean energy.
But that’s changing. The government has streamlined the approvals process, made it easier for people to claim subsidies and pushed mountains of cash to encourage faster adoption of technology that’s seen as critical for India to reach its clean-energy goals.