Latest news with #Bergmann
India Today
04-08-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Global push to curb plastic pollution: Can Geneva talks deliver a treaty?
Plastics have become deeply embedded in our daily lives, with global production reaching a staggering 460 million tonnes annually. Nearly as much waste is generated, 353 million tonnes, raising alarm bells amongst experts who warn that this figure could triple by 2060, bringing with it immense environmental a renewed effort to combat this crisis, delegates from over 170 countries are convening in Geneva, Switzerland, from August 5 to 14, to draft a legally binding global treaty on plastic meeting follows the failed negotiations of the 2024 UN Global Plastics Treaty, where countries could not agree on a unified Pollution: A Mounting Environmental Crisis Plastic is responsible for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions, a footprint greater than that of the aviation and shipping industries combined. Oceans are already bearing the brunt of this pollution. A recent study reveals that the upper layers of the North Atlantic alone contain 27 million tonnes of tiny particles are now pervasive, not just in water but also in soil, crops, animals, and even human blood. Their ability to bioaccumulate, gradually build up in living organisms, makes them particularly dangerous, contributing to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Observers noted greater clarity on 'red lines' regarding plastic production limits. (Photo: Getty) High Stakes in Geneva: Will the World Unite?Dr. Melanie Bergmann of the Alfred Wegener Institute emphasised the significance of the upcoming talks:'Ideally, we will achieve in Geneva that the global community, or at least large parts of it, commit to a strong agreement that is based on scientific facts and recognises how harmful plastic is to humans and nature.'However, during the last round of negotiations in December 2024 in Seoul, efforts to reach a consensus collapsed. While Latin American, African, and several EU countries pushed for strict controls, they faced resistance from oil-producing nations, Canada, the U.S., and India—all of which have economic stakes tied to petroleum, a key raw material in plastic production. Despite the stalemate, observers noted greater clarity on 'red lines' regarding plastic production limits and chemical Bergmann added, 'The delegations must use diplomacy to bring their positions closer together, despite geopolitical tensions and differing interests, to create a basis for successful cooperation.'The Path Forward: Cut at the SourceTo effectively address plastic-related emissions, experts say production must be cut by 12–17% each year. Dr. Bergmann stressed the importance of upstream intervention:'Scientific calculations show that effective measures must start at the production level. We should limit production to unavoidable applications, reduce chemical diversity from the design stage, and phase out substances of concern.'A Treaty Within Reach?The road ahead will require science-driven decisions, political will, and global cooperation. If nations can put the planet over profit, a binding agreement may finally emerge, offering hope in the fight against one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.- EndsMust Watch
Hindustan Times
02-08-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Amazon Great Freedom Festival brings up to 70% off on dash cams, tyre inflators, pressure washers - Deal fever is on!
The Amazon Great Freedom Festival is back with standout deals across automotive essentials that rarely go on such wide markdowns. From dash cams that seamlessly record your everyday drives to tyre inflators that can save the day during a roadside pause, this year's picks are worth checking if you've been putting off car upgrades. Amazon Great Freedom Festival rains big deals on dash cams, inflators and pressure washers – don't miss the auto tech steals. Pressure washers are also seeing solid markdowns, just in time to give your ride a refresh without heading to the service station. With top brands like Bergmann, Qubo, Woscher, and Agaro, this automotive collection under the Amazon Sale 2025 banner makes shopping for car tech a bit more tempting. Top steal deals on pressure washers, dash cams and tyre inflators you shouldn't miss Loading Suggestions... Loading Suggestions... Loading Suggestions... Amazon Sale 2025 dash cam deals with up to 70% off big savings for every drive Keep an eye on the road and your wallet, as Amazon Great Freedom Festival Sale 2025 brings solid price drops on dash cams from brands like Philips, Qubo, RedTiger, DDPAI, and 70mai. From wide angle lenses to GPS tracking and emergency recording, the options are plenty. This Amazon Sale 2025 is the right time to consider these compact devices built for real world roads. Top deals on dash cams: Loading Suggestions... Loading Suggestions... Loading Suggestions... Tyre inflator deals with up to 60% off in Amazon Sale 2025 Tyre inflators are seeing major price drops as part of the Amazon Great Freedom Festival Sale 2025. From digital displays to portable inflators for two-wheelers and cars, the collection has a wide mix of models from top brands ready to plug into your car kit. This is a handy chance to buy trusted tools for quick air top-ups at home or on the move. Amazon Sale 2025 makes it easy to pick the right inflator at the right time. Top deals on tyre inflators: Loading Suggestions... Loading Suggestions... Loading Suggestions... Pressure washer deals with up to 67% off revealed in Amazon Sale 2025 Amazon Great Freedom Festival Sale 2025 is cutting prices on pressure washers from trusted brands. From small patios to larger driveways, these washers bring a strong clean with less manual work. Lightweight designs and easy storage options add to their appeal this week. It's a good time to pick one if you've been pushing that backyard cleanup. Amazon Sale 2025 makes outdoor cleaning tools like pressure washers easier to buy, just when you need them. Top deals on pressure washers: Loading Suggestions... Loading Suggestions... Loading Suggestions... Similar stories for you: Big discounts are live now as the Amazon Great Freedom Festival Sale is on! Shop top water purifiers at up to 80% off Amazon Great Freedom Festival Sale 2025 brings up to 75% off on dashcam from CP Plus, Crossbeats and more Amazon Great Freedom Festival Sale is LIVE: Up to 70% off on the best home appliances from trusted brands Amazon Great Freedom Festival Sale 2025 is Live: Smart TVs from Samsung, Sony and more at up to 65% off Massive Tablet Price Drop: Up to 66% Off on Apple, Samsung, Lenovo & More in Amazon Great Freedom Festival 2025 FAQs on Amazon Sale 2025 deals on dash cams, pressure washers and tyre inflators Are dash cams really cheaper in Amazon Sale 2025? Yes, Amazon Sale 2025 offers big markdowns on top dash cam models this week. What pressure washer brands are part of Amazon Great Freedom Festival Sale 2025? Brands like Bosch, AGARO, and Black+Decker are featured in the pressure washer deals. Can I buy a tyre inflator under ₹ 1,000 during Amazon Sale 2025? Yes, some portable tyre inflators are available under ₹1,000 in the current Amazon sale. Which tyre inflators are most popular in Amazon Great Freedom Festival Sale 2025? Digital and portable tyre inflators from brands like Bergmann and Tusa are trending. How long will the Amazon Sale 2025 deals on pressure washers last? The Amazon Great Freedom Festival ends on August 6, so deals are live for a limited time. Disclaimer: At Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has an affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. We shall not be liable for any claim under applicable laws, including but not limited to the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, with respect to the products. The products listed in this article are in no particular order of priority.
USA Today
07-07-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
Clinging to trees, escaping on rooftops: These survivors were swept into Texas floods
Before help could arrive, Texans in hard-hit areas like Hunt said they tried to save themselves from the deadly floodwaters. Some clung to trees. Others floated on mattresses. Many clamored onto rooftops. Survivors of the flooding in central Texas are beginning to share their harrowing experiences of escaping the deadly waters. With little warning from forecasters, some residents said they were alerted to the danger by panicked screaming and the sounds of the storm in the early morning hours of the holiday weekend. Rescue teams have scoured the area for signs of life and saved hundreds of people, pulling them into boats and helicopters. But many in hard-hit areas like Hunt, Texas, said they tried to save themselves. The survivors told their stories to USA TODAY. Mother and son cling to tree to survive Texas flood Before the sun rose on July 4, Taylor Bergmann awoke of the sound of his mother, Erin Burgess, screaming "We're flooding. We're flooding!" Water was coming in through the front door of their home in Hunt, located about 80 miles northwest of San Antonio. Bergmann, 19, could hear the glass back doors starting to crack under pressure. "After they broke, I mean, it was a matter of seconds, and there was five and a half feet of water in our house," said Bergmann, who works at a water park. They swam into the backyard where the fast-moving current swept away Burgess' boyfriend, Matt, and their dog Stella, Bergmann said. The mother and son tried to climb to their roof, but Burgess, who is recovering from facial surgery, couldn't make it. The pair wrapped themselves around a tree, with Burgess, a nurse, standing on her tip toes to keep her chin above water and Bergmann's six-foot frame shielding her from vehicles floating by. Bergmann said they stayed there for more than a hour until the water receded and they were able to take refuge at a neighbor's house. Eventually, they reunited with Burgess' boyfriend, Stella and another lucky survivor: their cat, Kiki, who rode out the flood on top of a mattress. Though they were able to save some of their belongings, the flood left their home a wreck, Bergmann said. "We're never living here again," he told USA TODAY. "We're selling the property, and we're moving very far away from running water." Couple escapes 'nightmare' after cabin floods Maria Tapia, 64, awoke in the early morning of July 4 to the sharp cracking of thunder and what sounded like little rocks hitting her bedroom window. Then, she heard sounds of water from the nearby Guadalupe River rushing past. As Tapia, who manages the property, got up to inspect the noise, her ankle submerged into half a foot of water. The cabin they have called home in Hunt, Texas, was built about 300 feet from the riverbed. Now, it was engulfed by the river itself. Tapia quickly jostled her husband, Felipe Tapia, 63, awake from a dead sleep and told him they needed to evacuate immediately. By the time the couple trudged to the living room, less than 10 minutes later, the water had risen to their knees. For minutes, they pushed against the front door, but it wouldn't open because of the pressure from the water. Finally, it budged. The couple furiously kicked through the screen door and plunged into the water outside, hoping to swim to their neighbor's house on higher ground. As she navigated the waters in the pitch black, Tapia said she heard the house's glass windows 'popping' and shattering. 'It was the worst night of my life,' Tapia said. 'It was a nightmare.' Before the flood, she said life in Hunt was 'paradise.' She and her husband planted flowers and grass outside by the river and found a community of friends who also managed properties in the area. Now, she says, the town is 'no more.' 'It is − how do you say − a ghost town,' Tapia said. The house they fled is still mostly standing, but it's badly damaged from the storm. The truck the couple recently purchased as a "splurge" washed up down the hill and filled with debris. Others in the area fared worse – several of Tapia's friends are still missing, and some loved ones were found dead, she said. Texas man saved by a meter box Christian Fell was planning to spend his July 4 eating catfish and shooting off fireworks at his grandparents' home in Hunt. Instead, he fought for his life. Fell, 25, was awoken by a crack of thunder around 3 a.m. He could hear noise inside the house, too. He got up, thinking there might be an intruder. "When I swung my feet over the side of the bed and I stood up, I realized I was standing in water up to my ankle," said Fell, who was alone in the house. He headed for the kitchen door. But when he opened it, more water poured into the home. He said he made frantic phone calls to his family and 911, but he kept getting disconnected. As the water rose to his waist, he went back to the bedroom and desperately tried to climb onto the floating furniture. "I was pretty, pretty scared," he said. "That's kinda when I realized they can't do anything to get me out, and I had to do something to keep myself alive," he recalled. The bedroom door wouldn't budge, so Fell swam through a broken window. Once outside, he clamored onto a meter box, where he stood on the balls of his feet for the next three hours. From his perch, Fell said he could hear the sound of roaring water and houses being ripped off their foundations. It was pitch black outside, but occasionally a flash of lightning or a car floating by with its hazard lights on would illuminate the darkness. "The transformers blew up at one point, and it was like the sun came out and I could see clear as day," he said of the electrical equipment around him. "I just saw like all this debris and stuff getting carried away." Eventually, Fell spotted police walking through the street with a flashlight and decided it was safe to climb down. Though Fell was spared, the house was "destroyed," especially the wooden deck where his family used to gather to eat their Thanksgiving meal. "The whole house pretty much acted like a dam for me and blocked all the debris," he said. "It was pretty, pretty lucky that it did that because all that would have come crashing down on me." 'I don't want to die' Addison Martin, 17, never prayed harder in her life. The high schooler was tumbling helplessly down the Guadalupe River, which had turned into a raging avalanche of water. She struggled to stay afloat, pummeled by debris and tree limbs. Cars and trailers floated nearby. But she had lost sight of her family. It had only been hours since their RV pulled into the riverside campground in Ingram, Texas, on July 3 after a nearly four-hour drive from Odessa, where she recently finished her junior year of high school. She joined her father and stepmother, Bobby and Amanda Martin, two brothers including Bailey Martin, a young Odessa police officer who had brought his girlfriend. They had planned a relaxing holiday weekend on the river. That night, she had trouble falling to sleep amid booming thunder and rain. Around 4 a.m., her brother woke the family up. Flooding that started slow was quickly accelerating. 'I was just grabbing everything I could. I put on my shoes, I got my bag, my phone. And then my dad opened the camper door,' she recalled, seeing the rising water. 'We need to get into the car,' she recalled her stepmother saying. 'The car is gone,' her father replied. Calls to 911 told them help was on the way, but first responders were swamped. As the water rose, they decided to climb a tree that sat between a camping spot that hung over an adjacent trailer. Addison and several family members stood on top. Then it started to shift. She saw her stepmother fall off and tried to pull her back up. She heard someone yelling for air. Soon she was in the water, fighting currents and limbs that briefly held her under. Her family members drifted out of sight. 'I remember just thinking, I don't want to die,' she said. She finally grabbed onto a branch of a tree and 'held on for my life' for hours. Trees were falling into the water. She asked God to keep her tree up: 'I've never prayed so much in my life.' Daylight finally broke, the tree still standing. By roughly 8 a.m., she yelled to first responders who came with a boat. She and her brother were reunited at a rescue center. But later came the devastating news. Her father and stepmother had not survived. 'They sat us down, me and my brother, to tell us that they were gone,' she said. She learned that another brother, Bailey Martin, and his girlfriend were still missing. John Keith Martin, Bobby Martin's father, confirmed to USA TODAY that authorities had identified the bodies of the Odessa couple. Addison, speaking from her biological mother's home in Lubbock, Texas, said she's not sure what's next. She is awaiting word on those still missing. Funerals will be coming. Friends and family have started a GoFundMe to help with those expenses. Family of 33 rides out the flood on rooftop The sun was shining when Riata Schoepf, 19, arrived at the River Inn Resort & Conference Center for an annual trip with the family of her boyfriend, Ephraim Fry, on July 3. But by the next morning, one of the 33 people in their group was banging on the door telling them a flood was coming. Schoepf, a student, got in the car, but quickly learned the only ways out of Hunt, Texas, were closed. With traffic at a standstill and debris crashing into them, they decided to ditch the car and wade through the knee-deep water. "I lose my shoes, lose everything," she said. "Like we're just walking barefoot in this really, really disgusting water." By the time they made it back to the inn, the water was up to Schoepf's chest. The only way out was up, so the owner of the inn used bedsheets to pull them onto the roof. Schoepf estimated they managed to pull about 50 people to safety, including the entire group on Fry's family trip. "As we're pulling all these people up, you just see, like, cars flying, you see dumpsters flying down the road, trees like just slamming into everything," she said. Schoepf watched the flood rage and helicopters pluck people from the water until the flooding subsided a few hours later. Once the bridges were cleared, rescue workers loaded Schoepf and her loved ones into charter buses headed for a shelter. As she saw the decimated homes and people's belongings strewn about, the gravity of her near-death experience hit her. "It felt like literally the longest and quietest drive I've ever been on because everybody's just looking at the damage that it's done," she said. "And it's not even like it was a flood. It was like something out of this world." By 3 a.m. on July 5, Schoepf finally made it back home to Austin. She said she still hasn't fully processed the terrifying experience. "More of me feels guilty knowing that so many other people are in a worse situation," she said.
Calgary Herald
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Review: Rune Bergmann gives exemplary farewell to orchestra and city
Article content Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content It was a night of finales and farewells. On the last weekend in May, the CPO performed its final pair of concerts of the current season, a season with many highlights (including this one) and with 40 sold-out performances, a company first. Recovering from near bankruptcy some years ago, the CPO is now enjoying some of the strongest support it has had in many years. Article content Article content At least some of the reason for this lies in the astute programming, but perhaps even more lies in the new manner of presentation, not the least by its outgoing conductor, Rune Bergmann, whose smiling face and manner have signalled to all that classical concerts can be both serious and simple fun. Article content Article content Bergmann has been with the orchestra for nine years, which includes the difficult years of COVID-19. It hasn't been easy to bring audiences back, but Bergmann persevered and has led the orchestra in delicate performances of works by Mozart as well as monumental symphonies by Mahler. Article content And it was with Mahler, specifically Mahler's popular Second Symphony (Resurrection), that Bergmann chose to conclude his time with the orchestra. A symphony about farewells, it is also about hope and new life. It is also a symphony by which to measure the growth in the performing stature of the orchestra and the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus, both of which are enjoying a period in which a great many of their recent concerts have been of a very high level. Article content Just this past season, the orchestra performed a splashy Carmina Burana to open its season (also with the CPO Chorus), with concerts featuring world-famous soloists like Jonathan Biss and Honens winner Nicolas Namoradze. It also gave superb performances of Mozart and Elgar with Bergmann at the helm, and a wonderful Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz. String soloists were not ignored either, with outstanding performances by violinists James Ehnes and Diana Cohen, and recently a sold-out appearance with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Article content This list of accomplishments, together with an earlier Beethoven symphony and concerto cycle and several Mahler symphonies, including an impressive performance of the Third Symphony, gives an indication of the wide range of music performed, and with impressive surety and confidence. Article content These qualities marked Bergmann's final appearance with the orchestra. One could only marvel at the authority of the opening cello section solo, as well as the numerous solo turns given to the wind and brass players (especially the solo trumpet of Adam Zinatelli). The percussion section whipped up a storm, and the chorus sang with hushed emotion and, in the final moment, with dramatic grandeur.
Calgary Herald
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Review:
Article content Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Article content It was a night of finales and farewells. On the last weekend in May, the CPO performed its final pair of concerts of the current season, a season with many highlights (including this one) and with 40 sold-out performances, a company first. Recovering from near bankruptcy some years ago, the CPO is now enjoying some of the strongest support it has had in many years. Article content Article content Article content At least some of the reason for this lies in the astute programming, but perhaps even more lies in the new manner of presentation, not the least by its outgoing conductor, Rune Bergmann, whose smiling face and manner have signalled to all that classical concerts can be both serious and simple fun. Article content Article content Bergmann has been with the orchestra for nine years, which includes the difficult years of COVID-19. It hasn't been easy to bring audiences back, but Bergmann persevered and has led the orchestra in delicate performances of works by Mozart as well as monumental symphonies by Mahler. Article content And it was with Mahler, specifically Mahler's popular Second Symphony (Resurrection), that Bergmann chose to conclude his time with the orchestra. A symphony about farewells, it is also about hope and new life. It is also a symphony by which to measure the growth in the performing stature of the orchestra and the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus, both of which are enjoying a period in which a great many of their recent concerts have been of a very high level. Article content Article content Just this past season, the orchestra performed a splashy Carmina Burana to open its season (also with the CPO Chorus), with concerts featuring world-famous soloists like Jonathan Biss and Honens winner Nicolas Namoradze. It also gave superb performances of Mozart and Elgar with Bergmann at the helm, and a wonderful Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz. String soloists were not ignored either, with outstanding performances by violinists James Ehnes and Diana Cohen, and recently a sold-out appearance with cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Article content This list of accomplishments, together with an earlier Beethoven symphony and concerto cycle and several Mahler symphonies, including an impressive performance of the Third Symphony, gives an indication of the wide range of music performed, and with impressive surety and confidence. Article content These qualities marked Bergmann's final appearance with the orchestra. One could only marvel at the authority of the opening cello section solo, as well as the numerous solo turns given to the wind and brass players (especially the solo trumpet of Adam Zinatelli). The percussion section whipped up a storm, and the chorus sang with hushed emotion and, in the final moment, with dramatic grandeur.
