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India Today
2 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Unseasonal rains, rising heat: Farmers bear the brunt of climate change
The world we live in is changing, and it's most visible in the day-to-day shifts in weather patterns—not just in several parts of the world, but also in India.2025 has brought an unusual shift in climate patterns across India over the past six months, with the most visible impacts seen in around the globe are bearing the brunt of climate change. Untimely rains in May this year wreaked havoc in Southern and Western India, damaging crops and contributing to rising food As the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted in its Sixth Assessment Report, climate change has adversely affected global crop report also highlights that 22% of global greenhouse gas emissions currently come from agriculture, forestry, and land use. Agriculture, therefore, is both a contributor to and a victim of climate change. Pest attacks have also increased, with certain pests thriving in warmer climates, causing further crop losses. (Photo: PTI) India's Economic Survey for 2024–25 emphasizes the impact of climate change on food inflation. The rise in cyclones has led to widespread crop damage across the rains and extreme heat have pushed farmers into distress. In March, hailstorms in Haryana damaged mustard and sunflower crops, severely affecting oilseed onion, and potato—the key 'TOP' crops—have been particularly vulnerable to climate shifts. Erratic rainfall in May impacted major producing states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra led to a doubling of tomato prices, and onion prices are expected to rise further in the coming weeks. These damages are not limited to food crops but have triggered ripple effects across food supply rainfall causes sudden supply chain disruptions, pushing prices even higher and leading to instability. Damaged roads and inadequate storage facilities worsen the attacks have also increased, with certain pests thriving in warmer climates, causing further crop losses. Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan during a visit to Kaziranga National Park, in Assam. (Photo: PTI) Ramesh Chand, a member of NITI Aayog, noted at a conference on 'Innovating for Climate Resilient Agriculture' that wheat yields are projected to decline by 4% over the next 30 years due to climate not just food crops that are at risk, but also the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on must be prioritized in all global treaties and policies—not just because it is the most affected sector, but because it is the backbone of food storage systems, improving cold chain infrastructure, fixing transportation flaws, and adopting sustainable farming practices are not merely options—they are Watch
Hindustan Times
08-05-2025
- Science
- Hindustan Times
Rapid Arctic sea ice decline to increase rain events across south Asia: Study
New Delhi: A rapid and significant decline in Arctic sea ice will lead to an increase in intense precipitation events (IPEs) across south Asia, exposing people to disasters associated with extreme rain, a recent research paper published in IOP Science said. Climate scientists from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, the ministry of earth sciences, and others investigated the tropical rainfall response to the declining Arctic sea ice using observations and climate model simulations. The Arctic sea ice decline has been accelerating with climate change, the research paper published on May 6 said. The paper suggested that intense rain events, like those recorded during the 2018 floods in Kerala or the 2013 floods in Uttarakhand, will increase in frequency. Both of these events were intense precipitation events. Rainfall events that exceed a threshold of 150 mm day−1 (in a grid point) are counted as extreme rainfall events. Scientists found an increase in IPEs, especially during the last two decades. Periods with higher IPEs are associated with a decline in June-July-August Arctic sea ice. The larger increase in IPEs in recent decades often co-occurs with larger Arctic sea ice loss, the paper said. Also Read: IITM launches joint research projects to revolutionise climate predictions using AI 'Observational evidence and idealised model experiments, in which the Arctic becomes seasonally ice free under greenhouse warming, reveal association between the Arctic sea-ice decline and intense precipitation events (IPEs) over South Asia,' the paper said. The enhanced Arctic sea ice melt increases mid-latitude waviness and intensifies the circumglobal teleconnection (CGT)-like pattern, while also strengthening the subtropical high over East Asia. This, together with a La Niña-like response in the Pacific, enhances mean summer monsoon rainfall over South Asia. 'The enhanced energy in the tropics and the anomalous mid-latitude intrusions due to the Arctic sea-ice melt provide a conducive environment for moisture convergence and intense summer monsoon precipitation events over South Asia. Our findings reveal that, in a future warming scenario, Arctic sea-ice melt is likely a contributing factor for the amplified mean and IPEs over the South Asian region,' it said. The June–July–August sea ice concentration in the Arctic is projected to decline under future warming scenarios. The intergovernmental panel on Climate Change's Sixth Assessment Report estimates that Arctic September sea ice may vanish by the mid-21st century. A sharp decline in the Arctic sea ice anomaly is evident in most emission scenarios, particularly from the mid-century onward. 'Given the observed link between Arctic sea-ice decline and South Asian IPEs, the potential impacts of projected sea-ice loss on IPEs were assessed changes in IPE intensity for various global warming levels, calculated relative to the 1850–1900 baseline,' the paper said. Also Read: No immediate relief in sight from climate crisis 'In summary, Arctic sea ice decline weakens the upper atmospheric circulation and alters energetics, providing a favourable environment for moisture convergence and intense monsoon precipitation. As Arctic warming accelerates under greenhouse gases (GHG), extreme precipitation events over South Asia are projected to increase,' the paper said. Percentage increase in the intensity of intense precipitation events is much higher over the South Asian region as compared to global IPE. 'For 1-degree warming level, global IPE intensity increases by about 7%, while IPE intensity over South Asian region increases by approximately 20%. Similarly higher increase in the IPEs over the South Asian region as compared to global can be seen with increasing warming level,' the paper said. Also Read:Climate crisis posing grave health, survival threats: Report HT reported on June 25 last year that India's summer monsoon is undergoing significant changes, influencing not just agriculture—for which the rains are a lifeblood—but also the length and intensity of the summer. Arctic sea ice reaches its minimum extent each September. September Arctic sea ice is now shrinking at a rate of 12.2% per decade compared to its average extent during the period from 1981 to 2010, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Time of India
23-04-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
April heat wave in N India caused by human-driven climate change: Study
Dehradun: The early arrival of the heatwave in April, scorching large parts of India and Pakistan with temperatures exceeding 40°C across North India and reaching 49°C in parts of Pakistan, was largely driven by human-induced climate change, finds a study by climate experts from several countries. An analysis by ClimaMeter, a France-based climate monitoring organisation, revealed that the heatwave was fuelled by weather patterns that are now up to 4°C warmer than similar events in the past, primarily due to global warming. These meteorological conditions, including temperature, wind, and air pressure, occur with similar frequency as before, but now unfold in a much warmer climate. Natural climate variability played only a minor role, with the current El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle in a neutral phase. The study highlights that the 2025 heatwave was not only unusually early but also alarmingly intense. Cities such as New Delhi and Jaipur saw temperatures up to 5°C above normal. In the national capital, daily highs repeatedly crossed 40°C, disrupting daily life and overwhelming electricity and water systems. In Rajasthan and neighbouring states, outdoor workers and farmers bore the brunt, with rising cases of heatstroke and dehydration. ClimaMeter's findings pointed to surface pressure anomalies and extremely dry, calm conditions as key triggers for the extreme heat. Data from 1987–2023, compared to records from 1950–1986, confirmed a clear warming trend. Urban centres such as New Delhi and Islamabad are now up to 3°C warmer, intensified by the urban heat island effect . Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo Beyond health impacts, the heatwave also severely affected agriculture, damaging crops vulnerable to early-season heat stress. Power demand spiked, causing widespread outages, and increased groundwater extraction during the crisis further strained regional aquifers. The findings align with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's Sixth Assessment Report (IPCC AR6), which links the rising frequency, intensity and duration of heatwaves in South Asia to climate change and rapid urbanisation. The report warns that such extreme weather events are becoming "commonplace" and will continue to threaten millions unless urgent mitigation and adaptation efforts are taken. Experts have urged long-term policy shifts focused on climate resilience, sustainable urban planning, and robust heat-action plans especially in fast-growing Indian cities already under pressure from rising populations and dwindling resources.
Telegraph
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
America's trillion dollar deregulation could be a dagger in the heart of net zero
After years of magical thinking, America's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) wants to see the forest for the trees again. Administrator Lee Zeldin announced this week that the EPA is reconsidering the 2009 endangerment finding that greenhouse gases are pollutants. This is massive. The endangerment finding underpins regulations on cars and the power sector. If it were overturned, Donald Trump could reverse costly environmental regulations put in place without explicit Congressional approval over the past decade and a half, reducing the costs of electricity and transportation. The history of the endangerment finding dates from 2007, during the presidency of George W Bush. The Supreme Court interpreted the Clean Air Act to give the EPA the authority to regulate greenhouse gases (such as carbon dioxide and methane) if the agency decided that these gases from particular sources caused pollution and endangered the public. Fast forward to 2009, when Barack Obama's EPA concluded that six greenhouse gases endangered public health, allowing the agency to regulate emissions of these gases under the Clean Air Act. This 'endangerment finding' triggered an onslaught of EPA climate regulations that spread to Europe and sparked the international net zero movement. This raised manufacturing costs in the West and encouraged offshoring to Asia, without necessarily reducing global emissions. The endangerment finding used data from the 2007 Fourth Assessment Report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In the intervening 18 years, more data have become available, and the EPA is seeking to reconsider whether greenhouse gases are having the consequences predicted in 2009. The IPCC has written a Sixth Assessment Report, published in 2022, with updated conclusions. In addition, new Supreme Court decisions have limited the discretion granted to cabinet agencies. Executive branch agencies must hew to the letter of the law, rather than being free to interpret laws as they see fit. Anything else would be to usurp the authority of Congress, which has never explicitly authorised the EPA to regulate CO2 emissions. If the EPA finds that greenhouse gases are not pollutants, some regulations in America would be eliminated, with potential savings of trillions of dollars. The average new car costs almost $50,000, up from $23,000 in 2009, partly due to environmental regulations. Administrator Zeldin said: 'We will follow the science, the law, and common sense wherever it leads, and we will do so while advancing our commitment towards helping to deliver cleaner, healthier, and safer air, land, and water.' The administration is presenting a united front on reconsidering the endangerment finding. The secretaries of the Departments of Energy, Transportation, and Interior, and the directors of the powerful Office of Management and Budget and Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs within the White House, all issued supportive statements. Transportation secretary Duffy declared: 'This will allow the DOT to accelerate its work on new vehicle fuel economy standards that will lower car prices and no longer force Americans to purchase electric vehicles they don't want.' Some of the regulations buttressed by the endangerment finding include Obama's Clean Power Plan, which would have forced power plants out of business and was overturned by the Supreme Court in West Virginia vs. EPA; auto emissions regulations that have gradually ratcheted up and could have required around 70 per cent of new cars sold in 2032 to be battery-powered or plug-in electric; and methane controls on farms. Yet predictions that the EPA considered accurate in 2009 have since been updated. The endangerment finding has been used as a political tool to advance control over the US economy, giving regulators the power to determine which industries could be eliminated and which could flourish. It enables subsidies for particular industries and redistribution of resources. Such regulations have become entrenched worldwide, with the consequence that net zero policies are deindustrialising Europe and preventing countries in Latin America and Africa from accessing their fossil fuel resources. The US environmental regulatory system is premised on a 2007 analysis of climate science from the start of Obama's term. But as Obama's former undersecretary for research at the Department of Energy, Steve Koonin, wrote in his book Unsettled, the science should not prematurely be declared settled. Above all, regulators should not be given the power to fundamentally reshape American life without democratic approval. The EPA should be congratulated. Manhattan, cows, and farmers can breathe easier again.
