Fresh water isn’t unlimited. Rainfall isn’t predictable. Just three percent of the world’s water is drinkable, and more than 70 percent of that freshwater is used for agriculture. Unnecessary irrigation wastes huge amounts of water – some crops are watered twice as …Continue reading
Battling to breathe
At the onset of winter in 2016, Lahore saw smog for the first time. Visually, the scene was similar to the usual fog the city experiences in winter season, and many thought that fog had arrived early. But soon, when residents of …Continue reading
Sea levels may rise by up to 10 inches by 2050, says new study
A study published in the Annual Review of Environment and Resources has revealed how much sea levels could rise over the next two centuries if humanity continues to falter in the fight against climate change, and glaciers continue to melt. The paper …Continue reading
Earth Hour today to renew pledge for environment conservation
Pakistan’s 11th Earth Hour will be held from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, today. Earth Hour is a worldwide event started by the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) to encourage individuals, communities, households, and businesses to turn off all non-essential lights as …Continue reading
Dust in Lahore Contaminated With Harmful Levels of Pesticides, Study Finds
Dust in areas surrounding pesticide manufacturing units and farmland in Lahore contains harmful levels of pesticide pollution, a study done jointly by researchers at Quaid-e-Azam University and Lancaster University has found. Farmers, factory workers and residents of such areas are exposed to …Continue reading
Lahore’s Smog is Back but This Time There’s a Policy to Tackle it
A thick smog has been persistently plaguing citizens of Lahore for over a week now, causing throat infections, headaches and breathing problems. “I noticed the smog on my way to work last week. There was a haze in the skyline and buildings …Continue reading
The Future of Plastic Waste Disposal Could Be a Fungus
A Pakistani researcher has made an important discovery that could have huge implications for waste management in the country. Dr Sehroon Khan, of World Agroforestry Centre and Kunming Institute of Biology, and his team of researchers have found a fungus in a …Continue reading
Pakistan Among 5 Countries That Account for 90% of Wastewater Irrigated Farms, Study Finds
Pakistan is among five countries that account for almost 90 percent of farmland across the globe irrigated by sewage water, a study shows. China, India, Iran and Mexico are the other four countries where major portion of clean water from rivers and …Continue reading
Politically Charged: Do You Know Where Your Batteries Come From?
People are excited about batteries, from electric cars to Tesla’s 129 megawatt-hour energy storage project in South Australia. But one important issue is often overlooked: the raw materials needed to build this technology – where they come from and their environmental cost. New …Continue reading
Disappearing Forests
Pakistan’s forests are no longer what they used to be. At the time of partition, the country’s forest cover stood at 33 percent. By 1990, Pakistan’s forest cover had declined to 3.3 percent. Fast forward another quarter of a century, to 2015, …Continue reading