Vehicles choking Haridwar roads major culprits in polluting city�s air [http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/resources/newspaper/details.asp?id=86009]HARIDWAR: The number of vehicles registered annually on the roads of Haridwar have increased by over 60 per cent in the last seven years, and are one of the major contributing factors of rising air pollution levels in the holy city. Open burning of garbage and dry leaves which TOI has been highlighting repeatedly, are the other major sources of the air getting murkier day by day in the city.

Green Tribunal directs surprise checks of polluting industries [http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/resources/newspaper/details.asp?id=86001]The National Green Tribunal has directed surprise checks of polluting industries in Ghaziabad and adjoining areas after a plea alleged that toxic discharge from these units was causing air and water pollution there.A Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the Environment Ministry, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Uttar Pradesh government and UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) to conduct surprise inspection of these units and submit data on how many industries were operating in the entire area.

Stop trade in exotic species for cheap entertainment[ http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/resources/newspaper/details.asp?id=86019 ]Mumbai: A day after a Humbolt penguin died in Mumbai zoo, animal welfare experts reminded authorities that sensible conservation of wildlife is critical and demanded that trade in exotic species for "cheap entertainment" must stop.Activists have advised the BMC to first improve the zoo's condition and only then bring in additional species with public money. This, even as Mumbai zoo director Dr Sanjay Tripathi confirmed plans to bring in a "replacement" penguin.

'Chances of high pollution in winters' [http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/resources/newspaper/details.asp?id=85984]VARANASI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency might experience the worst air pollution during winter this year. A pilot study of air quality index (AQI) by the Centre For Environment and Energy Development (CEED) in August and September shows that maximum number of days recorded 'moderate to severe' levels of pollution.

ossil leaves show how Antarctic ice melted 23 million years ago [http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/resources/newspaper/details.asp?id=85890]WELLINGTON: Fossilised leaves recovered from a crater lake in New Zealand provided insight on how climate changed and affected the Antarctic ice-sheet 23 million years ago, a scientist said on Thursday.

Air pollution claims lives, harms economy [http://cmsenvis.cmsindia.org/resources/newspaper/details.asp?id=85983]A recently released report of the World Bank and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation has come out with some startling facts, the most important being that India lost 1.4 million lives to air pollution, while in China the toll was 1.6 million. In fact, more than 5 million deaths world-wide were attributed to health conditions caused by air pollution out of which 60 per cent were in the two most populous countries.