Health Trotter

September 23, 2021 at 04:34PM Tell Vinisha Umashankar that your teen years pale in comparison to hers, and she is quick to remind you that everyone has a different life journey. But the 14-year-old also knows that the future looks very different for her generation if the world doesn’t act to slow global warming and the effects of climate change. Still, she’s optimistic that “collective action” of people her age will turn the tide. That’s probably why Umashankar has already been doing more than her fair share. In Tiruvannamalai, a small temple town in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, she designed an ingenious solar-powered alternative for the millions of charcoal-burning ironing carts that ply the streets of India’s cities—pressing clothes for workers and families. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Her invention is now getting global recognition. Umashankar is the youngest finalist for the first Earthshot Prize, a £1 million ($1.3 million) award launched by Prince W...

September 20, 2021 at 04:34PM Developed countries’ pledges to provide $100 billion of annual financing, made over a decade ago and seen as key to unlocking upcoming climate talks, are unlikely to be met even five years after the target, according to a new report. That not only threatens the success at the United Nations climate talks in Glasgow starting in weeks, but also the aim of limiting global warming to 1.5 degree Celsius as part of the Paris Agreement, Oxfam International said in a study. “Wealthy nations must live up to their promise made 12 years ago and put their money where their mouths are,” said Nafkote Dabi, global climate policy lead for Oxfam. “It is clearly a question of political will.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Data from the OECD last week showed that the pace of boosting the funding slowed further in 2019, growing just 2% to $79.6 billion from 2018. Data wasn’t available for 2020, by when the $100 billion annual rate was to be achieved, but the e...