Month: June 2021

Ganga and Bhagirathi rivers in Uttarakhand crossed the danger mark on Saturday following three days of incessant rains especially in the hills prompting authorities to sound an alert and evacuate villages along their banks.
The Ganga exceeded the danger level in both Haridwar and Rishikesh while Bhagirathi crossed the danger mark at Devprayag in Tehri district.
The Ganga in Haridwar was flowing at 294.1 metres, 0.10 metres above its danger mark, according to the data on the Central Water Commission’s (CWC) website.
The Ganga exceeded the danger level in Rishikesh and was flowing four centimetres above it, CWC Superintending Engineer Rajesh Kumar said.

In the biopharmaceutical industry, a strong vision and nimbleness are catalysts for innovation that ultimately help propel a company forward. In addition to creating critical new medicines for patients, it also takes perseverance to think and act differently in order to deliver sustainable growth. With a foundation built on strong, authentic values, Takeda has gained a reputation for business integrity and high quality for 240 years. With more than two centuries spent serving patients, our deep history and heritage along with our values have helped guide us through our transformation into a top global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader and paved the path toward a sustainable future.  Earlier in the month, President and CEO Christophe Weber kicked off the 2021 Biopharma CEO Investor Forum with a presentation on our approach to a concept we call “purpose-led sustainability.” The meeting brought together the top biopharmaceutical companies to provide the investor community with insight into the long-term plans for leaders in the industry.

Annual investments of around $35 billion could bring electricity access for 759 million people who currently lack it, and $25 billion a year can help 2.6 billion people gain access to clean cooking between now and 2030. Everyone in the world could have access to clean, affordable energy within the next nine years if countries modestly increase investments, according to new reports released today, in advance of a major ministerial meeting on 21-25 June where countries and businesses will begin to announce energy plans for the decade. Annual investments of around $35 billion could bring electricity access for 759 million people who currently lack it, and $25 billion a year can help 2.6 billion people gain access to clean cooking between now and 2030.

As the benefits of green and sustainable initiatives become more apparent each year, reasons to avoid such practices in facility cleaning programs are few and far between. Cost-efficient equipment, reduced worker absenteeism and improved public opinion are just a few of the reasons why 77 percent of respondents in the Facility Cleaning Decisions 2019 Green and Sustainability Survey do whatever they can to incorporate green certified products into their cleaning program — a 5 percent increase over last year’s results. Responses from nearly 400 facility cleaning executives provided several key takeaways on program implementation, product adoption, adequate training and getting upper management on-board with initiatives. While plenty of room for improvement remains, the foundation for green and sustainable efforts appears stronger than ever.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is reminding retail stores, restaurants, and shoppers that the statewide ban on single-use plastic carry-out bags will go into effect July 1. A ban on single-use plastic carry-out bags, which was passed by the Maine Legislature in 2019, was scheduled to go into effect on April 22, 2020. However, the ban’s enforcement was delayed twice, originally due to concerns regarding potential transmission of the COVID-19 virus, and again in December of 2020 due to concerns regarding a disruption in packing supplies and logistical effects caused by COVID-19 pandemic. The DEP encouraged businesses that provide single-use plastic carry-out bags to take advantage of the additional time provided by enforcement delays to procure alternatives and deplete current stocks of these products.

As the Asia-Pacific region confronts and recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, we must continue our pursuit of sustainable development and take action on global climate change, the existential challenge of our time. Our region must take its place at the front lines of this effort. The region, which now accounts for 36 percent of global GDP, has made great progress in economic development and poverty reduction. But it is also responsible for around 80 percent of the world’s coal consumption, and up to 60 percent of CO2 emissions. Many countries have experienced the devastating consequences of climate change: floods, droughts, heat waves, and storms.

Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has completed work on a pilot sustainable drainage scheme at Mill Street in Pontypridd – which has introduced green features to help reduce surface water flooding and divert it from traditional drainage systems in heavy rainfall. The pilot, which is fully-funded by Welsh Government, has introduced a tree pit and rain garden to provide an adaptive form of flood alleviation that improves the area’s aesthetics and biodiversity, and is also resilient for the future. The new rain garden is sized at 35m2, and will provide drainage for the surface water run-off from the nearby concreted car park, which is 1,085m2. Prior to the works, water run-off from this area would flow directly into the drainage systems – and it is hoped this will be reduced by up to 50% following the delivery of the pilot scheme.