Delhi chokes on worst Nov smog in many years

Delhi chokes on worst Nov smog in many years Delhiites woke up to apocalyptic grey skies as a heavy smog hung over the city on Wednesday , reducing visibility to its lowest for the month of November in many years. The air quality was so poor that it was comparable to the post-Diwali spike in pollution. The air quality index for 4pm on November 2 was 432, in the “severe” category , while the index on October 31 (post Diwali) was 445. The Met office said visibility at the IGI…

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Your DNA can tell how many kids you’ll have

Your DNA can tell how many kids you’ll have (Getty Images photo) The age at which you will have your first child and the number of kids you are likely to have may be encoded in your DNA, say scientists who found that genetic data can be used to accurately predict our reproductive behaviour. The study , led by researchers at University of Oxford, includes an analysis of 62 data sets with information from 2,38,064 men and women on the age at which they had their first child and 3,30,000…

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New breast cancer cases to rise to 3.2 mn a year by 2030

New breast cancer cases to rise to 3.2 mn a year by 2030 (Chad Baker/Getty Images) By 2030, the number of women diagnosed every year with breast cancer could almost double to 3.2 million and cervical cancer cases can rise at least 25 per cent to over 700,000 globally unless urgent action is taken, a study has cautioned. India and China are two countries with the largest number of women with breast and cervical cancer, show the findings of the study, published in the Lancet. Globally, cervical and breast cancer…

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Climate Change: Low-Hanging Fruit, Ripe for The Picking

Earth is hurtling deep into the red zone of dangerous global warming, but experts say there are some low cost, effective options for putting on the brakes. Under the 2015 Paris Agreement, UN members  pledged to cap rising temperatures at less than two degrees Celsius (2.6 degrees Fahrenheit) compared to pre-industrial era levels. The big culprit is CO2, the byproduct of fossil fuels that provide the backbone of today’s energy supply. But addressing indirect CO2 emissions — and warming sources that are not from CO2 — offer complementary ways of…

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Air Pollution: Environment Minister to Meet State Counterparts

Union Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave is set to hold a meeting on Friday with his counterparts from five states to discuss short, medium and long-term measures to tackle air pollution in the capital. The call came as Delhi’s air quality deteriorated to alarming levels and witnessed its worst smog situation in 17 years on Wednesday and Thursday. “MoEFCC (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) to hold meeting with secretaries of five neighbouring states of Delhi tomorrow (Friday). Later, I will meet ministers of concerned states,” Dave said in…

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Can Added Sugar in Diet Cause Heart Attack?

Increased intake of food and drink with added sugar may possibly raise the risk of heart attack or myocardial infarction by about a third, in some people, a study has warned. Although sucrose occurs naturally in fruit and vegetables, most of which is consumed through added inclusion. Besides sweetened beverages, cakes and sweets, sucrose is added to many other foods — dairy products, bread and jam, the study said. “For the vast majority (of people), the consumption of added sugar does not appear to be a problem — the risk…

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