China’s predatory outlook towards Global Environment



International Desk, Barta24.com
China’s predatory outlook towards Global Environment

China’s predatory outlook towards Global Environment

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A recent report has concluded that China has emitted more carbon dioxide in the past eight years that U.K had emitted since the industrial revolution. China has been the largest emitter of annual greenhouse gases since 2006 and its total energy related emissions are twice as that of the second largest emitter; making it the source of one third of emissions pumped into the environment every year across the world. The county’s energy related emissions have manifold to more than 80% from 2005 to 2019 as well.

These reports come at a time when global leaders were in Egypt attending United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27). A prime agenda of the summit was to have nations agree to reduce global carbon emissions are at an all-time-high although the leader have foundlittle respite in sight.

China in specific, is alone responsible each year for 30% of all global emissions, while also ever increasing its emissions. This non-compliance also come at the backdrop of China in all probability backing away from paying a ‘climate change reparation’ to vulnerable countries severely affected by its environmental degradational activities.

However, it is not only emission concerns that needs attention in China’s unregulated development trajectories. China is also the largest source of marine debris as well as the worst culprits of illegal fishing and the largest importer of unregulated wildlife and timber. For instance, in the African nation of Mozambique, Chinese firms have been purchasing banned indigenous timber; though only after Chinese entities had managed to bribe public officials in the country for sourcing of the ecological destructive product

Beijing’s quest to attain a hegemony has promoted unsafe industrial practices and have proved to be detrimental to the global environment as well. Its ecologically threatening industrial processes has made it the world’s largest emitter of mercury and neurotoxin. This has made China the leader in creating a conducive scenario for mercury related toxic air pollutants, risking the threat of a severe air pollution crisis. Not only this, the Chinese Communist Party’s developmental goals have led it accelerate Chinese owned subsidiary’s plans in coal burning as well. These developmental expeditions have also made the country the biggest producer and exporter of plastic products also causing one third of the globe’s plastic waste alone.According to a report, China’s plastic waste is also unmanaged.The reports stated that these plastic wastes are also directly dumped into the environment without any non-polluting mechanisms in place, leading to millions of tonnes directly affecting marine life as well as causing a severe threat to island nations that face majority of the environmental burden.

China’s unsustainable ecological model is not only dangerous for its domestic residents, but is even more so lethal for vulnerable countries that face an existential threat due to climate change concerns. Its Belt and Road Initiative is arguably the largest economic project ever undertaken, and more so can also be considered as an instigator of such disastrous ecologically degrading mechanisms. The implementation of the projects under the ambit of the initiative lacks a clear environmental policy that safeguards concerns relating to the ecology. However, the it is the host country that often finds itself as a victim to environmental degradations due to lack of safeguards in the projects. Many local populations have been displaced to such projects forcing them to migrate into camps that lack basic facilities required even if meant for a temporary time period. The short-sighted deals are causing local residents to resent Chinese investments that have caused such miserable circumstances for locals residing in such areas for decades.

These projects have also gone on to pollute water sources significantly like in the case of Gambia. The major reason for the growing tensions within different Gambian communities against Chinese firms has been due to widespread contamination of the waters in the Gunjur beach. This has caused serious repercussions for local as well as the nation government. The BRI mega-projects run through at least 1,700 sensitive biodiversity sites and has threatened around 265 species in its process of building infrastructural projects. A study published in Nature Sustainability suggested BRI projects may lead to “permanent environmental degradation” due to ecological degradations caused by pollution, habitat loss, and wildlife deaths, amongst other factors.

These factors combined altogether indicate towards China’s lack of initiative as well as interest in reducing its emissions and pollution that indeed has detrimental effects on vulnerable countries across the world but more specifically towards island countries. If China’s degrading actions are to continue, it would not be far-fetched to state that the global ambition of mitigating against climate change would unfortunately fail in its goal. The Belt and Road initiative in specific, must be dealt with in more firmness by host countries, seeking more responsible behaviour by Chinese firms as well as guarantees that the consequences of the infrastructural projects would be reprimanded by China. China’s global ambitions are not in sync with the global agenda of mitigating environmental concerns; the fact that it has emitted the most amount of greenhouse gases annually in the past fifteen years is indicative of alarming Chinese intensions. These can only be delt if nations act collectively to counter Chinese developmental strategies. Hence like-minded countries concerned about environmental degradation through international forums must seek to call out China’s detrimental plans that is endangering the existence of not only various other species, but also the existence of human life as well going forward.

Courtesy Bye: IFFRAS
   

Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari passes away



International Desk, Barta24.com
Photo: Collected

Photo: Collected

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Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of a heart attack.

The 63-year-old politician died on Thursday (March 28) around 8:30 pm while undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Earlier, the jail authorities took him to the district's Rani Durgavati Medical College Hospital after he fainted in the jail last Tuesday. Later a team of nine doctors provided immediate medical attention to him. But, despite their best efforts, he died after 14 hours in the ICU.

Indian media NDTV reported that this 5-time MP from Uttar Pradesh has been in jail since 2005.

A large contingent of police was deployed outside the hospital soon after Ansari was taken to the hospital and prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been issued across Uttar Pradesh following his death, news agency PTI reported.

Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said additional policemen have been deployed in Banda, Mau, Ghazipur and Varanasi districts as well as Central Reserve Police Force.

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The ICJ ordered Israel to take steps to stop the famine in Gaza



International Desk, Barta24.com, Dhaka
ছবি: সংগৃহীত

ছবি: সংগৃহীত

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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to take necessary and effective measures to stop the spread of famine in the besieged Palestinian Gaza Strip.

On Thursday (March 28), the International Court of Justice unanimously gave the order to Israel. But Hamas leaders say a ceasefire is necessary to prevent a humanitarian crisis.

South Africa asked the court for new measures as part of a case accusing Israel of state-led genocide in Gaza. Later the court gave this order.

The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to take necessary and effective measures to ensure basic food supplies for the Palestinian population and to stop the spread of famine, Reuters reported. The order came as Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters battled around Gaza's Al Shifa hospital.

The people of Gaza are going to face worse conditions, the court judges said. The court observed that the people of Gaza are not only at risk of famine but that famine has already begun, the judges said in the order.

Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, said the verdict was not enough. Israel must be ordered to cease military attacks to end the suffering.

He added, "We welcome any new demands to end the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, especially in the northern Gaza Strip, but we hope that the court will order a ceasefire as a solution to the misery our people in Gaza are living through."

There was no immediate comment from Israel's Foreign Ministry on the International Court of Justice ruling.

The UN Security Council voted on Tuesday to demand an immediate ceasefire and the immediate unconditional release of all hostages. The United States abstained from voting, but did not veto.

 

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76 more killed in Gaza, death toll rises to nearly 32,500



International Desk, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Even after the UN Security Council passed a cease-fire resolution, the Israeli barbaric attacks on the Palestinian-besieged Gaza have not stopped. Another 76 Palestinians were killed in Gaza in the last 24 hours by Israeli attacks. The death toll has increased to about 32,500 people. The number of injured has reached about 75000 people.

Al-Jazeera reported this information in a live update on Thursday (March 28).

Quoting the Ministry of Health of Gaza, the report said that since last October, the number of dead in Palestine has reached 32490 in the Israeli barbaric attack in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, an emergency ceasefire resolution was passed in the besieged Gaza Strip. The resolution passed by the UN Security Council on Monday (March 25) calls for a cease-fire in Gaza as well as the immediate and unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas.

In this proposal, 14 countries of the Security Council voted in favor of the proposal. Israel's close ally, the United States, abstained from voting.

Welcoming the proposal, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, after a long wait, the Security Council has passed a resolution regarding the cease-fire in Gaza. This proposal must be implemented. Failure of any party to implement the ceasefire and its terms would constitute an unforgivable offence. 

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Israel wants to wipe out Palestinians: UN



International Desk, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Gazans are going through one of the worst times in living memory. The lives of Palestinians are in danger due to the long-term killings and severe food shortages. The world is criticizing the surprise attack on the destitute Gazans. However, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu is unwilling to stop the attack. In this situation, the international organization, which could not find any solution after repeated efforts, said that Israel is going to wipe out the Palestinians.

On Monday (March 25), the special envoy for human rights in Palestine, Francesca Albanez, released her detailed report. She said that since the start of the attack, Israel has targeted Gazans. The Israeli forces assumed that these Gazans could be attacked, killed, or even destroyed. Israel's genocidal action has become clear through this. They are trying to erase Palestinians from Palestine.

The news agency AFP reported this information.

According to the report, Albanez attacked Israel in harsh language at the meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council. She said Israel destroyed Gaza. She also said, 'What is happening in Gaza shows the intention of genocide. We cannot turn away from it. We have to face it, we have to stop this genocide and action must be taken against those who took this step.''

Francesca Albanez is working as Special Envoy for Palestinian Human Rights. She told the United Nations Human Rights Council last Monday that the organization's member states should end arms embargoes against Israel and arms supplies to Israel.

Support for the UN expert panel, which has been working on allegations of genocide against Israel since the start of Israel's assault on Gaza, has been growing in Palestine. Various countries are now showing interest in investigating the allegations of genocide.

Ambassadors of different countries are supporting this report of Albanez. Ambassadors from Muslim and Arab countries, as well as Latin American countries, are among those supporting Albanez's report to hold Israel accountable.

Pakistan has supported this Albanez report on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The OIC has also called for an arms embargo on Israel. When Albanez presented the report to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Pakistan's representative said, "We appreciate your courage in documenting the genocide in Gaza."

Accusations of genocide against Israel are intensifying as it continues to operate in Gaza's Rafah area in defiance of international calls. The Ministry of Health of Palestine said on Wednesday that 76 people were killed in the attack in the last 24 hours. With this, 32490 people have been killed in Israel's attacks since October 7.

The representative of Egypt, on behalf of the Arab countries, said they were deeply concerned about Israel's structural and systematic attack on the Gaza Strip, making it uninhabitable. Qatar represented the Gulf countries in the meeting. They want international action to stop the war that Israel is waging in Palestine. 

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