India's heatwave is the longest ever to hit the country, the government's top weather expert said Monday as he warned people will face increasingly oppressive temperatures. Parts of northern India have been gripped by a heatwave since mid-May, with temperatures soaring over 45 degrees Celsius. "This has been the longest spell...
Political analysts are still dissecting India's election results. Yes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a historic third term. But his BJP party lost a significant number of seats.
What does it all mean for the world's largest democracy? Business Insider has a great selection of stories covering all the angles. Dive deep here: https://flip.it/ctg0ik
Indians have raised ‘a voice for democracy’ online and in the polls in historic #vote
Despite the heightened anxieties over the conduct of a free and fair #election , #India ’s democracy rallied in the 2024 election, with voters denying Prime Minister Narendra #Modi a landslide win. Much of the fight occurred online as independent journalists and influencers challenged the government narrative echoed on mainstream media.
Indian voters reject Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a one-party state in win for competitive democracy.
CNN reports: "In what opposition parties have declared as a victory for pluralism, voters in the world’s largest democracy partially rejected Modi’s populist vision for a Hindu-first nation, reducing the BJP’s share of the vote by 63 seats – bringing its total down to 240, far below the 272 required for a parliamentary majority."
"The INDIA coalition proved more resilient and successful than many analysts had expected, despite grappling with state agencies freezing party funds and jailing opposition leaders in the buildup to the polls. They were particularly boosted by regional parties who far outperformed the BJP, such as the Samajwadi party in Uttar Pradesh, the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party in Tamil Nadu."
In a shock result, #India Prime Minister #Modi will likely have to seek a coalition government as projections indicate they will likely to fall short of the votes needed for a majority.
This could have significant policy implications in a country which has recently not been our favorite and a regime which has been secretly trying to assassinate dissidents of their regime within the US and other allies’ territory.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed victory for his alliance on Tuesday in India’s general election, despite a lacklustre performance from his own party as it faced a stronger than expected challenge from the opposition, which pushed back against the leader’s mixed economic record and polarising politics. FRANCE 24's Leela Jacinto tells us more. #India#Modi#vote
Despite Narendra Modi arm-twisting State institutions to harass opposition, corporate backing and all-out media support, people saw through BJP's propaganda and have voted for the opposition parties. Feeling hopeful! #India#electionresults
Today's election result is not just about the coming 5 years. Whether there'll be free & fair elections at all in the future, whether our constitution will stand the test of time, whether we will become a hindu nation, all depends on it. This is going to be a crucial point in the history of #India. We may lose this #election, but we can't afford to lose #hope. At this point, even limiting the fascist party from achieving the brutal majority predicted by the various exit polls is a big win!
Till climate change related issues move from the periphery to electoral interest
Climate change is all about saving humanity and our ecosystem. The significant human cost due to failure to address the climate change related challenges is understood very well without any ambiguity.
For every 0.1 degrees of warming above present levels, about 140 million more people will be exposed to dangerous heat.
The high impact of climate change that causes rising global temperatures and heatwaves, fires, storms and floods hurting people today have been extensively documented by climate scientists. We are reading it everyday. So the awareness is there though it may not be enough.
Unfortunately, our climate scientists feel hopeless when they see that the responses from the politicians and the big corporations are not in the best interest of the common man. And yet, our climate scientists still passionately continue to do their job with a conviction that policymakers cannot say that they were not made aware.
The root cause that this impending catastrophe does not motivate politicians (policymakers) is that it is not an election issue. If policymakers are motivated enough, the big corporations will also act more responsibly. Elections are typically held every four to five years across the world, but the planning and execution cycles to contain climate change impacts are more than that. According to Stephen Humphreys, the politicians and the well healed won't be affected, even if there is a cataclysmic 3C rise, till there is civil disobedience.
Now India is no exception. During the ongoing 2024 parliamentary elections, no political party explicitly talked about the devastating effects of climate crisis. Except the educated middle class and above, many of us do not fully understand the scientific phenomenon of climate change and its implications on our daily lives. This lack of awareness leads to climate change not influencing our voting decisions. But the issues related to its consequences, such as water scarcity, agriculture challenges, and economic impacts are being discussed aggressively.> Between 2016- 2021, climate extreme events caused damage to crops in over 36 million hectares, and a $3.75 billion loss for farmers in the country. If estimates from the report on ‘Loss and Damage Today’ by economist James Rising were to be believed, India lost 8% of its GDP in 2022.
Both the major political political parties, in India, have elaborately mentioned climate agenda in their election manifestos which are statement of intentions and not policy documents. However, Indian political parties tend to focus on immediate, emotive issues rather than long-term environmental concerns, which are not always seen as directly affecting voter in the short term. Environmental challenges and political priorities are consciously kept disconnected during election campaigns. No political party want to stir the hornet's best. Since meeting daily needs and economic growth are pressing concerns, the common people are prioritizing survival issues like employment, education, and healthcare over environmental policies.
The fate of climate change and politics is deeply intertwined. If climate issue fails to strike a strong resonance in the election campaigns across the globe, there is not much way forward.
As voters across India cast their ballots in the general election on issues ranging from the cost of living to jobs and religion, the residents of a tiny, ecologically sensitive island have only one concern: Survival. As voters across India cast their ballots in the general election on issues ranging from the cost of living to...
Hmm, 35C and dewpoint of 33C at the METAR for Jay Prakash Narayan Airport (VEPT), Bihar, India. I don't think in Celsius, but I am thinking that is uncomfortable at best, likely heat illness or death at worst. (assuming no A/C). #heatwave#india#vept
India's heatwave longest ever, worse to come (www.news24.com)
India's heatwave is the longest ever to hit the country, the government's top weather expert said Monday as he warned people will face increasingly oppressive temperatures. Parts of northern India have been gripped by a heatwave since mid-May, with temperatures soaring over 45 degrees Celsius. "This has been the longest spell...
For Ghoramara islanders, India election is about climate change and survival (www.reuters.com)
As voters across India cast their ballots in the general election on issues ranging from the cost of living to jobs and religion, the residents of a tiny, ecologically sensitive island have only one concern: Survival. As voters across India cast their ballots in the general election on issues ranging from the cost of living to...