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The BCCI has banned the display of <keyword id="54214" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="fireworks" source="Orion">fireworks</keyword> during the remaining World Cup games in Delhi and Mumbai due to worsening air quality in the two mega cities. Delhi has only one match left to host, the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka game on November 6, while Mumbai are scheduled to host two more league games, on November 2 and November 7, and the semifinal on November 15. "BCCI is sensitive to environmental concerns. I took up the matter formally with the ICC and there won't be any fireworks display in Mumbai, which can add to the pollution level," said BCCI secretary Jay Shah in a statement on Wednesday. "The Board is committed to combating environmental issues and will always place the interest of our fans and stakeholders at the forefront. The BCCI acknowledges the urgent concern surrounding air quality in both Mumbai and New Delhi. "While we strive to host the <keyword id="6362155" type="General" weightage="70" keywordseo="icc-world-cup" source="Orion">ICC World Cup</keyword> in a manner befitting the celebration of cricket, we remain steadfast in our commitment to prioritising the health and safety of all our stakeholders." Delhi's air quality remained in the "very poor" category for the fifth consecutive day on Wednesday with an air quality index (AQI) of 372. The pollution situation has been alarming in Mumbai also. The Bombay High Court on Tuesday expressed concern over the "deteriorating" air quality index in Mumbai while taking suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the issue.

No fireworks display in Delhi, Mumbai during World Cup matches due to worsening air pollution

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some US cities have replaced fireworks with light shows performed by drones. </li><li>Cities in California and Colorado have implemented drones in their Fourth of July festivities.</li></ul>Some US cities in states like California and Colorado have replaced fireworks with light shows performed by drones for Fourth of July.In San Diego, hundreds of drones are set to replace Tuesday's firework shows <a href="https://www.kpbs.org/news/local/2023/07/03/drones-replace-fireworks-in-ocean-beach-and-la-jolla-for-4th-of-july" target="_blank" rel="noopener">throughout Ocean Beach and La Jolla.</a><a href="https://www.westword.com/news/drone-shows-fireworks-displays-metro-denver-july-4-17212879" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lakewood, Boulder, and Castle Rock have opted for drone shows</a> following the switch from other surrounding cities in Colorado last year.Some fireworks shows were canceled this year. For example in California, a new Los Angeles County regulation requires all firework shows to <a href="https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/beach-fireworks-shows-canceled-redondo-beach-la-county/3177170/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have a permit from the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board</a>, and some shows had to be canceled as a result.Similarly in the San Francisco Bay Area, fire departments have <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Bay-Area-officials-warn-of-devastating-17274572.php">warned against fireworks</a>, and <a href="https://abc7news.com/july-4th-fireworks-drone-shows-replacing-bay-area-displays/13457506/">more cities</a> have switched to hiring light show professionals and entertainment companies dedicated to providing these experiences.Aside from noise pollution, fireworks are a leading cause of wildfires in many dry cities. Washington State's Department of Natural Resources <a href="https://twitter.com/waDNR/status/1675948998614736897?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted that already this week, six wildfires occurred</a> in the Pacific Cascade Region as a result of fireworks.In recent years, drone shows have become more prevalent in large performances, such as the <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/characters_clone_20628_20210818162542/article/blackpink-coachella-2023-astonish-crowd-drone-show-17900654.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Coachella</a> music festival and the <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/video/super-bowl-56-nfl-drone-show-lights-up-l-a-sky-133043781590" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Super Bowl halftime show</a>.

Some US cities have replaced fireworks with drone shows to reduce wildfires and noise pollution

<ul class="summary-list"><li>New <keyword id="11892835" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="delhi" source="Orion">Delhi</keyword> is considered the world's most-polluted capital city.</li><li>The toxicity of its air rose to dangerous levels this week, partly fuelled by <keyword id="12206242" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fireworks" source="Orion">fireworks</keyword>.</li></ul><keyword id="12230730" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="air-pollution" source="Orion">Air pollution</keyword> levels in New Delhi, <keyword id="11892747" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s capital city, got even worse after people ignored a ban and held firework displays to mark the festival of Diwali.New Delhi is <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/new-delhi-is-worlds-most-polluted-capital-third-straight-year-iqair-study-2021-03-16/">considered the world's most-polluted capital city</a>, and had an especially poor day Friday, the day after Diwali celebrations.Authorities typically ban fireworks for the festival in India, but people often use them anyway, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/partys-over-diwali-leaves-delhi-wheezing-dangerously-unhealthy-air-2021-11-05/">Reuters noted</a>.This video shows fireworks in Delhi, and smog in the city:Experts found on Friday that the city's air had an average of 706 micrograms of PM2.5 - a small and health-damaging particle - per cubic metre of air, Reuters reported.Some parts of Delhi were at 999 micrograms on Friday, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-59172888">the BBC reported</a>.The World Health Organization says that levels it's unsafe to have an annual average above of five micrograms.<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-%28outdoor%29-air-quality-and-health">It says</a> that these particles "can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the blood system" and that "chronic exposure to particles contributes to the risk of developing cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as of lung cancer."Indian authorities warned the conditions in New Delhi were "severe" and could damage people's health, according to Reuters.The levels will take until Sunday to improve, and even then air quality would be qualify as "very poor," the BBC reported.

The air in New Delhi, the world's most polluted capital, got even worse after people ignored a ban to fill the air with Diwali fireworks

<ul><li><keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>’s apex court passed a verdict to restrict the use of firecrackers in lieu of the worsening <keyword id="53848" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-quality">air quality</keyword> in the country. </li><li>Along with time constraints on when firecrackers can be used, the Supreme Court is only allowing the sale of ‘<keyword id="6981349" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="green-fireworks">Green Fireworks</keyword>’. </li><li>While consumers cite tradition and religion, companies are wary of how this decision will affect their bottom line. </li><li>On the contrary, environmentalists feel that this barely enough to contain the excessive air pollution that occurs during the festive season of <keyword id="188" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali">Diwali</keyword>.</li></ul>India’s national capital is no stranger to air pollution, especially when it’s festive season. Deepavali, the Hindu festival of lights, is particularly an issue because it involves using firecrackers which not only depreciate the air quality, but cause noise pollution as well. The <keyword id="75952" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court-of-India">Supreme Court of India</keyword>, the country’s highest constitutional court, has deemed that while firecrackers won’t be banned altogether, strict restrictions are going to be put in place so people’s right to health isn’t adversely affected. This includes restricting when firecrackers can be burst, the implementation of ‘Green Crackers’ and banning online sales to curb the ill effects. Timely firecrackers One of the key takeaways from the Supreme Court’s judgement is that bursting of firecrackers will only be allowed between 8pm and 10pm on the day of Diwali. But, they haven’t put any reprimands in place if the decision isn’t followed. Traditionally, firecrackers aren’t only burst on Diwali but the day before and the day after as well. The day before, because it is Chotti Diwali (small Diwali) and the day after, because people want to use up the firecrackers that are leftover from the night before. While the time restriction is commendable, it’s unlikely to be enforced efficiently if there is no fear of consequences. 
	<div type="twitter" handle="OruvanYavano" handlename="Yavano Oruvan" image="http://abs.twimg.com/sticky/default_profile_images/default_profile_normal.png" favoritecount="2" retweetcount="0" status="Diwali is our traditional festival we don't need your suggestion to blast crakers #firecrackers #savediwali #saveourtradition" createdat="1540283144000" id="1054650065720008706"></div>



 
	<div type="twitter" handle="idontfaqwithu" handlename="rOhaN 🍌" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1019607935360512000/NrEMBz1Y_normal.jpg" favoritecount="6" retweetcount="0" status="Fuck supreme court. I'll burst crackers morning and evening on the day of diwali. Stop targeting our 1000s of year… https://t.co/MykMj8R6nv" createdat="1540283204000" id="1054650314375127040"></div>



 
	<div type="twitter" handle="rajat0807" handlename="Rajat Dariya" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/506866519372869632/Oz-ZCXJ6_normal.jpeg" favoritecount="2" retweetcount="1" status="It's not for #SupremeCourt to decide whether to ban #FireCrackers or not. We'll celebrate our festival the way we w… https://t.co/wdXjL5eti1" createdat="1540282277000" id="1054646429900259328"></div>



 Companies cry foul Most companies that have been disagreeing with the verdict have cited adverse economic and financial losses. But the Supreme Court has reinforced its stance stating that the economic loss in the form of treating respiratory ailments and health hazards resulting from firecrackers is much greater. Consumers and e-commerce companies, alike, aren’t too happy about the fact that firecrackers can’t be sold online anymore. Even the traditional Cock Brand Crackers and Sri Kaliswari Fireworks are going to be subject to restricting their inventory. The Supreme Court has mandated that ‘Green Crackers’ or fireworks that adhere to lower emissions will be the only ones allowed in the market now. While this may be a step in the right direction, environmentalists feel that it’s not nearly enough. Vimlendu Jha says that there’s really no such thing as an ‘environmentally safe’ <keyword id="6356460" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="firecracker">firecracker</keyword>. 
	<div type="twitter" handle="vimlendu" handlename="Vimlendu Jha" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/293375517/Vimlendu_MW_low_res_normal.jpg" favoritecount="15" retweetcount="7" status="What the hell does a 'good' firecracker even mean? Despite every scientific data available at the Courts disposal,… https://t.co/0Eamoh59Ve" createdat="1540292760000" id="1054690396452737024"></div>

India has sights set on banning firecrackers, bringing in 'Green Fireworks' – here's why it probably won't work

(Photo Credit: Wikipedia) <ul><li>Delhi police booked 562 people on <keyword id="188" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali">Diwali</keyword> night and arrested 310 for violating the Supreme Court’s order restricting the use of fireworks in the national capital.</li><li>Police seize 2,776 kgs of crackers from across the region, according to official reports. </li><li>Out of the total documented cases, 87 people and 72 cases were booked in relation to the sale of firecrackers. </li></ul>Police in India’s national capital came down hard on violators of the recent Supreme Court order restricting the use of firecrackers, a huge contributor to Delhi’s toxic smog. On Diwali night – India’s ‘festival of lights’ – Delhi police reportedly <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/india/over-300-arrested-550-cases-registered-on-diwali-night-for-violating-sc-order-1933331.html">registered</a> over 500 cases and arrested over 300 people across the city for flouting Supreme Court’s restrictions on the use of fireworks. India’s apex court had recently allowed the use of <keyword id="6356460" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="firecracker">firecracker</keyword>s only within a two-hour window on Diwali night along with restricting firecracker sales to only ‘<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-rest-of-india-can-burst-normal-fireworks-but-its-national-capital-is-restricted-to-staying-green/articleshow/66463338.cms">green fireworks</a>’ in the Delhi- NCR region, in response to the rising smog levels in the city. Delhi police also reportedly confiscated over 2,776 kgs of firecrackers from across the national capital region, arresting 87 people in connection to illegal sale of firecrackers. In addition, 24 juveniles were also booked under the Juvenile Act for violating the directions. Overall, over 562 cases were registered under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for disobeying the order. No Change It also appeared that despite the restriction on firecrackers sale, the amount of firecrackers used this Diwali was the same as last year. Close to 5 million kgs of firecrackers were used this year, ET <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/50-lakh-kg-of-crackers-burnt-in-delhi-this-year-report/articleshow/66547547.cms?from=mdr">reported</a> by. That corresponds to over 1,50,000 kgs of PM2.5 particles, which are extremely toxic. On Thursday, Delhi’s <keyword id="2071721" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-Quality-Index">Air Quality Index</keyword> in Delhi further deteriorated to 642, and is expected to remain ‘severe’ in part due to smoke from fireworks.

Diwali fireworks backfire: Over 300 people arrested for violating SC order

<ul><li>The <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> of <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> has imposed a ban on bursting pollution causing fireworks during <keyword id="188" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali">Diwali</keyword> in the country’s national capital, New Delhi. </li><li>Meanline, the other cities and states in the country have no such restrictions and can go about bursting normal fireworks. </li><li>If people in New Delhi want to burst ‘normal’ fireworks during the festive season, they will have to travel between 140kms to 200kms out of the city. </li></ul>India’s top court has cracked down on fireworks ahead of Diwali, one of India’s biggest Hindu festivals. While the Supreme Court has the banned the manufacturing and sale of all ‘pollution causing’ fireworks in New Delhi in face of deteriorating air quality, other states and cities in Indian can still indulge in normal fireworks. That being said, the Supreme Court has issued an alternative where people in New Delhi and its surrounding areas can still burst <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-what-are-green-crackers-5415113/">‘green fireworks’</a>, but only between the hours of 8PM and 10PM. The court also mentioned that green firecrackers would eventually supersede the other kinds with the increase in their manufacturing from next year onwards. It’s not that other states aren’t considering more strict regulations on the bursting of fireworks during the festive season, but they are still allowed to call on their previous stock of fireworks, green or otherwise <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/supreme-court-only-green-crackers-to-be-used-in-delhi-ncr-5428096/">according to</a> Justice AK Sikri and Justice Ashok Bhushan. But the ban on the online sale of fireworks through e-commerce portals like Amazon and Flipkart applies across the nation. In order to ensure effective implementation, the Supreme Court has also threatened to drag online retailers to court if they don’t abide by the issued guidelines. The rest of India The issue with the Supreme Court’s directive is that not everyone around India celebrates Diwali at the <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/current/economy-politics/diwali-crackers-bursting-time-north-south-india-supreme-court/story/286530.html">same time</a>. While northern states celebrate Diwali at night, southern states prefer to celebrate it in the morning. Meanwhile most states in the east celebrate Diwali a before the actual ‘designated’ day of the festival. States like Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/sc-modifies-firecracker-order-tamil-nadu-puducherry-can-fix-timing-but-cannot-exceed-2-hours-5425063/">permitted</a> the use of fireworks between the hours of 4 AM to 5 AM in the morning and 9 PM to 10 PM during the night. Meanwhile, in the city of Mumbai, shopkeepers are <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/after-supreme-court-order-firecracker-retailers-stare-at-losses-this-diwali-stock-up-other-items-in-mumbai-5428097/">diversifying</a> the products they offer to include more ‘decorative fireworks’ and those approved by the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). The firework ban legally covers areas that are nearly <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/firecracker-ban-in-delhi-where-all-ban-is-applicable-to-purchase-crackers-legally-this-is-how-far-you-will-have-to-go-answer-will-break-your-heart/888749/">140 kms to 200 kms</a> from the eastern and the southern borders of Delhi spreading out over 21 districts of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. About <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/national/many-people-now-want-curbs-on-firecrackers-in-their-cities-says-assocham/article9908815.ece">35%</a> of the citizens responded positively towards the ban of polluted firecrackers considering the<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/clean-air-week-india-to-deploy-emergency-measures-for-controlling-air-pollution/articleshow/66446663.cms"> worsening air pollution</a> situation. However, a lot of people still believe that the ban will not make much of a difference to the air quality. Majority of people are now gearing up for muted celebrations this Diwali, though the effectiveness is yet to be seen. Government initiatives have largely impacted the fireworks industry in India and it has seen a degradation of nearly 40% over the last five years.

The rest of India can burst normal fireworks, but its national capital is restricted to staying ‘green’

Arumugam Chinnaswamy set up his makeshift booth selling firecrackers in a Chennai neighbourhood a week ahead of <keyword id="188" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Diwali">Diwali</keyword>, the Hindu festival of lights, with great expectations of doing a brisk trade. Yet a week later, he has been forced to pack up more than half his stock in the hope he’ll have better luck next year. “Four years ago, I sold firecrackers worth 800,000 rupees (US$11,288) on the eve of Diwali alone. This year, the sales have not even been a quarter of that,” said Chinnaswamy, 65, painting a grim picture that will be recognised by many in the Indian fireworks industry. <a href="https://hp.teads.com/?utm_source=inread&amp;utm_medium=credits&amp;utm_campaign=invented%20by%20teads" target="_blank"></a> Chinnaswamy buys his firecrackers in Sivakasi, an industrial town in the southern Indian state of <keyword id="20154" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword> that produces more than 90 per cent of the country’s fireworks. Sivakasi’s dry climate has helped to make it the firework capital of <a href="https://www.scmp.com/topics/india" class="link-text">India</a> and many production facilities in the town have been in the business for close to a century. For the most part, the industry has resisted mechanisation and still deals in handmade products. Its 1,100-plus manufacturing units provide jobs for 800,000 mostly uneducated workers and its diligent labour force have earned the town the nickname of ‘Little <keyword id="6355311" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="japan">Japan</keyword>’. But this reputation is under threat, struggling under the weight of an anti-pollution campaign, regulatory uncertainty and the arrival of cheap black-market Chinese imports. Irregular monsoons and a slowdown-induced cash crunch have not helped matters either. Industry figures estimate the Diwali sales of India’s 80 billion-rupee firecracker industry took a 30 per cent drop this year. A TOXIC PROBLEM With pollution in Indian cities among the worst in the world, the government has come under pressure to do something about the nation’s toxic air – a problem that becomes more acute during Diwali due to the toxic fumes emitted when celebratory fireworks are set off. This Diwali, for instance, many areas in New Delhi recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 999, the highest possible reading (the recommended limit is 60). That makes the fireworks industry seem like an easy target when it comes to meeting government air quality targets. Trouble began brewing in October last year when the Supreme Court banned the manufacture of traditional fireworks containing barium nitrate, a chief polluter. That decision put a rocket under the industry, as barium nitrate is cheap and is used in about 75 per cent of all firecrackers in India. Factories in Sivakasi responded with a four-month shutdown protest that decimated annual production levels by up to a third. Apparently realising it had overstepped the mark – and that enforcing the Supreme Court regulations would be next to impossible – the government stepped in to rescue the industry, offering its assistance in the manufacture of environment-friendly crackers containing fewer pollutants, but it was too little, too late. “The Supreme Court verdict was simply Delhi-centric with the vague idea of [cracking down on] urban pollution. It lacked any on-the-ground knowledge of the fireworks industry,” said Tamil Selvan, president of the Indian Fireworks Association, which represents more than 200 medium and large manufacturers. “Fireworks are low-hanging fruit for the anti-pollution drive as the industry is unorganised. Could the government or judiciary place a similar blanket ban on more pollution-causing industries like automobiles, plastics or tobacco?” asked Selvan. CHINESE COMPETITION The industry has also been hit by a flood of cheap Chinese firecrackers that are smuggled into the country on the black market. In September, the country’s federal anti-smuggling agency, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, cautioned various government departments that huge quantities of Chinese-produced firecrackers had reached Indian soil in the lead up to Diwali. But industry sources complain they have seen little action from the government to combat the problem. Legally, Indian manufacturers can neither import nor export firecrackers. The Indian firecracker industry is the second-largest in the world after <keyword id="1334" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>’s. Raja Chandrashekar, chief of the Federation of Tamil Nadu Fireworks Traders, a lobbying body, said low-end Indian-manufactured firecrackers such as roll caps and dot caps – popular among children – had struggled to compete with Chinese-made pop pops and throw bombs. “Despite our repeated complaints to government bodies, Chinese firecrackers find a way into India, particularly in the northern parts. This is severely affecting our business,” said Chandrashekar. While more Chinese fireworks might be entering India, the effect has been to undermine the industry, resulting in fewer sales overall. FIZZLING OUT? The Sivakasi fireworks industry faces other problems, too. Not least among these is the use of child labour, which had been rampant until a government crackdown a few years ago, and the practice of some factories to operate without proper licences and with questionable safety standards. But despite the darker aspects of the industry, its role goes beyond merely helping Diwali celebrations go with a bang every year. “The livelihoods of over five million people who are indirectly involved in the business, in areas such as trade and transport, depend on the survival of the industry,” said Chandrashekar. That survival looks increasingly in question. Dull sales of fireworks have been reported in major cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, though exact numbers can be hard to come by due to the unregulated nature of the industry and unreliable numbers shared by manufacturers. So great has the resultant outcry been that some cynics even wonder whether the industry is struggling as much as it claims or whether it is part of a ploy by manufacturers to gain more government concessions and avoid any further crackdown. “These firecracker manufacturers lie through their teeth about the Diwali sales for self-serving motives such as tax avoidance. The overall business is healthy,” said Vijay Kumar, editor of the Sivakasi-based monthly magazine Pyro India News. “Though there was a 30-40 per cent shortage in annual production, all the manufactured products have been sold this year. No large stockpile is left with any manufacturer.” Still, regardless of the manufacturers’ motives, the result of the industry’s struggles has been that street sellers like Chinnaswamy have fewer fireworks to sell – and they are struggling even to sell those. Chinnaswamy says people are confused about the government’s anti-pollution drive and about what firecrackers are now legal and this has discouraged them from buying. Despite the government’s effort to promote “green crackers” he says these are too hard to come by to be a ready solution, at least for this year. “There was no clarity on what type of firecrackers, whether green crackers or otherwise, can be set off and at what time of the day. Many consumers even asked me whether or not the conventional firecrackers are totally banned while there was much misinformation floating about on social media,” said Chinnaswamy. Shaking his head, all he can do is hope that next year his Diwali goes with more of a bang.

The explosive truth about the link between Chinese fireworks and India’s dim Diwali

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Experts are studying how man-made <keyword id="61498" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Noise-pollution">noise pollution</keyword>, like from boats and oil drilling, is threatening the lives of orcas.</li><li>One team of scientists is collecting hundreds of hours of <keyword id="1607864" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="orca">orca</keyword> recordings off the coast of <keyword id="6356961" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="norway">Norway</keyword> in an effort to make to region a marine protected area.</li><li>Man-made noises interfere with orcas' communication, which they use for hunting and mating.</li><li>And orcas trying to escape the underwater cacophonies may travel too far to the rocky shoreline, which can result in stranding and death.</li></ul>Orcas have a language of their own. They communicate through touch, movement, and most importantly, sound.And it's marine scientist Ellyne Hamran's job to eavesdrop on them. Hamran is an acoustic researcher studying the sounds marine mammals like <keyword id="134816" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Whales">whales</keyword> and dolphins use to communicate. She's captured hundreds of hours of orca recordings.This summer, she's listening to the orcas of Norway's Lofoten Islands, beloved by the creatures for its healthy populations of herring and other fish to feed on. But an invisible problem is increasingly alarming experts: noise pollution from whale-watching cruises, oil exploration, and other human activity. Hamran has set out to study how it affects the whales — and use her findings to make Lofoten a marine protected area, permanently shielding it from both unwelcome noise and oil drilling."Whales are using sound as their primary sense, unlike humans that are using their vision," Hamran told <keyword id="9054837" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="business-insider-today">Business Insider Today</keyword>. "So it's very important for whales to be able to communicate to each other, to find mates, to search for prey, also to navigate the area."Hamran works for Ocean Sounds, a nonprofit that advocates for marine ecosystem conservation and has been tracking orcas here in Lofoten since 2003. <div type="image" title="dog thumb" height="1080" width="1920" msid="78326511" hostid="261"></div>On a typical day, Ellyne, her husband Bjørn, their dog Bailey, and a team of researchers drive around the islands in an inflatable boat looking for action. When they spot whales, they slowly approach, then turn off the engine to minimize noise. They use an underwater microphone called a hydrophone to record vocalizations. "During socializing, they're producing a variety of vocalizations. It can be whistles, calls, buzzes, clicks — same with when they're feeding. They're a little bit more quiet when they're traveling," she said.They also photograph the whales to keep track of the family groups. Bjørn operates a drone that films whales from above. The scientists assign a number to each orca and add them to a catalog."We will be able to use this method to track them over time. It's a very noninvasive and inexpensive way of doing the research," Hamran said.Over time, they match the orcas' sounds up with behaviors, gradually learning their complex language. Each pod speaks its own dialect, so tracking them is essential for understanding the communication. The large population of whales also attracts thousands of people looking for boat tours every year. But these ships full of whale lovers can actually be quite disturbing to ocean life."We've had issues of boats zooming through pods, sometimes even between the mother and calf," Hamran said. "It's also quite loud on the hydrophone, even loud enough that you want to turn the volume down, but the whales are not able to go in and modify how loud the boats are. And I don't think people are aware of this issue."<div type="image" title="whales" height="1080" width="1920" msid="78326512" hostid="261"></div>Boat noise can overpower whale calls — "it could mask the vocalizations that they can't be able to communicate with each other nearby or find a mate," she said.And it can scare away the fish orcas feed on, too."They spend quite a lot of time rounding up the herring to feed, and then a boat could come way too close and now disperse the fish," she said.The looming threat of oil drilling also poses a problem. In 2019, the Norwegian government reached a deal to <a href="https://www.regjeringen.no/no/dokumenter/horing-om-25.-konsesjonsrunde/id2715680/?expand=horingsbrev">block drilling in Lofoten</a> for now. But every seat in the parliament is up for election in September 2021, which could put the area at risk again. And even without permission to drill, companies can still use <a href="https://factmaps.npd.no/factmaps/3_0/?run=ShowFisheryAndSeismicThemes">blasts of compressed air</a> to map where oil lies beneath the ocean floor. These seismic surveys can be louder to marine life <a href="https://academic.oup.com/conphys/article/7/1/coz057/5573994">than fireworks from 3 feet away</a>.Researchers aren't sure how these sounds affect ocean mammals' health, but studies have found that a single seismic airgun survey <a href="https://www.cbd.int/doc/meetings/mar/mcbem-2014-01/other/mcbem-2014-01-submission-seismic-airgun-en.pdf">can be heard underwater for months</a>. All this, combined with occasional military exercises in the area, creates an underwater cacophony that interrupts whale communications. Because orcas are instinctively collaborative, communication is central to everything they do. Disoriented whales may also swim out of their usual living area — Hamran said the whales often swim dangerously close to the rocky coastline to get away from the boat noise.Ellyne says this may explain why the spring of 2020 saw more whales stranded on the coasts than any previous season. <div type="image" title="whale thumb 6" height="1080" width="1920" msid="78326513" hostid="261"></div>The strandings could also have been caused by a harmful algae bloom or a virus that affected several species. But unless Ellyne and the team can examine a stranded whale shortly after its death, they can't gather much information. Typically they need to arrive within 48 hours of the stranding or else the animal will have decayed too much.Ultimately, Ellyne's findings support Ocean Sounds' efforts to educate the public about protecting the mammals.Ocean Sounds has a set of <a href="https://ocean-sounds.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/whale-watching-gudelines-short.jpg">guidelines </a>for whale-watching boats that they're advocating to turn into Norwegian law. They include requiring boats to slow down and turn off the engine while approaching whales — and maintaining a minimum distance of 300 meters at all times. Achieving their goal of having Lofoten named a marine protected area would shield marine mammals from all forms of manmade noise pollution, not just boats.Until that happens, Ocean Sounds is selling recordings of whale communications online as a way to raise awareness and fund their operations."We're trying to be able to not only study the vocalizations and behavior, but also to bring the whales to the people, giving a voice to the whales," she said.

Orcas are under threat from man-made noise pollution. These scientists are fighting to protect them.

New Delhi, Oct 28 () The Delhi Pollution Control Committee on Monday said less fireworks, rigorous night patrolling and enforcement measures to curb instigators reduced the PM2.5 and PM10 levels by 30 per cent on Diwali night this year when compared to 2018. The decline in emissions of dangerous PM10 and PM2.5 particles across Delhi ranged from 20 to 50 percent, indicating the air quality was better than previous years, DPCC said in a statement. Delhi Environment Minister Kailash Gahlot said the air quality post Diwali this year seems much better than what it was after the festival in 2018. Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of an event here, Gahlot said people also say less crackers were used this year. The autonomous regulatory body said the peak level of PM2.5 - tiny particulate matter equal to or less than 2.5 microns in diameter that can enter deep into the lungs and even the bloodstream - was 1,070 micrograms per cubic metre (g/m3) at midnight. Last year, it was 1,560 g/m3 - a reduction of around 30 percent. "The peak level of PM10, which was 1,859 g/m3 on Diwali night last year, came down to 1,391 g/m3 - again a drop of 30 percent," the DPCC said in a statement. The concentration of sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide was also within the acceptable levels at all stations this Diwali. "As against the acceptable level of 80 g/m3, the SO2 concentration remained between 1.76 (at Mandir Marg) and 41.48 (at Jahangirpuri) - much below the unsafe limit," it said. "The significant drop of about 30 percent in PM2.5, SO2 and CO shows that people have burnt much less firecrackers this year and have contributed to the overall improvement," DPCC said. GVS ABH ABH

Delhi's air get clearer and emissions lower as crackers stay off streets

<ul><li>Delhi has one of the highest levels of air pollution in the world. </li><li>The city state's Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, is asking Delhi citizens to celebrate a firecracker-free 'Community Diwali' this year. </li><li>The experiment will be hosted at Connaught Place from 26 October to 29 October in the evening. </li></ul>Delhi has one of the highest levels of air pollution in the world. In a new experiment for the city, Delhi's Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal urged citizens to celebrate a 'Community Diwali' this year. "I wish the citizens of Delhi a very happy Diwali. During this auspicious festive season, the Delhi government is busy preparing Connaught Place for the celebrations and invites everyone to come celebrate with us," said Kejriwal. Just like people celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in Maharashtra and Durga Puja in Bengal, Kerjiwal asked citizens to leave their homes and celebrate Diwali with the rest of the city. "The aim of this experiment is have Delhi come together like a family and avoid bursting firecrackers," said Kejriwal in a press conference today. The 'Community Diwali' will be held at Connaught Place from 26 October to 29 October in the evening between 6:00 and 10:00 pm. And, instead of fireworks to light up the sky, the Delhi government is going to be putting up a laser show. "The show will light up the Connaught Place shopping area with its lasers and lights," explained Kejriwal. Even though one laser show is only an hour long, it will play on an hourly cycle. "I've been getting calls over the past few days asking for passes to the event… There are no passes, everyone in Delhi is invited to attend for free," said Kejriwal. Kejriwal urged Delhi-ites to help lower the city's air pollution that normally spikes during the festive season. In addition to the laser show, Kejriwal is also promising a bazaar, food court, and cultural shows to keep visitors entertained. This time around Delhi's 'Community Diwali' is restricted to Connaught Place but it may expand to many more locations next year, if the experiment is successful. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/society/news/delhi-odd-even-scheme-starting-4-november-to-beat-air-pollution/articleshow/71627738.cms">India's national capital is giving the ‘odd-even' scheme another go to battle air pollution</a>

You Searched For "fireworks pollution" and got 10 results

No fireworks display in Delhi, Mumbai during World Cup matches due to worsening air pollution

PTI

Some US cities have replaced fireworks with drone shows to reduce wildfires and noise pollution

Amanda Perelli

The air in New Delhi, the world's most polluted capital, got even worse after people ignored a ban to fill the air with Diwali fireworks

Sinéad Baker

India has sights set on banning firecrackers, bringing in 'Green Fireworks' – here's why it probably won't work

Prabhjote Gill

Diwali fireworks backfire: Over 300 people arrested for violating SC order

BI India Bureau

The rest of India can burst normal fireworks, but its national capital is restricted to staying ‘green’

BI India Bureau

The explosive truth about the link between Chinese fireworks and India’s dim Diwali

SCMP

Orcas are under threat from man-made noise pollution. These scientists are fighting to protect them.

Elizabeth McCauley

Delhi's air get clearer and emissions lower as crackers stay off streets

PTI

With lasers, lights and food — Kejriwal plans a ‘Community Diwali’ for Delhi like Mumbai’s Ganesh Puja

Prabhjote Gill

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