#energy-poverty

#energy-poverty

The household burning of plastic for heating and cooking is widespread in developing countries, suggests a global study that raises concerns about its health and environmental impacts. The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, surveyed more than 1,000 respondents across 26 countries. One in three people reported being aware of households burning plastic, while 16% said they had burned plastic themselves.

It was still only early April when farmhands and construction workers began to collapse from heat exhaustion in northern India, while daytime temperatures topped 40C (104F) in the capital, Delhi. Night-time record highs caused spikes in air conditioning use, overwhelming the electricity grid and causing protracted power outages as people struggled to keep cool. The blazing heat had come earlier than usual.