Aryan Rai

Hello there!

I am a journalist with over 5 years of experience covering multiple beats and their intersections.

Covering the environment, primarily climate change, is what I do best. My recipe includes localised narratives constructed using the voice of experts, decision-makers, and those often unheard.

Featured Work

A day in the world's most polluted city: What it takes to breathe in UP's Loni

A town near Delhi was ranked the most polluted city in the world. I spent a day there trying to understand what's behind the toxic air that its residents have made peace with.

What is greenwashing and how does it undermine India's climate fight?

Greenwashing might sound like an eco-friendly trend, but it’s anything but green.

Point of no return: The disasters waiting for India if Earth gets 1.5°C hotter

The world is already facing extreme consequences. But what exactly can India expect when the world fails to limit Earth's warming to 1.5°C?

Centralmaine.com

State grant program helps central Maine communities meet climate goals

An electric vehicle charging station has been installed in a city, costing over $10,000, but was reimbursed by the state grant program that helps municipalities across Maine.

India’s ancient buildings survived invasions. Can they survive climate change?

India’s historic buildings have survived invasions, dynasties and centuries of wear and tear. But they haven't faced a rapidly warming planet.

Centralmaine.com

Monmouth considers water solutions amid high ‘forever chemical’ levels in wells

Alarming levels of so-called “forever chemicals” have been detected in the wells of more than a dozen residents near a textile mill.

Rice or ruin: How India's favourite grain is feeling and fuelling climate crisis

India runs on rice. But the country's paddy fields are a significant driver of climate change. And the climate change that rice is fuelling is coming back to hurt the grain that feeds millions.

US-Iran war reveals why India urgently needs to look at clean energy

As a country that imports nearly 90% of the crude oil it consumes, India is largely exposed to geopolitical turbulence occurring far from home.

People facing extreme heat will double by 2050. What will happen in India?

About 3.8 billion people, roughly 41 per cent of the world’s population, will be exposed to dangerous heat conditions by mid-century, compared with 1.54 billion (23 per cent) in 2010.

ACs are cooling homes but heating the planet

India’s love affair with air conditioners is growing at an alarming speed. So is the country’s electricity demand.

Earth is looking at water bankruptcy, warns UN in new report

As the global population surges, along with the demand and consumption of resources, rivers, lakes, and other aquifiers are depleting at an alarming rate.

Centralmaine.com

Composting company now collects food scraps from customers in central Maine

Residents in the Kennebec Valley in Maine, U.S., now have a more sustainable alternative to chucking food waste into a trash bin: composting.

Richest 1% drive 41% of global emissions, says climate inequality report

The richest 1 per cent are responsible for 41 per cent of emissions owned capital; nearly 680 times more per person than the poorest half of humanity.

Your chocolate cravings could soon be punished by climate change

Rising temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and unpredictable growing conditions are making it harder for cocoa producers to sustain yields and protect their crops without more resilient practices.

GDP not enough: New metrics needed to measure development, environmental decline

As climate change threatens nations and communities, humanity needs to look in the mirror and revise the traditional metrics to measure development and progress. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is where it should aim to start.

Centralmaine.com

When snails invade, locals take matters into their own hands

At the Washington Pond, a small group of locals congregated with paddle boards, buckets and boats to collect and dispose of invasive snails threatening the ecological balance in the region.

Increased workload, poor income: How climate change is hitting rural woman more

Climate impacts usually affect sectors traditionally associated with rural women, such as paddy cultivation, cotton and tea plantations, and fishing.

Coffee, cocoa, wine may be beyond saving, thanks to climate change

Three commodities woven deeply into global culture and economies are facing a dangerous future, and even the advanced geoengineering interventions may not be enough to protect them.

India’s climate exodus: The growing crisis pushing millions from their homes

Climate shocks are already nudging millions to move within the country, often without formal recognition or long-term state support.

Renewables globally overtake coal: Can India lead the green energy transition?

For the first time ever, solar and wind generation have surpassed coal in the global electricity mix, signalling a turning point in the fight against climate change.

World is losing $5 billion every hour due to fossil fuel use, food production

A hefty assessment for humanity estimates that the world is losing around USD 5 billion every hour due to environmental damage caused by unsustainable food production and fossil-fuel use.

How climate change is quietly hitting Christmas cheer

From warmer, erratic winters to stress on food items tied to traditions and celebrations, climate change is reshaping how the season is experienced across the world.