General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - February 2015

Feb 2015

Jan 03, 2023

For First Time in Many Years, No Rhinos Poached in Assam in 2022

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that no rhinos were poached in the state in 2022. Special DGP G P Singh posted data that showed last year was the first since at least 2000 in which there were no incidents of rhino poaching in Assam.
Rhinos were poached for their horns that fetch big money because of their supposed medicinal value.
Before 2022, no poaching of rhinos was last reported in 1977. Officials credited sincere, concerted and coordinated efforts of the state's forest and police departments for zero poaching in 2022.

South Asian Black Carbon Aerosols Increase Glacial Mass Loss over Tibetan Plateau

According to a new study, black carbon aerosols have indirectly affected the mass gain of the Tibetan Plateau glaciers by changing long-range water vapour transport from the South Asian monsoon region.
The South Asia region adjacent to the Tibetan Plateau has among the highest levels of black carbon emission in the world.
Black carbon aerosols are produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass, and are characterised by strong light absorption.
Many studies have emphasised black carbon aerosols from South Asia can be transported across the Himalayas to the inland region of the Tibetan Plateau.
Researchers noted that black carbon deposition in snow reduces the albedo of surfaces -- a measure of how much of Sun's radiations are reflected -- which may accelerate the melting of glaciers and snow cover, thus changing the hydrological process and water resources in the region.

Jan 02, 2023

The 'Enigmatic' Peat Bog Seeking Worldwide Recognition

A vast area of peat bog in Scotland's Flow Country could become one of UNICCO's newest World Heritage sites.
This land was prepared for large blocks of commercial forestry, which included the planting of millions of non-native trees.
Flow Country is home to a diverse range of wildlife including birds, mammals and plants.
Flow Country contains the most intact and extensive raised bog system in the world.
This expanse of moors, moors, pools, lochs, hills and mountains covers much of Caithness and Sutherland in the North Highlands.
It's about 50 miles wide – about the distance from Glasgow to Edinburgh – and covers almost a million acres of land.
The bogs, which have been growing for 10,000 years, are formed by layers of wet mosses and other plants as they die.

Dec 30, 2022

Tamil Nadu Government Sets up Nilgiri Tahr Conservation Project

The Tamil Nadu government operationalised the 'Nilgiri Tahr project' touted as the first-of-its-kind in the country which aims at restoring the original habitat of the State animal and stabilising its population.
With a budgetary outlay of Rs. 25.14 crore, the five-year initiative will set up a dedicated team headed by a project director to deal with the conservation of the species. It will explore the possibility of undertaking captive breeding of the animal for reintroduction in forest patches where it has become locally extinct.

Dec 28, 2022

Antarctica's Emperor Penguins could be Extinct by 2100

Antarctica's Biodiversity: New research indicated that more has to be done to safeguard Antarctic ecosystems, and if we don't make a change, up to 97% of Antarctic species with land-based populations might go extinct by the year 2100. The study also discovered that ten crucial techniques to lessen threats to Antarctica's biodiversity may be implemented with just USD 23 million annually.
It is expected that Antarctica's ice-free areas would grow as global warming becomes worse, drastically altering the wildlife habitat. The vegetation and fauna of Antarctica are anticipated to suffer as extreme weather events like heat waves increase in frequency.
The emperor penguin is the most endangered species in Antarctica because it breeds on ice.
The emperor penguin is the only species in the analysis that, in the worst-case scenario, faces extinction by 2100.

Dec 27, 2022

'Bomb Cyclone' Winter Storm Hits US with Life Threatening Extremely Cold Climate

Bomb Cyclone thrashed US and Canada with extreme climate and has trapped the residents inside their houses with snow and power outages. During the Christmas season, the Bomb Cyclone occurred due to a low temperature of -40 degrees Fahrenheit. Thousands of flights were cancelled and several highways were blocked. People were advised not to step outside their homes as was be life-threatening.
Due to Artic Blast, the US experienced an extremely cold climate, heavy snow, and intense wind. The authorities ordered to put a halt on travelling during the Christmas season because of the Bomb Cyclone.
Bomb Cyclone is created when the air of different masses whether cold or dry comes together. The warm air rises and makes a cloud system which lowers the air pressure. These cloud system forms storms and circulates counter clockwise in the low-pressure area. A Bomb Cyclone is a mid-latitude storm in which the central pressure drops fast at one millibar per hour for 24 hours.

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