General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - July 2015

Jul 2015

Aug 24, 2024

Portugal: Tourists Stranded as Wildfires in Madeira Endanger World-Heritage Forests

The southern part of the Portuguese island of Madeira has been witnessing forest fires that have devastated more than 5,000 hectares of wilderness. The wildfires have posed an existential threat to the largest surviving laurel (Laurus nobilis) forests in the world which are also deemed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Madeira is among the most popular tourist spots in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) and dozens of tourists are reported to be stranded on the island battling the fury of forest fires.

Australia Green Lights World's 'Largest' Solar Hub

Australia approved plans for a massive solar and battery farm that would export energy to Singapore, a project billed as the largest solar precinct in the world.
Authorities announced environmental approvals for SunCable's US$24 billion project in Australia's remote north that is slated to power three million homes.
The project, which will include an array of panels, batteries and, eventually, a cable linking Australia with Singapore, is backed by tech billionaire and green activist Mike Cannon-Brookes.
Numerous approval processes and other hurdles remain despite green light.
The project depends on sign-offs from Singapore's energy market authority, Indonesia's government and Australian Indigenous communities.

Aug 23, 2024

India and Denmark Collaborate on Clean River Initiative

The Green Strategic Partnership between the Governments of India and Denmark fostered significant collaboration leading to the establishment of the Smart Laboratory on Clean Rivers (SLCR) in Varanasi. The alliance is a unique tripartite initiative between Government of India (Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation), the Indian Institute of Technology - Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU), and Government of Denmark, to bring excellence in small river rejuvenation and management.
The SLCR aims to leverage the expertise of both nations to rejuvenate the river Varuna using sustainable approaches. Its objectives include creating a collaborative platform for government bodies, knowledge institutions and local communities to share insights and develop solutions for clean river water. The initiative features a hybrid lab model at the IIT-BHU and an on-field living lab at the Varuna River to test and scale solutions in real-world settings. The SLCR has a robust institutional and appraisal mechanism built into it to ensure the necessary due diligence, rigor in its functioning and for ensuring excellence in river management.

Bangladesh Blames India for Massive Flooding

As the massive floods in Bangladesh affected nearly 1.8 million people and resulted in five deaths, rumors began circulating, falsely blaming India's opening of the Dumbur Dam on the Gumti River in Tripura for the deluge.
India firmly dismissed these allegations from Bangladesh, backing its stance with hardcore evidence.
"Concerns have been raised in Bangladesh that the current flooding in districts along the eastern border may be due to the opening of the Dumbur Dam upstream on the Gumti River in Tripura. However, this claim is factually incorrect," said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The Gumti River flows through the north-eastern Indian state of Tripura before entering Bangladesh. The Dumbur Dam, located in Tripura, is situated more than 120 km upstream from the Bangladesh border, explained the MEA.
However, the flood that caused the havoc in Bangladesh was due to water from those large catchments downstream of the dam, it added.

Aug 22, 2024

Typhoon Lan Makes Landfall in Japan, Thousands Urged to Seek Safety

Nearly 900 flights in Japan were cancelled and 240,000 people were ordered to move to safety as a slow-moving typhoon crossed Japan's main island of Honshu not far from the ancient capital of Kyoto, cutting off power to tens of thousands of homes.
Typhoon Lan, approached from the Pacific Ocean, and made landfall at the southern tip of Wakayama prefecture, some 400 km (250 miles) southwest of Tokyo, bringing heavy rain and powerful winds across a wide swathe of central and western Japan as it moved north.
Authorities issued flood and landslide warnings as rivers rose to the top of their banks, with parts of some bridges washed away. Tornadoes formed in several areas but did not cause major damage.

Aug 21, 2024

Manyachiwadi Village Becomes First in Maharashtra to be Powered 100% by Solar Power

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde launched the Solar Village Scheme, an initiative aimed at providing 100 per cent solar-powered electricity to 100 villages, at a function held in Satara. Manyachiwadi, a village in Satara district, became the first village in the state to be electrified 100 per cent by solar power.
"The objective of the government is zero electricity bills for households as part of the PM Suryagarh Muft Bijali Yojana. The aim is to also provide farmers with free power," CM Shinde said in his speech.

Aug 20, 2024

China Approves $31 Billion for 11 New Nuclear Reactors across Five Sites

China approved the construction of 11 new nuclear reactors across five sites, with a total investment of approximately 220 billion yuan ($31 billion). This marks a record number of permits as the government intensifies its reliance on nuclear energy to reduce carbon emissions. The State Council's approval includes reactors in Jiangsu, Shandong, Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Guangxi. The construction is expected to take about five years.
State-owned entities such as China General Nuclear Power Corp. (CGN), China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC), and State Power Investment Corp. are the primary players in these new projects. CGN received approvals for six reactors across three sites, CNNC for three reactors, and State Power Investment Corp. for two units.

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