General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - February 2016

Feb 2016

Feb 18, 2016

30 Million Year Old Fossil Flowers Found

Researchers have discovered the first ever fossil specimens of an asterid, a family of flowering plants that gave us everything from the potato to tomatoes, tobacco, petunias and our morning cup of coffee.
The 20-30 million-year-old fossil flowers were found perfectly preserved in a piece of amber from prehistoric jungles.
These flowers came from the dark side of the asterid family. They belong to the genus Strychnos, which ultimately gave rise to some of the world\'s most famous poisons.

Feb 10, 2016

New Fossil Fish Species Discovered

Researchers have discovered two new fossil fish species that could swing the jaws open extra wide, like a parachute.
These fossil fish species of the genus called Rhinconichthys were estimated to be more than 6.5 feet long and fed on plankton.
Rhinconichthys are exceptionally rare, known previously by only one species from England.
These new species have been named R. purgatoirensis and R. uyenoi, respectively.

Feb 08, 2016

Uneven Impacts of Climate Change

A new study shows a dramatic global mismatch between nations producing the most greenhouse gases and the ones most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
The study shows that the highest emitting countries are ironically the least vulnerable to climate change effects such as increased frequency of natural disasters, changing habitats, human health impacts and industry stress.
The countries emitting the least amount of greenhouse gases are most vulnerable.
The majority of the most vulnerable countries are African and Small Island States. These countries are exposed to serious environmental change. They are also generally the least developed nations, having few resources available to cope with these issues.

Feb 06, 2016

Man-made Underwater Sound

According to new study, underwater sound linked to human activity could alter the behaviour of seabed creatures that play a vital role in marine ecosystems.
The study found that exposure to sounds that resemble shipping traffic and offshore construction activities results in behavioural responses in certain invertebrate species that live in the marine sediment.
These species make a crucial contribution to the seabed ecosystem as their burrowing and bioirrigation activities are crucial in nutrient recycling and carbon storage.

Feb 05, 2016

First Phase of World's Largest Solar Plant

Morocco’s king switched on the first phase of a concentrated solar power plant that will become the world’s largest when completed.
The power station on the edge of the Saharan desert will be the size of the country’s capital city by the time it is finished in 2018, and provide electricity for 1.1 million people.
Noor 1, the first section at the town of Ouarzazate, provides 160 megawatts (MW) of the ultimate 580MW capacity, helping Morocco to save hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
The North African country plans to generate 42% of its energy from renewables by 2020.

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