General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - March 2017

Mar 2017

Jun 22, 2021

UN Committee: Great Barrier Reef should be Listed as 'in Danger'

The Great Barrier Reef should be added to a list of "in danger" World Heritage Sites a UN committee recommended, prompting an angry response from Australia which said it had been blindsided by the move and blamed political interference.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation committee, which sits under UNESCO, said the world's biggest coral reef system should be added to the list due to the impact of climate change.
Australia has for years been battling to keep the Great Barrier Reef, a major tourist attraction that supports thousands of jobs, off the "in danger" list. In 2015, UNESCO noted the outlook for the reef was poor but kept the site's status unchanged. Since then, scientists say it has suffered three major coral bleaching events due to severe marine heatwaves.

Jun 21, 2021

'Doomsday Glacier' May be more Stable than Initially Feared

According to new findings led by the University of Michigan, the world's largest ice sheets may be in less danger of sudden collapse than previously predicted.
The study included simulating the demise of West Antarctica's Thwaites Glacier, one of the world's largest and most unstable glaciers. Researchers modeled the collapse of various heights of ice cliffs—near-vertical formations that occur where glaciers and ice shelves meet the ocean. They found that instability doesn't always lead to rapid disintegration.
The new findings add nuance to a previous theory called marine ice cliff instability, which suggested that if the height of an ice cliff reaches a certain threshold, it can suddenly disintegrate under its own weight in a chain reaction of ice fractures. The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica—sometimes referred to as the "Doomsday Glacier"—is moving closer to this threshold and could contribute nearly 3 feet to sea level rise in the event of a complete collapse. At 74,000 square miles, it's roughly the size of Florida, and is particularly susceptible to climate and ocean changes.

Jun 20, 2021

India-Bhutan Ink MoU to Cooperate in Areas of Environment

India and Bhutan have signed a MoU to develop cooperation between two countries in the area of environment.
MoU was signed virtually by Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar.
It will open new vistas of bilateral cooperation in the area of climate change, waste management etc.
MoU will act as a platform to enhance Indian and Bhutanese partnership & support and exchange best practices in areas like prevention of Air Pollution, Chemical Management, Waste Management, Climate Change, etc.
It also provides the possibility to have joint projects in areas of mutual interest.
It seeks to strengthen technological, scientific & management capabilities and expand areas of cooperation in the area of environment so as to promote a mutually beneficial partnership.

Jun 19, 2021

India and US Launch a Hydrogen Task Force in Clean Energy Push

The United States Department of Energy (DOE), India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the US India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) have jointly launched a US-India Hydrogen Task Force. This is under the US-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP).
India and US had decided to revamp their strategic partnership to focus on clean energy sectors such as biofuels and hydrogen after the Joe Biden administration took charge. In March this year, the two countries said they will intensify efforts to take advantage of advanced U.S. technologies and India's rapidly growing energy market.

Jun 18, 2021

Google Maps Detects Mysterious Underwater Island

In a fascinating development, Google Maps detected a possible bean-shaped 'underwater island' in the Arabian Sea near Kerala's Kochi, which has become a subject of curiosity among experts.
The satellite image showing the mysterious island was first noticed out by the Chellanam Karshika Tourism Development Society. The president advocate KX Julappan posted a screenshot of Google Maps showing the island-like structure on Facebook.

ACME Joins Hand with UNSOPS & IFU for Solar Project

Gurgaon based solar power project developer ACME signed a shareholders' agreement with UNOPS S3i and IFU for developing a 250-megawatt (Mw) solar power plant located in the Rajasthan state of India.
The total value of the project is close to US$ 200 million, of which about a quarter would be financed through equity contributions by the three co-investors.
The 250 MW project was won by ACME in 2019 at a tariff of Rs. 2.48 per unit.
S3i is a fund by UNOPS or United Nations Office for Project Services for investing in projects in affordable housing, renewable energy, and health, and innovation.
IFU is a Danish investment fund for developing countries. IFU provides risk capital to companies operating in developing countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and parts of Europe. Investments are made on commercial terms in the form of equity, loans, and guarantees.

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