General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - October 2017

Oct 2017

Mar 19, 2024

Australia's North Braces for Tropical Cyclone Megan

Residents in parts of Australia's Northern Territory and Queensland state were urged to prepare for a tropical cyclone that is forecast to make landfall in coming days.
Megan, a category two cyclone sitting in the Gulf of Carpentaria with wind gusts up to 155 kph (96 mph), was expected to cross the coast on Monday or early Tuesday morning as a "severe tropical cyclone", the nation's weather forecaster said.
Australia is experiencing an El Nino weather event, now easing, and typically associated with extreme phenomena such as cyclones, wildfires, droughts and heatwaves.
Gales with damaging wind gusts of 110 kph were already sweeping remote Groote Eylandt, off Northern Territory's Arnhem Land, about 653 km east of territory capital Darwin, the forecaster said.
It was likely Megan would intensify to category three later on Sunday, the weather forecaster said, urging those in the warning zone to prepare their properties for strong winds.

Bihar's Begusarai is World's Most Polluted City, Delhi Worst among Capitals

A new report placed Bihar's Begusarai at the top of the list for the world's most polluted urban area, while Delhi was named the capital with the worst air quality. India ranked third in air pollution among 134 countries in 2023, with an average annual PM2.5 concentration of 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter, trailing behind Bangladesh and Pakistan, as per the World Air Quality Report 2023 by IQAir, a Swiss organization.
Compared to its eighth-place ranking in 2022, India's average PM2.5 concentration has increased slightly from 53.3 to 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter.

Mar 17, 2024

Tamil Nadu Tops Illegal Trade in Shark Body Parts

Tamil Nadu dominates the illegal trade in shark body parts, comprising nearly 65% of seizures between January 2010 and December 2022, as per an analysis by TRAFFIC and WWF-India. This alarming trend poses a significant threat to marine biodiversity, with Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala, and Maharashtra also contributing to this illicit trade.
TRAFFIC and WWF-India conducted a comprehensive study titled 'Netted in illegal wildlife trade: Sharks of India'.
The confiscated shark products were intended for destinations such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, and mainland China.

Mar 16, 2024

Union Minister Hardeep S. Puri Launches Ethanol 100 Fuel Initiative

Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri in March 2024 launched Ethanol100, an alternate auto fuel in New Delhi. Mr. Puri said that the green fuels like ethanol100, which the Modi government has laid special focus on, will play a key role in sustaining the economic growth of the country.
Ethanol100, a cleaner and greener alternative to gasoline, is a blend of 92 to 94 percent ethanol, 4 to 5 percent motor spirit to provide colour to flame and 1.5 percent Co-solvent higher saturated alcohol. The fuel produces lower emissions of greenhouse gases, a reduction by around 63% on well to wheel basis. Ethanol100 will help to mitigate the impacts of climate change and improve air quality. Prominent two-wheeler manufacturers are already undertaking trials for Ethanol100 compliant vehicles.
As part of a pilot initiative, IndianOil is rolling out Ethanol100 at 183 retail outlets across ethanol-rich states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Delhi. It plans to make Ethanol100 available at 400 retail outlets in these states in a phased manner.

Mar 14, 2024

New Scorpion Species with 8 Eyes and Legs Found in Thailand

Researchers made an exciting discovery, a previously unknown scorpion species with 8 eyes and 8 legs in Thailand's Kaeng Krachan National Park.
This newly discovered species belongs to the subgenus Euscorpiops and has been named Euscorpiops Krachan, after the national park where it was found.

Mar 09, 2024

Center Releases Regulations for Captive Exotic Wildlife

Center releases regulations requiring owners of exotic pets to register them with the state wildlife department under the Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024.
India, as a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), has recently implemented stringent measures to regulate the possession and trade of exotic pets. The Living Animal Species (Reporting and Registration) Rules, 2024, issued by the Union environment ministry on February 28, aim to enforce the provisions of the Convention and ensure the protection of endangered wildlife.

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