General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - December 2018

Dec 2018

May 25, 2023

Endangered Red Panda Spotted in Arunachal's Tawang

A little red panda, listed as endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature list of threatened species, was spotted at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.
Perhaps this is for the first time a red panda was spotted in the border district of the north-eastern state.
According to the World Wildlife Fund website, the red panda is slightly larger than a domestic cat, with a bear-like body and thick russet fur. The belly and limbs are black and there are white markings on the side of the head and above its small eyes.
Red pandas are very skilful and acrobatic animals that predominantly stay in trees.
It is the state animal of Sikkim which hosts the Red Panda Festival every year.

National Campaign for Updating and Verifying the People's Biodiversity Register (PBR)

The National Campaign for Updation and Verification of People's Biodiversity Register (PBR) was launched in Goa, marking a significant step towards the documentation and preservation of India's rich biological diversity. The function, organised by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in association with the Goa State Biodiversity Board, the National Biodiversity Authority, and the Government of Goa, witnessed the presence of esteemed dignitaries. Among the distinguished guests were the Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey; the Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant, the Minister for Environment and Climate Change of Goa, Nilesh Cabral, Chairman of the National Biodiversity Authority, C. Achalender Reddy and other senior government representatives.
The People's Biodiversity Register serves as a comprehensive record of various aspects of biodiversity, including the conservation of habitats, preservation of land races, folk varieties and cultivars, domesticated stocks and breeds of animals, micro-organisms, and the accumulation of knowledge related to the area's biological diversity. As per the Biological Diversity Act 2002, Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC) are created for "promoting conservation, sustainable use and documentation of biological diversity" by local bodies across the country. BMCs have been constituted by the local bodies in the States and Union Territories and are entrusted with preparation of the People's Biodiversity Registers (PBRs), in consultation with local communities.

May 20, 2023

More than Half of World's Large Lakes and Reservoirs Drying Up

According to a study, more than half of the world's large lakes and reservoirs have shrunk since the early 1990s, chiefly because of climate change, intensifying concerns about water for agriculture, hydropower and human consumption.
A team of international researchers reported that some of the world's most important freshwater sources - from the Caspian Sea between Europe and Asia to South America's Lake Titicaca - lost water at a cumulative rate of around 22 gigatonnes per year for nearly three decades. That's about 17 times the volume of Lake Mead, the United States' largest reservoir.
Scientists assessed almost 2,000 large lakes using satellite measurements combined with climate and hydrological models.
They found that unsustainable human use, changes in rainfall and run-off, sedimentation, and rising temperatures have driven lake levels down globally, with 53% of lakes showing a decline from 1992 to 2020.

May 19, 2023

UNEP Suggests Measures to Reduce 80% of World's Plastic pollution by 2040

As per a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), countries can reduce plastic pollution by 80% by 2040 using existing technologies and making major policy changes.
The Kenya-based U.N. body released its analysis of policy options to tackle the plastic waste crisis two weeks before countries convene in Paris for a second round of negotiations to craft a global treaty aimed at eliminating plastic waste.
The report focused on three main market shifts needed to create a circular economy that keeps produced items in circulation as long as possible: reuse, recycling and reorientation of packaging from plastic to alternative materials.
The treaty negotiations, known as INC2, will take place from May 29 to June 2 and are expected to result in key inputs for the first treaty draft, which needs to be done before the third round of negotiations in Kenya in November.

May 18, 2023

Next Five Years to be Hottest Ever, Forecasts WMO

The global temperatures, apparently owing to the climate change, are likely to surge to a record high in the next five years. This will be caused due to heat-trapping greenhouse gases and a naturally occurring El Nino event, said the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
The annual mean global near-surface temperature for each year between 2023 and 2027 is predicted to be between 1.1°C and 1.8°C, which is higher than the 1850-1900 average.

May 16, 2023

France Hosts Pro-nuclear Meet to Push for EU Recognition of Climate Benefits

France hosted a meeting of ministers from 16 pro-nuclear European states aimed at coordinating expansion of atomic power and urging the EU to recognise its role in meeting climate goals for 2050.
The meeting in Paris included EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson and representatives from 14 EU countries including France, Belgium and the Netherlands, plus Italy as an observer and the United Kingdom as a non-EU invitee.
As per a draft of the post-meeting, the countries would encourage the commissioner to integrate nuclear energy into the EU's energy policy by recognising nuclear alongside other green energy technologies in EU decarbonisation goals.

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