General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - December 2018

Dec 2018

Jan 09, 2023

Silent Valley Bird Species Goes up to 175

A bird survey conducted at the Silent Valley National Park, Kerala, in the last week of December 2022, identified 141 species, of which 17 were new. So far, 175 species of birds have been spotted in Silent Valley.
The survey held in December 2022 marked the 30th anniversary of the first bird survey in the Silent Valley. Although the first survey was held in the last week of December 1990, the anniversary could not be celebrated in 2020 December because of COVID-19 restrictions.
As many as 30 birders and forest staff took part in the bird survey by staying in seven camps inside the core area of the Silent Valley. Wildlife Warden S. Vinod said that another bird survey would soon be held in the buffer zone of the national park.
The survey was held in association with the Kerala Natural History Society.

UK Records 2022 as Warmest Year Ever

The year 2022 was the warmest year on record for the United Kingdom. Official figures released by country's weather agency showed the latest evidence that climate change is transforming Europe's weather. Across twelve months, the mean temperature in the country was 10.03 degrees Celsius, the highest since comparable records began in 1884. The previous record was 9.88 degrees Celsius set in 2014. With this, UK's 15 of top 20 warmest years on record have all occurred in this century. The top 10 were witnessed within the past two decades alone.
Britain is not alone. France's average temperature was above 14 degrees Celsius in 2022, making it the hottest year since weather readings began in 1900. Switzerland's meteorological service said, the alpine nation's annual average temperature of 7.4 degrees Celsius was by far the highest value since measurements began in 1864.

Jan 08, 2023

Endangered Asian Elephant has Lost most of Its Optimal Habitat in Nilgiri Reserve

A study published in the journal Conservation found that human settlements in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) in India are causing a decline in the population of endangered Asian elephants.
The research, conducted by a team of ecologists and conservationists, found that when barriers are erected in hilly areas, gene flow between elephant populations is reduced, leading to inbreeding, low genetic diversity, and increased risk of extinction.
The Western Ghats mountain range, which includes the NBR, is home to around 6,000 wild elephants, the largest remaining population in the region. However, the Palghat Gap, a relatively flat area that has been transformed by agriculture, has been cut off from the rest of the Ghats by human settlements and crop cultivation.
This has confined the elephants to hilly areas with suboptimal habitats and increased their risk of injury or death due to the dangerous terrain.

Jan 05, 2023

China Becomes First Country in Asia to Launch Hydrogen Powered Train

China's CRRC Corporation Ltd. launched a hydrogen urban train, and it is the first in Asia and the second such train in the world. Germany introduced green trains a few months back. The hydrogen trains have a speed of 160 km per hour and the operational range without refuelling is 600 km.
The trains launched by Germany have a record of 1175 km range set. The Indian Railway on the other hand is moving fast to induct the 'World's Greenest Train' soon.
India will get its first-ever Indigenous Hydrogen trains by December 2023. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav informed that Indian Railways is working on new environment-friendly trains and the engineers are designing them.

Jan 03, 2023

For First Time in Many Years, No Rhinos Poached in Assam in 2022

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that no rhinos were poached in the state in 2022. Special DGP G P Singh posted data that showed last year was the first since at least 2000 in which there were no incidents of rhino poaching in Assam.
Rhinos were poached for their horns that fetch big money because of their supposed medicinal value.
Before 2022, no poaching of rhinos was last reported in 1977. Officials credited sincere, concerted and coordinated efforts of the state's forest and police departments for zero poaching in 2022.

South Asian Black Carbon Aerosols Increase Glacial Mass Loss over Tibetan Plateau

According to a new study, black carbon aerosols have indirectly affected the mass gain of the Tibetan Plateau glaciers by changing long-range water vapour transport from the South Asian monsoon region.
The South Asia region adjacent to the Tibetan Plateau has among the highest levels of black carbon emission in the world.
Black carbon aerosols are produced by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and biomass, and are characterised by strong light absorption.
Many studies have emphasised black carbon aerosols from South Asia can be transported across the Himalayas to the inland region of the Tibetan Plateau.
Researchers noted that black carbon deposition in snow reduces the albedo of surfaces -- a measure of how much of Sun's radiations are reflected -- which may accelerate the melting of glaciers and snow cover, thus changing the hydrological process and water resources in the region.

Jan 02, 2023

The 'Enigmatic' Peat Bog Seeking Worldwide Recognition

A vast area of peat bog in Scotland's Flow Country could become one of UNICCO's newest World Heritage sites.
This land was prepared for large blocks of commercial forestry, which included the planting of millions of non-native trees.
Flow Country is home to a diverse range of wildlife including birds, mammals and plants.
Flow Country contains the most intact and extensive raised bog system in the world.
This expanse of moors, moors, pools, lochs, hills and mountains covers much of Caithness and Sutherland in the North Highlands.
It's about 50 miles wide – about the distance from Glasgow to Edinburgh – and covers almost a million acres of land.
The bogs, which have been growing for 10,000 years, are formed by layers of wet mosses and other plants as they die.

Share on

TCY Analytics (View Subscription Plans)

Subscribe to GK Updates

I want to receive

GK Tags

July GK, June GK, May GK, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, SPORTS, NATIONAL AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, PERSONS IN NEWS, DAYS AND EVENTS, AWARDS AND HONOURS, GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES, GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION, ART AND CULTURE, BOOKS AND AUTHORS, TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS, ART AND CULTURE, LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Start Discussion

On any topic

Take Tests

Compiled from GK updates

Login

Sign Up

Forgot Password

Download TCY App

Unlock All Services And Enjoy The Premium Benefits

US$ 10

US$ 13

US$ 15

US$ 17

US$ 19

US$ 20

US$ 21

US$ 22

US$ 23

US$ 24

US$ 25

US$ 26