General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - December 2018

Dec 2018

Feb 20, 2022

Record-breaking Winds blast Europe in the Worst Storm in Decades

Record-breaking gusts of up to 122 mph (196 km/h) were recorded in England as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and parts of the Netherlands and France faced their worst storm in over three decades.
Trees have collapsed, trucks and cars have toppled on their sides, and thousands of homes have been left without power as the storm Eunice pummeled coastal regions around the Atlantic Archipelago and Europe's western coasts with wind, snow and heavy rain.
The record squall, the fastest wind speed ever recorded in England, was reported at the Needles Lighthouse on England's Isle of Wight, beating the previous record of 118 mph (190 km/h) at Gwennap Head, Cornwall, in 1979.

Study on Greater Maldive Ridge (GMR)

Researchers traced the tectonic evolution of "Greater Maldive Ridge (GMR)" which is a geodynamic feature in western Indian Ocean.
The tectonic evolution can help in reconstruct the original Gondwanaland fracture.
This feature led to present-day configuration of continents, continental fragments, as well as formation of ocean basins in the Indian Ocean.
The Maldive Ridge is located in the western Indian Ocean, southwest of India. It is aseismic that is not associated with earthquake activities. The ridge largely remains uninvestigated. It is of most importance to gain knowledge on structure and geodynamics of such structures. It is a submarine ridge, extends from western shore of Hindustan Peninsula to Arabian-Indian Ridge. It is about 3000 km in length, 200-450 km in width and have the elevation of 2-5 km. Peaks of this ridge rise above the water, to form coral islands (atolls) namely, the Laccadive Islands, Chagos Archipelago and Maldive Islands.

Feb 19, 2022

Asia's Largest Bio-CNG Plant

Asia's largest Bio-CNG plant was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Indore.
Indore is considered as one of the cleanest cities India.
With the inauguration of bio-CNG plant, it will set another high standard in cleanliness.
The Bio-CNG plant operates using 100 per cent wet waste. It is estimated to produce 18,000 kg gas per day. As per estimates of Indore Municipal Corporation, amount of Bio-CNG would help in running around 400 buses in the city daily.
The bio-CNG plant has a total capacity of 550 MT. It will produce CNG with 96 per cent pure methane gas.
This 'lighthouse plant' has been set up under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, by Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) and Indo Enviro Integrated Solutions Limited (IEISL). From this, Indore Municipal Corporation will earn a revenue of Rs. 2.5 crore per year.

Feb 18, 2022

Historic Sea-level Rise Predicted by NASA and Government Task Force

In a new collaborative report, NASA and other U.S. government agencies have found that sea levels will rise up to a foot by 2050.
The report, which comes from a sea level rise task force that includes a number of government agencies including NASA as well as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has concluded that sea levels along U.S. coastlines will, on average, rise between 10 and 12 inches (25 to 30 centimeters) above today's levels by 2050. This means that, in just 30 years, ocean height could rise as much as it has risen in the past 100 years.

Feb 17, 2022

Ravi in Pakistan is the Most Polluted River in the World

River Ravi in Pakistan is the most polluted river in the world, followed by water bodies in Bolivia and Ethiopia, a US-based research academy has said, warning that local populations in these areas are exposed to serious risks.
In its study, the University of York monitored 1,052 sampling sites along 258 rivers in 104 countries across all continents to quantify the presence of pharmaceutical ingredients - paracetamol, nicotine, caffeine and epilepsy and diabetes drugs - in these ecological environments.
The study concluded that contaminants in surface water posed a threat to environmental and/or human health in more than a quarter of the studied locations globally - mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and South America.

Feb 16, 2022

India to Replace Diesel by Renewable Energy in Agriculture by 2024

Union Power Minister R K Singh announced that India will achieve zero-diesel use in agriculture and replace fossil fuel with renewable energy by 2024. For this, states should develop action plans to achieve the assigned targets and specific agencies dedicated to energy efficiency and conservation. This initiative is a part of the government's commitment to increase the share of non-fossil fuels by 2030 and become a net-zero emitter by 2070.
Union minister chaired a virtual meeting with additional chief secretaries and principal secretaries of power in states for collaboration between the Central and state governments for achieving energy transition goals.

Megadrought in Southwest US Worst in a Millennium

According to a newly released study, the American West is experiencing its worst drought since 800AD - around the time Charlemagne ruled.
The ongoing drought has seen lakes, reservoirs and rivers in California fall to record lows, exacerbating wildfires, according to scientists.
The current drought is the worst 22-year dry period in the last 1,200 years - dating back to Vikings and Mayans.
The last multi-decade drought occurred in the 1500s, but was not so severe.
The western half of the United States has been experiencing drought for much of the past two decades, according to data from the US Drought Monitor.
Last year, water monitors declared a water shortage on the Colorado River, one of the biggest life sources for the US West, triggering cuts to some 40m Americans.

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