General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - June 2019

Jun 2019

Apr 15, 2021

Global Warming Making Indian Monsoon Seasons Stronger

Climate change will make summer monsoon rainfall in India stronger and more erratic, according to a study that predicts extremely wet years in the future, with potentially grave consequences for over a billion people's well-being, economy, food systems and agriculture.
The study compared more than 30 state-of-the-art climate models from all around the world.
For every degree of warming, monsoon rainfall will likely increase by about 5 per cent.
The researchers noted that more rainfall is not necessarily a good thing for the farming sector in India and its neighbouring countries.
This makes the Indian economy and food system highly sensitive to volatile monsoon patterns.

Apr 13, 2021

Five New Animal Species Discovered in Tibet

Five new animal species have been discovered in Tibet, including three kinds of frogs, one old-world monkey and a bushmaster snake, challenging the long-held view that the Himalayan mountains are a desolate and lifeless region.
The discovery of the five new species was the result of an eight-year investigation of the terrestrial wildlife in the Tibet Autonomous region carried out by the regional forestry bureau.
Covering an area of 6,346 sq km, this was a second such investigation carried out by the bureau.
The investigation also discovered 20 species that were not previously known to habitat in Tibet.

Apr 12, 2021

Many Endemic Species may GO Extinct if GHG Emissions Rise

As per a new study, many animals and plants might face extinction if green house gas emissions continue to rise.
All the Endemic species in islands are at high risk of extinction due to climate change.
Four out of every five endemic species in mountains are at the high risk of extinction due to climate change.
95% of marine species and 92% of land-based species will face reduction in numbers.
In tropical region, over 60% of endemic species are facing extinction due to climate change.
By maintaining the global heating well below two degrees Celsius as mentioned in the revised Paris Agreement will help to save majority of the species.
The Endemic species are the most iconic plants and animals in the world. The species that are highly threatened by climate change are lemurs (especially those that are unique to Madagascar), snow leopard.

Third of Antarctic Ice Shelf Area at Collapse Risk

The research found that 34 per cent of the area of all Antarctic ice shelves -- around half a million square kilometers -- including 67 per cent of ice shelf area on the Antarctic Peninsula, would be at risk of destabilisation under such a warming scenario.
The team also identified Larsen C -- the largest remaining ice shelf on the peninsula, which split to form the enormous A68 iceberg in 2017 -- as one of four ice shelves that would be particularly threatened in a warmer climate.

Apr 11, 2021

Researchers Discover a Snake and Name it After Shape-shifting Chinese Goddess

A deadly new snake has been discovered after spending decades masquerading as a much less dangerous species, according to researchers, who named the snake after a shape-shifting serpent goddess from a Chinese folktale.
The new species is a type of krait snake found in Southwest China and northern Myanmar and had previously been categorised as the many-banded krait. However, morphological and genetic differences, as well as a particularly painful and deadly bite, were enough to classify this reptile as its own species.
The researchers named the new snake Suzhen's krait after Bai Su Zhen, a powerful snake goddess from a traditional Chinese myth.

Apr 10, 2021

New Species from Arunachal Added to India's Bird List

A bird spotted in Arunachal Pradesh at an altitude higher than its recorded perch in adjoining China has become the 1,340th species of the bird family in India.
The three-banded rosefinch is a resident of southern China and a vagrant in Bhutan. A team of scientists from Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) spotted and photographed this rare species of bird in Arunachal Pradesh.
The new species of bird was found during an intensive survey of finches across the Eastern Himalayas as a part of an ongoing study. The survey team members spotted the three-banded rosefinch with a flock of white-browed rosefinch, a species commonly seen in this landscape.

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