General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - August 2019

Aug 2019

Nov 15, 2021

Earth's Lower Atmosphere is Expanding Due to Climate Change

Earth's atmosphere is rising because of climate change, a new study shows.
Weather balloon measurements, taken in the Northern Hemisphere over the past 40 years, reveal that the lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere — called the troposphere — has been expanding upward at a rate of roughly 164 feet (50 meters) per decade, and climate change is the cause.
This is an unambiguous sign of changing atmospheric structure. These results provide independent confirmation, in addition to all the other evidence of climate change, that greenhouse gases are altering our atmosphere.

Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai among World's Top 10 Polluted Cities

Of the world's top 10 cities with the worst air quality, three -- Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai, are in India, data from air quality and pollution city tracking service from IQAir, a Switzerland-based climate group showed.
While Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) at 556 made it to the top of the list, Kolkata and Mumbai recorded an AQI of 177 and 169, respectively, at fourth and sixth position, on the list.
The cities with the worst AQI indices also include Lahore, in Pakistan, and Chengdu, in China.
A real-time air quality information platform -- IQAir is also a technology partner of the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP).

Nov 12, 2021

Diamond Hauled from Deep Inside Earth Holds Never-before-seen Mineral

Within a diamond hauled from deep beneath Earth's surface, scientists have discovered the first example of a never-before-seen mineral.
Named davemaoite after prominent geophysicist Ho-kwang (Dave) Mao, the mineral is the first example of a high-pressure calcium silicate perovskite (CaSiO3) found on Earth. Another form of CaSiO3, known as wollastonite, is commonly found across the globe, but davemaoite has a crystalline structure that forms only under high pressure and high temperatures in Earth's mantle, the mainly solid layer of Earth trapped between the outer core and the crust.
Davemaoite is believed to play an important geochemical role in Earth's mantle. Scientists theorize that the mineral may also contain other trace elements, including uranium and thorium, which release heat via radioactive decay. Therefore, davemaoite may help to generate a substantial amount of heat in the mantle.

Lahore most Polluted City in the World, as per US Air Quality Index

Lahore is on top of the list of the most polluted cities in the world, according to air pollution data released by the US Air Quality Index.
The air quality in the city of Pakistan was recorded at over 600. Karachi stood at the fifth position on the list.
A level of 681 was recorded in Gulberg, 626 was recorded in Raiwind, 541 in Anarkali Market and 532 in Model Town.
Meanwhile, smog in Pakistan's Punjab province has also caused concerns among the authorities.

Nov 11, 2021

India Retains Top 10 Slot in Climate Performance Index

India has retained its top 10 spot in the best performing countries for the third year in a row in the global Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) released by Germanwatch on the side-lines of the COP26.
No country performed well enough in all index categories to achieve an overall very high rating in CCPI, the report noted. As a result, the top three places in the overall ranking remain empty once again.
Denmark placed 4th and is the highest ranked country in CCPI 2022. However, it does not perform well enough to achieve an overall very high rating. Thus India at the 10th slot is the seventh best performing country. India maintained its 10th position despite pandemic-hit operational difficulties which saw some regulatory flexibility to put the country's economy back on track.

Climate Change: Loss of Glaciers Will Hurt Tourism, Power Supplies

From the southern border of Germany to the highest peaks in Africa, glaciers around the world have served as moneymaking tourist attractions, natural climate records for scientists and beacons of beliefs for indigenous groups.
With many glaciers rapidly melting because of climate ch¬a¬n¬ge, the disappearance of the ice sheets is sure to deal a blow to countries and commu¬n¬ities that have relied on them for ge¬nerations — to make electrici¬ty, to draw visitors and to up¬h¬old ancient spiritual traditions.
The ice masses that formed over millennia from compac¬t¬ed snow have been melting since the time of the Industrial Revolution, a process that has accelerated in recent years.

Nov 03, 2021

More than 100 Countries Join Pact to Slash Planet-warming Methane Emissions

More than 100 countries joined a US- and EU-led effort to slash emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane 30 per cent by 2030 from 2020 levels, an initiative aimed at tackling one of the main causes of climate change.
Methane is the main greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. It has a higher heat-trapping potential than CO2 but breaks down in the atmosphere faster - meaning that cutting methane emissions can have a rapid impact in reining in global warming.
The Global Methane Pledge, launched at the COP26 summit in Glasgow after being announced in September, now covers countries representing nearly half of global methane emissions and 70 per cent of global GDP.
Among the new signatories was Brazil - one of the world's five biggest emitters of methane.
China, Russia and India, also top-five methane emitters, have not signed on to the pledge. Those countries were all included on a list identified as targets to join the pledge.

Nov 02, 2021

PM Modi Sets India's 2070 zero Carbon Emission Target at COP26 Summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that India is the only country that is delivering in letter and spirit the commitments on tackling climate change under the Paris Agreement.
India will meet a target of net zero emissions by 2070, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the COP26 global climate summit.
The Prime Minister reiterated that developed nations must fulfill the promised $1 trillion as climate finance, saying this should be tracked the same way as climate mitigation.

Long-lost 'Island of Gold' Resurfaces in Indonesian River

The remnants of the long-lost "Island of Gold" — where tales describe man-eating snakes, fire-belching volcanoes and Hindi-speaking parrots — may have been found in the Musi River near Palembang, Indonesia. And of course, there is gold, oozing from the river bottom.
Divers probing the muddy river bottom have hauled up hundreds of figurines, temple bells, tools, mirrors, coins and ceramics. They have found golden sword hilts and gold-and-ruby rings, carved jars and wine jugs and flutes shaped like peacocks.
These treasures all point to one thing: Scientists have located the lost city of Srivijaya, once a wealthy and powerful port along the ocean trade route between East and West.

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