General Awareness

ENVIRONMENT - August 2019

Aug 2019

Jul 27, 2020

Norway's Arctic Archipelago Witnesses Highest ever Recorded Temperature

According to Norway`s Meteorological Institute, temperatures at Norway`s Svalbard archipelago, about midway between the mainland and the North Pole, hit a record high of 21.7 degrees Celsius.
The Arctic islands are warming faster than almost anywhere on Earth, highlighting risks in other parts of the Arctic from Alaska to Siberia.
A 41-year-old record has been broken in Longyearbyen.
Between 1700 and 1800 CET (1500-1600 GMT), the temperature measured 21.7 degrees Celsius, 0.4 degrees above the previous record from 1979.
Rising temperatures would thaw the frozen ground underpinning many buildings, roads and airports and could cause more avalanches and landslides.
A warming climate also threatens Arctic wildlife such as polar bears and seals which depend on the sea ice cover.

India Ranks 3rd in Gaining Forest Area in World

In accordance with the latest Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) 2020 brought out by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), India ranked 3rd among the top 10 countries that have gained in forest areas during 2010-2020. FRA 2020 examined the status of, and trends in, more than 60 forest-related variables in 236 countries and territories in the period 1990–2020.
India reported 0.38% annual gain in forest, or 266,000 ha of forest increase every year at an average. It's naturally regenerating forest rate was also 0.38% in 2010-20.
As per the report, the world has a total forest area of 4.06 billion hectares (ha) in 2020, which is 31% of the total land area where India accounts for 2% of total global forest area. Russia has a maximum forest area accounting 20% of global forest area (815 312 ha) followed by Brazil (496 620 ha-12%) and Canada (346 928 ha- 9%).

Jul 23, 2020

Polar Bears Could Disappear by 2100

Polar bears have long been the poster child of the consequences of climate change. A new study now suggests the Arctic species is at risk of being starved into extinction by the end of the century.
Acco0rding to the University of Toronto-led study, as sea ice continues to vanish due to warming temperatures, polar bears are increasingly struggling to find the food they need to survive.
According to the World Wildlife Fund, there are an estimated 22,000 to 31,000 polar bears in the wild, although precise numbers are hard to determine due to their remote habitat. The species is listed as vulnerable.
Polar bears rely on sea ice for hunting seals, their primary food source, according to the new study. But the spread of ice has been on the decline as climate change accelerates the rise in temperatures at the poles, keeping them on land where it's harder to catch seals.
While the bears can fast for months, their survival depends on how much energy they've managed to reserve through eating ahead of time, the energy they expend during the fast and how long a fasting period lasts.

Jul 22, 2020

Microsoft Corp, Nike, Unilever, Starbucks Team Up to Combat Global Carbon Emissions

Microsoft Corp, Nike Inc , Starbucks Corp, Unilever NV and five other industry titans from various sectors are teaming up to help businesses globally achieve zero carbon emissions.
Called "Transform to Net Zero", the group plans to recruit other members and will work with the Environmental Defense Fund and focus on delivering guidance, research and blueprints for businesses to achieve zero carbon emissions no later than 2050.
The announcement gave no details of any investment the companies would make, outlining only initial research and other work to be completed over the next five years.
Some aims for net zero carbon emissions include reductions across the entire value chain, including impact of products and services, and the substantial commitment and willingness to invest in and speed innovation.

Researchers from Singapore Discover a New Species, 'Bathynomus Raksasa' in Indian Ocean

A team of researchers from Singapore confirmed the discovery of a new species called 'Bathynomus Raksasa' (Described as "cockroach of the sea"). The researchers found the new species in 2018 during a deep-sea survey off of the coast of Banten, Western Java, Indonesia (Indian Ocean).
'Bathynomus Raksasa' is the second-largest isopod species known to researchers to date and is the sixth "supergiant" species from the Indo-West Pacific.
The largest isopod is 'Bathynomus Giganteus', which is commonly found in the deep waters of the western Atlantic Ocean.

Government Approves the Zonal Master Plan of Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone

In the review meeting of "Char Dham Road Project" over a virtual platform, Prakash Javadekar, the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) informed the approval of the Zonal Master Plan (ZMP) of Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone by the Ministry Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) earlier this month.
The review meeting of Char Dham project was chaired by Prakash Javadekar, the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of MSME.
On 18th December 2012, the Ministry of Ministry Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued the notification of Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone of area covering 4179.59 square kilometers from Gaumukh to Uttarakashi.
In consultation with the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways, Government of Uttarakhand and Indian Road Congress the notification was amended on 16th April 2018.
The Zonal Master Plan was prepared by the State government of Uttarakhand and appraised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The Zonal Master Plan was made based on the watershed approach and the governance in the forest and wildlife area, watershed management, irrigation, energy, tourism, public health and sanitation and road infrastructure.

Jul 17, 2020

EU's Greenhouse Gas Strategy Fails to Plug Methane Hole

The European Union does not plan to crack down on planet-warming methane emissions from gas imports despite pressure from oil companies, activists and academics
While the EU plans to impose carbon dioxide (CO2) taxes on imports of energy intensive goods, critics say the world's biggest gas importer is not targeting suppliers of the fuel hard enough in its methane strategy due to be unveiled this year.
This comes despite an unlikely alliance of big oil firms, environmental activists, investors and researchers pushing the bloc to plug this hole in its methane plan and punish gas producers that fail to rein in their emissions.
The draft methane plan, which may be subject to change, says the European Commission will propose legislation requiring gas firms to better monitor and report methane emissions, but it does not include setting methane standards for imported gas.

South African Continent Slowly Peeling Apart

In one of the hottest places on Earth, along an arid stretch of East Africa's Afar region, it's possible to stand on the exact spot where, deep underground, the continent is splitting apart.
This desolate expanse sits atop the juncture of three tectonic plates that are very slowly peeling away from each other, a complex geological process that scientists say will eventually cleave Africa in two and create a new ocean basin millions of years from now. For now the most obvious evidence is a 35-mile-long crack in the Ethiopian desert.
The African continent's tectonic fate has been studied for several decades, but new satellite measurements are helping scientists better understand the transition and are offering valuable tools to study the gradual birth of a new ocean in one of the most geologically unique spots on the planet.
This is the only place on Earth where you can study how continental rift becomes an oceanic rift.

Jul 16, 2020

Poba Reserve Forest in Assam"s Dhemaji to be Upgraded to Wildlife Sanctuary

The Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, announced the upgradation of Poba Reserve Forest, a vital biodiversity hotspot in Dhemaji district of Assam, as a wildlife sanctuary. The announcement was made during a meeting with senior officials of Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Majuli districts at Jonai.
Declared in 1924 as Poba Reserve Forest, it has an area of 10,522 hectares and is home to a large number of flora and fauna.
Poba is one of the richest rain forests of North-East India in terms of the flora and fauna found in it and can be very well termed a biodiversity hotspot.
The Reserved Forest (RF) was created in the year 1924.

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