Himalayan Glaciers on Track to Lose up to 75% of Ice by 2100
Glaciers in Asia's Hindu Kush Himalaya could lose up to 75% of their volume by century's end due to global warming, causing both dangerous flooding and water shortages for the 240 million people who live in the mountainous region, according to a new report.
A team of international scientists found that ice loss in the region, home to the famous peaks of Everest and K2, is speeding up. During the 2010s, the glaciers shed ice as much as 65% faster than they had in the preceding decade, according to the assessment by the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), an intergovernmental scientific authority on the region.
Jun 20, 2023
UN Adopts Historic High Seas Treaty
The United Nations adopted the world's first international treaty to protect the high seas. The adoption of the treaty represented the formation of a landmark accord designed to protect remote ecosystems that are vital to humanity.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hailed the adoption of the treaty as a historic achievement.
The treaty will establish a legal framework to extend environmental protection to international waters, which form more than 60 per cent of the world's oceans.
The treaty was a result of more than 15 years of discussions, including four years of formal negotiations. The UN member states agreed to text for the treaty in March.
The treaty will establish a legal framework to extend environmental protection to international waters, which form more than 60 per cent of the world's oceans.
The United Nations High Seas Treaty is a legally binding instrument the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. It is an agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and is also known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction treaty or the BBNJ treaty.
Europe Becomes Fastest Warming Continent in World
A climate report claimed that Europe needs to brace itself for more deadly heat waves which are led by climate change, emphasising that it emerged as the fastest-warming continent of the world, with its temperature rising by 2.3 degree Celsius 2022 compared to that in pre-industrial times.
As per the report, prepared by the World Meteorological Organisation and the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service, released in 2023, the increasing temperature will lead to record sea-surface temperatures, unprecedented glacier melt and crop-withering drought.
Since the 1980s, Europe has been warming twice the global average and witnessed its warmest summer on record in 2022 as countries like France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain and the United Kingdom faced their warmest year on record.
Jun 19, 2023
MP Govt. to Club Nauradehi & Durgavati Sanctuaries to Create State's 7th Tiger Reserve
The official announcement of the seventh tiger project in Madhya Pradesh and the 54th in the country will be made soon. This tiger project will be named as Virangana Durgavati, and its area will be 2 thousand 339 square kilometres between Damoh and Sagar districts of Madhya Pradesh. Compared to the six tiger projects in the state, it is the largest tiger project in size and the core area will be 1,414 square kilometers and the buffer area will be 925.12 square kilometres.
The National Tiger Conservation Authority gave permission for this seventh tiger project to club Nauradehi and Veerangana Durgavati sanctuaries in Madhya Pradesh. Earlier approval was given by the Wildlife Board as well as the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. The Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh has sent a proposal for notification of this tiger project to the state government and it will be officially announced on July 29 before the World Tiger Day.
Jun 16, 2023
Rajasthan, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu Emerge Top Achievers in Wind Energy Adoption
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India joined the worldwide celebrations of June 15 as Global Wind Day, through the organization of a day-long event in New Delhi. Held with an intent to celebrate the success so far and discuss the potential ways forward for accelerating wind energy adoption in India, the event had the central theme of "Pawan – Urja: Powering the Future of India". The celebration featured in-depth discussions on Wind Energy Progress in India, Offshore Wind development, Strengthening of wind energy manufacturing ecosystem and Green Finance for Wind Energy.
Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, Bhupinder Singh Bhalla congratulated the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu for their achievements during the financial year 2022-23. Rajasthan was felicitated for achieving the highest wind capacity addition, Gujarat for achieving the highest wind capacity addition through open access and Tamil Nadu for initiating repowering of wind turbines.
Adani Green Ranked 1st in Asia, Among Top 10 in World for Renewable Energy
Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL), India's largest renewable energy producer, was ranked first in Asia and among the top 10 companies globally in the renewable energy sector by ISS ESG. AGEL is a subsidiary of the diversified Adani Group.
ISS ESG is a leading global provider of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) research and ratings. ISS ESG's rankings are based on a comprehensive assessment of a company's ESG performance, including its environmental impact, social responsibility, and corporate governance.
AGEL was placed in the 'Prime' (B+) band, recognising its robust ESG disclosure practices and high level of transparency.
AGEL is India's largest renewable energy company, with an operating portfolio of 8,216 MW. Its operations provide clear environmental benefits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and fighting climate change. AGEL also helps to transition to a more sustainable energy system by providing clean and renewable energy to its customers. The company addresses relevant social and environmental risks through dedicated management systems.
Jun 12, 2023
Mountains 3 To 4 Times Higher than Mount Everest Found Deep Inside Earth
The deep Earth contains mountains with peaks three to four times higher than Mount Everest, scientists have found. A team of experts from Arizona State University used seismology centres in Antarctica and found these astonishingly huge mountains in the boundary between the core and mantle, around 2,900 kilometres deep inside our planet.
The mountain-like structures they revealed are utterly mysterious. Scientists explained that these underground mountain ranges - dubbed ultra-low velocity zones or ULVZs - had managed to escape the experts' gaze all these years until earthquakes and atomic explosions generated enough seismic data to be spotted by them.
Scientists believe that these huge mountain ranges are over 24 miles (38 kilometres) in height, while Mount Everest is around 5.5 miles (8.8 kilometres) from the surface.