Page 139 - Environment
Climate change threatens survival of dolphins: Study
Climate change may threaten the survival of of marine mammals such as dolphins, and have more far-reaching consequences for their conservation than previously thought, according to a study. In early 2011, a heatwave caused the water temperatures to rise to more than four degrees above the annual average, said researchers from the University of Zurich (UZH) in Switzerland. The extended period caused a substantial loss of seagrass, which drives the Shark Bay ecosystem, a UNESCO world heritage site in Western Australia. Researchers from UZH have now investigated how this environmental damage has affected survival and reproduction of dolphins. They used long-term data on hundreds of animals collected over a ten-year period from 2007 to 2017. Their analyses revealed that the dolphins' survival rate had fallen by 12 per cent following the heatwave of 2011. Moreover, female dolphins were giving birth to fewer calves -- a phenomenon that lasted at least until 2017, researchers said. "The ...
NTPC intimates of capacity addition of 1st unit of 800 MW of Gadarwara STTP
With this, the total installed capacity of NTPC and NTPC group has become 47325 MW and 55126 MW respectively.
Groundwater system still exists on Mars: Study
Mars may still have an active groundwater system deep below the surface, and could be feeding surface streams in some areas on the Red Planet, a study has found. Last year, researchers detected the presence of a deep-water lake on Mars under its south polar ice caps. Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) in the US determined that groundwater likely exists in a broader geographical area than just the poles of Mars. They found that there is an active system, as deep as 750 metres, from which groundwater comes to the surface through cracks in the specific craters they analysed. Researchers studied the characteristics of Mars Recurrent Slope Linea, which are akin to dried, short streams of water that appear on some crater walls on Mars. Scientists previously thought these features were affiliated with surface water flow or close subsurface water flow, said Essam Heggy, member of the Mars Express Sounding radar experiment MARSIS probing Mars subsurface. "We suggest ...
China to destroy three lakh 'incorrect' world maps
Customs officials in China have ordered the destruction of three lakh more maps for not mentioning Arunachal Pradesh and Taiwan as part of its territory and decided to file a lawsuit against four persons for trying to export them to the Netherlands, according to a media report. Last month, officials in China have destroyed 30,000 world maps printed in the country for incorrectly showing the borders with India and depicting Taiwan as a separate country. China claims the north-eastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet. China routinely objects to Indian leaders visiting Arunachal Pradesh to highlight its stand. India says the State of Arunachal Pradesh is its integral and inalienable part and Indian leaders visit Arunachal Pradesh from time to time, as they visit other parts of the country. The two countries have so far held 21 rounds of talks to resolve the border dispute covering 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control. China also claims the estranged island of ...
Novel solution to recycle world's batteries
Scientists have created a solvent that can extract valuable elements from discarded batteries, and could potentially help reduce the amount of electronic wastes ending up in landfills. The team from Rice University in the US used an environmentally friendly deep eutectic solvent to extract valuable elements from the metal oxides commonly used as cathodes in lithium-ion batteries. The goal was to curtail the use of harsh processes to recycle batteries and keep them out of landfills. The solvent, made of commodity products choline chloride and ethylene glycol, extracted more than 90 per cent of cobalt from powdered compounds, and a smaller but still significant amount from used batteries. "Rechargeable battery waste, particularly from lithium-ion batteries, will become an increasingly menacing environmental challenge in the future as the demand for these through their usage in electric vehicles and other gadgets increases dramatically," said Pulickel Ajayan, a scientist at Rice ...
Mumbai: Leopard cub rescued from housing complex in Andheri
A sub-adult leopard cub which entered a residential complex in Marol in Mumbai's Andheri suburb was Monday rescued by forest department staff, an official said. The two-year-old cub was found sleeping underneath a parked vehicle in the complex after which residents alerted police and forest department personnel, he said. "A rescue operation, involving forest staff from the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and police, was launched and the cub was trapped after a few hours," the official said. "In yet another successful rescue, teams from SNGP and Thane forest division have rescued a sub adult leopard cub from a housing complex in Marol, Andheri. Kudos to all staff and volunteers involved in the operation including media friends," Deputy Conservator of Forests Jitendra Ramgaonkar tweeted.
NGT directs CPCB to decide on brick manufacturer's plea
The National Green Tribunal Monday directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to expeditiously decide on a plea by a brick manufacturer in Ghaziabad to operate their kilns on the ground that it was environment friendly. A bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore asked the apex pollution monitoring body to look into the contention raised by the applicant and take necessary action. "We direct the CPCB to look into and expeditiously decide the issue in respect of the technology suggested by the applicant herein and in case it is found technically appropriate, approval of the Ministry of Environment and Forests be taken at the earliest," the bench said. The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by 'Zila Ghaziabad Ent Nirmata Samiti' seeking that applicant association may be directed to operate their brick kilns in the existing fixed Chimney Bull's Trench Kiln (FCBTK) technology which uses mustard husk as fuel. The applicant has submitted that the technology being used by the ...
Farmer held with 14 lion claws in Gujarat's Amreli
A farmer has been apprehended with 14 claws which he had removed earlier in February from a dead lion in the Tulshishyam Range of Gujarat's Gir Forest, senior official said Monday. The farmer, identified as 45-year-old Vashram Dhapa of Pachapachiya village in Khambha taluka from Amreli, was nabbed Sunday from his farm in nearby Sonariya based on a tip-off, DT Vasavada, Chief Conservator of Forests, Junagadh Wildlife Circle said. "In February, a lion, aged between five to nine years, was found dead in the Tulsishyam range Gir East division by forest staff. Fourteen of its claws were missing. We had then formed a special team to nab the person responsible," Vasavada said. "We zeroed in on Dhapa who has confessed that he had removed the claws and hid them near his farm in Sonariya. We have recovered all 14 claws," he informed. He added that, as of now, it had not been established whether Dhapa killed the lion for its claws but the angle was being pursued. "Claws are worn ..
Sri Lanka building temperature controlled warehouse
Sri Lanka has begun constructing its first ever temperature and humidity controlled warehouse which will enable farmers to store over 5,000 tonnes of their excess harvest of fruits and vegetables, the media reported on Monday.
NTPC starts commercial production from Pakri Barwadih coal mine in Jharkhand
India's largest electricity producer, NTPC Ltd Monday said it has started commercial production of coal from Pakri Barwadih mine in Jharkhand. Pakri Barwadih, located in Hazaribagh district, is first of the mine NTPC is developing to provide low cost coal for its power stations, replacing expensive imported coal. It will feed NTPC's ultra mega power project in the region. "In line with the corporate disclosure requirements, we wish to inform that based on achievement of approved norms, Pakri Barwadih Coal Mine of NTPC Ltd is declared on commercial operation w.e.f April 1, 2019," the company said in a regulatory filing. The mine has an estimated mining capacity to produce 15 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of coal and was in 2010 allotted to NTPC as basket mine to meet the fuel shortfall of its power stations. NTPC was allotted Pakri Barwadih, Chatti-Bariatu, Kerandari, Dulanga, Talaipalli and Chatti-Bariatu (South), Banai, Bhalumunda and Mandakini B mines. These mines carry total ...
ISRO launches electronic intelligence satellite with 28 others, Chandrayaan 2 launch in May
India on Monday successfully launched an electronic intelligence satellite along with 28 foreign satellites, in yet another achievement for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).PSLVC-45 successfully injected EMISAT into sun-synchronous polar orbit on Monday after its launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 9.30 am, ISRO chief K Sivan said.He said it is for the first time that a PSLV is carrying out three orbital mission in a single flight.The PSLVC-45 mission carried 28 international customer satellites from four countries -- Lithuania, Spain, Switzerland and the USA. All these satellites were launched under commercial arrangements.Another significant aspect is that around 95 per cent of hardware for this mission is "fabricated outside ISRO", Sivan said, referring to the role of private industry in the mission."In fact, the payload for this particular satellite was fabricated in Bengaluru-based industry," the ISRO chief added.The satellite is now marching ...
Hema Malini performs in new role as farm woman
Actor and BJP MP Hema Malini, who is seeking re-election to the Lok Sabha, joined farmers and tried her hand at cutting the wheat crop in this region in Uttar Pradesh, inviting scorn from the opposition.
Fish mucus may offer potential new antibiotics
Scientists have identified bacteria with promising antibiotic activity against known pathogens, including the dangerous MRSA-causing microbes, in the protective mucus that coats young fish. As current antibiotics dwindle in effectiveness against multidrug-resistant pathogens, researchers are seeking potential replacements in some unlikely places. "For us, any microbe in the marine environment that could provide a new compound is worth exploring," said Sandra Loesgen, from Oregon State University in the US. While novel chemical reagents have been found in the human microbiome, the marine equivalent remains relatively unstudied, Loesgen said in a statement. One potential goldmine of microbes is the mucus that coats the surfaces of fish. This viscous substance protects fish from bacteria, fungi, and viruses in their environment, trapping the microbes before they can cause infections. The slime is also rich in polysaccharides and peptides known to have antibacterial activity. "Fish mucus .
Maduro announces 30 days of electricity rationing in Venezuela
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro announced 30 days of electricity rationing Sunday, after his government said it was shortening the working day and keeping schools closed due to blackouts. Angry Venezuelans meanwhile took to the streets of Caracas to protest the power cuts and water shortages. The measures are a stark admission by the government -- which blamed repeated power outages in March on sabotage -- that there is not enough electricity to go around, and that the power crisis is here to stay. The blackouts have worsened already dire economic and living conditions in the country, which sits on the world's largest proven oil reserves. Power failures come alongside a political showdown between Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is recognised as interim president by the United States and more than 50 other countries. Speaking on state television, Maduro said he had approved "a 30-day plan" to ration power. He did not detail how it would work but said there would be ..
Fish mucus offers potential new antibiotics
With current antibiotics dwindling in effectiveness against multidrug-resistant pathogens, researchers have identified an untapped antibiotic candidate in the protective mucus that coats young fish.
Australia sees record temperatures for fourth month in a row
Australia continued a string of "hottest ever" months in March, the government said Monday, as global warming emerges as the hot button issue in national elections just weeks away. The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said the country had experienced the warmest March on record, with mean maximum and minimum temperatures above average for nearly all of the vast continent nation. BOM said the national mean temperature was 2.13 degrees centigrade (3.83 degrees Fahrenheit) above the long-term average for the month of March. It was the fourth month in a row of record heat in the country, and January was Australia's hottest month ever, with mean temperatures across the continent exceeding 30 degrees Celsius for the first time. There was some relief for regions suffering from prolonged drought, however, as two tropical cyclones that struck northern and western Australia in March bought badly needed rains. "Unfortunately, the rain needed to reduce significant rainfall deficiencies in ...
Sierra Leone bans industrial fishing for a month
Sierra Leone has banned industrial fishing in its territorial waters for a month from Monday in a move to try to shore up stocks that was applauded by environmental activists. The government also decreed an April 1-30 halt to exports by major fishing companies "to protect our fish stock from depletion", said a statement from the fisheries ministry. "All industrial fishing companies should stock their fish in cold rooms ... during the period of closure," Minister of Fisheries Emma Kowa Jalloh told AFP. The West African states of Mauritania, Senega, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Sierra Leone lost about $2.3 billion (more than 2.1 billion euros) a year from 2010 to 2016 due to illegal and undeclared fishing, according to the Greenpeace environmental group. Sierra Leone National Fishermen Consortium chairman Alpha Sheku Kamara accused China and Korea of destroying stocks. "We are happy that the government has declared fishing period closure after series of complaints," he told AFP at .
ISRO to launch PSLVC-46 followed by PSLVC-47, Chandrayaan 2 in May: K Sivan
After PSLVC-45 successfully injected EMISAT into sun-synchronous polar orbit on Monday, ISRO chief K Sivan said the satellite is now marching towards the 485km orbit to do its function as an orbital platform for experiments, adding that next month the space research organisation will launch PSLVC-46 followed by PSLVC-47 and Chandrayaan 2.The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) PSLVC-45 successfully injected electronic intelligence satellite EMISAT along with 28 international customer satellites into sun-synchronous polar orbit.The low-Earth orbit satellite was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 9.30 am.Addressing a press conference here, Sivan said: "PSLVC45 is now marching towards the 485 km orbit to do its function as an orbital platform for experiments. I want to thank the team members for making the mission a success.""This time, the mission is very innovative as three experiments were attached to it -- automatic identification system from ISRO .
ISRO's PSLVC-45 successfully injects EMISAT into sun-synchronous polar orbit
The Indian Space Research Organisation's PSLVC-45 successfully injected electronic intelligence satellite EMISAT along with 28 international customer satellites into sun-synchronous polar orbit on Monday.The low-Earth orbit satellite was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 9.30 am. This comes days after India test-fired an anti-satellite (ASAT) missile in the Mission Shakti operation."The countdown for the launch on the PSLV, in its 47th flight, began at 6:27 am on Sunday. This will be the 71st launch vehicle mission for Sriharikota," ISRO said. The satellite that weighs 436 kg will monitor and provide locations for enemy radar sites deep in their territory."PSLVC-45 launch is a very important milestone for the ISRO. It is not only going to launch our own satellite for signal monitoring but also 28 satellites from four other countries including the USA. The uniqueness of this mission is -- it is going to place satellites in three different orbits, perhaps ...
China successfully launches second generation data relay satellite
China has successfully launched the first of its new-generation data relay satellites into orbit that will provide data relay, measurement and control services for its manned spacecraft. The Tianlian II-01 satellite was launched by a Long March-3B carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest China's Sichuan Province Sunday night. As the first satellite to constitute China's second-generation data relay satellite network, the Tianlian II-01 will provide data relay, measurement and control, transmission services for manned spacecraft, satellites, carrier rockets and other non-spacecraft users. The Tianlian II network will be markedly more advanced in mission planning, system management and operations than the first-generation network composed of Tianlian I satellites, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Monday. The new network, with faster data transfer and higher multi-objective service capability, will play an important role in improving the transmission ..
