Page 14 - Environment

GRAP Stage III revoked in entire NCR with immediate effect

While the overall air quality over Delhi is likely to fluctuate between "Poor" to "Very Poor" category in coming days, authorities decided to revoke Stage-III of GRAP in the NCR with immediate effect

Rooting for mangroves: Many reasons to expand these carbon sinks in India

The mangrove ecosystem offers economic benefits besides safeguarding the country's vast coastline

Maha govt tweaks policy on single-use plastic, allows compostable materials

The Maharashtra government has permitted the production of straws, cups, plates, forks and spoons made from 'compostable' materials by making changes to the policy on single-use plastic, a senior official said here on Friday. Satish Darade, secretary of the Environment and Climate Change department, told reporters that a panel which studied the ban on single-use plastic and thermocol items, headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, decided to permit items made from compostable material. But it will be mandatory to get approval for these products from the Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology (CIPET) and Central Pollution Control Board, he said. The move will give relief to plastic product manufacturers, he said. There was a demand to allow production of single-use items made from degradable materials, Darade said. In 2018, the Maharashtra government had imposed a ban on single-use plastic.

COP15 goals to halt biodiversity decline but can downgrade ocean action

The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) or COP15 is the long-awaited conference to finally set the new post-Aichi goals to halt and reverse global biodiversity decline

GM Mustard plants needs uprooting to avoid contamination: Campaigners to SC

The seeds of GM mustard have started germinating after their environmental release and before the plants start flowering in few weeks they must be uprooted to prevent the environment from getting irreversibly contaminated, campaigners against genetically modified crops told the Supreme Court on Wednesday. On October 25, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the Union environment ministry approved the environment release of transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11 and the parental lines containing barnase, barstar and bar genes so that they can be used for developing new hybrids. A bench of Justices Dinesh Maheshwari and BV Nagarathna was told by advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for activist Aruna Rodrigues, that no one knows about the effect of environmental release of the Genetically Modified (GM) mustard, which has the potential of contaminating all mustard seeds in the country. "The only benefit claimed is that the technology will be used for developing new hybrids

NGT imposes environment compensation of Rs 200 crore on Nagaland

Rs 200 crores be utilized for setting up solid waste processing facilities, remediation of legacy waste and setting up of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and FSSTPs so there remains no gap, it added

Explained: What is 'loss and damage' fund, what is India's take on it

Agreement on financing one of the most significant steps in UN climate talks in 30 years

Coral select algae partnerships to ease environmental stress: Study

In assessing one of the main reef builders in Hawai'i, Montipora capitata or rice coral, researchers found that the symbiont community in those corals varied significantly in different parts of Kaneoh

COP27 what to watch: Climate progress hinges on crucial week two

Here's how week one went down and what to expect from the rest of this year's UN climate summit

Beyond bloviation: What do climate conferences like COP achieve anyway?

It would be wrong to think that nothing has been achieved. A great deal has, though far too slowly - for which lack of speed the world, especially its poor, will pay the price, writes T N Ninan

NGT orders CPCB to close tyre pyrolysis units violating environment norms

The National Green Tribunal has directed the Central Pollution Control Board to expeditiously close all tyre pyrolysis units (TPUs) functioning without following environment norms. Pyrolysis is the method of recycling old tyres through thermochemical treatment under high temperature to produce industrial oil and other matters. A bench of Chairperson Justice AK Goel said gaps remained with regard to action taken against non-compliant units and units against whom action was taken to close them till compliance. The bench, also comprising judicial member Justice Sudhir Kumar Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel, said the gaps required "to be bridged at the earliest in the interest of the rule of law, environment and good governance". The bench said the units were required to follow zero-liquid and zero-emission norms. It added that instead of transporting the carbon produced during the pyrolysis process to landfills, the material could be utilised in the cement industry. "According

Global supply chains gear up for overhaul next year, survey shows

The survey also showed concerns were broader than supply chains, with 51% of respondents saying their expect the environment for international trade to be harder next year

Mangroves can help meet NDC targets, India can share experience: Minister

India has demonstrated expertise in mangrove restoration for nearly five decades and can contribute to the global knowledge base due to its experience, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said Monday at the launch of the "Mangrove Alliance for Climate". The UAE and Indonesia have launched the MAC on the sidelines of the UN climate summit COP27, to strengthen conservation and restoration of mangrove ecosystems worldwide. India, Australia, Japan, Spain and Sri Lanka have joined the alliance. Yadav said creating a new carbon sink from mangrove afforestation and reducing emissions from mangrove deforestation are two feasible ways for countries to meet their NDC targets and achieve carbon neutrality. NDCs means national plans and pledges made by countries to limit global temperature rise to well below two degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius. "The integration of mangroves into the national programmes for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation i

Delhi air pollution: Lifting of curbs a hasty decision, say experts

Revoking curbs imposed in Delhi-NCR under the final stage of an action plan to combat air pollution could prove to be a hasty decision, experts said on Sunday and advised caution. Their reaction came after the Centre's air quality panel directed authorities on Sunday to lift the ban on plying of non-BS VI diesel-run light motor vehicles in Delhi-NCR and entry of trucks into the capital imposed under the final stage of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The restrictions were imposed three days ago. A decision on reopening primary schools and revocation of the order asking 50 per cent of government staff to work from home is likely to be taken at a high-level meeting to be chaired by Delhi Environment minister Gopal Rai on Monday, an official said. Environmentalist Vimlendu Jha said it could be too soon to revoke curbs as the air quality has improved a wee bit due to favourable wind speed and will go back to the 'severe' category in a couple of days. "These are knee jerk reacti

Research suggests plant fibers can be used for sustainable devices

Thermal insulation is a characteristic of several materials generated from plants, including cellulose

Cellulose based materials have environmental benefits over polymers: Study

Cellulose and other compounds generated from plants frequently provide good thermal insulation

India to seek clarity on $100 billion climate financing at COP27

Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav will represent India at the session

McKinsey lists 10 steps to decarbonise India while pursuing economic growth

India emits a net 2.9 gigatons of carbon-dioxide equivalent every year, third-largest globally, as of 2019, according to a report recently released by McKinsey Sustainability

Finance, tech transfer, capacity building on India's agenda for COP27

India will also seek clarity on loan availability, credit mechanisms and insurance requirements for adaptation finance

Air pollution a big problem for country, urgent need to reduce it: Gadkari

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said air pollution is a big problem for the country, and there is an urgent need to reduce it. The statement comes at a time when the air quality in Delhi has started to plummet to its worst level due to stubble burning in the neighbouring states of the national capital. "For ecology and environment also we need to resolve pollution as it is a big problem," the road transport and highways minister said while addressing the International Conclave on Clean Fuels-2022. Gadkari also expressed concerns about the deteriorating air quality in Delhi and stressed converting the stubble into bio-vitamin. The minister also said that in the country, there are several successful projects, and Bio-CNG and Bio-LNG are being made from rice straw. He also said there is an immediate need to decarbonise the transport sector and make it sustainable for the economy, ecology and environment. "We are promoting the use of clean and green biofuel such as ethanol,