Page 201 - Environment

3-year-old boy mauled to death by leopard in Gujarat

A three-year-old boy was mauled to death by a leopard in Gujarat's Bhavnagar district, a forest official said on Monday. Mohit Ratadiya was sleeping inside a tent in Jambuda village under Mahuva forest range, located around 260 km from here, when a leopard sneaked in and took him away on Sunday night, assistant conservator of forests Vijay Rathod said. The child belonged to a family of shepherds from Pipaliya village in Rajkot district who had migrated to Bhanvagar sometime back, Rathod said. "On Sunday night, the leopard entered the tent set up in an open field where the child and his family members were staying. Their sheep and goats panicked at the sight of the leopard and started bleating," he said. When the child's parents and other adult members went towards their animals to see what had happened, the leopard caught hold of the sleeping boy and fled into the forest, Rathod said. The child's body, with some parts eaten by the feline, was found in bushes near the ...

Energy supply and consumption patterns are changing to tackle climate change: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that patterns of energy supply and consumption are changing globally and countries are coming together to tackle climate change.There are signs of convergence between cheaper renewable energy, technologies and digital applications, he said while addressing the inaugural session of 13th international oil and gas conference Petrotech 2019."At the macro level, the energy sector is a pivot and a key enabler of growth. Natural gas is fast becoming one of the largest fuels in global energy mix. We are entering an era of greater energy availability," he said."Energy supply, energy sources, and energy consumption patterns are changing. Perhaps, this could be a historic transition," said the Prime Minister. "This may expedite the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Nations are coming together to tackle climate change."The Prime Minister said India has the potential to emerge as the world's second largest economy by 2030. In an ...

Yogi Government sanctions two biofuel projects worth Rs. 800 crore

ShivOm Dayal Energies (P) Ltd., is setting up two biofuel projects worth Rs 800 Crore. The two biofuel plants will be set up in the districts of Saharanpur and Bijnor.The UP government in its cabinet meeting held on 7th February 2019, approved the two second-generation ethanol plants which will incur an investment of INR 400 crore each. The state government will also offer the company with facilities including stamp duty waiver, capital subsidy as well as SGST rebate.Each of the sanctioned biofuel facility is expected to utilise about 200 tonnes of agro-waste per day for the production of 50,000 litres of second-generation ethanol. The plants will be set up under technical collaboration with the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER), Taiwan.The facilities will be utilizing agro-waste including rice straw, wheat straw and bagasse as raw materials to produce second-generation ethanol. The benefits of the project include additional income for farmers, reduction in stubble burning, .

Sustainable agriculture, 'more crop per drop' should be mantra: Vice President

Vice President Venkaiah Naidu Monday emphasised on the importance of sustainable agriculture as a part of sustainable development and said more efficient systems of irrigation with "more crop per drop" mantra should be used . Speaking at the inauguration of the three-day World Sustainable Development Summit 2019 here, he said, "There is a need to make use of the endless possibilities of biotechnology and nanotechnology to develop a range of green products, including nano-fertilisers." "We should move towards more efficient systems of irrigation with 'more crop per drop' as our mantra. Greater thrust has to be placed on organic farming and on the use of natural means of pest control," he said. Naidu, while kickstarting the summit, said that sustainable development is inclusive development which includes sustainable agriculture, sustainable mobility solutions, urbanization, energy security and clean energy, waste management and efforts in wildlife conservation. The summit themed ...

Dreyfus expects faster switching between sugar, ethanol in Brazil

DUBAI (Reuters) - Commodities trading firm Louis Dreyfus expects faster switching between sugar and ethanol production in Brazil, with more flexible mills leading to "dramatic" price-driven shifts.

Presidential hopeful Klobuchar slams Trump's jeer

The US Senator from Minnesota and Presidential candidate, Amy Klobuchar, slammed US President Donald Trump's statement where he mused that she looked like a "snowman" by the end of her campaign announcement."Well, it happened again. Amy Klobuchar announced that she is running for President, talking proudly of fighting global warming while standing in a virtual blizzard of snow, ice and freezing temperatures. Bad timing. By the end of her speech, she looked like a Snowman (woman)," Trump tweeted on Sunday.To this, Klobuchar replied, "Science is on my side, @realDonaldTrump. Looking forward to debating you about climate change (and many other issues). And I wonder how your hair would fare in a blizzard?".

Need common rules globally for tech regulation: Google executive

With data protection legislations being different in different parts of the world, a top Google executive has called for "common rules of the road" globally for regulation of technology companies.

Louis Dreyfus expects faster switching between Brazilian sugar, ethanol output

DUBAI (Reuters) - Louis Dreyfus said on Monday it expects an acceleration in switching between sugar and ethanol production in Brazil with shifts becoming more "dramatic".

TN govt announces spl assistance of Rs 2,000 to BPL families

: The Tamil Nadu government Monday announced a special assistance of Rs 2,000 each to about 60 lakh below poverty line families across the state, keeping in mind the impact of Gaja cyclone as well as the prevailing drought. Making a statement under Rule 110 in the assembly, Chief Minister K Palaniswami said the proposal was part of the state government's efforts to ensure inclusive growth. "Considering the impact of Gaja cyclone in many districts as well as the drought, the special assistance was being provided," he said. The beneficiaries would include urban and rural poor, including farm labourers, workers in the fireworks industry, powerloom and handloom sector, salt pans and construction workers among others, he added. A total of 60 lakh BPL families will benefit from the move, for which a sum of Rs 1,200 crore will be allocated, the chief minister said. Gaja cyclone had hit the coast near Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district in November last year, leaving a trail of

Tech Mahindra commits to 22 pc reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030

IT firm Tech Mahindra Monday said it is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 22 per cent by the year 2030, from a 2016 base-year. The company aims to further reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by the year 2050. The same has been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), Tech Mahindra said in a statement. "The SBTi approval confirms that Tech Mahindra's long-term targets are in line with the level of decarbonisation required to keep global temperature increase below 2C, as compared to pre-industrial temperatures, as set out in the Paris Agreement on climate change," it added. Tech Mahindra Chief Sustainability Officer Sandeep Chandna said the company is consciously adopting a strategy that will deliver innovative solutions without adversely affecting the environment. "SBTi gives us a clear roadmap to optimise our carbon footprint and is enabling us to move towards a low carbon economy that will reduce future climate change risks," he ...

US warships sail near South Chia Sea islands

The US on Monday sailed two warships close to disputed islands in the South China Sea, a move that is bound to draw the ire of Beijing.

Global energy arena changing: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said globally the perception of energy consumption and supply is changing and nations are coming together to tackle climate change.

Can 'Big Brother' technology clean up palm oil's image?

LONDON (Reuters) - Some of the world's major palm oil users, including Nestle, Unilever, and Mondelez, are trying out new satellite technology to track deforestation, as pressure grows on them to source the ingredient responsibly.

Factbox: New systems pinpoint palm oil deforestation in real time, almost

(Reuters) - Satellite imaging has been used to spot deforestation in areas of palm oil cultivation for years, but obtaining the images was expensive and they often took months to arrive to end users.

Vardhan urges people to undertake 'greed good deeds' to protect environment

Union Environment minister Harsh Vardhan Sunday said the entire world is concerned about the dangers posed by global warming and climate change, and urged people to undertake "green good deeds" to protect the environment. Launched by the Environment Ministry last year, the 'Green Good Deeds' campaign -- aimed at protecting the environment and promoting healthy living -- mentions a list of 500 activities for protecting the environment. Addressing a global summit on 'Science, Spirituality, Education and Environment' organised by the Brahma Kumaris at Talkatora Stadium here, Harsh Vardhan, who also holds the science and technology and earth sciences portfolio said the global community has started believing that India can provide the right leadership and direction to deal with the challenges of pollution and global warming. "Small behavioural changes and nature-friendly activities can be a great step towards saving the environment. India has made great progress in all spheres of science ..

Hubbali-Dharwad Smart City's green mobility corridor project bags Rs 80cr funding

The Hubballi-Dharwad Smart City in Karnataka will get a funding of Rs 80 crore for its proposed 'Green Mobility Corridor' project that has won the CITIIS challenge, according to the Urban Affairs Ministry. In July 2018, the Centre had announced a new Cities Investment To Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS) challenge to identify top projects in 15 of the 100 selected smart cities, which will then receive an additional funding of Rs 80 crore each. From Karnataka, Davanagere and Hubbali-Dharwad Smart Cities participated in the CITIIS challenge. However, the proposal on 'Green Mobility Corridor' submitted by the Hubbali-Dharwad Smart City was selected for the additional funding. "I am happy to inform you that the following project (Green Mobility Corridor) has been selected from your state for funding under the CITIIS challenge," the Urban Affairs Ministry said in a letter to the Karnataka government. The proposed project got selected under the sustainable mobility category, said ...

Modi flags off development projects in Karnataka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday evening unveiled various development projects in the twin cities of Hubballi and Dharwad in Karnataka.

Modi launches various projects in Karnataka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here in Karnataka on Sunday to launch development projects and address a BJP rally.

Scientists hope DNA in water could be way to save rare fish

Scientists in Maine are using DNA to try to preserve the remaining populations of a fish that lives in 14 lakes and ponds in the state and nowhere else in the continental United States. The scientists are turning their eye to the Arctic charr, which is a species of landlocked fish in Maine that has lived in the state for millennia and is prized by anglers. The charr face threats such as invasive predators and a warming climate. They are also notoriously elusive, making them difficult for researchers to track. Michael Kinnison, a professor of evolutionary applications at University of Maine, and other scientists are working with the state to make sure the fish keep surviving. Kinnison is working on a project to collect "environmental DNA" from the water bodies where the fish live. The project involves collecting water samples from the lakes and ponds where the fish are known to live, and studying DNA that they and other organisms shed, Kinnison said. It'll provide vital information ...

New reactors under IAEA safeguards: Decision will be based on source of uranium, says official

India will decide on the number of new reactors to be placed under IAEA safeguards only after assessing if these will be fuelled by uranium procured from abroad, a senior official said. There are at present 22 operational reactors, of which 14 are under the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards as these use imported fuel. In 2017, the government sanctioned 10 new pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) and a decision on these being put under IAEA safeguards has to be taken, the official said. The 10 reactors are being installed in Kaiga in Karnataka, Chutka in Madhya Pradesh, Gorakhpur in Haryana, and Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan. "We have recently signed an agreement to procure uranium from Uzbekistan. We will take a call only after assessing the position of the imported fuel and domestic uranium," the official said. India currently imports uranium from Russia, Kazakhstan and Canada. Plans are also afoot to procure the fuel from Uzbekistan and Australia. By placing the ..