Page 404 - Environment
India keen to export rice and sugar to China in order to bridge widening trade deficit
During Prime Minister, Narendra Modi's, visit to China, in June this year, an MoU was signed between China's General Administration of Customs and India's Department of Agriculture on phytosanitaryrequirements for exporting rice from India to China. The 2006 protocol on phytosanitary requirements was amended to include the export of non-basmati varieties of rice from India.
Air pollution, noise putting you at risk of cardiovascular diseases
Air pollution, clubbed with transportation noise, increases the risk for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, finds a study.These are the findings of a comprehensive study conducted by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), which was published in the European Heart Journal.The study looked at the combined effects of air pollution and transportation noise for heart attack mortality, by considering all deaths that occurred in Switzerland between 2000 and 2008.The findings indicate that the negative effects of air pollution may have been overestimated in studies which fail to concurrently consider noise exposure."Our study showed that transportation noise increases the risk for a heart attack by 2.0 to 3.4 percent per 10 decibels increase in the average sound pressure level at home." said Martin Roosli, lead author of the published research. "Strikingly, the effects of noise were independent from air pollution exposure."The study also found that people exposed to ...
European Parliament votes for ban on single-use plastics
The European Parliament has voted for a ban on single-use plastics such as straws, cotton buds and also to ensure that most bottles are recycled as a measure to curb pollution of oceans, the CNN reported.Under the proposal, 10 single-use plastic products would be banned by 2021 and EU states have also obliged to recycle 90 per cent of plastic bottles by 2025.After the vote of 571-53 on Wednesday, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Frederique Ries, who proposed the bill, called it a victory for our oceans. She tweeted that it was "a victory for our oceans, for the environment and for future generations.""We have adopted the most ambitious legislation against single-use plastics," she was quoted as saying in a statement posted on the Parliament's website."It is essential in order to protect the marine environment and reduce the costs of environmental damage attributed to plastic pollution in Europe, estimated at 22 billion euros ($25bn) by 2030."The ban was proposed by the European
NASA's Parker Solar Probe records images of Earth
NASA's Parker Solar Probe, enroute to the Sun to unravel its mysteries, has captured a view of Earth, from about 27 million miles away, the US space agency said.
Solid Waste Management: NGT slaps Rs 5K cost on secy for non-appearance
The National Green Tribunal has taken strong exception to the non-appearance of the joint secretary (Swachh Bharat) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs to explain implementation of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 and slapped a cost of Rs 5,000 on him. A bench headed by Justice Raghvendra Singh Rathore was irked that instead of coming to the tribunal the officer sent his subordinate to appear before it. "There is no application whatsoever for seeking exemption of the appearance of the Joint Secretary. The minimum expectation from a responsible officer is that he files an application, supported by an affidavit, clearly giving out the reasons for not appearing before the tribunal so that appropriate order could be passed on it. "It appears that the officer concerned deliberately sent his subordinate, Director to appear before the court today. Therefore, we are of the considered view that a cost of Rs 5,000 be awarded against the Joint Secretary," the bench, also ...
Deals signed at Saudi conference worth $56 billion - Energy Minister
DUBAI (Reuters) - Deals signed at the Riyadh Future Investment Initiative conference reached a total value of $56 billion, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said on Thursday.
Elephant reunited with herd in West Bengal
An injured elephant has been reunited with its herd in Darjeeling district of West Bengal due to the initiative of forest officials and an animal protection group. The young female elephant, part of a larger herd, was injured by an Assam-bound goods train at Mongpong at dawn on Monday, Ranger, Gorumara Wildlife Division, Samiran Sikdar said. The injured animal stayed back at Mongpong, though the herd had started moving towards nearby Apalchand forest, Sikdar said. On being informed by locals, forest officials and representatives of the Society for Protection of Orifauna and Animal Rights(SPOAR), the animal protection group, rushed to the spot and provided necessary treatment to the pachyderm. " After providing treatment, we kept a distance from the elephant as there have been instances of elephants rejecting members of their herd, if they come into contact with human beings," Sikdar said. On Tuesday, forest officials and SPOAR representatives, directed six elephants ...
Humans grew 'chocolate trees' over 3,600 years ago: Study
Humans may have started growing cacao trees -- the source of chocolate -- about 3,600 years ago in Central America, a study has found. Researchers analysed the genomes of cultivated cacao and traced their origin to a "single domestication event". The discovery opens a new front in a long-running argument regarding when and where humans started growing the source of chocolate. "This evidence increases our understanding of how humans moved and established in America," said Omar Cornejo, from Washington State University in the US. The study, published in the journal Communications Biology, also found that cacao's domestication ended up selecting for flavour, disease resistance and the stimulant theobromine. However, that came at the cost of retaining genes that lowered crop yields. Researchers sequenced the Theobroma cacao genome in 2010. That laid out what Cornejo refers to as an archetype of the cacao genome, while this study, by sequencing 200 plants, teases out variations in the ...
CECB wants strict adherence to SC ruling on firecrackers
The Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB) has directed officials to ensure strict implementation of the Supreme Court's order on bursting of firecrackers during Diwali and other festivals. The SC said Tuesday that people can burst firecrackers from 8 pm to 10 pm only on Diwali and other festivals. It allowed manufacture and sale of just the "green crackers" which have low emission of light, sound and harmful chemicals. The apex court carved out an exception for the Christmas and the New Year eve saying that crackers for these occasions would be burst between 11.55 pm and 12.30 am, since these celebrations start at midnight. In view of the SC's ruling, all district collectors and senior police officials in Chhattisgarh have been asked to ensure that fireworks take place during the designated time and at the designated places, CECB's PRO Amar Prakash Savant told PTI Thursday. In case any violation is found, the station house officer of the police station area .
Value Addition For Agricultural Production One Of The Solutions For Improving Farmers' Income
The Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that value addition for agricultural production is one of the solutions for improving farmers' income. He made these comments while addressing the inaugural session of the International Conference 'AFITA/WCCA2018' on Research Frontiers in Precision Agriculture, jointly organized by Asia-Pacific Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, International Network for Information Technology in Agriculture and Indian Society for Agricultural Information Technology, in Mumbai.
'Superlungs' gave dinosaurs energy to run and fight: Study
Superefficient, bird-like lungs may have given dinosaurs the energy to run and fight by pumping in a constant supply of oxygen, according to a study. In the oxygen-poor air of the Mesozoic era, nothing should have been able to move very fast, however, Velociraptors could run up to 64 kilometers per hour, said researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Biologists have long known that birds, which descend from one branch of extinct dinosaurs, have an unusual, sophisticated respiratory system that enables powered flight. However, paleontologists have debated whether those superlungs arose only in birds or earlier in dinosaurs. Unlike humans and other mammals, whose lungs expand and deflate, bird lungs are rigid, according to the study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science. Special air sacs alongside the lungs do the heavy lifting instead, pumping air through the lungs, where the oxygen diffuses into the bloodstream. The lungs are attached to the vertebrae and ribs, ..
Delhi air quality slips to 'very poor' after Dussehra
Delhi's air quality on Thursday dipped to 'very poor' barely few days after staying in the 'poor' category.According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded at 337.The AQI between 0 to 50 is considered good, 51 and 100 fall under the category of 'satisfactory', 101-200 is marked as 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor' and 500 and beyond is considered as 'severe'.SAFAR has predicted that for the next two days, the air quality will remain in the 'very poor' category.Experts believe that the pollution level has exacerbated as farmers in the neibouring Punjab and Haryana are burning crop residue in preparation for new planting.In an attempt to reduce the air pollution, the Supreme Court on Wednesday passed an order stating that no automobile manufacturer will be allowed to sell any BS-IV vehicles after March 31, 2020. Only vehicles that meet BS-VI emission standards can be sold from April 1, .
Trump appoints Chatterjee to head energy regulation panel
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Wednesday President Donald Trump has appointed Neil Chatterjee, an avid supporter of subsidizing ageing coal and nuclear power plants, as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Exxon Mobil sued in US over climate disclosures
New York state sued Exxon Mobil on Wednesday, alleging it defrauded investors by misrepresenting the costs that climate change legislation poses to the company. The suit, filed in New York Supreme Court, asserts the oil giant misled investors into believing the company was adequately accounting for potential climate change policy. The action accuses the company of misleading investors in its discussion of the "proxy cost" of climate mitigation, the additional spending that would be needed in the event governments moved ahead with aggressive action to limit emissions that make some oil projects uneconomical. While the state asserts Exxon Mobil publicly discussed one "proxy cost," it based business decisions either on a lower cost it used for internal planning, or did not factor in any costs for climate mitigation at all. The company's reassurances to investors that it faced little risk from more aggressive climate policies were "based on assumptions it knew to be unreasonable and ...
Global warming is challenge, saving natural resources important: PM
Stating that global warming and environmental degradation have posed a challenge before the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday stressed the need to conserve natural resources. Interacting with IT professionals as part of a townhall through video-link from Delhi, he said rampant exploitation of natural resources is not an Indian tradition. "It is true that due to global warming and environmental issues we are facing difficulties. And this problem is becoming apparent day by day. Therefore saving natural resources is our responsibility," Modi said. "Whatever we are doing (by exploiting natural water resources) is not our tradition and culture, and this is one bad habit we have borrowed from somewhere (else)," he said in reply to a question by Siddhesh Bhobe of PersistentSystems who had asked how the IT industry can be a part of Modi's vision of doubling farmers' income by 2022. The prime minister added that rainwater harvesting has been a part of Indian culture. "But ...
Khurja plant to supply power at competitive rates, less pollutive: THDC
The Tehri Hydro Development Corporation said Wednesday its Khurja thermal plant would supply power at competitive rates and is equipped with a technology to reduce emissions which would be 50 per cent less than permissible levels. Rejecting a report that claimed the proposed Khurja coal power plant in Uttar Pradesh will push up the electricity cost and increase air pollution levels in Delhi, THDC India Limited (THDCIL), formerly known as Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd, said, "this is totally baseless and appears to be motivated." The report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) evaluating THDC's proposed Khurja coal power plant has recommended re-evaluation of the proposal against severe air pollution levels in Delhi. THDCIL is a joint venture of the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government with equity sharing in the ratio of 3:1 (75:25 per cent). The state-run firm said that the Khurja Super Thermal Power Project is being implemented by THDCIL and .
Ferry service across Gulf of Cambay to start on Saturday
The Gogha-Dahej roll-on-roll-off ferry service connecting Saurashtra with southern Gujarat across the Gulf of Cambay will start on Saturday, making it possible to cross the gulf in just 1.5 hours, the government announced on Wednesday.
About 100 species of microorganisms living on ISS, eroding spacecraft
About 100 species of various microorganisms live aboard the International Space Station (ISS), degrading plastic and metal the spacecraft is made from and endangering the crew's health, Valery Bogomolov, deputy director of the Institute for Biomedical Problems (IBMP) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said."Three people are working at the station now, the next crew will replace them, but there are living beings who live there permanently -- microorganisms. Currently, there are about 100 species of microorganisms, fungi on the ISS that not only live and change there, being considered by us a hazard for astronauts, but they also degrade plastic and metal the station is made from," he said.Last week, experts from the Multilateral Medical Operations Panel (MMOP ISS), the Multilateral Space Medical Board (MSMB ISS), and the Multilateral Medical Policy Board (MMPB ISS) held meetings in the IBMP in Moscow to discuss human immunisation from infections and ensuring microbiological safety of ..
2 rectangular icebergs captured by NASA's IceBridge flight
Operation IceBridge, NASA's aerial survey of polar ice, captured two tabular icebergs while flying over the northern Antarctic Peninsula.IceBridge's senior support scientist Jeremy Harbeck spotted the iceberg floating just off the Larsen C ice shelf. "I thought it was pretty interesting; I often see icebergs with relatively straight edges, but I've not really seen one before with two corners at such right angles like this one had," NASA quoted the scientist, as saying.NASA also observed that the iceberg's sharp angles and the flat surface were an indication of the fact that it was probably "calved from the ice shelf."NASA's statement also mentioned that it is the same ice sheet from which an ice chunk, the size of Delaware, had separated in July 2017.The flight onboard which Harbeck captured the stunning images took off from Punta Arenas in Chile on October 10. The exploration is a part of a five-week long deployment which is scheduled to be concluded on November 18.
Punjab CM seeks Israel's help in water management
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Wednesday sought Israel's cooperation for sewerage water treatment in five major cities of Punjab, as the state looks to tackle pollution and boost irrigation.