Page 514 - Environment
Mahathir takes aim at Country Garden's giant development in southern Malaysia
FOREST CITY/KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Monday declared that foreigners will not be granted visas to live in the giant Forest City real estate project on the country's southern tip, a major threat to the marketing strategy for the development.
More precipitation likely in rain-hit Odisha
Heavy rainfall is likely to continue in several parts of Odisha, already battered by downpour for the past three days, as a well marked low pressure persists over the region. Heavy to very heavy rainfall may occur at some places of at least 15 of the state's 30 districts till tomorrow, the Meteorological Centre here said today. The low pressure, which turned well marked, is active over northwest Bay of Bengal, adjoining West Bengal and north coastal Odisha with associated cyclonic circulation extending upto 7.6 km above mean sea level, it said. Under its impact, rain and thunder-shower is likely to occur in the districts of Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Balangir, Nuapada, Bargarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Sundargarh, Deogarh, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Cuttack and Jajpur. Due to the adverse weather conditions, fishermen have been advised not to venture into deep sea along and off Odisha coast and the north-west Bay of Bengal during the period. The Special Relief ...
Four-year-old leopard falls into trap
A leopard, which created panic among about 10 villages in and around Mettupalayam in the district, was found trapped in a cage, today. The carnivore was on the prowl for the last few months and had become a nightmare to villagers as it entered human habitat and agriculture fields, coming under Sirumugai Forest range, officials said. Based on the complaints, the forest department officials had kept cages at various places to trap it. District Forest Officer D Venkatesh instructed the officials to release the four-year-old leopard into the jungle at Thengumarada from where it had strayed, they said. The leopard had crossed a rivulet, which was dry to reach the forest range, and could not return as it in spate now, they said.
Red lights at night hazardous to migratory bats
While focusing on conventional forms of pollution, we tend to pay less attention to the night time light pollution and how that affects nature. Turns out, this kind of pollution affects bats during their seasonal migration.In a latest study, scientists tested the response of European bats to red and white light sources during their seasonal migration and according to the research, Soprano pipistrelles and Nathusius' pipistrelles (types of bats) were recorded more frequently near red LED light, indicating that the animals might be attracted to red light during their migration. In contrast, the scientists did not observe such behavior near-white LED lights.The wavelength of the experimental red LED lights was similar to that of red safety lights used for indicating the presence of wind turbines or tall buildings to aircraft pilots.Warning lights such as these lure migrating bats precisely towards the danger which the lights help people to avoid, leading to bat collisions and casualties.
Half-hearted odd-even vehicle policy fails to produce result for Jakarta
Just like New Delhi, the half-hearted odd-even vehicle policy implemented in Jakarta to curb traffic and pollution during the ongoing Asian Games has failed to produce the desired results. The pollution levels have come down but they are still below the safe standards and the partial implementation of the policy means it has not decongested the perennially choked streets here. Cards with odd-numbers ply on odd days and vice versa on even days during rush hours (6 am to 9 pm) but only in parts of the metropolis. A 30km ride from the airport to the city centre today took one hour 30 minutes . "There is little point of an odd-even policy like this. There is still traffic on the roads. In my view, the situation will only get worse unless there is a rule on the number of cars you can go buy," said a resident, who works close to the Gelora Bung Karno Complex, the main venue of the Asian Games. The situation takes one back home in New Delhi where the government was criticised heavily to ...
China says Belt and Road initiative is not a debt trap
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's ambitious "Belt and Road" projects are not a debt trap, and some countries' high debt levels are long-standing and not to be blamed on the initiative, a senior official at China's state planner said on Monday.
Malaysia says no to foreign homeowners in Forest City project
KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday he wanted to prevent foreigners from buying residential units in the $100 billion Forest City project, a setback for the Chinese developer as it tries to revive faltering demand for the site.
Centre not helping Kerala: Sharad Yadav
Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) patron Sharad Yadav on Monday accused the Modi government of not helping flood-ravaged Kerala.
Rs 34,833 cr supplementary budget presented in UP Assembly
The Uttar Pradesh government presented a Rs 34,833.24 crore supplementary budget for the year 2018-19 in the Assembly on Monday.
HC directs Bihar to ban plastic bags
The Patna High Court on Monday directed the Bihar government to impose a ban on the usage of plastic bags.
DNA analysis may decode how dinosaurs looked
Scientists have decoded the overall DNA structure of popularly known dinosaur species, like the Velociraptor and T-rex, an advance that may help get an accurate picture of what the prehistoric predators actually looked like. Researchers led by Darren Griffin of the University of Kent in the UK compared the genomes of different species, chiefly birds and turtles. They extrapolated the likely genome structure of a shared common ancestor of birds and turtles that lived around 260 million years ago -- 20 million years before the dinosaurs first emerged. The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, traced how chromosomes changed over evolutionary time from a reptile ancestor to the present day. The team found that, although the individual chromosomes rearranged their genes internally, this did not occur much at all between the chromosomes. Birds -- which are themselves living dinosaurs -- have a lot of chromosomes compared to most other species and that is possibly one of .
'History of lost harbour of Pisa unveiled'
Scientists have revealed new insights into the evolution and eventual disappearance of Portus Pisanus, the lost harbour of Pisa. Described as one of Italy's most influential seaports during the Middle Ages, little is known about the relationship between Portus Pisanus's environment and its history. Researchers from the University of Exeter in the UK analysed the role that long-term coastal dynamics, sea-level rise and a changing environment played in the harbour's evolution. They reconstructed relative sea levels for the eastern Ligurian Sea over a 10,500-year period. The team also coupled historical maps with geological data to reconstruct the morphology of the coast around the Pisa harbour basin. The findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, suggest that around 200 BC, a naturally protected lagoon with a good connection to the sea developed south of the city of Pisa. The lagoon would have benefited navigation and trade and facilitated the establishment of port ...
Elephants trample 60-year-old man
A 60-year-old man was trampled to death by wild elephants in Jharkhand's Giridih district on Monday, an official said.
POSCO to buy lithium mining rights in Argentina from Australia's Galaxy
(Reuters) - South Korean steelmaker POSCO on Monday said it had signed a deal to buy lithium mining rights in Argentina from Australia's Galaxy Resources for $280 million.
Volcanic eruption played part in Napoleon's defeat: Study
A volcano that erupted in Indonesia in 1815 and caused poor global weather may have been partly responsible for the defeat of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte at the Battle of Waterloo, changing the course of European history. Historians know that rainy and muddy conditions helped the Allied army defeat Napoleon, according to the researchers from Imperial College London in the UK. Two months prior to the June 1815 event, a volcano named Mount Tambora erupted on the Indonesian island of Sumbawa, killing 100,000 people and plunging the Earth into a 'year without a summer' in 1816. Researchers found that electrified volcanic ash from eruptions can 'short-circuit' the electrical current of the ionosphere -- the upper level of the atmosphere that is responsible for cloud formation. The findings, published in the journal Geology, could confirm the suggested link between the eruption and Napoleon's defeat. The Tambora eruption short-circuited the ionosphere, ultimately leading to a pulse of
Using coal, wood as fuel for cooking may cause cardiovascular death
Did you know! Cooking with coal, wood, or charcoal as fuel is associated with an increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease.Dr Derrick Bennett, study author, University of Oxford, UK, said, "Our study suggests that people who use solid fuels for cooking should switch to electricity or gas as soon as possible."It has been suggested that air pollution from cooking with solid fuels, such as coal, wood, or charcoal, may lead to premature death from cardiovascular disease, but there is limited evidence. This study assessed the association between solid fuel use for cooking and cardiovascular death, as well as the potential impact of switching from solid to clean fuel (electricity or gas).Compared to persistent long-term use of solid fuels, adopting clean fuels was associated with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease.Professor Zhengming Chen, principal investigator, University of Oxford, UK, said: "We found that long-term use of solid fuels for cooking was associated ..
SpiceJet operates India's first biojet fuel flight
SpiceJet today operated India's first test flight powered by biojet fuel, according to the airline. A Bombardier Q400 aircraft, partially using biojet fuel, took off from Dehradun and landed at the airport in the national capital. The airline said it successfully operated "India's first ever biojet fuel flight". The flight was powered with a blend of 75 per cent air turbine fuel (ATF) and 25 per cent biojet fuel, it said. In a release, the airline said the advantage of using biojet fuel as compared to ATF is that it reduces carbon emissions and enhances fuel efficiency. Made from Jatropha crop, the fuel has been developed by the CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (IIP), Dehradun, SpiceJet said. Around 20 people, including officials from aviation regulator DGCA and SpiceJet, were in the test flight. The duration of the flight was around 25 minutes, according to an airline executive. SpiceJet Chairman and Managing Director Ajay Singh said biojet fuel is low cost and helps in ...
26 Jharkhand farmers to learn high-tech farming in Israel
Chief Minister of Jharkhand Raghuvar Das on Sunday sent a delegation of 26 farmers from the state to Israel for training in technologically advanced farming techniques, so that other farmers in Jharkhand can overcome the challenges posed by lack of irrigation facilities and generate better produce like Israel, which also faced similar challenges."At present, the farmers here are facing challenges of lack of irrigation facilities and scarcity of land for agriculture. They are only farming one crop a year. However, Israel has overcome similar problems by using technologically advanced methods of farming. If our farmers learn those techniques, it will be beneficial for them and even they can overcome the present challenges," Das said.The Chief Minister further said that on their return, the farmers would be appointed as master trainers and entrusted with the responsibility of imparting knowledge of hi-tech farming techniques to farmers in various parts of the state."Farmers in our state .
Jharkhand CM distributes 1000 gas connections on Rakhi day
Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today distributed 1000 free gas connection under Ujjawala Scheme after women tied Rakhi on his wrist on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan festival here. Das, who was in the steel city to celebrate the festival with his sisters, assured the women of the state that it was his governments responsibility to ensure their security, according to an official release. "I assure you that as long as I am the chief minister of the state, it is my responsibility to ensure your security. I will discharge my responsibility sincerely," the release quoted him as said. Stating that 1000 free gas connections were distributed today, the chief minister said the state government has targeted to distribute free gas connections to 35 lakhs women by the end of this year. He said the government has already distributed 23.50 lakh free gas connection so far. Earlier, five women have tied Rakhi to the chief minister.
Merkel says EU should meet existing emissions aims, not set new ones
BERLIN (Reuters) - A proliferation of extreme weather events around the world provides ample evidence that climate change is a reality, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Sunday, but she rejected calls for more ambitious climate protection goals.
