Page 589 - Environment
Expanding 'dead zone' in Arabian Sea raises climate change fears
In the waters of the Arabian Sea, a vast "dead zone" the size of Scotland is expanding and scientists say climate change may be to blame. In his lab in Abu Dhabi, Zouhair Lachkar is labouring over a colourful computer model of the Gulf of Oman, showing changing temperatures, sea levels and oxygen concentrations. His models and new research unveiled earlier this year show a worrying trend. Dead zones are areas of the sea where the lack of oxygen makes it difficult for fish to survive and the one in the Arabian Sea is "is the most intense in the world," says Lachkar, a senior scientist at NYU Abu Dhabi in the capital of the United Arab Emirates. "It starts at about 100 metres and goes down to 1,500 metres, so almost the whole water column is completely depleted of oxygen," he told AFP. Dead zones are naturally occurring phenomena around the world, but this one appears to have mushroomed since it was last surveyed in the 1990s. Lachkar and other researchers are worried that global ...
Japan's growing plutonium stockpile fuels fears
Japan has amassed enough plutonium to make 6,000 atomic bombs as part of a programme to fuel its nuclear plants, but concern is growing that the stockpile is vulnerable to terrorists and natural disasters. Japan has long been the world's only non-nuclear-armed country with a programme to reprocess spent nuclear fuel from its power plants into plutonium. Today a decade-old deal with the United States which allows Japan to reprocess plutonium was renewed, but the pact can be terminated by either side with just six months' notice. Plutonium reprocessing is meant to create a new and emissions-free fuel source for resource-poor Japan, but the size of its stockpile has started to attract criticism, even from allies. Plutonium can be used to create nuclear weapons. Although Japan has vowed the material would never be used for military purposes, it has now amassed vastly more plutonium than it can use, since many of its nuclear plants are still offline after the 2011 Fukushima ...
Microbes, viruses may help predict pace of climate change: Study
A new understanding of the microbes and viruses in the thawing permafrost in Sweden may help scientists better predict the pace of climate change, according to new research. Microbes have significant influence over global warming, primarily through the production of - or consumption of - methane, and new details about these microscopic beings' genetics is now available, thanks to the three studies co-led by researchers at The Ohio State University in the US. "Because of global climate change, huge amounts of permafrost are rapidly warming. To microbes, they are like freezers full of juicy chicken dinners that are thawing out," said Virginia Rich, an assistant professor at Ohio State. "In many cases, microbes take advantage of this situation to chew up what's in the permafrost and breathe out methane. That methane really packs an environmental wallop, with 33 times the climate warming power of carbon dioxide," said Rich, author of the research published in Nature, Nature Microbiology ..
ISMA Estimates 10% Jump In Sugar Output In 2018-19
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Assam adopts water management practices to keep pace with climate change (Environment Feature)
In a small village on the north bank of the Brahmaputra in Assam, farmer Horen Nath stood gazing at his partially submerged paddy field. The floods had kept their annual date, but mercifully, the farmer said, the waters have started receding. "The weather has become very strange of late. We always had ample rain, but drought-like conditions? That was unheard of. And yet, in 2010, I remember the ground cracking up because of no rain," he said.
India struggles to stay cool amidst global warming: Report
India is among the nine most populous countries where people are at risk from lack of access to cooling as global warming continues to threaten health and climate, according to a study of a UN-led initiative. The report also said that policy makers should immediately measure gaps in access to cooling in their respective countries, as an evidence base for more proactive and integrated policy-making. Besides, businesses, governments and finance actors should collaborate to assess and act on the enormous commercial and economic opportunities, including productivity, employment and growth gains from providing sustainable cooling solutions for all, stated the report released by the Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) here yesterday. The study, Chilling Prospects: Providing Sustainable Cooling for All', is the first ever report to quantify the growing risks and assess the opportunities of the global cooling challenge. The report said there are over 1.1 billion people globally who face ...
Dolphin population declines in India's only dolphin sanctuary
Bhagalpur, July 17 (Thirdpole/IANS) The population of the endangered Gangetic river dolphin has declined at the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) here, Indi's only sanctuary for its national aquatic animal.
Kim slams local North Koreans for unfinished power plant
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has blasted local officials over a delayed construction project, state media reported today, his second such rebuke over the economy in recent weeks. It's unusual for state media to carry dispatches showing Kim's criticism of officials. Experts say Kim may be struggling to improve his country's moribund economy and intends to pass the responsibility for its economic woes on to officials before possibly launching new economic policies. The latest fury, as Kim negotiates with the United States over abandoning his nuclear weapons programmes, came during a visit to the power plant's construction site in the northeast. After officials briefed him about the project and its delays, he was "speechless" and "extremely enraged," the Korean Central News Agency reported. The plan originally was ordered by Kim's late grandfather, North Korean founder Kim Il Sung, 30 years ago. "Kim pointed out that the cabinet has specified the project as a target project that ...
Adidas to use only recycled plastic by 2024
Global sportswear maker Adidas announced that it has committed to using only recycled plastic by 2024.
Sardar Sarovar: Release of water from IBPT stopped after heavy
The Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd (SSNNL) in Gujarat has stopped releasing water from the irrigation bypass tunnel (IBPT) following heavy rains in the dam's catchment areas in the state and Madhya Pradesh, a top official has said. Due to drinking water crisis, the SSNL had started releasing Sardar Sarovar dam water from the IBPT in February this year and it was scheduled to continue till the end of this month, Dr J N Singh, Chief Secretary of the Gujarat government told PTI over the phone yesterday. "However, owing to heavy rains in the dam's catchment areas in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, the SSNNL yesterday stopped releasing water from the IBPT. As per the earlier schedule, the release of water was supposed to continue till July 31," he said. As a result of good rainfall, the water level of the dam went up to 110.95 metres yesterday afternoon, he said. He said more rainfall is expected in these two neighbouring states as per the India Meteorological Department ...
Google teams up with UN to track environmental changes
The UN has entered into a partnership with Google to monitor the impacts of human activity on global ecosystems by using sophisticated online tools.
Stolen radioactive substance recovered in Mexico
Mexican authorities announced that they have found and safely recovered the radioactive material Iridium 120 which was stolen from here on July 8.
Russia and Ukraine in EU-backed talks to avoid fresh 'gas wars'
Officials from Moscow and Kiev were set to gather in Berlin today for EU-backed talks on the future of the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine in a bid to minimise disputes when the current contract expires next year. Russian gas giant Gazprom has already dramatically reduced the volume of gas transiting via the country, as Moscow and Kiev remain at loggerheads over the annexation of Crimea and simmering conflict in the east of Ukraine. Kiev fears the loss of revenue from transit taxes, on top of being bypassed politically as well as physically by new gas pipes. The meeting will bring together delegations from Gazprom and its Ukrainian counterpart Naftogaz, which have been locked in legal battles for years. Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin will also be present. "It is clear that time is of the essence. The negotiations that lie ahead of us are complex," said European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic ahead of the talks. The
Villagers risk lives in Chikmagalur, cross damaged bridge
Risking their lives every day to meet their basic needs, people including students in Karnataka's Chikmagalur are facing problems while crossing a river through a damaged bridge.Villagers are compelled to use wooden logs over the bridge to cross the river.Due to heavy rainfall, the condition of the bridge has turned worse. People are also using boats to cross the overflowing stream.The villagers face more problems during the monsoon season as the water level in the river rises.Dams in Karnataka are overflowing after heavy rainfall. The state has been hit by heavy rains over the last couple of days, paralysing normal life in various areas.Among the various districts affected by the heavy rainfall recently is Chikmagalur, where areas such as Sringeri, Balehonnur, Narasimharajapura, Mudigere, Kudhremukh and Koppa were battered by the downpour.
Jazz up your room with soft home furnishing monsoon tips
Monsoon is the best season to decorate your home with bright colours blending with furniture, soft home textiles, flooring, lighting and deco arts. Soft home furnishings play a major role in jazzing up your abode so opt for the right trends.
Vikhe-Patil stages protest inside Maha assembly, leaves 35 mins after House was adjourned
Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil today refused to leave the House in protest despite adjournment, accusing the government of not providing information on compensation to cotton growers whose crops were hit by the pink bollworm. He was in the House for 35 minutes after it was adjourned at 12:30 am. Vikhe-Patil had demanded to know how many affected cotton farmers were given compensation after the government had announced Rs 37,500 assistance during the winter session of the assembly. Besides him, Congress MLA Jaykumar Gore, NCP legislators Shashikant Shinde and Sandeep Naik were also in the House.
India ministry urges duty on Chinese solar cells, modules
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's trade ministry on Monday recommended imposing a 25 percent duty on imports of solar cells and modules from China for one year to try to counter what it sees as a threat to domestic solar equipment manufacturing.
India's trade ministry recommends safeguard duty on Chinese solar cells, modules
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's trade ministry recommended in a report published on Monday imposing a safeguard duty of 25 percent on imports of solar cells and modules from China for one year.
Petroleum Ministry favours ban on petcoke import
The Petroleum Ministry on Monday told the Supreme Court that it is in favour of a ban on the import of petroleum coke, a solid non-volatile carbon residue left after the distillation and cracking of petroleum.However, the environment ministry is yet to take the final call and will consult with all stakeholders before arriving upon a decision.Pet coke is used as a substitute for coal as an industrial fuel as it is cheaper. However, its carbon and sulphur content is much higher and it releases harmful dioxides and other pollutants upon combustion, adding to air pollution concerns.Environmentalist Sunita Narayan and advocate R. K. Kapoor were some of the individuals who had petitioned for the ban on the petroleum by-product in the apex court.Their petitions sought a direction from the court for polluting industries to shift from the national capital to other places.The apex Court had, in December last year, refused to lift the ban on the use of pet coke and furnace oil in many industrial
Action on 'war footing' for conserving Taj Mahal: Government
After being rapped by the Supreme Court over the condition of the Taj Mahal, the government on Monday said that it will take action on "war footing" to deal with air and water pollution in and around the world-famous 17th-century Mughal monument.
