Page 666 - Environment
Insight: Billions in U.S. solar projects shelved after Trump panel tariff
(Reuters) - President Donald Trump's tariff on imported solar panels has led U.S. renewable energy companies to cancel or freeze investments of more than $2.5 billion in large installation projects, along with thousands of jobs, the developers told Reuters.
New flower species named after former Arunchal CM
An Arunachalee scientist has dedicated a new species of flower that he discovered last year to former chief minister Dorjee Khandu, an official statement said. Krishna Chowlu, a scientist with Botanical Survey of India (BSI), discovered the wild flower, which is white at the base and violet on the top, at a forest in Zemithang area of Tawang in September 2017. Calling on Chief Minister Pema Khandu at his office yesterday, Chowlu said the flower of Balsaminaceae family - Impatiens dorjeekhanduii - was named after the former CM and his father to honour his contributions for the development of the state, the statement said. Any person who studies Balsaminaceae family will study Impatiens dorjeekhanduii, Chowlu asserted. Apart from Chowlu, scientists Rajib Gogoi, SS Dash and Souravjyoti Borah of BSI had contributed in publishing a paper on the new species in a BSI journal. Khandu lauded Chowlu and her team of scientists for the discovery, the statement said, adding that ...
Cabinet approves the extension of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Netherlands
Details
Hyderabad ranks third in sound polluted cities list
Telangana's Hyderabad has been ranked third in the list of sound polluted metropolitan cities.Hyderabad was earlier listed on top 10 most air polluted metropolitan cities.Traffic Department, Additional Commissioner of Police (ACP), Anil Kumar told ANI that they are taking measures to check the noise pollution in the city."Sound pollution is one of the major problems in city. For that we have started campaigning against noise pollution; we have also tied up with Telecom companies through which we can give messages to common masses about the awareness," he added.Kumar further said that many campaigns on a larger scale have been planned for the city dwellers."We are also going to take action against those who will remove their silencers from the vehicle," he added.
SCO summit media center opens in Qingdao
The media center for the 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit opened for journalists across the world on Wednesday.According to Xinhua, the deputy director of the center Hou Xiaodong said, the building is constructed in 35,000 square meters and has a working zone of 10,500 square meters. It can offer services for about 3,000 journalists, he added.The center has robots that can understand Chinese, English, and Russian to provide information for guests.The center will be open from June 6 to 1, while the 18th SCO summit will take place from June 9 to 10 in Qingdao.
B'luru civic body, French firm launch waste management study
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and French environmental technology company 3WAYSTE launched a technical feasibility study on waste management in Karnataka's Bengaluru city.The study will look at how to deploy the company's patented waste management technology under the local conditions in Bengaluru.The study will be carried out in cooperation with BBMP and French Government under its FASEP program.The kick-off meeting at BBMP was attended by BBMP Commissioner Maheshwara Rao, Joint Commissioner Waste Management Safaraz Khan, Bengaluru Mayor Sampath Raj, the French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler, company representatives and invited guests.3WAYSTE CEO Robert Filipp said, "Waste management is a recognised priority by the government and local authorities. We are delighted to be part of the solution with our patented technology, which is capable of recovering more than 90 percent of any waste and converting it into energy, compost and raw materials. We believe the ...
World first EPR nuclear reactor begins work in China
A third generation EPR reactor in China carried out its first nuclear chain reaction today, an initial start up which is a world first for the much-delayed European technology. The European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) in Taishan, southern China "carried out its first chain and therefore it has started," tweeted Xavier Ursat, head of new nuclear projects for EDF, which has a 30 percent holding in two reactors under construction in the city. "This is excellent news for the entire nuclear industry," he added. With EPRs in Finland and France facing setbacks, the Taishan 1 reactor is the first of its kind. Taishan 1 will undergo further testing and commercial operations are still many weeks away. Taishan 2 is expected to enter service next year. The dates for both reactors to start working have been pushed back several times. "Local defects" were found last year in Taishan 1's deaerator, a device used to remove oxygen from water circuits, according to China General Nuclear Power ...
Earliest animal footprints found in China: study
The earliest known footprints left by an animal on Earth, dating back some 541 million years, have been uncovered in China, a study said today. It is unclear just what kind of tiny creature left the tracks, which lie just a few millimeters apart and look like a two rows of shallow depressions, or holes, marked in the dark gray limestone. "This is considered the earliest animal fossil footprint record," said the report in the US journal, Science Advances. The trackways were found in the Yangtze Gorges area of South China, and date to the Ediacaran Period 541 million to 635 million years ago. "The rock that contains the fossil has been very well dated between 551 and 541 million years old," study author Zhe Chen, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told AFP in an email. "Previously identified footprints are between 540 and 530 million years old. The new fossils are probably up to 10 million years older." Unfortunately for scientists, the creature that made the footprints ...
Farmer pressure forces Trump biofuel policy suspension; credit prices jump
(Reuters) - Under pressure from U.S. lawmakers in farming states, President Donald Trump has abandoned an overhaul of biofuels policy aimed at reducing costs for the oil industry, sending U.S. renewable fuel credit prices soaring more than 40 percent on Wednesday.
Exclusive: Italy's new government to review TAP gas pipeline
ROME (Reuters) - A plan to build the final stage of a $40 billion international gas pipeline in Italy is under review, the country's new environment minister said, calling the project "pointless".
Reliance Power's plea seeking increase in coal production rejected
The Reliance Power contended that the plant faced shutdown due to a shortage of coal.The Reliance Power sought permission to mine 19 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) coal per year beyond 2017-18. The High Court said that the Government is already examining requests to increase variations in mining cap.The Reliance Power also sought an increase production limit from 17 MTPA to 19 MTPA from Moher, Moher-Amlohri coal blocks for captive use of Sasan Power project.In February, Delhi High Court allowed Reliance Power to produce 18 MTPA in 2017-18 as a one-time measure. In January, Reliance Power had moved Delhi High Court for an increase of 2 MTPA above its limit of 17 MTPA.
Kerala govt decides to take over sick public sector ILP
Kerala government today decided to take over the sick PSU Instrumentation Limited, Palakkad (ILP), which the Centre planned to shut down after it started incurring losses since 1993. The decision to take over ILP, set up in 1974 as the second unit of Instrumentation Limited at Kota in Rajasthan, was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here today, an official release said. A MoU in this regard would be signed with the Centre and all of ILP's assets, valued at Rs 53 crore, would be transferred to a new company called Instrumentation Limited, Kerala, the release said. Among other decisions taken at the meet were to set up seven modern solid waste management plants with public-private participation. One plant each would be set up in Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Kannur, Malappuram and Kollam districts,the release said,adding that Kerala state Industrial Development Corporation has identified sites for the purpose.
Maha govt considering ban on chemical fertilisers: Kadam
The Maharashtra government is "seriously considering" imposing a ban on chemical fertilisers, as their use is leading to increase in toxic materials in food, Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam said here today. After an effective implementation of plastic ban, a ban on chemicals fertilisers too is feasible, he added. On March 23, the state government imposed a ban on a slew of one-time-use plastic products. "The entire world has decided to ban plastic. People have also become aware of the consequences of use of plastic, and on their own they have stopped using polythene bags and started using cloth and paper bags," Kadam said, speaking at an event here. "The proportion of carbon dioxide in the air has increased. The temperature is rising. Hence farmers are facing the danger of droughts. Proportion of toxic materials in food is increasing due to the use of chemical fertilisers," he said, adding that people are suffering from life-threatening diseases because of ...
Man held with Chinkara remains
A man has been arrested for allegedly possessing remains of a Chinkara including horns and hooves, a forest official said today. Jaysingh Kalusingh Rajput, who runs an ashram on the outskirts of the city on the Bhavnagar highway, was arrested following a tip-off and a search last night, said U V Talvani, Range Forest Officer. "We recovered two horns and four hooves," he said. "We registered a complaint under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and handed him over to police," Talvani added. When interrogated, the accused told forest officials that he had bought the horns and hooves from a tribal man for Rs 4,000, he said. A court sent Rajput in judicial custody today, police sources said.
3 lakh solar street lights in NE states, Maoist-hit districts
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved Rs 637 crore central assistance for solar power plants, solar street lights and solar study lamps in the northeastern states and Left Wing Extremism (Maoist) affected districts.
India to help Oman with its space programme
The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an agreement between India and Oman for cooperation in peaceful uses of outer space to help build the Arab country's space programme, an official statement said.
Electric test plane crashes in Hungary killing two
An electric plane powered by Siemens crashed during a test flight in Hungary, killing both pilots on board, the German industrial conglomerate said today. Siemens said it had grounded its fleet of Magnus eFusion aircraft "as a precautionary measure" following the May 31 incident at an airfield near Budapest. "We can confirm that an accident happened to an experimental airplane Magnus eFusion featuring our electric propulsion unit," the company said in a statement. "We are working closely together with the authorities to clarify the cause," it added. The Magnus eFusion is a fully electric, two-seater that started flying two years ago and has been tested in over 200 flight hours. Three of the prototype planes, including the one that crashed, are based in Hungary, Siemens said. One is in the United States, where it has not yet taken to the skies. Siemens is one of a number of companies around the world exploring the viability of electric-powered aircraft, which supporters say offers ...
Kaleswaram irrigation project gets Union govt nod
The Kaleswaram irrigation project in Telangana today received the nod of Technical Advisory Committee of the Centre, the state government said here today. The approval was given in a meeting held in the Central Water Commission in Delhi today, it said in a release. State Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao hailed the approval for the project and thanked Union Water Resources Minister Nitin Gadkari, it said. The Kaleswaram project on the Godavari river is often described as a boon to the state. State BJP president K Laxman also hailed the approval to the project and said the NDA government has been helping the state's cause by expeditiously giving permissions to various projects, a BJP release said.
HCC wins $110 mn order for Bangladesh n-plant
Hindustan Construction Co (HCC) on Wednesday announced that its joint venture (JV) with with MAX Group of Bangladesh has won a $110 million (Rs 737 crore) contract from Russia for the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Bangladesh.
