Page 669 - Environment
Disheartening to see tourists littering hill stations, beaches: RJ Raunac
RJ Raunac, the man behind the voice of 'Baua' on a radio channel, is on a mission to create awareness about the ban on plastic as he feels disheartened to see tourists littering the hill stations and beaches with plastic waste.
New material found to eliminate organic pollutants in water
A group of researchers has developed a material capable of the absorption of organic pollutants present in water.According to a study conducted by the University of Seville, two new absorbent materials have shown the capability of eliminating organic pollutants in solution in less than 24 hoursThe appearance of criteria and emerging pollutants in water is a modern theme that has caused the scientific community to research new solutions and alternatives.Specifically, they have evaluated two types of phyllosilicates: a highly-charged expandable synthetic mica (Na-Mica-4), and one obtained from cation exchange with an organo-functionalised mica (C18-Mica-4). Phyllosilicates are a subclass of silicates and include common mineral in very different environments.The results show that the material C18-Mica-4 is capable of eliminating the majority of pollutants that were evaluated in urban waste water, as well as surface water and potable water.The study, also, provided data on the adsorption .
AAI observes World Environment Day
The Airports Authority of India Officers Institute celebrated World Environment Day on Tuesday.On the occasion, Sudhir Raheja, Member (Planning) and Anuj Aggarwal, Member (HR) planted saplings.Board Members were also apprised of the organic waste converter machine placed at the institute, which convert the food waste into compost.A painting camp was also organized on the "Environment Conservation" on this occasion.Addressing the participants, Board Members gave innovative ideas to protect environment specially reducing use of plastic.In order to make plastic free environment, all the participants pledged towards using environment friendly garbage bags and containers in place of plastic.
Hindustan Construction Company JV bags contract for Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant
The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant 190 km northwest of Dhaka will be built with Russian technology and is equipped with two WER Reactors of 1200 MW each. These reactors are similar to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu.
Earth hosted life earlier than thought: Study
The Earth hosted life much earlier than thought, according to scientists who found that the planet may have developed its outer crust within 350 million years of the formation of the solar system. Continental crust is richer in essential minerals than younger volcanic rock, which would have made it significantly friendlier to supporting life. Counting strontium atoms in rocks from northern Canada, researchers from University of Chicago in the US found evidence that the Earth's continental crust could have formed hundreds of millions of years earlier than previously thought. "Our evidence, which squares with emerging evidence including rocks in western Australia, suggests that the early Earth was capable of forming continental crust within 350 million years of the formation of the solar system," said Patrick Boehnke, the postdoctoral fellow at University of Chicago. "This alters the classic view, that the crust was hot, dry and hellish for more than half a billion years after it ...
Cab approves Rs 8,500 cr bailout package for sugar industry
The Cabinet today approved a Rs 8,500 crore bailout package for the sugar industry which includes Rs 4,500 crore soft loan for building ethanol production capacity and creating a 3 million tonne stockpile to soak up excess supply. The Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also approved a Rs 1,300 crore interest subversion on the loan to be provided for creating new ethanol production capacity as also expanding the existing one, sources said. Ethanol extracted from sugarcane will be used for blending in petrol and will provide cane farmers remunerative price for their crop. Ethanol doping in petrol will also help the country cut its oil imports. Sources said Rs 1,200 crore would be the carrying cost for building of the buffer stock. Also included in the package is Rs 1,540 crore previously announced production-linked direct payment to help clear dues which sugar mills owe to cane farmers. The Centre has already doubled sugar import duty to 100 per cent and scrapped export ...
India aims to partner with UN to promote use of solar energy
India aims to partner with the UN to use solar energy at the world body's premises as part of the efforts to protect and preserve environment, the country's Permanent Representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin has said. India was the global host for the World Environment Day celebrations this year. Marking the day, the Indian government announced its pledge to eliminate by 2022 all single use of plastics in India. It also committed to making a 500-metre area around 100 historic monuments, including the iconic Taj Mahal litter-free and free from plastic pollution through the Taj Declaration. "Every action counts as we seek to protect and preserve our environment. All of us have a collective responsibility towards this. As part of these efforts India is happy to inform that it intends to partner with the UN Secretariat to use renewable solar energy at the UN premises," Akbaruddin said at the commemoration of World Environment Day yesterday. He expressed hope that by next year's World ...
Lack of access to finance key hurdle in municipal solid waste management
Finance is a major issue in solid waste management sector. Implementing agencies and ULBs (urban local bodies) in particular, find it difficult to create and manage projects with limited finance, noted a 2017 ASSOCHAM-PwC joint report titled, 'Waste Management in India-Shifting Gears.'
ITC commits to 100 pct reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging on World Environment Day
ITC Ltd, a frontrunner in Solid Waste Management in India, made a pledge on the occasion of the World Environment Day celebrations in New Delhi that over the next decade, going beyond its Extended Producer Responsibility, it will deploy superior solutions so that 100 percent of its product packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable.ITC also reiterated that it is committed to scale up its solid waste management programmes and sustain its leadership position as a Solid Waste Recycling Positive Company. Nakul Anand, Executive Director of ITC Ltd, made the pledge on behalf of ITC in the august presence of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.ITC's flagship initiative "Wellbeing Out of Waste" covers over 77 lakh people in the country as on this World Environment Day. ITC's initiatives in the solid waste management of which plastic waste management is a significant component, aim at providing a 360-degree solutions framework to address the critical issue of waste management through ..
Telangana CM pitches for healthy environment
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao said the government of state is working with commitment to facilitate providing a healthy environment for the present and future generations.The Chief Minister had conveyed his greetings to environment lovers on the occasion of World Environment Day yesterday. He re-emphasised the initiatives taken by his government to conserve environment."On Environment Day, the United Nations this year is propagating against the use of plastic. Plastic may make life better, but we need to be alert on the adverse effects caused by using plastic. The state government recognised the importance of green cover and cleanliness as soon as it assumed charge after the formation of Telangana and hence taken up Haritha Haaram on a large scale," the Chief Minister said."The government has taken up the task of providing clean atmosphere, clean drinking water and food. Haritha Haaram programme was taken up to increase green cover in the state and its progress in the
Karnataka ministers to take oath today
The oath-taking ceremony of Karnataka ministers will take place on Wednesday in Raj Bhavan in Karnataka's Bengaluru.The ceremony will take place at 2.12pm at the Governor's residence.Meanwhile, Karnataka deputy chief minister G Parameshwara told media that everything has been finalized and that they have submitted all the proposals, including portfolios to Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his approval.On June 1, the Congress-JD(S) alliance announced the allotment of portfolios among them.As per the allocation, the Congress got the charge of 22 ministries, including the Home, Irrigation, Health, Agriculture and Women Child Welfare Ministries. While 12 ministries, including Finance and Excise, Public Works Department, Education, Tourism and Transport Ministries was allocated to the JD(S).
Railways introduces bagasse-based food packaging on premium trains
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) has launched its trial run of environment friendly bagasse-based food packaging on eight premium trains originating like Shatabdis and Rajdhanis originating from New Delhi.This initiative comes as a part of the Railways' drive to go green as it also aims at boosting the nation's sugarcane industry.Bagasse, the fibrous remains left behind after extracting sugarcane juice, is being used to make disposable cutlery and containers in which meals will be served.Provision will be made to collect the used packaging which will then be processed for disposal through composting to ensure environmental sustainability.Informing about the same, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal took to Twitter and said, "A Small Step to Beat Plastic Pollution: On World Environment Day, Indian Railways has started using fully biodegradable packages in four Shatabdi and four Rajdhani trains from Delhi, contributing towards a greener planet (sic),"..
Letter to BS: It's time to wage a war on plastic, walk eco-spiritual talk
Simple measures like using cloth carry bags, introducing metal containers for milk, water, shampoos, dish-wash, floor cleaners etc, apart from having plastic-free celebrations help
World Environment Day marks beginning of India's war against plastic pollution: Harsh Vardhan
This World Environment Day marks the beginning of India's war against plastic pollution, Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan said today at an event here. The minister said that he had made a personal pledge to give up single-use plastic for the rest of his life. The event on World Environment Day was hosted by the Art of Living Foundation. "World Environment Day is not a symbolic occasion for us. It is beginning of our war against plastic pollution," he said. The minister also said that he had committed to make India free of single-use plastic by 2022. "If we have warriors like you, India will be single-use plastic-free country by 2022," he told the gathering. Attending the event, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) executive director Erik Solheim said that he witnessed tremendous energy of individuals and the governments towards environment protection. "I am sure you will make the change," he said. Solheim also suggested India to move faster towards public transport ...
Surging momentum in global efforts to address plastic pollution: UN report
The United Nations Environment today unveiled its report on the state of plastic pollution in 2018 and noted that there was "a surging momentum in global efforts to address plastic pollution". Among the key findings, the report states that government levies and bans -- where properly planned and enforced -- have been among the most effective strategies to limit overuse of disposable plastic products. The report, which analyses the efforts of the various state governments in India to tackle plastic pollution, stated that the impact of the ban on disposable plastic in New Delhi, which came into force from January 1 last year, was limited because of poor enforcement. The report, titled Single-use Plastics: A roadmap for Sustainability, was developed in cooperation with the Centre and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It presents case studies from more than 60 countries, a statement from the body said. The report was launched in the national capital today on the ...
EU pushes back against weakening of aviation emissions deal
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European countries are pushing back against any weakening of the rules underpinning a landmark global agreement to cap airline emissions at 2020 levels, especially those related to the types of aviation biofuels that can be used.
Ahmedabad bans use of plastic tea cups, water pouches
In a bid to make Ahmedabad free of "plastic pollution", the city municipal corporation today announced a complete ban on production and usage of plastic tea cups and packaged water pouches commemorating World Environment Day. Notably, Rajkot Municipal Corporation yesterday announced ban on plastic. As per the civic body, production and sale of plastic used for making tea cups, packaged water pouches, and paan masala packets is banned from today itself. The ban was enforced under the provisions of Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporation Act 1949 and Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) said in a release. On the first day of the ban, the ward supervisory staff of the AMC seized 344 kgs of banned plastic products and collected fine of Rs 3.5 lakh, it said. AMC's health department has also served notices to 1,052 units and sealed 36 of them for flouting norms. On the occasion of World Environment Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said in ...
Out of box approach needed to beat plastic pollution: Vardhan
Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan today pledged to eliminate single-use plastic from India by 2022 and stressed on the need to adopt an "out of box" approach to deal with plastic pollution. At an event organised to mark World Environment Day, he said that by hosting WED 2018, India reaffirms its commitment to defeat plastic pollution. The event organised on the theme - Beat Plastic Pollution - was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "We make a solemn pledge that by 2022 we will eliminate all single-use plastics from our beautiful country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has envisioned a New India by 2022 - an India of our dreams which will be clean, poverty-free, corruption-free, terrorism-free, casteism-free and most of all, which will be a global superpower. "This India of our dreams will also be single-use plastic free. And, on the personal front, I pledge to henceforth completely do away with single-use plastic in my life," he said. "To beat plastic pollution, we need an
Bihar cabinet nod to new farmer assistance scheme
The Bihar Cabinet today gave its nod to "Bihar Rajya Fasal Sahayta Yojana" to provide financial assistance to farmers for their crop damage, an official said. The new scheme will replace the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and will be implemented from Kharif 2018, Cooperative Department's Principal Secretary Atul Prasad told reporters here. Making it clear that this is an assistance scheme and not an insurance scheme, he said farmers, both ryot and non-ryot, have been included in the scheme. Prasad said any farmer registered under the scheme will not have to pay any premium but will be able to avail the benefits he/she incurs crop damage due to natural calamities. The earlier insurance scheme benefited insurance companies more than the farmers, he said. Providing the figures of Kharif 2016, he said both the state and the central government provided Rs 495 crore each as premium besides two per cent of premium given by farmers under the old insurance scheme, but only Rs ...
Air quality analysis of 10 cities points out 'multi-pollutant crisis' there: Claims NGO
An analyis of air quality of 10 state capitals of the country during last winter and in the past two months this summer has showed that they too are in the "dangerous grip" of a multi-pollutant crisis, besides Delhi, a green NGO today claimed. The analysed data is part of the State of India's Environment (SoE) in Figures 2018, an annual compendium of environmental statistics put together by Down To Earth magazine, which the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) helps publish. "Delhi is always in the news for its poor air quality. However, an analysis of the winter (November and December 2017) and summer (April-May 27, 2018) air quality levels of 10 state capital cities shows that they too are in the dangerous grip of a multi-pollutant crisis, and are currently facing a severe health challenge," the CSE claimed in a statement today. While in the summer months, Delhi had "65 per cent days" when poor and very poor air quality was recorded, in winters this percentage increased to 85. ..
