Page 73 - Environment

IATA calls on governments to reduce carbon emissions, leverage digital technologies

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has called on governments to implement the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) as agreed through the UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).CORSIA is the first global carbon pricing instrument for an industry sector. It will cap net carbon dioxide emissions from international aviation at 2020 levels (carbon-neutral growth or CNG).At its 75th annual general meeting being held here from June 1 to 3, the IATA also urged aviation leaders to look beyond CORSIA to the next climate action commitment - cutting net emissions to half 2005 levels by 2050.Airlines were urged to implement all available fuel efficiency measures and to participate fully in a long-term switchover to sustainable aviation fuels. These are key to achieving the industry's 2050 commitment said IATA that represents some 290 airlines comprising 82 per cent of global air traffic.Besides, the AGM reaffirmed the importance .

Writer Swanand Kirkire says youth awareness vital for change

National Award-winning lyricist Swanand Kirkire, who has penned the song "Hawa aane de", which talks about the perils of air pollution, says the young generation should be made aware of these issues in schools.

Snakeskin shoes for Pakistan PM seized by wildlife officials

Officials from Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province's Wildlife Department seized a pair of snakeskin sandals meant for Prime Minister Imran Khan from a footwear shop here, a media report said on Monday.

Hatsun Agro Product acquires Cattle Feed unit in Solapur

This acquisition will result in increase in the manufacturing capacity of cattle feed "Santosa" from its present 900 tonnes per day to 1000 tonnes per day.

'Sand bath' on dry Yamuna riverbed to protest apathy

Environmental activists here held a symbolic 'sand bath' to draw attention to the plight of the polluted and drying Yamuna river.

Environmental matters for government

There is the desperate need for change in policies for forestry. In the past five years, government policies on this matter have been as good as nothing

Six huts gutted in fire at J-K's Ramban district

Six huts were gutted in a fire in a village in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba distrcit on Sunday, officials said. The huts belonged to milkmen from the Gujjar community in Rakh Barotian, they said. No loss of life was reported, they said. In another incident in Jammu, a wooden shed was gutted in a fire in Thunger area of the city, they said. Forest fires were reported in Kalidhar, Balakote and Mankote areas of Rajouri and Poonch districts, the officials said.

Scores of trees planted in Johannesburg to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi

Scores of trees were planted at three sites in and around Johannesburg on Sunday to mark the150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birth. The project was spearheaded by Indian Consul General in the city, Dr K J Srinivasa, who planted the first of 10 trees at his office to add to the leafy nature of Parktown, the suburb where the Consulate is situated. Johannesburg is reputed to have the greatest number of tree-lined streets in the world. Then the diplomat sped off to the sprawling mainly Indian township of Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, to join the Gandhi Walk Committee in planting 20 trees on the site of the Gandhi Hall, one of the most popular venues in the area for cultural performances and community events. The Gandhi Hall was built in Lenasia after the apartheid-era government demolished the original Gandhi Hall in the city centre where the lawyer, who would become the Mahatma, held many community meetings to mobilise the local community into protesting the unjust laws of the ...

Kavita Jain issued direction to strengthen drainage system before monsoons

Kavita Jain, Haryana Urban Local Bodies Minister, issued directions to strengthen the drainage system and carry out thorough cleanliness of the drains falling under municipal areas to avoid any inconvenience to the people due to rain.In a statement issued here, Jain directed the officers and officials of the department to take effective steps and added that any laxity and negligence in any area would invite disciplinary action against those concerned. She said that instructions have been given to prepare a plan to launch a special Swachhta campaign to ensure cleaning of drains and drainage of rainwater during the monsoon.She has also directed to ensure the cleanliness of the drains in all the areas comprising of Municipal Corporations, Municipal Councils and Municipal Committees of the state."I came to know about negligence in this regard through social media and other sources," she said. After which she directed the officials to ensure proper management of drainage of rain and dirty .

Light at night harmful for amphibians

While exposure to light at night might be convenient for human beings, it has a harmful effect on the amphibian population, recent findings suggest.According to a recent study, research on the effects of light pollution has recently seen a surge in popularity. It's difficult to find any place on Earth that is not affected by even minimal light pollution. We recognized a gap in the research and realized that not much was known about how light pollution can impact amphibians.Since amphibians are sensitive to environmental changes, the researchers make models for studying how pollution of any type can impact other species.As part of the study, a team of researchers exposed wood frogs to a control and two anthropogenic light conditions: intensified daytime illuminance and artificial light at night (ALAN).They found that both the intensified daytime illuminance treatments and the ALAN treatment decreased hatching success in tadpoles. Tadpoles that were reared in the ALAN treatment, on the .

Earth recycles ocean floor into diamonds, researchers discovered

Have you ever wondered where precious diamonds come from? It is most likely made out of recycled seabed cooked deep in the Earth.Traces of salt trapped in many diamonds show the stones are formed from ancient seabeds that became buried deep beneath the Earth's crust, according to the latest research.Most diamonds found at the Earth's surface are formed this way. Others are created by crystallisation of melts deep in the mantle.In experiments recreating the extreme pressures and temperatures found 200 km underground, a team of researchers demonstrated that seawater in sediment from the bottom of the ocean reacts in the right way to produce the balance of salts found in a diamond.The study, published in Science Advances, settles a long-standing question about the formation of diamonds."There was a theory that the salts trapped inside diamonds came from marine seawater, but couldn't be tested," says lead author Michael."Our research showed that they came from marine sediment," the ...

CBI begins probe in grant of licenses to explore atomic mineral

Six years after it reported serious procedural irregularities in the process of allocating blocks for mineral exploration, the CBI will begin a Preliminary Enquiry into the granting of licenses to private parties in 2010, during the UPA government's tenure, to explore for and mine atomic minerals.

Government is with 'drought' hit people, says Maharashtra Minister Patil

As the state is struggling hard to cope with the challenges emerging out of 'drought-like situations' due to lack of rains, Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil on Sunday said the government was leaving nothing unturned to help out the people in distress."Drought-like situations are in the state due to inadequate rainfall. The government is with the farmers and the cattle-owners to deal with the situation. Instructions have been given to the administration to take necessary measures to provide water through tankers and also fodder to the camps on demand," said Patil.The minister said that people should learn a lesson from this drought and plant more trees and use water cautiously to avoid such situations in the future. He said the government is doing its job by providing water and fodder for the animals."The cost of feeding animals to fodder camp owners is being borne by the government. Besides, the state government is giving a subsidy of Rs 100 per animal to the fodder camp owners in ..

Heat wave continues to grip various parts of country

The heat wave continued to grip various parts of the country on Sunday with many cities including the national capital facing temperatures above 40 degrees. People from different sections of society adopted different measures to tackle the rise in temperature.In the early days of June itself, the heat has started to take a toll on the people of Lucknow where the temperature hovers around 40 degrees."It is only due to the trees that you can stand here. We drink lemon juice, sugarcane juice and eat ice creams to bear with the heat. Other than that we carry umbrellas," Mohammad Zaheer a resident of Lucknow said.Ashutosh Dubey, Medical Superintendent, Lucknow Civil Hospital, said: "The Chief Minister has directed the doctors of the entire state to take the issues related to heat wave very seriously."The Medical Superintendent advised the people to "Preferably leave the house from 10 to 11 in the morning and 4 to 5 in the evening.""People are prone to cases of heat stroke, sunburn, skin ...

Working towards strengthening Ayurveda: HP health minister

Himachal Pradesh Health and Family Welfare Minister Vipin Singh Parmar Sunday said the hill-state had an "immense wealth of medicinal herbs" and was working towards strengthening Ayurveda. The minister was speaking at the free multi-purpose medical camps and exhibition of herbs organised by the Ayurveda Department on the occasion of Shahid Jagdish Singh Rana's martyrdom day at Jandrah near here. Rana had died in a Naxalite attack in Bihar's Patna in 1999. Parmar announced that a free health check-up camp will be organised every year on June 2. He also said that the Shaheed Jagdish Singh Rana Ayurvedic Health Centre in Jandarah will be upgraded to a 10-bedded Ayurvedic hospital, in which special facilities of Panchkarma and Marma medicine will be provided. "Himachal has immense wealth of medicinal herbs and plants and the government is working to ensure its proper use," Parmar said, stressing that the state government is trying to strengthen Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of ...

NGT directs municipal corporations to submit report on landfill sites in Delhi

The National Green Tribunal has directed the municipal corporations to submit an action taken report on the steps taken to manage waste after a news report claimed that water is being contaminated in the unauthorised habitations near Bhalswa, Gazipur and Okhla landfills in the city. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel asked the North, East and South Municipal corporations to submit the report within a month. The tribunal said that in view of the provisions of the Solid Municipal Waste Rules, 2016, the primary responsibility of managing the legacy waste and allied issues is of the municipal corporations concerned. "In view of the seriousness of the matter, we also direct that the commissioners of the municipal corporations may remain present in person on July 11," the bench said. The NGT passed the order after taking note of the news report, which had said that water contamination was taking place in the unauthorised colonies near Bhalswa, Gazipur and Okhla ...

Telangana: CM KCR extends wishes on fifth statehood day

Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday extended his greetings on the fifth anniversary of the foundation of the state and credited the Telangana residents for the progress it has made."The confidence of people of Telangana on us that those of us who spearheaded a relentless and non-compromising struggle to achieve the state would also take the new state forward in the path of progress, has been kept up cent per cent. By giving equal importance to both development and welfare we initiated the process of reconstruction of the state," said Rao in a statement.The statement added, "The success of Mission Bhagiratha Scheme, aimed at a comprehensive and permanent solution to drinking water, is literally visualized by people. Despite scorching terrible summer people are not at all worried about drinking water thanks to Mission Bhagiratha. The works of Mission Bhagiratha are almost completed.""Within a very short period, we were able to find a complete solution to the power crisis. Once .

Measures to expand Himachal's horticulture production on: Minister

Horticulture is a major contributor to the economy of Himachal Pradesh, which can cultivate a wide varieties of fruits and vegetables due to its diverse climate and topography, and measures to expand the sector are on, an official statement said on Sunday.

Lion found dead in Gir forest

A lion was found dead in Dalkhaniya range of Gir east forest division in Amreli district Sunday, an official said. The lion was about five years old, the forest official said. "No external injury marks were found on the carcass. Its claws were also intact, which indicates that the death was neither caused due to infighting nor due to poaching," he added. The carcass was sent for post-mortem, the official said.

MP: For gun license, plant trees, shoot selfie

Want a gun license? Plant trees and shoot a selfie -- this is the new rule in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior-Chambal region, known for its infatuation with firearms. An exception will be made only if the license is sought because of an immediate threat to the applicant's life. "Gun license seekers will need to plant at least ten saplings. If the person does not own land, the administration has earmarked revenue land where he or she can plant saplings," said Gwalior district collector Anurag Choudhary. Mere planting would not suffice, though. The applicant will be required to take care of the saplings for a month, click a selfie with them immediately after planting and a month later, and attach the pictures with the application. To further verify that the condition has been fulfilled, a report will be sought from the Patwari, a local government official, the collector said. The condition will be relaxed only if the license- seeker is facing an immediate threat to life. In such ..