Page 81 - Environment
Here's what is affecting the movement of right whales
The researchers found a connection between recent changes in the movement of North Atlantic right whales to decreased food availability and rising temperatures in Gulf of Maine's deep waters.Right whales have been showing up in unexpected places in recent years, putting the endangered species at increased risk.The study, which was published in Oceanography and conducted by scientists from more than 10 institutions, provides insights to this key issue complicating conservation efforts.According to the recent study, the climate-driven changes rippling throughout the Gulf of Maine have serious consequences for the small number of remaining right whales. Climate change is outdating many of our conservation and management efforts, and it's difficult to keep up with the rapid evolution of this ecosystem"The climate-driven changes rippling throughout the Gulf of Maine have serious consequences for the small number of remaining right whales. Climate change is outdating many of our ...
IIT Delhi researchers studying heat stress tolerance threshholds in India
The researchers at the IIT here are conducting a study to develop India-specific heat stress tolerance thresholds to formulate a plan for heat management as they believe such stress might increase global warming. The study is part of a project 'Heat Stress Index for India: projection for near future (HIIPROF)' undertaken by Indian Institute of Technology Delhi's Centre for Atmospheric Sciences (CAS), in partnership with five other institutes of India. Heat stress is a stress felt by body when exposed to heat in the summer. The project will help in formulating a better and efficient heat management plan across the country as heat stress is expected to increase global warming. "Heat stress condition is an environmental condition when body starts feeling stressed out of its normal ability to balance the body temperature. The ability to exchange heat with the surrounding depends not only on temperature but also on humidity, wind, and types of clothing, activity, and physical ...
After PM's visit, Chardham shrines to get 24X7 power
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's high profile pilgrimage to Badrinath and Kedarnath, the Uttarakhand government has decided to provide uninterrupted power supply to all the four highly revered Chardham shrines.
World's second EPR nuclear reactor starts work in China
A next-generation EPR nuclear reactor in China has carried out its first chain reaction, French energy giant EDF announced Wednesday, becoming the second using the much-delayed European technology to reach the milestone. The fission reaction at the Taishan 2 reactor on Tuesday follows the Taishan 1 becoming last year the first of its kind to advance to the operational stage. "The nuclear reaction was authorised and yesterday the Chinese reactor carried out a fission reaction for the first time," EDF chairman and CEO Jean-Bernard Levy told Europe 1 radio on Wednesday. EDF, which helped design the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR), is a minority shareholder in the Taishan project, which is a joint venture with China's state-run CGN and regional Chinese utility Yuedian. The first nuclear fuel was loaded into the Taishan 2 reactor in early May in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. Levy said that Taishan 1, which in December became the first EPR to enter into commercial service, .
Government to set up bio-digesters to treat own garbage: Goa CM
On the eve of Goa Statehood Day, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday swore an oath that he would take responsibility for treating waste generated in government offices, while also nominating three others, including the Leader of Opposition, to take similar oaths in a bid towards a 'Clean Goa, Green Goa'.
Ex-BSF jawan trampled to death by elephants in C'garh
A retired Border Security Force jawan was trampled to death by a herd of wild elephants in Chhattisgarh's Jashpur district, an official said Wednesday. The incident took place on Tuesday night when the victim, Tyofil Tirky (55), was walking towards his home in Dabkala village under Tapkara forest range bordering with Odisha after attending a family function nearby, divisional forest officer Krishna Kumar Jadhav said. Suddenly, a herd of elephants appeared there and attacked him. The jumbos smashed the man on the ground with their trunks before trampling him to death, he said. "Tirky, a retired Border Security Force (BSF) man, died on the spot. On getting information, the forest personnel reached there and sent the body for post-mortem," he said. The kin of the deceased have been provided an instant relief amount of Rs 25,000, the official said. The herd of elephants entered into Tapkara area from neighbouring Odisha, he said, adding that forest personnel have been ...
Severe air pollution may cause birth defects, deaths: Study
Harmful particulate matter in the atmosphere may lead to birth defects and even fatalities during pregnancy, according to a study conducted in mice. Researchers at Texas A&M University in the US examined the adverse health effects of exposure to fine particulate matter consisting of ammonium sulphate commonly found in many locations around the world. During winter months in India and China, where severe haze events frequently occur, fine particulate matter levels are especially high at several hundred microgrammes per cubic metre, they said. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nine out of 10 people worldwide breathe air containing high level of pollutants. One out of every nine global deaths can be attributed to exposure to air pollution, totalling over seven million premature deaths a year, researchers said. "People typically believe that ammonium sulphate may not be terribly toxic, but our results show large impacts on female pregnant rats," said Renyi Zhang, a ...
Maruti Suzuki setting up second solar power plant for car manufacturing
Maruti Suzuki India said on Wednesday it is setting up a second solar power plant in Haryana to meet the energy requirements for manufacturing cars."Solar energy is abundant, versatile and efficient," said its Managing Director and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa. "This initiative is n line with the company's philosophy to adopt environment-friendly technologies and lower carbon dioxide emissions."The five-megawatt solar power plant at Gurugram facility will harness renewable energy for business needs over the next 25 years. "Maruti Suzuki is committed to expanding its environment care initiatives in products in manufacturing processes and business operations," said Ayukawa.Maruti Suzuki's first solar power plant was set up in 2014 at Manesar with one-megawatt capacity. It was further expanded to 1.3 MW last year. The second captive solar power plant at Gurugram is expected to be commissioned in the current financial year 2019-20.Nearly 95 per cent of the company's energy requirements at ...
Ancient supernovae prompted human ancestors to walk upright
Cosmic energy bombarded by supernovae eight million years ago may have triggered a chain of events that eventually led to ancient humans walk on two legs, a study claims. The research, published in the Journal of Geology, suggests that the supernovae initiated an avalanche of electrons in the lower atmosphere. This atmospheric ionization probably triggered an enormous upsurge in cloud-to-ground lightning strikes that ignited forest fires around the globe. These infernos could be one reason ancestors of Homo sapiens developed bipedalism -- to adapt in savannas that replaced torched forests in northeast Africa. "It is thought there was already some tendency for hominins to walk on two legs, even before this event," said Adrian Melott, a professor at the University of Kansas in the US. "But they were mainly adapted for climbing around in trees. After this conversion to savanna, they would much more often have to walk from one tree to another across the grassland, and so they become ...
Forest fire continue to blaze in Tehri
Fire continues to rage and spread in forests of Uttarakhand with fires reported from the Tehri forest area.Fire fighting operations are underway in the area with the forest department and fire brigade personnel on the spot.The fires rage as the temperature continues to soar with no rain.According to locals, forests adjacent to district headquarters are blazing with fire, charring the trees and green area.No relief from rain seems to be in sight with Dehradun recording a maximum temperature of 38 degree Celsius on Tuesday an increase of three degrees from normal temperatures during this time of the year, according to the Indian Meteorological Department.Clear skies are predicted for the next three days with temperatures expected to touch 40 degree Celsius.Possible relief is predicted only on June 1 with partly cloudy skies forecast showing the possibility of development of thunder and lightning.
NDMC kicks off dengue, malaria awareness programme for all 104 wards
In view of recent dengue cases in the city, the civic body in North Delhi Tuesday launched an awareness programme on vector-borne diseases that will be carried out across all its municipal wards. At least 11 dengue cases and 8 malaria cases have been reported in the national capital this year. "North Delhi Mayor Avtar Singh today inaugurated an anti-dengue and malaria month and a dengue awareness programme for all 104 wards," a senior North Delhi Municipal Corporation official said. On the occasion, the mayor also inaugurated an exhibition organised at the site, in which the public health department presented various techniques, along with display of equipment, insecticides, a mosquito model, Gambusia fish, he said. Singh welcomed RWA representatives and solicited their support to help prevent the disease burden due to dengue in the upcoming monsoon season by spreading message. Stagnant water containers, unattended coolers and potholes which are potential sources of mosquito-breeding .
International Energy Agency: nuclear needed for climate goal
The International Energy Agency says the premature closure of nuclear power plants and failure to build new ones could make it harder to meet global targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The Paris-based agency said Tuesday that "lack of further lifetime extensions of existing nuclear plants and new projects could result in an additional 4 billion tons of CO2 emissions." Many environmental campaigners are opposed to the use of nuclear power because of the risks from power station accidents and the cost of safely disposing of spent nuclear fuel. The IEA said advanced economies are expected to lose 25% of their nuclear capacity by 2025 and up to two thirds by 2040. It said a "drastic increase" in wind and solar energy would be needed to counter the shortfall.
MP gears up for rehab of people if mega dam fills to capacity
Anticipating that the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat would be filled to 138.68 metre full reservoir level (FRL) in case of bountiful rains, the Madhya Pradesh government Tuesday began taking steps to ensure safety of the people likely to affected due to it in the state. In this connection, Narmada Valley Development and Rehabilitation Minister Surendra Singh Baghel held a meeting here, a government release said. Baghel told officials to step up housing, drinking water, road and other facilities for dam oustees in Barwani and Dhar districts by June 20, it added. NVD Authority Commissioner Pawan Kumar Sharma said if it rains bountifully in the coming monsoon season, the mega dam would be filled to FRL. In such a situation, there is a need to take immediate steps for rehabilitation of the people living in the catchment area of the river Narmada in Dhar and Barwani districts, the release said. The dam has been built on the Narmada river in Gujarat, Four states - Gujarat, ...
Maha milk cooperatives told to submit plastic recycling plan
Maharashtra Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam Tuesday asked milk cooperatives to submit in 15 days a proposal regarding collection, buyback and recycling of plastic pouches used to package milk. If they fail to submit the proposal in the stipulated time, action would be taken against them under the law dealing with plastic ban violation, he warned. Kadam was speaking at a meeting of a high-powered committee set up to monitor the plastic ban in the state. He said earlier milk distributors were given time to collect plastic milk pouches from customers for recycling but nothing happened. In June last year, the government imposed a state-wide ban on the use of plastic items, including carry-bags and thermocol. The ban covered manufacturing, use, sale, distribution and storage of plastic materials such as one-time-use bags, spoons, plates and thermocol items. All kinds of plastic bags, irrespective of their thickness, tea cups, glasses, thermocol glasses, thermocol used for ..
Asian Palm Civet rescued from IGNOU campus
An Asian Palm Civet was Tuesday rescued from the School of Sciences building on the Indira Gandhi National Open University campus here, a wildlife NGO said. The Asian Palm Civet, also called a toddy cat, is a small member of the family Viverridae native to south and southeast Asia. The animal was found to be healthy and was later released in the Asola Wildlife Sanctuary, Wildlife SOS said.
Mamata reshuffles state cabinet after poll drubbing
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made major changes in her cabinet on Tuesday following the drubbing her party, Trinamool Congress, received in the Lok Sabha elections. Transport Minister Suvendu Adhikary was entrusted with two more departments of Irrigation and the Water Resources Investigation and Development (WRI&D), she told reporters at the state secretariat. Bratya Basu has been given additional charge of the Forest Department along with his portfolio of the Science and Technology and Biotechnology Department, Banerjee said. Minister for Fire Department Sujit Bose was made the Minister of State of the Forest Department. Somen Mahapatra, who was the Minister for Water Resources Investigation & Development, was given the charges of Environment and Pollution and the Public Health Engineering Department (PHE), she said. Malay Ghatak will now look after the Labour and Law department, the chief minister said. Rajib Banerjee, who was in-charge of the Backward Class ...
N. Koreans trapped in cycle of corruption: UN report
North Koreans face a daily struggle to make ends meet due to a "vicious cycle of deprivation, corruption and repression", a UN report said on Tuesday, accusing regime leader Kim Jong-un's government of economic mismanagement resulting in its people fighting to get the basics.
Haryana govt releases Rs 350 crore for cooperative sugar mills to pay farmers' arrears
The Haryana government has released Rs 350 crore to help cooperative sugar mills pay the arrears of sugarcane farmers for the crushing season 2018-19, Minister of State for Cooperation Manish Grover said here Tuesday. He said of the total amount released, Rs 39 crore, Rs 39.50 crore and Rs 26.50 crore have been given to cooperative sugar mills in Panipat, Rohtak and Karnal respectively. Rs 35.50 crore and Rs 38 crore have been released to cooperative sugar mills in Sonipat and Jind respectively. Similarly, Rs 30.50 crore has been released to cooperative sugar mills, Palwal; Rs 48 crore to cooperative sugar mills, Meham; Rs 36 crore to cooperative sugar mills, Kaithal; and Rs 29 crore to cooperative sugar mills, Gohana, Grover said in an official release here. He said that sugarmills would pay the outstanding dues in the next week. Grover said the interest of farmers is a priority for the state government and it would ensure that no sugarcane farmer faces any kind of difficulty.
Noida Authority to distribute 'cow dung planters' on Environment Day
Distribution of eco-friendly cow dung planters and formation of a human chain are some of the big plans of the Noida Authority as it gears up for a major awareness drive on the World Environment Day on June 5, officials said Tuesday. The authority has planned an event on June 5 at the Sector 137 metro station from 9 am and has appealed to the people to gather and form a human chain and take pledge to do their bit for environment, the officials said. "Improving environment of Noida is the biggest challenge for us and our topmost priority. This year we are going to create large scale plantation and conduct awareness drive among the citizens of Noida. Citizens of Noida will be forming a human chain starting from the pillar of Sector 137 Metro station to show solidarity on World Environment Day on 5th June," the Noida Authority Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alok Tandon said. He said they will also distribute eco-friendly cow dung planters to the citizens. Noida has numerous ...
Jewar airport: UP govt okays Rs 894 cr for resettlement of displaced families
The Uttar Pradesh cabinet Tuesday approved a proposed bid document for Jewar Airport and sanctioned Rs 894 crore for the resettlement and rehabilitation of displaced families, an official statement said. The land acquisition process for the Greenfield International Airport in Gautam Buddh Nagar, the second in Delhi-NCR and billed to be the biggest in the country, picked up pace in the last quarter of 2018, but the work halted in April due to restrictions clamped for the Lok Sabha elections. "The council of ministers has approved a proposal related to the establishment of the Noida International Greenfield Airport in Jewar in Gautam Buddh Nagar. The cabinet has approved the bid document and the draft concession agreement which were presented to it by the Project Monitoring and Implementation Committee (PMIC)," a statement released by the state government's Department of Information said. The cabinet also agreed to the global tender process for the Noida International Airport Limited ..