Justice Swatanter Kumar is new NGT chiefDecember 28th, 2012Justice Swatanter Kumar has become the first Supreme Court judge to  be the chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) which was, till now, functioning without a full-time chairperson. He will decide on cases pertaining to environmental protection, and conservation of forests and natural resources.What is NGT?Continue reading…Tags: 2012 • December 2012 • Environment • Persons in News • Plans and Policies“National Investment Board” renamed as “Cabinet Committee on Investment”, also changes made in it’s powersDecember 19th, 2012The Union Cabinet approved a renamed and modified version of the original proposal, creating a new Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI) to fast-track decisions on infrastructure and manufacturing projects over Rs. 1,000 crore.This was done primarily to address the Environment Ministry’s objections to a National Investment Board (NIB) which could assume some of its authority.

In the new version, CCI’s primary role will be to urge nodal ministries to fast-track clearances.Cabinet Committee on Investment (CCI)

It will be headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and include administrative Ministries as members.

It will set time limits for decisions on approvals and clearances and will then monitor the process to ensure that those deadlines are met.

It will be able to review cases which face delays, and facilitate the removal of hindrances in the process.

In the new version, CCI’s primary role will be to urge nodal ministries to fast-track clearances.What were the objections with NIB?

The controversy was created when NIB was proposed to have powers to make possible interventions and even “take decision regarding specific approval/clearance for an unduly delayed project, if deemed necessary” on behalf of the concerned ministry in case of failure its failure in decision making in stipulated time frame.

The idea was strongly opposed by the Environment Ministry.Tags: 2012 • December 2012 • Environment • Socio-EconomicKyoto Protocol extended till 2020: Doha Climate ConferenceDecember 17th, 2012Kyoto Protocol which was signed in1997 to oblige industrialized nations to reduce emission of greenhouse gases to fight global warming has been extended till 2020. The protocol was due to expire at the end of 2012. It was decided in the 18th session of the CoP (Conference of the Parties) to theUnited Nation Framework Convention on Climate change (UNFCCC)and the 8th session of the CoP

serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol held in Doha, Qatar. Around 200 countries participated in the talks.Highlights of the Conference:Continue reading…Tags: 2012 • December 2012 • Doha • Environment • Places in NewsIndia, Pak talk towards resolution of Sir Creek IssueDecember 5th, 2012India and Pakistan recently concluded a meeting with an aim to resolve Sir Creek dispute. Besides, issues on Siachen and Kashmir are other territorial troubles b/w the two nations were also discussed. 

Image Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk

Both countries agreed on certain issues including: De-linking maritime boundaries from land. Marking from seaward to the point where both these

sides agree. Declaring non-defined area (Sir Creek and the approaches) as free zone or the maritime

sensitive zone, or turn the area into the a jointly administered maritime park.Sir Creek IssueContinue reading…Tags: 2012 • Banking • December 2012 • Defence • Environment • India-International Relations • International • PakistanEtheostoma Obama: Freshwater Fish named after Barack ObamaDecember 5th, 2012Etheostoma obama, or the spangled darter, is a newly discovered species of relatively skinny orange and blue speckled freshwater fish that has been named after US President Barack Obama due to Barack Obama’s "global vision of environmental protection and conservation".Scientists have discovered 5 new species of freshwater fish calledDarters (belongs to perch family) in river drainages in eastern North America and named after four US presidents (Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Teddy Roosevelt and Jimmy Carter) and a vice-president (Al Gore). The other leaders were also picked for their environmental bona fides.No plans to dump nuclear waste in Kolar mines: NPCILDecember 1st, 2012Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL)Removing the fears of the people of Kolar in Karnataka, the NPCIL submitted in the Supreme Court that no decision had been taken to dump nuclear waste in the inoperative Kolar Gold Mines of Bharat Gold Mines Ltd.Tags: 2012 • December 2012 • Environment • Karnataka200 nations meeting in Doha for talks on global warmingNovember 29th, 2012

Around 200 nations are meeting in Qatar capital Doha for the annual talks over global warming. The twenty years old talks over reducing greenhouse gas emissions have not yet fulfilled their main purpose.The negotiators at Doha will focus on extending the Kyoto Protocol which was adopted in 1997, and is set to expire this year.Tags: 2012 • Doha • Environment • International • November 2012Dumping of N-waste at KGF ruled outNovember 27th, 2012The centre made it clear that it has no plans to dump Nuclear waste (N-waste) from Kudankulam Nuke Power plant in the defunct gold mines of Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) in Karnataka. The reported move by the Govt to dump the waste at the KGF was opposed by various political parties.The team of experts clarified that since KGF lacks a rocky (granite) background and has waterlogging area, the site is not safe for dumping the N-waste.Tags: 2012 • Environment • November 2012 • Places in News26,000 hectares in Bagalkot will have Drip irrigationNovember 27th, 2012Drip irrigation project is planned to irrigate nearly 26,000 hectares of land in the command area of the Krishna in Bagalkot district. The project would cost Rs. 800 crore.What is Drip Irrigation?Drip irrigation or trickle irrigation or micro irrigation or localized irrigation, is an irrigation method deployed to save water and fertilizer by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto the root zone, by using a network of valves, pipes, tubing, and emitters. It is done through narrow tubes that deliver water directly to the base of the plant.Advantages of Drip Irrigation:

Fertilizer and nutrient loss is minimized due to localized application and reduced leaching. Water application efficiency is high. Field levelling is not necessary. Fields with irregular shapes are easily accommodated. Recycled non-potable water can be safely used. Moisture within the root zone can be maintained at field capacity. Soil type plays less important role in frequency of irrigation. Soil erosion is minimized. Weed growth is minimized. Water distribution is highly uniform, controlled by output of each nozzle. Labour cost is less than other irrigation methods. Variation in supply can be regulated by regulating the valves and drippers. Foliage remains dry, reducing the risk of disease. Usually operated at lower pressure than other types of pressurised irrigation, reducing

energy costs.Tags: 2012 • Agriculture • Environment • Geography • November 2012 • Science and TechnologyMount Tongariro in New Zealand erupts again

November 27th, 2012Mount Tongariro, a volcano situated on New Zealand’s North Island, erupted for the second time this year.Where exactly is Mount Tongariro?

Mount Tongariro is a compound volcano in the Taupo Volcanic Zone of the North Island of New Zealand.

Located 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the southwest of Lake Taupo, and is the northernmost of the three active volcanoes that dominate the landscape of the central North Island.What is Taupo Volcanic Zone?

The Taupo Volcanic Zone is a highly active volcanic V shaped area in the North Island of New Zealand that is spreading east -west at the rate of about 8mm per year.

Named after Lake Taupo, the flooded caldera of the largest volcano in the zone.The following Volcanic Centers belong to the Taupo Volcanic Zone:

Rotorua Okataina Maroa Taupo Tongariro Mangakino

Australia clears plan to protect Murray-Darling BasinNovember 27th, 2012Australia approved a plan aimed at saving vital Murray-Darling Basin river water sytem.About Murray-Darling Basin:The Murray–Darling Basin is a river network sprawling for one million square kilometres (400,000 square miles) across five Australian states(New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory, Queensland South Australia) in the interior of south-eastern Australia. The two main rivers in this basin are the Murray River and the Darling River.How it is important to Australia?

The basin drains around 1/7th of the Australian land mass, and is one of the most important agricultural areas in Australia.What are the dangers faced by the basin?The major threat to the basin is overexploitation and draught which has caused increase in concentration of salt and depletion of water.What is the Plan?As per the plan:

Around 2,750 gigalitres of water will be returned annually as environmental flows to the system.

2 million tonnes of salt will also be flushed out each year.Tags: 2012 • Australia • Environment • International • November 2012 • Places in NewsScientists: Greenland losing 200 million tonnes ice every yearNovember 22nd, 2012

Using satellite data, Scientists confirmed via Glacier-covered Greenland has had an average net loss of 200 billion tons of ice every year since 2003.The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) which can detect mass changes on the surface of the Earth over time. GRACE does this by detecting subtle increases and decreases in gravity, which is directly related to the mass below the two orbiting GRACE satellites.Roughly, 200 million tonnes of ice is the amount needed to fill enough railroad coal cars to encircle the Earth.The study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.Tags: 2012 • Environment • November 2012 • Places in News • Science and TechnologyWMO: Greenhouse Gases Level Reached Record High in 2011November 22nd, 2012World Meteorological Organization (WMO)In its annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, WMO held that that the atmospheric volume of the greenhouse gases, which are often blamed for the change in atmosphere, reached a record high in 2011.

As per the survey, the volume of carbon dioxide, the prime greenhouse gas grew at almost identical rate in previous 10 years (i.e. at an average by 2 ppm) and it touched 390.9 parts per million (ppm) or 40% above the pre-industrial level.

The level of methane has also risen rapidly in the past 3 years. The Volume of Nitrous Oxide another greenhouse gas also increased in 2011. Nitrous

Oxide has a long-term climatic impact which is 298 times larger than carbon dioxide.Tags: 2012 • Environment • November 2012 • Science and TechnologyBP agrees to pay $4.5 billion in penalties for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disasterNovember 18th, 2012BP Plc will pay $4.5 billion in penalties and plead guilty to felony misconduct in the Deepwater Horizon disaster, which caused the worst US offshore oil spill ever. The settlement includes a $1.256 billion criminal fine, the largest such levy in US history.About BP plc, Supermajors, Deepwater HorizonContinue reading…Tags: 2012 • BP plc • Environment • International • November 2012 • USBy 2017, US can become world’s biggest oil producerNovember 16th, 2012

The world’s foremost energy watchdog, the  International Energy Agency (IEA) in its recent report “World Energy Outlook 2012” has held that US can become the world’s largest oil producer by 2017.How would this happen ? Predictions for USA and Global Predictions…Vulture population rises in IndiaNovember 15th, 2012

As per a recent report by the Bombay Natural History Society (BHNS) rapid decline in the number of critically endangered Indian vultures has stopped. India’s vulture population has risen for the first time in last 20 years, after a sharp decline in their numbers by more than 99%. Vulture numbers decreased in India from 4 crore in the early ’80s to less than 1 lakh in 2011.Why Vulture numbers were fast declining in India?

Diclofenac, a painkilling drug administered to cattle, is the main cause of mass extinction of vultures.

Vultures, which have a digestive system robust enough to even digest disease-causing pathogens found in rotting meat of dead,do not have a critical enzyme that breaks down diclofenacand die of renal failure after eating carcasses of cattle administered the drug.

Vultures feeding on cattle either die from acute kidney failure within a few days or lose their ability to reproduce.‘Diclofenac’ is a painkilling drug administered to cattle.International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has put vultures on its list of ‘critically endangered’ species.The three most common species of vultures and there approx. numbers in the India are:

1. Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus), also known as the Indian vulture (44,000)2. White-backed vulture (Gyps africanus) (11,000)3. Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris) (1,000)

Tags: 2012 • Diclofenac • Environment • November 2012 • VultureNo resolution achieved during Antarctic Ocean sanctuary talks at CCAMLRNovember 4th, 2012No resolution could be reached during the talks at the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR),at Hobart in Australia. The commission is made up of 24 countries and the European Union.What is CCAMLR?

Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) was established in 1982. 

The Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, also Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, and CCAMLR, is part of the Antarctic Treaty System.

Its aim is to conserve marine life in the face of rising demands to exploit krill, a shrimp-like creature which is an important source of food for species in the Antarctic.

The commission permits fishing carried out in a sustainable manner and takes account of the effects of fishing on other components of the ecosystem.

Headquartered in Tasmania, Australia. CCAMLR is an international commission with 25 Members, and a further 10 countries have

acceded to the Convention. Based on the best available scientific information, the Commission agrees a set of

conservation measures that determine the use of marine living resources in the Antarctic.The key institutional components of CCAMLR are:

the CAMLR Convention which entered into force on 7 April 1982 a decision-making body, the Commission a Scientific Committee which advises the Commission using the best available science Conservation measures and resolutions CCAMLR’s Membership and provisions for international cooperation and collaboration a Secretariat based in Hobart, Tasmania, that supports the work of the Commission.

What was the objective of the conference? The conference was held to reach agreement on creating new marine sanctuaries to

protect thousands of polar species across Antarctica. CCAMLR had been considering proposals for two critical areas in Antarctica’s Southern Ocean.

They included 1.6 million square km of protection for the Ross Sea, the world’s most intact marine ecosystem, and 1.9 million square km of coastal area in the East Antarctic, backed by Australia and the EU.Who opposed the move?

Blocking countries included major fishing countries, with China, Japan, South Korea and Russia among them.Tags: 2012 • Australia • China • Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) • Environment • EU • Europe • International •Japan • November 2012 • Russia • South KoreaOrissa slaps a penalty of Rs 23,904 crore on ‘errant miners’November 4th, 2012The Orissa steel and mines department has imposed a penalty of Rs 23,904 crore on 27 miners in the mining circle of the mineral-richKeonjhar district for extraction of ore beyond the permissible limits.Companies which have been slapped with penalties include Tata Steel, Aditya Birla-owned Essel Mining and the state-owned Orissa Mining Corporation.Tata Steel has been asked to pay Rs 6,265 crore. Others who have been charged are Essel Mining (Rs 4,530 crore), RP Sao (Rs 3,872 crore), Sarada Mines (Rs 2,845 crore), KJS Ahluwalia (Rs 2,022 crore), Serajuddin & Co (Rs 1,983 crore).Tags: 2012 • Environment • Essel Mining  • Keonjhar • Legal • November 2012 •Odisha • Orissa • Orissa Mining Corporation • Places in News • Tata SteelUttarakhand tops in “Environmental Performance Index (EPI)”November 1st, 2012Uttarakhand (scored 0.8123) topped the list of best-performing States and Union territories in terms of environmental performance. As per theEnvironmental Performance Index (EPI) released by Planning Commission:· Uttarakhand is followed by Himachal Pradesh (0.7316), Chandigarh (0.7270), Sikkim (0.7149), and Andhra Pradesh (0.7147).· Best states in terms of air quality: Mizoram, Kerala, Goa, Sikkim, Tripura, Puducherry and Andaman and Nicobar (all with average score of 1)· Paradoxically, except for Uttarakhand, all the States meet the prescribed national ambient air quality standard in respect of the sulphur dioxide of 20 micrograms per cubic metre.

· More than 10 States do not meet the national standard of 30 microgram per cubic metre for Nitrogen dioxide.· Except for Goa, Kerala, and Mizoram, no State meets the 60 microgram per cubic metre national standard for particulate matter.· Himachal Pradesh is the only state with 100 % sewage treatment capacity, in the remaining States it ranges from 0 (13 States) to less than 20 % (8 States) and more than 50 per cent in 4 States.· Total fecal coliform count is as much as 92 % in most of the States.· States leading in forest conservation and expansion of green cover are Chandigarh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh.Environmental well-being is one of the considerations for transfer of funds to the States under the Gadgil formula.Indicators taken under consideration to arrive at water quality:· Sewage disposal· water quality of rivers· dissolved oxygen· total coliform count· percentage of water exploitationThe indicators considered for measuring the ambient air quality performance:· sulphur dioxide· nitrogen oxide· particulate matterTags: 2012 • Andaman and Nicobar • Andhra Pradesh • Environment •Environmental Performance Index (EPI) • Gadgil formula  • Goa • Himachal Pradesh •Kerala • Mizoram • November 2012 • Planning Commission • Puducherry • Science and Technology • Sikkim • Tripura • Uttarakhand“Ocean-grabbing” a danger to world’s fisheries: UNNovember 1st, 2012As per a UN expert on right to food, ‘Ocean-grabbing’ is as serious a threat as ‘land-grabbing’. What is “Ocean-grabbing”?

An aggressive industrial fishing by foreign fleets.How and to whom is it threatening?

Ocean grabbing is mainly concerned with the interest of smaller fishermen, local communities and sustainable fishing.

It is a threat to food security in developing nations Excessive and aggressive fishing threatens the fish ecosystem

and makes this practice unsustainable. It depletes the fishing zones at a faster rate.

What is “land-grabbing”? Land grabbing is the contentious issue of large-scale land acquisitions: the buying or

leasing of large pieces of land in developing countries, by domestic and transnational companies, governments, and individuals.

Countries such as China and Saudi Arabia have bought up agricultural land in poorer countries such as Ethiopia and Ghana.What is “water-grabbing”?

Water grabbing involves the diversion of water resources and watersheds by domestic and transnational companies, governments, and individuals, which deprives local communities who depend on the water and ecosystems for their livelihoods.

The ability to take over water is usually associated with processes of commoditization and privatization of water that transform water from a public good to a private commodity, with access often controlled by ability to pay.What are the suggestions made by UN to contain “Ocean grabbing”?

Create exclusive artisanal fishing zones for small-scale fishers and clamp down on incursions by industrial fleets

Support small-scale fishers’ cooperatives and help them rise up the value chain Put co-management schemes in place to manage fishing resources locally Refrain from undertaking large-scale development projects, e.g. sand extraction, that

adversely affect the livelihoods of small-scale fishers Make fisheries and small-scale fishers an integral part of national right to food strategies.

Negative Impact of Nutrients On Coastal EcosystemsOctober 29th, 2012Salt Marshes along the U.S. Eastern seaboard and other highly developed coastlines have witnessed deterioration of salt marsh. The disintegration has accelerated in recent decades, with some losses caused by sea-level rise and development.As per recent studies, nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorusoriginating from septic systems, sewerage, and soil fertilizers on land flow with rainwater down to the coastal ocean is responsible for this disintegration.What is the importance of Salt Marshes?Salt marshes form critical interface b/w the land and sea. They provide habitat for fish, birds, and  shellfish; protect coastal cities from storms; and they take nutrients out of the water coming from upland areas, which protects coastal bays from over-pollution. Losses of healthy salt marsh have accelerated in recent decades, with some losses caused by sea-level rise and development.Tags: 2012 • Environment • October 2012 • Salt Marshes • Science and TechnologyScientists oppose TECs recommendations of 10–year ban on field trials of GM cropsOctober 29th, 2012Scientists have opposed the recommendations made by the Technical Expert Committee (TEC) appointed by the Supreme Court of India which has recommended a moratorium of 10 years on all field trials of transgenic food crops and field trials of transgenics in those crops for which India is a centre of origin or diversity.Why this opposition?

As per scientists opposing the suggestion, ban on the field trials and commercialization of transgenic crops could harm Indian farmers the most as they need to elevate production of food grains to meet the demands of increasing population with reduced availability of fertile land. As per them, TEC has exceeded its mandate and made many sweeping recommendations on diverse issues without bearing in mind the scientific rigor of the methods used in India which are similar to those in the most advanced countries. Scientists are of the opinion that interventions using GM technology will play a significant role in providing the necessary means to enable farmers to produce more using fewer resources.Tags: 2012 • Environment • GM Crops • GM technology • October 2012 • Science and Technology • transgenicsItalian court convicts scientists who were not able to give earthquake warningOctober 26th, 2012An Italian court sentenced six scientists and a government official 6-year imprisonment on

the charges  of manslaughter. The scientists were accused of not being able to give adequate warning of an earthquake that killed more than 300 people in L’Aquila in 2009.All the convicts who were member of National Commission for the Forecast and Prevention of Major Risks, were accused of negligence and malpractice in assessing the danger and informing the city about the risks.What is the case?The scientists on National Commission for the Forecast and

Prevention of Major Risks were accused of giving "incomplete, imprecise and contradictory" information on the danger a few days before earthquake. They were accused of negligence in evaluating the tremors that preceded L’Aquila earthquake.As per scientific opinion given by prosecutors, the dozens of lower level tremors seen months before the quake were typical of the kind of preliminary seismic activity seen before major earthquakes. However, Defense lawyers said earthquakes could not be forecasted and even if they could, nothing could be done to prevent them.Tags: 2012 • Environment • International • Italy • L'Aquila • Legal • October 2012 •Places in NewsNTCA to build a national data base for tigersOctober 25th, 2012The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) will establish a national data base for tigers, and each one of the big cats will have a unique identification number and code. The initiatives of providing UID will aid in better bio-monitoring of tigers.

 OBJECTIVE: Providing UID will enhance monitoring and also give the exact estimate of the tiger population in the country. Camera trap will be used to photograph the tigers from both sides to avoid variation in stripes and a UID allotted to each of them.Tags: 2012 • Environment • National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) • October 2012

E-eye Project in Corbett National ParkOctober 25th, 2012

E-Eye Project: A pilot surveillance project being piloted in Corbett National Park in which liveelectronic surveillance is done with the help of cameras with video recording facility mounted on towers.

The project will help in tracking the movement of animals, human interference and checking poaching.These cameras will generate alerts to the control room in the park and the NTCA office located at Delhi, as the tigers cross the boundary. These cameras capture thermal and normal image of body mass regardless of forest density and severe weather conditions and therefore, can monitor the area during night or day.Tags: 2012 • Corbett National Park • E-Eye Project • Environment • October 2012 •Places in News • Plans and PoliciesExpert committee suggests 10-year moratorium on GM food crop field trialsOctober 25th, 2012The 5-member, Technical Expert Committee appointed on the directions of Supreme Court, has recommended a 10-year moratorium on field trials of all Genetically Modified (GM) food crops.The panel, in its interim report, suggested that the field trials should not be done till an independent committee of experts and stakeholders examines and assesses the potential hazard of herbicide tolerant crops and their suitability to India.What is the concern of environmentalists?

The environmentalists are concerned about the potential damage GM crops can cause to human health, to livestock and to biodiversity and the likelihood of field trials to contaminate regular crops.Tags: 2012 • Environment • Genetically Modified (GM) • October 2012Alternatives to Endosulfan availableOctober 23rd, 2012The Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) Review Committee to theStockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants approved the assessment of 100 chemical alternatives to insecticide and acaricideEndosulfan.  The committee also suggested its non-chemical alternatives.Which of the approved alternatives are used in India?Among the approved alternatives which are used in India, some are:-

Malathion Aldicarb Carbofuran Cabaryl Fipronil Methyl parathion Pyrethrin

go green, temple, temples in IndiaGreen Temple !Puri Jagannath temple will become first of the kind to go green