In News On 16 September 2021, India observed the 27th International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. The theme of World Ozone Day 2021 is “Montreal Protocol – Keeping us, our food and vaccines cool”. On this occasion, an Action Plan for implementing the recommendations of the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) for […]
In News Recently, Girgaum Chowpatty, a famous tourist spot in South Mumbai, saw big, black oil-emanating balls “tarballs” lying on its sandy beach. What are Tarballs? Tarballs are small light-absorbing, carbonaceous particles formed due to the burning of biomass or fossil fuels that deposit on snow and ice. They are also formed by weathering of […]
In News As per a study by Bihar Pollution Control Board, the arsenic contamination has found its way into the food chain– mainly rice, wheat and potato. Arsenic contamination in groundwater has been a growing concern in several parts of the country. Arsenic (As) Arsenic is a naturally occurring trace element that occurs in many […]
In Context Recently, the IPCC report has warned that increasing global warming will result in reductions in Arctic permafrost. And, the thawing of the ground is expected to release greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide. What is Permafrost? Permafrost is ground that remains completely frozen at 0 degrees Celsius or below for at least […]
In Context Farmers are ready to use the Pusa decomposer officially after the achievements of last year’s field trials. It was sprayed on around 2,000 acres of land in Delhi. PUSA Decomposers About: The decomposers are in the form of capsules made by extracting fungi strains that help the paddy straw to decompose at a […]
In Context India’s first indigenously designed High Ash Coal Gasification Based Methanol Production Plant successfully demonstrated facility to create methanol from High Ash Indian Coal. About Due to the high ash percentage of Indian coal, most internationally accessible technology did not cater to the Indian demands. Therefore, the BHEL R&D centre at Hyderabad began working […]
In News Status of Coral Reefs of the World: 2020 was prepared by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, along with the Australian government. Major Findings Resiliency: Coral reefs have suffered terribly in the past three decades. Yet, they are resilient and would be able to withstand challenges posed by a warming world. Shocking aspects: […]
In News India has become the first Asian country to launch the Plastics Pact. What are Plastic Pacts? About: It is a network of initiatives that bring together all key stakeholders at the national or regional level to implement solutions for plastic eradication. First Plastics Pact was launched in the U.K. in 2018. Objectives: To […]
In News Recently, the Environmental experts and politicians raised concerns over Centre’s proposal of oil palm for North East and Andamans. About Environmental experts and politicians are warning that the Centre’s move to promote oil palm cultivation in India’s northeastern States and in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands could be disastrous. The widespread destruction of […]
In News Recently, Citizens’ groups objected to the proposed waste-to-energy Bandhwari plant at Gurugram-Faridabad highway. About Experts say consequences of the plant on human health and on the Aravali ecosystem will be enormous and irreparable. Several citizens’ groups have written to Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) raising serious objections on the same. What is […]