EU air quality slowly improving but still deadly: report

Air pollution is slowly easing in EU countries but still causes nearly half a million early deaths each year, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said in its annual report published Monday.Although pollution levels dropped slightly in 2015, they remain far higher than standards set by both the European Union and the World Health Organization, the report said.

The findings come just weeks after an EU watchdog said most member states fail to meet the bloc's air quality targets, warning that the toll on health in eastern European countries was even worse than in China and India.

The EEA said on Monday that exposure to fine pollution particles known as PM2.5 was responsible for around 391,000 premature deaths in the 28-nation bloc in 2015.

Paris zoo welcomes rare birth of endangered Orangutan

PARIS: A baby Bornean orangutan has been born in a downtown Paris zoo - the first to be born there since 2005. 
The zoo of the Jardin des Plantes says that Java, a female, who was born on October 17. Java is the fifth orangutan at the Jardin des Plantes. Her father, Banggi, was born in 2006 in Spain and Java is his first baby. The zoo said orangutans have experienced sharp population declines in recent years and lost 80 per cent of their habitat.

Delhi Is Ready To Fight Choking Air Pollution; Here's A List Of Norms To Be Followed From Nov 1

The Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority announced on Saturday fresh anti-pollution measures in Delhi-NCR from November 1 under the Graded Response Action Plan.

These include a halt in construction activities for 10 days, shutting down of coal and biomass-based industries over the November 4-10 period and an advisory asking people to limit their exposure to the air.

 These norms were formed as a result of forecast of adverse weather conditions beginning from Nov 1st and its potential to increase the pollution level.

Air pollution is the ‘new tobacco’, warns WHO head

Air pollution is the “new tobacco”, the head of the WHO has warned, saying the simple act of breathing is killing 7 million people a year and harming billions more.

Over 90% of the world’s population suffers toxic air and research is increasingly revealing the profound impacts on the health of people, especially children.

A clean and healthy environment is the single most important precondition for ensuring good health. By cleaning up the air we breathe, we can prevent or at least reduce some of the greatest health risks.

Meteorologist expects severe drought and heavy rain events to worsen globally

A University of Oklahoma meteorologist, Elinor R. Martin, expects severe drought and long-lasting rainfall events to worsen in the future.
The Caribbean and Central America will have more extreme droughts and the north and northeast of North America can expect more extreme heavy rain events. 
Around the world, some places will see droughts and heavy rain events become more intense, longer lasting and more frequent.
Martin points to a changing climate as the reason these events will worsen and defines droughts and rain events by using a standardized rainfall index to compare events between regions and seasons.

Mystery of how black widow spiders create steel-strength silk webs

 

Black widow spiders and their relatives, native to temperate climates in North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and South America, produce an array of silks with exceptional materials properties.

Scientists have long known the primary sequence of amino acids that make up some spider silk proteins and understood the structure of the fibers and webs. Previous research theorized that spider silk proteins await the spinning process as nano-size amphiphilic spherical micelles (clusters of water-soluble and non-soluble molecules) before being funneled through the spider's spinning apparatus to form silk fibers. However, when scientists attempted to replicate this process, they were unable to create synthetic materials with the strengths and properties of native spider silk fibers.

The research team was able to more closely see inside the protein gland where the silk fibers originate, revealing a much more complex, hierarchical protein assembly. Thus "modified micelles theory" concludes that spider silk proteins do not start out as simple spherical micelles, as previously thought, but instead as complex, compound micelles. This unique structure is potentially required to create the black widow spider's impressive fibers.

The black widow spider silks are spun from hierarchical nano-assemblies (200 to 500 nanometers in diameter) of proteins stored in the spider's abdomen, rather than from a random solution of individual proteins or from simple spherical particles. If duplicated, the practical applications for a material like this are essentially limitless and could include high-performance textiles for a military, first responders and athletes; building materials for cable bridges and other construction; environmentally friendly replacements for plastics; and biomedical applications.

New human cell structure discovered

The cells in a tissue are surrounded by a net-like structure called the extracellular matrix. To attach itself to the matrix the cells have receptor molecules on their surfaces, which control the assembly of large protein complexes inside them.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have now discovered a new type of adhesion complex with a unique molecular composition that sets it apart from those already known about. The discovery has been made in collaboration with researchers in the UK.

The newly discovered adhesion complex can provide answers to an as-yet unanswered question of how the cell can remain attached to the matrix during cell division. The previously known adhesion complexes dissolve during the process to allow the cell to divide. But not this new type.

The researchers also show that the newly discovered structures control the ability of daughter cells to occupy the right place after cell division. This memory function was interrupted when the researchers blocked the adhesion complex.

The study was done on human cell lines mainly using confocal microscopy and mass spectrometry. Further research is now needed to examine the new adhesion complex in living organisms.

Crowd-sourced data wins protection for endangered tricolored blackbird

               In 2015 the species was again under consideration for protection under the California Endangered Species Act. This time, however, partners at California Audubon were armed with new information, thanks largely to the work of Dr. Orin Robinson a Cornell Lab of Ornithology Postdoctoral Fellow in Conservation Science who has been studying Tricolored Blackbirds for the past two years.

              Robinson's work combined data in eBird, a citizen-science project logging millions of bird sightings, with survey data from partners at UC Davis to develop new trend estimates for the state's Tricolored Blackbird population. By combining these data sets, Robinson developed a statistically reliable population model showing Tricolored Blackbirds declined more than 33 percent during just the past 10 years.

             Robinson's research was the key piece of evidence cited by the State of California to approve state Endangered Species Act protections for Tricolored Blackbirds this past April.

In the absence of bees, flies are responsible for pollination in the Arctic region

A researcher found that relatives of the ubiquitous housefly had a central role. These members of the Muscidae family are important pollinators, whose abundance impacts the seed production of northern plants. Flowering in the Arctic occurs in the few weeks after the snow has melted. The subsequent profusion of flowers causes intensive competition for the pollination services provided by insects.

The abundant mountain avens with its attractive flowers hoards most of the pollinator visits, which leaves the pollination of rare and less attractive flowers particularly inadequate. At the height of mountain avens' blooming time, even their own seed production suffers from the competition for pollinators within the species itself.

In the Arctic pollinator communities were found to be dominated by a few plant and insect species, resulting in insufficient pollinator numbers at the height of flowering. This is probably due to a decrease in pollinators. The number of Muscidae, the most important pollinators, has been in decline for the past twenty years. Additionally, plants and pollinators react differently to the warming climate, shifting their occurrence to different stages of the growing season.

Global changes in habitats result in declining biodiversity, which disrupts ecosystems and their ability to produce ecosystem services. For example, the decline in insect populations, pollinators, in particular, may have significant effects on food production and, thus, the entire human race. Arctic communities are not the only pollinator communities dominated by a handful of species. Agricultural environments with their crops and western honey bees comprise a structurally similar community.

As climate change and other human-induced environmental changes intensify, insect-pollinated plants and their pollinator communities must adapt to new conditions in both the Arctic and southern regions.

New species of ‘missing link’ between dinosaurs and birds identified

             Dr. John Nudds, from the University's School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and the team have been re-examining one of the only 12 known specimens by carrying out the first ever synchrotron examination, a form of 3D X-ray analysis, of an Archaeopteryx. 
The team says that this individual Archaeopteryx fossil, known as 'specimen number eight', is physically much closer to a modern bird than it is to a reptile. Therefore, it is evolutionary distinctive and different enough to be described as a new species -Archaeopteryx albersdoerferi.
             Archaeopteryx was first described as the 'missing link' between reptiles and birds in 1861 and is now regarded as the link between dinosaurs and birds. Only 12 specimens have ever been found and all are from the late Jurassic of Bavaria, now Germany, dating back approximately 150 million years.
            Lead author, Dr. Martin Kundrát, from the University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik, Slovakia, said: "This is the first time that numerous bones and teeth of Archaeopteryx were viewed from all aspects including exposure of their inner structure. The use of synchrotron microtomography was the only way to study the specimen as it is heavily compressed with many fragmented bones partly or completely hidden in limestone."

Migratory birds start arriving at Chilika,but the numbers are down- Source,The Hindu

• Migratory birds  arriving at the wetlands of Odisha's Chilika lake but not the usual number.
• This year however the winged visitors  have descended on the mudflats of the lake.
• Chilika is usually filled with cacaphony of birds.
• As acres of patches are still under water, birds are not descending on the lake.
• Usually one million birds congregate on the mudflats of the lake during winter.
• The lake has been designated Ramsar site ( a wetland of international importance) since 1981.
• One of the resaon behind  the low turnout is the flooding after incessant rain triggered by cyclone Titli that hit the Odisha coast.

Green roofs effective for adapting to climate change

A study headed by researchers of the Water and Environment Engineering Institute of Valencia's Polytechnic University (IIAMA-UPV) shows that green roofs are an effective measure to adapt to climate change in the Mediterranean, as they offer positive hydrological performance and reduce the creation of surface water runoff.

This is the main conclusion of the article "Hydrological Performance of Green Roofs at Building and City Scales under Mediterranean Conditions," published in Sustainability.

The research compared the hydrological performance of a green roof and a traditional roof under Mediterranean weather conditions at two different scales: at the building level and at the city level.

Different studies show that the performance of green infrastructure varies depending on its hydro-climatic exposure, specially regarding rain patterns (frequency, amount of rain) and the ground's humidity conditions, which made it necessary to quantify its performance in an area with a dry climate, such as the Mediterranean.

In fact, the IIAMA researcher recalls that the European Commission acknowledges the management of rainwater in cities as one of the most important challenges in the fight against climate change, where green roof are a type. 

Location of large mystery source of banned ozone-depleting substance uncovered

The compound, carbon tetrachloride, contributes to the destruction of the Earth's ozone layer, which protects us from harmful ultraviolet radiation.

As a result, the production of carbon tetrachloride has been banned throughout the world since 2010 for uses that will result in its release to the atmosphere. The global emissions have not declined as expected, with about 40,000 tonnes still being emitted each year. Alongside collaborators from South Korea, Switzerland, Australia, and the USA, researchers at the University of Bristol aimed to quantify emissions from eastern Asia.

To do this, they used ground-based and airborne atmospheric concentration data from near the Korean peninsula and two models that simulate the transport of gases through the atmosphere. Around half of the 'missing' global emissions of carbon tetrachloride originated from eastern China between 2009 and 2016.

The phase-out of carbon tetrachloride production for emissive use in 2010, found no evidence for a subsequent decrease in emissions. The monitoring of man-made ozone-depleting gases in the atmosphere is essential to ensure the continued success of the phase-out of these compounds.

Growing algae more sustainably for biofuel production

Because fossil fuels emit pollutants that are harmful to both the environment and public health, researchers are diligently exploring more sustainable alternatives. One of these alternatives is biofuels.

Biofuels are renewable energy sources created using plants like corn or switchgrass that can be grown as annual or perennial crops. Another source used to create biofuel is algae – both single-celled microalgae and macroalgae such as kelp. Though algal biofuels are a more sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, there remains room to improve the production of the algae used to create them.

Air scrubbed off carbon dioxide could be a reality soon

Air scrubbed off  carbon dioxide could be a reality soon- Source, Economic times

• America's leading scientific body is in a research program that can remove vast quantities of carbon-dioxide from atmosphere.
• To meet the climate goals under the Paris Agreement 10 billion tons of carbon-dioxide from the air should be removed.
• To develop the technologies and scale up to 10 billion tons of carbon-dioxide a lot of activities are required.
• It might be possible to collect wood or plant matter that has absorbed carbon-dioxide from air, burn it in biomass power plant for energy and then capture the carbon released from combustion and bury it underground.
• But one potential problem with this approach is that the land required to grow biomass for there power plant run into conflict with need for  farmland.
• This method might be able to remove 3 billion to 5 billion tons of carbon-dioxide from air in each  year.

Two rhinos die in Chad after being relocated from South Africa.

Two of six critically endangered black rhinos have died of unknown causes five months after being flown from South Africa to Chad in a pioneering project to re-introduce the animals Rhinos in Chad were wiped out by poaching nearly 50 years ago, and the six rhinos were intended to establish a new population in the country after intensive anti-poaching measures were put in place to protect them. 
                                        There are fewer than 25,000 rhinos left in the wild in Africa due to a surge in poaching, and only 5,000 of them are black rhinos. Black rhinos are rated as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Rhinos are targeted to feed a booming demand for rhino horn in China, Vietnam and other Asian countries, where it is believed to have medicinal qualities. 

China to ban polluting tourist vehicles near Mt Everest in Tibet

China is planning to ban polluting tourist vehicles at the Mount Everest base camp in Tibet from next year as part of its efforts to reduce pollution in the area that has a fragile environment. Eco-unfriendly tourist transport vehicles will be banned from base camp and permit electric golf-style buggies to raise the income of the locals, China-Tibet Online reported. Locals, who live below the poverty line, will be employed as tour guides.

Himalayan Viagra under threat from climate change

Caterpillar fungus which is nicknamed Himalayan Viagra in Asia is becoming harder
 to find due to climate change. The price estimates to be more valuable than
gold.People in China and Nepal have been killed in clashes over the years over the
elusive fungus yarchagumba, known formally as Ophiocordyceps sinensis.Although
it has no scientifically proven benefits, people who boil yarchagumba in water to
make tea or add it to soups and stews believe it cures everything from impotence to
cancer.

Annual dead-zone report card for the Chesapeake Bay, U.S.

An annual model-based report on low-oxygen conditions in Chesapeake Bay during 2018 indicates a total volume of hypoxic waters very similar to the previous year, but with a dramatic drop in hypoxia during late July due to mixing by strong winds. The duration of hypoxia in 2018 was greater than in recent years. Dead zones are one of the major water-quality concerns facing the Bay and coastal waters worldwide. They form when rivers carry in excess nitrogen from fertilizers, wastewater, and other sources, fueling short-lived blooms of algae. Bacteria then eat the dead, sinking algae, consuming from bottom waters the dissolved oxygen that fish, shellfish, crabs, and other animals need to survive. Bay dead zones peak during summer, when hot weather encourages algal growth and drives gases from the water, while calm winds typically preclude the mixing of relatively oxygen-rich surface waters into the depths.

The team's report card summarizes oxygen conditions in the Bay each year as estimated by their 3-D, real-time hypoxia forecast model, originally developed with funding from NOAA. The model is based on 30 years of water quality data collected by the Chesapeake Bay Program, and is forced daily by wind data provided by NOAA and river-input data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey. Because springtime inflows from the Susquehanna River Chesapeake Bay's largest tributary were high in 2018, scientists predicted that summer 2018 would have an above average amount of hypoxia, a forecast that held true through mid-July, when unusually strong winds reduced the Bay's hypoxic volume to near zero.

Glyphosate found in cat and dog food.

A new study finds that glyphosate, the active herbicidal ingredient in widely used weed killers like Roundup, was present at low levels in a variety of dog and cat foods the researchers purchased at stores. Before you go switching Fido or Fluffy's favourite brand, however, be aware that the amounts of the herbicide found correspond to levels currently considered safe for humans.A new Cornell study published this month in Environmental Pollution finds that glyphosate, the active herbicidal ingredient in widely used weed killers like Roundup, was present at low levels in a variety of dog and cat foods the researchers purchased at stores. Before you go switching Fido or Fluffy's favourite brand, however, be aware that the amounts of the herbicide found correspond to levels currently considered safe for humans.

Since there is not enough data available to determine what effect if any low-dose glyphosate exposure has on domestic animals, the researchers used human acceptable daily intake guidelines to put these findings in context, according to Hay. The researchers estimated that the median dog exposure would amount to only 0.7 percent of the U.S. glyphosate limit set for humans. While the levels of glyphosate in pet foods surprised us, if a human ate it every day, their glyphosate exposure would still be well below the limits currently deemed safe.

Plump songbirds more likely to survive migration over Gulf of Mexico.

A kilometer above Fort Morgan, Alabama, small migratory birds face a critical decision. Ahead lies a thousand kilometers of open water, the Gulf of Mexico, and a 22- to 24-hour flight without rest or food. On the other side, if they make it, they'll continue the journey to their South American winter habitat. For some, the journey will end in the waters of the Gulf.With many migratory birds in decline, ornithologists are keen to identify choke points along their routes. Large geographic barriers like the Gulf are likely suspects, but survival rates across these barriers are difficult to estimate. A new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B provides the first survival estimates for small migratory birds crossing the Gulf, and the factors that explain whether or not they survive the crossing.

We know a lot of birds die going across the Gulf because we see birds floating up on shore and in the stomach contents of sharks. We just don't know how many and how risky it is to go across the Gulf, says Mike Ward, lead author of the study, an associate professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at U of I, and avian ecologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey. We figured out that survival depends on a combination of how fat they are the fatter the better and how much wind they have at their back.

The world's largest campodeid dipluran named after the mythological giant Daidarabotchi

Two new to science dipluran species were discovered in touristic caves in the southern Japanese islands. Amongst them is the largest member of the campodeid family, aptly named after the giant Japanese creature Daidarabotchi. They belong to a genus so far known exclusively from a few caves scattered across the easternmost continental parts of Asia.Amongst the fauna thriving in the subterranean spaces below the surface of the earth's crust, the insect-like diplurans and, precisely, those in the campodeid family are one of the best-known groups, currently comprising almost 150 species. However, not a single subterranean member of the family had been known from Japan until very recently. 

Another remarkable finding from the same study is that the genus, where both new species were assigned -- Pacificampa -- serves as yet another example of the former physical connection between Asia and America some millennia ago. In their paper, the scientists note that the genus demonstrates close affinities with a genus known from North America.We hope that this discovery could stop the destruction of the land nearby and preserve for the future the subterranean habitat of these remarkable gigantic species.

Biologists gain new insights into surface, acoustic behaviour of endangered right whales.

In response to the dwindling number of North Atlantic right whales, researchers have conducted a major study of the surface and acoustic behaviour of right whale mother-calf pairs. The team discovered that the near-surface resting behaviour of mother-calf pairs dominates the first five months of the calves' lives.

Susan Parks, associate professor of biology, is the senior author of the study, whose findings appear in Animal Conservation.Parks says the publication is timely, noting the right whales' declining fertility and rising mortality, exacerbated by a breeding season without any new births all of which raise concerns about their increased risk of extinction.

North Atlantic right whales are prone to accidental death or injury from vessels strikes and fishing gear entanglement, says Parks, who studies the acoustic signaling of marine and terrestrial animals. On top of this, their calving rates have dropped dramatically since 2010. We must improve the protection measures for these animals or risk their demise. The team discovered that the near-surface resting behaviour of mother-calf pairs dominates the first five months of the calves' lives.These behaviour place the mother-calf pair at increased risk of a ship strike, which may partially explain why the mortality rate is high, says Parks, adding that mariners often have trouble spotting right whales at sea.

Government plans Rs 65,000-crore project to reduce greenhouse gases from agriculture.

The goal of the project, with a run period 2018-2025, is to “sequestrate” 49.9 million tonnes of carbon gasses through improved agro-ecosystems.

India is set to roll out its most integrated programme yet to cut greenhouse gases from agriculture. The project is primarily aimed at protecting the country’s five biggest vulnerable ecological landscapes, according to two officials familiar with the matter.

The programme will cover Madhya Pradesh’s Chambal region, Dampa in Mizoram, Odisha’s Similipal, Jaisalmer and Barmer in Rajasthan besides a national wildlife corridor through Uttarakhand, the officials said.

The programme, involving the agriculture and environment ministries, is part of a global initiative of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), a partnership 183 countries, including India.

Each of these critical biodiversity zones – home to over a third of India’s 300 million tribals, precious wildlife, and forests – face a specific threat from unsustainable agriculture, including large-scale land degradation.

Climate change and agriculture have a two-way relationship. Farming contributes to and is adversely impacted by climate change, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The goal of the project, with a run period 2018-2025, is to “sequestrate” 49.9 million tonnes of carbon gasses through improved agro-ecosystems. Carbon sequestration refers to the process of offsetting harmful emissions through mitigation.

Agriculture activities are widely known to emit three kinds of harmful gases: carbon dioxide from soil cultivation, methane from livestock and nitrous oxide from fertilizers. Greenhouse emissions are a significant driver of climate change by trapping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere and causing global warming.

In the Chambal region, an area covering 97,982 hectares, the main threats include expanding ravines, sparse vegetation, and pollution from chemical-runoffs from agriculture, an official document states. Mitigation proposals include organic cultivation and sustainable grazing of cattle.

In Mizoram, the project will span the Dampa Tiger Reserve and the Thorangtlang Wildlife Sanctuary, covering 145,670 hectares in the Lunglei and Mamit regions. Jhum cultivation has been a major threat to land degradation in the state. In Odisha, the project will be spread over 556,900 hectares, including the UNESCO recognized Simlipal Biosphere Reserve.

Jaisalmer and Barmer in Rajasthan have been picked to create an ecologically sustainable “Desert National Park”, spanning 316,200 hectares.

In Uttarakhand, the Corbett Tiger Reserve and the Rajaji Tiger Reserve will be covered, spanning 324,696 hectares in Nainital, Pauri Garhwal, Almora, Dehradun, and Haridwar districts.

The overall cost of implementing the project is US$ 902 million (₹65,000 crore approximately), with a GEF grant of US$ 33.5 million. The remaining US$ 868 million will be available through the co-financing route. The GEF, of which India is a leading member nation, works for solutions to the world’s most “challenging environmental issues related to biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, chemicals, and international waters”. The government has decided to increase India’s share of funding to the GEF by 25%, an official said.

 

Global warming threatens Lakshadweep’s coral reefs.

An 18-year-long study has found that the island’s corals are in dramatic decline.

For most of us, thinking about Lakshadweep islands conjures images of pristine beaches, clear blue seas and fascinating coral reefs that are home to a diversity of plant and animal life. This might not be far from reality but recent research questions how long will these serene islands remain the same.

A nearly two-decade-long study by the Oceans and Coasts Program of the Nature Conservation Foundation’s (NCF) has found that the absolute coral cover in these islands has reduced from 51.6% in 1998 to 11% in 2017, a staggering 40% decline.

They have found that the alarming rate of coral mortality and their shifting species compositions, combined with their slow rate of recovery, could severely limit their ability to resist future disturbances due to climate change.

The enormous drop in coral cover is a result of repeated and increasingly severe climate change-related disturbance. By monitoring the same reefs since 1998 through a series of El Niño disturbance events, the researchers have found that the way a single reef responds to and recovers from a stressor can change drastically through time.

The Lakshadweep islands are an archipelago of 36 atolls - ring-shaped reef, island, or a chain of islands formed of coral - in the eastern Indian Ocean, off the south-west coast of India.

They found that El Niño events, sudden increases in ocean temperatures that kill large tracts of coral, are occurring more regularly than ever before. Three mass bleaching’s of corals have been witnessed in the islands in the last 20 years, in 1998, 2010 and 2016 respectively.

The good news is that with every subsequent El Niño event, less coral is dying—the reefs are becoming more resistant. The bad news is that their ability to recover from each event has declined dramatically. The even worse news is that the frequency of these disturbance events is increasing all the time—killing the reef before it is able to limp back to health again.

Hidden valleys and mountain ranges discovered under Antarctica ice.

Although there are extensive satellite data that help image the surface of the Earth and its deep interior, there was a gap around the South Pole area.

Researchers have discovered mountain ranges and three huge, deep subglacial valleys hidden beneath the Antarctica ice.

The findings, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, are the first to emerge from extensive ice-penetrating radar data collected in Antarctica as part of the European Space Agency Polar GAP project.

Although there are extensive satellite data that help image the surface of the Earth and its deep interior, there was a gap around the South Pole area, which is not covered by satellites due to the inclination of their orbits.

The Polar GAP project was therefore designed to fill in the gap in the satellite data coverage of the South Pole and in particular acquire the missing gravity data.

Airborne radar data were also collected to enable mapping of the bedrock topography hidden beneath the ice sheet. The data reveals the topography which controls how quickly ice flows between the East and West Antarctic ice sheets.

The team, led by researchers from North Umbria University in the UK, has mapped for the first time three vast, subglacial valleys in West Antarctica. These valleys could be important in the future as they help to channel the flow of ice from the center of the continent towards the coast.

If climate change causes the ice sheet to thin, these troughs could increase the speed at which ice flows from the center of Antarctica to the sea, raising global sea levels. The largest valley, known as the Foundation Trough, is more than 350 kilometers long and 35 kilometers wide. Its length is equivalent to the distance from London to Manchester, while its width amounts to more than one and a half times the length of New York’s Manhattan Island.

The two other troughs are equally vast. The Patuxent Trough is more than 300 kilometers long and over 15 kilometers wide, while the Offset Rift Basin is 150 kilometers long and 30 kilometers wide.

Antarctica's temperature to rise by 3 degrees by end of century

An expert said the rise in temperature could be the tipping point as far as the fight against global warming is concerned.

The temperature in Antarctica may increase as much as three degrees by the end of the century, according to an expert. This could be the tipping point as far as the fight against global warming is concerned, he added.

The Britain-based SCAR is responsible for initiating, developing and coordinating high quality international scientific research in the Antarctic region (including the Southern Ocean), and on the role of the Antarctic region in the Earth system.

Nearly, 400 scientists from 40 countries are participating in the Goa symposium that has a focus on the Antarctic region with a special thrust on sub-ice rocks in relation to global sea-level rise.

The atmosphere over Antarctica, as well as the ocean surrounding the southern continent, has strong influences on global weather patterns and ocean currents which directly affect mankind across the globe.

Carbon dioxide levels at highest, mandatory respiratory masks for all only 20 years away

Carbon dioxide levels in the air have reached the highest point. If the trend continues, everyone may have to wear respiratory masks to breathe in just 20 years from now.

 Carbon dioxide, the gas that we exhale to remove toxicity from our body and the one responsible for greenhouse effect the most, is at all-time high quantity in the air. At least two organizations observing global climatic patterns and variations have reported the highest amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere for the month of May.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 411.25 parts per million. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography measured carbon dioxide at 411.35. This is the highest monthly level ever recorded by scientists.

The scientists studying the greenhouse gases are of the view that this could also be the highest concentration of carbon dioxide in human history.

Carbon dioxide level in the air has been increasing for over three centuries. But in recent decades, the rate of increase in carbon dioxide has been alarming. Besides rapid population growth and cutting of trees, burning of the huge amount of fossil fuels is the prime reason for the very high rate of increase in carbon dioxide in the air. The scientists have found that on an average, the rate of rising in carbon dioxide levels was about 1.6 ppm per year during the 1980s and 1.5 ppm per year in the next decade. But, it accelerated with the turn of the century.

The rate of increase in carbon dioxide levels in the air between 2016 and 2017 was recorded at 2.3 ppm. This was the sixth consecutive year-to-year increase in carbon dioxide level at above 2 ppm rate.

The problem with carbon dioxide is that each molecule of carbon dioxide may take, scientists say, hundreds or even thousands of years to finally dissipate. The carbon dioxide molecules are, in fact, self-powered tiny heat convectors that may keep warming the air and the seas for generations to come.

To understand the real issue with the latest rising trend in greenhouse gas, it is imperative to underscore that the CO2 levels were stable at 280 ppm prior to the industrial revolution.

The climatologists say that if the current rate of rising in carbon dioxide levels continue, it would reach at 450 ppm in just 20 years from now. The company’s manufacturing air-filters and protective gas masks would be the sole beneficiaries.

Air pollution may be linked to heightened dementia risk

Air pollution may be linked to a heightened risk of developing dementia, find a London based observational study. The associations found couldn't  be explained by factors known to influence the risks of developing the condition , say the researchers. 

ncrease in plastics waste reaching remote South Atlantic islands

The amount of plastic washing up onto the shores of remote South Atlantic island is 10 times greater than it was a decade ago, according to new research. Scientists investigating plastics in seas surrounding the remote British Overseas Territories discovered they are invading these unique biologically rich regions. This include areas that are established or proposed marine protested areas.

Climate change, rising sea levels a threat to farmers in Bangladesh

Rising sea level driven by climate change make for salty soil, and that is likely to force about 200000 coastal farmers in Bangladesh inland as glaciers melt into the worlds ocean according to estimates from a new study.

Pros and Cons of Hydropower

This news talks about the positive and negative sides of using hydro power as the means of energy.

Hydro power can generate electricity without emitting greenhouse gases but can cause environmental and social harms, such as damaged wildlife habitat, impaired water quality, impeded fish migration, reduced sediment transport, and diminished cultural and recreation benefits of rivers.

Sources say that, reducing hydro power generation in order to restore natural river conditions is often considered too costly by hydro power operators, but those costs might be lessened by taking advantage of complex electricity markets and providing grid-regulating ancillary services, especially in regions with high penetrations of renewable energy like wind and solar.

Barriers and opportunities in renewable biofuels production

Researchers have identified two main challenges for renewable bio-fuel production from cheap sources. First, lowering the cost of developing microbial cell factories, and second, establishing more efficient methods for hydrolysis of biomass to sugars for fermentation. 

Sources say that, it is technically possible to produce biofuels from renewable resources by using microbes such as yeast and bacteria as tiny cell factories. However, in order to compete with fossil-derived fuels, the process has to become much more efficient. But improving the efficiency of the microbial cell factories is an expensive and time-consuming process, so speeding-up the cell factory development is therefore one of the main barriers.

Climate change, rising sea levels a threat to farmers in Bangladesh.

A study made by Ohio State University finds that, Salty soil drives changes in agriculture and migration.

According to the source it says like, rising sea levels are driven by climate change and this make changes in the salty soil, and that is likely to force about 200,000 coastal farmers in Bangladesh inland as glaciers melt into the world's oceans.

This article says that, frequent flooding with salt water is already pushing farmers in Bangladesh to shift from growing rice to raising shrimp and other seafood, but not all coastal residents will be able to stay put and maintain their agricultural livelihoods.

Investigating glaciers in depth.

Sources say that, global sea levels are rising constantly and one factor that is mainly contributing to this rise is the melting of the glaciers. Although the surface area of the glaciers has been well mapped, there is often no information regarding their thickness, making it impossible to calculate their volume. As a result, the effects on sea levels cannot be accurately calculated. 

Researchers have developed an approach which can be used to draw up regional ice thickness maps for glaciers.These ice thickness maps gives new insights into the dynamic ice loss of glaciers. When new snow falls, its weight compresses previous layers of snow and a new mass of ice is gradually formed. 

With the help of this ice thickness map, now we can accurately estimate the dynamic ice loss.

Scientists capture images of antibodies working together against malaria

This news talks about how the scientists are investigating with regards to the human immune system that can defend against malaria. They have uncovered a rare phenomenon of antibodies that works together to bind to a vulnerable spot on the parasite. 

According to a research, it says that antibodies working together can result in a protein on the parasite's cell surface locking it into a spiral conformation, like a wide corkscrew, blocking the parasite from starting its life cycle in the human host and, hence, protecting against infection.

Earth’s inner core is solid, 'J waves' suggest

• A new study could help us understand how our planet was formed. Scientists report that their research shows that Earth's inner core is solid a finding made possible by a new method for detecting shear waves, or 'J waves' in the inner core.
• the inner core shares some similar elastic properties with gold and platinum. The inner core is like a time capsule.
• The understanding of the Earth's inner core has direct consequences for the generation and maintenance of the geomagnetic field, and without that geomagnetic field there would be no life on the Earth's surface.

SOURCE : SCIENCE DAILY

New material, manufacturing process use sun's heat for cheaper renewable electricity

• Scientists have developed a new material and manufacturing process that would make one way to use solar power as heat energy more efficient in generating electricity.
• Solar power accounts for less than 2 percent of U.S. electricity but could make up more than that if the cost of electricity generation and energy storage for use on cloudy days and at nighttime were cheaper.
• Solar power doesn't only generate electricity via panels in farms or on rooftops. Another option is concentrated power plants that run on heat energy.
• This would mean dramatic reductions in human-made carbon dioxide emissions from electricity production.

SOURCE : SCIENCE DAILY

Working lands play a key role in protecting biodiversity

• Diversifying working lands  including farmland, rangeland and forests may be key to preserving biodiversity in the face of climate change, by a new review article. 
• These changes could extend the habitat of critters like bats, but also much larger creatures like bears, elk and other wildlife, outside the boundaries of protected areas, while creating more sustainable, and potentially more productive, working lands.
• We just can't keep mining our soils for their fertility and polluting our streams -- in the end, this will diminish our capacity to continue producing the food that we need.
•  Instead, we must pay attention to the species, from microbes to mammals, that supply us with critical services, like pollination, pest control and nutrient cycling.

SOURCE : SCIENCE DAILY

Rising temperatures and human activity are increasing storm runoff and flash floods

• Researchers have demonstrated for the first time that runoff extremes have been dramatically increasing in response to climate and human-induced changes. 
• Their findings show a large increase in both precipitation and runoff extremes driven by both human activity and climate change. 
• They also found that storm runoff has a stronger response than precipitation to human-induced changes (climate change, land-use land-cover changes, etc).
•  These losses have been increasing over the past 50 years and have exceeded $30 billion per year in the past decade. 

SOURCE : SCIENCE DAILY

Where Ganga meets the Bay of Pollution

An exponential increase in the number of pilgrims coming to the Ganga Sagar Mela, which takes place at the Sagar Island every year during Makar Sankranti, has been responsible for the worsening water pollution, prompting scientists to raise serious concerns about the likely outbreak of several diseases.

The number of pilgrims descending on the Sagar Island to take a dip at the place where the Ganga meets the Bay of Bengal, has risen from 2 lakh in 1990 to 20 lakh in 2018.

“A health survey was conducted with the local people… it found that diseases like cholera, dysentery, and skin disease were predominant in the post-Ganga Sagar Mela period,” observed a paper titled ‘Pollution and its consequences at Ganga Sagar mass bathing in India’, published recently in the journal Environment, Development and Sustainability.

The study noted a sharp deterioration in water quality parameters between the pre-mela and post-mela period. For instance, the concentration of faecal coliform bacteria, which was 22 MPN (most probable number) in 100 ml of water two weeks before the mela, was found to be 9,963 MPN two weeks after the mela.

Carrots could be key to making greener buildings

A group of researchers at Britain’s Lancaster University has been using a household food blender to mix particles from the root vegetable with concrete to see if they can produce a stronger and more environmentally sound product.

“We found out you could increase the strength of concrete by 80% by using a small amount of this new material,” said lead researcher Mohamed Saafi.

The addition of carrots prevent any cracks in the concrete, the team said. It also means less cement is required, therefore lowering the global carbon dioxide output.

Cement is responsible for 7% of total global CO2 emissions, according to International Energy Agency estimates.

“Our preliminary results show that adding about half a kilogram of carrot nanomaterial will reduce about 10 kg of cement per one cubic metre of concrete,” Mr. Saafi said. The scientists are also experimenting with sugar beet fibres.

SC shocked over ‘vanishing’ Aravalli hills

The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed shock over the disappearance of 31 hills in the Aravalli area of Rajasthan and asked the State government to stop illegal mining in the 115.34-hectare area there within 48 hours.

The top court said that even though Rajastan was earning royalty of around ₹5,000 crore from mining activities in the Aravallis, it cannot endanger the lives of lakhs of people in Delhi as the disappearance of the hills could be one of the reasons for rise in pollution level in Delhi-NCR.

A Bench of Justices Madan B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta referred to the status report filed by the Rajasthan government and said it indicated that illegal mining activity was going on in 115.34 hectare area in Aravalli range in the State.

Indian monsoons influence Atlantic hurricanes: study

Strong monsoons in the Indian Ocean can induce easterly winds that push Atlantic Ocean hurricanes westward, increasing the likelihood they will make landfall in the Americas, according to a study.

The study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, found that in years where summer rainstorms in India are stronger, Atlantic hurricanes move further westward towards land. In years where the rains are not as strong, hurricanes tend to curve northward earlier and fizzle out in the north Atlantic Ocean.

The newly-discovered relationship could help scientists better predict the path of oncoming hurricanes, especially in late summer months like September, when Atlantic hurricane activity peaks, according to researchers.

China to ban polluting tourist vehicles near Mt Everest in Tibet

China is planning to ban polluting tourist vehicles at the Mount Everest base camp in Tibet from next year as part of  its efforts to reduce pollution in the area that has a environment. 
Eco-unfriendly tourist transport vehicles will be banned from base camp and permit electric golf-style buggies to raise the income of the locals, China-Tibet Online reported.

Indian court eases fire cracker ban even as pollution soars

the high court of India eased a ban on fireworks for a major Hindu festival despite air pollution in New Delhi and other cities against reaching the danger levels. last year supreme court banned firecrackers for the Diwali festival, firecrackers set off makes a huge air pollution. in this year the court ordered that only reduce smoke fireworks. the court has also set  a two-hour window from 8:00pm to 10:00pmfor lightning of crackers   

Uber to introduce clean air fee to all London rides

Uber will charge its customers in London extra 15p per mile on every trip to help its drivers buy electric cars. Uber say that evey extra penny would go towards helping drivers upgrade their vehicle. The fund was announced as a part of clean air plan,as Uber continues its effort to prove itself to Transport for London after it initially decided not to renew its licence to operate last year.

Hawaiian island erased by powerful hurricane: The loss is a huge blow

East Island, a remote spit of gravel and sand that sat atop a coral reef, has vanished after having this misfortune to come into contact with hurricane Walaka, an intense storm that surged past Hawaii earlier this month. Scientists have confirmed the disappearance of 11 acre island after comparing satellite images of the surrounding French Frigate Shoals, part of an enormous protected marine area in the north western Hawaiian Islands.
The island played an important role for wildlife including critically endangered Hawaiian monk seal, a soecies taht numbers just 1400 individual, Green sea turtles and seabirds such as albatrosses.

Two rhinos die in Chad after being relocated from South Africa

• Rhinos in Chad were wiped out by poaching nearly 50 years ago
• The six rhinos which had been relocated to Chad from South Africa, were intended to establish a new population in the country after intensive anti-poaching measures were put in place to protect them.
• Black rhinos are rated as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 
• Rhinos are targeted to feed a booming demand for rhino horn  in China, Vietnam and other Asian countries, where it is believed to have medicinal qualities. 

SOURCE :  TIMES OF INDIA

State hopeful of lifting Bandipur Ban

• With a Supreme Court-appointed committee considering the measures proposed by the Centre for development of the ecosystem without impacting wildlife, Kerala is hopeful that the night traffic ban on National Highway 766 through the Bandipur Tiger Reserve may be lifted.
• The proposals have been submitted by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
• several mitigative steps needed to be adopted if the apex court accepted the proposal to construct five elevated sections of one-km stretch, of which four will be at Bandipur and one in Wayanad on the highway.
• As per the plan, the metalled road portion underneath these elevated sections will be milled and converted into a forest landscape so as to maintain the continuity of the forest for the ease of movement of wildlife without any barrier.
• Besides, the State Forest Department has to provide land in exchange for the land re-converted into forest for the length of five km under the elevated sections in order to achieve a uniform right of way of 15 m.
• The wildlife departments of both States will jointly decide on the locations of elevated sections. The night-time restrictions on traffic will be lifted after the project is completed.

The Hindu October 24 2018

Chorus for cutting trees grows

• More than 500 requests for tree pruning were received in the Thiruvananthapuram range over the past six months, according to Forest Department officials.
• Destruction caused by uprooted trees and damage caused by branches falling during heavy rain seem to have led to people paying more attention to trees that pose danger.

Priority

• We can clear the branches of trees located on Corporation roads or on the premises of our offices once we get the approval from the Tree Protection Committee. 
• We are giving priority in case of educational institutions and hospitals to ensure that the pruning is carried out soon enough. Some of the councelor are not specific, as they don’t pinpoint specific trees to be pruned but request pruning for a larger area. For the bigger trees, above a specific size we need to call for a tender before we can do anything says the official.

China to ban polluting tourist vehicles near Mt Everest in Tibet

• China is planning to ban polluting tourist vehicles at Mt.Everest base camp in next year as a part of effort to reduce pollution in the area that has a fragile environment.
• Eco unfriendly tourist vehicles will be banned.
• Locals who live below the poverty line will employed as tour guide and drivers of new electric Gulf Style buggies to and from the camp.
• This area has a fragile environment and its natural conditions has limited processing capabilities of trash and sewage which must be handled very carefully.

Times Of India October 22.2018

Soil Takes Decades to Catch Up to Climate Changes

Soil bacteria often take 50 years or more to react to changes in climate.Soil bacteria respond dramatically to changes in climate.The findings suggest that today's climate conditions will continue to cause upheaval in the soil for decades.

Soil bacteria don't always reproduce that fast. At any given time, a large fraction of them are dormant.

More importantly, climate can affect soil bacteria indirectly, through slow-changing conditions such as soil acidity.

If the microbes could catch up with contemporary climate, there can be a widespread increase in microbial diversity.

Himalayas facing severe global warming disruption, say foresters

Being sensitive to temperature variations, mountain ecosystems in the Himalayas are facing severe disruption from global warming as they are witnessing melting glaciers and major ecological and geophysical changes.

The prevention of soil erosion and the preservation of native flora and fauna are increasingly becoming a big challenge.

The unpredictability of weather and natural changes that have struck the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh in the past two decades are clear indicators of a marked shift in weather patterns in the region.

The alien species such as lantana, parthinium, wattles, eucalyptus and numerous others can adversely affect the overall functioning of these ecosystems.These non-native species  has had substantial economic, conservation and societal consequences.

In urban U.P., 87% of waste from toilets goes to rivers, agri land

 The urban Uttar Pradesh has an 80% coverage of toilets, inefficient sanitation systems ensure that almost 87% of the excreta bring generated by these toilets is being dumped in water-bodies or agricultural lands, according to a new analysis of 30 cities by the Center for Science and Environment.

The report points out that building more toilets will only worsen the environmental, sanitation and manual scavenging situation, unless sewerage connections increase from the current 28% of households in the 30 cities studied.

In cities with a population over 10 lakh, such as Lucknow, Kanpur and Agra, the sewerage system covers 44% of the population.But  only 28% of that waste water is safely treated.

In cities with a population between five and 10 lakh, more than 70% of the population is dependent on tanks connected to open drains,only 18% of waste and sludge is safely managed.