Friday, October 12, 2018

6,000 illegal units to be sealed in 2 weeks ,SC told

Delhi government on Thursday told supreme court that over 6,000 industrial units running illegally from residential areas in Delhi would be sealed within 15 days after the court asked how they were allowed to operate for the last 14 years in violation of its order.

The apex court had in 2004 appointed a committee headed by the Delhi chief secretary to take action against such industrial units which had not shifted out of residential colonies but the panel failed to take action against them. The committee comprised of heads of Delhi Police civic bodies and the DDA vice chairman.

Delhi government assured SC that al industrial operations in residential areas would be closed within 2 months after conducting a comprehensive survey by civic bodies.

(Times of India - Oct 12 ,2018)

The true cost to the environment of your air travel.

This article(Australia Based) says that, flying internationally and domestically accounts for a large portion of an individuals carbon footprint. Cutting on air travel can help in less global warming crisis.

World leaders on climate change have warned the transport industry, in particular, aviation needs to drastically reduce and eventually eliminate its carbon emissions so as to limit global warming to 1.5 degree centigrade by 2100 to avoid catastrophic consequences.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation(ICAO) said that emissions from global aviation could increase by 300 percentage in 2050.

Currently, Australia's aviation industry accounts for an estimated 17 per cent of all transportation-related emissions in Australia.

Australia's civil aviation sector both domestic and international contributed a total of 22 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2016. This equates to more than two per cent of Australia's total CO2 emissions.

Climate change: Is your Netflix habit bad for the environment?

In a nutshell, this article says that, Cutting down time spent on the internet will really make a huge difference to energy consumption and global warming.

For streaming videos and playing songs via Netflix vast amounts of energy are needed to keep data flowing on the internet.

Sources say that, some of that energy is generated from clean energy sources, but much of it comes from burning carbon-based fossil fuels, which scientists believe is a contributing factor to rising global temperatures.

Low-emission cows: Farming responds to climate warning

This news talks about the low emission cows and impact on climate change. Cow farts are a major source of greenhouse gas.

According to a research, If individual cows that produce less methane could be bred with each other, it could bring down emissions. From low-emission cows to robotic soil management, the farming industry will have to explore new approaches in the wake of a UN warning that the world needs to cut meat consumption or face worsening climate chaos.

Guy Smith, vice-president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) told a meeting of politicians and climate experts that “If consumers want to reduce red meat consumption, farmers will respond accordingly,”

New 'smart traffic light' may reduce fleet time, air pollution

Students at Shiv Nadar School here have developed an 'intelligent traffic light' system which they say may not only help reduce commute time but also lower air pollution. This makes the existing traffic light system responsive to real-time traffic intensity. It is the first system meant to work on Indian roads and will function accurately keeping in mind the traffic situation in the country, according to a project paper. Using a simple camera and a microcontroller,there have a way to calculate the amount of traffic present on the road using a camera and then modify the red/green distribution time at each junction dynamically.The system will cost only Rs 20,000 as compared to Rs eight lakh spent on other systems . Air pollution has a very negative impact on an individual's health and with the increasing vehicles; this problem is going to get worse. This reduction in time spent on the road will result in a decrease in the number of pollutants released by the cars and thus, reducing air pollution. The idea has also been applauded by the government at the recently concluded CSIR Innovation Award for School Children-2018, where the students bagged the fifth prize .

Humpback whale calf rescued from net off Australian beach

“It was a very, very young calf heavily engaged in the net, it was almost enveloped in the net so quite distressing for the calf and quite distressing for the mother,” Mr. Long told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

A whale calf has been freed after becoming tangled in a shark net off the Australian east coast.

Experts from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and Sea World Gold Coast worked for almost two hours on Tuesday morning untangling the humpback calf from a net about 500 meters (yards) off Greenmount Beach at Gold Coast city.

Top priority for Public Transport

Electric power is the way to go for the transport sector, given the need to curb greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
The government is finalising a policy that would help transition the sector away from the internal combustion engine and fossil fuels to electric vehicles and alternative fuels.
In devising a policy for clean mobility, the government must prioritise mass transit over cars and private vehicles.
A shift away from fossil fuels to alternatives like methanol, ethanol, hydrogen or battery-stored power is essential to address the environmental, economic and health fallout of increased congestion.
This means greater investment in the sector but also working to change public attitudes, from seeing public transport as the option for those who cannot afford a personal vehicle or be part of the shared mobility experience such as taxis, autos, e-rickshaws and ridesharing, to accepting it as the first and smart choice for mobility for even those who own a private
Second, the different modes of public transport such as bus, train, metro, tram, must be integrated.
India is urbanising rapidly. New towns must be planned to minimise commutes and prioritise public transport.
High density and mixed land use must be accompanied by public transport. Shared cycles will be possible at least in some places. Planning is the key.

The Economic Times September 9 2018

UN report on global warming carries life-or-death warning.

“Global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052 if it continues to increase at the current rate”

“Limiting global warming to 1.5ºCelcius would require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society," the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said in a new assessment made public on Monday.

The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5ºC was approved by the IPCC on Saturday in Incheon, South Korea.

Soon competition among cities for revival of waterbodies
NEW DELHI: The government will soon launch a competition among cities for revival of water bodies. The cities that would do better would get some ranking and financial assistance to encourage more to join the competition. This initiative is to make cities flood resilient. Cities face more threats of flooding because of blocked drainage system and dying natural water bodies. drains carrying rainwater also get the waste water, which should not enter the waterbodies. This is a huge challenge, but we need to find a way out. Competitions have always helped in finding solutions. Union urban affairs ministry Hardeep Singh Puri said flooding in urban centres is due to inadequate storm-water drains and large-scale encroachments along natural waterways. He also called for mapping of emergency services and disaster management response centres, strengthening of communication services, solid waste management, rejuvenating waterbodies and involving the civil society and NGOs, generating awareness among people to make the systems urban flood resilient.

Rivers and idol immersions

India is water stressed today,conserving and recharging water bodies is literally a matter of survival.
But even as our distressed lakes and rivers cry for medicine we are feeding them poison.
This month it was Ganesh Chatthurti,next year Kumb Mela will take place.
In India the cycle of religious festivals is continues but but citizens must learn to celebrate in environmental friendly way.
Authorities must also do a more more sincere and rigorous job of stopping pollution activities.
Stop the slow killing of India's river.

-Times of India September 25 ,2018

DIAL plans to make Delhi airport Plastic free by 2019 end - Source, The economic times

Delhi airport, country's busiest aerodrome is planning to make plastic free by the end of 2019.
The Delhi International Airport(DIAL) has taken number of steps to eliminate possible use of single use plastics.
It includes creating awareness ,enhancing waste management system and promoting the use of Eco-friendly sustainable alternatives.
Single use plastics also called disposable plastics include grocery bags, food packaging, bottles, straws, containers, cups and cutlery.
DIAL is looking to ensure use of smart and bio friendly packaging for food retail shopping.
Also they will look to minimize generation of waste by ways of recycling opportunities and enhance segregation and collection of waste at source.
This initiative have been taken towards environment protection and sustainable development.

DIAL plans to make Delhi airport plastic free by 2019-end

Stubble burning starts in Punjab,Haryana

National Capital Region braces for smoky days from October 15
Farmers blam high cost for low adoption of farm equipment
The high price of straw sorting machines, as well as their shortage, is facing them to resort to the method that leads to air pollution.
Every year, the burning of leftover straw from paddy cultivation leads to acute air pollution.

Environmental Management & Sustainability Development