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

Carbon dioxide levels in 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. This also can lead to increase in the temparature and may lead to increase in the rate of heating up of earth.

Main Highlights

1. Highest amount of carbon dioxide in atmosphere for May was reported.
2. Amount of carbon dioxide in the air was 411.25 parts per million
3. Scientists suggest this could be highest concentration of CO2 in human history.

 

STATE GOVERNMENT FINDS FLAWS IN COASTAL ZONE DRAFT PLAN

SOURCE: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/state-govt-finds-flaws-in-coastal-zone-draft-plan/articleshow/66209640.cms

The state government has observed that ground thruthing, ground verification of high tide line (HTL) and survey map is not being carried out by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) while preparing the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP).

The presentation of the preliminary draft of CZMP was given to state government departments. CZMP maps were also presented to government officials for viewing. The maps was shown with geo-referenced satellite imagery. It was decided to view the coastal villages from Keri to Loliem and accordingly, the coastal villages along the Arabian Sea were scrutinized.

The directorate of settlement and land records observed that missing data of survey maps was seen in many villages; for example, Gonsua, Keri, Tiracol, Mandrem and Morjim.

The report also said that uniform marking of non-development zones (NDZ) was not done along the sea coast especially in areas where traditional monsoon water drains merged with the sea.

Tie Up for study or radioecology

• The Centre for Advanced Research in Environmental Radioactivity (CARER) at Mangalore University has signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) with National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba, Japan, for research on various aspects of radiation protection and radioecology.
• A press release from the university said the MoC provides scope for exchange of researchers and students between CARER and the Japanese institute. 
• Karunakara N, coordinator of CARER, and Janik Miroslaw, Radiation Measurement Research Team of the Department of Radiation Measurement and Dose Assessment, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, will coordinate the research activities.

Business Line August 23,2018

Odd - Even scheme had little impact on air pollution

• Air pollution is a serious problem in Delhi and vehicular traffic is generally thought to be the main culprit. But a new study done in the national capital has found that traffic density alone doesn’t have much impact on the amount or intensity of air pollution in the city. 
• The study, conducted during implementation of traffic rationing policy - popularly known as `Odd-Even Scheme’ - implemented from January 1 to 15, 2016, found that there was hardly any impact on the characteristics and concentration of major air pollutants - particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) and black carbon.
• “The daily variation in meteorological parameters makes it very difficult to delineate the effect of traffic density on PM concentration. Although there may be a reduction in the level of few pollutants, the decrease in the number of vehicles was not sufficient to make a visible change in PM characteristics over Delhi,” the study has concluded.
• The positive impact was seen in terms of reduction in concentration of some harmful chemical elements like arsenic, copper, lead, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, silica, sodium, chlorine, potassium, chromium and iron. 
• The PM 2.5 directly enters living tissues through lungs, causing several respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Black carbon is the sooty black material emitted from diesel engines of vehicles and holds a large portion of particulate matter in itself.

Business Line August 16

INDIA NEEDS TO MAKE A SMOOTH AND VIABLE TRANSITION FROM COAL. SAYS IPCC REPORT

India could witness deadly heatwaves if the planet’s temperature goes up by two degrees Celsius, according to a report released Monday by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC).

At +2 degrees Celsius warming, Karachi (Pakistan) and Kolkata (India) could expect annual conditions equivalent to their deadly 2015 heatwaves (medium confidence), the report had said.


Shukla, Co-Chairman, IPCC Working Group III (Mitigation) since October 2015 said the global 1.5C ambition is set to shrink available global carbon budget.

“Historically, compared to most nations, India’s per capita emissions have been very low. India’s socio-economic transition requires a reasonable share of carbon budget so as to improve the quality of life and enhance the performance vis-à-vis several important SDGs,” Shukla said.

India needs to make a smooth and viable transition from coal and simultaneously safeguard related jobs in the short term, Shukla said, adding the successful transformation of coal sector would need re-skilling the workforce along-side application of emerging technologies like Carbon Capture and Storage.

SOURCE: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-needs-to-make-a-smooth-and-viable-transition-from-coal-says-ipcc-report-5401562/

UN climate panel says ' unprecedented changes ' needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degree C.

United Nations: A landmark UN report paints a dire picture of the catastrophic consequences the world will face if immediate action is not taken to limit the global warming to 1.5 degree C warning that 2 degree C, the world could see 10 cm more global sea level rise, loss of all coral reefs and worsening food shortages. The IPCC , the UN's top climate panel issued report from Incheon, Republic of Korea, where for the past week, hundreds of scientists and government representatives have been pouring over thousands of inputs to paint a picture of what could happen to the planet and its inhabitants with global warming of 1.5 degree C.

Butterfly rediscovered after 130 years

The Nilgiri Plain Ace, a butterfly species, was rediscovered after 130 years , during the Larsen memorial butterfly survey, conducted by the Wynter -Blyth Association (WBA) and the forest Department. The survey concluded on October 14.

This was the first time the butterfly was photographed in the district , though it had been recorded previously in 1888. This was the first time a butterfly survey was being conducted in the Nilgiris.

The survey was conducted across a large geographical landscape with a definitive time -frame.

Apart from the discovery of the Nilgiri Plain Ace,198 different species were recorded during the survey, including the largest butterfly in India - the southern Birdwing.

                                                                                                        (Oct 15,2018 - The Hindu)

Amazon at risk from Bolsonaro's grim attack on the environment

Threats to the rain forest and its people and an end to Paris agreement are among the promises of Brazil's hopeful.
  No more Paris agreement. No more ministry of environment. A paved highway cutting through the Amazon. Indigenous territories opened to mining. Relaxed environmental law enforcement and licensing. International NGO such as Greenpeace and WWF banned from the country. A strong alliance with the beef loby. 

Plastic makes way for steel straws, cloth bags in hotels across country.

• Paper straws, stainless steel crockery, laundry bags made of markeen cloth, and glass bottles are beginning to replace the once-so-popular plastic products. All this, thanks to the ban on plastic in hotels.
• The objective is to focus on reducing, reusing and recycling the waste. To take this initiative of going environmental-friendly forward, we are focusing on items for which eco-friendly substitutes are available,” said Raj Rana, CEO, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.
• Radisson has begun using bamboo stirrers, replaced plastic laundry bags with those made of cloth, and also installed wall-mounted dispensers for shampoo and body wash, instead of dishing out small plastic bottles.

The Cost of Green

• The cost of an item also plays a major role the adoption of environment-friendly items. Plastic is often considered a preferred option as the substitutes available in the market are costlier in comparison.
• A plastic straw might cost around 22 paise. The price of a paper straw, however, is around a rupee.
• Taking this environment-friendly initiative forward, Le Meridien has begun using paper coasters, and also introduced paper straws.

Business Line August 28, 2018 

State govt finds flaws in coastal Zone draft plan

The state government has observed that ground thruthing ,ground verification of high tide line (HTL) and survey map is not being carried out by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM) while preparing the Coastal Zone Management Plan(CZMP).

The presentation of the preliminary draft of CZMP was given to state government department.CZMP

maps were also presented to government officials for viewing. The maps was shown with geo-referenced satellite imagery. Uniform marking of no - development zones (NDZ) was done along the sea coast especially in areas where traditional monsoon water drains merged with the sea.

NGT had set a deadline of April 2018 for all coastal states and Union territories to submit CZMPs

The ministry of environment ,forest and climate change was expected to approve the plans by 

July 30,2018.

                                                                                                 (Oct 15 2018 - Times Of India)

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

Gurgaon: The intelligent traffic light system may not only reduce commute time but also lower air pollution. It is developed by 11 students at Shiva Nagar school and make the existing traffic light system responsive to real time traffic intensity. Based on the research the most traffic signals works on preset algorithms and timers. Vehicles are the major contributor to air pollution but after the implication commuters will spend less time on the roads as compared to earlier due to primitive traffic management system. A prototype has been developed and tested in live traffic conditions, and it also approved for a longer trial by the local authority.

NASA Satellite to Measure Earth’s Melting Ice’

• NASA is set to launch a satellite equipped with the most advanced laser instrument of its kind in to space, to provide critical observations of how the Earth’s ice sheets, glaciers and sea ice are changing.
• Scheduled to launch on September 15, the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) will measure the average annual elevation change of land ice covering Greenland and Antarctica, capturing 60,000 measurements every second.
• “The new observational technologies of ICESat-2 — a top recommendation of the scientific community in NASA’s first Earth science decadal survey — will advance our knowledge of how the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica contribute to sea level rise,” said Michael Freilich, from NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in the US.
• Its Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) measures height by timing how long it takes individual light photons to travel from the spacecraft to Earth and back.4

Business Line 21.09.18

Delhi pollution hits Sivakasi firecracker industry staring at dull Diwali as Uncertainty over ban lingers

 Tamil nadu's small town which is also known as "little japan" and is famous for firecrackers manufacturing , is battling legal hurdles that threaten the only sources of live hood there. The town waits for Diwali season when it usually sees an unprecedented spike in orders but they have dried up this time due supreme court ban on firecrackers in Delhi and adjacent areas last year. There is a huge tock which is lying unsold after last year's SC judgement.

Advance orders witnessed a steep decline this summer and dealers were not willing to take any risk. The industry's argument is that it is not proved that firecrackers are the only reason behind Delhi's rising air pollution . There are many factors which contribute to it but only firecrackers are targeted.

Sivakasi' s fire industry is not just battling ban but many questions are raised on its not so enviable safety record. Many argue that the way forward for the industry is to make "eco - friendly firecrackers". Scientists at CSIR is working towards inventing green firecrackers .These fireworks will have modified chemical formulations and will help to bring down the level of air and noise pollution.

CSIR -Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

                                                             (Oct 14,2018)

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

India is set to roll out an integrated programme to cut greenhouse gases from agriculture.

The project is primarily aimed at protecting the country's five biggest vulnerable ecological landscapes.

The programme will cover Madhya Pradesh's Champal region, Dampa in Mizoram, Odisha's Similipal, Jaisalmer and Barmer in Rajasthan besides a national corridor through Uttarakhand.

The programme, involving the agriculture and environment ministries, is a  part of a Global initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Global Environment Facility(GEF), a partnership of 183 countris including India.

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

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%.

China purrs over white tiger triplets

Kunming(China): Three playful white Bengal tiger cubs are at zoo in China. The rare, blue eyed triplets were born nearly three months ago at Yunnan Wildlife zoo in kunming. The cubs mother is getting a helping hand keeping her youngsters from getting hungry, with keepers always ready to with a bottle. The tigers white fur is a genetic variation of the common orange Bengal tiger. The mutation seldom occurs in the wild, but the zoo is home to 41 cats of the rare white variety.

Green themes abound in Durga Puja marquees

AT time when global warming and high pollution levels have emerged as major challenges for policy planners world wide , a number of community Durga Puja organisers in and around Kolkata have come up with green themes to spread awareness about a clean environment among the public.

Children and adults alike can enjoy the feelings of passing through a sanctuary with high quality light and sound effects in salt Lake City's FD Block marquee,while the Belighata Sandhani club has protested against the need for conservation of the big cat with its "Tarjon Garjon" (Roar of the Tiger) theme.

Delivering a message about reusing plastics and not littering it everywhere, the "When Useless becomes Useful " theme finds prominence in the marquee of kankulia and Fern Road community Durga puja festival, on the other hand ,have showcased "Go Green with Development " in the marquee.

                                                                                    ( Oct  14 2018 - Business Standard)

MPCB issues closure notices to 93 plastic manufacturing units

The news is published in The Indian Express on 15th october 2018.

 For the effective implementation of plastic ban, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board(MPCB) had issued closure notice to 93 plastic manufacturing units.

 It is also in the process of issuing closure notices to as amny as 235 plastic manufacturing units across the state for violating plastic ban.

As per the data compiled by MPCB, it has inspected over 600 plastic manufacturing units across the state from March 23, of these nearly 287 units appeared to be shut the inspection by MPCB officials.

The official further said the highest number of plastic manufacturing units are located in Pune, Mumbai, Nashik, Thane and Kohlapur among others. Some of the units have been fined for a preliminary offense and further action is likely to be initiated agaist them as well the official said.

The Official added that nearly 299 tonne plastic had been seized and Rs. 2.53 crore fine were collected so far.

The Minister of Environment Ramdas Kadam has directed to the environment department to cancel the licenses of the shop for repeated violations of plastic ban.

     Niti Ayog favours green cess

The governments top think tank, Niti Ayog has favoured imposing a "green cess" from tourists to arrest the environmental degradation caused by the rising footfalls in the Indian Himalayan region.

The Niti Ayog proposal in its recent report of working Group 2 sustainable Tourism in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) follows observation that the region annually records about 100 million tourists and the number is expected to increase to 240 million by 2025,putting huge pressure on resources.The 'green cess' will help boost revenue services as well as ensure sustainable development of the region that stretches about 2,400 km across the northern border of India, covering area of about 500000 sq. km, as per the report.

 It also suggested payments for environmental services (PES) such as charging entrance fees from tourists and services sector as a long term solution within the tourism industry. The panel has also called for carrying out tourism development management of Destination carrying capacity as the destinations have their own limited natural and heritage resources and infrastructure.Arunachal Pradesh ,Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,

Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, Uttarakhand and West Bengal are the part of the IHR.

                                                                                 ( Monday,15 Oct)

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

This article says that carbon dioxide levels in 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.

Article Highlights

• Highest amount of carbon dioxide in atmosphere for May was reported.
• Amount of carbon dioxide in the air was  411.25 parts per million
• Scientists suggest this could be highest concentration of CO2 in human history. 

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

More Indian companies adopt 'green' business practices

This article talks about the 'GreenCo' rating which was initiated by the CII based on their environmental performance. 

Cement companies such as ACC and Vasavadatta develop sustainable technologies in manufacturing, and real estate firm DLF ensuring some of its properties adhere to high standards of energy efficiency. In other sectors, Hindustan Unilever is aiming to cut carbon emission by 22%, Pune-based Kirloskar Brothers is marketing a line of highly energy-efficient pumps, while in Jaipur UltraTech Cement helps burn 100 tonnes of municipal waste at its waste treatment plant every day.

To encourage this Green Movement, the Ministry of Power and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency have come up with a Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) programme for big energy consumers. The government has identified 478 companies that together consume 75% of industrial energy and given them targets to reduce energy consumption over a period of 3 years.

The parameters considered before giving this GreenCo rating include energy efficiency, water conservation, use of renewable energy and waste management etc.

BSF Team Scales Mt Everest 4 Times in 2 Days, Brings 700kg Garbage on the Way Down

Their effort earned them a record and an appreciation certificate from the Sagarmatha pollution control board, which monitors environmental degradation on the Everest.

 Scaling Mount Everest is no mean feat, but a BSF team led by Assistant Commandant Lovraj Singh Dharmshaktu not just climbed the world’s tallest peak but also set a record by bringing down 700 kg garbage. 

The-15 member team and 7 sherpas who assisted them went back and forth from base camps to the peak at least four times on May 20 and 21 to collect the garbage and bring it back. 

Antarctica's temperature to rise by 3 degrees by end of the 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.

"There are models about the kind of increase in (temperature in) 21st century in Antarctica and it is suspected that the temperatures in the Antarctica peninsula could increase about three degrees up to the end of this century," Jeronimo Lopez-Martinez, president of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR), told IANS on the sidelines of the XIIth International Symposium on Antarctic Earth Sciences.

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.

Martinez also said that there was clear evidence that global warming is increasing on the planet in general and particularly in some areas.

"The areas where the temperatures have increased in the last 50 years are polar - some areas in Alaska and Siberia and Western Antarctica. The effects of warming on ice is increasing," he said, adding that melting ice changes salinity, influences currents and raises the sea level.

"The complications will arise if the temperatures increase more than 2.5 degrees in the next century," Martinez said when asked if there was a tipping point beyond which the challenge of global warming would be difficult to overcome.

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.

WHY WORRY NOW?

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.

SO, WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?

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 the 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 rise 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.

Delhi air pollution: Why dust cover will stay for few more days

Delhi air quality continues to be severe as dust-laden winds head towards Delhi-NCR. PM10 level stands at 816 ug/m3 today. Met department says that similar weather condition will continue for the next few days.

If you are living in Delhi and surrounding areas of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana or Western Uttar Pradesh, you must be biting dust these days. Breath would be shorter and heavier as dust particles seem to be on "Dilli Chalo" mode. Met department says that similar weather condition will continue for the next few days

The government has declared pollution emergency in Delhi-NCR under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in consultation with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

But why is there so much of dust in the air?

"The western disturbance as an upper air cyclonic circulation at 3.1 km above mean sea level over eastern parts of Jammu and Kashmir and neighborhood persists. Strong northwesterly/westerly winds are prevailing in the lower levels over Northern Plains," reads the weather inference report of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

Simply put, dust is arriving in Delhi and NCR from Rajasthan and neighboring areas of Pakistan. The low pressure in Jammu and Kashmir is the reason for dust in Punjab and Haryana. As the mercury is still soaring in Western Rajasthan and Eastern Pakistan, dust cover over North India may stay for another week.

Walruses may soon be endangered, thanks to warming

Walruses prefer sea ice for molting, mating, nursing, and resting between dives for food  

Trouble is, as the century progresses, there’s going to be far less ice around. The US government in 2008 listed polar bears as a threatened species because of diminished sea ice brought on by climate warning. That same year the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned to do the same for walruses. Historically hunted for ivory tusks, meat, and blubber, walruses since 1972 have been shielded by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

 An Endangered Species Act listing would require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to designate critical habitat for their recovery. Inaccessibility protected walruses for decades, but a rapid decline in summer sea ice has made them vulnerable. 

Quantifying evolutionary impacts of humans on the biosphere is harder than it seems

New research raises methodological problems in assessing impacts of humans on evolution

A new study finds that, on average, human disturbances don't appear to accelerate the process of natural selection. While the finding may seem reassuring, this unexpected pattern could reflect the limited number of species for which data were available.