Think India Foundation

IEA for phasing out fuel subsidies

Says clean energy system is not possible without prices reflecting true cost of energy

New Delhi : Advocating phasing out of fuel subsidies, International Energy Agency today said clean energy system was not possible without prices reflecting true cost of energy.

"For too long have we supported, directly or indirectly, wasteful use of energy. Largely this is because prices do not reflect the true cost of energy. Altering this means creating a meaningful carbon price and phasing out fuel subsidy," IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven said at the Clean Energy Ministerial conference here. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Progress towards clean energy has stalled: IEA

Renewable technologies & greater efforts by emerging economies among few bright spots

New Delhi : The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Wednesday said the drive to clean up the world’s energy system had stalled. IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven told the 23-member Clean Energy Ministerial despite much talk by world leaders and a boom in renewable energy through the last decade, the average unit of energy produced on Wednesday was “as dirty as it was 20 years ago”.

The rapid expansion of renewable technologies was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak assessment of global progress towards low-carbon energy, IEA said in an annual report presented to the ministerial here on Wednesday. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Study shows boost in international climate change policies

Implementation and impact of policy related to climate change has significantly increased over the last decade according to a new study by the Climate Policy Initiative.

The new report ‘The Policy Climate’ has put together 30 years of evidence from five key economies, China, EU, US, Brazil and India – which combined, contains more than 50% of the worlds population, accounting for almost two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions. Read more

Source : blueandgreentomorrow.com

Super-efficient laptop, high-speed electric car to be reality

New Delhi : A laptop that runs for eight hours without a recharge or a high-speed electric car covering around 300 km in one fill may appear a distant dream for many Indians. But, it would soon be a reality with India set to enter the highly competitive world of 'super-energy efficient' appliances. 

The government would be announcing a global initiative on super energy efficiency after the success of promoting energy efficient appliances under the aegis of Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Global solutions for India’s biggest cities

Some of India's most remarkable entrepreneurs call Mumbai home. Like most residents of Mumbai, they also feel that the city is in decline. Many of them care deeply about their city, and have tremendous convening power with the political and bureaucratic leadership. Yet they have not succeeded in straightening the waning arc of the city's decay. Mumbai's situation is true of most Indian cities - Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and the thousands of urban centres that are the hotspots of the country's changing demographic map. Is there a serious, thoughtful explanation for this?

Some of India’s most remarkable entrepreneurs call Mumbai home. Like most residents of Mumbai, they also feel that the city is in decline.

WICKED PROBLEMS

In 1973, Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber, professors at UC Berkeley, coined the terms "Tame Problems" and "Wicked Problems". Keith Grint at Warwick Business School offers a crisp description: "A Tame Problem may be complicated but is resolvable through unilinear acts — there is only a limited degree of uncertainty. Tame Problems are akin to puzzles — for which there is always an answer. Examples would include: timetabling the railways, building a nuclear plant, training the army etc. A Wicked Problem is more complex, rather than just complicated — that is, it cannot be removed from its environment, solved, and returned without affecting the environment." Examples of wicked problems include reducing violence against women, addressing global warming. Fixing our cities is a wicked problem. Recognising the wicked problems of our cities will help us see why traditional leadership and problem-solving approaches will fail. But there are answers — cities around the world face wicked problems, and many of them — have figured out ways to not only be vibrant hubs, but also constantly reinvent themselves. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Making a difference to the planet

BANGALORE : A celebratory event was organised to mark the Earth Hour 2013 on Brigade Road recently. M B Dyaberi (I A S), Managing Director, KREDL (Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited) was the chief guest. The event gathered hundreds of supporters to mark the fifth edition of Earth Hour in the city.

The objective behind Earth Hour is to demonstrate action against Climate Change, and initiate a mass movement towards more sustainable and healthy use of energy sources.

Along with the ‘switch off’ at the Brigade Road, supporters at Indiranagar residents association also observed the switch off, along with students of NCBS and employees of major corporates. Earth Hour the largest global environmental movement united the country for one hour, as Indians from across cities switched off lights for an hour at 8:30 pm. Read more

Source : newindianexpress.com

World landmarks go dark for Earth Hour

LOS ANGELES: The Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower and the Kremlin -- along with a slew of other landmarks around the world -- went dark Saturday to draw attention to climate change.

In a symbolic show of support for the planet, people across the continents switched off their lights for 60 minutes -- all at 8:30 pm local time -- to make "Earth Hour."

In a symbolic show of support for the planet, people across the continents switched off their lights for 60 minutes -- all at 8:30 pm local time -- to make "Earth Hour." Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Awareness about the real reason behind Earth Hour yet to pick up

Bangalore : For banking professional Geetha Sundaram and her friends, Earth Hour was purely about dedicating one hour in a year towards switching off from all forms of electricity. She had seen it happening in her neighbourhood and also at key places and junctions in the city like Brigade Road, etc. Some of her friends have also participated in the candle-light rallies that are held in support of the cause behind Earth Hour.

So what is the cause? “I think it has something to do with climate change. Heard colleagues discussing about it,” says Sundaram. She says her interest level on that topic is increasing in direct proportion to the rising temperatures in Bangalore. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

Guwahati to observe Earth Hour today

GUWAHATI: The city is set to join the world in observing Earth Hour on Saturday by switching off power between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm to bring down the impact of global warming and promote renewable energy.

WWF-India, the organizer of the event here, on Friday appealed to city residents to observe the Earth Hour by switching off electricity for one hour to express solidarity with the global community in saving energy. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Study to assess impact of Global Warming on the Himalayas undertaken

 New Delhi: A study to assess the impact of climate change on four sectors in four regions of India including Himalayan Region has been undertaken and a report titled “Climate Change and India: 4X4 Assessment - A Sectoral and Regional Analysis for 2030s” was published in 2010 by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. 

As per the report, the mean annual temperature and precipitation for the Himalayan region is projected to increase by 2030 with respect to base year 1970. Drought severity in the region is likely to increase despite extreme precipitation in some areas of the region. Malaria transmission is also likely to increase. This was stated by Shrimati Jayanthi Natarajan Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests, in the Rajya Sabha today, in a written reply to a question by Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy. Read more

Source : indiaeducationdiary.in

Recent heat spike unlike anything in 11,000 years: Study

WASHINGTON: A new study looking at 11,000 years of climate temperatures shows the world in the middle of a dramatic U-turn, lurching from near-record cooling to a heat spike. 

Scientists say it is further evidence that modern-day global warming isn't natural, but the result of rising carbon dioxide emissions that have rapidly grown since the Industrial Revolution began roughly 250 years ago.

Research released on Thursday in the journal Science uses fossils of tiny marine organisms to reconstruct global temperatures back to the end of the last ice age. It shows how the globe for several thousands of years was cooling until an unprecedented reversal in the 20th century. Read more 

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Let’s address Urban Heat Island effect on urban environment

In 1986, the Government of India in 1987 decided to designate February 28 as the National Science Day (NSD) to commemorate Prof Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman for his discovery of the Raman Effect on February 28, 1928, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930.

Events on this day remind the importance of science inspiring people of all ages. This day attracts many young minds and motivates them to take up science as their career. The event is celebrated in schools, colleges, universities and other academic and scientific, technical, medical and institutions. Read more

Source : www.dailypioneer.com

Greenhouse emissions in cities can be reduced by 70%

TORONTO: It is technically feasible for cities to slash their greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent or more in the long-term, says a new study. 

The study focuses on buildings, energy supply and transportation. Best practices as well as options and opportunities - for example, encouraging electric cars and increasing bicycling infrastructure - are detailed.

Cities need to implement aggressive but practical step wise policy changes to make this happen, said Chris Kennedy, professor of civil engineering from the University of Toronto, and World Bank climate change specialist Lorraine Sugar. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Alternative Strategies to Implement Low Carbon Urban Infrastructure Plan

Cities are major players in the climate change game. More than half of the world's population lives in urban areas and over 70% of global GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions can be attributed to cities. A case study of Toronto demonstrates alternative strategies for how the city can implement a low carbon urban infrastructure plan by 2031.

Two scenarios are described: one based on Toronto's current policies was found to reduce GHG emissions by 31%; and another suggests aggressive alternatives that could reduce GHG emissions by 71%. Strategies under the aggressive scenario include retrofitting all existing buildings, using renewable heating and cooling systems, and the proliferation of electric cars. This study is published in the Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering. Read more

Source : www.azocleantech.com

India needs solar power

Continued use of fossil fuels to generate electricity adds to global warming trends

Last week, the Supreme Court came down hard on anti-dam campaigners while observing that power projects — even nuclear power plants — are opposed while all citizens want power. Read more

Source : www.dailypioneer.com

Expensive Loans Dim The Prospects For Renewable Energy In India

India, a country blessed with enormous reserves of renewable energy, pays up to 32 percent more for electricity from solar and wind than the U.S. or Europe because projects are so expensive to finance, according to a report.

A joint study by the Climate Policy Initiative and the Indian School of Business issued in December found that a combination of high interest rates and unclear government policies make the electricity from a clean-energy project carry a premium of 24 to 32 percent compared to a similar project in the West. Expensive clean energy makes it more likely that India will end up building its 21st Century energy infrastructure with coal, which would lead to higher carbon emissions and worsen the problems of global warming. Read more

Source : www.forbes.com

Black carbon is worse for global warming than previously thought

A new study indicates soot plays a far greater role in global warming than previously believed and is second only to CO2 in the amount of heat it traps in the atmosphere

What soot does once it reaches the atmosphere has long been a hard question to answer. Photograph: Getty

It rises from the chimneys of mansions and from simple hut stoves. It rises from forest fires and the tail pipes of diesel-fueled trucks rolling down the highway, and from brick kilns and ocean liners and gas flares. Every day, from every occupied continent, a curtain of soot rises into the sky.

What soot does once it reaches the atmosphere has long been a hard question to answer. It's not that scientists don't know anything about the physics and chemistry of atmospheric soot. Just the opposite: it does so many things that it's hard to know what they add up to. Read more

Source : www.guardian.co.uk

Solutions to terrorism, global warming lie in Indian spirituality: Narendra Modi

Ahmedabad : Hailing Indian spirituality for having solution to problems such as global warming and terrorism, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the world was yet to realise its full potential. "The world has accepted the power of our youth in information technology, but it has yet to realise India's power of spirituality. Solutions to so many global problems such as global warming lie in the path shown by our saints, through our spirituality," he said.

The Gujarat CM said that in the philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' lay the answer to terrorism.

Modi said this at the closing ceremony of the 60th Youth Anniversary celebrations of the Aksharpurshottam Swaminarayan Sanstha here today. "At present, humankind is struggling to thwart the environmental crisis created because of global warming. Who has the capacity to show a way out of it? Our country is the place on earth where our saints had given the status of 'mother' to nature," he said. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

India should seek strategic partnership to develop an environment-friendly sources of technology

Louis Vyncke, a Belgian blacksmith, forayed into the bio-energy market a century before global warming became the raging topic that it is today. He made a fortune building boilers to produce energy for removing flax fibres from their stalks. His great grandson now steers the family-owned company that designs and builds plants to produce clean energy.

With scarcity of natural resources, India has been reluctant to commit to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, though developed economies account for bulk of such emissions.

Other small entrepreneurs in Flanders have also taken baby steps to move to a green economy. Yet, Belgium, a founder member of the European Union, is still a fossil-fuel guzzling economy. This appears set to change, perhaps, due to the crisis in the Eurozone. It has triggered a re-think in Belgium's energy policy for which groundwork has begun. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Pushing the pedal against global warming

CHENNAI: A lot of people know about the evils of global warming, but only very few are willing to do something about it. J Umanath is among those who are willing to walk — in his case cycle — the extra mile to encourage people to plant trees and reduce pollution. 

The 42-year-old from Jawahar Nagar near Perambur, who began his bicycle odyssey on December 15 at the Chennai Trade Centre in Nandambakkam near Guindy, has so far travelled 300 km. He plans to wind up his rally on the Marina beach at 6 pm on December 31. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Centre nod to climate action plan

KOLKATA: The Centre has approved the state's plan to take immediate steps against climate change. It will be executed by the state government once the funds are released. The funding agency, however, is yet to be decided.

A senior environment department official said that West Bengal was one of the few states that had submitted the plan of action for the climate change draft plan at the earliest. The Union ministry of environment and forest has given its nod and it will take a year for the state to implement the measures, the official said. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Slum dwellers may get development rights certificate

PUNE: If the government agrees to a new scheme sent by the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA), the slum-dwellers will get the Development Rights Certificate (DRC) instead of the developers.

"The Sanjivani Yojana will give freedom to the slum-dwellers to buy flats in any other part of the city or state. Under the scheme it will not be mandatory for a slum-dweller to opt for a house in the SRA scheme," said Congress corporator Aba Bagul. "The scheme would reduce congestion in slums," he added. Bagul said he had suggested the scheme when the SRA had sought suggestions and objections to its rules last year. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Focus is on how to make cities energy-efficient

For nearly everything we produce or consume we require energy. All essentials of our life depend on energy input. Cities exert a particularly high demand of energy. A big percentage of this increasing energy demand is covered by fossil fuels, a resource that is becoming scarce and increasing in price and that is a large contributor to global warming. The fossil fuel-depended urbanisation is still expanding all over the world even though the resource of fossil fuel is being fast depleted.

The ‘Sustainable Energy for All’ initiative will catalyse new investments to speed the transformation of the world’s energy systems, pursue the elimination of energy poverty and enhance prosperity. To achieve this, the United Nations has proclaimed 2012 as the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All. The International Year of Sustainable Energy for All has provided an effective platform for raising global awareness of the importance of sustainable energy and its role in alleviating poverty, reducing inequality and promoting sustainable development. Read more

Source : www.dailypioneer.com

Urban lifestyle leading to rise in asthmatic children: World Allergy Organisation

HYDERABAD: Asthma in children is increasing alarmingly in India with at least 15% rise mainly in big metros in thelast 10 years,the WorldAllergy Organisation (WAO ) said. With global warming, increase in pollution and change in lifestyle, the number of asthmatic children has doubled globally compared to what it was in the initial years of the millennium, said Ruby Pawankar, president of WAO on Saturday. 

"The situation in India is alarming . There is a steep rise in the number of asthma cases in Indian children ," Pawankar told STOI on the sidelines of the ongoing WAO International Scientific Conference in the city. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

UN Climate Change Negotiations 2012: Drought looms as India faces rain deficit

DOHA: India faces the risk of devastating drought as monsoon rains are likely to have a shortfall of 70% in the years ahead, as climate change shakes up global weather phenomena, recent research and experts at a global conference said.

The monsoon has regularly stumped forecasters in the first decade of the 21st century, during which the country faced the driest June in 100 years.

The risk of adverse changes in global weather is aggravated by the fact that international efforts to act against climate change have been blocked by deep divisions among the 200 countries negotiating at the UN-sponsored climate talks at Doha. Developing countries want more funds and firm commitments from industrialised nations to cut emissions. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

GSPCB unmoved by MPT's financial crisis plea

PANAJI: Goa state pollution control board (GSPCB) on Friday rejected Mormugao Port Trust's (MPT) plea to allow coal and coke handling at berths 10 and 11, though the port claimed it was facing a financial crisis. MPT had requested GSPCB permission to unload a ship carrying coal at berths 10 and 11 under the board's strict monitoring.

"The board has rejected MPT's plea to unload one ship carrying coal at berths 10 and 11," GSPCB chairman Jose Manuel Noronha told TOI. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

‘Green' is the new white-collar job

Environmentally conscious nations have made rapid strides in creating jobs that are green, clean and more sustainable. However, we in India are yet to warm up to the idea

An increasing awareness towards the preservation of the environment has created what is now popularly known as ‘green jobs’. A green job is essentially an employment in any industry, be it agriculture, manufacturing, research and development, administration and service activities such as IT, finance that contributes to preserving or restoring environmental quality. According to estimates nearly 1.5 million green jobs will be created in India by 2014. Read more

Source : www.dailypioneer.com

World Bank predicts disastrous impact of climate change

WASHINGTON : The World Bank today warned that the Earth will be warmer by four degrees Celsius this century, causing “calamitous effects”, unless immediate action is not taken to mitigate the imminent climate change crisis that may have serious consequences for countries like India.

In a major report prepared for the World Bank by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) and Climate Analytics, the rise in temperature will trigger a cascade of cataclysmic changes that include extreme heat-waves, declining global food stocks and a sea-level rise affecting hundreds of millions of people. Read more

Source : www.thehindubusinessline.com

Renewable energy can create more jobs: Greenpeace

New Delhi (IBNS) : Replacing fossil fuel with renewable energy can create more jobs and provide cheap electricity, said environmental organization Greenpeace.

Greenpeace has launched the second version of the Indian Energy [R]evolution - a roadmap to secure India’s growing energy needs without having to depend on the depleting and polluting fossil fuels. Read more

Source : www.indiablooms.com

India HFC-23 emissions may rise if CDM boon ends - former official

LONDON (Reuters Point Carbon) - Moves to curb offsets issued to emission reduction projects that destroy HFC-23 could result in a steep rise in emissions of the highly potent greenhouse gas as governments are unlikely to force or pay companies to destroy it instead, former Indian climate negotiator Prodipto Ghosh said Tuesday.

Currently 19 plants that produce the refrigerant gas HCFC-22 earn carbon credits under the U.N.'s Clean Development Mechanism by destroying the waste gas HFC-23, a tonne of which has the same heat-trapping impact as 12,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Read more

Source : www.moneycontrol.com

Climate change your problem when you can't eat

We know that the greatest conflicts we will see in the future will be over water, food and land. Skin deep in the Horn of Africa, and now in the west of Africa around Niger and Mali, are the stark consequences of the climate crisis we face in the world. But these are communities where one barely sees a refrigerator or the prized ‘progress’ our consumption model advertises as success.

I watch the burgeoning slums of Mumbai, Nairobi and Cape Town, and see defeat in the faces of the people. They have left the rural areas in the hope of a better life in the cities. But in overcrowded conditions with little public investment, household insecurity is the constant threat, and living conditions such as the lack of clean water and sanitation bring death nearer to doorsteps every day. Read more

Source : ewn.co.za

Grim global warming outlook for India post 2030: IISc's research

BANGALORE: J Srinivasan, professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore, goes through his work days secretly hoping for a global major climate crisis. As a leading climate change scientist in India, he knows that the country and the world are inching towards disaster. A serious crisis now would shake up people and make them act, he thinks. "I remember the ozone hole crisis while I was a student," says Srinivasan. "Scientists were talking about it for a long time, but they took action only when the hole appeared over the pole."

Srinivasan has reasons to worry, particularly for India. Some of his colleagues at the IISc have done the first multi-model study of climate change for India for the rest of the century. It makes grim reading, particularly after the year 2030. If the world does not cut down its carbon dioxide quickly, temperatures will rise - compared to pre-industrial times - over the Indian subcontinent by 1.7 to 2 degree centigrade by 2030, and 3.3 to 4.8 degree centigrade by 2080. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Bharat bandh has cost almost Rs. 12,500 crore: CII

The bandh called by NDA, Left parties and SP to protest against diesel price hike, FDI in multi-brand retail and cap on subsidised LPG today evoked mixed response as protestors disrupted road and rail traffic in parts of UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha but it had little impact in Mumbai. 

BJP workers taking out a motor cycle rally during the Bharat Bandh in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh. Agency Photo

Though the response to the bandh was mixed, a Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) release said that today's bandh has been disruptive for business and trade in many parts of the country. The release further said that though an exact loss for the entire economy is not known, it can be estimated that almost Rs. 12,500 crores has been the loss to the country in terms of disruptions in production and trade. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Hot spots and cold zones: how weather differs within Chennai

Rapid urbanisation, congestion, more buildings and increasing commercial activity in certain pockets of the city, has led to higher temperature levels.

Next time you complain about the heat, you may want to check which part of the city you are in. There is more to the soaring mercury levels than just meteorological factors. Read more

Source : www.thehindu.com

Good infrastructure is a must to encourage use of public transport

In a world threatened by emissions leading to global warming, the general principle of encouraging the use of public transport and correspondingly discouraging private vehicles makes sense. You could also argue, as many do, that the best way of doing this is through fiscal incentives and disincentives rather than outright bans. 

However, if this principle is to work on the ground, it must be accompanied by the development of a public transport infrastructure that is genuinely good and adequate. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Are toxic gases being created just to earn carbon credits?

Mumbai : Are firms deliberately overproducing greenhouse gases (GHG) for the sole purpose of destroying them in order to earn revenue through the sale of carbon credits under the clean development mechanism or CDM scheme?

The first indication is the fact that an analysis of the total carbon credits issued to projects across the globe, including India, shows that over 50 per cent of the total carbon credits issued until July 2012 were for the destruction of a deadly greenhouse gas called HFC-23 (Hydro Fluoro Carbons-23). It is 11,700 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and is created during the manufacture of HCFC-22, a gas used in refrigerators and air conditioners. Read more

Source : www.dnaindia.com

'Environment degradation enhancing poverty in northeast'

SHILLONG: Environmental degradation is a major factor in perpetuating poverty, particularly among the rural poor in the bio-rich northeastern region of the country, experts have pointed out.

Experts on matters relating to the environment and ecology point out that environmental degradation has adverse effects on soil fertility, quality and quality of water, forests, wildlife and fisheries and makes air all the more impure. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Kashmir University signs MoU with CSIR-NGRI

Srinagar : University of Kashmir and Hyderabad-based CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) today inked an agreement for establishing a centre for earthquake and hydrological studies.

The MoU on Centre for Geophysical Education and Research, to be set up at the varsity here, was signed by Kashmir University VC, Talat Ahmad, and Director of CSIR-NGRI, a premier earth science research institute, Mrinal K Sen in the presence of Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra. Read more

Source : www.business-standard.com

Asia urban centres courting disaster

Poor town planning, infrastructure shortages are the challenges that the region must tackle urgently, forum told

Yeang says persuading officials to embrace green building codes is like ‘raising children. You reward them when they do good things. And you punish them when they don’t.’

Singapore: WITH about 60% of Asia's population expected to live in cities in the coming decade, many urban centres in the region face a ticking timebomb, as poor town planning and infrastructure shortages threaten to produce a disaster unless steps are quickly taken to address the challenges, key speakers at Singapore's Large Infrastructure Project (LIP) Forum warned at the weekend. Read more

Source : biz.thestar.com.my

'Limit climate change or wait for the doomsday'

A devastating cyclone will strike the state in April 2050, inundating coastal regions of East Midnapore and the Sunderbans. This will trigger flash migration to urban centres and send Kolkata reeling. Parks will turn into slums and every inch of free space will be occupied.

In the cruel summer that will follow, the mercury will breach the 42 degree celcius mark. Radiation from sun rays reflecting off the steel and glass buildings and exhaust from AC cars and homes will push the temperature higher by another 2 degree. With lakhs of people exposed to the heat, thousands will fall ill and hundreds will drop dead due to heat stroke. Egg production will also nosedive due to heat stress on livestock. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Hell of a climate in 9 years

KOLKATA: The environment department has come up with a grim picture of Kolkata and the rest of Bengal for the coming generations.

Bizarre and alarming changes may begin as early as 2021 - hotter days and nights, more deaths due to malaria, less rainfall and a sharp rise in sea level that will wreak havoc on the Sunderbans. In fact, the majority of the unique mangrove forests may vanish underwater, the study says. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Guwahati one of the most polluted city in the world

The northeastern Indian city Guwahati must have contributed to the Black Carbon (BC) pollutants which is responsible for glacier melting in the Himalayas. Guwahati, the capital city of Assam, adjacent to Bhutan as well as the eastern Himalayas probably accelerated BC concentration to melt glaciers in the region, scientists say. The city is situated on the bank of the Brahmaputra and the BC pollutant emitted from the city effects the Brahmaputra Valley already. The Brahmaputra River Valley (BRV) of Southeast Asia recently has been experiencing extreme regional climate change in the recent years and the carbon emission in Guwahati, the largest city in the valley, is mostly responsible for the changing climate.

Black carbon from Guwahati responsible for extreme regional climate change.

A research team from Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada, USA with support from NASA calculated that, on an average, this high level of pollutants has given rise to a daily temperature increase of 2 deg Celsius. Read more

Source : www.assamtimes.org

Global air-conditioning boom a bust for climate

Gases used to pump cold air are more potent than carbon dioxide

Air-conditioners dominate the facade of this building in Mumbai, India. Kuni Takahashi for The New York Times

In the ramshackle apartment blocks and sooty concrete homes that line the dusty roads of urban India, there is a new status symbol on proud display. An air-conditioner has become a sign of middle-class status in developing nations, a must-have dowry item.

It is cheaper than a car, and arguably more life-changing in steamy regions, where cooling can make it easier for a child to study or a worker to sleep. Read more

Source : www.msnbc.msn.com

Less carbon emission slows snow meltdown

MANALI: Even though in the low altitude areas temperature is rapidly zooming, Rohtang pass is witnessing a huge dip in mercury causing the snow to melt down at a slower pace. The area is still laden with snow, which otherwise had almost disappeared last year by now. Scientists say the decrease in carbon emission due to less number of vehicles on the Rohtang route has put a check on the meltdown.

Rohtang pass had received nearly 55 feet snow during winters last year, which had melted till the third week of June. The north of Rohtang witnessed abnormally less snow than the south but still its accumulation at Rohtang this year was above 50 feet. It is still covered under three to five feet of snow. This is expected to remain till mid July. The temperature at Rohtang and mountains with similar height is so less that these are witnessing frequent snowfall even in June. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Going green is just about making smart choices

Environmental consciousness is catching up to business consciousness thanks to various efforts like green building ratings and extensive dialogue on global warming caused by widespread increase in green house gas emissions.

Graphic representation of a green township (Courtesy: Isha Homes)

What exactly does a green building mean, and how does a green economy function? According to David Puttnam, Chairman of the Trustees in the Forum for the Future, “Vibrant local economies, new jobs, high quality housing (with solar roofing), integrated transport, regeneration that makes a real and lasting difference.

Unbelievable that some people still think that sustainable development is about the birds, bees and trees!” Read more

Source : www.theweekendleader.com

Earth approaching environmental tipping point, reports say

The Earth faces a serious triple threat from population growth, urbanisation and consumption, the United Nations said on Wednesday, and called for urgent agreement on new national and international green targets to save the planet from irreversible damage.

Reuters reports that the UN Environment Programme issued the warning in its fifth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-5) report, published two weeks before the Rio+20 international environment summit in Brazil. Read more

Source : reneweconomy.com.au

Going green makes business sense

The telecom industry has a huge potential to contribute to the reduction in greenhouse gases. Although the telecom tower market is highly fragmented, the major six firms have around 90% of the total market

After the Copenhagen climate summit in 2009, India agreed to cut carbon emissions intensity by 20–25% below the 2005 level by 2020. In India, around 20 million tonnes annually (mta) of CO2 emissions are from the telecom industry. In line with the challenges of global warming, India has begun to take small but decisive steps to address the problem as greenhouse gases are increasing the carbon footprint. Read more

Source : www.livemint.com

Mumbai’s expanding waste-line

Mumbai : For the past year, Shilpa Shah, 45, has been segregating her household waste into two bins marked ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ in her building compound. But her effort goes waste when both the bins are emptied together into the civic body’s garbage van that comes to collect the waste. “The civic body needs citizens’ participation for waste segregation and we’ve been following it. But the corporation’s collection van ends up mixing all the waste back,” said Shah, a Chembur resident.

With Mumbai generating 6,500 tonnes of waste every day on an average, environmentalists blame lack of waste segregation for landfill fires. The waste from Chembur area is dumped in the Deonar dumpyard. Tonnes of rotting garbage releases poisonous gases in the atmosphere and toxic chemicals leach into the soil. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

Climate change centre for IAS trainees in Mussoorie

New Delhi : Environment and climate change will now be a part of the basic training of India’s top administrators. The government has decided to set up a specialised centre on climate change at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) at Mussoorie in the northern state of Uttarakhand. 

The academy provides training to newly recruited Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers and offers specialised in-job courses for IAS officers at different levels. Several new courses on emerging areas in India have also been initiated in the academy in the last few years. Read more

Source : www.hindustantimes.com

World's carbon dioxide levels hit 'troubling milestone'

WASHINGTON — The world's air has reached what scientists call a troubling new milestone for carbon dioxide, the main global warming pollutant. 

Smoke billows from a chimney of a heating plant as the sun sets in Beijing in this Feb. 13, 2012 photo. 

Monitoring stations across the Arctic this spring are measuring more than 400 parts per million of the heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere. The number isn't quite a surprise, because it's been rising at an accelerating pace. Years ago, it passed the 350 ppm mark that many scientists say is the highest safe level for carbon dioxide. It now stands globally at 395. Read more

Source : www.onlinesentinel.com