Environment - Current Affairs for May, 2015

A team of researchers in Nepal, France and the Netherlands have found that the Everest glaciers can be very sensitive to future warming. They have predicted that sustained ice loss through the 21st century is likely. Joseph Shea, a glacier hydrologist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development at Kathmandu, and leader of the study said that the signal of future glacier change in the region is clear. The glacier model used by Shea and his team shows that glacier volume could be reduced between 70 per cent and 99 percent by 2100.

Ranjit Singh Baxi is a Founder Chairman of J&H Sales (International) Ltd, a major European exporter of recovered fibre to the Far East. He succeeds Bjorn Grufman. Earlier he was appointed as the Treasurer.

Lithuania topped the list and it is followed by Latvia, Russia, US, South Africa, UK, Hungary, Bulgaria, Panama and Colombia. India has ranked 24th out of 70 countries.

For this Infosys earmarked an amount of 400 crore rupees. The company announced to achieve carbon-neutrality on commuting and travel by its nearly 1.8 lakh employees and in doing so deepens its commitment to sustainability.

RE100 is a global platform for major companies committed to 100% renewable power. The company is already working to reduce its per capita electricity consumption by 50 percent from its 2007-2008 levels and source all its electricity from renewable resources by 2018.

All weather information provided by ESSO-IMD will be used by the Power System Operators across the India for better management of Indian Power System.

The decision came in wake of increase in the digging of new borewells by farmers and private players due to water scarcity during the summers.

The US has committed to a 26 percent to 28 percent cut by 2025 from 2005 levels. The European Union has a target of 35 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. Japan is proposing to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by up to 26 percent by 2030.

Bloomberg Philanthropies will act as Knowledge Partner for the Smart Cities Mission. The Mission for building 100 Smart Cities was approved by the Union Cabinet on April 29, 2015. Under this Mission, central government will spend Rs. 48,000 Cr. over the next five years for providing an assistance of Rs.100 cr per year for each selected city.

The population of Asiatic lions has been found to have increased considerably in the Gir wildlife sanctuary — from 411 during the last census in 2010 to 523 in 2015.

A bench, headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said that these units have even not cared to take the steps to install rainwater harvesting systems even after several reminders. The green panel imposed a fine of 7.50 lakh rupees each on Jaypee Siddharth, Piccadily Hotel while Tirupati Infraprojects Pvt Ltd was imposed 5 lakh rupees as fine. The Tribunal also imposed a fine of 5 lakh rupees each on hospitals B M Gupta Hospital Pvt Ltd, Indraprastha Medical Corporation Ltd Santom Hospital, and Jaipur Golden Hospital while Holy Family hospital was imposed 3 lakh rupees.

The initiative aims at sensitizing the ULBs about the pollution in river Ganga arising primarily due to dumping of solid waste in the river/nallas and to involve them in a long term engagement in stoppage of the solid waste flow from nallas/drains to the river.

Assembly Speaker Kanwar Pal Gurjar had inaugurated the excavation work of 'Saraswati Revival Project' at Rullaheri village on April 21. The river length in Yamunanagar would be 55 km and would pass through 43 villages. It is believed that the river passes underground through Kurukshetra, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa districts before entering Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Pramod was a doctor at the time, made the decision to leave medicine and devote his life to conserving the great Indian bustard.

UNICEF India representative David Mcloughlin congratulated the people of the district for achieving the goal.